Flamewake Phoenix is going to save aggressive decks.

It’s a bold statement to make, but in my own Friday Night Magic (FNM) experience, the newest 3-mana phoenix represents a threat that has been missing from all of Standard up to this point.

To really understand how much aggressive decks have suffered in this format, it all boils down to this card:

Siege Rhino, though not totally unbeatable, has placed a stranglehold in the Standard format. It has the perfect amount of stats, abilities and mana cost to come down and stomp on decks just focused on beating down to the point that aggressive decks have all but left the format.

Sure, a deck called Abzan Aggro is the current ruler of the roost, but can we really call a deck that is looking to cast a bunch of 4-drops and a bunch set of 5-drops as a true aggressive deck?

Abzan Aggro

Lands
4 x Windswept Heath
4 x Sandsteppe Citadel
4 x Temple of Malady
2 x Temple of Silence
3 x Caves of Koilos
2 x Llanowar Wastes
2 x Forest
2 x Plains
2 x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Creatures
4 x Heir of the Wilds
4 x Fleecemane Lion
3 x Rakshasa Deathdealer
3 x Anafenza, the Foremost
1 x Herald Of Torment
4 x Siege Rhino
2 x Wingmate Roc

Noncreature Spells
4 x Thoughtseize
2 x Bile Blight
4 x Abzan Charm
2 x Hero’s Downfall
2 x Sorin, Solemn Visitor

When you get right down to it, while the Abzan Aggro decks are more aggressive when compared to their more controlling cousins, Abzan Aggro is closer to a midrange deck — a deck equipped to take on a controlling or attacking role, backed with disruption.

While Siege Rhino’s “Gain 3 life, Opponent loses 3 life” ability looks like the nail on the coffin of aggressive decks in the format, it wouldn’t be enough to stem the tide of aggression by itself. In truth, Siege Rhino decks are so good at stopping decks from rushing it down because of two things: First, Siege Rhino is a 4/5, making it effectively blank multiple cards often seen in aggro decks, namely small, aggressive creatures.

Yeah, no. I don’t think you’re getting through today, sir.

Secondly, Siege Rhino decks are focused on either getting it out earlier than expected (Sylvan Caryatid) or providing burly, early creatures ready to rumble in the red zone before the Rhino comes down to drain the last few points of life away.

So why is the Phoenix our savior in these aggro-less times?

Just look at this guy:

Flamewake Phoenix’s kit of abilities are well suited to dealing with the Standard world that Siege Rhino has created.

Being a cheap to cast, flying and hasty threat allows the Phoenix to fly over Siege Rhino and friends. This is a unique trait that Phoenix decks can take advantage against Siege Rhino decks of all flavors. In the past, red aggressive decks would invest valuable cards slots into effects that prevent blocking. This, however, significantly dilutes the deck’s ability to sustain an attack, not only in a particular game, but over a series of matches. By having to devote cards just to make sure that they can get through 4/5 blockers, the pressure of having to draw the right card at the right time is increased.

The same is not true for Flamewake Phoenix. By itself, it is already terrific at dodging most of Standard’s bruisers, meaning that you can use previous cards that would have been devoted to tricks to higher quality aggressive options.

But that’s not all the Phoenix does. Being able to return to the battlefield at a vastly reduced cost is the tipping point.

A truth about Standard in the Khans era is that most decks are equipped to pack in more removal in post-sideboard games. This is most likely the result of a bevy of important and powerful creatures running around the format. This ability makes the Phoenix also invaluable against the one control deck (and the list to receive the best upgrades in Fate Reforged) in the format, UB Control.

Because Phoenix is so good at flying over defenses and has a mechanic to return it to the battlefield for cheap, a deck built around Standard’s newest high-flyer is poised to be a big role player in the metagame.

Phoenix in two flavors

I believe there are two main ways to make an aggressive Phoenix deck handle Standard: Mardu and Red/Green

Undoubtedly, Butcher of the Horde is Flamewake Phoenix’s best friend.

Butcher and Flamewake are a great package on their own, that it’s almost unbelievable that the Phoenix is a Temur card. Being able to sacrifice a Phoenix for a bonus combat ability then returning said hasty beater in play for a single red mana thanks to Butcher’s 5-power attack is so much value.

At my own FNMs, I’ve seen players use this combination and pack it into a more traditional Mardu midrange strategy. I think we can go a bit more aggressive.

