Fyndhorn Bow MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact
Released	1995-06-03
Set symbol
Set name	Ice Age
Set code	ICE
Number	318
Frame	1993
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Rob Alexander

Key Takeaways

The bow generates elf tokens, offering card-like value and strategic board population for multiple uses.
Instant speed activation allows flexible responses, but discarding a card can be a significant downside.
High casting cost and color-specific mana requirements may limit the bow’s inclusion in diverse decks.

Text of card

o3,oc T: Target creature gains first strike until end of turn.

"With a bow like this, the hunting is always good." —Taaveti of Kelsinko, Elvish Hunter

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Generating elf tokens with ease, Fyndhorn Bow can provide players with a steady stream of card-like value by populating the board with creatures that can be used for various strategies.

Resource Acceleration: By enhancing elf-token production, the Fyndhorn Bow facilitates resource acceleration allowing for quicker deployment of high-cost cards and overwhelming your opponents with a formidable elf army.

Instant Speed: The Fyndhorn Bow’s abilities can be activated at instant speed, offering flexibility in play. This allows players to react swiftly to the changing dynamics of the game, maximizing the potential impact of the card.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Necessitating a card discard to activate its abilities, Fyndhorn Bow presents a downside when the player’s hand is already running thin. Such a cost can accelerate depletion of your hand, potentially leaving you at a disadvantage in the game’s later stages.

Specific Mana Cost: The Fyndhorn Bow comes with a color-specific mana demand to unlock its full potential. This can pose a deck-building challenge, particularly for players who want to integrate it into a multi-colored deck but might struggle with generating the required green mana efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a relatively high casting cost, the Fyndhorn Bow may not seem as appealing when compared to other equipment cards offering similar benefits. Players might find that allocating mana for this card hampers their ability to establish a strong board presence or keep mana available for essential instant-speed interactions.

Reasons to Include Fyndhorn Bow in Your Collection

Versatility: Fyndhorn Bow fits seamlessly into numerous deck archetypes. Whether you’re running a creature-heavy strategy or you need an equipment that boosts attack while offering utility, this card adapts to various playstyles with ease.

Combo Potential: This artifact not only increases the damage output of your creatures but also synergizes exceptionally well with abilities that trigger on dealing combat damage, unlocking potential for game-changing combos.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-evolving nature of the MTG metagame, Fyndhorn Bow proves its worth by enhancing critical elements of aggression and interaction that are pertinent to prevailing competitive formats.

How to beat

The Fyndhorn Bow is a niche artisanal piece in an MTG player’s arsenal, offering a precise tweak to gameplay. This card allows players to deal damage to creatures with flying by tapping an untapped creature they control. Given its specific utility, understanding when to implement this artifact can be pivotal in securing an advantage over opponents deploying airborne strategies.

Overcoming the Fyndhorn Bow hinges on its inherent limitation—the dependence on untapped creatures. Exploiting this, savvy players prioritize removing potential tapping candidates through removal spells or by inciting unfavorable blocks. Another strategy involves the reduction or complete shutdown of artifact functionalities via cards like Stony Silence or Karn, the Great Creator. By limiting the activation prospects of the Fyndhorn Bow, one essentially neuters the threat it poses to flying creatures, freeing the skies for strategic aerial assaults.

Considering all aspects, while Fyndhorn Bow can be a useful tool against specific deck types, its effectiveness can be mitigated. Interfering with the user’s creatures or employing artifact disruption tactics can ensure that your winged warriors continue to soar unimpeded, maintaining the upper hand in the aerial domain of your MTG battles.

Cards like Fyndhorn Bow

The Fyndhorn Bow brings a fresh dynamic to the array of equipment cards in MTG. It’s reminiscent of cards like Viridian Longbow, which similarly grants an equipped creature the ability to tap and deal damage to target creature or player. Where Fyndhorn Bow differs is in its potential for powering up not just through mana investment but also based on the number of elves you control, making it particularly potent in a dedicated elf deck.

Another related card is the well-known Heavy Arbalest, which also endows the equipped creature with a tap ability to deal damage. However, Heavy Arbalest requires the creature to remain tapped during the next untap step, a limitation that doesn’t apply to Fyndhorn Bow. This distinction provides Fyndhorn Bow with a tactical advantage by keeping the equipped creature available for blocking or other actions.

Understanding these nuanced differences is crucial for players who are strategizing their decks. Fyndhorn Bow emerges as a versatile choice, especially in elf synergistic builds that can enhance its lethality and maximize its utility in MTG gameplay.

Cards similar to Fyndhorn Bow by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fyndhorn Bow MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age, 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 Fyndhorn Bow and other MTG cards: