Rinoa HeartillyRinoa Heartilly | Art by Francesca Resta

Hello, and welcome back to another edition of Beyond the Multiverse, where Universes Beyond cards share their time in the spotlight. But, first, I have a confession to make. When I discussed the Final Fantasy release throughout my articles, I said I was going to hold off until June, when the set releases. I already broke that word the other week when I built Celes, Rune KnightCeles, Rune Knight. That precon came with all sorts of goodies for that list, so it might be worth it to revisit. It's time for me to formally break that word, and begin in earnest. Celes being our first article (and grandfathered in) means that we get to cover more stuff, starting with Rinoa HeartillyRinoa Heartilly.

Amongst the Flowers

Side note: Yes, I had to present Rinoa with her doggo. So adorable!

Before I die of cuteness, Rinoa is from Final Fantasy VIII, and is the love interest of Squall, SeeD MercenarySquall, SeeD Mercenary the game's main protagonist. She gains the powers of a sorceress as the story progresses, however, those abilities came from the game's antagonist, Ultimecia, Time SorceressUltimecia, Time Sorceress, who used her as a puppet from time to time.

Like most uncommon commanders, Rinoa gives us a simple premise: we go wide, then we smack people like a truck. That's not a bad thing, as an old high school memory sticks out to me, saying "Less is more." Plus, beauty in simplicity, and all that. Fortunately, she gives us a head start by counting herself and Angelo, who she creates upon entry.

Loading the Cannon

It's no accident that I gravitated towards Rinoa's card, and it's not just the adorable floofer. I've got quite an extensive history with Selesnya tokens, dating all the way back to the original Commander precons. In addition, one of my favorite (in-universe) legends is Tolsimir WolfbloodTolsimir Wolfblood, who I built as a tokens deck, which was published long ago. But, I digress.

Firstly, we have access to some "armies in a can" effects. Increasing DevotionIncreasing Devotion gives us five tokens, and can be paid for with its flashback cost to double that. In a similar vein, Secure the WastesSecure the Wastes works, too, depending on how much mana you're willing to commit to the spell. Similarly, both Farmer CottonFarmer Cotton and Vrestin, Menoptra LeaderVrestin, Menoptra Leader gives us loads of tokens, but each give a different benefit.

Secondly, we have a few Tyranids that give us a nice supply. Tyranid InvasionTyranid Invasion gives us up to three tokens, but they're larger and have trample. The latter is an important point I'll return to later. Moreover, TervigonTervigon and Termagant SwarmTermagant Swarm grant us an army when they deal combat damage or die, respectively. Also, Tervigon has trample. I'm noticing a pattern here.

Lastly, Martial CoupMartial Coup wipes the board, and leaves behind an army. Entrapment ManeuverEntrapment Maneuver, if timed right, eliminates a huge attacker and gives us more tokens. Visions of GloryVisions of Glory expands our board, and the flashback cost is drastically reduced because Rinoa costs five to cast.

Protect the Flowers!

Most importantly, with any token deck, you got to protect your board so it gets through. While we lack red's ability to grant haste to our board, we make up for it in wipe protection. There's a small but solid group of such cards that can suit our purposes.

We have the classics like Heroic InterventionHeroic Intervention, which affects all of our permanents, and Unbreakable FormationUnbreakable Formation, which buffs our board if cast at the right time. Secondly, Boromir, Warden of the TowerBoromir, Warden of the Tower can be sacrificed to save our board, too, but note that people will know what you're up to. Thirdly, Galadhrim AmbushGaladhrim Ambush not only FogFogs combat, it makes us a batch of tokens as well.

That said, I've been saving the best for last. As long as we have Rinoa out, Flawless ManeuverFlawless Maneuver can be cast for free. In addition, Galadriel's DismissalGaladriel's Dismissal can also be used offensively, creating an opening for a massive attack. Finally, the newly added Clever ConcealmentClever Concealment could potentially cost nothing with enough untapped creatures. Even then, it protects everything, but it leaves you open to attack. Use this wisely.

