Slimy Kavu MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Kavu
Released	2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Invasion
Set code	INV
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	170
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Randy Gallegos

Key Takeaways

Exploration ability of Slimy Kavu offers card advantage and potential deck ramp, vital for mid-game strategy.
Instant speed synergy with Slimy Kavu can disrupt opponents’ strategies, optimizing your tactical plays.
Resource acceleration via exploring lands helps speed up your game plan and outpace opponents.

Text of card

oc T: Target land becomes a swamp until end of turn.

Its slime liquefies the ground as efficiently as its fangs shred prey.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Slimy Kavu offers a dynamic approach to card advantage. Each time it battles and isn’t blocked, you’re granted the opportunity to explore. This unique ability can potentially reveal additional cards, which bolsters your hand and choices mid-game, thus keeping you a step ahead.

Resource Acceleration: Tapping into resource acceleration, Slimy Kavu’s explore mechanism can occasionally unveil lands. When that happens, you’re not only filtering your deck but also ramping up your mana resources, propelling your game plan forward at an impressive pace.

Instant Speed: Though the creature itself isn’t played at instant speed, it can synergize with instant-speed spells in your strategy. Its ability to coerce your opponent into unfavorable blocks, or no blocks at all, can clear the way for your instant speed tricks and removals, ensuring maximum utility during crucial phases of the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Slimy Kavu comes with the downside of needing to discard a card, which can be a significant drawback when you’re already dealing with a scarce hand. This can hinder your game strategy, especially in crucial turns where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature’s casting cost demands specific mana colors that might not blend seamlessly into every deck archetype. If your mana base isn’t well-tuned to accommodate the Slimy Kavu, it could be stuck in your hand when you need to be playing other spells.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana value pegged at a point that could instead be utilized for casting impactful spells or establishing board presence, the Slimy Kavu may not offer the best value for the cost. Alternative creatures or spells at the same cost could potentially deliver more bang for your buck in the game’s critical stages.

Reasons to Include Slimy Kavu in Your Collection

Versatility: Slimy Kavu fits smoothly into a range of deck builds. Its ability to act as both an offensive threat and a defensive creature makes it a flexible choice for various play styles.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, Slimy Kavu can become a key component in powerful combos. It can take advantage of effects that care about creature type or exploit synergies with cards that benefit from creatures entering or leaving the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: Given the shifting dynamics of the current meta, Slimy Kavu has the potential to match up well against popular deck archetypes, allowing for smart strategic plays and adaptations during gameplay.

How to beat

Slimy Kavu introduces a unique dynamic to creature-based strategies in Magic: The Gathering. Resilient in combat, it often forces opponents into unfavorable trades. Yet, there are strategies to subvert its strengths. Prioritizing removal spells that don’t rely on dealing damage, such as Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization, can neutralize it cleanly.

Adapting your deck to include cards like Wrath of God or Toxic Deluge can bypass the Slimy Kavu’s durability by not engaging it directly. Moreover, exploiting its absence of trample allows for the use of chump blockers to great effect, preserving your life total. Additionally, focusing on flying or other evasion-based creatures can help you circumvent the Kavu’s battlefield presence.

In essence, understanding and anticipating the Slimy Kavu’s role within an opponent’s strategy can significantly increase your chances of overcoming it. Whether it’s through exile effects, board wipes, or evasion, a tailored approach can transform this potential stumbling block into a mere stepping stone towards victory.

Cards like Slimy Kavu

Within the dynamic universe of creature cards in MTG, Slimy Kavu stands out for its flexible utility. Equating it to its kin, Avalanche Riders share the common theme of directly affecting land, although Avalanche Riders focus on destruction, whereas Slimy Kavu opts for a more subtle maneuver, bouncing lands back to their owner’s hand. This difference can massively alter the state of play, making Slimy Kavu a more tactical option in some scenarios.

Examining other creatures such as Man-o’-War reveals similarities in this bounce effect. However, Man-o’-War targets creatures specifically, not lands, which can offer a defensive advantage Slimy Kavu doesn’t directly provide. Conversely, the ETB (Enter the Battlefield) effect of Slimy Kavu can disrupt an opponent’s mana base, a strategy not to be undervalued. Then there’s the Roiling Terrain, a spell that also interacts with lands, but with a more destructive impact, dealing damage based on the number of lands in the graveyard.

In essence, while each card has its merits based on the situation and deck strategy, Slimy Kavu holds a particular niche with its ability to temporary setback an opponent’s land development without permanent land destruction, allowing for strategic plays that can influence the tide of the game.

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

Hobgoblin Bandit Lord - MTG Card versions

Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - MTG Card versions

Balduvian Barbarians - MTG Card versions

Stinkdrinker Daredevil - MTG Card versions

Mudbutton Torchrunner - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Slimy 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 Slimy Kavu and other MTG cards: