Works like magic with cards like Forbidden Orchard and/or Varchild's War-Riders... nuff said.

  -- By Jay from Minneapolis, MN USA on May 19, 2011

If you never draw a dragon arch, this card is beautiful with progenitus. Just saying.

  -- By Anonymous from Topeka, KS on January 11, 2011

This card is EDH gold. I play Pheldagrif (cause, c'mon, flying purple hippo) and I'll happily give my opponent 3 1/1 hippos to trigger this and Tooth and Nail for free! So many different ways that this card is broken. Fetching a couple Eldrazi at the very least seems good. ;)

  -- By dtk from Carbondale, IL on June 08, 2010

Painter's Servant & Iona, Shield of Emeria. Hard lock as long as you can survive whatever is already on the field

  -- By Alucard from Olean, NY on June 03, 2010

To anyone who says this is not a good card, think combo, think kiki hellkite, think dragon over lord, think effing any unbelievable powerful creature card that is effing hard to cast... enough said... if youre wondering what an even better combo is, the one that seals the deal that ends the game no matter what if you get it off! think kiki-jiki promethean hulk... that is all... "oh no your thopter tokens are so powerful there is 100000 of them, how ever will i take down your infinite life" "mill 60" oh... wait, that did it...

  -- By Zona from Murfreesboro,TN USA on March 04, 2010

Sigh this will be my only post here and i will say this simply. This card isn't that good and is not a bomb. Do you see this card used in GP's (etc) leagues? No you don't. It does not stop faeries, the rock, reveilark, RDW, Gruul, Teps, Either level blue, dredge (etc). In vintage and extended only spells with CMC 0-4 are played. This won't stop aggro because they aim for 4/5 turn kills and put so much pressure that you can't afford to waste a turn playing a passive enchantment that triggers on your next turn. What will you do if someone on turn 2/3 plays tinker and brings out Darksteel Colossus - 11/11 trample indestructable? What will you do when dredge goes off and wins on turn 2 which happens frequently - why do you think every deck in any constructed extended tournament carries sb against dredge. What will you do when a standard deck like Dragonstorm can go off and win on 4th turn or Reveillark wins through 5th turn AND it runs rune snags and spellstutter sprites as expected. Casually this card is fine and is good in multiplayer if the power level isn't too high, so that people aren't using limited resource decks. I wonder how many people will actually read and consider what i've said or will just spam.

  -- By chimpion from Australia on April 10, 2008

Awesome card.. makes your opponents not want to put more than two creatures into play... grab vigor, Serra avatar, darksteel colassas, Kaervek the Merciless(he's my Fav), kiki jiki or whatever... use Hunted Troll, Hunted Phantasm or Forbidden Orchard to force your opponent to have enough creatures in play. and for those of you who are complaining that this is too slow... when have you not had mana flowing out of your ears in a green deck.... Im not sure but could you grab a planeswalker with this... well its just a thought!

  -- By Keith Sherrill from Seattle, Wa on April 08, 2008

For four manna, you get the two most powerful powerful creatures in your deck (which you may as well just seed with the most powerful creatures in your collection, regardless of color) and all you you have to do is wait to get them. Here's an insane combo: use Ghazban Ogres & Wild Dogs and intentionally let your opponent get a minor hit. At the beginning of your next upkeep, the Ogres and Dogs will become controlled by your opponent, setting off your Defense. They squirm even more when you've got a Brooding Saurian to return your creatures before they can be used against you.

  -- By Indic Index from Byn Ron, Vln on March 11, 2008

Yes is has great power potential if they are playing a creature deck. However, if they are playing a creature deck and you don't draw it early enough or you don't have ways to slow him down, it ends up too slow and you get steamrolled. Plus it does little against control decks and almost nothing against combo. Also since you have to wait till next turn they have time to destroy it. Basically, it has potential but several things have to go right for it to work so I don't see anyone churring out any super awesome decks based around it anytime soon. Also, Akroma is probably one of if not the best thing you can search for.

  -- By Chris from NY on March 03, 2007

dude dis card is da bomb its so good

  -- By abe from santa barbra,CA usa on December 22, 2006

im only giveing this card a 3 for the fact of what tom said. Theres far better cards out there to pull stuff from your library and graveyards. This was a powerful card at the time it was made. but not really that powerfull anymore. If ya want to big creatures for almost the same mana (just a tad bit more) use tooth'n'nail. My friend has a toothn'nail deck and he usally pulls fatties or comba creatures by turn 3. If ya know what you are doing with mana production in your deck then its not that hard to make the fatty decks fast. But talking about thorn elementle. Its not a bad card at all. Infact its one of the few direct dmg sources green has. And besides anyone that plays any green at all knows that by turn 3 you should already be able to pull 5 mana if not more.

  -- By Black_Pants from Unholy Santum on September 17, 2006

Yo people areall noobs! Think bigger. Like Akroma or things that have haste. This card has no real draw backs becausealmost all decks need creaturesto win. Now Go home and look for better cards to put in and Dont disrespect it

  -- By Better than You! from LA, CA USA on May 23, 2005

Many of the reviews of this card are slightly out of date. Given the new affinity decks and old school elf & goblin decks, you don't wait very long to pull 2 free critters. Darksteel Colossus, Elementals or control creatures like Seedborn Muse, Peacekeeper or Reya are great to drop on the table quick. This card used with the old Spore Frog/Pattern of rebirth combo spells smack down doom for your opponent at an insane speed and never breaking the use of 5 mana. Just be sure your deck includes a few ways to return enchantments from your graveyard to your hand in case someone destroys it or you want to use it again ;)

  -- By JinX from Downingtown, PA on March 29, 2004

Da bomb. Goes right into my highlander deck!

  -- By Anonymous from Black Hole on August 12, 2003

reviewer # 3, stfu. Think: if defense of the heart puts 2 creatures DIRECTLY into play, then wtf r u complaining about thorn elemental's 7 converted mana cost? omg, u don't know what ur talking about.

  -- By Matt from Hunlock Creek, PA USA on January 17, 2003

Tom, go to hell, cuz you dont know the power of this card man. You can play any type of deck with this card. You can play a Soutured Ghoul deck and if you buried alive a couple of fatties, then you can get the soutured ghoul and another creature such as spritmonger!

  -- By Kyle Rogers from A Place U never heard of in NH on October 03, 2002

This is one of the most useful cards for my bg beatdown deck, i just pull avatar of woe and spiritmonger to finish the game

  -- By Joshua from Mililani, HI USA on July 23, 2002

absolutely phenomenal when used correctly. for four mana as soon as your opponent has 3 creatures in play you get your two biggest baddest creature cards in play. It works best if you carry some really big creatures like the avatars or a rushwood elemental

  -- By critic 101 from Hong Kong on July 07, 2002

Very effective card. helps me get out 2 of the

  -- By Critic 101 from Hong Kong on June 27, 2002

this card is beatiful. and it does work early in the game if your using a stompy deck against a elf or goblin or a fast deck for that matter this card works right in the beggening.

  -- By the reaper from the plane of death on June 26, 2002

this car is not so good because you just search for two cards in you library so is not so good

  -- By matt from usa on June 04, 2002

this card is no use for any up to date decks far to slow and it depends on the other player to have any effect . ever herd of simplify. also whats the whole thorn elemental thing 7 mana for a 7/7 is bad news. to name a few better, gursigost, fladging dragon. even force of nature is more effective.

  -- By tom cadden from Glasgow, Scotland on June 01, 2002

This is a pretty good card people. I admit it is a little slow but if you are playing a stompy deck or a creature heavy deck then this is the way to go. It is useful for pulling 2 thorn elementals from your deck, usually ending the game, also if you are being overwhelmed by creatures (which is likely when playing a stompy deck) then pull 2 thicket elementals to gain a creature advantage. All in all a well made card.

  -- By Anonymous from Mn on April 12, 2002

Well this card is sweet.I play a big creature deck,and if they got some lil wimpy elfs or goblins (HATE GOBLINS,KILL EM!) i put in 2 thorn elementals and laugh...evily...>)

  -- By Da Pimp from Lancaster,PA USA on February 18, 2002