Amphibious Kavu MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Kavu |
| Released | 2001-02-05 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Planeshift |
| Set code | PLS |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 78 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Wayne England |
Key Takeaways
- Its ability to draw ensures a full hand, giving players more strategic options during gameplay.
- Mana specificity limits deck inclusion, requiring efficient green-red mana production.
- Combines well with land-based strategies, enhancing its versatility across various decks.
Text of card
Whenever Amphibious Kavu blocks or becomes blocked by one or more blue and/or black creatures, Amphibious Kavu gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
Merfolk raided the shores untroubled for years . . . until the shores started fighting back.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: With Amphibious Kavu, you can potentially draw additional cards whenever it deals damage to an opponent, bolstering your hand and giving you an edge over the opponent with increased options.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly a resource acceleration card, Amphibious Kavu can help keep the board clear, indirectly ensuring your land drops and creature plays are more effective due to less opposition.
Instant Speed: While Amphibious Kavu is not an instant itself, it synergizes well with cards played at instant speed. It can quickly become a larger threat if buffed during combat or interact favorably with spells that manipulate the number of counters on it or give it additional abilities during your opponent’s turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Amphibious Kavu puts players in a tough spot by requiring them to discard a card to activate its abilities. This can put a strain on your hand, especially when you’re already dealing with limited resources during gameplay.
Specific Mana Cost: This creature’s mana cost is color-specific, needing both green and red. This requirement can be a challenge in managing your mana base and may restrict Amphibious Kavu’s inclusion to only certain types of decks that can produce both colors efficiently.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost to get Amphibious Kavu into play is relatively steep, considering its power and toughness. When you weigh its abilities against the mana investment, there are other creatures you could summon that provide more value or have a greater impact on the board for the same or lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include Amphibious Kavu in Your Collection
Versatility: Amphibious Kavu thrives in various deck builds, particularly those that capitalize on land interaction or multicolored spells. Its ability to potentially grow stronger with each land type and support landfall mechanics makes it adaptable to numerous play styles.
Combo Potential: This Kavu can be a linchpin in synergistic strategies. Imagine pairing it with cards encouraging domain mechanics or benefiting from creatures entering the battlefield. Unlock a world of interactions where each land enhances your board presence.
Meta-Relevance: Given the shifting MTG landscape, a card like Amphibious Kavu can unexpectedly shine in a meta saturated with multicolored decks. It’s a card that could pivot from an underdog to a staple, depending on the prevalence of certain archetypes that maximize its domain-driven prowess.
How to beat
Amphibious Kavu is a creature card that poses a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering matches. This creature stands out with its ability to thwart both ground and flying attackers thanks to its reach and potency when blocking creatures with flying. The versatility in defense makes it a card that requires a strategic approach to overcome.
When facing an opponent’s Amphibious Kavu, it’s crucial to utilize removal spells that can bypass its strong defensive stance. Spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile offer efficient ways to deal with the Kavu without entering combat. Additionally, taking advantage of spells that force sacrifice, such as Diabolic Edict, can circumvent its blocking capabilities entirely.
Another effective strategy is to deploy creatures with trample or overcome the Kavu’s reach with creatures that possess protection from green. Flyers with robust abilities or enchantments can still surpass Amphibious Kavu’s blocking advantage. Understanding the dynamics of your deck and the array of spells at your disposal can turn the tide in your favor when the Amphibious Kavu stands between you and victory.
Cards like Amphibious Kavu
Amphibious Kavu enters the diverse realm of multicolored creatures within MTG with quite the splash. As players evaluate this particular Kavu’s aptitudes, it’s natural to draw parallels with other creatures like Horned Kavu. Both share the Kavu subtype and the inherent flexibility of red and green mana requirements that appeal to multicolor deck enthusiasts. Yet, Horned Kavu stands distinct with its requirement to return a red or green creature to its owner’s hand upon entering the battlefield, a potential tactical setback or deck synergy enhancer.
Comparatively, with creatures such as Thornscape Battlemage, the synergy with kicker costs becomes evident. While both Amphibious Kavu and Thornscape Battlemage offer versatility and utility, Thornscape Battlemage provides immediate effects upon casting, ranging from destroying artifacts to dealing damage to creatures, depending on the kicker paid. However, it doesn’t boast the same level of survivability in combat as the hardier Amphibious Kavu.
Ultimately, choosing Amphibious Kavu for a deck promises a reliable combatant capable of enduring multiple encounters. This trait, combined with its synergy with land-based strategies, secures its position as a robust contender among its Kavu counterparts and multicolored creatures in MTG.
Cards similar to Amphibious Kavu by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Amphibious Kavu MTG card by a specific set like Planeshift, 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 Amphibious 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Amphibious Kavu has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Amphibious Kavu card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | The ability only triggers once per combat. |
