We Need To Talk About Izzet Phoenix - MTG Modern Deck Tech, Discussion and Gameplay

[@mx.woofers]

This Tuesday on: Modern Horizons Thalia finds herself caught in a love triangle with ravegors of fetchlands: the birdy boi Aven Mindcensor and our Lord and Savior, Cat Jesus, also known as Leonin Arbiter. But who will make the cut by the next GP - m a g i c f e s t? Next week on: M O D E R N H O R I Z O N S

[@jacobclements3652]

Pleasant Kenobi you complain that modern is too fast and should be a turn 4 format but it is actually a turn 5 format. 1. Their first turn 2. Your first turn 3. Their second turn 4. Your second turn 5. Their third turn they win See turn 5 format

[@Fyrwulf]

That's not how turns are counted. Turn 1 isn't over until both players have had their first turn, etc.

[@marcferguson3325]

@@Fyrwulf That's the joke

[@MrBubblegumx]

@@Fyrwulf wooosh

[@mikekenny1698]

Modern isn't even a turn 4 format anymore, its a turn 3 format

[@TheREALTheRealAdam]

Wanna hear a joke? That's how we count turns in Yugioh, and games that last until "turn 5" are considered slow (overwhelming majority end by turn 4, usually 2 or 3).

[@scybertoast]

Love your videos! Awesome surprise today, have a great weekend Kenobi

[@zachgeraets910]

Tip with the deck! Faithless Looting is like Brainstorm in this deck, it is almost never correct to play it on turn 1. The only cards you really want to discard is Phoenix. So you typically want to lead on your other cantrips and end with FL so you maximize your looks for Phoenix. Love watching you play Vince!

[@bullywag]

I also love how Channel Fireball don't curb your socially unacceptable ways..kudos to them!

[@fletchersouza8734]

Came for the MTG content stayed for Sir David Attenborough.

[@hex7587]

I love the desperate ravings on your head

[@colinmiller513]

I don't know if you're still reading your video comments two days after you post, but I dug the hell out of that informational interlude. Thing and delver trivia was smashing.

[@PleasantKenobi]

I read every comment I get, and respond to unique ones or ones that I feel like need a response. Thank you, it's sick to hear people enjoying the "weirder" bits. :)

[@MtgGalaxy]

FYI something cool you can do against tron is milling them for two via thought scour, hoping to hit a tron piece and then surgical it

[@FirstLast-wi3jx]

11:13 you should have thought scoured the opponent because then if you hit a tron piece, you can surgical it and permanently put the opp off of tron

[@TheBlitzgundam]

Lol I love the humor, bro!! You deserve more subs and views. You are one of my fav content creators. 😃

[@craiggentile313]

I’m by no means a pro and make plenty of mistakes myself but generally with Phoenix it’s best to hold on to faithless lootings instead of just firing them off turn one for no value. Basically just save them for when you know you’ll pitch a bird or in desperate situations like a mull where you need to look for a second land drop. Keep up the awesome videos! You inspire me to post my horrible game play as well and not care XD

[@frankied.2828]

Oh God! Thank you for pointing our those references for me in the interlude. I looove those movies!

[@benlittle5543]

I am suprized and glad channel fireball still let's you upload these dirty-mouth videos. Damn right about the negative KZbin commentary. Constructive criticism is the more appropriate. Thanks for all you do

[@diamonddudeygo]

Man, gut shot is a really sweet sideboard option in Pauper to beat Delver, don't speak ill of it!

[@PalPlays]

I prefer my all-star hit, Penumbra Spider.

[@InsectOverlord551]

Vince you crack me the fuck up mate. That "impromptu raid from my belly" had me in stitches. Never stop being you.

[@zacharydunn2222]

Your content is extremely entertaining. There are a lot of mistakes made, but there is good commentary and acknowledge of stuff that could’ve been different.

[@zacharydunn2222]

11:00 you always want to maximize the number of cards drawn until you cast looting. That way you give yourself more looks to pitch arclight instead of immediately casting looting and haveing card disadvantage

[@sgtflintlock6904]

gotta say vince, that Sir David Attenborough intro made this my favorite MTG themed youtube video in recent memory.

[@jonathanperigo6853]

I think this style of video is my favorite from you. Keep up the great content, I love it!!

[@yuven437]

great stuff as usual! as for gameplay tips: in your match 1, you should have lead with thought scour, and hold your FLs longer. If you have other spells to cast, you should wait until the turn you try to release your load unto the board.

[@gjones9356]

Great video Vince! Keep up the incredibly entertaining work!

