Horned Kavu MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Kavu |
| Released | 2001-02-05 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Planeshift |
| Set code | PLS |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 110 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Michael Sutfin |
Key Takeaways
- Strategically bounces creatures for repeated benefits, creating momentum and card advantage in gameplay.
- Facilitates resource acceleration by returning land-fetching creatures, bolstering mana ramp capabilities.
- Poses a challenge for opponents, offering unexpected plays with replaying instant-speed spell-creatures.
Text of card
When Horned Kavu comes into play, return a red or green creature you control to its owner's hand.
"That didn't happen naturally," said Multani. "Rath's overlay is interfering with the Æther itself."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Horned Kavu provides a unique advantage in bouncing a red or green creature you control to your hand. This ability can be used strategically to reuse enter-the-battlefield effects of other creatures, essentially allowing you to double dip into their benefits and maintain momentum.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana, Horned Kavu slots in perfectly with decks emphasizing resource acceleration. By returning creatures with land-fetching abilities to your hand, it indirectly contributes to mana ramp, ensuring you have the resources to play high-impact cards sooner.
Instant Speed: While Horned Kavu itself is not an instant, its ability to recur instant-speed spell-creatures, or those with flash, provides a substantial tactical edge. Being able to replay such creatures extends your reach and allows for unforeseen plays, keeping opponents on their toes.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Horned Kavu requires you to return a red or green creature you control to your hand when it enters the battlefield. This can be a setback, especially if your board is set up with creatures that have beneficial static abilities or if you’re already tight on creatures.
Specific Mana Cost: With its particular need for both red and green mana, Horned Kavu can be restrictive in deck-building. This dual mana cost means it’s primarily limited to red-green decks, thus reducing its versatility in multicolored or other two-color combinations.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While being a 3/4 creature for two mana appears cost-effective, the actual hidden cost of playing Horned Kavu goes beyond just mana. The requirement to bounce a creature to your hand effectively increases its casting cost, as you lose out on the tempo and board presence you had before casting it.
Reasons to Include Horned Kavu in Your Collection
Versatility: Horned Kavu is a powerhouse in decks that utilize creatures entering and leaving the battlefield. This dynamic creature can repeatedly trigger enter-the-battlefield effects, making it a multipurpose addition to your strategy.
Combo Potential: Coupled with cards that have beneficial enter-the-battlefield abilities, Horned Kavu becomes part of a potent combo engine. Leveraging its return-to-hand ability can lead to a chain of advantageous plays, enhancing your board state with each iteration.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta characterized by fast-paced aggro decks, Horned Kavu stands out with its ability to swing the tempo in your favor. Its substantial body for its mana cost makes it a relevant choice when combating other creatures and asserting dominance on the board.
How to beat
Horned Kavu is a classic creature card that can pose a unique challenge on the battlefield in MTG. This creature offers value by potentially allowing its controller to replay a creature with a beneficial enter-the-battlefield effect. To overcome a Horned Kavu, it’s critical to anticipate the timing of its play. If you can remove it from the battlefield before the combat phase or in response to its return ability, you’ll negate its tempo advantage.
Effective removal spells like Path to Exile or Fatal Push can efficiently handle Horned Kavu, especially since it necessitates returning a red or green creature you control to its owner’s hand upon entering the battlefield. This resetting of board presence can be exploited—timing your removal when the bounce effect is on the stack can lead to a loss of creatures with no gain for your opponent.
Remember, being proactive in your control and understanding the rhythm of your opponent’s play is essential. By doing so, you can dismantle the synergies that Horned Kavu aims to exploit, keeping the pace of the game in your favor and neutralizing the threat it represents.
Cards like Horned Kavu
Horned Kavu is a unique creature card that harkens back to the Planeshift set of Magic the Gathering. Its most notable feature is the requirement to return a red or green creature you control back to your hand upon casting, which allows you to replay creatures with valuable enter-the-battlefield effects. Horned Kavu’s closest relatives in terms of gameplay include Roaring Primadox and Stampeding Wildebeests.
Both of these cards, like Horned Kavu, ask for a creature to be returned to the player’s hand. However, what sets Kavu apart is its ability to be played earlier in the game due to its lower casting cost and not having a mandatory return effect every turn. In contrast, Roaring Primadox and Stampeding Wildebeests necessitate the bounce effect to occur each turn, which can be a detriment if you do not wish to return a creature to your hand.
Assessing its role in deck strategies, Horned Kavu is a creature that can be repeatedly leveraged for those enter-the-battlefield abilities, maintaining board presence while adding strategic depth to your gameplay. Its distinctive balance of cost, requirements, and attributes makes it a fitting choice for players who favor red or green creature-based decks with a twist.
Cards similar to Horned Kavu by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Horned 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 Horned 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 Magic products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Horned Kavu has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Horned 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 | You choose the creature to return on resolution of the triggered ability. This is not targeted. |
