Firewing Phoenix MTG Card

Magic 2013 (M13)
2012-07-13 - Number 131

Firewing Phoenix - Ultimate Masters (UMA)

Ultimate Masters (UMA)
2018-12-07 - Number 130

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Phoenix
Abilities	Flying
Power	4
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

Provides repeating card advantage through graveyard-to-hand recursion, enhancing battlefield presence.
Enables strategic plays with its reanimation, boosting resource acceleration and strategic depth.
Its recursion ability at player’s discretion allows mana to remain open for immediate interactions.

Text of card

Flying : Return Firewing Phoenix from your graveyard to your hand.

"When a phoenix nests in a volcano, we rejoice, for it means a hundred years of war." —Golmak, Keldon warlord

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Firewing Phoenix offers a unique form of recurrent card advantage. By returning it from your graveyard to your hand, you can continue to apply pressure on the battlefield without losing momentum.

Resource Acceleration: As a four mana creature with the potential to return from the graveyard, this phoenix can add strategic depth to decks focusing on resource acceleration. Playing this phoenix repeatedly can indirectly ramp up your resources by demanding answers from your opponent.

Instant Speed: While Firewing Phoenix itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, the flexibility of its reanimation ability allows you to wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to bring it back to your hand, keeping your mana available for other instant-speed interactions during your opponent’s turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Even though Firewing Phoenix provides recursion, getting it back into your hand at its return cost from the graveyard requires you to discard a card. This condition can become a setback, particularly when you’re already struggling to maintain card advantage over your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that demands three specific red mana, Firewing Phoenix may be challenging to play in multicolored decks. This restriction can hinder your strategy and limit the card to primarily mono-red builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment to cast and recur Firewing Phoenix is notably steep. At a total of four mana for the initial cast plus another four to return it from the graveyard to your hand, it can be argued that there are other creatures or effects available that may provide a more cost-effective impact on the game.

Reasons to Include Firewing Phoenix in Your Collection

Versatility: Firewing Phoenix offers a flexible role within numerous deck archetypes owing to its recursive nature. The ability to return from the graveyard to your hand by merely paying mana gives it a persistent presence in games, particularly in decks designed around themes of resilience and endurance.

Combo Potential: With the phoenix’s reincarnation-like feature, it becomes a prime candidate for strategies focused on sacrificing creatures for value. You can repeatedly leverage it for various effects, from pumping up creatures like ‘Falkenrath Aristocrat’ to fuelling graveyard-based synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where removal spells are prevalent, Firewing Phoenix shines by providing a recurring threat. Its perpetual threat can pressure control decks by demanding multiple answers and can pivot roles easily, adapting to the ever-shifting landscape of gameplay.

How to beat

The Firewing Phoenix presents unique challenges on the battlefield, with its ability to rise from the graveyard and return to the fray. Defeating this resilient creature requires strategic foresight. Graveyard disruption is a key tactic, utilizing cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void to ensure that once the Phoenix is down, it stays down. Instant-speed removal spells that exile, such as Path to Exile or Magma Spray, can also be crucial, as they prevent the Phoenix from triggering its recurring ability and maintain control over the board state.

Another strategy is to mitigate the Phoenix’s impact by limiting its opportunities for combat. Ensnaring spells like Pacifism or arrest effects such as Lignify can neutralize the Phoenix without sending it to the graveyard, bypassing its regeneration capabilities altogether. As a proactive measure, employing counterspells such as Counterspell or Negate when the Phoenix is cast initially can be particularly effective, stopping the fiery bird before it even takes flight. Lastly, maintaining pressure with a quicker pace, overwhelming with aggressive creatures, or setting up a lock on the game can lead to victory before the Phoenix’s abilities become relevant.

In essence, handling the Firewing Phoenix demands careful planning and the right suite of cards. A multi-angled approach can ensure that this immortal avian becomes a minor threat rather than a recurring nightmare in your matches.

Cards like Firewing Phoenix

Firewing Phoenix is a unique creature in the world of Magic: The Gathering, offering a blend of persistence and power. It bears a resemblance to other phoenix cards such as Chandra’s Phoenix, which also returns from the graveyard to your hand. Chandra’s Phoenix, however, requires you to cast a red spell to trigger its return, making it dependent on your spellcasting.

In addition, the iconic Rekindling Phoenix shares thematic similarities, providing a recursive threat that can be difficult for opponents to permanently remove. Rekindling Phoenix introduces an elemental token that can bring the fiery bird back to life, adding another layer of complexity and resilience. Firewing Phoenix is straightforward in its return condition, requiring a simple mana investment, potentially making it a reliable option for decks looking to recycle threats.

Assessing these cards next to Firewing Phoenix, one can appreciate its directness and ease of use. Within this thematic space of phoenix creatures and recurring threats, Firewing Phoenix is especially straightforward compared to its counterparts, offering a clear advantage for players who value simplicity and the strategic option to maintain a board presence.

Cards similar to Firewing Phoenix by color, type and mana cost

Krark-Clan Engineers - MTG Card versions

Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Firewing Phoenix MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2013 and Ultimate Masters, 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 Firewing Phoenix and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Firewing Phoenix Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2012-07-13 and 2018-12-07. Illustrated by James Paick.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2012-07-13	Magic 2013	M13		131	2003	Normal	Black	James Paick
2	2018-12-07	Ultimate Masters	UMA		130	2015	Normal	Black	James Paick

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Firewing Phoenix has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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