Elspeth is brilliant, but can't be relied upon to save you from fliers! I learnt this last Friday. 'You can have all the indestructible creatures you want,' my opponent chuckled, as Sarkhan Vol powered up to unleash 5 dragons.
I died the turn after.
Eclir
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(5 votes)
Bezman: You have a good point, but all know that the perfect card not exist.
I think that Elspeth is just amazing, not win alone the game, but in the right hands she complicate the game for our aponnet andi defen her self alony in the same time that she is gain more and more loyaty couters, is perfect?, not, but she´s good? yes, very very good.
Elspeth me parece simplemente sorprendente, claro no gana las partidas por si sola, pero en las manos correctas no solo le conplica las cosas a el rival si no que se mientras lo hace se defiende sola y sigue ganado contadores siempre. claro si la pregunta es si es perfecta, pues creo que no lo es pero si la pregunta es si es buena la verdad creo que vaya que si lo es.
Hello to everybody!!!.
Saludos a todos!!!.
starkiller2
★★☆☆☆ (2.3/5.0)(5 votes)
Elspeth is amazing. Stick her in any white weenie deck you make.
Shoe2
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(7 votes)
Elspeth is a good card, a little broken if you ask me, but I will say that about all planeswalkers. I eventually will come to terms with a new card type, but right now, its hard for some of the colors to remove a Planeswalker.
brunsbr103
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(4 votes)
The bast planeswalker so far-the small abilities are both very useful and the epic one just pushes her over the top
nubiop
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Elspeth of course works great with empyrial archangel, but has some weaknesses, against a quick burn deck it's essentially a dead draw. It takes a while to activate it but you don't need to activate it's ultimate ability more than once. Like all planeswalkers it isn't as good upon second glance but it is extremely powerful in most situations and devastating in the right one.
SkinnyO
★★☆☆☆ (2.1/5.0)(4 votes)
As others have said, if your opponent plays with Elspeth, Empryical Archangel combo then its an infinite loop of doom
Not a day ago my buddy deck me with that combo. I ran a Naya deck with Spearbreaker, Godsire, a 22/17 flying Wholly Thoctor with indestructible (Shield of Oversoul), and essentially he couldnt hit me with his little angels but I couldnt do damage. :'( Damn white decks
dmanick
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(5 votes)
Elspeth is my favorite magic card ever printed. ( I started magic when Visions was released.)
At 4 mana it fits nicely into a 20 to 26 Land Deck and offers defence and offence with out the draw back of removing counters.
By your opponent hitting Elspeth it is acting like life gain too.
Although Elspeth does get countered and dies to flyer's, burn, Trample, O-ring, discard and the almightly pithing needle .
Honestly Guark is a better planeswalker but I still prefer Elspeth.
Furthermore, I have never yet played a game where I got the ultimate ability to go off.
Every white deck should run 2 Elspeth's.
BGEhit
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Lovely card! i run it in my planeswalker deck along with all the others and she works wonders! definatly one to add to any white deck!
maxian
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(4 votes)
What if we use her last ability & use destroy all lands/creatures,etc. ability to affect other players only, is that possible? if it is, this ability is simply outstanding.i know this card might lose ground if you play it one on one against other planeswalkers, but i thought dats the nature of white cards, it supports you.
Ixidors_Heir
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(4 votes)
Elspeth is a smidge broken. While it does not protect from flyers, it does give you tough (temporary) flyers for a cost of +1! Of course, this may be because I ran into Elspeth in my second match of the prerelease, and got smashed.
Queen_of_the_Fae
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(11 votes)
She is my most favorite out of all the Planeswalkers newly printed. The moment I saw her I knew I had to have her in my deck.
The unique thing about Elspeth is that she doesn't follow the standard ability chart that all the rest do: +X: Do something, -X: Do something different, -BIGX: Do something big that has synergy with the +X ability. She has TWO +1 abilities that offer two very different, but very good effects.
Her first is to poop out a soldier baby. People attack Elspeth's quality by saying she's a crappy Bitterblossom . . . yeah. This effect is not as good, per sey . . . it does give you a 1/1 but it doesn't fly like those cute little faerie babies. But unlike Bitterblossom it doesn't cost life (many a Fae player's downfall) and it's not the only effect she wields.
I actually use her second ability far more than I use her baby making potential. Giving a +3/+3 boost to a Knight of Meadowgrain and then making it fly so it can deal it's 5 damage to your opponent is just plain killer! (And put a Loxodon Warhammer on one as well is just plain mean!)
Her last ability... Though it doesn't win you the game outright . . . it does place you in to a situation that makes winning almost inevitable. (I have yet to win a game where she has gone off and made me indestructible! *knocks-on-wood*) Or at the very least places you in a better board position.
And like most 'walker's abilities . . . her "build-up" abilities and her "ultimate" ability have awesome synergy with each other. (Making lots of tokens to then make indestructible, what good is indestructibility if you control no permanents? And even her second ability has synergy, for it allows for you to attack with your boosted flier without any sort of fear of it dying!)
Oh, and so far . . . she's the ONLY 'walker to protect herself AND gain loyalty!
AMAZING<3!
INeverDidLikeType2
★★☆☆☆ (2.1/5.0)(5 votes)
Elspeth is one of the best planeswalkers printed so far in terms of playability in the eternal formats. In dedicated control or prison decks, Elspeth is one of the best win conditions to be printed in a very long time. Given her current usage and possible future usage, I highly suggest trading for or buying a play set as soon as possible.
Ciper
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(5 votes)
ninetailedfox
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(4 votes)
great card especially combined with Knight-Captain of Eos , Aerie Mystics , and Gilder Bairn
mad666junglist
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(5 votes)
all white sodier deck ??????
abochavez
★☆☆☆☆ (1.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Awesome! I pulled Elspeth during a prerelease tournament. My first planeswalker ever and it had to be the best.
MasterOfEtherium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.7/5.0)(9 votes)
White Alone Is Super Lame. Like Elspeth
chaosjuggler
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
too many words
trancebam
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(5 votes)
@Shoe2: Hard to remove a planeswalker? Green can attack a planeswalker with big creatures that have trample, or indestructibility, or are unblockable. Blue has counterspells. Black has vampiric spells. Red has burn spells. The only deck that might have troubles removing a planeswalker is white. White has plenty of inexpensive fliers, so you could potentially kill a planeswalker with a flock of birds, but other than that, I'd say the best you could use from white would be something like a Faith's Fetters or some kind of removal spell, at which white is notoriously good. In my experience playing with and against planeswalkers, they don't stay on the board very long.
Elven_planeswalker
★★☆☆☆ (2.6/5.0)(6 votes)
Elspeth, in all honesty, is not that great. most of the lorwyn planeswalkers could defeat her (not liliana or jace). Once you use her last ability, it helps a lot, but strategy wise, most creatures arent destroyed by kill cards, and her last ability doesnt help with enchantments, meaning, your creatures can still be enchanted. Her second ability can help a lot, but her first one isnt that great. I honestly dont think that elspeth does that much good for you, if your going to try to destroy a player, u dont use kill cards to wipe out their forces, costs too much mana, and damaging cards still work on creatures. Elspeth could be better, a lot better.
Th3_Dark_On3
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(7 votes)
I've played against her five times, and the highest loyalty she's gotten to is 6, always dying after reaching that. The thing is, who the 1=(_)ck is going to let that stay on the board?
crenel
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(3 votes)
She's easily built up for her indestructible bomb, but her build up abilities are honestly conditional in use and she's a very large target which will likely be steamrolled before she can pop if the other player is smart.
Without having any unconditionally useful abilities such as Garruk Wildspeaker's land uptap or Sarkhan Vol's much larger and much more intimidating summon power I just feel that she's lacking. Indestructible doesn't give them immunities to spells or abilities your opponents control, so really all she has going for her is that she has one mediocre ability that will likely only get any use 1/4 of the time.
I really can't say it any clearer than that. Indestructible just isn't tempting enough for me to seriously use, especially because it's a very flimsy defense compared to what could be. (Indestructible is really nothing more than a permanent regenerate shield, which is only slightly better than regenerate.)
Robin1990
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Can ANYONE help me out with understanding The Planeswalker? I mean, I just am not 100% sure on how to deal with one when one comes out against me. For example: Can I target one with a spell or an ability? I understand they are not creatures, so creature removale spells won't bork, but how about a Boomerang? Can I return a Planeswalker to it owner's hand. Can I use a spell that says "Destroy Target Permanent?" I've been reading the rules on them...but they never fully answer all the possibilities. Can someone please help a girl out???
