Invasive Species MTG Card


Invasive Species - Magic 2015
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Insect
Released2014-07-18
Set symbol
Set nameMagic 2015
Set codeM15
Power 3
Toughness 3
Number181
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byChristopher Moeller

Key Takeaways

  1. Enjoy recurring ETB effects and strategic resource acceleration with Invasive Species in your MTG deck.
  2. Despite its advantages, be mindful of potential setbacks due to specific mana costs and bounce requirements.
  3. Its unique ability to return any permanent, not just creatures, makes it a key tactical asset.

Text of card

When Invasive Species enters the battlefield, return another permanent you control to its owner's hand.

It's easier to relocate a village that lies in their path than to turn the bugs aside.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Invasive Species can act as an engine for accruing card advantage. By returning a card with a beneficial enter-the-battlefield effect to your hand, you’re setting up the opportunity to use that effect again. This can easily lead to outpacing your opponent in resources as you repeatedly exploit powerful interactions.

Resource Acceleration: In decks built around landfall or similar mechanics, Invasive Species aids in resource acceleration. It enables the replay of lands or permanents that trigger such effects, helping to ramp up your mana and trigger valuable abilities that can swing the game in your favor.

Instant Speed: While Invasive Species itself doesn’t have instant speed, it pairs exceedingly well with cards that do. Being a creature that can bounce an instant or a permanent with flash back to your hand affords you flexibility. You can adapt to the changing game state by reusing those cards at the most opportune moments, keeping you one step ahead.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Invasive Species requires players to return a permanent they control to their hand when it enters the battlefield. While this can be leveraged for advantage in some situations, it can also set you back if you have no beneficial enter-the-battlefield effects to reuse or are trying to maintain a board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: This green creature’s casting cost demands a commitment to green mana sources. For multi-color decks, this can sometimes mean Invasive Species doesn’t seamlessly fit into the mana curve or could be competing with more efficiently costed multi-color cards for that turn’s play.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its potential utility, the three mana needed—one of which is green—might be costly considering the creature’s base stats of 3/3. In environments where tempo is critical, having to replay returned permanents can hinder your game progress, especially when there are alternative creatures that offer more immediate board impact without the bouncing downside.


Reasons to Include Invasive Species in Your Collection

Versatility: Invasive Species offers a dynamic play option as it allows for the reuse of enter-the-battlefield (ETB) effects. This capability ensures it can adapt to a multitude of deck themes and strategies that capitalize on such triggers.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks built around ETB synergies. Its ability to return another permanent you control to your hand upon entering the battlefield can set off a chain reaction of beneficial effects, enhancing combo decks exponentially.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, having a card that can recalibrate strategies based on the current competitive environment is essential. Invasive Species is that adaptable card that can pivot its role within various metas, whether it requires bouncing a critical permanent for repeated value or simply acting as a blocker.


How to Beat Invasive Species

Invasive Species can be a thorny challenge due to its bounce effect upon casting. This effect prompts players to return another permanent they control to their hand, which, while disruptive, can also be capitalized as a powerful combo enabler for enter-the-battlefield triggers. To outplay Invasive Species, consider employing instant-speed removal to clear the way before it can establish a board presence. Cards like Path to Exile or Fatal Push afford you the maneuverability to deal with the creature before any potential combo pieces take effect.

Controlling the battlefield is also key. Cards such as Wrath of God or Damnation can reset the board, rendering the bounce effect of Invasive Species irrelevant. Moreover, proactive strategies that outpace the creature’s setup can suppress its impact. Aggressive decks focusing on low-cost, high-impact creatures let you maintain pressure, making it uncomfortable for your opponent to spend a turn casting Invasive Species. Understanding the nuances of interactions and matching the pace can flip the table on this pervasive creature, ensuring your path to victory remains clear.


Cards like Invasive Species

In the ecosystem of Magic: The Gathering, Invasive Species is an intriguing creature card that falls into the realm of return spells. Comparatively, it shares traits with cards like Man-o’-War, which also bounces creatures to the owner’s hand. However, Invasive Species dictates that you return another permanent you control to your hand, not just creatures. This subtle difference can be crucial for triggering “enters the battlefield” effects of any type of permanent, not just creatures, providing strategic versatility to the player.

Roaring Primadox is another beast in this comparison. Similar to Invasive Species, it mandates a return of one of your creatures during your upkeep. It’s a forced move rather than an option, which frames game strategy quite differently. While both cards are creatures that can spur repeatable enter-the-battlefield triggers, Primadox is more creature-centric and recurring in its effect. Contrast these to Peel from Reality, a cheap instant that returns a creature you control and a creature you don’t control to their owners’ hands, offering both defense and replay value of your own effects.

In conclusion, while sharing a bounce theme, Invasive Species offers a unique mix of tactical adaptability. It stands as a noteworthy choice for players looking to exploit various permanent types to gain a competitive edge on the battlefield.

Man-o'-War - MTG Card versions
Roaring Primadox - MTG Card versions
Peel from Reality - MTG Card versions
Man-o'-War - Visions (VIS)
Roaring Primadox - Magic 2013 (M13)
Peel from Reality - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)

Cards similar to Invasive Species by color, type and mana cost

Cat Warriors - MTG Card versions
Lurker - MTG Card versions
Rysorian Badger - MTG Card versions
Sabertooth Cobra - MTG Card versions
Quirion Druid - MTG Card versions
Uktabi Orangutan - MTG Card versions
Spike Feeder - MTG Card versions
Hungry Hungry Heifer - MTG Card versions
Titania's Chosen - MTG Card versions
Taoist Mystic - MTG Card versions
Femeref Archers - MTG Card versions
Verduran Enchantress - MTG Card versions
Fyndhorn Elder - MTG Card versions
Lydari Druid - MTG Card versions
Steel Leaf Champion - MTG Card versions
Realmwalker - MTG Card versions
Topiary Stomper - MTG Card versions
Territorial Scythecat - MTG Card versions
Wirewood Savage - MTG Card versions
Shizuko, Caller of Autumn - MTG Card versions
Cat Warriors - Legends (LEG)
Lurker - The Dark (DRK)
Rysorian Badger - Homelands (HML)
Sabertooth Cobra - Mirage (MIR)
Quirion Druid - Visions (VIS)
Uktabi Orangutan - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Spike Feeder - Stronghold (STH)
Hungry Hungry Heifer - Unglued (UGL)
Titania's Chosen - Urza's Saga (USG)
Taoist Mystic - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Femeref Archers - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Verduran Enchantress - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Fyndhorn Elder - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Lydari Druid - Sega Dreamcast Cards (PSDG)
Steel Leaf Champion - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Realmwalker - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Topiary Stomper - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Territorial Scythecat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Wirewood Savage - Onslaught (ONS)
Shizuko, Caller of Autumn - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Invasive Species MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2015, 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 Invasive Species and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Invasive Species has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2014-07-18 The ability doesn’t target any permanent. You choose which one to return when the ability resolves. No player can respond to this choice once the ability starts resolving.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks