Well, here's a possibility:
R&D probably were planning on printing a new card that was basically Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile as an uncommon/common. To do this, they obviously had to nerf the power level of her.
They then took a realistic approach of creating a run-of-the-mill soldier. Realistically, damaging all attackers/blockers can technically be impossible, so targeting only one was the way to go. Archers have to reload their crossbow, so taking an extra turn to fire again made sense. Adding a cost to the ability basically represents him replenishing himself with arrows from a blacksmith or whatever.
Taking First Strike away was just good general design: blocking with this, then tapping it to deal 3 damage to its attackers means 5 unaltered damage: amazing in limited, no matter the untap delay.
Using that mindset, this card is exceptionally well created. It's just mediocre in limited, and terrible elsewhere.
Posted By:
Ferlord
(11/27/2012 8:45:00 PM)
Decent in limited, and at least cool flavorfully. 2.5/5
Posted By:
doombladez
(8/26/2013 9:44:11 AM)
Needs to cost a bit less to activate, AND to have a relevant keyword (vigilance or first strike).
Guys- I'm going to make a bold guess: they allowed the card to just be worse because they were partial to its flavor text, and the only way to give it a keyword is to axe the flavor text.
The selective-wording, single-targeting, and not untapping are drawbacks that are all honestly neat. It's very rare that a card is too top-down, but this one is. It's got a wee too much flavor interfering with it's need to fight well.
Posted By:
DarthParallax
(11/11/2013 8:03:11 PM)
Actually, in m12 draft this is pretty good. Just leaving 3 mana open is enough to threaten the ability, which will often prevent that Chasm Drake/Assault Griffin/Skywinder Drake/Devouring Swarm from stomping on your head - and the 2/3 body protects the ground a bit as well...
In constructed it's useless of course.
Posted By:
FFTHSUNSET71
(6/7/2012 1:37:39 PM)
Ugh; I can't think of any place I would use this guy even if he did 4 damage or had 4 toughness for these costs. 4 to summon, 3 to use the ability, then wasting an untap unless you want him to be useless for a while... It just doesn't seem well thought through. Even 3 cmc I'm not feeling it, though I'm guessing there might be others that would use him for 2W.
Posted By:
Yukikah
(1/7/2012 8:27:09 AM)
I believe they've made archers wrong in white. Whenever I think of archers, I think of something like Icatian Javelineers. I believe that archers should have limited amount of arrow counters on them when they enter the battlefield and they shoot their arrows.
This is so dumb... I'm more likely to throw Viridian Longbows into my deck and call it an archer deck than to use the actual printed white archers. And green gets stuff like Greatbow Doyen!? I always thought archers belonged to white!
It seems as though Wizards is just messing with us. They keep printing archers as if they're going to do something important with them, but they end up chickening out at the end. PLEASE WIZARDS: Either print some decent archers, or don't print them at all!
Stop teasing me!
Posted By:
dberry02
(7/28/2011 3:16:55 PM)
Wretched uncommon. Compare with Heavy Ballista.
First, it has a more restrictive mana cost for the exact same P/T.
Then, for ONE MORE DAMAGE, I have to pay 2W just to use the ability, then on top of all that, it doesn't untap.
UGGGH.
Posted By:
Wanderer25
(7/7/2011 2:35:48 PM)
Better than Goblin Bangchuckers in my book.
Posted By:
NoobOfLore
(7/13/2011 2:31:52 PM)
Um. Eww. The non-untapping is no biggie, there's plenty of ways around that to the point where you could abuse the crap out of this. But paying, not one, not two, but THREE!?!? Yeah, no thanks.
I have to disagree with you though NoobOfLore. Bangchuckers at least has an entertaining premise (hits himself in the face lol). This guy just kinda stands around.
@vandarrigna: man but it's 4 CC!!! Ack. How about I just pacify your big creature for 2 and call it a day.
Posted By:
AngelPhoenix
(7/15/2011 4:04:31 PM)
This is terrible. And ate up two of my uncommon cards at prerelease. Boo :/
Posted By:
TherealphatMatt
(7/18/2011 4:31:30 PM)