Yavimaya Kavu MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Kavu
Released	2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Invasion
Set code	INV
Power	*
Toughness	*
Number	291
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Greg Staples

Key Takeaways

Yavimaya Kavu offers card advantage and shapes the battlefield with its demand for answers from opponents.
Its instant speed and role flexibility make it a valuable asset for tactical MTG gameplay.
Specific mana cost and discard requirements should be considered when integrating into your deck.

Text of card

Yavimaya Kavu's power is equal to the number of red creatures in play. Yavimaya Kavu's toughness is equal to the number of green creatures in play.

Kavu hunt prey in packs—one kavu hunts a pack of prey.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When considering the Yavimaya Kavu card, it’s a multifaceted piece that often translates into a considerable advantage on the board. Its ability to flip the balance by presenting a threat that needs an answer, can, in turn, lead to a player outpacing their opponent in terms of valuable card economy.

Resource Acceleration: This card fits nicely into deck strategies that are looking to speed up their game. With its potential to fulfill multiple roles, the Yavimaya Kavu can facilitate faster deployment of higher-cost cards by satisfying various mana needs, thus reinforcing a player’s resource acceleration efficiently.

Instant Speed: In a dynamic game like MTG, instant-speed spells hold a special place, and the Yavimaya Kavu card, with abilities that can be activated at instant speed, further enhances a player’s tactical flexibility. This enables savvy players to adapt to the evolving battlefield on the fly, keeping opponents guessing and opening up opportunities to outmaneuver them at critical junctures.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One potential downside of the Yavimaya Kavu card is its demand for discarding another card, a play that might constrain your hand especially when your card options are already dwindling or you’re strategizing for a pivotal game-changing moment.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana requirements of Yavimaya Kavu are quite specific, including green mana. It’s an imperative to factor in, as it may not seamlessly fit into a deck’s mana base, particularly those that are not closely aligned with nature’s hues or multicolor strategies that dilute the concentration of green sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The casting cost of Yavimaya Kavu comes into question when sizing it up against other creatures within the same mana range. Dedicated players might find its mana investment steep, considering alternate cards with similar or greater impact for an equal or lesser mana commitment.

Reasons to Include Yavimaya Kavu in Your Collection

Versatility: Yavimaya Kavu offers a flexible role in green and red decks. Its dual-color nature broadens the range of strategies it can adapt to, from aggressive builds that capitalize on its power to more controlling green-red decks that can exploit its defensive capabilities.

Combo Potential: With its ability to change power and toughness based on the number of green creatures, Yavimaya Kavu has a natural synergy within green-centric decks. This shifting attribute can be leveraged with cards that measure creature stats for impactful effects or combos.

Meta-Relevance: As the meta shifts, this kavu’s ability to be either a formidable attacker or a solid blocker can maintain its relevance. Players dealing with an environment heavy with aggro decks will find that Yavimaya Kavu can effectively function as a deterrent while also fitting seamlessly into a variety of game plans.

How to beat

Yavimaya Kavu presents an intriguing challenge for players in the battlefield. Part of its resilience comes from its protection against monocolored spells, making it a tough target for traditional removal methods. To overcome this formidable creature, your strategy needs to include multicolored spells or abilities that don’t target, like board wipes, which can skirt around its protection.

Utilize creatures with trample or flying to bypass Yavimaya Kavu’s ground-based power. Incorporating flexible removal spells, such as those found in the multicolored Charm series or board wipes like Supreme Verdict, can clear the way for victory without the need to target. Additionally, leverage colorless options—like artifacts or Eldrazi spells—which remain unaffected by its protections and can remove or overpower this Kavu without facing any resistance.

By adapting your deck to include a variety of strategies and keeping vigilant for innovative edges, Yavimaya Kavu becomes less of a roadblock and more a stepping stone to achieving dominance over the game board.

Cards like Yavimaya Kavu

Yavimaya Kavu sits in an interesting niche within Magic: The Gathering’s ecosystem of creatures. With stats favoring power over toughness, this card bears a resemblance to cards like Flametongue Kavu, which also has a power-centric design. However, Yavimaya Kavu is distinct in that it offers versatility by powering up its toughness when facing creatures with lower power, potentially turning the tides in combat scenarios.

Much like Yavimaya Kavu, cards such as Skinshifter have the ability to adapt on the battlefield. Skinshifter’s strength lies in its ability to morph into various forms, granting it similar flexibility during your turn. Conversely, Yavimaya Kavu’s adaptability triggers during each combat, which may tip combat outcomes more frequently than a morph ability that’s used once per turn.

To sum up, Yavimaya Kavu demonstrates its edge as a formidably adaptive creature in Magic: The Gathering. While sharing a mutable nature with other cards in the game, its unique reactive strength in combat offers an unpredictability that can be pivotal to the flow of the game.

Cards similar to Yavimaya Kavu by color, type and mana cost

Chishiro, the Shattered Blade - MTG Card versions

Spellbreaker Behemoth - MTG Card versions

Huntmaster of the Fells // Ravager of the Fells - MTG Card versions

Thorn-Thrash Viashino - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Yavimaya Kavu MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Yavimaya Kavu and other MTG cards: