Kunoros, Hound of Athreos MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Dog
Abilities Lifelink,Menace, Vigilance
Power 3
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Kunoros restricts opponent’s graveyard play, providing a unique card advantage.
  2. Vigilance and lifelink enhance board presence and resource conservation.
  3. Ability to disrupt at instant speed turns Kunoros into a formidable force.
Vigilance card art

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.

Text of card

Vigilance, menace, lifelink Creature cards in graveyards can't enter the battlefield. Players can't cast spells from graveyards.

Three sharp barks announce an attempt to escape the Underworld. Three sharp bites end it.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kunoros, Hound of Athreos, offers a unique type of card advantage. By preventing opponents from playing cards from their graveyard, it limits their accessible resources, effectively putting you ahead in terms of available options.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting your mana pool, Kunoros’s vigilance and lifelink abilities allow you to maintain a strong board presence and life total, which indirectly accelerates your resource management by reducing the need for defensive plays.

Instant Speed: Its ability to be a disruptive force against decks that rely on graveyard mechanics works at all times. This enables you to capitalize on the strength of Kunoros without requiring any additional mana investment or preparation to impact the board as soon as it’s in play.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Kunoros, Hound of Athreos does not directly require you to discard a card, its entrance on the battlefield could lead to discarded plans if you relied on graveyard strategies. Its ability to prevent cards from leaving graveyards means deck adjustments are necessary to mitigate self-discard disadvantages.

Specific Mana Cost: Sporting a specific tri-color mana cost of one white, one black, and one generic, Kunoros can be challenging to cast on curve, especially in decks that aren’t finely tuned for mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing three mana might appear reasonable, but in the fast-paced current meta, spending this much early on for a creature that could be susceptible to common removal spells might not be the most mana-efficient play. Additionally, the reliance on three specific mana makes Kunoros less flexible compared to other three-mana creatures with more generic costs.


Reasons to Include Kunoros, Hound of Athreos in Your Collection

Versatility: Kunoros, Hound of Athreos serves multiple roles on the battleground. It’s a creature that’s hard to deal with, thanks to its vigilant and menace abilities, and is a natural fit in decks that emphasize creature control or graveyard interaction.

Combo Potential: This legendary hound synergizes well with strategies that benefit from its ability to prevent cards from entering the graveyard from anywhere. It can be a key piece in a deck that aims to disrupt the opponent’s plans or enable specific graveyard-based strategies of your own.

Meta-Relevance: Given the prevalence of graveyard mechanics in many popular formats, Kunoros can be a strong counter in your arsenal. It’s especially effective in a meta that’s heavy on graveyard synergies, making it a timely addition to any collection looking to thwart those strategies.


How to beat

Kunoros, Hound of Athreos, with its ability to shut down graveyard strategies and lifelink to sustain your opponent’s life total, presents a unique challenge. To topple this relentless guardian, consider cards that bypass Kunoros’s vigilance and menace capabilities. Enchantment removal like Banishing Light can effectively remove it from the battlefield, circumventing its protective traits. Artifact removal spells, such as Return to Nature, also serve as a solution, as they can target equipment that might be bolstering Kunoros’s defense.

Board wipes like Shatter the Sky are another way to deal with Kunoros, sweeping it away regardless of its combat capabilities. For a more direct approach, targeted removal spells such as Heartless Act or Murderous Rider can eliminate Kunoros without having to engage in battle. Remember, dealing with Kunoros requires a strategy that acknowledges its strengths while exploiting its susceptibility to non-combat removal.


BurnMana Recommendations

With Kunoros, Hound of Athreos’s stand-out mix of graveyard control and combat prowess, it’s clear why this card catches the eye of many MTG enthusiasts. As you build your deck or refine your collection, consider this vigilant guardian’s unique role. Whether you’re disrupting opponents’ plans or safeguarding your own strategy, Kunoros can serve as a tactical key in many matchups. Stay ahead of the game by integrating such versatile cards and curating a collection that is adaptable to changing metas. Diversify your playstyle and enrich your MTG experience; dive deeper with us and embrace the strategic depth MTG offers.


