Griselbrand
| Griselbrand | |
|---|---|
|
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Griselbrand1.jpg}}|250px]] | |
| Details | |
| Race | Demon |
| Birthplace | Innistrad |
| Lifetime | Unknown-4557 A.R. |
Griselbrand was one of the demonic masters of Liliana Vess. He granted her the power over death.[1]
History
Griselbrand lived on Innistrad, and fought fought the archangel Avacyn. As a result, he was imprisoned in the Helvault, an artifact of immense power made of pure silver. In a last-ditch effort, Griselbrand threw his spear at Avacyn, taking her with him.
Liliana Vess visited Innistrad in the hopes of destroying Griselbrand, with whom she had made a demonic pact that would result in her soul's enslavement. To this end, she opened the Helvault by forcing an ultimatum on Thalia, its guardian. Immediately after his release, Griselbrand used his freedom as an opportunity to escape Avacyn. However, Liliana tracked Griselbrand down, slaughtering both angels and demons alike, and finally cornered him. Desperate, Griselbrand attempted to sway Liliana with promises of power, but she saw through his lies and used the Chain Veil to kill him permanently.[2]
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
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- Quoted or referred to:
In-game mechanics
Griselbrand has become a powerhouse in every format it has been legal. It has affected Commander, Legacy and Modern.
Usually present in Reanimator decks, many other decks were constructed that uses a reanimated Griselbrand as a means rather than the ends of their deck's combo. His no-mana draw-seven ability has become the engine in decks like Tin Fins (a Storm-Reanimator strategy from Legacy), Instant Reanimator (a deck that intends to keep looping the draw-seven ability to win) and Grishoalbrand (a deck that uses another manaless effect, Nourishing Shoal, to refuel the draw).
As of 2022, all Legacy Reanimator decks tend to run at least 1 copy of Griselbrand.
Trivia
- In "The Saint, the Geist, and the Angel", the narrator states that Innistrad demons are made of pure black mana, which allows them to regenerate after death.[3] However, Griselbrand's death appears to have been permanent. It is unclear if the Chain Veil's power deprives demons of their immortality or if this was just a writing inconsistency.
- The in-game community often gives nicknames to Griselbrand or Griselbrand-decks making playful jokes with its name. Some examples are: Griseldaddy, Griselboss, Griselcannon, Griselshoot.
See also
References
- ↑ Flavor text for Griselbrand (Secret Lair)
- ↑ Doug Beyer (April 09, 2012). "Angel's Rise and Demon's Release". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (September 14, 2011). "The Saint, the Geist, and the Angel". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.