izzet phoenix modern

Izzet Phoenix: A Modern Magic Staple

Izzet Phoenix is a prominent archetype in the Modern format of the card game Magic: The Gathering. This deck revolves around filling the graveyard with instants and sorceries to repeatedly cast Arclight Phoenix from your hand and leverage powerful spells like Faithless Looting and Consider for card selection and graveyard setup. It aims for explosive turns culminating in overwhelming the opponent with flying threats and burn spells.

The Core Strategy of Izzet Phoenix

The primary goal of Izzet Phoenix is to assemble a critical mass of instants and sorceries in your graveyard. This is typically achieved through efficient cantrips like Serum Visions and Consider. These spells allow you to filter through your deck, discarding excess lands or creatures while filling your graveyard with the fuel needed to trigger Arclight Phoenix’s ability. Faithless Looting is particularly strong, providing both card draw and a discard outlet. Once you have enough spells in your graveyard, you can cast a flurry of cheap spells in a single turn to bring multiple Arclight Phoenixes into play, applying significant pressure to your opponent.

Key Cards and Synergies

Several cards are essential to the success of Izzet Phoenix:

• Arclight Phoenix: The namesake of the deck, this creature is a recurring threat that can return from the graveyard when you cast three or more instants and sorceries in a turn.
• Faithless Looting: A versatile spell that provides card draw and a discard outlet, enabling you to fill your graveyard with Arclight Phoenixes and other useful cards.
• Consider: An efficient cantrip that provides card selection and fills the graveyard.
• Manamorphose: A “free” spell that replaces itself while contributing to the spell count needed to bring back Arclight Phoenix.
• Lightning Bolt: A powerful removal and burn spell that can clear blockers or close out games.

These cards work together to create a synergistic engine that allows the deck to generate explosive turns and overwhelm opponents. You can learn more about the Modern format on Wikipedia.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• Resilience: Arclight Phoenix’s ability to return from the graveyard makes the deck resilient to removal spells.
• Explosive potential: The deck can generate explosive turns that quickly close out games.
• Card selection: Efficient cantrips allow the deck to find the cards it needs.

Weaknesses

• Vulnerable to graveyard hate: Cards that exile or restrict graveyard usage can severely hinder the deck.
• Inconsistent draws: The deck can sometimes suffer from inconsistent draws, especially in the early game.
• Susceptible to countermagic: Counterspells can disrupt the deck’s explosive turns.

Common Sideboard Options

Izzet Phoenix decks often include the following cards in their sideboard to address specific matchups:

• Shattering Spree: Effective against artifact-heavy decks.
• Alpine Moon: Shuts down problematic lands like Urza’s Tower and Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle.
• Flusterstorm: Protects key spells from countermagic and disrupts opposing combo decks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Izzet Phoenix a good deck in Modern?

Its resilience to removal, explosive potential, and efficient card selection contribute to its strength in the Modern format.

How does graveyard hate affect Izzet Phoenix?

Graveyard hate cards, which exile or restrict graveyard usage, can significantly disrupt the deck’s ability to function by preventing Arclight Phoenix from returning to the battlefield.

What are some tips for playing against Izzet Phoenix?

Utilize graveyard hate, counter key spells, and apply early pressure to disrupt the deck’s game plan.

What is the ideal opening hand for Izzet Phoenix?

An ideal opening hand typically includes a land, a cantrip like Serum Visions or Consider, and a discard outlet like Faithless Looting.

Is Izzet Phoenix an expensive deck to build?

The cost of building Izzet Phoenix can vary, but it generally requires a significant investment due to the price of key cards like Arclight Phoenix and fetch lands.

Summary

Izzet Phoenix remains a powerful and popular choice in Modern Magic. Its unique blend of graveyard synergies, explosive potential, and resilience makes it a force to be reckoned with. While it has weaknesses, a skilled pilot can navigate these challenges and pilot the deck to victory.