Elspeth

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

For today's article on MTG Realm, we are digging through the storyline of Elspeth, one of the favourite white aligned planeswalkers for many Magic: the Gathering players.  Personally we have at least two copies of each printing so we have to admit we are fans as well - a few from lucky booster pack pulls and the rest as singles from MTG Mint Card.  Perhaps one reason is that the one common aspect of each of the three printings is the ability to create soldier creature tokens.  Anywhoos - let's have a look at this card's background / vorthos now . .

A planeswalker and skilled knight, Elspeth wants nothing more than to sheathe her sword for the last time and find a plane to call home. Violence and destruction have a tendency to follow her, and she is constantly driven to take up arms and wield her defensive magic in the service of those who need her protection.

Elspeth was born on an unknown plane dominated by Phyrexians. Her life immediately prior to her ascension was spent as a prisoner along with many other beings, locked tightly away and tortured.  Her 'spark' ignited and she planeswalked away to the fractured plane of Alara and settled on Bant.

In Bant, Elspeth found everything that was missing from her life: community, love, and most importantly peace. She settled in the nation of Valeron and at 17 she began her training as a squire. In a short 3 years she was knighted, younger than almost anyone. Her fellow knights had no knowledge of her ability to planeswalk or of her origins, she kept the nature her origin and abilities secret and allayed any question concerning her birthplace, only admitting to not being from Valeron. She had become close to her squire Aran who fell in battle against incursionists from Grixis.  Elspeth is now suspected to be more than she is after using her magic.  She planeswalks away to self-imposed exile to Urborg where she fights in gladiator games.

Elspeth, Knight-Errant 2WW
Planeswalker — Elspeth, Mythic Rare, Shards of Alara
+1: Put a 1/1 white Soldier creature token onto the battlefield.
+1: Target creature gets +3/+3 and gains flying until end of turn.
-8: You get an emblem with "Artifacts, creatures, enchantments, and lands you control have indestructible."
Loyalty: 4

The planeswalker Koth and Venser persuade Elspeth to travel to the plane of Mirrodin where they discover the Vault of Whispers, where they witnessed the emergence of a Phyrexian army that was invading the surface.   Phyrexian forces commanded by the praetor Elesh Norn surround Elspeth and Koth.  Elspeth is injured and planeswalks to Theros.

Elspeth Tirel 3WW
Planeswalker — Elspeth, Mythic Rare, Scars of Mirrodin
+2: You gain 1 life for each creature you control.
-2: Put three 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield.
-5: Destroy all other permanents except for lands and tokens.
Loyalty: 4
 
Elspeth came to Theros from a war-ravaged plane, hoping to find the one thing that has eluded her—peace. Under the watchful protection of gods, she hoped that Theros would not be in need of guardians like her. But when she arrived, Elspeth was quickly identified as an outsider with powers and skills that further distanced her from the natives of Theros. In the wilderness between two city-states, Elspeth was attacked by a monstrous hydra, which had been responsible for the deaths of countless warriors. Elspeth engaged the hydra alone and, after a bitter fight, emerged triumphant. Afterward, she wanted nothing more than to fade into anonymity.

Elspeth, Sun's Champion 4WW
Planeswalker — Elspeth, Mythic Rare, Theros
+1: Put three 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield.
-3: Destroy all creatures with power 4 or greater.
-7: You get an emblem with "Creatures you control get +2/+2 and have flying."
Loyalty: 4
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