The first of four preconstructed decks, Revival Trance, is based on Final Fantasy VI. Is the reanimation strategy up to snuff?

Revival Trance Precon Contents

For Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY, each Commander preconstructed deck will have two versions; a base-level deck and a Collector's Edition version. Here's what's contained within each for Revival Trance:

Base

• 1 Ready-to-play 100-card Commander deck
  • 1 Traditional foil face commander
  • 1 Traditional foil featured commander
  • 98 Non-foil cards

• 10 Double-sided tokens
• 1 Collector Booster Sample Pack
• 1 Reference card
• 1 Deck box

Collector

• 1 Ready-to-play 100-card Commander deck
  • 1 Surge foil face commander
  • 1 Surge foil featured commander
  • 98 Surge foil cards

• 10 Double-sided surge foil tokens
• 1 Collector Booster Sample Pack
• 1 Reference card
• 1 Deck box

Revival Trance Face Commander

Terra, Herald of HopeTerra, Herald of Hope

Revival Trance Featured Commander

Celes, Rune KnightCeles, Rune Knight

Revival Trance Precon Decklist

New Cards in the Revival Trance Precon

We're praying for safe returns with Banon, the Returners' LeaderBanon, the Returners' Leader, as the Human Cleric Rebel allows us the ability to cast a recently milled/discarded creature from the graveyard once on each of our turns. Thankfully, Banon's generous enough to give us a way to get creatures into the 'yard as well, with a built-in rummagerummage effect. And remember, that second ability only cares about whether you attacked at all, not necessarily with the 1/3 Banon with no evasion.

Cyan, Vengeful SamuraiCyan, Vengeful Samurai hits harder and harder with every exhumation, and the cost reduction built-in allows for the Human Samurai to dispense its mercy-free pain for as little as a single white mana. Revival Trance has a solid reanimation theme that synergizes with Cyan, but remember that its +1/+1 counter-adding ability would also work with any method of undoing a creature's internment, like PurgatoryPurgatory, for example.

This non-vampire Edgar cares more about artifacts than blood, but it still grants a form of immortality. It's very powerful having the chance to reuse all manner of trinkets, from Lotus PetalLotus Petals and Mishra's BaubleMishra's Baubles to Memory JarMemory Jars, as Lurrus of the Dream-DenLurrus of the Dream-Den or Muldrotha, the GravetideMuldrotha, the Gravetide players can attest to. In Revival Trance, you'll be buying extra flips of the Coin of FateCoin of Fate with Edgar, Master MachinistEdgar, Master Machinist.

Gau, Feral YouthGau, Feral Youth doesn't have to exert any effort to grow bigger and bigger, which feeds into its triggered ability very well. Anything that deals damage to each opponent is worth attention, especially if that damage triggers and increases with little effort. Gau will be a fun build-around as a commander in its own right, as many FINAL FANTASY legends likely will be, but in Revival Trance specifically, an early Gau can wreak havoc on a game if left unchecked.

It was a big ask to ensure the card in this case would bring enough heat to match Leo's outfit. One of those cards that requires a positive board state to be effective - or in other words, not a five-mana 3/3 - General Leo CristopheGeneral Leo Cristophe might be a feel-bad draw in a lot of situations revolving around precon battles.

A red clone, Gogo, Mysterious MimeGogo, Mysterious Mime becomes a copy of your best creature on each of your turns, which is great, as long as you have a creature worth copying - the dilemma of all clones with the caveat "you control." Thankfully though, Gogo retaining its name means you won't run afoul of the legend rule, exceptionally important in the Revival Trance precon.

No word on whether Gogo hangs out with Toggo and Goro-Goro, now that its under the Magic umbrella.

It's likely that, were this a regular set and not Universes Beyond, this wouldn't be a legendary Dog. As it stands, when it comes to this particular precon, Interceptor, Shadow's HoundInterceptor, Shadow's Hound grants menace to exactly one Assassin in the entirety of the 99. However, we're getting this card not because of synergy reasons, but rather flavor ones, and there's nothing wrong with that.