Cards like Kunoros, Hound of Athreos

Kunoros, Hound of Athreos, makes its mark as a multi-faceted creature within the world of Magic: The Gathering. Often compared with cards like Anafenza, the Foremost, both creatures excel at graveyard disruption. Anafenza prevents cards from entering the graveyard at all, while Kunoros offers a different angle by allowing graveyard interaction, but strictly no card returns.

Leyline of the Void is another graveyard hate card that resonates with Kunoros’ strategy. The Leyline exiles cards as soon as they hit the graveyard, analogous to Kunoros’ ability to prevent cards from being reanimated or flashed back. However, Kunoros stands out with its vigilance, menace, and lifelink, adding board presence and versatility.

Scavenging Ooze is also worth mentioning as a creature that actively manipulates the graveyard. Though the Ooze selectively targets cards in a graveyard and gains life and grows in the process, its ability requires mana investment, unlike Kunoros’ passive ability.

In the realm of graveyard control, Kunoros, Hound of Athreos, finds a unique niche, adeptly combining passive disruption with combat capabilities, it proves to be both a formidable and strategic choice for MTG decks centered around suppression and resource denial.

Anafenza, the Foremost - MTG Card versions
Leyline of the Void - MTG Card versions
Scavenging Ooze - MTG Card versions
Anafenza, the Foremost - Khans of Tarkir Promos (PKTK)
Leyline of the Void - Guildpact (GPT)
Scavenging Ooze - Commander 2011 (CMD)

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Sin Collector - Friday Night Magic 2013 (F13)
Greasefang, Okiba Boss - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Tymna the Weaver - Commander Legends (CMR)
Selfless Glyphweaver // Deadly Vanity - Strixhaven: School of Mages (STX)
General Kudro of Drannith - The List (PLST)
Edgewalker - Scourge (SCG)
Teysa, Orzhov Scion - Ravnica Remastered (RVR)
Souls of the Faultless - Guildpact (GPT)
Orzhov Pontiff - Guildpact (GPT)
Necrotic Sliver - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Stillmoon Cavalier - Eventide (EVE)
Gwyllion Hedge-Mage - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Scholar of Athreos - Theros (THS)
Restless Apparition - Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)
Blood-Cursed Knight - Magic Origins (ORI)
Drana's Emissary - The List (PLST)
Daxos the Returned - The List (PLST)
Pious Evangel // Wayward Disciple - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
Kambal, Consul of Allocation - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kunoros, Hound of Athreos MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Theros Beyond Death Promos, 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 Kunoros, Hound of Athreos and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Kunoros, Hound of Athreos Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-01-24 and 2020-01-24. Illustrated by Zezhou Chen.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 798892015normalblackZezhou Chen
22020-01-24Theros Beyond Death PromosPTHB 222s2015normalblackZezhou Chen
32020-01-24Theros Beyond DeathTHB 3412015normalblackZezhou Chen
42020-01-24Theros Beyond DeathTHB 2222015normalblackZezhou Chen
52020-01-24Theros Beyond Death PromosPTHB 222p2015normalblackZezhou Chen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Kunoros, Hound of Athreos has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-01-24 If an effect exiles a card from a graveyard and allows a player to cast it, that player may do so. The spell is cast from exile, not a graveyard.
2020-01-24 Look at the card as it exists in your graveyard to determine whether it can enter the battlefield. For example, Sculpting Steel (a noncreature card in the graveyard) can be put onto the battlefield as a copy of a creature, but Phyrexian Metamorph (a creature card in the graveyard) can’t be put onto the battlefield, even if it would copy a noncreature artifact. A Theros Beyond Death God creature card can’t be put onto the battlefield regardless of your devotion to its colors.
2020-01-24 Players can still play lands from graveyards if an effect allows them to do so.

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