Source

Elf

I would more comfortable with this if it had "can't block".

You could also go with the route of Thornbow Archer and make it a strictly worse Spiteful Returned. Or - I guess it should deal damage now instead as Dominaria shows. I really don't care for that 'update' but at least here it would feel pretty good.

You link this card as well, but IMO it's notable how Greatbow Doyen's second ability mechanically really seems. Binding Agony / Ragged Veins anyone?

While 2/1 first striker takes the maximum advantage of the ability in how it works with power, I would like an even smaller variant:

> 1/1
> First strike
> Whenever ~ deals damage to a creature, it deals that much damage to that creature's controller.

Very 'snipish' creature. Since 1/1s for 1 are a dying breed it seems, I find this more acceptable than I would perhaps find it given few years back.

­Thornbow Archer is another card in the deck, so I'm not inclined with a second version of the same card.

­Greatbow Doyen's ability apparently is meant as an upgrade to trample. In my mind the difference is between the green "my creatures deal piercing damage" and black's "your creature is cursed to share its pain with you". We know that those differences can lead to weird cases; see also blue's "Creatures can't be blocked." vs. red's "Creatures can't block."

I could see "~ can't block."; I wanted a french vanilla, and that drawback is the next best thing to a keyword in simplicity.

(That said your 1-drop isn't a bad idea either.)

That 'piercing damage' concept leads to in my mind -Repercussion / Assembled Alphas for example.

The strictly worse Spiteful Returned could easily have first strike btw.

With Blightspeaker in mind + how life loss is now converted to damage

> : ~ deals 1 damage to target player.

would work for archer card as well.

Alternative for first strike in could be something like "Whenever a creature blocks or becomes blocked by ~, that creature gets -1/-1 UEOT" as well.

I would imagine that (knight) first strikers would need double- in their mana costs, yet Knight of Malice doesn't ascribe to this idea which I don't like at all. It doesn't help my opinion of the card that it introduced that questionable 'hexproof from stuff' mechanic.

I don't find the 'extended trample' description fitting, not as a justification for at least, in that trample is highly tied to power of the creature - that power must overcome the defending creatures' toughness for trample to do anything. This 'piercing damage' ignores defense entirely so the creature having high power isn't a requirement (I'm not exactly a fan of Thorn Elemental in either). To me, green is more about brawn that this kind of 'sneakiness'. This is why I also think Wandering Wolf would be a more apt evasion mechanic for , though I would add the clause that you could block with many small creatures if their total power equals or overcomes the power of that attacking creature. 'Bravado' or whatever it has been called.

So it's a bend in my mind for , but I guess such are acceptable infrequently.