Thornbow Archer MTG Card

Magic Origins (ORI)
2015-07-17 - Number 121

Mystery Booster (MB1)
2019-11-07 - Number 791

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number ORI-121

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Elf Archer
Power	1
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

Provides subtle card advantage against opponents without Elf creatures by inflicting repeated life loss.
Enables swift board presence with low mana cost, enhancing aggressive deck strategies from early turns.
Contributes to diverse deck configurations, particularly in Elf-centric or aggressive black mana decks.

Text of card

Whenever Thornbow Archer attacks, each opponent who doesn't control an Elf loses 1 life.

"I will not rest until the stench of eyeblights is eradicated from these woods."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Thornbow Archer may not directly draw cards, it can provide a form of card advantage against decks with numerous non-Elf players. Each attack can potentially chip away at your opponent’s life total, effectively countering their strategies and forcing them to deal with the Archer prematurely.

Resource Acceleration: This card doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense of providing extra mana; however, it’s a low-cost creature that can quickly get on the board. Its presence enhances the efficiency of your mana usage in early turns, enabling you to apply pressure while developing your board presence.

Instant Speed: Although Thornbow Archer doesn’t operate at instant speed, its contribution to a swift, aggressive game plan means you’ll have more resources free to cast other spells at instant speed. This can create favorable matchups and interactions whilst the Archer repetitively threatens for early damage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Thornbow Archer is not linked to any discarding mechanics itself, but if played in decks that necessitate discarding, the value of Thornbow Archer may diminish compared to other more synergistic options.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands one black mana, which makes it exclusively fitting for black or multicolored decks, potentially limiting its versatility across different deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Thornbow Archer has a low mana cost, in a rapidly evolving battlefield, investing mana in a 1/2 creature might not be as impactful when there are more powerful drops available at the same cost.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Thornbow Archer proves useful in various deck setups, particularly those aiming to execute swift, aggressive strategies. As a one-mana creature, it fits neatly into elf-themed or low-curve black decks, ensuring a fast-paced playstyle from the very start of the game.

Combo Potential: This Elf Archer synergizes exceptionally with other cards that capitalize on having multiple elves or black creatures on the battlefield. In conjunction with cards that drain life from opponents per creature or elf you control, Thornbow Archer can enhance these effects.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with decks heavy on non-elf creatures, Thornbow Archer can consistently chip away at your opponent’s life total. It’s considerably effective against strategies that lack early defense, allowing you to maintain pressure and control the flow of the game from the outset.

How to beat

Thornbow Archer is a low-cost, high-impact card for players delving into black mana strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It shines in decks that capitalize on a dense concentration of elves or those that focus on eroding the opponent’s life total swiftly. Given its ability to inflict additional damage if your opponent doesn’t control elves, it can become a concerning threat if left unchecked on the battlefield.

To counteract the Thornbow Archer effectively, consider employing creatures that can block and eliminate it without much cost. Due to its modest stats, any creature with toughness greater than one can typically survive an encounter with the archer. Utilizing removal spells, which are abundant in MTG, can also be an efficient way to deal with it before the damage stacks up. Board wipes, although more resource-intensive, eradicate the Archer alongside other potential threats, making them an ideal solution especially when facing a horde of elves.

Ultimately, keeping a preferred removal spell at the ready or maintaining a defensive creature on the board are key strategies in ensuring that Thornbow Archer doesn’t whittle down your defenses. Through adept deckbuilding and tactical play, triumphing over this particular adversary can become an attainable feat in your MTG duels.

Cards like Thornbow Archer

Thornbow Archer stands as an intriguing option for players looking to add aggressive one-drops to their MTG Elf or black aggressive decks. Its ability to cause opponents to lose one life whenever it attacks, provided they control no Elf cards, makes it a niche player in the one-mana creature slot. It shares some ground with cards like Mardu Shadowspear, which can also chip away at an opponent’s life total upon attacking, though the Shadowspear has dash instead of directly targeting non-Elf players.

Exploring further parallels, we come across Ruthless Cullblade, another lethal one-drop that grows stronger as your opponent’s life total falls. While it doesn’t provide immediate life loss like Thornbow Archer, it becomes a more formidable threat as the game progresses. Then there’s Pulse Tracker, a creature that ensures each opponent loses life whenever it attacks, delivering a consistent pressure similar to Thornbow Archer, yet it doesn’t discriminate based on the opponent’s creature types.

Diving into these comparisons, Thornbow Archer carves a spot within MTG’s robust roster of low-cost creatures by leveraging tribal synergies and pinpoint life loss, which can be particularly effective in the right deck configuration.

Ruthless Cullblade - Worldwake Promos (PWWK)

Cards similar to Thornbow Archer by color, type and mana cost

Stone-Throwing Devils - MTG Card versions

Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - MTG Card versions

Stone-Throwing Devils - Arabian Nights (ARN)

Will-o'-the-Wisp - Foreign Black Border (FBB)

Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Bile Urchin - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Kjeldoran Dead - Masters Edition II (ME2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Thornbow Archer MTG card by a specific set like Magic Origins and Mystery Booster, 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 Thornbow Archer and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Thornbow Archer Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2015-07-17 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Kev Walker.

#	Release	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2015-07-17	Magic Origins	ORI	121	2015	normal	black	Kev Walker
2	2019-11-07	Mystery Booster	MB1	791	2015	normal	black	Kev Walker
3	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	ORI-121	2015	normal	black	Kev Walker