Sram, Senior EdificerSram, Senior Edificer | Art by Yoshitaka Amano

As most readers are already acutely aware, Final Fantasy is a big set with a lot going on. It's been well-documented that it became the best-selling set of all time well before its release, and players around the globe are just getting their chance to sink their teeth into the massive set.

We've already gone through the more-than-200 reprints of the main set as well as Final Fantasy Commander, which you can find here. In that article, you may have noticed that we didn't go over the 64 cards that comprise Final Fantasy: Through the Ages (FCA). They're all reprints, and there's enough meat on the bone for an entire article on this bonus sheet.

FCA cards are part of a bonus sheet that can be found in both Play Boosters and Collector Boosters. There's one non-foil FCA card in roughly every three Play Boosters, and one in every Collector Booster, in either traditional foil or non-foil.

Normally we'd go over particularly interesting cards through the dual lenses of whether we needed the reprint (based on cost) and whether we wanted the reprint (based on popularity as per EDHREC). We'll do that here, too, but when it comes to both, the very specific art, treatments, and availability of these cards means they aren't so much "true" reprints as they are special editions of existing cards. In other words, they're more Special Guests or Secret Lair than traditional reprints - and, one could argue, even more extreme.

But that's enough hedging. Let's get to the cards!

Rhystic StudyRhystic Study

Did we need it?

It's a Game Changer. It's a meme. It's one of the most divisive cards in Commander. You know it, you love it. It's Stay with Me.

Therein is the problem many people might encounter when it comes to these FCA cards, and other "reskins" that we've seen in the past. No one's going to memorize an alternative name for a famous card. It's Rhystic Study, and it's always going to be Rhystic Study.

But FCA cards, like the Realms and Relics Box Toppers from Tales of Middle-earth Commander or the several other similar treatments, aren't really designed for actual use as their primary purpose. They're collectors' items that happen to double as game pieces.

With several of the FCA reprints - Rhystic Study included - the newest version is just the latest of several reprints over the last handful of years:

The FCA edition we're getting now is the seventh unique art for the card and the 12th printing overall. None of that has done anything to the card's price tag, though, as there are no versions under $50. Not bad for a common from Prophecy. 

Did we need it?

Rhystic Study is a card that people tend to play. As per EDHREC, it's in 785,942 decks. That's nearly 27% of all decks playing blue. These are the kind of numbers that are fit for an all-timer, and Rhystic Study is exactly that. Commander, as a format, is partly defined by Rhystic Study existing.

It's the second-most popular blue card, full stop, behind only CounterspellCounterspell, and it's the single-most popular enchantment of all-time (regardless of color) based on both volume and percentage.

It's so popular, and so ubiquitous, that it's actually a detriment to see it reprinted in such an esoteric release. If you've always wanted a copy of Rhystic Study and were excited to see it included in Play Boosters, that excitement might be tempered by the fact it now depicts CG-art characters from Final Fantasy X. And that it's called "Stay with Me."

It's bad habit to complain about receiving what we ask for simply because it comes in a form we didn't expect. And as we already noted, MTGxFF is already the highest selling set ever. But there'll be plenty of people who would have rather Rhystic Study be more, well, Rhystic Study. Or at least Unstable HarmonicsUnstable Harmonics.

Ancient Copper DragonAncient Copper Dragon

Did we need it?

Ancient Copper Dragon isn't as beloved/reviled as Rhystic Study, but that's mainly because, unlike Rhystic Study, it hasn't existed for 25 years. We've only enjoyed the presence of Ancient Copper Dragon since its release with Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, which dropped in 2022.

As such, there hasn't really been a reprint until now:

Now we have "Dragon of Mount Gulg" to add to the list.

If we're deriding FCA's Rhystic Study, we should remain consistent with Ancient Copper Dragon. But this time, we're miffed for the opposite reason. This is the first-ever reprint of a card that doesn't exist for cheaper than $85. That's an outrageous price for a card like Ancient Copper Dragon. It should have been in Foundations. It should be in Commander precons. It shouldn't be $85, and it shouldn't be seeing its first reprint in a bonus sheet for an already exorbitantly-priced Universes Beyond set (ironic, I know).

"Dragon of Mount Gulg" will do nothing for that price, because as of this writing, "Dragon of Mount Gulg" is already the most expensive version of the card, going for around $150. It's the kind of inclusion intended to get people excited about the possibility of opening a pack to reveal it.

Did we want it?

Despite how expensive it is, Ancient Copper Dragon is still very popular on EDHREC. According to the site, it's logged in 125,124 lists, which is 4.2% of all decks playing red. It's the 18th-most popular red creature, and the third-most popular mono-red Dragon, behind Goldspan DragonGoldspan Dragon and Terror of the PeaksTerror of the Peaks.

It fits like a glove in a wide swath of strategies, from Dragons to Treasures to Sneak Attack to even rolling dice. That's why it's a bummer that we finally got a reprint in a way that made a claw curl on the monkey's paw.

Nyxbloom AncientNyxbloom Ancient

Did we need it?

Now that much of the whinging is out of the way, we can go a little quicker in discussing individual cards. For "The Cloudsea Djinn," a.k.a. Nyxbloom Ancient, the Theros Beyond Death mythic mana tripler gets a pack-found reprint for the first time. Prior to its inclusion in FCA, it only existed in its original release as well as a one-time stint in a Secret Lair:

The cheapest of these options is around $33 for the THB nonfoil.

If you've always wanted a copy but had some issue with the art always depicting some manner of anthropomorphic tree, you're in luck.

Did we want it?

Like Ancient Copper Dragon, Nyxbloom Ancient is much more popular than its availability and price would indicate. Currently, as per EDHREC, we can find the card included in the 99 of 100,228 decks, good for 3.52% of all decks playing green.

Unsurprisingly, while many of those decks aren't mono-green, they tend to get around the card's three green pips by cheating it into play by alternative means. It's in 61% of all Kinnan, Bonder ProdigyKinnan, Bonder Prodigy decks, for example.

I'll leave it to someone more versed in Final Fantasy I lore to explain how "The Cloudsea Djinn" fits as a reskin of Nyxbloom Ancient.

Ranger-Captain of EosRanger-Captain of Eos

Did we need it?

The short answer is yes, we absolutely need more copies of Ranger-Captain of Eos floating around out there. Outside of its original printing in Modern Horizons, as well as an alternate Timeshifted version from the same set, the card has only thus far appeared briefly on The List.

That Timeshifted version, by the way, is only available in foil and is thus roughly $70 right now. The FCA reprint we're getting here is already around $10 cheaper than the card's MH1 printing, down from $33. So by the strictest metric, it's a very good reprint, but your mileage on the FCA treatment may vary. If all you care about is that the card says and does what you want it to, then "Kights of San d'Oria" is a great deal.

Did we want it?

Any white deck can probably make use of a copy of Ranger-Captain of Eos. As it turns out, limiting the tutoring ability to creature cards that cost one mana value or less isn't much of a limitation at all. And the free pseudo-SilenceSilence tacked on the bottom is just gravy.

According to EDHREC, we see Ranger-Captain of Eos in 123,367 lists, which equates to around 4.5% of all decks playing white. That makes it the 21st-most popular white creature in the format, despite the $33 price. Most commonly, Ranger-Captain of Eos is used to tutor up Esper SentinelEsper Sentinel, Noble HierarchNoble Hierarch, Deathrite ShamanDeathrite Shaman and Birds of ParadiseBirds of Paradise. And maybe with the release of Final Fantasy, we'll see Zack FairZack Fair join that list.

Akroma's WillAkroma's Will

Did we need it?

From Commander Legends to a pair of Commander decks, Akroma's Will has held to its $10+ price for awhile now as players come to grips with it being the second-best Will of the cycle. In a lot of cases, it's basically the white Craterhoof BehemothCraterhoof Behemoth (sorry, Moonshaker CavalryMoonshaker Cavalry).

Already, the FCA version is more expensive then all the previous printings, outside the CMR extended art printing.

Did we want it?

In 268,209 decks (good for 9.5% of all white decks), Akroma's Will is certainly quite popular. For context, that's about four times as many decks as Moonshaker Cavalry, and nearly ten times as many decks as the non-Jeska Wills of the cycle combined.

This might be Szat's Will erasure, but it's hard to say. At any rate, they've been on the right track by including Akroma's Will in Commander precons, and the appearance in FCA shows that Wizards knows to keep the printings coming.

Legendary Creatures

At the end of the day, when it comes to reprints, all you want to know is if the one you just opened is worth more or less than the version you could have already bought or traded for. When it comes to FCA, your odds are stacked against you in that regard. As of this writing, 16 of the legendary creatures featured in FCA represent an increase over the cost of the original printing of that card. For the other 20, the FCA printing is a step down, price-wise.

First up, here's a rank of the legendary creatures whose reprints are a price increase, sorted roughly by current price of the original printing:

• Thrasios, Triton HeroThrasios, Triton Hero
• Urza, Lord High ArtificerUrza, Lord High Artificer
• Yawgmoth, Thran PhysicianYawgmoth, Thran Physician
• Najeela, the Blade-BlossomNajeela, the Blade-Blossom
• Atraxa, Grand UnifierAtraxa, Grand Unifier
• Isshin, Two Heavens as OneIsshin, Two Heavens as One
• Vial Smasher the FierceVial Smasher the Fierce
• Yuriko, the Tiger's ShadowYuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
• Kenrith, the Returned KingKenrith, the Returned King
• Teferi, Mage of ZhalfirTeferi, Mage of Zhalfir
• K'rrik, Son of YawgmothK'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
• Syr Konrad, the GrimSyr Konrad, the Grim
• Traxos, Scourge of KroogTraxos, Scourge of Kroog
• Captain Lannery StormCaptain Lannery Storm
• Danitha Capashen, ParagonDanitha Capashen, Paragon
• Fynn, the FangbearerFynn, the Fangbearer

And the following is the remaining 20 legendary creatures, again sorted roughly by the price of the original printing. These 20 see the FCA printing's settling price lower than the card's original version.

• Tymna the WeaverTymna the Weaver
• Ragavan, Nimble PilfererRagavan, Nimble Pilferer
• Purphoros, God of the ForgePurphoros, God of the Forge
• Kinnan, Bonder ProdigyKinnan, Bonder Prodigy
• Winota, Joiner of ForcesWinota, Joiner of Forces
• Azusa, Lost but SeekingAzusa, Lost but Seeking
• Jodah, the UnifierJodah, the Unifier
• Muldrotha, the GravetideMuldrotha, the Gravetide
• Gix, Yawgmoth PraetorGix, Yawgmoth Praetor
• Kraum, Ludevic's OpusKraum, Ludevic's Opus
• Ishai, Ojutai DragonspeakerIshai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker
• Bruse Tarl, Boorish HerderBruse Tarl, Boorish Herder
• Adeline, Resplendent CatharAdeline, Resplendent Cathar
• Inalla, Archmage RitualistInalla, Archmage Ritualist
• Godo, Bandit WarlordGodo, Bandit Warlord
• Sram, Senior EdificerSram, Senior Edificer
• Varragoth, Bloodsky SireVarragoth, Bloodsky Sire
• Mangara, the DiplomatMangara, the Diplomat
• Loran of the Third PathLoran of the Third Path
• Venser, Shaper SavantVenser, Shaper Savant

Of course, all this means nothing if you're really, really excited to get your hands on the Final Fantasy'd version of your favorite commander. But if you're cracking packs for value, hoping to hit a pricey FCA card, be warned. Outside of a handful of big-ticket reprints, it's likely that your investment will not be returned in full. But really, isn't that par for the course when it comes to premium bonus sheets?

Duds

It wouldn't be a bonus sheet without several landmines to increase the risk of cracking packs. As we mentioned above, out of the 64 cards included in this treatment, more than half are already under $5 for a copy as of this writing - 42 of them, to be exact. With nonfoil FCA cards in every three Play Boosters (MSRP $7 if you're lucky), that means you have a 65% chance of spending $21 to open a card worth less than $5.

Obviously there are other cards in those packs too, and anyone who's played Magic long enough knows that you don't open packs if your aim is to make your money back. But still, those aren't great odds. You're much better off just buying FCA singles as they tickle your fancy.

For easy reference, here are all the non-legendary FCA cards that you don't want to see taking up that precious FCA slot in a booster pack:

• Light Up the StageLight Up the Stage
• Laboratory ManiacLaboratory Maniac
• Strixhaven StadiumStrixhaven Stadium
• Wall of OmensWall of Omens
• Stroke of MidnightStroke of Midnight
• Nature's ClaimNature's Claim
• Deadly DisputeDeadly Dispute
• Lightning BoltLightning Bolt
• FarseekFarseek
• Smuggler's CopterSmuggler's Copter
• Mizzix's MasteryMizzix's Mastery
• Dovin's VetoDovin's Veto
• CounterspellCounterspell
• Fatal PushFatal Push
• BrainstormBrainstorm
• Chromatic LanternChromatic Lantern
• Cryptic CommandCryptic Command
• Command BeaconCommand Beacon
• Carpet of FlowersCarpet of Flowers

A Promise Fulfilled

And there you have it.

What are your opinions on the FCA bonus sheet overall? It's certainly different than anything we've seen accompanying Universes Beyond releases in the past, and online chatter suggests a pretty clean split between love and hate when it comes to the card selection, treatment, and art choices.

But on which side do you fall?