If we are to find potential versatility for this card, the key would have to come from its four defense counters
Naturally, the earlier printings are the most valuable
But sometimes you only need to deal with one problem, and thats where cards like Oblation and Chaos Warp shine
While there are certainly quicker ways to build up tokens over time, the idea of pumping up Earl with Ethereal Armor or artifact equipment and littering the field with squirrels will be a powerful strategy
If Swordsworn Cavalier enters the battlefield, leaves the battlefield, and returns to the battlefield all in the same turn, it will have first strike that turn
However, most of the decks that do utilize it play 4 copies of it because its effect is so powerful