Grimn777
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(7 votes)
I'm not sure if you people are understanding the full ramifications of indestructibility. In terms of elspeth's final ability, giving all of your permanents (except planeswalkers) indestructibility is far more useful than you make it out to be. In terms of artifacts, enchantments, and lands, there are next to no spells that can remove one from the game, the vast majority will say destroy target artifact, enchantment, land. These are now impervious to all of those effects. Where it really shines is with your creatures however. Not only can they not be destroyed by targeted destruction spells, but they cannot be hit by boardwide sweeps like wrath of god. Also, they cannot be destroyed by lethal damage. That means that burn spells have no effect, volcanic fallout does absolutely nothing, and no creature can ever kill them in combat. each of your creatures can now chump block forever without dying, and your horde of white weenies has nothing to fear from larger creatures. A definite game-winner. 4.5/5
nyxiathewarrior
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(6 votes)
Elspeth is not made for Mono-white. Honestly, if you're going straight white aggro, at this point, you're most likely running swarm-gro type mechanics, hopefully with some nice soldiers. M10 gave white swarm a HUGE boost with the 2 cost Glorious Anthem, Captain of the Watch, and no Wrath! If you're just playing white, Ajani Goldmane all the way.
However, if you want a nice sideboard walker for Bant-theme aggro deck, accept no substitutes. Consider this possibility: Turn one - Forest, Noble heirarch; Turn two - plains or island, drop a Rhox War-Monk; Turn three - land, Elspeth, swing with a 7/8 flying lifelinker. Now, such an advantage might only be as good as throwing out a turn 3 Knight of New Alara and swinging for the same (minus flying), and not nearly as good as a turn 3 Rafiq of the Many ; BUT, Elspeth becomes a nice decoy, as your opponent, if he doesn't fancy Exalted fliers early game (especially if you can surprise him fourth turn with a Finest Hour), will start working very hard to take Elspeth out. Against any deck not running enough creature kill to keep up with good Bant aggro (again, NO WRATH!), this should give you a nice 1 or 2 turn run where you're not getting hit at all, as your adversary turns focus to the Knight-errant.
In all respects, Elspeth, in my opinion, works very well off the Exalted mechanic. +3/+3 and flying is great when you only need to smack your opponent with one creature. And if you can keep her alive enough to pop her, it'll give you all the late-game edge you should need to start swinging for the win.
I wouldn't run her mainboard in any deck, but I run 2 sideboard in my Bant, just in case I need that extra little back-up support.
RuthieA
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(11 votes)
Elspeth is probably my favorite Planeswalker, although not necessarily for game play reasons. To be honest, it makes me a little happy to see a female knight who doesn't wear the chainmail bikini as a protagonist character, and Elspeth's back story makes her a very sympathetic character. Game play wise, Elspeth is amazing if your opponent doesn't kill her or find another way to remove her from game. Her first ability combos quite nicely with Knight-Captain of Eos, and therefore protects her (or you) from combat damage, and her second ability works great with an Exalted deck. Obviously her final ability is pretty amazing (and would be rather devastating if some manner of board wipe was used afterward). That said, she tends to die a lot. In the group I play with, "Kill Elspeth" is an unwritten rule every time I play her. However, I think she's worth think she's worth the risk, and at a reasonable mana cost, if you have her and have room in an appropriate deck, than she's definitely a card I'd include.
tabiwasan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Re: Grimn777 Indestructable just means it can't be instantly killed. It can still die if you block with it or it gets blocked. But enchantments like pacifism still work against it attacking. As long as it isn't attacked with "destroy" effect anything can be used against it.
MartialCoup
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
IF you manage to use her indestructibility ability (I know you monsters love to exile and counter her), and add in martial coup after all of your Field Marshals, Captain Of The Watch's, Armorsmiths, etc. are indestructible' you have a pretty large standing army.
Oh, and maybe throw in some Oracle's Attendants, Kjeldoran Royal Guards, Frontline strategists, and Righteousness to keep yourself alive. This is all assuming you're not playing standard.
Allikiza
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
A great card, but summoning her makes her a big target.
A deck with a good set of Walls and High toughness creatures would work well with her, but there are always ways past defenses.
-'Valor Made Real'- would work very well with her Solider tokens, though trample will get through.
Getting her to 8 could greatly shift a battle in your favor is great, but normally she ends up as a great distraction.
PaladinOfSunhome
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This card is just awesome. A 1/1 for +1 and give a creature +3/+3 and flying and they all your stuff is indetrucable? You build up a small army, beef them up and away they go. Not onyl that, but with a typilca White deck, your 1/1s will be more than just that when they entre play.
