PuPu UFOPuPu UFO | Art by Racrufi

Believe it or not, the Final Fantasy set is almost here. Whether you’re going to a pre-release, a draft, buying packs, or just picking up singles, you’ll be getting tons of playable cards for Commander. Spoiler season has been headlined by some flashy rares and mythics, but today we'll be taking a look at a few great commons and uncommons that might've slipped under your radar.

My name is Tyler ‘Savesya’ Bucks, and on this edition of Bulk Up we're shining a spotlight on those cards people tend to skip over when opening a booster. With this list, I'll be highlighting new singles that can fit in a broader range of decks, or pair well with popular strategies. So, let’s not waste any more time and jump right into things!

The Best Commons and Uncommons in Final Fantasy

PuPu UFO

Kicking things off this week with not only one of the best bulk cards of the set, but also one of the worst named cards of all time. PuPu UFOPuPu UFO is a great blocker that offers up some amazing ramp capabilities in the right build. If your deck is drawing one to two additional cards each turn rotation, there's a good chance you’ll be able to throw a land down with the UFO while still hitting your land drop for the turn.

As for a deck I'd suggest you add this little Alien to, let’s pair it up with Niv-Mizzet, ParunNiv-Mizzet, Parun. Those decks are already filled with ways to draw cards, which means that from the start of the game you could be throwing down an additional land each turn rotation. Having the right lands to cast your commander is paramount in this deck, so that means you’ll be dropping that egotistical Dragon earlier than anyone is ready for.

Summon: Fenrir

Speaking of land ramp, the first Summon card we'll look at today can help with that. Summon: FenrirSummon: Fenrir is a Saga creature that fetches a basic land on its first chapter, gives a counter to a creature you cast on the second chapter, then draws you a card if you have the biggest creature on the board before sacrificing itself. If you're running a deck that's centered around creatures primarily, this might be more helpful than a normal CultivateCultivate in that deck.

Tayam, Luminous EnigmaTayam, Luminous Enigma works perfectly with these new Saga creatures. Feeding into those counter synergies as well as the fact that you can bring them back to your board if they do end up in your graveyard. I recently did an article about a Tayam deck made primarily out of bulk from Tarkir: Dragonstorm, and I definitely think you could start throwing some of these Summons in that list to power it up!

Relm's Sketching

You know what they say: if you can’t ramp lands, copy them. Relm's SketchingRelm's Sketching is a sorcery that lets you copy the best land, artifact, or even creature on the board. Four mana is a little steep for getting a copy of something, but since you can grab three different permanent types, that kind of makes up for it if you ask me. Plus, as the years go on, we've been getting more and more ways to go off with tokens. So, as we get more sets, this spell will only continue to grow in value.

A really interesting commander from last year that would work great with this new spell is Eluge, the Shoreless SeaEluge, the Shoreless Sea. Not only does it care about lands, but it can also reduce the blue mana in the casting cost of instant and sorcery spells you cast. If you can copy the best creature, artifact, or land with Relm's SketchingRelm's Sketching for only two mana, you're definitely in a good position to take that game!

Sidequest: Catch A Fish

Next up, let’s turn an enchantment into a land with Sidequest: Catch a FishSidequest: Catch a Fish. On the front side, this can help you draw a card, make you a Food token, and then flip over into a land. That's already really great, but that activated ability of the land shouldn’t be overlooked. Sacrificing an artifact, like the Food you just made, to put a +1/+1 counter on all your creatures is a really good effect to keep in your back pocket.

Alela, Artful ProvocateurAlela, Artful Provocateur is a commander that cares both about enchantments as well as artifacts, making it perfect for this Sidequest. Creating a Faerie when you cast the enchantment side, and then again when you cast the artifact you draw off the top is very nice. Once it’s flipped over to that land side, you can wait for the right moment to throw a counter on your board of flyers to help them pack even more of a punch.

Summon: G.F. Ifrit

Our next entry on this list offers both card rummaging and a little bit of ramp. Summon: G.F. IfritSummon: G.F. Ifrit is another Saga creature that gives you the ability to discard a card to draw a card for its first two chapters, and then its final two gives you a red mana on your first main phase. A card like this can help you sculpt a better hand for your late game and then gives you some additional mana to enact those plans.