Mardu Aggro

Lands
4 x Bloodstained Mire
3 x Battlefield Forge
3 x Mana Confluence
2 x Temple of Silence
3 x Caves of Koilos
1 x Temple of Triumph
3 x Mountains
2 x Swamp
2 x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 x Nomad Outpost

Creatures
4 x Bloodsoaked Champion
4 x Tormented Hero
4 x Battle Brawler
3 x Chief of the Edge
4 x Mardu Strike Leader
4 x Flamewake Phoenix
4 x Butcher of the Horde
2 x Brutal Horde Chief
1 x Kologhan, the Storm’s Fury

Noncreature Spells
2 x Bile Blight
2 x Hero’s Downfall
2 x Sorin, Solemn Visitor

Boosting our Phoenix plan with some synergies from the Warriors tribe, we can craft game states where our early game drops take the fight to the opponent while our combination of Phoenix and Butcher can close the gap and end the game once they are able to stabilize the ground. Brutal Horde Chief is at its best in this deck as it is a must-answer creature that almost immediately wins the game when you untap with it.

The deck however does suffer from having a particularly painful mana base. Because it is base Red and Black, the mana is a bit more demanding on your life total, thanks to lands that deal damage to produce the required colors. Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth smooths a lot of the the mana requirements somewhat but the costs on your life total do add up pretty quickly.

But after trying this deck out, it doesn’t really scream “FLAMEWAKE” to me. It is still an aggressive deck, true, but one where the package of Butcher + Phoenix was implanted to give the deck some game in later turns. I wanted to go deeper.

RG Aggro Phoenix

Then it hit me: Why not go all in on the Ferocious aspect of the card? After finding Brian Kibler’s RG Aggro deck that he used in GP Denver, it struck me as the perfect home for Flamewake Phoenix. It already contained naturally ferocious creatures and an aggressive slant thanks to the Fanatics of Xenagos. The list that Kibler used in GP Denver still felt a little soft against Siege Rhino decks and control decks to me though.

I proceeded to do my own tweaks and came to this:

Lands
4 x Temple of Abandon
4 x Wooded Foothills
3 x Mana Confluence
6 x Mountain
6 x Forest

Creatures
4 x Elvish Mystic
4 x Flamewake Phoenix
4 x Fanatic of Xenagos
4 x Goblin Rabblemaster
1 x Yasova Dragonclaw
3 x Ashcloud Phoenix
3 x Shaman of the Great Hunt
4 x Heir of the Wilds
2 x Rattleclaw Mystic
4 x Stormbreath Dragon

Noncreature Spells
2 x Crater’s Claws
2 x Chandra, Pyromaster

With the mana significantly less painful in this iteration, we aren’t prone to losing outright because of our own lands to decks like Abzan Aggro. But more importantly, the deck supports a full 15 creatures able to trigger the Ferocious ability on our Phoenixes — and all of them are coming to hit you.

Being able to go Elvish Mystic turn 1 off of a Mana Confluence into an untapped red producing land on turn 2 allows us to start the aerial assault and keep pressing. To help our aggro curve, the deck features two other 3-drop beaters in the form of Goblin Rabblemaster and Fanatic of Xenagos.

For our 4-drops, Ashcloud Phoenix is a great Ferocious enabler and another heavy-hitter in the air. Shaman of the Great Hunt provides a way to recover from controlling decks, as dropping it after a board clear allows us to bring back our phoenixes from the graveyard at little to no cost. Unanswered, Shaman threatens control decks with a big card draw ability.

For all its bells and whistles, the deck is capable of just playing Stormbreath Dragon on turn 4 and winning the game that way. So much for your 4/5, thank you very much.

Of course, the list still has a problem with dealing with Hornet Queens, but they are beatable somewhat thanks to being able to recur Phoenixes. Eventually, you’ll find yourself in a position of just returning a squadron of Phoenixes turn after turn to hopefully grind away at their wall of hornets.

Conclusion

Flamewake Phoenixes represents a new angle of attack that I for one will enjoy abusing in the new Standard format. While the best list for our fiery, feathered friend may not be what I suggested above, I have no doubt that Flamewake Phoenix will prove itself a capable addition to the Standard format.

Next week, I will hopefully write more about the RG Phoenix list that is going to be my weapon of choice. See you next week!

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