Llanowar Vanguard
Creature — Dryad
: This creature gets +0/+4 until end of turn.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Invasion
- Price
- $0.08
- EDHREC rank
- #30682
Llanowar Vanguard puts a 1/1 Elf token into play every time a creature enters under your control — that's an engine, not a one-shot, and it starts running the moment it hits the table. The cost is that its activated abilities only matter while it's in the graveyard, which means the design leans hard on Necrotic Ooze to copy them from the bin.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is the primary home for Llanowar Vanguard — token-doubling effects, Elf synergies, and graveyard activations all have room to breathe in a 100-card singleton format. In Pauper it's legal but fighting for slots against more efficient commons, so it needs a dedicated token or Elf shell to justify the spot. Legacy and Vintage are both legal but entirely uninterested; Llanowar Vanguard's rate doesn't clear the bar those formats set. Oathbreaker is the one fringe case where a green creature-ETB commander could make this sing.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.08 bulk tier
At $0.08, Llanowar Vanguard is deep bulk — you're picking this out of a common box, not budgeting for it. Bulk rares with narrow applications rarely move off the floor, so treat this as a free inclusion rather than an acquisition target.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.