Louisoix's SacrificeLouisoix's Sacrifice | Art by Mintautas Šukys 

Universes Beyond: Final Fantasy is our next Standard set, and wow, is it a doozy! Universes Beyond sensibilities are running wild, resulting in a booster pack full of an outsized number of legendary creatures, crazy Through the Ages treatments, and plenty of non-Magic flavor that is sure to excite (or upset) whoever is looking at it.

Personally, I can take it or leave it. But! Here in Competitive EDH land, we care a bit less about flavor and a bit more about the rules text - and also availability of cards and also bling. Final Fantasy, while Universes Beyond, is supposedly a Standard-power-level set, which historically doesn’t bring many additions to already very strong decks (Theros: Beyond Death, I’m not looking at you). Will this be different? Let's take a look!

Honorable Mention: Through the Ages

But first, an honorable mention for the Through the Ages sheet of reprints contained within the Final Fantasy card file. Reprints, reprints everywhere, and so many of them randomly cEDH cards! These are all being reprinted with awesome art from throughout Final Fantasy history:

• Tymna the WeaverTymna the Weaver
• Kraum, Ludevic's OpusKraum, Ludevic's Opus
• Thrasios, Triton HeroThrasios, Triton Hero
• Winota, Joiner of ForcesWinota, Joiner of Forces
• Najeela, the Blade-BlossomNajeela, the Blade-Blossom
• Dark RitualDark Ritual
• Kinnan, Bonder ProdigyKinnan, Bonder Prodigy
• Bolas's CitadelBolas's Citadel
• Godo, Bandit WarlordGodo, Bandit Warlord
• Rhystic StudyRhystic Study
• Yuriko, the Tiger's ShadowYuriko, the Tiger's Shadow

And plenty more. I love any chance to get my hands on Tetsuya Nomura or Yoshitaka Amano art in any way I can and this will be no exception.

Unfortunately, while they are technically reprints, it looks like they’re reprints only in the way that we’ll have new bling options, not that these cards will become more accessible. Most of these cards are preordering at prices decently higher than other options for these commanders and spells. Luckily, most of these ones are pretty cheap already to begin with, so I’m happy calling cool new bling options for Final Fantasy (and sick art) freaks out there an honorable-mention-worthy win.

White:

Tataru TaruTataru Taru

Tataru TaruTataru Taru is another in a long line of two-drop value creatures that just seem playable enough, especially in white. Her ability of creating a tapped Treasure token whenever an opponent draws a card not on their turn has obvious applications in cEDH, where the likes of Mystic RemoraMystic Remora and Rhystic StudyRhystic Study (amongst other more innocuous effects, such as Archivist of OghmaArchivist of Oghma, another just playable enough white two-drop creature) run wild on nearly every game. It would be easily conceivable to play this and then untap after casting her with four more Treasures - one made per turn.

Note - since she forces you to make an opponent draw a card when she enters (an admitted downside), she will at least pay back half of her cost when you cast her - at least by the next turn, since the Treasures are tapped. Regardless, though there are several small downsides on this one that make it less good than the likes of Lotho, Corrupt ShirriffLotho, Corrupt Shirriff, it's still a very strong value creature that pays for itself in a turn cycle and only goes up from there. I’ll be looking for this one in most three color or less white decks, especially those that can’t play our local Orzhov Lord of the Rings villain.

Black:

Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIERSephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER

One of many legendary creatures on this list, Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIERSephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER is one you will not be seeing in the command zone that still has strong potential for several more niche decks. These decks, such as Rakdos, the MuscleRakdos, the Muscle, Yawgmoth, Thran PhysicianYawgmoth, Thran Physician, & Korvold, Fae-Cursed KingKorvold, Fae-Cursed King, are always in the market for a slightly better Blood ArtistBlood Artist effect for their sacrifice loops. Sure, there are crazy ways to win while having infinite sacrifice/ETB loops going, but something like Sephiroth’s draining effect just gets the job done easier.

When some of these decks have dipped low enough into the card pool to have been interested in Sanguinary PriestSanguinary Priest in the past, Sephiroth seems good enough, while also offering small grinding upside through his enters and attack card drawing potential.

Black Mage's RodBlack Mage's Rod

I’m never one to pass up the chance to shout out a new Ob Nixilis, Captive KingpinOb Nixilis, Captive Kingpin upgrade (there’s somehow one or more every set) and Black Mage's RodBlack Mage's Rod is one heck of an upgrade. While the deck has hit its upper limit of one-damage-dealing creatures it may want, getting to play a two-drop that costs black rather than red, and is also extremely resistant to removal, is something too good for me to pass up. Sure, it’s dead to something like AbradeAbrade, but that's much less common than people trying to spot remove smaller creatures. Being able to then requip this Equipment to another creature, turning it into a premium threat for this niche deck, is huge upside. Can’t wait to turn Ob Nix himself into a Wizard.

