Bellowing Elk MTG Card


Bellowing Elk - Modern Horizons
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Elk
Released2019-06-14
Set symbol
Set nameModern Horizons
Set codeMH1
Power 4
Toughness 2
Number157
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byLucas Graciano

Key Takeaways

  1. Bellowing Elk encourages strategic trades and can bolster board presence, offsetting its lack of card draw.
  2. It doesn’t guarantee mana acceleration but can alter game dynamics through favorable attacks.
  3. Albeit sorcery speed, the Elk works well with instant-speed spells, providing flexibility in combat.

Text of card

As long as you had another creature enter the battlefield under your control this turn, Bellowing Elk has trample and indestructible.

"Their two-tone vocalization contains a whistle and a roar. Both mean get away." —Vivien Reid


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While not directly allowing you to draw cards, Bellowing Elk’s undeniable presence on the board can lead to advantageous trades and help maintain your board strength against your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: The Elk doesn’t directly accelerate resources. Yet, it’s sturdy enough to enable attacks that can lead to an advantageous board state, indirectly speeding up your game plan.

Instant Speed: Even though Bellowing Elk operates at sorcery speed, its interplay with other instant speed cards could defend it from removal or buff it during combat, creating unexpected turns of events mid-game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Bellowing Elk itself doesn’t have a discard requirement, it’s important to consider that using it in synergy with other cards may introduce this type of trade-off, which can deplete your hand and reduce your playing options.

Specific Mana Cost: Bellowing Elk calls for a mix of generic and green mana sources. Its specific requirement for green can make it less flexible for multicolored decks that might struggle to produce enough green mana consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost demanding three mana, including two green, Bellowing Elk is not the cheapest creature you could be playing. Players must evaluate whether its abilities justify the cost, especially when other creatures in the same mana range might offer more immediate board presence or utility.


Reasons to Include Bellowing Elk in Your Collection

Versatility: Bellowing Elk adapts well to numerous deck archetypes because of its solid stats and its unique ability to gain indestructible. It fits easily into green decks looking for durable creatures that can withstand removal.

Combo Potential: Its synergy with other cards that grant abilities makes it a prime candidate for combos. In decks with numerous ways to activate its indestructible trait, Bellowing Elk can become a formidable force in both offense and defense.

Meta-Relevance: Given the current gameplay environment that often features heavy removal, the Elk’s resilience to such strategies allows it to persist on the board, giving players a consistent threat against opponents.


How to beat

Bellowing Elk enters the battlefield as a creature that demands attention due to its formidable ability to gain indestructibility whenever it’s activated with other creatures with power 3 or greater. To tackle this sturdy beast, removal spells that don’t destroy but exile or force a player to sacrifice a creature become excellent tools. Spells like Path to Exile or Sacrifice effects found in cards like Liliana of the Veil can bypass its indestructible nature effortlessly.

Alternatively, controlling the battlefield with effects that prevent the Elk’s ability from activating is key. Countering the spells that would buff it or locking down the Elk with enchantments like Pacifism can effectively neutralize the threat without having to remove it. Efficient blockers also serve as a great strategy to mitigate the impact of Bellowing Elk, as its power can be matched or exceeded by other creatures. Managing your resources wisely and maintaining control over the Elk’s ability to become indestructible will ascertain your dominance over this formidable creature.

While the Bellowing Elk has potential to be a powerhouse on the battlefield, players armed with the right strategies can easily circumvent its strengths, ensuring it doesn’t trample over their chances of victory.


Cards like Bellowing Elk

Bellowing Elk offers a unique dynamic in the realm of creature cards in MTG. With its protection ability when boosted, it shares some similarities with cards like Mowu, Loyal Companion. Mowu gains indestructible when boosted with a +1/+1 counter, giving it a resilience similar to that of the Elk when it comes to avoiding removal from the battlefield.

Considering another card with comparable traits, we find Kraul Harpooner. This creature has a power play with its reach ability and can gain extra power upon entering the battlefield under the right conditions, much like the Elk’s activated growth during your turn. However, whereas the Harpooner is more focused on anti-air utility, Bellowing Elk emphasizes versatile protection during your turn.

The adaptive nature of Bellowing Elk sets it apart in green creature decks. While not as aggressively inclined as Pelt Collector, which grows with each creature that dies, Bellowing Elk maintains a consistent board presence and forces opponents to strategize differently, particularly in combat. Its protective ability makes it a valuable asset in any game, ensuring it can’t be easily dismissed from play.

Mowu, Loyal Companion - MTG Card versions
Kraul Harpooner - MTG Card versions
Pelt Collector - MTG Card versions
Mowu, Loyal Companion - War of the Spark (WAR)
Kraul Harpooner - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Pelt Collector - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)

Cards similar to Bellowing Elk by color, type and mana cost

Giant Spider - MTG Card versions
Marsh Viper - MTG Card versions
Scarwood Bandits - MTG Card versions
Carnivorous Plant - MTG Card versions
Erhnam Djinn - MTG Card versions
War Mammoth - MTG Card versions
Aurochs - MTG Card versions
Lhurgoyf - MTG Card versions
Jackalope Herd - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Alligator - MTG Card versions
Golden Bear - MTG Card versions
Argothian Swine - MTG Card versions
Elvish Piper - MTG Card versions
Erithizon - MTG Card versions
Saber Ants - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Cutter - MTG Card versions
Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Fungusaur - MTG Card versions
Viridian Lorebearers - MTG Card versions
Monkey Monkey Monkey - MTG Card versions
Giant Spider - Tenth Edition (10E)
Marsh Viper - The Dark (DRK)
Scarwood Bandits - The Dark (DRK)
Carnivorous Plant - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Erhnam Djinn - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
War Mammoth - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Aurochs - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Lhurgoyf - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Jackalope Herd - Exodus (EXO)
Rootwater Alligator - Exodus (EXO)
Golden Bear - Portal Second Age (P02)
Argothian Swine - Urza's Saga (USG)
Elvish Piper - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Erithizon - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Saber Ants - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Skyshroud Cutter - Nemesis (NEM)
Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Fungusaur - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Viridian Lorebearers - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Monkey Monkey Monkey - Unhinged (UNH)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bellowing Elk MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons, 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 Bellowing Elk and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bellowing Elk has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Bellowing Elk card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2019-06-14 Bellowing Elk’s effect applies even if the other creature entered the battlefield under your control before Bellowing Elk entered the battlefield, and it continues to apply even if that creature leaves the battlefield.
2019-06-14 Bellowing Elk’s effect checks each turn whether it applies during that turn. It doesn’t check only during the turn it enters the battlefield.

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