Cid, Timeless ArtificerCid, Timeless Artificer | Art by David Astruga

Well, Final Fantasy is here and just as predicted, it's an incredibly popular set. Sure, cards like Vivi OrnitierVivi Ornitier, Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIERSephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER and Traveling ChocoboTraveling Chocobo are dominating the spotlight, but let’s take a look at some of the gems from the set that may be hidden in your bulk. 

My name is Tyler ‘Savesya’ Bucks, and it’s my duty to look through your stacks of commons & uncommons so you don’t have to. On today’s Bulk Up, I present to you some amazing cards you might have overlooked, just waiting to be added to your decks.

Blitzball

Let’s kick things off this week with everyone’s favorite game: Is this three mana rock good enough in Commander? BlitzballBlitzball taps for a mana of any color, but it can also tap and sacrifice itself to draw two cards if a legendary creature has dealt combat damage to an opponent that turn.

This card is great in aggressive strategies, especially when you have an expensive commander who loves to get into combat, since those kinds of decks usually need help with refilling their hand.

In terms of a deck suggestion for this card, let’s pair it up with Slicer, Hired MuscleSlicer, Hired Muscle. Decks built around this commander are centered around powering out Slicer, and then passing it around.

If you notice, BlitzballBlitzball can be sacrificed to draw those cards whenever an opponent is dealt damage by any legendary creature, you don’t have to be the one to control it.

So, be sneaky and hold this up until it’s just right for you to draw those cards when no one is expecting it. 

Restoration Magic

Every deck needs to protect its key pieces, especially since more and more removal gets added to the format each year.

Restoration MagicRestoration Magic being a tiered spell that can save a valuable permanent makes it incredibly useful at any point in the game. Since some matchups can be a war of attrition, the option to save your whole board while also gaining six life can be just the thing to put you out of kill-range!

Amalia Benavides AguirreAmalia Benavides Aguirre is a life gain commander that, when left unchecked, can turn into a board wipe. So, she often becomes a lightning rod for removal, which is where Restoration MagicRestoration Magic can come to the rescue.

However, you can get extra tricky with these two cards, and here’s how: When Amalia is one counter away from sweeping the table, cast Restoration MagicRestoration Magic for its five mana level, giving your board indestructible and gaining you life. If Amalia gets that final counter, then she'll destroy every creature except for yours.

Sazh's Chocobo

+1/+1 counter decks are incredibly popular in Commander, totaling over one hundred and sixty thousand decks here on EDHREC. Which is why you could hear a collective cheer during preview season when Sazh's ChocoboSazh's Chocobo was revealed.

A one-mana creature that gets a counter every time a land enters your board may not seem flashy, but when your deck just wants to build up counters as quickly as possible, starting that engine on turn one is exactly what you’re looking for. 

A mono-colored legend that loves modified creatures is Kodama of the West TreeKodama of the West Tree. The one thing that Sazh's ChocoboSazh's Chocobo is missing is some way to punch that damage through, which is where Kodama comes in.

Giving your little chick trample, then ramping lands when it hits is exactly the type of synergy we love to see. So, if you already have a Kodama deck, be sure to go looking for this li'l friend in your boosters.

Al Bhed Salvagers

Our next card not only fits in with Aristocrat decks, but it also makes Clues, Food, Treasures and more even better; it’s Al Bhed SalvagersAl Bhed Salvagers!

We've seen several different variations of this type of card over the years, but the new spin this time around is that it triggers on both creatures and artifacts, making it perfect to pair up with anything that wants to sacrifice itself for your cause.

A commander that consistently makes artifacts that will feed the Salvagers is Lotho, Corrupt ShirriffLotho, Corrupt Shirriff. He makes you a Treasure whenever a player casts their second spell, which is a great ability, however it does cost you one life in the process.

This is what makes Al Bhed SalvagersAl Bhed Salvagers such a great fit in the deck, since you can then use that token for mana, gain your life back, and drain someone else.

Opera Love Song

Red’s card advantage has come a long way, and Opera Love SongOpera Love Song is just more proof of that.

