A-Elven Bow MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact — Equipment
Abilities	Equip
Released	2021-02-05
Set symbol
Set name	Kaldheim
Set code	KHM
Number	A-166
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dallas Williams

Key Takeaways

Boosts creature defense and influences board control by deterring attacks with its stat bonuses.
Facilitates resource acceleration and combo potential by creating Elf tokens and equipping creatures.
Flash ability offers tactical advantages by allowing instant speed play, surprising opponents.

Text of card

When Elven Bow enters the battlefield, you may pay . If you do, create a 1/1 green Elf Warrior creature token, then attach Elven Bow to it. Equipped creature gets +1/+2 and has reach. Equip

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Elven Bow offers the utility of pulling double duty in a game. Once equipped, it allows your creature to become a more formidable blocker with its additional +1/+2 bonus. This not only protects your life points by deterring attacks but can also effectively deal with opposing creatures, potentially leading to advantageous board state control.

Resource Acceleration: Equipped with the ability to bring a 1/1 green Elf Warrior creature token onto the battlefield, this enchantment aids in ramping up your creature presence. This small creature can contribute to your mana resources if combined with other cards that tap creatures for mana, thus accelerating your gameplay and paving the way for larger threats earlier in the match.

Instant Speed: One of the Elven Bow’s adaptive features is its flash ability, allowing you to play the card at instant speed. This flexibility means you can endow a creature with its benefits during your opponent’s turn, ideally when they least expect it, giving you a tactical edge in combat or even foiling their removal strategies.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While A-Elven Bow does not require a discard to play, it’s important to recognize that cards requiring such a trade-off can be detrimental when your hand is sparse, forcing difficult decisions about resource management.

Specific Mana Cost: A-Elven Bow demands a specific green mana to cast, which may not always align smoothly with a deck’s mana base, particularly in multicolored decks where mana flexibility is key.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that may be considered steep for its equip ability, A-Elven Bow could potentially be bypassed for lower-cost equipment options that provide similar or better enhancements to creatures.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: A-Elven Bow is a flexible addition to any deck that prioritizes early board presence. Not only does it serve as an artifact, but also transforms into a creature, providing a multi-functional tool for various strategies.

Combo Potential: With its ability to equip creatures, A-Elven Bow can seamlessly integrate into combo plays, enhancing creatures’ stats, or working with cards that benefit from equipment synergies.

Meta-Relevance: Against decks that rely on flyers, A-Elven Bow stands out by offering a defensive boost with its reach-granting ability, ensuring it stays relevant in various meta scenarios.

How to beat

A-Elven Bow is a versatile card in Magic: The Gathering, providing both a boost in defense and potential for offense. As an artifact equipment, it can be attached to creatures, giving them a much-needed reach and slight power boost. However, there are strategies to outmaneuver its enhancements. Effective removal spells, such as Disenchant or Abrade, can easily dispatch the Elven Bow before it becomes a major threat on the board. Additionally, prioritizing flying creatures in your deck can neutralize its reach attribute.

Engaging in clever combat decisions also plays a crucial role. Since equipping the bow requires mana, a swift attack during your opponent’s turn when their resources are low can catch them off guard. Furthermore, cards like Unsummon can force your opponent to spend more mana to re-equip the bow, thus dictating the pace of the game. Alternatively, employing creatures with shroud or hexproof can prevent the bow from being a decisive factor, as they remain untouched by its equipped creature’s enhanced abilities.

Understanding the timing and the board state are fundamental in circumventing the strengths of A-Elven Bow. With careful planning and the right card choices, overcoming this artifact should be well within reach for seasoned players.

Cards like A-Elven Bow

The Elven Bow is an intriguing equipment artifact card in Magic: The Gathering and stands out through its versatile nature. When we look at cards like Longbow Archer, there’s an evident correlation in theme surrounding elven lore and archery. Longbow Archer itself is not an equipment but a creature with a similar combat function, providing both reach and a first strike capability without an activation cost.

Taking a step into the realm of utility artifacts, we discover other comparable cards like Viridian Longbow. This card directly mirrors the Elven Bow’s ability to give a creature reach, but with an added benefit of dealing damage through a tap ability. The trade-off lies in the Longbow’s mana activation cost, contrasting Elven Bow’s equip feature that offers stat bonuses.

In analyzing these cards together, the Elven Bow emerges as a competitive choice, particularly for decks emphasizing versatility and combat readiness. It’s not just an equipment that can quickly give essential reach; it embodies the elf archetype with a modest boost in power and toughness, a finesse that aligns with the thematic strengths of elf cards within Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to A-Elven Bow by color, type and mana cost

Instrument of the Bards - MTG Card versions

Implement of Ferocity - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase A-Elven Bow MTG card by a specific set like Kaldheim, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the A-Elven Bow and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where A-Elven Bow has restrictions

Format	Legality
Brawl	Legal
Historic	Legal