Liesa, Forgotten Archangel
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Legality

Format Legality
1v1 Commander Legal
Alchemy Legal
Archenemy Legal
Arena Legal
Block Constructed Legal
Brawl Legal
Canadian Highlander Legal
Casual Legal
Commander / EDH Legal
Commander: Rule 0 Legal
Custom Legal
Duel Commander Legal
Gladiator Legal
Highlander Legal
Historic Legal
Legacy Legal
Leviathan Legal
Limited Legal
Modern Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Pioneer Legal
Planechase Legal
Pre-release Legal
Quest Magic Legal
Standard Legal
Vanguard Legal
Vintage Legal

Liesa, Forgotten Archangel

Legendary Creature — Angel

Flying, lifelink

Whenever another nontoken creature you control dies (is put into the graveyard from the battlefield), return that card to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.

If a creature an opponent controls would die, exile it instead.

Last_Laugh on No Pain, No Lifegain

3 months ago

Celestine, the Living Saint fits the theme and helps get creatures back into play. Liesa, Forgotten Archangel will help too, but does return them to hand.

Try Plumb the Forbidden in Sign in Bloods slot. Instant speed makes this card a great response to boardwipes and I get the feeling you'll have plenty of life lol.

Debt to the Deathless/Exsanguinate actually fit the theme while giving you some non-combat reach to finish games.

This last one's a bit more expensive,but Sheoldred, the Apocalypse would be amazing here.

CrystalQuarry on Liesa, Forgotten Archangel (Budget EDH, Combo)

5 months ago

Hey, thank you so much for commenting and taking the time to read through the deck description!

While this is intended to be a budget deck, I personally just really like foils and original printings of cards. The versions of each card listed in the deck here are what I actually have for it in paper.

Activated Sleeper is a card I have been looking at and considering adding to the deck, but it seems highly conditional given that it can only copy a creature that left the battlefield the same turn. I agree it can go infinite with Karmic Guide and Karmic Guide even helps set it up given that Echo would often force you to sacrifice it on your upkeep anyway. That said, I'm a bit worried about how effective the card is when you DON'T have access to Karmic Guide. I guess depending on the pod it could still be quite good at stealing an opponent's creature. I will have to test it a bit and see how it performs in practice.

Kaya's Ghostform is a card I've considered as well but what concerns me with it is the Sorcery speed nature of it and that it is a bit more telegraphed what the intention is. That said, the ability to bring back the creature even if it gets targeted with something like Swords to Plowshares is very cool! In the pods I've played this deck and where people have gotten to learn more or less how it works, they tend to try and remove Liesa, Forgotten Archangel very quickly, so I've found cards like Undying Evil to be essential for keeping Liesa in play. I've found the instant speed to be extremely relevant in many situations as well. That said, Legion's Landing  Flip is a particularly weak card in the deck and I could definitely see cutting that for testing Kaya's Ghostform.

Thran Vigil is a cool new card that I must have missed in the BRO spoilers. However, this deck isn't really all in on persist type effects. Twilight Shepherd is pretty much the only card it would strongly interact with. I would say it's pretty rare for this deck to win through combat and as such the value of the +1/+1 counters in it (even an arbitrarily large number of them) is a bit questionable. If the deck has assembled one of the infinite death engines, then it should be winning outright without the need to even go to combat. I like the interaction with Tortured Existence but it's such a shame that it only works on your turn! If you could suddenly pump up Liesa on an opponent's turn after they've already declared attackers at you, then that would make it a lot better.

Profane Tutor is a great budget tutor, but having to wait two entire turns is a major detriment to how useful of a card it is, especially as a mid to late game draw. The decks I've seen take the biggest advantage of Profane Tutor are the ones that somehow exile and cast a copy from exile or copy it from graveyard and cast the copy immediately, rather than having to wait the two turns. Mid to late game I would much rather pay a little extra mana to guarantee getting a card immediately rather than having to wait. If you get Profane Tutor in the early game, then yes it's definitely better than Diabolic Tutor or Mastermind's Acquisition for the lower mana cost. If I had a means of cheating on the suspend part of the card in Orzhov then it would warrant an inclusion over one of the other tutors in my opinion.

Vile Entomber is another card I considered and even in an earlier iteration of the deck I ran for a while. The issue I often found with it was that it only grabbed ONE card to put to the graveyard. Burning-Rune Demon and Final Parting are in the deck because they find TWO cards. With Vile Entomber I could find Karmic Guide but not another card to combo with it. With Burning-Rune Demon I can find Karmic Guide and another card to combo with it and often times whichever piece the opponent gives me is irrelevant. Blinking or reanimating Burning-Rune Demon is also significantly more value and helps assemble combos much faster than Vile Entomber can.

Bolas's Citadel is extremely powerful, but it is at least right now (12/17/2022) more than $5 which is where the line in the sand has been drawn for whether or not a card can be added to the deck. That said, even if it was a bit cheaper Bolas's Citadel would require leaning much harder into a life gain theme. While life gain is another very popular and powerful strategy, I feel it is a bit orthogonal to the direction of this deck which is more heavily focused on creature ETB/LTB triggers and the graveyard.

I've been working on a Liesa, Shroud of Dusk deck which leans very heavily into life gain/life loss shenanigans and in that deck I do run stuff like Children of Korlis. That's not to say that Children of Korlis isn't a good card in Liesa, Forgotten Archangel, but I feel like you have to already be on the life gain game plan to get the most out of it.

Plumb the Forbidden is a great card, but you need sufficiently many throw away bodies and a sufficiently high life total to manage it. Without sufficient life gain or creature token generators it runs the risk of being a dead draw. Body Count can also be a completely dead draw at times, but it has a much higher ceiling in this deck specifically than Plumb the Forbidden does. Body Count can literally draw the entire deck for 1 black mana with a death engine assembled. Plumb the Forbidden could never draw more than the greatest number of creatures in play at one moment and I must have the life available to pay for it plus 2 mana. If the deck was more of an aristocrats style build spewing creature tokens left and right and running things like Soul Warden then Plumb the Forbidden would be a much more natural inclusion I feel.

Fanatical Devotion is a really cool sacrifice outlet that can do relevant things like protect Liesa which is very important. That said, thanks to BRO another arguably much better sacrifice outlet just became budget (<$5). And that's Ashnod's Altar. I will be adding this to the deck shortly as a third sacrifice outlet.

Thanks again for reading the long description and commenting!

Poolplayer on Angel of Death Blender

5 months ago

Serra Paragon is too rich for my blood. I really like the recycle effect from the graveyard, but I can't bite at almost 7 dollars each for MTGO per angel... Iona, Shield of Emeria + Liesa, Forgotten Archangel + Twilight Shepherd will have to help round out the creature renewal from the grave. I needed more card draw so Inspiring Overseer + Scroll of Avacyn help get me there. Again, if I had Paragon to work those cards twice over that'd be great. And we're at 80 cards.... There's fluff in this but you can't have a one path victory only or you'll always fall flat.

I'll take some critique.

Pool.

Quickspell on What kind of EDH deck …

7 months ago

I use Vedalken Orrery to great effect in my Liesa, Forgotten Archangel deck. Cards like Mother of Runes or Dauthi Voidwalker are best cast during your last opponents turn so you can tap them right away when it’s your turn. Orrery is perfect here. But also any deck with expensive creatures that don’t have haste want this card.

multimedia on Liesa final

8 months ago

Hey, nice version on a low budget. You have good deck building skills on a budget.

Consider Talisman of Hierarchy as 99th card or an upgrade for a Diamond? Orzhov Signet is another mana rock upgrade for a Diamond. Commander's Sphere is upgrade for Cluestone. Angelic Accord is an Angel token source upgrade for Moonsilver.

Sigarda's Vanguard gives Liesa double strike when she ETB and when she attacks. Karmic Guide can reanimate any creature in your graveyard even a black creature. Emeria Shepherd is powerful repeatable nonland permanent reanimation when playing so many Plains. Pair Shepherd with Wayfarer's Bauble.

Liesa, Forgotten Archangel has lifelink, can shut down some opponent strategies and can be repeatable creature recursion. She's good enough to add some creatures who can sac themselves for value especially removal and protection such as Cathar Commando and Selfless Spirit.