[@Insanonaga]

Something fun about the legacy version of this. If you go grixis, wait until turn 2 to thoughtseize if you can. If you do, you can thoughtseize them, then as they resolve their brainstorm and you your thoughtseize, you can follow up with a thought scour to get rid of any nastiness they were saving up. Dangerous against things like reanimator to be sure, but definitely a fun idea.

[@Camozuk]

Another instant classic PK ! Great work!

[@freedomforall1712]

Vince, Vince I have always liked the Thing by John Carpenter and honestly I have been suscribed to you for a while. The Round 3 with the movie clip opening is probably whats going to make me a patreon supporter.

[@PilotSun-rg9bh]

Awesome video so funny! Thank you PK!

[@DerringerHK]

This was really entertaining Vince :)

[@bunglejoey]

Please. More like this. Every bit of this had me shitting my knickers.

[@daemonslayer59able]

Great video as always mate.

[@ashadeofnight]

Yes Vince, standing up the negative people! It wasn't even constructive criticism. Enjoyed this vid. I'm v glad looting didn't get banned. It's essential to at least 3 decks and it's very possible to beat those decks.

[@OrdMandrell1]

Awesome vid. Moooooaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr of this!!!!!!

[@PrisOwner16]

Great, now I have Peter from Family Guy singing Bird Is the Word stuck in my head. Why, Vince? WHY??

[@warldworZ]

Always chuckle at the "OOF!" sound when PK hits face.

[@thiagomandarin9088]

This has to be the BEST magic channel of all f youtube.

[@bullywag]

Love you dude, keep up the good work

[@Napoleon1805]

Really enjoyed the video! I love the I-just-snorted-a-line-of-Adderall pace and your humor!

[@jaredreeks7798]

Nice to see you as a happy chappy vince, reminds me of pre tilt vince videos! Lol

[@zacharydunn2222]

I’d definitely cycle manamorphose sooner. It’s really not that hard to get three spells and there’s huge upside to keep on cycling through deck in order to find the key cards. Keeping manamorphose is not utilizing its full value as it is acting as a dead card not doing anything until you cycle Phoenix

[@path6733]

love your slow plays and meme vids keep it up vince

[@jcm9097]

18:00 that is the best simile I’ve heard in my entire life.

[@123mickymouse123]

I'm just happy I predicted this card correctly. Didn't pick it up when it was 3€ a piece, but 7 was still good.

[@absolutfx]

No one cares Trevor.

[@creakyasp1023]

Great video:) So 4 color prison has a great match up against the bird so you should get your prison on and have fun not letting others play magic.

[@phillipmele8533]

Slight historical note, the original short story both The Thing and The Thing In The Ice are based on is called “Who Goes There”, and it’s well worth reading/watching all three to compare the differences between them.

[@PleasantKenobi]

It's actually a Novella. Get on my level.

[@phillipmele8533]

PleasantKenobi :O

[@BoosterTherapy]

You sir are fantastic. Just subbed!

[@augustuspaluzzi5932]

Just give us containment priest

[@MarkChalice]

One pointer -- on turn 1 with this deck it is often better to fetch then serum visions. (I noticed some hands where you started keeping a fetch in hand for later and using a non fetch.) Also, red mana plus looting in opening hand in no way means it's a good hand - dredge that is usually true of, but not izzet phoenix. Great video, love the energy and care you put into it.

[@MrTzoulhs]

If you have cantrip + looting, you don't usually loot on t1, unless if it's to dump birds or look for lands. You may not even have to play a spell on T1, because Morphose + looting on T2 is at least one phoenix on board.

[@doctordoctor7469]

Everyone makes play mistakes. I like your new videos. The humor is much better now that the potty humor has been cut. I laughed at the ominous horn when the opponent assembled tron. That's how it feels.

[@guim3419]

With Tron you should consider scouring Op if you have surgical

[@PleasantKenobi]

Huh... that is a really cool line I have never considered before...

[@TheRealHanzan]

Funny how that sketch in the office was to me "who were those two?" When gheu asked who vince was

[@TheSLATEcleaner]

Man, this format makes me miss Eldrazi Winter.

[@Dara-us2rk]

In my experience playing the deck, I think you want to hold your lootings until you can get value on them. I usually like playing my blue cantrips first to gain more information about what to pitch with looting and it also allows you to gain information at instant speed with cantrips to know what you are looking for. For example in the dark you might turn 1 looting and discard a bolt that might have been good in the match up. I think in the game 1 against tron this was especially relevant when when you had a surgical in hand and could have thought scoured at their end step. Putting them on tron, I would have thought scoured them in Hope's of surgicalling their tron lands. If they weren't tron, this play has upside because you would replace the thought scour for more information about what to pitch to looting and have a little more information about what they are playing

[@Dara-us2rk]

I do however think there are situations in which you want to cast a looting on turn one. For example I think it was correct for you to do so against bogles to find a land drop like you did.

[@darylchiu9030]

Izzet Charm is Faithless Looting 5-8. You know, in case, one set of Faithless Lootings isn't enough. :v

[@Winterhe4rt]

11:03 - The answer to what you discard here is: you should Thoughscour here and not faithless at all. If you already have a looting in Hand you want to Play your other cantrips first to draw into the birds and not just fire away the looting for 0 value turn 1.

[@Leelee-Brown]

what the fuck I just noticed I hadn't subscribed yet, so yeah, I went and did that. Love you vince

[@PleasantKenobi]

It's about time Leanne!

[@mosspage9360]

dont take the hate to heart you are a great youtuber I love all your jokes and memes keep up the good work just keep on keeping on the haters are wrong

[@op1ekun81]

I had a good laugh VInce, thanks! :D

[@isaiahgibbs9336]

as of 3/23/2020 they are 4.51 online and 6.83 paper

[@jshepper1]

in the first game of the tron match. you could have thought scoured the opp and maybe could have sniped a tron land with surgical

[@themearkat]

11:20 I would have just thought scoured. Phoenix plays in waves. Cantrip to set up your plays. Like flipping titi into bringing back 1-2 birds is the goal.

[@philippwo8]

What is the song at 1:15?

[@_briangomes]

Hope to see you in Niagra Vince, keep up the great work.

[@SkilledPepper]

Where's the sound at 1:15 from? @PleasantKenobi

[@Holdontohappiness]

I thought thing in the ice was a reference to at the mountains of madness by lovecraft?

[@edwardswain]

Man you are pushing that “soap opera” thing aren’t you. Bet it took you ages to put the theme tune footage together and you were like “I’m damned if I’m not gonna get use out of this”. Still love you.

[@RyuPlaneswalker]

So am I insane for thinking that Snapcaster Mage would be generally better than Crackling Drake in this deck? It would have some synergy with Thing in the Ice and Drake just sorta looked Meh whenever it landed.

[@Mcampbell1297]

I'm sorry if I'm completely blind but why did we conceed at 17:05? We're at 9 with lethal on board and our opponent is at 1 with a boggle 2 shocks and a fetch they can't use. They play a rancor on their boggle making it have 3 power. Now no matter what they do next we can crack our fetch and counter whatever spell they play next with pierce, and they can't follow it up cuz no Mana and we can't die because 3

[@PleasantKenobi]

We lose game 1, with no Titi on board. We win game two and three. We didn't scoop whilst ahead or even on parity, we won

[@Mcampbell1297]

@@PleasantKenobi Oh your opponent scoops ok I thought you scooped my bad thanks for enlightening me

[@mails65]

BIG MANA BOI! Nice little break the comment on the movie references of the cards of Innistrad. Thanx for the entertainment sir!

[@MrPatwag]

holy shit im reading Franz Kafka's work right now and am up to Metamorphosis

[@karstenneal1237]

I heard that u want to cast looting after other one mans draw spells so u have more chances to find Phoenix and then discard it

[@benlittle5543]

I fucking love The Smiths. Nice shirt

[@HazelWithHorns]

wow i caught a video before it was 3 months old

[@PhyrexianMetal]

you shouldn't faithless unless you know it'll do something or to try and find what you need to return/flip

[@MaeseEidos]

I remember when I saw them at 2'50€ the piece in MKM, and though "I like those kind of spell slinger decks, but with Gitaxian Probe banned, there's NO WAY that card is good enough for modern". I said that out loud. Oh well, can be right always!

[@calvingoddard206]

I'm going to try ash zealot

[@Flippyfloppy007]

Hey that’s the jumbo commander music!

[@PleasantKenobi]

Which bit? I guess we use the same copyright free music resources.

[@Flippyfloppy007]

@@PleasantKenobi The music from 0:28 is what Jumbo Commander uses in most of his vids. It's a good song! But for me (and maybe others) it's become synonymous with that channel

[@pallingtontheshrike6374]

yeah phyrexian mana needs to be reworked, whether it be 2 poison counters to self instead or discard a card of the mana's color or a land that produces that color actually if phyrexian required you to discard a land that produces the color that would be interesting

[@jasonbarry3301]

Don’t worry PastKenobi, they reprint manamorphose eventually.

[@cartooncolee]

The original The Thing is one of the best movies around.

[@PleasantKenobi]

You mean the 80s one?

[@ChrisJGunter]

Nice vid, daddy. Now, this is why I run "suffer the past". Makes me laugh. Black burn with "Dash hopes" and "temporal extortion". I realize there is a choice; but, it can only be a choice for so long... :)

[@michielhoeree7604]

What is that tron art? Is it mtgo only?

[@PleasantKenobi]

Yep

[@f2v2productions22]

I miss this deck... :(

[@omgthisisbad13]

Is stoneforge mystic still too strong for modern?

[@PalPlays]

Not anymore lol.

[@aidanreilly8337]

No offense Ben but I watch you becuase you make amazing content. Nobody plays my legacy deck ever so I love your content becuase you are not scared at all the try something crazy. If you’re ever intrested in a sweet deck I got 64th at Syracuse SCG. I tax everything everyone plays but with no Thalia 😉

[@PleasantKenobi]

My name isn't Ben.

[@aidanreilly8337]

PleasantKenobi oops autocorrect doesn’t like Kenobi apparently 😂

[@MrTandtrollet]

Agree that Thing is the best card in the deck, it just win any game again other creature decks. Cause when has a Phoenix player not had a turn 3 flipped TiTi????

[@skweekrztheclown]

Yass more legacy!!

[@coltinyancey3671]

Lol

[@ddublu397]

the zelda tune in the background messes with me. I used it as my ringtone.

[@SupremeVerdict]

First time watching your videos. Wow. Proper good. Actually makes me consider playing modern. Do you also make standard content? Would watch that too. Keep it up :)

[@SpawnofHastur]

I did actually pick up my Arclights for $6 each - I have the order history from Card Kingdom to prove it, even. But I had no idea it was going to be as bonkers as it was, I just watched HolyDiva messing with Mono Red Phoenix and went "ahaha, this seems dumb" and bought into it.

[@RecklessFables]

Faithless Looting is fine!

[@maleficium20202]

Damn it, Vince! In just about 2 seconds you made me wanna watch X-Files again. Now I have to go ahead and buy the whole show. As it is obviously your fault... splitsies??? I'll watch and then send them to you. You can keep 'em afterwards! Is that a good deal or what?

[@stormchaser9738]

This makes my elves deck so sad...

[@richardadams7667]

I understand it probably takes a lot more effort, but I prefer your more memey decks (bees and red tron) and your death and taxes. This is probably a pleasant change to you but gimme the memés!!! Also I recently got into tron, and love seeing a natty tron ;)

[@PleasantKenobi]

I alternate between memes, rogue decks and top tier stuff. Keeps it fresh.

[@richardadams7667]

@@PleasantKenobi thanks for the great content

[@BrainlessEd]

What's the card in Vince's tinfoil hat? I can't make it out

[@PleasantKenobi]

Desperate Ravings

[@The_CGA]

Mayyyyybe getting a little rich on the F bombs but Happy to see a league video like this, just getting to the point where the wife is giving me a hard time about watch/listening while cooking for the toddler.... I definitely empathize with what you're going through tilt-wise dude, soldier on.

[@rushxanthemtcg5607]

Maybe get the fuck over it

[@he8mybbybakribs407]

*obligatory unban stoneforge song* ...... Also, how do those TTs feel in your hand?

[@JustReeshard]

i just dont think looting needs a ban it enables soooo many strats seems like the problem is arclight

[@PleasantKenobi]

Until the next graveyard based card comes along?

[@PalPlays]

@@PleasantKenobi Yeah but U/R Phoenix is the problem, not Pyromancer, Hollow One, or Dredge (it can actually be sideboarded against). Ban Gut Shot and Surgical. Then they need Mutagenic as their free spell, meaning that on an empty board they get nothing out of it.

[@ErroneousClique]

Got my playset of Phoenix on pre-order for like $12...

[@mx.woofers]

PTERAMANDER SAID TRANS RIGHTS

[@mannyvalero3250]

Grand Architect deck please make one there are a few brews running lodestone golems even white splashes running thalia w/ stormtamers and judg's familiar Since this won't be seen in the comments - IZZET PHOENIX NEEDS TO DIE

[@PleasantKenobi]

Why won't your comment be seen?

[@mannyvalero3250]

@@PleasantKenobi Since you're a BIG DEAL im honestly star struck right now I got a reply. x_x So lodestone beatdown maybe mix 2 arch a types and do Grand-Hatebears?

[@jeffmassicott7186]

Im sorry to ask because im sure you get asked a lot, but whats your stream schedule? Id love to watch

[@PleasantKenobi]

The only set day is Monday 7PM GMT - however, I think I might start announcing other times every Sunday via Twitter.