Hunting Kavu MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Kavu
Released	2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Invasion
Set code	INV
Power	2
Toughness	3
Number	252
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Scott M. Fischer

Key Takeaways

Disrupt opponent strategies by using Hunting Kavu for effective creature removal and resource depletion.
Instant speed action with Hunting Kavu offers crucial flexibility in response to threats during gameplay.
Hunting Kavu’s versatility makes it a worthwhile addition to decks focusing on creature manipulation.

Text of card

o1o Ro G, oc T: Remove from the game Hunting Kavu and target creature without flying that's attacking you.

Dominarians gladly fought alongside kavu . . . until the kavu figured out some Dominarians were quite tasty.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hunting Kavu is designed to give you an upper hand by potentially removing an opponent’s creature from the battlefield. This can significantly shift the tide of the game in your favor by depleting your opponent’s resources while maintaining your own on the board.

Resource Acceleration: While Hunting Kavu itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, getting rid of key threats can indirectly lead to better resource management. By clearing the way, you ensure your more important creatures and spells have a safer environment to thrive in, which can accelerate your path to victory.

Instant Speed: The capacity to act at instant speed grants you the flexibility to respond to threats on your opponent’s turn. With Hunting Kavu, you can wait until just the right moment to disrupt your opponent’s strategy, potentially during their combat phase or in response to another spell or ability being placed on the stack.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Hunting Kavu presents a discard condition to trigger its ability. This can be challenging during gameplay if your hand is already depleted, resulting in a loss of potentially useful resources in your struggle for dominance on the battlefield.

Specific Mana Cost: With its casting requirement including both red and green mana, Hunting Kavu demands a dedicated mana base. This specificity can restrict its inclusion to decks that can consistently produce both types of mana, potentially limiting its flexibility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment for Hunting Kavu may seem steep compared to other creatures with similar effects. This means that by the time you have the mana to play it, opponents could potentially have developed a more formidable presence, putting you at a strategic disadvantage.

Reasons to Include Hunting Kavu in Your Collection

Versatility: Hunting Kavu offers flexible gameplay, easily integrating into decks that thrive on creature-based strategies or those that aim to manipulate creatures on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: With its ability to disrupt opponents’ creature compositions, Hunting Kavu can be a linchpin in combos that capitalize on entering or leaving the battlefield effects.

Meta-Relevance: As player decks evolve, creatures like Hunting Kavu remain pertinent, adapting well to shifts in the meta that emphasize creature control and board presence.

How to Beat

Hunting Kavu is a creature card that can pose a significant challenge on the battlefield. It is known for its proficiency in combat, often facilitating advantageous trades or exerting pressure on the opponent’s life total. To effectively counter this card, consider using spot removal spells that can neutralize it before it starts wreaking havoc. For example, efficient removal spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can dispatch Hunting Kavu swiftly at a low mana cost, preventing it from becoming too much of a threat.

Another strategy is to include creatures with deathtouch in your deck, which can deter Hunting Kavu from attacking or blocking. Cards like Typhoid Rats or Baleful Strix offer trades that are unfavorable for your opponent, potentially removing the Kavu without too much sacrifice on your part. Keep in mind that timing your plays and keeping up mana for instant speed responses will give you a better chance of managing the threats posed by proactive creature cards like Hunting Kavu.

Ultimately, understanding the meta and including versatile answers in your deck will ensure you’re well-prepared not just against Hunting Kavu, but against a broad range of threats. This approach will enhance your deck’s resilience and help maintain control over the game board.

Cards like Hunting Kavu

Hunting Kavu offers a distinctive flair to creature removal tactics in Magic: The Gathering. It stands shoulder to shoulder with creatures like Flametongue Kavu, which is renowned for its enter-the-battlefield effect that deals damage to target creature. However, Hunting Kavu differs by requiring an exchange of creatures between players. This swap can tactically disrupt your opponent’s board while enhancing your own. Also, while dealing with a threat, it can often lead to gaining a more favorable creature in return.

Another card worth mentioning is Skinthinner. Although not a Kavu, it shares the removal on arrival theme but eliminates the need for exchange, offering a subtle yet ensured creature removal at a morph cost. Lastly, we consider Duplicant, a versatile creature that exiles any target creature upon entering the battlefield. While it lacks the direct creature trade mechanic, it compensates by capturing the exiled creature’s power and toughness. Each of these cards has its own advantages, but Hunting Kavu shines in matchups where creature control and strategic board presence are paramount.

Evaluating the unique mechanics and circumstantial merits of these cards, Hunting Kavu establishes itself as a creative choice for players focusing on destabilizing opponents by manipulating creature ownership, an angle other cards don’t offer.

Cards similar to Hunting Kavu by color, type and mana cost

Giant Trap Door Spider - MTG Card versions

Wilderness Elemental - MTG Card versions

Daybreak Ranger // Nightfall Predator - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hunting Kavu MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Hunting Kavu and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hunting Kavu has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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