4.0
Paradoxicles
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Elspeth is by far my favorite planeswalker ever. I use her in my Naya 'Walker deck, along with Sarkhan, Garruk, and Ajani Vengeant, and let me tell you, I've had some immense fun with her (and the deck in general). Just imagine a dropping a Woolly Thoctar on turn 2 with the help of a Birds of Paradise, getting a turn 3 Elspeth and giving the Thoctar +3/+3 and flying. Shockingly enough, I've actually pulled off her final at FNM a couple times. Then i just pop out another Elspeth afterwards!
XxPainxX
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Thing is if you can get her to be indestrudable and alive she will BE OWNAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
blackhart-xxx
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
SHE TOTALY BEATS THE CRAP OUTA ANYONE
JaxsonBateman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Tabiwasan: indestructability precludes a permanent that has it from also being destroyed by lethal damage, which I believe is what you're getting at. If you deal 100 damage to an indestructable creature, it'll just bounce off. However, you can still exile indestructable creatures so that's something to consider.
In terms of Elspeth, she has great potential but rarely ever sees it. Two of my friends have her in their main decks, but as I like to point out in every game she's not a big fan of the ol' Scourglass play.
In any case, if you want to include her in a deck for anything beyond making chump blockers and giving troops temporary boosts (which works pretty well in an exalted deck), don't play her until you can adequately protect her from both creatures and spells. 4 turns is an eternity if the game isn't already beyond doubt.
U-caster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Absolutely love this card. Imagine the last ability with palace guard. You wouldn't need any other cards to block with.
Her in a soldier damage preventing deck is the best way to go I think. 1/1 weenies who prevent damage to her and you become meanies when they are invincible. One of my favorite Planeswalkers.
Dingo777
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
She is a nice token maker for poly morph, especially when you can pump +3/+3 flying next turn on whatever you got, something like a rafiq would be good, it is a 8/8 flying DS, + what other exalted you get going, battle grace, finest hour, angelic benediction
but she has other uses, any deck that can make WW+2 will be able to make a use out of her
.Fighter.
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Her -8 effect is AMAZING.
Basically means you win.
RyanFisher
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(2 votes)
This is the HIGHEST costing Planeswalker (not cc, but $$).Was looking her up, and was astonished at the 35 dollar price tag. lol!
JohnPeter
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
She's a foxy lady. I hope I can see a shield maiden in real life. Excellent card. All ability are superb. 4 mana with 4 loyalty counters.
Rusty-James
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
I love this card. I got a chance to use the -8 ability, and the guys I was playing against just gave up as I laughed.
solborimm
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
this card is amazing to use, and being white, you should have some +life cards that you can use to boost loyalty, so you can easily get the final ability and get your opponents into checkmate. however, it gets boring to do this as it adds little variety to the game as this will be pretty much an "i win" move and most players are annoyed by this, so most people dont want you to use this ability as it is really cheap.
HairlessThoctar
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(9 votes)
Card advantage, thy name is Elspeth.
Easily the best planeswalker on her own merits and not relying on interactions with other cards.
theis999
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
hmmm it seems like there are alot of misunderstanding around this card.
Indestucteble meens that they can't take lethal damage and can't die to destroy effects. can die to being sac'ed or their toughnes reaching 0. and both path to exile and pacifisme works perfectly fine.
some people say that she is weak. but i find her rather powerful and a alround card, worth the space in most deck that can afford her mana cost. her first ability is the best. spitting a token every turn, is ok. second ability makes one of your creatures near to ublockable. and her last you imune to wraft of god.(even the wraft of god, or amagedon. that you play yourself)
and even if she dies. then you have in reasourses used one card and four mana, to get preasure on your opponant, five life and a 1/1 creature. thats pretty neat.
Pulsatrix
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(4 votes)
I seriously think they made a mistake giving her two +1 abilities, she's the only Planeswalker with two abilities that add loyalty counters and the second one is powerful enough to go down loyalty counters.
BelloAbril
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Low mana cost, very good starting loyalty, creates blockers to protect herself, can give evassion to a creature and pump it, all in all an excellent planeswalker, too bad her ultimate is not so good, but overall is probably the best pw out there.
And that's a problem too. Being too good and not being reprinted is an issue, that makes this the most expensive planeswalker, many of the others have been on duel decks to supply the demand but this one haven't, wizards must do something, or are they doing this to keep Alara cycle being sold? Mmm probably, but as the kor tribe is growing strong on zen block it will do nothing but make this more valuable.
PainfulTears
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Its epic win :O
Smilezilla
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(7 votes)
o man I wish had an Elspeth
gongshowninja
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I just got 2 foil Elspeths as I was quitting Magic. Needless to say, I didn't end up quitting. Elspeth is my favourite card, and a lot of people in my local gaming community underestimated her, ranking her below Sarkhan Vol. After I built a Knight deck with her in it and started winning FNM tournaments, people changed their tune.
If anyone wants the deck list, please PM me, I'm on the forums pretty often.
NeoSin
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Oh....how people would suffer if you dropped a Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker JUST as she was going to get her ultimate, and then dump on her with his +3. Yes...it could happen. Though, this being said, Elspeth is the epitome of what a planeswalker should be able to do: Protect itself. Very good card, and arguably the best one for its CMC
Zendikar0611
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I must get this for my lifegain deck
Tharikifa
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(5 votes)
Easily, and by far my favorite planeswalker.
I run her in a tribal Soldier deck with Alaborn Zealots and a Kjeldoran Royal Guard or two. Put some +1/+1 counters on the Zealots with a Cenn's Tactician or three to really make your opponent want to concede.
It's hard to get her up to eight loyalty though. I usually end up killing my opponent just using her +1 loyalty abilities.
Zoah
★☆☆☆☆ (1.7/5.0)(3 votes)
The only trouble with her is that she has no minus ability (Ultimate ability dose not count)
With Jace, or perhaps Liliana, you can sit there and alternate between using their plus and minus abilities letting their points linger in the low numbers. Thus, no one is really afraid of them and they let them sit. With her, as soon as she lands on the field there is one direction those points can go. That, combined with her ultimate ability, will post a massive target on her forehead the moment she lands.
To everyone who thinks her ultimate is not so good, try Wrath of God, Armageddon and Purify. Or a card that does all three at the same timewhen you triggered her ultimate before that. Not to mention if you have a Darksteel Colossus in play (or some other indestructible stuff). Good times. Try using Worldslayer effectively, it will annoy the heck out of your friends ;) They will probably just give up all the same if you manage to successfully pull a stunt like that ...*grin*... 5 stars and no less (like with Nissa Revane)...
Cheers people ! :D
orangesuitcases
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Elspeth is a beautiful card... I run 3 in my mono white soldier deck, and it's really really fun making a Kazandu Blademaster a 5/5 (or bigger) first strike vigilance for a turn and bashing for 5 every single turn... Lots of games are won that way.
Shiduba
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Absolutely fantastic, this card is bound to annoy your opponent to death. 2 +1 abilities, which are both very good, nice starting loyalty, low casting cost, and a gamebreaking finishing move. If this ain't a 5/5 I don't know what is.
nineyears
★★☆☆☆ (2.4/5.0)(4 votes)
elspeth, knight-errant!!! please dont go we need your majesty...
without you we are broken... without you we are lost...
HAVE FAITH NOBLE ONE... THAT FOR YOU AND YOUR KIND I SHALL RETURN...
GIDEON JURA WILL KEEP YOU SAFE...
Sironos
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(7 votes)
"Elspeth saw her army shining with golden auras, protected by divinity itself, and felt sure that victory was close at hand. She turned her head, only to bear witness to the one of her champions delivering the killing blow to a havoc demon, and painfully realized that she may master the secret of indestructibility, but she was still far away from invulnerability."
PhyrexianLobbiest
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
I hope "Lights" has an updated Elspeth, it would be a shame for her character to get rotated out so soon. Of course, at the same time can't wait for "Lights" to come out and cycle Alara out so she's actually cheap enough to reasonably purchase.
Spike be damned; I want her for my Bant deck on principle alone (nevermind that she'd make it about a hundred times better.)
EvilCleavage
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(8 votes)
I got a pack of Shards today and pulled an Elspeth today, with an Elspeth foil!! Definitely the most glorious day in my MTG history!
Youipt
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(5 votes)
Chump blockers + easy attacks + indestrucability + only one minus ability + great mana cost = AWESOME!!!!!
ratchet1215
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(3 votes)
And now, instead of just relying on people to know that she's conferring a characteristic to everything you play for the rest of the game, we get an "emblem." Hurray for rules-headache corner cases!
A3Kitsune
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
From WotC's explanation of the new "Emblem" rules, it looks like WotC want to create more abilities like Elspeth's final ability. To quote Mark Gottlieb; "This ability works the way it does because the buff it's granting happens to be indestructability, and indestructability is weird." "Anyway, Elspeth is fine, but what if we wanted to do the same kind of ability that granted flying? Or +2/+2? Or shroud? ... It'd work very differently even though it was worded just like Elspeth."
