Pointed Discussion

Still prefer Heedless one in most situations.

Its a powerful card that your oponent can't hit with spells, but you can. Awesome.

Elfenthuisiast: Of course Forests don't count. This is basic stuff; lands are colorless.

@Forgeling: not just what Jokergius said (opponent shroud) but if you run Wren's Run Packmaster or the new Turntimber Ranger, the wolves AND elves will increase Drove's P/T.

This card in a tribal elf deck with Alpha Status attached. Nuff said.

So, what your saying is.
The forests do not count toward the Elves power and toughness?

No - forests, and almost all lands, are colorless. Unless specifically stated by an effect or ability (ie. Painter's Servant), a cards colors are determined by the mana cost involved in casting it. So, for example, Burst Lightning is a red card, and Trace of Abundance is a red, green and white card (as all 3 of those colors appear in the card's cost).

Lands do not have to be cast, and as such do not have a mana cost involved in casting them (whilst some lands like Rupture Spire do have a mana cost involved, this is an ability of the card, and not the card's mana cost). Ergo, they are colorless.

Thinking about adding this card into a saproling deck. Running Fist of Ironwood and Pollenbright Wings

Yet another thing that combos with Painter's Servant. Maybe it would be easier to point out the cards that DON'T combo with it.

Jokergius both of those spells say target you are wrong where to people get all these stupid ideas from?

instead of running painters servant to make your land count all you need is an ambush commander to make them 1/1 green elves as well as lands. that way they go towards the drove and it fits better with the theme

A question: Can an instant that prevents a spell from being cast stop Drove of Elves from being put in play? Example: Friend plays Drove of elves, but I attempt to counter Drove of Elves with an instant Counterspell card. Would this count as an ability used against Drove of Elves? I can't seem to find any rulings relating to countering Drove of Elves with Instants.

So, a group of elves is called a drove? Nice to know.

(At least, that's what I'm going to call them now after seeing this card. "I swing with my entire drove of elves.")

Seems to me like a decent sidegrade from Heedless One. The Drove wants you to play mono-green and has troll-shroud, and the One wants you to play elves of any color and has trample.

Jagged-Scar Archers seems to be the only other elf with a P/T affected by the number of your elves.

Seriously, this is far better than heedless. "Can't be the target of abilities and spells" protects you from being removed by most of the removals. And about trample, it is really not a big deal. You can always put trample on her later. Such as rancor, Ezuri's overrun, etc.

Heedless One is still susceptible to Oblivion Rings and Path to Exiles. As to this, little Elf, they CAN'T be targeted, and still you can enchant these little buggers with anything you want.

@Dragonking: first of all, fix your grammar, second of all, it cannot be targeted by spell and abilities your OPPONENT controls, so I STRONGLY believe you are wrong...also, pray tell, how is it a stupid idea??? If you're going to deem an idea stupid, please present a possible solution to the idea. Also, Heedless One only has trample, so it would be targeted by the said cards (O ring and Path/Swords to Plowshares).

If I am missing SOMETHING that needs to be pointed out, please tell me...don't deem an idea "stupid" and not present HOW it is...

thank you

d^-^b

Additional for technowraith:
Well, if you use a Counterspell, for example, to counter Drove of Elves it will get countered, since when it is coming into play it is a spell, not a creature yet. Think of it as this, it's ability can only "work" when it is IN play. Unless, for some odd reason, it has Emrakul's first ability, wherein it cannot be countered...

d^-^b

I like the smug smile of the elf in the foreground. This and one-sided shroud is just great.

I believe those elves are best of the */* elf cycle. The reasons are obvious:

Drove of Elves:
+ can't be targets of your opponent's spells, but you can easily boost it. As it's been already said, your Drove of Elves can't be hit by most removals, can't be bounced by most ways, can't be mind controled so easily, tapped, etc... It means it's much more difficult for your opponent to deal with it, and much more easy for you to kill your opponent with it.
+ it doesn't have to be in dedicated elf deck. Even if it's in an elf deck, it can have higher P/T than the other two, since it can be powered by enchantments, auras or green artifacts.
- have no other tribe (on the other hand, being elf is relevant enough to be played)
- can't deal with flyers or recurring blockers (like regenerating skeletons)

Jagged-Scar Archers:
+ can deal with flyers
+ archer tribe... not so relevant, but nice with Greatbow Doyen (especially against flyers :P )
+ it's cheaper
- it vulnerable to most removal
- it's less splashable
- powers only by your elves

Heedless One:
+ it's powered by all elves (can be pretty sick in multiplayer)
+ trampler (it's pretty huge advantage when we're counting masses of tokens that elf decks can create)
- vulnerable to removal

To sum up, they all seem quite equal, in fact, all of them will be pretty big fatty elf even during mid-game if left unchecked, but Drove's troll-shroud make's the difference between having such elf and not having it, since Jagged-Scar Archers and Heedless One are most likely to be target by your opponent.

Courtesy links for all the cards in this cycle:

Horde of Boggarts
Faerie Swarm
Drove of Elves
Crowd of Cinders
Kithkin Rabble

one of the best elves they've ever printed. finally an elf able to beat someone down and the hexproof is a NICE bonus. although without the hexproof, i'd probably always want to play something else.

Unsurprisingly, Elves get the most overpowered creature in the cycle.

This, Jagged-Scar Archers, Imperious Perfect, Immaculate Magestrite, and some other elves. Imperious for maximum elves, and Immaculate for bonus +1/+1s. Then when you're doing well, play Elvish Promenade and Coat of Arms.

Bonus Points for Lys Alana Huntmaster, Elvish Champion, and Whispersilk Cloak.