Chandra's Phoenix MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Phoenix
Abilities Flying,Haste
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers card advantage through repetitive board presence, demanding multiple answers from opponents.
  2. Enhances aggressive red strategies, quickening game tempo and maintaining pressure on opponents.
  3. Instant speed return adds flexibility, enabling adaptation and capitalizing on opponent missteps.

Text of card

Flying Haste (This creature can attack and as soon as it comes under your control.) Whenever an opponent is dealt damage by a red instant or sorcery spell you control or by a red planeswalker you control, return Chandra's Phoenix from your graveyard to your hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Chandra’s Phoenix offers a recurring threat that can return from the graveyard to your hand whenever a player casts a red spell. This built-in resilience means that the card can contribute to card advantage over time, as it demands multiple answers from your opponents.

Resource Acceleration: While Chandra’s Phoenix itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its synergy with red spells that often deal damage allows for aggressive strategies that put pressure on the opponent, effectively quickening the pace of your game plan.

Instant Speed: The return-to-hand ability functions at instant speed, meaning it can be triggered during your end step or your opponent’s turn after playing a red spell. This flexibility lets you adapt to the board state and can catch an unwary opponent off guard.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One potential drawback is that to trigger its recursion ability, you need to cast a red spell that causes damage, making it conditional and dependent on specific deck strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: Chandra’s Phoenix has a mana cost that includes two red mana symbols, requiring a dedicated red mana base, which might not blend well in decks running multiple colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana and a focus on aggressive play, Chandra’s Phoenix can be seen as a costly investment in decks that aim for rapid board development in the early game.


Reasons to Include Chandra’s Phoenix in Your Collection

Versatility: Chandra’s Phoenix thrives in decks that capitalize on direct damage, offering both a reliable aerial threat and a recurring creature. Its ability to return from the graveyard to your hand when you deal damage with a red spell makes it incredibly resilient.

Combo Potential: This fiery bird pairs exceptionally well with burn spells, allowing for repeated pressure on the opponent. It provides ongoing value as it complements strategies focused on spell-slinging and ensures that you maintain a board presence.

Meta-Relevance: With aggro and burn decks frequently making waves in the competitive scene, Chandra’s Phoenix can provide a constant threat that must be answered. In an environment where dealing damage quickly is key, this card can be a significant component in staying ahead of opposition decks.


How to beat

Chandra’s Phoenix is an aggressive red creature that poses a recurrent threat in Magic: The Gathering due to its ability to return from the graveyard to a player’s hand whenever a player casts a spell that deals damage to the opponents. While resilient, there are strategies to mitigate its impact in the game.

One efficient tactic to permanently remove Chandra’s Phoenix is through exile effects. Cards that exile, rather than destroy, sidestep the Phoenix’s ability to rise from the graveyard. Instant spells such as Path to Exile or Rest in Peace can offer a lasting solution by preventing it from returning to the fray. Additionally, countering the burn spells that trigger the Phoenix’s return is a sound strategy. This inhibits the loop that would otherwise allow your opponent to consistently wield the Phoenix as an unending threat. Using instant-speed removal when the Phoenix is on the stack, or utilizing graveyard hate cards to remove the graveyard as a resource, are essential methods to prevent the recurring threat of Chandra’s Phoenix from overwhelming you.

Understanding the nuances of negating Chandra’s Phoenix’s resurgence can shift the tide of the game in your favor, effectively grounding the fiery bird and curbing one of the red deck’s relentless threats.


Cards like Chandra's Phoenix

Chandra’s Phoenix holds a unique place in Magic: The Gathering’s array of creature cards with its ability to rise from the graveyard back to a player’s hand. This fiery bird can be contrasted with Rekindling Phoenix, another creature that also showcases a thematic rebirth. While Rekindling Phoenix brings itself back onto the battlefield complete with a defensive token, Chandra’s Phoenix requires direct damage to an opponent for its return, offering a more strategic layer to gameplay.

Moving on, there’s the popular card Bloodghast, which shares the Phoenix’s self-recurring ability, easily returning to the battlefield anytime a land enters under your control, providing consistent board presence. Bloodghast, unlike our focal card, doesn’t require aggressive play to return but lacks the potential for immediate impact damage upon its revival.

In the spectrum of recurring threats, Chandra’s Phoenix provides a balance of aggression and resilience, particularly fitting in decks centered around direct damage. Its aerial agility coupled with the tactical demand of damaging opponents to trigger its return makes it a card that can influence the flow of the game substantially. Its knack for returning from the grave sets an interesting dynamic compared to other self-recurring creatures in MTG.

Rekindling Phoenix - MTG Card versions
Bloodghast - MTG Card versions
Rekindling Phoenix - Rivals of Ixalan Promos (PRIX)
Bloodghast - Zendikar (ZEN)

Cards similar to Chandra's Phoenix by color, type and mana cost

Dwarven Warriors - MTG Card versions
Raging Bull - MTG Card versions
Wall of Lava - MTG Card versions
Brassclaw Orcs - MTG Card versions
Imperial Recruiter - MTG Card versions
Uthden Troll - MTG Card versions
Hobgoblin Bandit Lord - MTG Card versions
Goblin Rabblemaster - MTG Card versions
Nosy Goblin - MTG Card versions
Goblin Sky Raider - MTG Card versions
Cosmic Larva - MTG Card versions
Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - MTG Card versions
Ghost-Lit Raider - MTG Card versions
Goblin Chariot - MTG Card versions
Balduvian Barbarians - MTG Card versions
Basalt Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Orcish Artillery - MTG Card versions
Stinkdrinker Daredevil - MTG Card versions
Blind-Spot Giant - MTG Card versions
Mudbutton Torchrunner - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Warriors - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Raging Bull - Legends (LEG)
Wall of Lava - Ice Age (ICE)
Brassclaw Orcs - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Imperial Recruiter - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Uthden Troll - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Hobgoblin Bandit Lord - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
Goblin Rabblemaster - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Nosy Goblin - Onslaught (ONS)
Goblin Sky Raider - Onslaught (ONS)
Cosmic Larva - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Ghost-Lit Raider - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Goblin Chariot - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Balduvian Barbarians - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Basalt Gargoyle - Time Spiral (TSP)
Orcish Artillery - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Stinkdrinker Daredevil - Lorwyn (LRW)
Blind-Spot Giant - Lorwyn (LRW)
Mudbutton Torchrunner - Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins (DD1)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Chandra's Phoenix MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Magic 2012 Promos, 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 Chandra's Phoenix and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Chandra's Phoenix Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2011-07-14 and 2017-06-16. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 416462003normalblackSteve Argyle
22011-07-14Magic 2012 PromosPM12 126★2003normalblackSteve Argyle
32011-07-15Magic 2012M12 1262003normalblackAleksi Briclot
42013-07-19Magic 2014M14 1342003normalblackAleksi Briclot
52017-06-16Archenemy: Nicol BolasE01 442015normalblackAleksi Briclot

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Chandra's Phoenix has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

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