Red:

Fire MagicFire Magic

Fire MagicFire Magic is getting looks for multi-format play, and for good reason. Step aside ElectrickeryElectrickery, someone give End the FestivitiesEnd the Festivities a shove, this is an instant that, in return for , can clean up a large swath of the board. Dealing one damage to everything kills a shocking amount of creatures played in cEDH, and if you can afford the upgrade to three mana, two damage will do most of the rest of the work for you that one damage wouldn’t.

Where this card falls flat is definitely its scaling. We already don’t see much End the FestivitiesEnd the Festivities in cEDH for a reason - it can be a waste of a card slot in a format that promotes proactive play so heavily. Instant speed is a massive upgrade all on its own, and the flexibility given by the modality of Fire MagicFire Magic is theoretically a huge add too, but if you’re ever looking to Firaga away problems in your cEDH games, there’s probably other issues with the game state that you need more than a huge FireballFireball to fix. Regardless, for those few decks that like to find ways to clear the board, adding a scaling small-ball instant alongside the heavier cudgels (Fire CovenantFire Covenant, DamnDamn, etc.) is attractive.

Blue:

Matoya, Archon ElderMatoya, Archon Elder

I’m putting this card on this list because I want to publicly think about it. Matoya, Archon ElderMatoya, Archon Elder definitely isn’t a commander worth playing in cEDH. It isn’t a value piece worth including in decks, either. What it is is interesting. I want Matoya to be something that you can break in cEDH. The synergy for a card that cares about scrying and surveiling is surprisingly hard to find in the decks we play. The most common cause of scry is Thrasios, Triton HeroThrasios, Triton Hero's activated ability and surveil is the Surveil lands (which pilots already don’t play enough of). Three mana is also quite a bit to pay for the effect in a world where it could also buy you Rhystic StudyRhystic Study.

Of course, my wish for this card to be real lines up with my wish that will never be realized - draw-go control/tempo decks that can also make use of cantrips and other deck churning effects to find answers whenever relevant. Dang, what If Nymris scryed? Anyways. Onto more real things.

Louisoix's SacrificeLouisoix's Sacrifice

A new powerful StifleStifle + NegateNegate for people to argue over! What’s better than this? Louisoix's SacrificeLouisoix's Sacrifice has incredible upside, countering most of the spells that people care about in the format while also being able to protect against effects such as Thassa’s OracleThassa’s Oracle, Otawara, Soaring CityOtawara, Soaring City, and more.

The problem is that having to sacrifice a legendary creature (or else it costs three mana) is a huge downside. A lot of people have pointed to Rograkh decks as an obvious home for this - I honestly don’t agree, unless you’re in the Ohio Wrong/Si camp of turning Rograkh/Silas into more of a midrange deck that can go fast sometimes. What’s so wrong with it, Cal, if these decks already play so many similar effects? Well, you just explained the problem. Why would you ever have a Rograkh in play to sacrifice to Louisoix's SacrificeLouisoix's Sacrifice when you could have sacrificed him to Diabolic IntentDiabolic Intent, Infernal PlungeInfernal Plunge, or Culling the WeakCulling the Weak, spells that all proactively move you towards winning the game? This is, of course, not to mention that having Rograkh in play is a huge boon for the likes of Jeska's WillJeska's Will, Fierce GuardianshipFierce Guardianship, Deadly RollickDeadly Rollick, and other effects as well. Plus, it’s not like the deck is low on premium interaction already.

I’m low, low, low on this card for most of the applications that most people are suggesting it for, outside of potential Rograkh/Thrasios decks, which have two cheap commanders available that they’ll often have in play, so maybe sacrificing one of the two ain’t that bad.

Lands:

Starting TownStarting Town

Starting TownStarting Town is a no-brainer land to play in cEDH - which seems to be a bit of a controversial take. In a world where people play Tarnished CitadelTarnished Citadel in their Tainted PactTainted Pact mana bases, this Mana ConfluenceMana Confluence With Upside and Downside seems like at minimum a sidegrade.

I like to look at the ceilings of cards in this format, as it does reward pushing and being proactive so much. The first three turns are easily the most important turns of a cEDH game and gaining access to rainbow mana during those turns makes your life so much easier, especially in a three-color+ deck. Entering tapped past turn three is a downside for sure, but one that many are overblowing. By this point in the game, your mana should already be fairly well established, having hit three (or more) land drops and running out some rocks as well. While it's less good than playing an untapped land on turn four or beyond, obviously, the upside of having another early turn excellent mana fixer - and also an excellent mana fixer for future turns in what may have evolved into a grinding situation, feels perfectly gravy to me.

Add a dang land to your cEDH deck while you're at it, too.

Multicolor:

Locke, Treasure HunterLocke, Treasure Hunter

Locke, Treasure HunterLocke, Treasure Hunter is the type of card I love to see thrown into a Standard-power set. It's a slow, grindy value engine that both makes you Treasures, is hard to block, and even pseudo-draws you cards as you have the option of casting one of the milled spells this turn.

