Drove of Elves MTG Card
2008-05-02 - Number 112
2010-06-04 - Number 57
2014-11-07 - Number 189
2017-06-09 - Number 101
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Elf |
| Abilities | Hexproof |
| Power | * |
| Toughness | * |
Text of card
Drove of Elves's power and toughness are each equal to the number of green permanents you control. Drove of Elves can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.
"The light of beauty protects our journeys through darkness."
Cards like Drove of Elves
Drove of Elves is a unique card that shines in decks built around boosting the number of creatures you control. Its hexproof ability protects it from being targeted by spells or abilities your opponents control, which sets it apart from many other creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. What makes it even more special is its power and toughness are each equal to the number of green creatures you control, so it grows alongside your army.
Comparably, we have Coat of Arms, which similarly increases the strength of your creatures based on the number of other creatures that share a type with them. While Coat of Arms benefits the entire field, which could be a double-edged sword, Drove of Elves exclusively supports your own swarm of green creatures. Additionally, cards like Muraganda Petroglyphs enhance the power of creatures without abilities, but still doesn’t offer the targeted protection that Drove of Elves does with its hexproof capability.
Ultimately, Drove of Elves is a formidable asset in green creature-heavy decks that focus on creature synergy and growth. Its innate ability to evade targeted removal gives it an edge in any meta that relies on pinpoint disruption, and when surrounded by a thriving ecosystem of other green creatures, it truly exemplifies the collective power of a unified force.
Cards similar to Drove of Elves by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Drove of Elves can potentially become a massive creature on the battlefield, turning into a significant threat that enables card advantage through sheer board presence. This can pressure opponents to deal with it, often costing them multiple cards to handle just your one, which is a clear gain for you.
Resource Acceleration: While Drove of Elves doesn’t accelerate your mana directly, it synergizes well with decks that capitalize on numerous creatures or elves. As your creature count grows, Drove of Elves becomes stronger, effectively creating a resource acceleration in the form of an ever-increasing power/toughness ratio.
Instant Speed: Although Drove of Elves itself doesn’t have instant speed, it encourages a playstyle that supports holding up mana for instant-speed interactions. By committing to the board with just one creature that scales with your board state, you’re free to use your mana for other spells until the best moment for a game-changing swing.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Drove of Elves doesn’t demand discarding as a direct cost, the pressure to keep other creatures on the battlefield to bolster its power can lead to a similar depletion of your hand, indirectly forcing you to discard to maintain its strength.
Specific Mana Cost: Drove of Elves calls for an exclusive commitment to green mana, potentially limiting your deck’s flexibility and making it vulnerable to color-specific removal spells or strategy disruption.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: In a fast-paced game where speed can determine the victor, Drove of Elves’ four green mana cost for its Hexproof and power benefits can be steep, especially when you could deploy multiple creatures for the same cost and create immediate pressure on your opponent.
Reasons to Include Drove of Elves in Your Collection
Versatility: Drove of Elves is a dynamic addition to any green-based deck, adapting well to various playstyles. Whether in aggressive builds focusing on creature swarms or in decks wanting a solid defensive option, its power and toughness scaling with the number of green permanents you control makes it a flexible pick.
Combo Potential: This card shines in combination strategies that proliferate elf tokens or utilize enchantments to boost those green permanents. The synergy with other elf tribal cards can quickly turn Drove of Elves into both a formidable threat and a resilient board presence.
Meta-Relevance: Within the constantly shifting MTG meta, Drove of Elves remains pertinent in environments where elves or green-centric decks are prevalent. Its capability to grow in strength while offering hexproof from all but green spells can create a tactical advantage against a wide array of opposing strategies.
How to beat
Drove of Elves presents a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering with its power and toughness being equal to the number of green permanents you control. Its Hexproof ability further complicates matters, making it unable to be targeted by spells or abilities your opponents control. This makes it resilient to most of the common removal spells.
The key to overcoming Drove of Elves lies in global removal spells that don’t target a single creature, such as “Wrath of God” or “Damnation” which can clear the board regardless of Hexproof. Additionally, countering the card before it hits the battlefield is an effective strategy, employing spells like “Counterspell” or “Essence Scatter.” Another angle of approach is to reduce the number of green permanents on the battlefield, thus weakening the Drove of Elves indirectly, using cards that force your opponent to sacrifice creatures, such as “Diabolic Edict.” Assessing your gameplay to ensure a timely response to this card can save you from an overwhelming elf-led defeat.
Ultimately, while facing up against Drove of Elves can be daunting, with the right removal spells and board control strategies, you can effectively neutralize this threat and maintain an advantageous position in the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Drove of Elves MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor and Duels of the Planeswalkers, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Drove of Elves and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Drove of Elves Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2008-05-02 and 2017-06-09. Illustrated by Larry MacDougall.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2008-05-02 | Shadowmoor | SHM | 112 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Larry MacDougall | |
| 2 | 2010-06-04 | Duels of the Planeswalkers | DPA | 57 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Larry MacDougall | |
| 3 | 2014-11-07 | Commander 2014 | C14 | 189 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Larry MacDougall | |
| 4 | 2017-06-09 | Commander Anthology | CMA | 101 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Larry MacDougall |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Drove of Elves has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |