Games don't end on turn 5.  They can - you you get 2 aggressive players in there that don't know the meaning of the word "defense", sure - they can.  the truth is by the time you play this, your old Nightcrawler (which is amazing early)  is quite dispensable.  This guy will set you up to always have the best match-ups in the late game when you need it.  This is easily the best 4 drop in X-Men, and may be the second best 4 drop in the game outside of Sabretooth, Feral Rage. 

In limited, it's good for all the reasons I just said.  Just play it and you will have the best matchups when you need them.  Take this first pick.

Constructed: 4.5
Limited: 5
Current Price: Nightcrawler, Fuzzy Elf  $5.99 

This character is pretty decent but I’m still debating weather or not he’s going to see much play in my decks. When it comes to Nightcralwers I would probably take Kurt Wagner over this one because most games end around turn five and I don’t think the Fuzzy Elf is strong enough to turn the tide of the game. The only other thing I don’t like about this character is that he’s competing with Rogue, Power Absorption and even Gambit, Remy LeBeau for the forth slot in your average X-Men deck. I personally feel both Gambit and Rogue have can help you seal the game more than this Nightcrawler but that’s just me.  

2.5/5

Limited

When it comes to limited this character is pretty good but don’t expect to see him too often because he’s a rare. His stats fall in par with most of your four drops and his effects can be useful, not game breaking but useful. He’s still no Fantastic Four Wolverine, Brotherhood’s Sabertooth or even Dr. Doom’s Titania when it comes to other four drops and their stats and abilities but he’s still not a bad pull.

3/5   

            If there is one great thing that the X-Men have going for them, it’s their abundance of great early drop characters.  Cards like Longshot, Bishop, Wolverine [Logan], Rogue [Power Absorption], and Nightcrawler [Kurt Wagner] are all amongst the best characters in the game.  Nightcrawler [Kurt Wagner], however, is arguably the best 2 drop character in this game so far.  This begs the question “Why would I play the Fuzzy Elf version on turn 4 and get rid of my Kurt Wagner?”  The answer is simple: you can’t.

            Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not saying that Nightcrawler [Fuzzy Elf] is an inferior 4 drop character.  With above average stats and a great ability to boot, Nightcrawler would be a perfect choice in any X-Men deck, second only to Rogue [Power Absorption] and her ever useful ability.  Unfortunately, Upper Deck decided to create an even better 2 drop character than this card, and losing Kurt Wagner when playing Fuzzy Elf would be a devastating hit to your board.  So you’re stuck with the grim decision of either playing both versions of Nightcrawler in your deck or replacing the Fuzzy Elf with a different 4 drop character (Gambit perhaps.) 

            The fuzzy little elf appears to be a great tournament worthy card, but appearances can be deceiving.  I truly doubt that many (if any) tournament winning decks will include this card in their decklist, because despite of its many obvious strengths, this card comes with just as many hidden weaknesses.

Limited

            In limited, Nightcrawler [Fuzzy Elf] becomes a bit more powerful.  Mainly because it will give your entire team the luxury of having both flight and range, combat tricks which are dearly missed by players in a limited environment.  Unfortunately this card is Rare thus you will rarely see it in a limited tournament.

            It is also important to note the versatility of this card in a limited environment.  It does not once mention the word “X-Men” in its text, meaning it can be splashed into any deck as an extra 4 drop who can add range and flying to any of their characters.  If you see this card in a booster draft, you should more than likely pick it up, it’s an excellent pick at any stage of the draft.

Constructed Rating: 3.0

Limited Rating: 4.0