Pointed Discussion

Everyone seems to be in love with this card. Well I don't think it's that good. Just too slow for my tastes. Maybe if the land came directly into play... Sigh. 2,5/5.

It's a good card because it guarantees the 4th land drop, which doesn't always come, while still being able to trade with cards like Bloodbraid Elf.

I really do not understand this card, I stay with my Sakura-Tribe Elder.

yeah, 3 mana CA in green is always nice.

I really can't see what it is you do not "understand" about this card. Sakura-tribe elder does put a land into play, but this one ensures you do not miss your land drop. Sakura-tribe elder needs to be sacraficed to put a land into play, making it into more of a rampant growth; this is a 2/2 creature that stays around for overrun. If you are playing green agro without caring about your land drops, then you are probably doing something wrong. Plus, this is an elf, so I don't know what more you would want... I mean even the art is dark and awesome.

Borderlands Ranger for Elves. Needs a reprint.

i run four of these in my green deck, which is great for ensuring the 4th turn land drop, which is generally when i start on my bigger strategies.
i use cards like this so i can run fewer lands in my deck, and still play high cmc stuff.
example of an actual hand i kept, despite having one land
Forest
Rampant Growth
Arbor Elf/LLanowar Elf
2 x Civic Wayfinders
Primeval Titan
Oracle of Mul-Daya
Dungrove Elder.

turn 1, forest, elf (2 mana)
turn 2, rampant growth (3 mana)
turn 3, civic wayfinder, forest (4 mana)
turn 4, civic wayfinder, forest (5 mana)
turn 5, odds are i drew a forest, so i drop that and primeval titan (8 mana)
turn 6, oracle, hopefully 1-2 forest from it, attack with titan (10+mana)
this card helps with 10+ mana on turn 6. pretty good imo

4/5

Creature - Elf Warrior Druid
It has race and TWO classes. Makes it way more better in tribal decks.

The tension between this and Farhaven Elf is interesting since one ramps you which is apparently worth -1/-1 worth of toughness.

I think most of the time I'd take Sylvan Ranger over this. I can tolerate smaller P/T for an easier mana curve fit. Plus, elf tribal gets oodles of lord bonuses anyway, so the P/T issue is somewhat irrelevant. I can see this as a decent alternative, however, especially with the more-relevant secondary tribes.

@blandboy No, this was here first. You could say that Borderlands Ranger is Civic Wayfinder for Humans.

Card trades putting the land into play with a bigger body. This card is fine if you haven't played a card yet or if you can play more than one land a turn. Most people think that putting the land right into play is better most of the time.

great with borborygmos enraged... sigh