That first ability granting indestructibility on your turn already has long-time Zurgo HelmsmasherZurgo Helmsmasher fans in a tizzy, but it's the rest of the card that really gets peoples' gears turning. A sort of inversion on Etali, Primal StormEtali, Primal Storm, an unchecked Kefka, Dancing MadKefka, Dancing Mad will take over the game very quickly, which is why it costs seven mana. Luckily, Revival Trance provides plenty of ways to get it out of your hand, into the graveyard, and into play.

We're not using skulk as a keyword anymore, but the ability is still in use, as evidenced by Locke, Treasure HunterLocke, Treasure Hunter. Beyond that, we've also got Mug, which means Locke gets to pilfer the top card of everyone's library.

Not to be confused with MoggsMoggs, Mog, Moogle WarriorMog, Moogle Warrior is a 1/2 with lifelink that provides a way for us to fill our graveyard in a way that not only maintains card parity, but also helps build up our board. That's a lot of value and function out of a three-mana Moogle. These sorts of cards, that are at once armies-in-a-can, value engines, and strategy enablers, quickly earn a reputation as kill-on-sight targets.

Blitz was a Streets of New Capenna keyword that we haven't seen since outside of a singular appearance on Star AthleteStar Athlete. None of the other blitz cards allow you to continue blitzing out of the graveyard, though, which makes Sabin, Master MonkSabin, Master Monk both unique and very powerful. And every time you do so, you'll trigger Cyan.

Setzer, Wandering GamblerSetzer, Wandering Gambler is courteous enough to bring along its own ride in The Blackjack, a 3/3 Vehicle that's conveniently crewed by the exact power Setzer happens to have. We don't see a lot of coin flip mechanics, but Setzer's is a pretty good one in that there's no downside to losing the flip. It could have easily said "if you lose the flip, the Vehicle does no combat damage this turn," or something of that ilk.

Our lone Assassin for Interceptor, Shadow, Mysterious AssassinShadow, Mysterious Assassin is as straightforward as its Dog buddy, and to be fair, synergizes with it very well. Shadow can sacrifice Interceptor to its ability every turn, drawing two cards and decking opponents for four life lost every turn.

Siegfried, Famed SwordsmanSiegfried, Famed Swordsman can be very, very big in the right situations, and does come with built-in evasion in the form of menace. But even in the preconstructed deck world, an occasionally very-big-guy might not have enough gusto to make waves.

A 1/3 for three mana, Strago and RelmStrago and Relm does one thing, but it does that one thing in a matter-of-fact kind of way. If you've got an opponent with a lot of goodies in their library, Strago and Relm stakes claim on your behalf. Don't forget, though, that you can only activate this ability at sorcery speed.

Our first Saga creature, Summon: Esper ValigarmandaSummon: Esper Valigarmanda seems out of place in Revival Trance with its focus on instants and sorceries, but it's still nothing to sneeze at when it comes to three cracks at extra red mana and reusing spent spells. It's likely that we'll see this Summon in people's custom decks as much as here in this precon.

Getting eight cards into your graveyard isn't very difficult in Revival Trance, but the real challenge would be building a colorless deck with The Warring TriadThe Warring Triad as your commander. Thankfully, it comes with its own enabler. At the end of the day, it's a mana rock that might eventually attack, probably akin to things like KeyrunesKeyrunes and MonumentsMonuments.

The randomness of the triggered ability on Umaro, Raging YetiUmaro, Raging Yeti will keep things interesting, but not having a choice of the three modes might lead to some less-than-optimal situations. Still, each mode is powerful in its own right that you'll still slam down the Yeti when you get to six mana, understanding the risk that you might end up discarding something you'd rather keep in hand.

Instant-speed graveyard hate is something more players should probably include in their Commander decks, and Espers to MagiciteEspers to Magicite has even more upside beyond that. Most opponents will have at least one ability-laden creature that you'd be happy turning into a rock, and you even get that creature's enter-the-battlefield trigger as well. This one's definitely a card that will escape the bounds of the precon and find its way into the 99 of decks not related to FINAL FANTASY.

There's always room for more red card draw, and the cost of discarding one fewer card to Faithless LootingFaithless Looting (at instant speed, it's worth noting) is one extra colorless mana with Laughing MadLaughing Mad.