Let's go back to a classic mono-red commander with Feldon of the Third PathFeldon of the Third Path. He cares about filling up the graveyard with threats to replace his wife with, so the Summon’s ability to throw cards in the bin that you can make tokens of later is a great pairing. Then it will give you some extra mana that you can use to activate that ability, helping smooth out your later turns.

Overkill

This next card might be in the running for the most aptly named spell of all time: OverkillOverkill. If you or someone you know is still a MurderMurder believer (and I know you’re out there) this is just another nail in your favorite kill spell’s coffin. Giving a creature -0/-9999 at instant speed is just a wild ability and can help get you out of some extra tricky situations. Indestructible creatures won’t stand a chance against OverkillOverkill, which is especially brutal if someone was holding up a protection spell like Boros CharmBoros Charm to protect a key piece.

If you’re looking to make your opponents' creatures die with zero toughness, then Massacre Girl, Known KillerMassacre Girl, Known Killer is the commander for you! Her decks are usually filled with all kinds of ways to lower the board's stats, drawing you a whole bunch of cards all at once. Which is great value, but sometimes you just need to clear one thing off the board. So, three mana to remove a threat, and then draw a card isn’t too bad of a combo.

Phoenix Down

One of the most important items in the Final Fantasy franchise is Phoenix DownPhoenix Down, and its ability was perfectly captured with this card. Sure, the ability to snipe a few specific creature types might come up in a game once in a while. However, the main star of the show is that recursion ability. The fact that this can sit on the battlefield gives you the opportunity to activate it when the time is right. Pair this with a commander that loves to fill your graveyard, and your deck just got all the more resilient.

Queen Kayla bin-KroogQueen Kayla bin-Kroog is a commander I’ve considered building around for a while, because it just plays so well with cards like Phoenix DownPhoenix Down. Since Queen Kayla has you discard your hand, and lets you return some of the cards you threw away to the battlefield, you can choose this new artifact to be one of them. Once it’s on your board, you can then use it to bring back something else you discarded, which helps give you even more access to the cards in your bin.

Self-Destruct

We have a new addition in the long line of FlingFling-style spells with Self-DestructSelf-Destruct. Two mana for an instant-speed way for one of your creatures to deal a killing blow to a troublesome creature or even an opponent is a great rate. The fact that it deals that damage to itself as well is where things can get tricky. Of course, if your creature’s power is lower than its toughness that's great, but if the creature you choose is indestructible you don’t have to deal with that downside.

I recently did an article covering the new card for Kuja, Genome SorcererKuja, Genome Sorcerer, which was based around Wizards and burn. If you're planning to build that deck, I think you should consider throwing Self-DestructSelf-Destruct in there. Once Kuja doubles the damage your Wizards do, this new instant could be a way to just take a player out at any point. Sure, you might lose one of your creatures in the process, but that’s a risk Kuja is willing to take.

Quina, Qu Gourmet

Token strategies are incredibly popular, especially in green, which is what makes Quina, Qu GourmetQuina, Qu Gourmet such a great Legend in the uncommon slot. Whenever you make any type of token, you will also make a 1/1 Frog. That means you can be adding more bodies to a board with other creature tokens or give a bit more punching power to a deck that only makes noncreature tokens, like Treasures, Clues, or Food.

Let’s make our own little Bloomburrow party with Quina and Chatterfang, Squirrel GeneralChatterfang, Squirrel General. With just those two out, anytime you make a token you’ll also make a Frog and a Squirrel. That turns a popular card like Tireless ProvisionerTireless Provisioner into an outlet for getting three tokens anytime a land enters your board. Just think about that interaction for every other token engine in your deck… Now that's what I call value right there!

The Wrap Up

There you have it, some of the best commons and uncommons from the new Final Fantasy set. Which were your favorites? Were there any bulk cards I missed? Let me know in the comments below! I might revisit this set with another Bulk Up in the coming weeks since the power level of these cards keep getting better and better. So, until next time, enjoy forming your team, and slaying your foes!