PolskiSuzeren
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I thought the emblem update was supposed to happen the 16th?
iNathan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(2 votes)
her 3rd ability is AWSOME but...she isnt exactly a good looking card. shes kinda ugly in my opinion...
revilolee
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I love her, but she's definitely overpowered. They should've at least made the 2nd ability minus 1.
dragonking987
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(2 votes)
she is going to pown tezzeret :)
Wweenie
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Love her, she can bear my children and they would all be 1/1 white soldier tokens.... Have taken my white solider deck to new heights with her.
NecroticNobody
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(5 votes)
PhyrexianLobbiest are you talking about Scars of Mirrodin? On Facebook, MTG Mint Card has the spoiler for the new Elspeth. The new one is amazing.The new one's ultimate destroys everything but lands and tokens!
Elspeth Tirel
3WW
+2 You gain 1 life for each creature you control
-2 Put three 1/1 White soilder tokens onto the battlefield
-5 Destroy all other permanents except for lands and tokens
Starting loyalty 4
VampireCat
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Beautiful card with some powerful abilities that work well in a variety of decks. She's no Mind-Sculptor, but is everything a Planeswalker card should be.
GengilOrbios
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
the last ability is epic and so is the art
LordofAwesome33
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I tested out using her counterpart (Elspeth Tirel) in my mono white knight deck and I'm finding this one to be the better option. This plus Knight-Captain of Eos make for a very handy fog ability in mono-white.
Elspeth Tirel: Awesome. But FYI, when you're not a creature, you're the only thing on this side of the battlefield besides myself that isn't indestructible.
Gideon Jura: ... you went ... ultimate?
Elspeth Tirel: Indeed, I did.
Gideon Jura: ...I wish I could do that.
Elspeth Tirel: You know, now that our army of soldiers is indestructible, you could lure the enemy's field of creatures over here for a very ill-advised tap-down assault...
Gideon Jura: *cracks knuckles*
Elspeth Tirel: *raises sword* Alright, I've got your back.
Gideon Jura: Let's do this.
Decimator1
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
One of my favorite cards. Mirran Crusader on turn 3, Elspeth on turn 4.
Would you like 10 flying damage? I think you do.
SgtSwaggr
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
One of the top 20 best magic cards of all time. Easily one of the top 3 Planeswalkers. Also one of the top 5 best white cards of all time, IMO
Zero001349
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
So, clarify something for me. Indestructible, on creatures, prevents global killers like wrath of god? Is it the same for global land killers and artifact killers too? I was under the impression that "Indestructible" only protected from direct targeting destroy effects and lethal damage. Can somebody clarify this for me, because I really need a direct, straight answer.
LlanowarEmissary
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I love Elspeth 1.0. There's not much else to say here that hasn't already been said: she has a very efficient mana cost, three extremely relevant abilities, and basically can be fit into any deck strategy (provided they use Plains).
5/5
Renegade_Punk
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
this is the only permanent that can make enchantments indestructible... goddamnit!
adrian.malacoda
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@Zero001349
Indestructible means it cannot be destroyed. It prevents lethal damage, board removal, and spot removal. It does not prevent exile, dying due to zero toughness, the "legend rule," the planewalker uniqueness rule, sacrifice, or being countered.
minorfffanatic1
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Foil'd or not, I like the art on the original printing more than the Dual Decks one.
Agrising
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Dear Wizards, how is "Target creatures gets +3/+3 and gains flying until end of a turn" a +1 ability for a 4 CMC planeswalker!?
Elspeth is too good, easily the best planeswalkers that does not reacquire a deck to be built around (Besides Jace, The Broken Planeswalker). Her +1 are great, allowing you to create an army that can swing for 4/4 in the air. Her ultimate guarantees game (eventually lol). Whoever reads this card and does not see greatness is probably not worthy of her. All bow to the Knight-Errant!
Comments (83)
I died the turn after.
I think that Elspeth is just amazing, not win alone the game, but in the right hands she complicate the game for our aponnet andi defen her self alony in the same time that she is gain more and more loyaty couters, is perfect?, not, but she´s good? yes, very very good.
Elspeth me parece simplemente sorprendente, claro no gana las partidas por si sola, pero en las manos correctas no solo le conplica las cosas a el rival si no que se mientras lo hace se defiende sola y sigue ganado contadores siempre. claro si la pregunta es si es perfecta, pues creo que no lo es pero si la pregunta es si es buena la verdad creo que vaya que si lo es.
Hello to everybody!!!.
Saludos a todos!!!.
Not a day ago my buddy deck me with that combo. I ran a Naya deck with Spearbreaker, Godsire, a 22/17 flying Wholly Thoctor with indestructible (Shield of Oversoul), and essentially he couldnt hit me with his little angels but I couldnt do damage. :'( Damn white decks
At 4 mana it fits nicely into a 20 to 26 Land Deck and offers defence and offence with out the draw back of removing counters.
By your opponent hitting Elspeth it is acting like life gain too.
Although Elspeth does get countered and dies to flyer's, burn, Trample, O-ring, discard and the almightly pithing needle .
Honestly Guark is a better planeswalker but I still prefer Elspeth.
Furthermore, I have never yet played a game where I got the ultimate ability to go off.
Every white deck should run 2 Elspeth's.
The unique thing about Elspeth is that she doesn't follow the standard ability chart that all the rest do:
+X: Do something, -X: Do something different, -BIGX: Do something big that has synergy with the +X ability.
She has TWO +1 abilities that offer two very different, but very good effects.
Her first is to poop out a soldier baby. People attack Elspeth's quality by saying she's a crappy Bitterblossom . . . yeah. This effect is not as good, per sey . . . it does give you a 1/1 but it doesn't fly like those cute little faerie babies. But unlike Bitterblossom it doesn't cost life (many a Fae player's downfall) and it's not the only effect she wields.
I actually use her second ability far more than I use her baby making potential. Giving a +3/+3 boost to a Knight of Meadowgrain and then making it fly so it can deal it's 5 damage to your opponent is just plain killer! (And put a Loxodon Warhammer on one as well is just plain mean!)
Her last ability... Though it doesn't win you the game outright . . . it does place you in to a situation that makes winning almost inevitable. (I have yet to win a game where she has gone off and made me indestructible! *knocks-on-wood*) Or at the very least places you in a better board position.
And like most 'walker's abilities . . . her "build-up" abilities and her "ultimate" ability have awesome synergy with each other. (Making lots of tokens to then make indestructible, what good is indestructibility if you control no permanents? And even her second ability has synergy, for it allows for you to attack with your boosted flier without any sort of fear of it dying!)
Oh, and so far . . . she's the ONLY 'walker to protect herself AND gain loyalty!
AMAZING<3!
Without having any unconditionally useful abilities such as Garruk Wildspeaker's land uptap or Sarkhan Vol's much larger and much more intimidating summon power I just feel that she's lacking. Indestructible doesn't give them immunities to spells or abilities your opponents control, so really all she has going for her is that she has one mediocre ability that will likely only get any use 1/4 of the time.
I really can't say it any clearer than that. Indestructible just isn't tempting enough for me to seriously use, especially because it's a very flimsy defense compared to what could be. (Indestructible is really nothing more than a permanent regenerate shield, which is only slightly better than regenerate.)
However, if you want a nice sideboard walker for Bant-theme aggro deck, accept no substitutes. Consider this possibility: Turn one - Forest, Noble heirarch; Turn two - plains or island, drop a Rhox War-Monk; Turn three - land, Elspeth, swing with a 7/8 flying lifelinker. Now, such an advantage might only be as good as throwing out a turn 3 Knight of New Alara and swinging for the same (minus flying), and not nearly as good as a turn 3 Rafiq of the Many ; BUT, Elspeth becomes a nice decoy, as your opponent, if he doesn't fancy Exalted fliers early game (especially if you can surprise him fourth turn with a Finest Hour), will start working very hard to take Elspeth out. Against any deck not running enough creature kill to keep up with good Bant aggro (again, NO WRATH!), this should give you a nice 1 or 2 turn run where you're not getting hit at all, as your adversary turns focus to the Knight-errant.
In all respects, Elspeth, in my opinion, works very well off the Exalted mechanic. +3/+3 and flying is great when you only need to smack your opponent with one creature. And if you can keep her alive enough to pop her, it'll give you all the late-game edge you should need to start swinging for the win.
I wouldn't run her mainboard in any deck, but I run 2 sideboard in my Bant, just in case I need that extra little back-up support.
Oh, and maybe throw in some Oracle's Attendants, Kjeldoran Royal Guards, Frontline strategists, and Righteousness to keep yourself alive. This is all assuming you're not playing standard.
A deck with a good set of Walls and High toughness creatures would work well with her, but there are always ways past defenses.
