Willow Elf MTG Card

Starter 1999 (S99)
1999-07-01 - Number 152

Starter 2000 (S00)
2000-04-01 - Number 45

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Elf
Power	1
Toughness	1

Key Takeaways

Willow Elf excels in granting card advantage and enabling faster plays with its mana acceleration ability.
This card demands strategic hand management due to its discard requirement, adding depth to gameplay.
As part of an elf deck, Willow Elf bolsters tribal synergies, enriching your collection’s versatility.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Willow Elf can be a subtle yet efficient way to edge into card advantage. As a low-cost creature, it enables you to deploy other spells or creatures while maintaining a board presence, effectively letting you extend your resources without overcommitting.

Resource Acceleration: One of the key benefits of Willow Elf is its ability to accelerate your mana resources. This Elf taps for an additional green mana, potentially unlocking your more powerful spells ahead of schedule and allowing for a swifter development of your board state.

Instant Speed: While Willow Elf itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it aligns well with decks that have instant-speed interactions. Its single green mana cost leaves your mana pool open for other responses or end-of-turn plays, making it a tactical addition to any strategy that values flexibility and surprise.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Willow Elf necessitates pitching another card from your hand, which could deplete your options especially when your hand is already running thin.

Specific Mana Cost: Being a green creature, Willow Elf requires green mana for casting. This makes it less flexible, limiting its inclusion to decks that are based on green mana or those with the ability to produce multiple colors of mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When looking at the current pool of one-drop creatures, Willow Elf’s mana cost might seem steep for its base stats and abilities. In the rapidly evolving meta, the mana you invest in the Willow Elf could be spent on other creatures or spells that provide greater immediate impact on the game board.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Willow Elf fits seamlessly into a variety of green decks, offering an early mana boost in both ramp and aggro strategies.

Combo Potential: This elf works wonders in synergy with creature-based combos, interacting with cards that tap for additional benefit or that power up with the number of elves you control.

Meta-Relevance: Owing to its role in elf tribal decks, Willow Elf can give you an edge in a meta teeming with creature-based strategies, letting you outpace opponents with its low-cost and species synergy.

How to beat

Confronting a Willow Elf on the battlefield in Magic the Gathering can be less daunting than it appears. As a low-cost creature card, Willow Elf plays an early role in accelerating mana growth, but it is vulnerable given its minimal toughness. Direct removal spells such as Shock or Fatal Push efficiently dispatch it before it can support larger threats.

Board control is also key. Cards like Pyroclasm or Electrickery can clear out Willow Elf along with other low-toughness creatures in a single swoop. It’s crucial to maintain pressure and remove such creatures swiftly to deny your opponent the snowballing mana advantage that cards like Willow Elf can provide. Additionally, efficient use of counterspells to prevent it from hitting the field altogether can thwart your opponent’s early game strategy and keep the pacing to your advantage.

A considered strategy, inclusive of removals or counters, ensures the Willow Elf becomes a minor stumbling block rather than a step toward your opponent’s victory. Remember, the power of a card isn’t just in its strength but in the strategy it disrupts, so act quickly and decisively.

Cards like Willow Elf

Willow Elf garners attention within the vast array of mana-generating creatures in MTG. This card mirrors the functionality of cards like Llanowar Elves, famously known for its single green mana cost in exchange for tapping to add one green mana to your pool. While Willow Elf shares the same cost and ability, Llanowar Elves boasts a more storied history and is often the go-to for players due to its icon status in the game.

Elvish Mystic, another card akin to Willow Elf, also taps for green mana. However, Elvish Mystic’s entrance into MTG as part of newer sets gives it a fresh presence on the table, while Willow Elf’s older pedigree can make it a nostalgic choice without affecting gameplay. Fyndhorn Elves can’t be overlooked as it serves the exact function as Willow Elf. The subtle differences lie in their set origins and artwork, appealing to collectors and players who value aesthetics or specific set themes.

In essence, while Willow Elf offers a basic yet practical utility in the realm of green mana dorks, it competes with other cards that provide similar benefits. Each of these cards has essentials for decks needing that crucial single green mana acceleration.

Cards similar to Willow Elf by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Willow Elf MTG card by a specific set like Starter 1999 and Starter 2000, 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 Willow Elf and other MTG cards: