Elven Bow MTG Card
2021-02-05 - Number 166
2022-12-02 - Number 653
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact — Equipment |
| Abilities | Equip |
Key Takeaways
- Elven Bow delivers value as equipment plus a blocker, providing significant card advantage.
- Its flexibility and instant speed deployment offer strategic board control options.
- Mindful utilization counters mana costs, enabling efficiency in diverse MTG decks.
Text of card
When Elven Bow enters the battlefield, you may pay . If you do, create a 1/1 green Elf Warrior creature token, then attach Elven Bow to it. Equipped creature gets +1/+2 and has reach. Equip
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Gaining an additional permanent on the battlefield thanks to the equipped creature gaining a key ability can swing the game in your favor. When used wisely, Elven Bow can effectively provide both a powerful equipment and a blocker, all packaged within one card. This duality often translates into card advantage as it may require multiple actions from an opponent to deal with both the creature and the equipment.
Resource Acceleration: Elven Bow doesn’t directly contribute to resource acceleration in the traditional sense of providing additional lands or mana. However, it does offer strategic versatility by potentially saving your resources. By boosting a creature’s toughness or providing a reach ability, it helps maintain your board presence without needing to commit additional mana and cards to cast separate creature spells.
Instant Speed: The ability to flash out Elven Bow using its modal double-faced card option allows for a surprise blocker, this can disrupt opponent’s attacks and provide you a strategic advantage. The flexibility to deploy it instantly keeps your opponent guessing and allows you to make the most of your mana each turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Elven Bow comes with an activation cost that may sometimes mandate discarding a card, which can be burdensome when your hand is already depleted or when every card is crucial to your strategic setup.
Specific Mana Cost: This item demands a precise mana arrangement to cast—green mana. This requirement could potentially pose a challenge in multicolored decks that are mana-hungry or lack sufficient mana-fixing capabilities.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The initial investment of three mana for the Elven Bow might be considered steep, especially in formats where speed is of the essence and every mana point is significant. It faces stiff competition from other equipment cards or creature buffs that are less demanding on your mana pool.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Elven Bow offers flexibility in deck construction, being particularly useful for decks that aim to strengthen their creatures or have key synergies with Equipment. Its ability to provide both a defensive boost and an offensive option makes it a utility card able to adapt to various game states.
Combo Potential: This card pairs well with any strategy looking to capitalize on Equipment or cards that benefit from elf synergies. When played, Elven Bow can help enable combos by equipping creatures to improve board presence or by being an asset in elf-centric decks.
Meta-Relevance: Given its cost-effectiveness and adaptability, Elven Bow is a robust choice in a meta that favors quick setup and versatility. The card can serve as an utility piece in multiple deck types, ensuring its relevance as the meta shifts and changes over time.
How to beat
The Elven Bow is a versatile Magic: The Gathering card, seamlessly fitting into elf-themed decks. Its ability to provide both a reasonable defense mechanism and enhance your creature’s offensive capabilities makes it a popular pick. What stands out is its static ability to enter the battlefield attached to a 1/1 green Elf Warrior creature token, should you choose to pay the additional mana, providing immediate board presence.
Counteracting Elven Bow’s benefits demands strategic play. Artifact removal spells are efficient ways to handle it directly. Consider incorporating options such as Nature’s Claim or Disenchant into your deck, ensuring you have a quick response when the bow makes its appearance. Timing is everything; removing the artifact before the equipped creature can attack or when an opponent tries to maximize its utility with enchantments or abilities can shift the momentum to your favor.
Having board control tools at your disposal also helps. If Elven Bow is giving an edge to creature-heavy strategies, sweepers like Supreme Verdict or Wrath of God can clear the path, eliminating both the Elven Bow’s token and other creatures on the field. Identifying the right moment to initiate these actions is a skill honed over time, but it is key to dismantling the card’s impact during the game.
Cards like Elven Bow
The Elven Bow is an intriguing piece of equipment card that provides versatility to the MTG card pool. When you draw parallels to similar cards like Deathrender or Heirloom Blade, there’s a clear distinction in the balance between cost, power, and additional abilities. Deathrender, while packing a powerful punch by cheating creatures onto the battlefield upon the equipped creature’s death, demands a notable investment of both mana and strategy to yield its full potential.
Heirloom Blade, in the same family tree, shares the trait of synergizing with creature types but focuses on the tribal aspect, granting both a power boost and a card advantage upon the equipped creature’s demise. Though Heirloom Blade also strengthens your forces, Elven Bow is unique with its ability to not only bolster a creature’s stats but add reach, and create a token, broadening its tactical applications regardless of the tribal theme.
It’s evident that while each artifact has its distinctive advantages, the Elven Bow presents a lower mana investment with a broader scope for utility in various decks, making it a valuable addition for any MTG player looking to enhance their battlefield with a cost-effective equipment card.
Cards similar to Elven Bow by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Elven Bow MTG card by a specific set like Kaldheim and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Elven Bow 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
Printings
The Elven Bow Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-02-05 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Dallas Williams.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-02-05 | Kaldheim | KHM | 166 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dallas Williams | |
| 2 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 653 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dallas Williams |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Elven Bow has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Elven Bow card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-02-05 | The Elf Warrior creature token enters the battlefield as a 1/1 creature. Any abilities that trigger when a creature with a certain power or toughness enters the battlefield will see the token enter as a 1/1 creature. |
| 2021-02-05 | You decide whether to pay as the enters-the-battlefield ability resolves. If you do, you immediately create the Elf Warrior creature token and attach Elven Bow to it. No players may respond to your decision to pay or not, and no player may take actions during this process. |