-'Valor Made Real'- would work very well with her Solider tokens, though trample will get through.
Getting her to 8 could greatly shift a battle in your favor is great, but normally she ends up as a great distraction.
4.0
she will BE OWNAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In terms of Elspeth, she has great potential but rarely ever sees it. Two of my friends have her in their main decks, but as I like to point out in every game she's not a big fan of the ol' Scourglass play.
In any case, if you want to include her in a deck for anything beyond making chump blockers and giving troops temporary boosts (which works pretty well in an exalted deck), don't play her until you can adequately protect her from both creatures and spells. 4 turns is an eternity if the game isn't already beyond doubt.
but she has other uses, any deck that can make WW+2 will be able to make a use out of her
Basically means you win.
Easily the best planeswalker on her own merits and not relying on interactions with other cards.
Indestucteble meens that they can't take lethal damage and can't die to destroy effects. can die to being sac'ed or their toughnes reaching 0. and both path to exile and pacifisme works perfectly fine.
some people say that she is weak. but i find her rather powerful and a alround card, worth the space in most deck that can afford her mana cost. her first ability is the best. spitting a token every turn, is ok. second ability makes one of your creatures near to ublockable. and her last you imune to wraft of god.(even the wraft of god, or amagedon. that you play yourself)
and even if she dies. then you have in reasourses used one card and four mana, to get preasure on your opponant, five life and a 1/1 creature. thats pretty neat.
And that's a problem too. Being too good and not being reprinted is an issue, that makes this the most expensive planeswalker, many of the others have been on duel decks to supply the demand but this one haven't, wizards must do something, or are they doing this to keep Alara cycle being sold? Mmm probably, but as the kor tribe is growing strong on zen block it will do nothing but make this more valuable.
If anyone wants the deck list, please PM me, I'm on the forums pretty often.
I run her in a tribal Soldier deck with Alaborn Zealots and a Kjeldoran Royal Guard or two. Put some +1/+1 counters on the Zealots with a Cenn's Tactician or three to really make your opponent want to concede.
It's hard to get her up to eight loyalty though. I usually end up killing my opponent just using her +1 loyalty abilities.
With Jace, or perhaps Liliana, you can sit there and alternate between using their plus and minus abilities letting their points linger in the low numbers. Thus, no one is really afraid of them and they let them sit. With her, as soon as she lands on the field there is one direction those points can go. That, combined with her ultimate ability, will post a massive target on her forehead the moment she lands.
Base: ***
Fantastic tricks: +*
She's gonna die: -*/2
They will probably just give up all the same if you manage to successfully pull a stunt like that ...*grin*...
5 stars and no less (like with Nissa Revane)...
Cheers people ! :D
without you we are broken... without you we are lost...
HAVE FAITH NOBLE ONE... THAT FOR YOU AND YOUR KIND I SHALL RETURN...
GIDEON JURA WILL KEEP YOU SAFE...
Spike be damned; I want her for my Bant deck on principle alone (nevermind that she'd make it about a hundred times better.)
Elspeth Tirel
3WW
+2 You gain 1 life for each creature you control
-2 Put three 1/1 White soilder tokens onto the battlefield
-5 Destroy all other permanents except for lands and tokens
Starting loyalty 4
Elspeth Tirel: Awesome. But FYI, when you're not a creature, you're the only thing on this side of the battlefield besides myself that isn't indestructible.
Gideon Jura: ... you went ... ultimate?
Elspeth Tirel: Indeed, I did.
Gideon Jura: ...I wish I could do that.
Elspeth Tirel: You know, now that our army of soldiers is indestructible, you could lure the enemy's field of creatures over here for a very ill-advised tap-down assault...
Gideon Jura: *cracks knuckles*
Elspeth Tirel: *raises sword* Alright, I've got your back.
Gideon Jura: Let's do this.
Would you like 10 flying damage? I think you do.
5/5
Indestructible means it cannot be destroyed. It prevents lethal damage, board removal, and spot removal. It does not prevent exile, dying due to zero toughness, the "legend rule," the planewalker uniqueness rule, sacrifice, or being countered.
Elspeth is too good, easily the best planeswalkers that does not reacquire a deck to be built around (Besides Jace, The Broken Planeswalker). Her +1 are great, allowing you to create an army that can swing for 4/4 in the air. Her ultimate guarantees game (eventually lol). Whoever reads this card and does not see greatness is probably not worthy of her. All bow to the Knight-Errant!