Hey kwjeagle
A few weeks ago i found the Hunting Pack Origins Intro Pack in a comic store and I bought it, because I wanted to start playing an elves deck. The thornbow archer was part of that deck. I think that a green/black elves deck is more powerful by plaing passively like putting a lot of elves on the battlefield and drawing cards like crazy and then cast shaman of the pack to deal something like 10 damage or more.
The thornbow archer is quite a nice guy... I mean 1/2 for 1cmc is not bad, but you need to attack with him to use his ability and then you risk losing him. And typical elf creatures are synergising very well with other elves in play not in the graveyard (okay there are some but I don't like them neither).
As you mentioned an elves deck works better if you ramp with llanowar elves or arbor elf or something like that: 1 cmc producing mana creatures. And maybe you can literally overun the enemy.

Have a nice day!

PS: Do you play MtG on platforms like xmage?