Glorious Protector – Kaldheim
Date Reviewed: January 23, 2021
Ratings:
Constructed: 3.67
Casual: 4.00
Limited: 4.38
Multiplayer: 3.50
Commander [EDH]: 3.67
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
David
Fanany
Player
since
1995
Valkyries are such a good fit for Magic’s style of angel art that the fact we’re only getting a viking-themed set here in year 28 is even more shocking than it already was. Aside from that, I think this card is a lot better than it might look at first. Why might it not look it? It doesn’t do anything that’s not a fairly standard white ability, and for some people who’ve been playing for a long time, that sort of novel mind-fire is more of a draw than standard text. But if your opponent is about to turn the tables on a powerful field of yours, the Protector guarantees they’ll have to deal with that field again in the future. And as a 3/4 flyer for four – and, quite possibly, for just three on that Norn-kissed turn – they will have to deal with her, and thus be in a no-win situation.
Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
Commander: 3/5
Glorious Protector immediately calls to mind Avacyn Restored‘s Restoration Angel: the body is almost exactly the same, albeit slightly more color-intensive, and its goal is to thwart kill spells. Glorious Protector does it slightly differently, though: it tucks them away for longer, only coming back when it departs. This is better for getting around mass removal and board wipes, though it’s slightly more cumbersome when it comes to ducking past targeted removal. A 3/4 with evasion is still solid statistically, if nothing else, and foretell lets you actually curve into this on turn 3 if you’ve nothing else better to do (and lightens the color demands).
Honestly, this is quite a nice creature in all. It’s hard to say if it’ll quite hit the same beats as Restoration Angel, but it’s in a decently-supported tribe in Kaldheim and has enough versatility to be useful. I think this might be a standout in the set, all things considered, and I’m keen on seeing what it can do in Standard.
Constructed: 4.25
Casual: 4
Limited: 4.75
Multiplayer: 4
Commander: 4.25
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