The usual rate to reanimate one creature from your graveyard is somewhere in the 2-3 mana range generally, so paying six to get three creatures back is definitely a good deal. The downside, of course, is you don't get to make your own picks - of course, if you have a way to ensure there are only three creatures in your graveyard when you cast this, it won't be much of a choice at all for your opponents. Also included in this precon, most players might rather save up the additional three mana and cast Rise of the Dark RealmsRise of the Dark Realms.

As mentioned, giving opponents choice is never optimal. There's a reason why Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune is $300 (okay, there are several reasons).

Still, ignoring the effect this may or may not have on your opponents, SnortSnort is still a very solid option for Revival Trance to get cards into the graveyard in bulk, and any card that says "draw five cards" can't be taken lightly.

There's a lot going on with Coin of FateCoin of Fate, and you'd be forgiven for forgetting that, on top of everything, you're also introducing the monarch mechanic into the game when you activate the card. Again, we're giving an opponent a choice here, but at least this time around you can pick the opponent most likely to make the choice you want them to make.

Spending a total of six mana to get the least good of two creatures from your graveyard isn't ideal, but if you have a way to reuse the coin - like with the aforementioned Edgar, Master MachinistEdgar, Master Machinist - you might be cooking.

This particular dirigible pops on contact to reanimate one of your fallen creatures, which alone wouldn't be very interesting. However, by paying five mana we can reinflate the balloon and do it again, and again, and again. The Falcon, Airship RestoredThe Falcon, Airship Restored is slow, as most blimps tend to be, but it's reliable - the perfect scenario for a preconstructed deck.

How the Revival Trance Precon Deck Plays

Underneath the FINAL FANTASY vinyl, Revival Trance is a pretty standard Mardu Reanimator deck from top to bottom. At the top, we've got Terra, Herald of HopeTerra, Herald of Hope, who long-time Commander players will recognize as a very similar choice to Alesha, Who Smiles at DeathAlesha, Who Smiles at Death.

Terra provides the all-important self-mill needed in a reanimator strategy, albeit in small increments. But is there anything else helping us fill the 'yard?

• Stitcher's SupplierStitcher's Supplier
• MillikinMillikin
• Key to the CityKey to the City
• Celes, Rune KnightCeles, Rune Knight
• Ruin GrinderRuin Grinder

As we've seen with several of the new cards, there isn't much in the way of dumping a lot of cards into the graveyard in chunks. Instead, it's a lot of incidental discard and mill. That's perfectly fine, since we're not looking at reanimating one very scary thing, but rather a lot of smaller things that add up to mounting advantage. Speaking of which, we've already seen a bunch of reanimation effects, but what else is doing the digging?

• ReanimateReanimate
• Stitch TogetherStitch Together
• Sepulchral PrimordialSepulchral Primordial
• Sun TitanSun Titan
• Phoenix DownPhoenix Down
• Rise of the Dark RealmsRise of the Dark Realms

Beyond that core strategy of reanimating small but effective creatures, the rest of the deck plays like a typical mid-range build, trading with threats and employing the occasional reset to ensure that when it's time to empty the graves, you're doing so from a position of parity or advantage, and not doing it to catch up.

• Crackling DoomCrackling Doom
• Tragic ArroganceTragic Arrogance
• Ruinous UltimatumRuinous Ultimatum
• Archfiend of DepravityArchfiend of Depravity
• Legions to AshesLegions to Ashes

Combos and Synergy in Revival Trance

As is standard for most preconstructed decks, there are no built-in combos with the deck straight out of the box. However, there are plenty of cards that, with the addition of a few extra pieces, could be what you're looking for.

Our featured commander, Celes, Rune KnightCeles, Rune Knight, is one such combo enabler. By adding a sacrifice outlet and a creature with persist, you've generated an infinite loop of death and rebirth:

Of course, it's also worth mentioning that any deck with a Pitiless PlundererPitiless Plunderer, like Revival Trance, can also generate infinite death triggers and sacrifice triggers with Spawnsire of UlamogSpawnsire of Ulamog, if for some reason you're interested in adding a 10-mana creature into your Reanimator deck that wants to cheat creatures into play without paying their mana costs.

Lands and Mana Rocks

For mana rocks, we've got a few, and you'll recognize them all as mostly bog standard for preconstructed decks.

• Talisman of ConvictionTalisman of Conviction
• Talisman of IndulgenceTalisman of Indulgence
• Commander's SphereCommander's Sphere
• Sol RingSol Ring
• Arcane SignetArcane Signet
• Mind StoneMind Stone
• Wayfarer's BaubleWayfarer's Bauble

That's seven slots taken up by mana rocks, and we didn't include MillikinMillikin.

The landbase of Revival Trance is similarly what we'd expect from a three-color preconstructed deck. In total, the deck has 37 lands, 10 of which are basic. Of note is a copy of High MarketHigh Market, as well as a Demolition FieldDemolition Field.

Upgrading the Deck

Budget Alternatives

Each of these inclusions, at the time of writing, is under $1.

Out

• Shadow, Mysterious AssassinShadow, Mysterious Assassin
• Interceptor, Shadow's HoundInterceptor, Shadow's Hound
• Wayfarer's BaubleWayfarer's Bauble
• SnortSnort
• Rejoin the FightRejoin the Fight

In

• Faithless LootingFaithless Looting
• Chainer, Nightmare AdeptChainer, Nightmare Adept
• Alesha, Who Smiles at DeathAlesha, Who Smiles at Death
• Viscera SeerViscera Seer
• Dread ReturnDread Return

We're just looking to streamline our strategy here by removing a few slower cards and replacing them with some better options. There are a ton of cards under a buck that would immediately make an impact, so you really have your pick.

Value Alternatives

If you'd rather spend a little more, your options become even more varied and powerful.

• Animate DeadAnimate Dead
• EntombEntomb
• Sheoldred, Whispering OneSheoldred, Whispering One
• Diabolic IntentDiabolic Intent
• SkullclampSkullclamp

Bracket Upgrades

There are several Game Changers that will make their presence felt if added to Revival Trance.

• GambleGamble
• Ancient TombAncient Tomb
• Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach
• Deflecting SwatDeflecting Swat
• Bolas's CitadelBolas's Citadel

Archetype Change

What if you'd rather not rely so heavily on the graveyard?

The trio of colors represented in Revival Trance is also very well-suited for a Legendary Matters theme, and with a few adjustments we can convert the deck over fairly easily. The emphasis in the FINAL FANTASY preconstructed decks on legendary creatures works to our advantage in this regard.

Options

• Dihada, Binder of WillsDihada, Binder of Wills
• Shanid, Sleepers' ScourgeShanid, Sleepers' Scourge
• Ratadrabik of UrborgRatadrabik of Urborg
• Djeru and HazoretDjeru and Hazoret
• Cadric, Soul KindlerCadric, Soul Kindler
• Bayek of SiwaBayek of Siwa
• Primevals' Glorious RebirthPrimevals' Glorious Rebirth
• Flowering of the White TreeFlowering of the White Tree
• Mirror of GaladrielMirror of Galadriel
• Avacyn's MemorialAvacyn's Memorial

Value vs. MSRP

With two versions of each Commander deck, it'll be difficult to judge value vs. MSRP until the dust settles on the cost of the cards contained within each list. There's also the factor of the ratio of reprints/new cards, as the FINAL FANTASY decks each contain more than 20 never-before-seen cards, more than double the standard number in a preconstructed deck.

For Revival Trance, our highest value reprints are:

• ReanimateReanimate
• High MarketHigh Market
• Stitch TogetherStitch Together
• Ruinous UltimatumRuinous Ultimatum
• Graven CairnsGraven Cairns

Beyond that, there isn't much to speak of. However, it's not about reprints specifically when it comes to FINAL FANTASY. The new game-specific art as well as the new cards will carry a very high potential value that'll likely persist past the prerelease hype.

Overall Rating and Final Thoughts on Revival Trance

Judging the deck strictly as a value reanimator build, it's very solid, and many of the new FINAL FANTASY cards fit perfectly into that archetype in very interesting ways. It would have been easy for this deck to be a hodge-podge of FF references with no Magic throughline, but that's thankfully not the case. Overall, we'll give it a B+.

Other Final Fantasy Precons: