Pointed Discussion

awesome engine, I love elfball!

I believe Pro-tour Berlin shows why this card deserves it's rating

combos well with storm crow

What makes this card so ridiculously unfair that most people overlook, and is something not seen on many cards before lorwyn, is that it doesn't say "tap this card and 2 elves" and have a tap symbol. Rather it gives you the option to tap 3 elves, meaning summoning sickness rules don't apply. So, for example, if you have many elves that all cost only 1 mana or are reduced in mana cost by a banneret creature, you can basically empty your hand into play the minute you play her. First turn, llanowar elf, second turn elvish visionary, third turn heritage druid, use extra 4 mana from two mana producing creatures and lands to cast more elves, tap all elves to cast further elves, which also tap, and cast the rest of the elves you have. Once saw someone drop 10 elves on turn 4 with it. These rules also hold true for merfolk decks, they don't actually have to tap such as when they are attacking, they can tap anytime; and enchantments that say merfolk on them count as merfolk, this is also true of elves so you can tap an elf type enchantment for heritage druid. Why wotc made it this way I have no idea, since its pretty outrageous, but it does allow you to do some insanely crazy elf deck shinnenigans. Just beware your opponent doesn't have firespout, volcanic fall out, lavalanche, or jund charm, because emptying your whole hand full of elves to have them burned away is not fun.

Limited, elf-specific Earthcraft.

It's gotta be broken. Tribes are getting all the love right now.

Youch. Pump out elf after elf after elf, and by the time you're done you still potentially have three mana to toss around. The only thing really slow you down is the need for multiples of three.
Aside from usefulness, I can't get over how downright pleased she looks to have found a tiny village of tiny elf ghosts.

Combines well with Lys Alana Huntmaster and cantrip elves such as Elvish Visionary and Masked Admirers. Often you will be able to to continually tap the elf you cast and the token generated to cast the new elf you drew. Be cautious of board sweepers, it's easy to empty your hand with this card and be hit by a Day of Judgement the next turn.

This guy can also trigger Quest for Renewal very easily, which could help with the drawback from tapping all your creatures and leaving yourself open to attack - especially after you just cast a massive Joraga Warcaller - all those massive tapped elves don't look so good when lethal creature damage is coming through. Possibly useful with Chord of Calling.

You really can make a long combo having this and 3 nettle sentinels on the field

This card has become a little less awesome since the beginning of the Zendikar block. I mean, you only really need so much mana, and you can easily get it with Joraga Treespeaker, Elvish Archdruid, etc. Tapping your elves is just a little to much to pay for just 1 mana each, in multiples of 3.
Don't get me wrong, it's still great, just a little less powerful than it used to be.

Now you to can be Lanawar Elves

Pretty sure this card was a mistake. It's ability should have been a or had one of those 'Only X per turn' clauses they like to put on otherwise broken cards.

I'm not saying it's bad, I'm saying it's too good. I've been on the receiving end of one too many Nettle Sentinel chains to think otherwise.

Andrew's Occasional Random Card of the Day #15 - 7/12/2011 - Heritage Druid

I'm not sure why all those elf spirits she's watching are so tiny.

Anyway, I imagine elf grouping up into threes and holding hands for their little mana rituals.

Okay, okay. I've never been a fan of 'Elf decks', and I don't tend to play formats where Elfball prevailed, so I've never seen this Druid in action. Being aware of cards like Glimpse of Nature, though, I can definitely imagine her being pretty silly. I would be interested to hear an experienced 'Elf deck' player's opinion on her versus Birchlore Rangers, though. Obviously the rangers make less mana, but is the color and/or number of Elves required to activate an issue?

Not having much to say on her power level, or even the design of such a straightforward card, I can comment a bit on the flavor connection. The flavor text hints that the tiny spirit people are the 'great spirits of age and those of the past' and that she 'prunes secrets from lineage', but it seems that her ability to allow other Elves to make mana indicates that she's teaching others rather than learning. I can suppose that the 'secrets' she's learning from the elders are on how to generate mana, perhaps from some such as Llanowar Elves (although not them in particular, considering the planar difference), but I don't really see anywhere in her title or flavor text or art that suggests she's allowing others the same skill.

Haha, never considered that you could tap tribal Equipments, Enchantments, and the like. So silly.

So is this a mana ability?

@Tunklebunkle:

Sure, it's a mana ability - it's an activated ability that generates mana, doesn't target, and it's not a planeswalker loyalty ability.

All you need is Heritage Druid + Glimpse of Nature + Nettle Sentinel or any other elf

Basically turns everything into a llanowar elf. Whats "broken" it also effectively gives them haste as well.

I think the ghosts are Elvish Spirit Guides.
Fyndhorn, Llanowar, Skyshroud, Quiron, Mul-Daya, Gilt-Leaf...all elves produce mana as part of the array of tribal abilities. Part of their heritage, or elvish legacy, is mana bonds. The ancestors show the heritage Druid (who acts as a medium of ancient knowledge) and shows those of her blood how to use innate abilities.

Consider this: Radha, Heir to Keld is an elf, but NOT a Druid, yet can still show how the bloodline allows mana bonds to be a tribal ability and not just an occupational one.

"I can't make you a Llanowar Elves, but I can make you and two of your friends into Llanowar Elves."

Cottingley Druid
Creature - Faerie Druid 1/1
Cut out pictures of three untapped Faeries from magazines: Trick the guy that invented Sherlock Holmes.

You there... you're a Llanowar Elves... and you, you're a Fyndhorn Elves... and me? I'm an Elvish Mystic. Oh... and we all have haste.

This card would be funny if it wasn't so broken in an elf deck.