@mrredhatter: Elite Vanguard is only better in tribal. And if they ever make cat tribal, then it won't matter.
ClockworkSwordfish
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(5 votes)
Dogs are better than cats! So says Konda.
allmighty_abacus
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Konda doesn't know sh!t. His thing is a freakin legend. A freakin 2/2 legend.
Troutz
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(7 votes)
Savannah Vanguard or Elite Lions ?
VampireCat
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Play this in a Cat deck and Elite Vanguard in a Solider deck. Neither is strictly better than the other. There are more cards that boost Soldiers - but you need to build around them. If you're down straight white weenie or Cats (possibly combined with Kemba, Kha Regent, Loam Lion, or Steppe Lynx), this card is a fantastic choice.
Anubisisking
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like this guy... he's as good as elite vanguard, and in formats like vintage, he's just your Elite Vanguard 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Pontiac
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Lions like to eat your face.
Tanaka348
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Surprising that such an radically efficient creature in terms of cost to power and toughness was printed way back in Alpha, when Hill Giants only very slightly below the curve.
Tiggurix
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Troutz: Elite Lions would be effin' sweet...
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you not playing tribal I would choose this over Elite Vanguard.
Equinox523
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Rather than state the obvious and talk about Elite Vanguard, I'll instead talk about the importance of this creature to white's color identity. From the beginning, RIchard Garfield seems to have had it in his mind to give white quality creatures that were slightly ahead of the curve. If you look at Alpha, you had this and Tundra Wolves, both superior to 1-drops in many other colors. White Knight was superior to Grizzly Bears in combat, much like Serra Angel was better than Air Elemental. I love that this continues to be true in modern Magic, with cards like Steppe Lynx and Loam Lion existing. Come to think of it, maybe they are also cats as an homage to this card.
It speaks to the power of this enduring archetype that so many years later, it could still be printed and still be perfectly playable, soldier or otherwise.
TimCrockett
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Lions were also merciless hunters underwater, once they finally got around to inventing scuba gear. Manatee populations in Dominaria plummeted nearly overnight.
Claytoon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Proud member of VCWWTMFT (Vanilla Creatures With Way Too Much Flavor Text)
Comments (15)
or
Elite Lions
?
It speaks to the power of this enduring archetype that so many years later, it could still be printed and still be perfectly playable, soldier or otherwise.
(Vanilla Creatures With Way Too Much Flavor Text)