Pointed Discussion

IT'S A FREAKING DINOSAUR.

*better

its better because it wont die in an Armageddon, worse because it lacks trample
its about .5% better

Great early pressure, with Rancor, thats a first turn 4/2 trampler. I like it.

I'd have to disagree with dark_raider, this card is great in a quick elf deck, can be played on your first turn as a 2/2 with no drawbacks. My elf deck goes in for the kill swift and fast, and with a couple llanowar's by turn four you can have out a joraga warcaller with a decent boost and a boost to all other elves out. Sounds good in theory and works well when you get lucky enough!

an OK card... great with "life and limb" in a "fun with fungus" deck

Could work well with Bramblewood Paragon to give it some tramp stamps.

Dark Raider...it doesnt die to armageddon. its one plus X...therefore, with no lands, its still a 1/1

Creationist bastards.

Molimo is worse because he doesn't have an easily accomplished alternate casting cost, which increases versatility. He's an elf, which just adds to the tribal awesomeness.

Its not worse than Molimo, its a free fatty. Great in either decks that want free turn 1 creatures (Vine Dryad) or decks that spend all of their mana in one turn (Protean Hydra). Very, very good in decks that use Greater Good or Momentous fall.

It's like Molimo, but worse.
Edit: Sure, it dies to Armageddon, but for seven mana in green I want my fatties big and trampling, not sitting there doing nothing against my opponent's chumpers.
Edit 2: let me clarify. I meant Molimo died to Armageddon, while this guy gets to live. But on the other hand, if I'd either let myself get ripped off two cards or pay seven, I'd rather have something that actually has effect. So either you
1. Play Tarmogoyf or comparable stuff
2. Play a big that actually has some sort of evasion, so you won't just be looking at a wall of chumpers all day.

That elf is living every kid's ultimate fantasy.

Normally cool, but this deck has no real place for it. This deck wants to get out a ton of elves. This card has a high mana cost, its alternate cost inlvolves pitching two cards that are likely more elves, and the deck's mana acceleration is mostly based in creatures so it won't help this get bigger. And there's already quite a few cards in the deck that can create big fatties.

Budget Tarmogoyf. I'll take it.

I hate Elves with a passion, but this is a badass card.

Why do Dwarves suck in MTG? Where is the Dwarf riding an armoured tricerotops? The game needs it

@Vishlord - I 100% Agree... they really need to overhaul the dwarves, one of my favorite races. Tricerotops rider would rule, but a tricerotops better have trample. Any one else kinda miss Dino-riders?

Where are the gnomes? few and far between...

Allosaurus Rider really is a good card, mana ramp, doesn't need an elf deck to be good. build it right and you'll go far. Ride an Allosaurus, and you'll go even further.

Dwarves won't ever come back in Magic. Magic is not D&D the card game, and WotC doesn't care about "standard fantasy tropes" too terribly much.

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mc14 A savor the flavor article explains why, click the link at the bottom.

As Tanaka348 said, I don't really think this card is that great for elf decks. It'd probably work out better in some kind of landfall/enchantment deck or something.

I'm still hoping for the day Wizards will create an entire block revolving around dinosaurs.

@SubstantiaNigra: Only as long as they are actually classified as Dinosaurs and not Lizards... (Dinosaurs aren't the same as Lizards)
A prehistoric Muraganda-like block/set would be pointless without the Dinosaur creature type.

@Silver-Paladin:
...Except, Dwarves did appear in Eventide. Duergar, but Dwarves nonetheless.
Dwarves should be (which they are in EVE) and (non-artifact)Gnomes seem to fit Izzet ideology ().

And "standard fantasy tropes" are strong enough and popular enough that they, thankfully, won't ever truly die. Llorwyn was based on "high fantasy" and that's about as traditional as it gets.

4 star card for me. This guy pounds like a MAFK early on. He wins games when played early enough. He makes a huge difference in my Edric Edh deck, everytime i had this guy out in turn one or two I got massive card draw advantage and a won without much trouble. I am willing to exile some green elfs to get this guy on turn 1 pounding on turn 2 for 3 dmg and then for more continuously for several turns. Sure, you can plowshare him and so on but thats a risk you take all the time...

He is however only really strong in the first few turns unless you can sacrifice him to cards like Birthing Pod orGreater Good. He is of course still a Mana enabler for Priest, Wirewood and Archdruid just way to overcosted...that is why Unfortunately he becomes dead weight later on, since there are way better beatsticks out there that can be hardcasted without feeling guilty.

Art is great too.

I've been thinking about this card. It is a pity its abilities line up so poorly. What is the point of alt costs? To cast it when it is most effective. The problem is this card is most effective when you can hard-cast it. With the rest of the cycle the option to use them in a pinch is there, making them wonderful. (free counterspell, free wrath ect). With this card, if it comes down via alt-cost it tends to be smaller. If you cast it off seven forests it is an 8/8. If you cast it off two giant growths it is a one one for massive card disadvantage. The worst part of it all is that the alt cost is almost unplayable if you just mean to use it as a freebie. By that I mean in white control you could cast a free sunscour and then drop a creature with the mana you saved. In ramp (this guy's home) your hand is mostly empty of cards when you are dropping fatties. That said, this can turn excess ramp cards (that turn five rampant growth) into a free beastie so I suppose it is not too bad. 3.5/5 (not counting elf-on-a-dinosaur winsomeness)

Edit: After reading some of these comments (JinChonRei, grats to you. Birthing pod is a wonderful idea) I am forced to change my opinion. It has some combo potential, with birthing-pod type cards. 4/5

Wizards seriously needs to print more dinosaurs and make it a supported type. So many people are asking for it - why not give people what they want?? It's silly that they keep falling back on arguments like "oh we don't want to make things that are too similar to the real world" when really that's just an arbitrary policy that's hurting more than helping in this particular case (dinosaurs). Also, they need to make dinosaurs not have the lizard type.

The world wonders what happened to the dinosaurs, here is the answer. THE WHOLE FREAKIN TIME THEY WERE ABDUCTED! I KNEW IT!