Sure, it could pump up a couple of your creatures for a turn, but more importantly, it gives you access to the top two cards of your library at instant speed. The rate of this is just amazing, especially since you can hold up that mana as your opponents take their turns, then surprise them with this spell right before your turn.

If you picked up the Exit From Exile precon back in the day, then your commander Faldorn, Dread Wolf HeraldFaldorn, Dread Wolf Herald is just champing at the bit for this new spell.

Of course, casting spells from exile is something that keeps your engine running, but that power buff is something that could come up when the time is right.

With all those Wolf tokens you have sitting around, you can turn a chump block into a gotcha-style combat trick! 

Stolen Uniform

At first glance, Stolen UniformStolen Uniform might seem like a pretty narrow Equipment-matters card. While it does rely on an Equipment being on the field, it has a few tricks up its stolen sleeves.

First off, you can steal an opponent’s pivotal protection piece, like Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves, allowing you to finally target the creature with removal. On top of that, it can also just allow you to attach an Equipment on your side of the field for only one mana, getting around expensive equip costs (I’m looking at you, Colossus HammerColossus Hammer…)

A commander that can add even more tricks to the mix is Arna Kennerüd, SkycaptainArna Kennerüd, Skycaptain.

If you steal an Equipment from one of your opponents, all you need to do is attack with the creature you attached it to, which will then trigger Arna. That'll create a copy of the Equipment you stole, which you get to keep even after you give back what you borrowed.

Not bad for only one mana! 

Great Uncommon Legends

Next up, let’s take a look at a few uncommon legendary creatures that could make for great commanders themselves, but can do some major work in the 99 of another deck.

Black Waltz No. 3

GuttersnipeGuttersnipe is a certified staple in the Commander format, and Black Waltz No. 3Black Waltz No. 3 fits a similar role. Dealing two damage to each opponent whenever you cast a noncreature spell is amazing, and can fit in a few places GuttersnipeGuttersnipe doesn’t. 

Decks centered around artifacts, enchantments, or even planeswalkers can tend to spin their wheels, but that’s where this Black Mage can help. Plus, don’t discount this in Standard spellslinger decks, since it can weaponize your value plays.

Ignis Scientia

For people who have followed my Bulk Up series for a while, you’ll know I love the type of ramp found on Ignis ScientiaIgnis Scientia. Instead of picking up your deck, searching for a land, then shuffling; you just look at the top six cards of your library and pick the best land. 

This helps speed up the game, as well as gives you the ability to hit nonbasics. Sure, it makes fixing your mana a little harder, but the ease of use is worth the risk.

Keep an eye out for this guy and his delicious treats while you’re opening packs from this set!

The Emperor of Palamecia

Speaking of ramp, The Emperor of PalameciaThe Emperor of Palamecia is here to help you cast your noncreature spells, coming down as early as turn two. Even though that mana does come with a restriction, when paired with the right deck, The Emperor can end up feeling like any other mana source.

On top of all of that, it can grow with counters as the game goes on, and transform into a nasty repeatable burn outlet on its flip side. Which makes it great not only in the setup phases of your game, but also when you need to close things out in a match. 

Cid, Timeless Artificer

Closing things out this week with Cid, Timeless ArtificerCid, Timeless Artificer, which comes with everyone's favorite text “A deck can have any number of cards named Cid, Timeless Artificer.” Since it has that clause, this is an uncommon that will most likely fetch a higher price for a long time.

It also has the benefit of being a card with alternate art for each version of Cid in the games, adding more value to whichever variant of the card you get. Plus, it’s just a cool design, helping both Heroes and artifact creatures you control.

With this set, and all the Marvel cards to come, supporting Heroes will become more valuable as time goes on. 

The Wrap Up

Whether you went to a prerelease, draft, or just picked up boosters from this set, you’re bound to find some of the amazing cards we talked about today hidden in your bulk. So, before you let those stacks of cards sit too long, sift through them one more time, because a future staple might be waiting for you.

If you want to see more great commons & uncommons from Final Fantasy, I did another edition of Bulk Up a few weeks ago that you can check out here.