Shivan Phoenix MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Phoenix |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Released | 1999-02-15 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Urza's Legacy |
| Set code | ULG |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 91 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Daren Bader |
Text of card
Flying When Shivan Phoenix is put into a graveyard from play, return Shivan Phoenix to owner's hand.
To strike down the phoenix is to slash at the flame.
Cards like Shivan Phoenix
Shivan Phoenix holds a distinctive place amongst creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It shares traits with other phoenix creatures, such as the iconic Flamewake Phoenix. Both boast the flying ability, making them elusive threats. Yet, Shivan Phoenix showcases a hardy resilience with its capability to return from the graveyard to your hand when destroyed, much like the regeneration of the Rekindling Phoenix from the battlefield itself.
Another close relative in this fiery family is Chandra’s Phoenix, which also returns to hand, but under the specific condition of targeting an opponent with a spell. This creates a nuanced blend of offense and defense strategies. The Shivan Phoenix requires more mana investment upfront, but its persistent presence can keep opponents on their toes without additional conditions.
When analyzing the utility of these soaring creatures, Shivan Phoenix appeals to players who appreciate a steady and relentless approach, providing consistent pressure that can survive past its initial removal. While it may not have some of the conditional speed or synergy of its counterparts, its simplicity offers an undeniably robust, if mana-intensive, option for aerial domination in the game.
Cards similar to Shivan Phoenix by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Shivan Phoenix offers a robust synergy with decks aiming to capitalize on recurring threats. When this fiery bird is destroyed, it can rise from the graveyard back to your hand, essentially negating the loss of a card and keeping your hand well-stocked with options. This recursive ability ensures that you continuously have a threat to play, maintaining pressure on your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: Although Shivan Phoenix itself doesn’t directly offer resource acceleration, its ability to return to your hand means that you can reliably have a card to deploy without the need to invest additional resources into drawing or tutoring for creature cards. This allows you to focus your mana and other resources on furthering your board state or interacting with your opponent.
Instant Speed: While Shivan Phoenix is a creature and doesn’t operate at instant speed, its resurrection ability triggers during the end step of the turn it died. This timing can be advantageous, as it allows you to plan your turns knowing that you’ll regain the Phoenix at a specific point in the game cycle, enabling strategic planning akin to instant speed plays.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One potential downside of Shivan Phoenix is that its return-to-play ability can be nullified if your opponent has a way to exorcise it from the graveyard before it can trigger. This makes it slightly less reliable as a recurring threat.
Specific Mana Cost: The Shivan Phoenix demands a precise mana combination to come into play, requiring three red mana. This constrains its inclusion to decks that can consistently generate enough red mana, potentially excluding it from more diverse multicolor strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including three that must be red, Shivan Phoenix is a substantial investment. When considering the aggressive strategies typically associated with red mana, there are other creatures or spells that could provide equal or greater impact on the game at a lower cost, making it a less efficient choice in some situations.
Reasons to Include Shivan Phoenix in Your Collection
Versatility: Shivan Phoenix is a resilient threat that can adapt to many red-based decks. Its ability to return to your hand from the graveyard gives it a level of survivability that can keep opponents on their toes in various game scenarios.
Combo Potential: The Phoenix’s inherent ability to rise from the ashes pairs well with sacrifice mechanics. Intelligent play can result in beneficial board states, allowing you to use Shivan Phoenix as a recurring resource for various combo strategies.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where flyers are crucial, Shivan Phoenix stands out. With its persistent presence on the board, it can contend with popular aerial threats or act as a recurring defender, making it a notable choice in metas where flying creatures dictate the tempo.
How to beat
Overcoming the resilience of the Shivan Phoenix in MTG can be a strategic puzzle due to its ability to return to the battlefield. Its return from the graveyard when a red source deals damage is a unique trait players must plan around. A key method to countering the Shivan Phoenix is to use exile effects. Cards like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares can remove the creature from the game entirely, preventing it from returning.
Another approach is to utilize cards that can control or change the battlefield conditions. Effects that prevent cards from entering from the graveyard, such as Grafdigger’s Cage, can effectively neutralize the Phoenix’s recursion capability. Similarly, leveraging instant-speed removal can catch your opponent off-guard, taking the Phoenix out before it has the chance to trigger its ability after it’s been cast.
Ultimately, while the Shivan Phoenix offers a degree of tenacity, understanding and incorporating targeted removals or graveyard interaction restrictions will enhance your chances of success against this fiery adversary.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Shivan Phoenix MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Legacy, 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 Shivan Phoenix and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Shivan Phoenix has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |