Pojo's Magic The Gathering news, tips, strategies and more!

Pojo's MTG
MTG Home
Message Board
News & Archives
Deck Garage
BMoor Dolf BeJoSe

Columnists
Paul's Perspective
Jeff Zandi
DeQuan Watson
Jordon Kronick
IQ
Aburame Shino
Rare Hunter
Tim Stoltzfus
WiCkEd
Judge Bill's Corner


Trading Card
Game

Card of the Day
Guide for Newbies
Decks to Beat
Featured Articles
Peasant Magic
Fan Tips
Tourney Reports


Other
Color Chart
Book Reviews
Online Play
MTG Links
Staff



This Space
For Rent

Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day

Daily Since November 2001!

Phenax, God of Deception
Image from Wizards.com

Phenax, God of Deception
- Born of the Gods

Reviewed February 17, 2014

Constructed: 3.13
Casual: 4.33
Limited: 4.17
Multiplayer: 3.33

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale:
1 being the worst.  3 - average.  5 is the highest rating

Click here to see all of our 
Card of the Day Reviews 


David Fanany

Player since 1995

Phenax, God of Deception

I'm not certain why the blue/black god has Mercury-style wings on his helmet. Seriously, what does it represent in his case? Deception in the sense of tricking you into thinking he's someone else or appropriating another god's symbols? How fast a deck full of walls and other defensive cards can run down someone's library? The speed with which people will target him with Revoke Existence? How fast an entire multiplayer table will turn on you once they realize that you can to use him to remove four people's libraries from relevance?

Constructed: 2/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 3/5
Multiplayer: 3/5

Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno

Today's card of the day is Phenax, God of Deception which is a five mana Blue and Black Indestructible enchantment that becomes a 4/7 with Devotion seven to Blue/Black and gives creatures you control the ability to tap to mill a library of cards equal to their toughness. A deck with high toughness cards, particularly Wall of Frost for the double mana symbol and stalling efficiency, can hold the line until Phenax enters play and very quickly mill a deck down. While turning into a creature is a drawback by making it vulnerable to non-destruction creature removal the additional seven cards it can mill is a major benefit. Even using the mill on yourself to fill the graveyard is viable for some decks and overall the raw power of this card makes mill a serious threat to current formats.

In Limited the typical deck is forty cards and with a few high toughness creatures to support Phenax he can easily dominate a tournament. An easy first pick in Booster and top choice in Sealed that works best with strong defensive support, but is still a threat by itself once Devotion kicks in.

Constructed: 4.5
Casual: 5.0
Limited: 4.5
Multiplayer: 4.0


Skid Rambo

Phenax, God of Deception is just what Mil decks needed right now. I’m am kind of sad that they made the mana cost 5, because that actually slows down Standard Mil. Traumatize and Consuming Aberration are both 5 mana a piece. Can you imagine using Traumatize and Consuming Aberration with Phenax, God of Deception? That would be freaking brutal. Even cards like Wall of Frost and Nighthowler can become milling monsters with Phenax, God of Deception. My only problem with this god, is that it almost forces you to play Mil. If I end up Drafting Born of Gods this Friday, I hope to get Phenax, God of Deception. He would be very nasty in a Draft! Casual players have soooo many options with Phenax, God of Deception that he could easily become the most popular kitchen table god ever!

Constructed: 3
Casual: 5
Limited: 5
Multiplayer: 3


Copyright© 1998-2014 pojo.com
This site is not sponsored, endorsed, or otherwise affiliated with any of the companies or products featured on this site. This is not an Official Site.