1 I searched these forums and the last thread of this type was from 2009 so if there's a newer one and it's been responded to recently, please point me to it and I will post there.
2. I am generally not a green mage so this is not a fan boy thread. Hate Abzan, Hate Bant Company, hate Collected Company decks in Standard(except the pre Koz Return Standard G/B Elf deck in standard), not a big fan of Jund.
Now, while I do not typically play green, one tribe lures me to the emerald side every so often and it's elves(much the same way faeries get me to play blue).
So, with Liam Longergan's recent win at the GP with Elves, I thought I would open up the up the floor to what you believe is the best elf ever printed in MTG. There are no right or wrong answers here. Just your opinion BUT please be prepared to explain your pick.
So, to kick us off, I will a submit Ezuri, Renegade Leader. It was close with Elvish Mystic or Elvish Archdruid but I think without Ezuri, the elves would never get through any damage at all. They don't have a bunch of two mana lords like merfolk, don't have reach like vamps, can't fly like spirits, aren't all lords like slivers, and can't jack up the power to insane degrees like goblins. They can populate like no other tribe and can generate tons of mana.
But what to do with that mana? If is was just to cast Craterhoof Behemoth, one Doom Blade and your sunk. Ezuri is the single cards that IMO makes them tournament winable in that without him, I don't think they could win consistently. But why? What does he do that no other elf does. He gives elves a boost, a way to turn 4 1/1s into trampling 4/4s AND(and this is why he is more valuble than Archdruid), he can protect them. Please note I'm note saying if you never draw Ezuri you can't win but he makes up for the elves two greatest shortcomings: they lack reach and they fold under sweepers.
Note, I did consider Shaman of the Pack which is another Elf that gives the tribe reach but I think the combo version of elves(in modern at least) is more fragile than the beat down version. Both good decks. Both decks that could probably win games the other would loose. So there is my pick. What is yours and why. Bonus points to any cool stories about playing with or against them. Please stick to 60 card formats(tho if you can't help yourself, I'm cool with a commander story if it's super cool).
1 I searched these forums and the last thread of this type was from 2009 so if there's a newer one and it's been responded to recently, please point me to it and I will post there.
2. I am generally not a green mage so this is not a fan boy thread. Hate Abzan, Hate Bant Company, hate Collected Company decks in Standard(except the pre Koz Return Standard G/B Elf deck in standard), not a big fan of Jund.
Now, while I do not typically play green, one tribe lures me to the emerald side every so often and it's elves(much the same way faeries get me to play blue).
So, with Liam Longergan's recent win at the GP with Elves, I thought I would open up the up the floor to what you believe is the best elf ever printed in MTG. There are no right or wrong answers here. Just your opinion BUT please be prepared to explain your pick.
So, to kick us off, I will a submit Ezuri, Renegade Leader. It was close with Elvish Mystic or Elvish Archdruid but I think without Ezuri, the elves would never get through any damage at all. They don't have a bunch of two mana lords like merfolk, don't have reach like vamps, can't fly like spirits, aren't all lords like slivers, and can't jack up the power to insane degrees like goblins. They can populate like no other tribe and can generate tons of mana.
But what to do with that mana? If is was just to cast Craterhoof Behemoth, one Doom Blade and your sunk. Ezuri is the single cards that IMO makes them tournament winable in that without him, I don't think they could win consistently. But why? What does he do that no other elf does. He gives elves a boost, a way to turn 4 1/1s into trampling 4/4s AND(and this is why he is more valuble than Archdruid), he can protect them. Please note I'm note saying if you never draw Ezuri you can't win but he makes up for the elves two greatest shortcomings: they lack reach and they fold under sweepers.
Note, I did consider Shaman of the Pack which is another Elf that gives the tribe reach but I think the combo version of elves(in modern at least) is more fragile than the beat down version. Both good decks. Both decks that could probably win games the other would loose. So there is my pick. What is yours and why. Bonus points to any cool stories about playing with or against them. Please stick to 60 card formats(tho if you can't help yourself, I'm cool with a commander story if it's super cool).
Edit: Oh, wait. That wasn't controversial.