Chandra's Phoenix is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Flying Haste (This creature can attack andas 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 this card from your graveyard to your hand.
Complete guide
Chandra's Phoenix is a resilient threat that perfectly embodies the recursive nature of red's most iconic bird. This creature ensures that as long as you are slinging spells or commanding planeswalkers, your board presence remains difficult for your opponent to permanently suppress.
What It Does
Chandra's Phoenix is a 2/2 creature with Flying and Haste, meaning it can pressure your opponent the moment it hits the battlefield. Its most important feature is its triggered ability: if it is in your graveyard and an opponent takes damage from a red instant, sorcery, or planeswalker you control, the Phoenix returns to your hand.
How It Resolves Step by Step
First, the Phoenix must already be in the graveyard for the ability to trigger. When a qualifying red source deals damage to an opponent, the ability is placed on the stack. Once that ability resolves, the card moves from the graveyard to your hand. Note that this triggers regardless of whether the damage is combat damage from a planeswalker or effect damage from a spell.
Common Mistakes
A common error is trying to return the Phoenix when it is killed by a red spell; the card must already be in the graveyard when the damage is dealt to trigger. Additionally, damage dealt to creatures or planeswalkers an opponent controls does not trigger this ability; it must be damage dealt specifically to the player (the opponent).
When to Play It
This card is best utilized in aggressive 'burn' decks where you frequently cast spells like lightning bolts or activate planeswalker abilities. It serves as a persistent attacker that punishes opponents for using their removal spells on it, as you can easily get it back.
Interaction examples
Roaming ThroneIf you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Phoenix' chosen as the creature type, Chandra's Phoenix's graveyard ability will trigger an additional time. While the first trigger will return the card to your hand, the second trigger will resolve but find the card is no longer in the graveyard, effectively doing nothing extra.
Solemn SimulacrumIf your Chandra's Phoenix is blocked and killed by a Solemn Simulacrum, it goes to the graveyard. If you later cast a red sorcery that deals damage to your opponent, the Phoenix will see that damage from the graveyard and return to your hand, ready to be cast again.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Chandra's Phoenix
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
No additional ruling has been published for this card.
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Chandra's Phoenix
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.