Rinoa Heartilly Commander Deck List

The Uprising

At this point, we need to win. Firstly, we have Overwhelming StampedeOverwhelming Stampede, which takes our biggest creature's power and pumps our board by that much, with trample. However, this doesn't work with Rinoa, so be wary of that. Next, we have the new Champions from BeyondChampions from Beyond, assuming we have a critical mass of tokens. The card helps with that by bringing a team of Heroes onto the board, too. We have another one-shot effect in For the Emperor!For the Emperor!, which will give us a boatload of life as well. Great Oak GuardianGreat Oak Guardian gives a similar boost, untapping our team instead of giving vigilance.

Secondly, we have numerous anthems that help make those tokens into a threat. Ultramarines Honour GuardUltramarines Honour Guard and Securitron SquadronSecuritron Squadron, if enough mana is paid into both, grows the board into a horde of monsters. Meanwhile, Call for UnityCall for Unity grows slowly, but your opponents know it'll make you into a threat if left alone for too long. Speaking of small buffs, Intangible VirtueIntangible Virtue bestows a small pump, but it gives our tokens vigilance as well, making them useful blockers.

Lastly, do you remember earlier in the article, where I mentioned trample a couple of times? The trick is to amass a board of tokens, then have Rinoa buff a lone creature, and swing it at your opponents. Fortunately, there's a few star options here. The aforementioned TervigonTervigon is one of the best, but AberrantAberrant destroys an artifact and enchantment when it connects. Moreover, Celestine, the Living SaintCelestine, the Living Saint will gain us lots of life, meaning we can bring something big back to our board. Sergeant John BentonSergeant John Benton is another really good one; he's already got trample and haste, and draws us cards when he hits someone. Hopefully our opponents drawing cards off the trigger will buy some good karma.

Going Beyond the Universe

I know what you're thinking. "What's this?"

This is a new thing starting this article. I hear it enough whenever my articles are mentioned, or in the comments on EDHREC, but I figured it's about time I addressed in-universe cards. In these sections, I go over what in-universe cards can work in the deck, in case people wish to explore those options.

In the case of Rinoa, there's a big thing that stands out as missing in the Universes Beyond card pool: token doublers. Sure, we have Primal VigorPrimal Vigor, but that's nothing compared to Anointed ProcessionAnointed Procession/Parallel LivesParallel Lives, and Ojer Taq, Deepest FoundationOjer Taq, Deepest Foundation. The recently printed Elspeth, Storm SlayerElspeth, Storm Slayer is perhaps the best of these, considering she makes tokens that get doubled by her passive ability.

We also gain access to some of the best finishers in the game. Moonshaker CavalryMoonshaker Cavalry and the infamous Craterhoof BehemothCraterhoof Behemoth both close out games in a flash, and rightly deserve their reputation. Pathbreaker IbexPathbreaker Ibex is a good choice if you want to avoid those two.

Then there's a few really good protection spells that become available, too. If you want to take this deck into Bracket 3, Teferi's ProtectionTeferi's Protection is the best of them all. Otherwise, Grand CrescendoGrand Crescendo shields our board, then gives us tokens equal to how much mana we invest into the spell when cast.

Lastly, we get some of the more famous cards that bring an army with them. Avenger of ZendikarAvenger of Zendikar is among the best, but that's not to sell the others short. Call the CoppercoatsCall the Coppercoats could potentially give you a huge army to work with. Meanwhile, White Sun's TwilightWhite Sun's Twilight is a much better Martial CoupMartial Coup.

Another standout is Caretaker's TalentCaretaker's Talent, which is really popular for a reason.

The End of a Quest

In conclusion, Rinoa offers us a lens into what a tokens deck might look like with a Universes Beyond card pool. Selesnya tokens, like I said, has been with me a long time, so I knew the ins and outs of those decks. Naya ones, too, but that might be for a different article.

As for what the foreseeable future might hold, I might slip a non-Final Fantasy build somewhere. That would need to be updated, since one of the precons gave it a lot of new toys. Expect me to cover a lot of Final Fantasy in the coming month or two, but I'll try to break it up, so you, the readers, don't get as fatigued as much as the MCU.

Join us next time, where I take a spin on one of the most iconic clashes of the franchise. Yes, you know the one I'm talking about: Cloud vs. Sephiroth. Until then, avoid the Final Fantasy fatigue; the party's only just begun.