Magic The Gathering Steps into Final FantasyÂ
Magic The Gathering has its latest set right around the corner, and it may be one of its biggest to date. Releasing June 13th, this latest Universes Beyond set coming to Magic is introducing a massive amount of cards. Fans from both Magic and Final Fantasy can rejoice as powerful cards featuring iconic heroes from across the video game franchise’s history enter the battlefield. Now, with over 300 cards coming in the set, not counting precon decks, Commander/EDH players are going to have a great deal of legends to choose from.Â
Importantly, the set so far has a huge focus on legend creatures. As such, it may feel overwhelming trying to pick a favorite commander to build out of the host coming with the set. Luckily for you, COGconnected is here to help you pick. Below is a list of 5 new commanders coming with the Final Fantasy set. These are our top picks chosen from a combination of strength and also just downright interesting mechanics. From chocobos to Noctis, Kefka to black mages, there is a lot coming with this set. But, without further ado, here are our top picks for the top 5 Final Fantasy Commanders in Magic The Gathering.Â
5. Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian
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Kicking this list off in mono black, we have Fandaniel. From Final Fantasy XIV, Fandaniel is arriving to Magic to spread his horrific and sadistic ways. This card has a couple things going for it. Firstly, it allows for some top deck manipulation when a player casts instants or sorceries. However, that is simply its first ability. Its second ability lends to control and burn. Fandaniel forces opponents to sacrifice creatures or lose life as long as he is on the field. Importantly, this ability makes it around those pesky token decks as it forces opponents to sacrifice non-token creatures.Â
Now obviously, being in mono black, Fandaniel can bring a lot of synergy with forcing things to die. For instance, players can ping their opponents with blood artist or gain life with cards like deathgreeter. And, of course, if opponents refuse to sacrifice and take the life loss instead, black cards like exquisite blood can lend itself into giving the Fandaniel player some more advantage. Though it may not appear a powerhouse on its own, Fandaniel lends itself incredibly well to mono black synergies.Â
Building a whole engine around this card will only take a bit of brewing on your part. Build a board of death trigger creatures, protect Fandaniel, and wreak havoc on enemy board states and life totals.Â
4. Hope EstheimÂ
Our next entry in the list sees us arrive at Final Fantasy XIII’s Hope Estheim. A unique card in Azorious, Hope aims to turn your life gain into a mill win condition. Normally a Dimir archetype, Hope twists the expectation on its head, turning the white tendency to gain life into a powerful weapon. Of course, white has access to soul sisters cards allowing players to build their board and gain life off small creatures entering the battlefield. However, white can do this while also building quite a large army of tokens that continue to gain them life as they enter.Â
Furthermore, white has access to a great deal of burst life gain. For instance, cards like fumigate destroy every boards granting you life for every creature destroyed. Because Hope triggers on the end step, players can replay Hope for cheap causing the mill to happen. Additionally, the new crystal cards from the set, The Wind and Water crystal, will double the life gain and force opponents to mill more.Â
The addition of blue grants access to counter magic to protect Hope. Yet blue also grants players access to cards like Bruvac the Grandiloquent which will double the cards opponents mill. Build your board, raise your life total, and deny your enemies their decks.Â
3. Kuja, Genome SorcererÂ
The list takes us to Final Fantasy IX, as an antagonist Kuja brings Rakdos burn-spellslinger to the battlefield. A transforming commander card, Kuja’s objective is to fill the board with his black wizard minions and other cards that will boost damage from playing non-creature spells. Of course, having Kuja on the board and controlling enough wizards to flip him is key. Once he flips your wizards will be doing double damage. The plan with Kuja is to build a board of wizards and enchantments that deal damage for playing instants and sorceries or that tap for damage. For instance, Fiery Inscription and Coruscation Mage are great examples of pinging cards that are even scarier when paired with Kuja and his black wizards.Â
However, the access to red also gives players access to damage doubling cards. Cards like Fiery Emancipation, City on Fire, and Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might, all increase the amount of damage your spells and wizards will be dealing. At the same time, access to black gives players the option to drain life from their opponents and give it back to themselves, ensuring you stay up on your dwindling opponents.Â
Build your board of wizards, sling some spells, flip Kuja, defy fate itself, and burn your foes to the ground.Â
2. Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIERÂ
No Final Fantasy list would be complete without the main antagonist of VII, Sephiroth. Perhaps a card every reader saw coming, Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER takes the list back to mono black. However, this time, every creature dying furthers the game plan. Even your own. Not only does he come down and replace himself by allowing you to sacrifice a creature to draw a card, he can do this whenever he attacks. His first ability allows aristocrat decks to keep up card advantage, while his second ability comes ready to drain with blood artist text.Â
However, all of these dying creatures add up. If that ability resolves four times, Sephiroth becomes the One Winged Angel, giving you an emblem with a blood artist ability. Of course, forcing players to sacrifice their creatures, adding your own sacrifice outlets, and mana generation will help Sephiroth overpower your opponents. Additionally, his threat of an emblem may offer him base protection as its unlikely your opponents will want to risk having him return, threatening another emblem.Â
Build a board of a cannon fodder, force your opponents creatures to the grave, draw cards, and transform Sephiroth to drain your opponents out. This card is ridiculously strong in the right shell, and easily makes number 2 on the list.Â
1. Vivi OrnitierÂ
This should come as no surprise to anyone keeping up with this set or Magic The Gathering in general. Final Fantasy IX gives us our number 1 spot on this list with the Izzet spell-slinger: Vivi Ornitier. On paper, this card is insane. Mana generation for free, it burns your opponents, and it gets big. Vivi is a versatile card whose whole purpose is to cast cheap spells early game to grow the card as large as possible. Once Vivi is massive, players can use his 0 cost mana ability to generate an oppressive amount of red or blue mana, opening the board up to some truly insane spells.Â
Of course, the most obvious combination with Vivi is a storm deck. Infamous by itself for being a very strong archetype in Magic The Gathering, Vivi enables storm decks to pop off even more. Gaining a mass number of counters, and burning opponents is the first thing that happens when the Vivi player storms off. Then it isn’t over because they use his mana to keep the onslaught going.Â
Overall, Vivi spellslinging offers so much momentum and from a very early three-drop position. The gameplan is simple: play double creature effects, play non-creature spells, storm off, go infinite, destroy your opponents. Vivi easily and securely lands at the number one spot on this list.Â
Conclusion…
Well there you have it. Five of COGconnected’s top Final Fantasy commanders for Magic The Gathering. Obviously there was so many that could have gone on this list. Who would you put in your top five? Who would you like to see come with the set? Be sure to tell us all about your experiences with the upcoming pre-release of the set. Also, share some of your favorite things that happen when using these cards, or maybe any combos you discover for yourself.