Angel of Despair is powerful ETB removal. Angel of Sanctions exiles something when it ETB. Admonition Angel can be repeatable exile. Palace Jailer is more monarch as well as opponent creature exile. Vindicate and Dire Tactics are some budget removal upgrades to consider.

Caves of Koilos, Shineshadow Snarl, Shambling Vent, Temple of Silence, Vault of the Archangel are some budget land upgrades to consider.

Good luck with your deck.

multimedia on Liesa, Liesa, they so flying...

9 months ago

Hey, good latest update, really nice additions of Archivist of Oghma and Bolas's Citadel. Don't forget Caves of Koilos, it's in the precon and an Orzhov dual land that enters the battlefield untapped.

You're right you want more draw and you could cut several lesser creatures for more draw. Use life to get draw by either drawing when you gain life or when you pay life. Well of Lost Dreams is another four drop that like Greed once you get onto the battlefield it can draw a ton of cards because of Liesa's lifelink. Sigarda's Splendor can draw an extra card at your upkeep if your life total changed and it's another source of repeatable life gain from casing white spells.

Dawn of Hope each time you gain life you can pay 2 mana to draw a card. Eye of Vecna draws a card when it enters the battlefield and then it can be repeatable at your upkeep for 2 mana + 2 life.

Fell Stinger can sac itself for it's exploit to have interaction with Liesa, Forgotten Archangel and other reanimation or recursion that you could add such as Sun Titan, Witch of the Moors, Apprentice Necromancer, Priest of Fell Rites. When your Commander has flying then Mask of Memory can be consistent repeatable draw as well as discard to fuel reanimation or recursion.

Court of Grace makes you the monarch for repeatable draw a card at your end step. If you're the monarch at your upkeep then you create a 4/4 Angel or if you're not the monarch a 1/1 Spirit. Palace Jailer makes you the monarch, it also exiles an opponent's creature and that creature never returns to the battlefield unless you lose the monarch which can only happen if an opponent does combat damage to you or plays a card that makes them the monarch.

Some cards to consider cutting for more draw, reanimation, recursion.

  • Killian, Ink Duelist: you have very few cards that have a single target to reduce the mana cost.
  • Vampire Outcasts: the lifelink is nice, but that's all it does for a four drop creature, no other abilities, can do better for four mana.
  • Dawnhart Geist: there's very few enchantments here and it only triggers for your enchantments, can gain more life from other cards.
  • Vampire Scrivener: I know you like this card, but it's too slow and doesn't do anything for five mana. You have Necropolis Regent at one more mana than Scrivener who can put the counters on Liesa the same turn it enters the battlefield. Putting counters on Liesa will do more because she has lifelink.
  • Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts: not a fan of this seven drop, could replace it with Sun Titan.

Well of Lost Dreams or Sigarda's Splendor could replace Vampire Outcasts. Dawn of Hope or Eye of Vecna could replace Killian, Ink Duelist. Mask of Memory is a good swap for Malefic Scythe. Mask can give you repeatable draw where as Scythe isn't doing much because it only triggers when equipped creature dies.

Fell Stinger is an easy swap for Dawnhart Geist. Vampire Scrivener could be cut for more reanimation Witch of the Moors, Apprentice Necromancer, Priest of Fell Rites. Sun Titan could replace Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts. Court of Grace or Palace Jailer could replace Heron of Hope. Heron's ability is fine to gain a little more life, but more draw would help more.

multimedia on Liesa, Liesa, they so flying...

9 months ago

Hey, if you want to stop No Mercy then consider Cathar Commando? It's a budget creature so it can be reanimated or recurred with Liesa, Forgotten Archangel as well as other ways which I will mention in my next comment :)

If your getting Jumpstart packs there's several cards to look for other than Exquisite Blood:

I believe in using my money getting singles to build my decks not on $5 packs, but if you enjoy cracking Jumpstart packs look for these cards. Selfless Savior and Blood Artist are uncommons, you might have these cards.

If you're interested in Exquisite Blood then maybe you want to make your deck more combo? I don't think Exquisite is worth $18 since with $18 you can make several upgrades not just one card. For $18 you can make close to 20 card upgrades. Even if you're playing casual having a combo to win the game is helpful. Just don't combo off right away, let the game build up, have fun and then boom.

There's no budget alternative card for Exquisite Blood, but you can mimic the outcome of what the Blood combo does with budget cards. By making yourself lose a lot of life and then gaining the life you lost right back.

Vizkopa Guildmage's ability is like Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose/Sanguine Bond except it's more powerful because it affects each opponent all at once not just one opponent. It however costs three mana to have the effect until end of turn. The combo is to cast a spell or activate an effect to lose a lot of life such as Bond of Agony where you can control how much life you lose which then makes each opponent lose that same amount of life. When you lose the life then sac either Children of Korlis or Tainted Sigil to gain all that life back. This then triggers Guildmage to make each opponent lose that same amount of life again, most likely killing each of your opponents for having 0 life and you win the game.

Children of Korlis is a good card for gaining life because it looks at all life you lose for the entire turn. You can gain a lot at one time after a big attack from opponent doing combat damage to you or a small amount, you choose. It's a one drop creature who can be reanimated or recurred to repeat this effect, great with Liesa, Forgotten Archangel. Outside the combo if you're paying a lot of life for draw such as with Greed then Children can help to gain that life back.

In my last comment I mentioned you can get quality from filler creature cards you play with Infantry Veteran as example of not quality. Children of Korlis and Selfless Savior are examples of quality budget one drops. Mischievous Poltergeist/Wall of Blood's ability can be paid as much as you want, each time losing 1 life, but it's not a good card outside the combo. I suggested it because it's a creature who can be easily reanimated or recurred which can be helpful to more easily combo or repeat the combo. If I was playing this combo I would play it for that reason.

I'll continue with more advice in another comment later.

multimedia on Liesa, Liesa, they so flying...

9 months ago

Hey, you're welcome. Nice, those are good changes to make :)

Think bigger when it comes to your gameplan and card quality? Gideon's Avenger and Vampire Scrivener are low power level creatures who need other cards to make them good and to fit with the deck's strategy. Their game impact is very low. Vampire Scrivener being a five drop 2/2 flier is worse because it doesn't do anything for five mana. Which is not good when you have other five drops like Liesa, Stinging Study, Liesa, Forgotten Archangel, casting + equipping Sword of Feast and Famine, etc. can impact the game for five mana right away.

Your best attacker and life gaining is Liesa since she has flying, lifelink and she's your Commander meaning she does Commander damage. If you need a blocker then give Liesa vigilance which is what Loyal Unicorn does and it's a good card to keep for this reason. I don't think attacking with lots of creatures or building creatures to be attackers should be your game plan here. Liesa as attacker yes, but instead the creatures you play should support the life gaining strategy for value, draw, protect Liesa, make Liesa a better attacker, be sacrificed to keep Leisa alive, etc. Creatures with lifelink are preferred since if they get to attack they might gain life, but think of that as a bonus.

Liesa, Forgotten Archangel is your second best attacker/life gaining and her other abilities are excellent. Markov Purifier is a good example of a quality budget support creature with Liesa since he can be repeatable draw and if you get to attack with him then he might gain life, but you really play him because of his repeatable draw not because he may do combat damage to gain life.

You have a lot of budget filler creatures here who you don't need to play because they aren't helping gameplay enough to take up a deck spot. As a lesson in Commander deck building try to limit to only quality creatures here. This is not about adding/upgrading creatures, except a few that are in the precon, but instead about choosing only the quality creatures you're currently playing.

What we are looking for in creatures is how they interact or support with the deck strategy. If they're good enough support keep them, but if not then cut them. Even budget filler creatures such as Infantry Veteran can be quality, Veteran is not quality.

This list I've made below is not a knock on your deck building, you're using cards you have available to you, that's great and everyone has this same start. This advice is to how to improve the cards that you play to fill in the rest of the deck spots to have a full deck. Filler cards can also be quality, but you first have to know which cards are not as good as others so that you can improve them within budget.

I have reduced the creature base down to 11 of the quality creatures your currently playing. We are looking for good impact from creatures to make when they are played the first turn which means they have some kind of helpful abilities. Less high end creatures because both Liesa are your best high end creatures who are five drops.

If you're still interested I can continue with advice in another comment. Shall I continue?

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