Locke does remind me of a sort of overpriced, harder to block Ragavan that doesn’t have to connect to get its full effect. Is that that attractive? For many cEDH decks, no, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see this show up in the occasional Rakdos-color combo deck or slower Mardu decks that loves attacking.

Kefka, Court MageKefka, Court Mage

Speaking of grindy, Kefka, Court MageKefka, Court Mage strikes me as the long sought-after commander for a more traditional “grinding” game plan for a cEDH deck. Being in Grixis colors keeps your card quality high, while the enters and attacks abilities of Kefka drains your opponent's resources by making them discard while bolstering your own from the draws.

I doubt you’ll be transforming Kefka, Court MageKefka, Court Mage into Kefka, Ruler of Ruin all that often, but if you can take a turn off to do it, you’ll get the form of a card-draw engine the likes of which we don’t really see in our format. Is it all worth it? I know that I’ll be trying to put together a list, at minimum. Five mana is a steep entry cost to get the ball moving, but there’s enough small-ball incentive here to get my brain going.

Celes, Rune KnightCeles, Rune Knight

Everybody stand back, there’s a new Mardu sheriff in town! Celes, Rune KnightCeles, Rune Knight has both an incredibly powerful enters ability, letting you filter and add to your hand, and a passive ability that lets you trivially win the game with a persist creature, such as Murderous RedcapMurderous Redcap, and a sac outlet, such as Viscera SeerViscera Seer or Goblin BombardmentGoblin Bombardment. Where I feel Celes is most powerful though is using her ability to help fuel the best card in the format, Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach. Casting her and discarding your hand, putting, say, four cards in the graveyard and then drawing five cards, not only gives you enough cards in the grave to get started with Breach, it also gives you fuel in your hand to keep moving.

This is a commander that also incidentally works well for all the rest of the traditional sans-blue win conditions as well, with Hoarding BroodlordHoarding Broodlord lines being particularly interesting. With both the upfront and passive effects of Celes seeming worth the cost of entry, I’m looking forward to seeing her at my tables soon.

Vivi OrnitierVivi Ornitier

Vivi Ornitier is, quite obviously, the cEDH home run card of the set. His power scales up extremely quickly, letting you then add growing bursts of mana over several turns that fuel his growth even more, alongside advancing your game plan more generally. Getting to do something like enchant him with CuriosityCuriosity turns the game plan up to 11, letting you draw three cards every time you cast a non-creature spell; how gross is that?

Cast cantrips, draw more cards, get more cards in the future, churn through your deck at the speed of light. Regardless of card specifics, Vivi Ornitier is an obvious Storm wonderkind and seems to be broken by about every half-decent spell you can think of. I hope I see people casting DragonstormDragonstorm with this guy.

Terra, Magical AdeptTerra, Magical Adept

Terra, Magical AdeptTerra, Magical Adept is flying a bit more below the radar than the likes of Vivi and Celes, but may have the higher ceiling of the bunch. Does that sound like a lot for me to say? Isn’t she only a Gruul commander with a weird enters ability and some completely useless Saga backside? Well, lets talk about it for a second.

Firstly, and most importantly, because of her Saga backside making mana of all five colors, Terra has a five-color identity, giving you access to every spell you could want to play in cEDH to pair with her. She's cheap, at only three mana. Her enters ability lets us mill five cards and then put an enchantment from amongst those cards into our hand. Could anyone think of powerful enchantments?

• Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach
• Rhystic StudyRhystic Study
• Mystic RemoraMystic Remora
• Smothering TitheSmothering Tithe
• Animate DeadAnimate Dead
• Copy EnchantmentCopy Enchantment
• Copy ArtifactCopy Artifact
• Sylvan LibrarySylvan Library
• Food ChainFood Chain

These are the floor. Want more mana? Try Carpet of FlowersCarpet of Flowers. Need even more copying ability? How about MirrormadeMirrormade.

Flickering Terra to double down on this graveyard-filling and enchantment-grabbing action is the easiest its ever been, thanks to the likes of Displacer KittenDisplacer Kitten, Emiel, Phelia, and if you really wanted to, spells like Essence FluxEssence Flux. In addition to winning the game with Food ChainFood Chain, for which this commander is an outlet, you still have access to all of the traditional five-color wins, with Terra helping you find Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach. I’m simply over the moon about this commander, which gets to reasonably play every normal way to win while still getting to have Food ChainFood Chain lines as a very real backup if so needed. I’m working on my own list right now and can’t wait to share it.

Game Over

Final Fantasy is a sick set that brings many beloved characters into my beloved Magic: The Gathering. While there aren't that many cEDH playables that pop out at us here, the real fun is that there are some intriguing - and even powerful - new legendary creatures for brewers to mess around with, something I'm always interested in. See you for the next set - as we return to the Magic: the Gathering universe for Edge of Eternities.