Flametongue Kavu

Soul Enervation Query

I'm not good at English, sorry.
Question about Soul Enervation.This reminds me Flametongue Kavu from twenty years ago.I play him, my opponent Repulse his only one creature, then FtK dealt damage to himself.Why Soul Enervation doesn't say like "up to one target ~" or "~ creature an opponent controls"?

We like that black cards occasionally hurt you. It feels very in color.

Black Colors Creatures English Flametongue Kavu Kavu Repulse Soul Enervation

Origin of Kavus

Maro it was my birthday yestereday, can I have some trivia about how Kavus where invented for my first set, invasion? also please please print one legendary one day =D

I don’t remember where Kavus came from. They were an addition of the creative team I believe. I think Flametongue Kavu started as an Orc in design. Happy Belated Birthday!

Birthday Card Printing Flametongue Kavu Kavu Mark Rosewater Orc

Flametongue Kavu Colorshift

Could we see a Flametongue Kavu colorshifted in green?

Unlikely as the damage spell and the creature are most often not the same card.

Creatures Flametongue Kavu Green Kavu

Flametongue Kavu Power

Hi Mark. I'm also a big fan of Kavu, waiting that day to return to my favorite plane Dominaria. Please give me your opinion: Is Flametongue Kavu an acceptable card to be in standard/modern format? Or is over-powered? Salutes Mark

Not a developer, but my guess is overpowered for Standard.

Dominaria Flametongue Kavu Kavu Modern Not a developer Standard

Kavu and Beasts

Hey MaRo! Today it's my birthday and it seems you tend awnser trivia questions when it's someone's birthday (started following you only recently and it's my first question). Can you give me any trivia on my favorite creature type when I was a child the Kavu? Also, why is the creature type "Beast" slowly dissapearing? (The 8 y/o player in me cries everytime I see less and less beasts on newer sets). Thanks in advance!

Kavus are a race, so far, exclusive to Dominaria. I don’t remember the reasons behind us making them. They became popular because they appeared on a couple tournament cards (Flametongue Kavu and Kavu Titan spring to mind). We are not trying to do away with the Beast creature type. It’s just something we use when we don’t have something more specific and lately we have more specific options. Beasts aren’t going away. Happy Birthday!

Beast Birthday Creatures Dominaria Flametongue Kavu Kavu Kavu Titan Mark Rosewater

Spell Flexibility Insight

"I get a brand new Lexus or one of every Apple product ever made. You decide. That’s all-upside for me. : )" It's not upside if you need to drive coast to coast, because I'm giving you the Apple products. Flexible spells like charms give you the choice of several overcosted options. Punisher mechanics give an opponent the choice of several undercosted options. With one, you're getting exactly what you need. With the other, it's square peg, round hole. I understand what you're saying, though.

If you cast Flametongue Kavu on an empty board, it kills itself. Yes, for any effect you can come up with a scenario where it could not be to your benefit. That doesn’t make it all-downside.

Cast Flametongue Kavu Kavu Mechanics Spells

Flametongue Kavu Opinion

Do you think Flametongue Kavu is too good for today's standard?

Not a developer. Yes.

Flametongue Kavu Kavu Not a developer Standard

Red's Color Pie

So in NWO it seems to be an acceptable thing for black creatures to have super card advantageous discard effects as ETB's. It also seems acceptable for green and white creatures to have ETB's, LTB's, and death triggers to create creatures. Further still, it seems fine for blue creatures to get ETB's that draw cards or pick cards out of gys. Why is something like Flametongue Kavu basically out of the question? Is card advantage something that is aggressively not allowed in red's color pie?

Flametongue Kavu is allowed in red’s color pie. Development just doesn’t like having two-for-ones at common.

Black Blue Card Draw Color Pie Colors Creatures Discard Enter The Battlefield Flametongue Kavu Green Kavu Red Triggered Abilities White

Card Power Evaluation

How powerful would you consider Flametongue Kavu by modern design philosophy?

Very powerful.

Flametongue Kavu Kavu Modern

Effects in Gameplay

"Beneficial effects that may surprise you by becoming a problem (eg. Flametongue Kavu on an empty battlefield) are just as important for Magic as harmful effects that may surprise you by becoming useful (eg Killing Wave + Blood Artist)". Agree or disagree?

Disagree. I think there is room for the former but more room for the latter. Why? Because the latter make players feel smart and the former make players feel dumb (aka they more often enjoy the first and not enjoy the second). Note that this is a matter of degrees. The game should have both but I don’t feel in equal numbers.

Art Blood Blood Artist Flametongue Kavu Kavu Killing Wave

Flametongue Kavu Discussion

Ignoring power level concerns, would you print cards today like Flametongue Kavu with triggers you might have to use on your own creatures?

We shy away from them but we do them occasionally for flavor reasons.

Card Printing Creatures Flametongue Kavu Flavor Kavu Power Level Triggered Abilities

Flametongue Reprint Issues

Flametongue Kavu is one of the most fun creatures ever made! Could it be reprinted if we went somewhere with Kavus?

I don’t think lack of kavus is it’s biggest problem for reprinting. It being crazy overpowered is probably a much bigger stumbling block.

Card Printing Creatures Flametongue Kavu Kavu Reprints