Territorial Kavu MTG Card
2021-06-18 - Number 467
2021-06-18 - Number 425
2021-06-18 - Number 216
2021-06-19 - Number 216s
2021-08-26 - Number 724
2002-06-24 - Number 91339
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Kavu |
| Abilities | Domain |
| Power | * |
| Toughness | * |
Key Takeaways
- Offers card selection and advantage by drawing cards that align with your lands.
- Indirectly ramps mana usage efficiency through its domain ability on the field.
- Demands a specific mana cost and may not fit in all multicolored decks.
Text of card
Domain — Territorial Kavu's power and toughness are each equal to the number of basic land types among lands you control. Whenever Territorial Kavu attacks, choose one — • Discard a card. If you do, draw a card. • Exile up to one target card from a graveyard.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Territorial Kavu excels at card selection, allowing you to cycle through your deck by revealing cards and drawing the ones that match your domain lands. This creates a steady advantage as you’re more likely to find the right answers or threats when needed.
Resource Acceleration: Although the Territorial Kavu doesn’t produce mana directly, its domain ability potentially ramps up your plays. By ensuring multiple land types are on the field, you enable a more efficient use of your mana resources to cast spells, thus indirectly accelerating your resource availability.
Instant Speed: While the Territorial Kavu acts at sorcery speed, its impact on the board is immediate. When played smartly alongside instant-speed spells in your deck, it can create advantageous states that compel your opponents to respond, keeping them on their toes and strategically extending your reach during their turns.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Territorial Kavu’s ability is compelling but also demands that you discard a card when its power triggers. This can work against you if your hand is already depleted or if you’re holding key pieces you’re not willing to part with.
Specific Mana Cost: While powerful, this creature requires both red and green mana to cast. This can be restrictive, as it demands a commitment to those colors and may not fit seamlessly into all multicolored decks, especially those that do not naturally include green and red mana sources.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With both its abilities, Territorial Kavu comes at a two-color mana cost. For a deck running efficiently on low-cost creatures, the mana investment to get Territorial Kavu on the field might be higher than desired when considering the pacing and tempo of a game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Territorial Kavu is a powerhouse in decks that manipulate multiple land types, capitalizing on both domain and landfall strategies which enables dynamic playstyles.
Combo Potential: This card’s ability to grow with land diversity and cycle through your deck by discarding a card makes it a formidable combo enabler in a variety of deck builds, especially in a meta that treasures graveyard synergies.
Meta-Relevance: With its scalable power and utility, Territorial Kavu adapts well to evolving gaming environments, asserting presence in games dominated by multicolored decks or those that rapidly change their board states.
How to beat
Tackling the challenge posed by Territorial Kavu in MTG requires strategic precision. As a potent creature with domain – its power and toughness equal to the number of basic land types among lands you control – it becomes a formidable force on a diverse mana base. To effectively counter it, players need to limit the variety of lands in play or control the number of lands entirely. Creature removal spells that can bypass its scaling power, like Path to Exile or Fatal Push under the right conditions, prove invaluable. For those inclined towards counter-strategies, Aether Gust and Mystical Dispute can preemptively handle the Kavu before it asserts its influence on the battlefield.
Another angle is to focus on board control to manage creatures like Territorial Kavu. Sweepers such as Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict ignore the size of creatures, providing a clean slate. It’s about staying ahead of your opponent’s land play and being prepared to neutralize the threat before it tips the game. Consider also enchantments like Rest in Peace to invalidate abilities that rely on the graveyard, minimizing the Kavu’s value further.
In essence, grasp the complexities of domain, anticipate land types, and keep your removal or counters ready; that’s how you maintain the upper hand against Territorial Kavu.
Cards like Territorial Kavu
Territorial Kavu stands out in the realm of creature cards known for their land-related abilities. Comparable creatures include the renowned Tarmogoyf, a staple in many decks for its power that scales with the number of varying card types in all graveyards. While Tarmogoyf benefits from a full graveyard, Territorial Kavu gains strength purely from the number of basic land types you control. This distinction makes the Kavu a more immediately powerful choice in a deck rich in different land types.
Moving on, we have Mantis Rider, another creature that boasts a quick and impactful presence on the battlefield. While both Mantis Rider and Territorial Kavu offer immediate combat potential, Mantis Rider requires a fixed three-color mana cost and lacks the land-based scaling power that the Kavu possesses. This can make the Kavu a more flexible creature in decks looking to capitalize on land variety over specific color requirements.
After thorough examination, Territorial Kavu’s unique mechanic that leverages land diversity for strength and its Domain ability solidifies its position as a formidable creature card. Especially in decks designed to exploit a wide array of land types, this Kavu can indeed become a powerhouse on the board, favoring strategies that balance land variety with aggressive creature play.
Cards similar to Territorial Kavu by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Territorial Kavu MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Modern Horizons 2, 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 Territorial Kavu and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Territorial Kavu Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2021-06-18 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by E. M. Gist.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 91339 | 2015 | Normal | Black | E. M. Gist | ||
| 2 | 2021-06-18 | Modern Horizons 2 | MH2 | 467 | 2015 | Normal | Black | E. M. Gist | |
| 3 | 2021-06-18 | Modern Horizons 2 | MH2 | 425 | 1997 | Normal | Black | E. M. Gist | |
| 4 | 2021-06-18 | Modern Horizons 2 | MH2 | 216 | 2015 | Normal | Black | E. M. Gist | |
| 5 | 2021-06-19 | Modern Horizons 2 Promos | PMH2 | 216s | 2015 | Normal | Black | E. M. Gist | |
| 6 | 2021-08-26 | Jumpstart: Historic Horizons | J21 | 724 | 2015 | Normal | Black | E. M. Gist |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Territorial Kavu has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Territorial Kavu card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-06-18 | Domain abilities count the number of basic land types among lands you control, not how many lands you control or how many of any type. |
| 2021-06-18 | The basic land types are Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest. Land types other than basic land types (such as Desert) don't contribute to domain abilities. |
