The rarity is because first strike is an off colour ability. Back when 7th edition was released there were a lot of old cards which had off colour abilities. From eighth edition onwards WotC starting removing all the off colour functions from any of the core set cards, which is why this guy didn't get reprinted.
Posted By:
Temple_Garden
(7/17/2010 1:15:11 AM)
Narim, it will get the bonus unless somebody has R&D's Secret Lair out.
Posted By:
Ibn_Shisha
(10/17/2010 6:21:49 PM)
7e roulette: will you pull Wrath of God, Thorn Elemental or Elvish Archers?
Posted By:
chinkeeyong
(11/17/2010 3:41:30 AM)
Youthful Knight for green!
Posted By:
SolidSoldier
(11/22/2010 1:14:29 AM)
This should have been printed as uncommon in 7th. Look at Longbow Archer in the same set, with an additional (green) ability, for the same cmc (granted more color intensive), a tribal creature type just as useful, higher toughness, and a lower rarity.
That being said, i'm still going to use this in my mono-green deck. Rarity doesn't matter when it comes to utility. And please remember that this was first printed as a rare in Alpha as one of only three creatures to have first strike.
Posted By:
Eved
(1/24/2011 5:00:52 AM)
The only printing of Elvish Archers without the original flavour text. I like the original flavour text more but I was glad to see this had new flavour text because I was getting tired of seeing the two idiots who spammed the other seven printings with the exact same posts.
Posted By:
Henrietta
(8/15/2011 6:58:34 PM)
First strike is rare for green. I understand why it's rare.
Posted By:
Duskdale_Wurm
(10/29/2011 8:34:57 PM)
Hey, even with all the powercreep, these guys will still kill Garruk's Companion and live to tell about it.
Posted By:
achilleselbow
(8/13/2010 9:48:38 PM)
I think its Rare because green didn't have a lot of First Strikers and It's a Savannah Lions for an extra 1 that gives it first strike.
Doing a quick search for green first strike shows just over a page of green cards that have or give/gain first strike, if you remove all the gold and look at only mono green cards you have 12 cards, 11 creatures one enchant creature(Mammoth Harness) only 5 of the creatures natively have first strike and 2 of those are legends, the other 6 have some condition that needs to be met for first strike to be gained...
Posted By:
bhunji42
(10/5/2009 10:18:59 AM)
one of the first, yet also one of the only archers that's not a shooter. on the other side, in alpha weren't multiple creature types on one card, and The Grand Creature Type Update took care of that only a bunch of years later.
Posted By:
Mode
(1/1/2009 8:42:24 AM)