I believe every Magic player is familiar with this particular creature. The Llanowar Elves is a staple in any green ramp or elf deck, and as with all staple creatures, I wanted to make sure I did justice to the creature, This time I went with trying to make them able to do a bit of everything, standing against any archetype that comes up against them.
Roughly translated, the punishment of the Llanowar elves for trespassing in their home forest is “one bone broken for every twig snapped underfoot.” The elves of the Llanowar forest are reclusive, and do not take kindly to uninvited visitors, and rarely ever give invitation for outsiders to visit their sacred treetop homes.
Ever Watchful. The guardians of the Llanowar are trained to be tough, pernicious, watchful, and careful. Working in turns, the border of the forest is guarded at all hours, and there is not a part of it that isn’t watched at every moment. The Llanowar’s watchful eyes can detect even the slightest movement among the undergrowth and the shrubs of the forest floor, while their own training lets them sit unseen and unmoving for hours in the branches of the treetops. Rarely does anyone ever discover a Llanowar patrol before having already been discovered themselves, often several hours prior.
Ever Present. While the Llanowar punishments are strict for invaders and trespassers, it is possible to parley with the border guards for safe passage, especially in the case of dignitaries and ambassadors seeking official business. However, even when given permission to pass through the forest, visitors never leave the sight of a retinue of guards. Two guards for each visitor is customary, and the guards assigned to watch a visiting creature accompany them for their entire trip, following them even once the visitors have made it safely to the hidden cities of the elves. The Llanowar elves are very secretive even with trusted allies, and indeed, some whisper that any visitors to the forest are brought only to special cities, designed and populated to appear as full cities, while otherwise abandoned when not hosting foreign agents.
Power of the Forest. The connection which the Llanowar elves feel to their home is not without basis. No matter where in the world the elves travel, they draw strength from the persistence and presence of the forest, and it provides them innate magical abilities. The greatest power of the forest lies in the Llanowar ability to once per day draw upon its vast strength to expand the effects of their already potent magic, making each guard a balanced threat in combat against both spellcasters and warriors.
