It pumps your Elves, and it gives you a sudden
boost of mana. Turn one Llanowar Elves, turn two
Archdruid, turn three you have six mana. Enough
for four or five Elves, or a 6/6 in most cases!
It's just as good later in the game. Get a
decent spread of Elves out, drop the Archdruid
and go for the alpha-strike. If it fails, next
turn you've got mana to Banefire for 15!
Weren't Elvish Champion and Priest of Titania
good enough by themselves? Didn't they already
see play everywhere they could? Did anyone
really need anything *more* to do with Wirewood
Lodge or Quirion Ranger? Did anyone need the
extra deck space for other amazing elves like
Nettle Sentinel and Heritage Druid? Is Elvish
Archdruid one of the best and coolest cards in
M10?
-Balding
for just over 5 years
-Playing MTG for just over 10
Elvish Archdruid
Ok, just what elves needed, another powerhouse.
Now, for an increase of 1 mana, he not only
accelerates but gives your elves a boost in both
power and toughness. Elves are the most loved
creature in magic. Wizards constant attention to
this creature type proves it. This card will see
play. There is really nothing new here, just a
new well packaged powerhouse. It will go into my
casual Helix Pinnacle deck. It will go into my
constructed elfball deck.
Welcome back readers, things have gotten busy
once again with the start of college; today’s
card of the day is Elvish Archdruid the
replacement tribal lord for Imperious Perfect.
For three mana you get a 2/2 body that gives all
your elves +1/+1, the bonus this lord brings to
the table benefits that most definitely fit
elves. It allows you to tap Archdruid and add G
to your mana pool for each Elf you control. Wow,
just great it allows Elf players to fuel huge
powerful X spells, or just provide extra man to
overrun opponents with costly threats. Currently
in Standard Imperious Perfect is the default Elf
of choice for most decks. This card post
rotation depending on the amount of Elves in
Zendakar could prove a useful boost. As is I
don’t see it overthrowing Imperious Perfect
outside of combo Elf decks where it may also go
side by side. In extended Elf decks can be
competitive so Elvish Archdruid is a powerful
addition to already powerful strategies. In
legacy it may see play in dedicated green elf
decks, it is basically a Gae’s Cradle on legs
with the ability to pump all your elves, a
possible contender no doubt. In vintage no
chance. In casual and multiplayer elves are
popular tribes so this card will see a fair
amount of play to boost their playability. In
limited depending on what else you draft this
could be a powerful card, although the
degenerate ways you can use the mana is limited.
Today's card of the day is Elvish Archdruid one of
the most useful and powerful tribal lords ever
printed. Three mana 2/2 that gives +1/+1 to the
type is fairly common these days, but tapping
for one mana for each of that type on the field
is not. Combine that with the fact that elves
are known for swarming in large numbers very
quickly and you have a truly respectable threat.
In Constructed, Casual, and Multiplayer this is
an automatic four of in any Elf deck for the
major acceleration alone then add in the boost
and you have a top of the line card.
Combinations to play with this are fairly
widespread already, such as turn one Llanowar
and turn three Hunting Triad and Elvish
Promenade.
In Limited there are two useful elves at common
to include as support for this lord, but even
the tap for mana ability may be useful enough to
consider running him. Elvish Visionary, Llanowar
Elves, and the rare Elvish Piper. The Archdruid
loses quite a bit of his power in a format
without enough elves, but if you are playing
mostly Green there is no reason not to include
this card if you have it drafted.
