This is actually a DAMN good card, especially at common. You can totally tie up your opponent's fattest creature blocking this guy without any damage!
mrredhatter
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Glorious, it works with archers, banding, decoys, etc.
VirtueVsVice
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(7 votes)
Into my soldier deck you go little fella.
Econael
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
I'd take him even if he only had provoke into my soldier/equipment deck
vardaris
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
I believe this creature has as much as you can ask from a 1 mana cost creature. Plays wonderful in pauper decks, use it with some cheap exalted creatures and you can leave opponents creatureless from the first round. And when its time for the big guys he is still of use as a very good defensive card or as a decoy so that the other creatures can sneak behind the blocker. Please Reprint!!!!
EvilCleavage
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
This is in my control deck.
pixieCrack
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
I was amazed at how useful this card was when I first played with it; I can't ask for much more from a 1 cmc creature.
Baconradar
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Ah the usual policy of a generally low power (no matter how fun in casual games) mechanic getting one amazing creature with it.
See morph and exalted angel for reference.
DespisedIcon
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Superb. This is my one-drop workhorse of my soldier deck; the provoke keeps getting stronger as i add Shared Triumphs and Daru Warchiefs to the table. Also, some Mobilization for attack-defense. Damn i miss the Onslaught block :(.
Zuriga_Sungama
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
White at its tricky best-- it's fantastic.
Graphec
★☆☆☆☆ (1.1/5.0)(6 votes)
Infiltration Lens nough said.
jumpenrun
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Its great as a blocker. If you'll use Basilisk Collar, this will become an efficient killer. And if you'll add Field Marshal, this creature becomes Lifelink, Provoke, Death-Strike; a superb killing machine.
Kirbster
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
I believe the Elite is the best 1-drop soldier printed to date, and is a great 1-drop in general any day. Rare, indeed, is a 1/1 for one mana with two great abilities that interact nicely.
Provoke is a very powerful creature ability. Early on, you'll be more than willing to trade the Elite for your opponent's Llanowar Elves/Smokebraider/Ballyrush Banneret/whatever to slow him right down and basically put your opponent a turn behind. And of course, since it's provoke, tapping the creature for mana won't save it. If he's using Birds of Paradise, at that point you almost feel bad for him.... Plus, provoke will only get better as the game goes on. With all sorts of lords like Daru Warchief and Field Commander running around, the Elite will get to a respectable size fast and suddenly be able to eat an opposing creature every turn. Just one Warchief makes him into a 2/3, big enough to take out one of those ubiquitous 2/2 first strikers and live.
Gustcloaking for two mana is also a nice bonus. The Elite can eternally block your opponent's biggest creature for just two mana a turn - not a problem if you're setting up in the early game or exchanging lethal blows in the late.
But wait, you can even combine the two! Late in the game, you can attack with your entire army, have the Elite provoke your opponent's most troublesome blocker to keep your other soldiers safe, and even pay two mana to make him live to do it again!
Soldier decks (as well as white weenie in general) have many good options in the 1-drop slot, often relying on creatures with great efficiency from turn one. The Elite beats nearly all of them out, however, by trading sheer numerical efficiency for powerful utility.
paulvscr
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Captain America!
KadanJoelavich
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This guy and my Stonehewer Giant saved my ass when my equipment deck went up against a powerful artifact deck. Despite my early gains with fast attacks, my opponent had double Tinkered for a Darksteel Forge and a Platinum Angel, and on top of that was pounding me every turn with a fatty (and indestructible) Master of Etherium which I was blocking with the Deftblade and just barely holding off with its ability. This stalemate lasted until I got my Stonehewer out, and tutored in my Sword of Kaldra onto the Deftblade, provoked his Angel, and bam: exiled. A truly fantastic way to deal with indestructible creatures.
Mr.Wimples
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
That rather lumpy and pointy implement is definitely not a blade.
Comments (16)
See morph and exalted angel for reference.
Rare, indeed, is a 1/1 for one mana with two great abilities that interact nicely.
Provoke is a very powerful creature ability. Early on, you'll be more than willing to trade the Elite for your opponent's Llanowar Elves/Smokebraider/Ballyrush Banneret/whatever to slow him right down and basically put your opponent a turn behind. And of course, since it's provoke, tapping the creature for mana won't save it. If he's using Birds of Paradise, at that point you almost feel bad for him....
Plus, provoke will only get better as the game goes on. With all sorts of lords like Daru Warchief and Field Commander running around, the Elite will get to a respectable size fast and suddenly be able to eat an opposing creature every turn. Just one Warchief makes him into a 2/3, big enough to take out one of those ubiquitous 2/2 first strikers and live.
Gustcloaking for two mana is also a nice bonus. The Elite can eternally block your opponent's biggest creature for just two mana a turn - not a problem if you're setting up in the early game or exchanging lethal blows in the late.
But wait, you can even combine the two! Late in the game, you can attack with your entire army, have the Elite provoke your opponent's most troublesome blocker to keep your other soldiers safe, and even pay two mana to make him live to do it again!
Soldier decks (as well as white weenie in general) have many good options in the 1-drop slot, often relying on creatures with great efficiency from turn one. The Elite beats nearly all of them out, however, by trading sheer numerical efficiency for powerful utility.