It seems there is a tad bit of confusion on this card and its indestructibility, so I thought I would clear some of it up.
Effects that destroy or deal lethal damage do not remove Thornling, or any card that is indestructible, from play. This does not mean, however, that it cannot be gotten rid of. Effects that exile or reduce it's toughness to 0 or below will remove it from play. For example, if you use Thornling's (+1/-1) ability to reduce it's toughness to 0 or below, it will go into the graveyard. If you choose to make it a (7/1) and some other ability gives it (-1/-1), like Infest, then it will go into the graveyard. However, if you choose to make it a (7/1) and it is dealt lethal damage, say via Lightning Bolt, it WILL NOT be put into the graveyard. This ability should be understood as reducing it "base" toughness to zero or below - so long as it's base toughness is not ≤ 0 then it survives.
As for my opinions on this card, I think it i... (see all)
Posted By:
Agent1103
(8/30/2009 9:09:47 PM)
you guys are green-haters, this card rocks
Posted By:
Arachibutyrophobia
(8/9/2011 8:52:23 PM)
Should have given vigilance...since it's basically the green version of untap and haste is worthless the turn after it comes in...
Posted By:
ax_morph
(10/14/2011 2:37:29 PM)
Here's hoping for a White and a Black "'ling"~~
Posted By:
infernox10
(10/15/2011 3:06:54 AM)
Two more to go.......!
Posted By:
Goatllama
(2/8/2012 2:40:39 PM)
The beef with the art isn't with the art itself - i don't think Kev Walker could paint a bad picture even if he tried - but it's that the art doesn't fit the card. It seems like WotC had an unused beast laying around and slapped it on thornling here (probably due to the artist missing the deadline). That is really lame. Even worse, it doesn't fit the mirror-image shapeshifter motif that started way back with vesuvan doppelganger.
As for the card itself, I wish haste was replaced with anything else. Haste on this thing is entirely useless and it would have been infinitely better with a unique ability.
Posted By:
Laguz
(6/29/2011 9:22:30 PM)
This card is pretty neat due to it's flexibility, something Green isn't exactly known for, but I do have a few gripes & observations when it comes to this card.
For starters, many people comment on the art being sort of off, especially when looking at it's 'ling' peers. I agree that the art seems a tad bit inappropriate due to it not really hinting at it's capabilities as a shapeshifter. It's not the this art is bad, it just seems like they could have done more with the green shapeshifter concept. Instead, they took the same route they would later take with fellow green shapeshifter, Skinshifter where it's unique traits are barely touched on in the art. So while the art is good, it's a bit disappointing to see another ordinary looking large green beast on a creatures who's abilities are anything but.
Now, my other observation with this card regarding it's playability is the fact that one ability nullifies the other. I'm talking about how the 'Indestructibility... (see all)
Posted By:
BongRipper420
(6/8/2012 4:06:38 AM)
I dont know if its because they wanted to keep the "until end of turn" synergy, but the indestructible ability is a stronger version of regeneration.
I think they should keep regen, its been in magic since alpha, but some will argue that it should go and be replaced in the future with abilities like thornlings.
There are some key differences between something that regenerated and something thats indestructible. For one it becomes tapped, and number two there are plenty of destroy and burns that prevent regeneration, but none that prevent indestructible. You have to look to auras, exile, and bounce for that.
So a creature with 
: Regenerate ~, would be fundamentally different from something thats just indestructible.
Posted By:
TheWrathofShane
(12/10/2012 10:38:23 PM)
People really underestimate Haste, don't they?
Sure, it only matters for one turn. But that one turn is really all that matters. Not giving your opponents a chance kill it with a sorcery and not giving them a chance to untap their creatures to block with can really make a huge difference(and sometimes can even win you games).
Posted By:
Binaro
(1/13/2013 6:45:30 AM)
Assigning Blockers Step:
Opponent: "Does it have Trample?"
Me: "Not yet."
Posted By:
NinStarRune
(12/11/2013 10:06:13 AM)