<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Catch a Fish" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Catch a Fish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://galorart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gal Or</a></em></p>
<p>Hey everyone! It's <em>Final Fantasy </em>(FIN) week on EDHREC, so instead of a <em>Back to Basics </em>breakdown of most played cards from a particular set or of a certain type or color identity, I'll be looking at the five Sidequest enchantments from FIN.</p>
<p>Much like the game mechanics they represent, the Sidequests reward you for completing a task. But, these cards also helpfully nudge you in the right direction by providing a a boost that helps you complete the quest a little easier. These are very flavorful cards that are evocative not just of <em>Final Fantasy</em>, but of role-playing games in general, and they've been translated beautifully to <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. How good are they, though? Let's find out!</p>
<p>I've ranked them roughly by how well they can contribute to existing themes and decks. Let me know if you disagree with my very loose ranking in the comments!</p>
<h2>5. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Card Collection" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Card Collection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidequest: Card Collection"></div></div>
<p>While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Card Collection" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Card Collection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be first on my list of best in-jokes from the set (<span class="edhrecp__link only-back"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Card Collection" href="#" target="_blank">Magicked Card</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!!!!), I just don't see this making a huge impact in the format. The ability on its face is a useful one as players are always looking for redundancy in their decks and a lot of builds also want to be filling the graveyard. The effect you get is just too expensive at four mana when cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thirst for Knowledge" href="#" target="_blank">Thirst for Knowledge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frantic Search" href="#" target="_blank">Frantic Search</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> exist.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thirst for Knowledge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frantic Search"></div></div>
<p>But, what about the back half? I mean, it seems like a good Limited card, but a 4/4 flyer that still needs to be crewed isn't going to get the job done in the vast majority of games. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Search for Azcanta" href="#" target="_blank">Search for Azcanta</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Map" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Map</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> this is not!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Search for Azcanta"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Map"></div></div>
<h2>4. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Hunt the Mark" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Hunt the Mark</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidequest: Hunt the Mark"></div></div>
<p>The black Sidequest is also expensive and clunky, but at least it affects the board <em>and </em>makes additional pieces of cardboard in the form of Treasure tokens before you flip it. Both halves can cohesively contribute to a Sacrifice theme deck (although Treasures only happen if your opponents' things die), with the legendary creature on the back half giving you a sacrifice outlet and a beefy body.</p>
<p>The problem is, it's <em>still </em>expensive and clunky, even down to the two-mana activation cost for Yizamat's sacrifice ability. Affecting the board and making tokens does help you win games of <em>Magic</em> though, and a 5/6 can brawl, so this definitely edges Card Collection.</p>
<h2>3. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Play Blitzball" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Play Blitzball</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidequest: Play Blitzball"></div></div>
<p>Blitzball is a very focused tool in a deck that would like to deal a lot of damage in one go, which makes me think of Boros-based (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/equipment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Equipment decks</a> and Gruul (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xenagos, God of Revels" href="#" target="_blank">Xenagos, God of Revels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anzrag, the Quake-Mole" href="#" target="_blank">Anzrag, the Quake-Mole</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style builds.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Xenagos, God of Revels"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anzrag, the Quake-Mole"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Embercleave"></div></div>
<p>Being an uncommon, it certainly doesn't quite measure to double strike staple <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Embercleave" href="#" target="_blank">Embercleave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but not many cards do. It still puts a good amount of damage potential on the table and synergizes with commanders like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale" href="#" target="_blank">Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri, Forged in Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri, Forged in Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and more. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also a shiny new option that gives you access to green as well.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nahiri, Forged in Fury"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER"></div></div>
<h2>2. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Raise a Chocobo" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Raise a Chocobo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidequest: Raise a Chocobo"></div></div>
<p>This is an interesting one because it powers up Bird kindred decks, but it's also in a tertiary color for that creature type, green. Most of the commanders that really enhance other Birds are in Azorius (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>), like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kastral, the Windcrested" href="#" target="_blank">Kastral, the Windcrested</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kangee, Aerie Keeper" href="#" target="_blank">Kangee, Aerie Keeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and (more loosely) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Errant and Giada" href="#" target="_blank">Errant and Giada</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kastral, the Windcrested"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kangee, Aerie Keeper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Errant and Giada"></div></div>
<p>Diversity in Commander is great though, so having this as a Bird payoff in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Derevi, Empyrial Tactician" href="#" target="_blank">Derevi, Empyrial Tactician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Falco Spara, Pactweaver" href="#" target="_blank">Falco Spara, Pactweaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tawnos, the Toymaker" href="#" target="_blank">Tawnos, the Toymaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could be great.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Derevi, Empyrial Tactician"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Falco Spara, Pactweaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tawnos, the Toymaker"></div></div>
<p>Being cheap helps a ton, as does giving you a body upfront that can also brawl. Getting a 2/2 on the backside isn't busted or anything, but being easy enough to get there in a dedicated Birds deck and also spotting you the first <em>landfall</em> trigger by searching up a land can lead to a surprising power spike and a chunk of damage.</p>
<p>It's important to mention that Bant (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) Birds is getting a new commander from FIN in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Choco, Seeker of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Choco, Seeker of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as well as a few new creatures and enablers/payoffs, helping green Birds decks with more options.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Choco, Seeker of Paradise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bartz and Boko"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chocobo Racetrack"></div></div>
<h2>1. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Catch a Fish" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Catch a Fish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidequest: Catch a Fish"></div></div>
<p>Raise a Chocobo is more powerful in the right deck, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Catch a Fish" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Catch a Fish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a simply a more flexible card that provides a little bit of a lot of things for a reasonable three mana: you draw a card, you make an artifact token, you get more mana (which is so, so powerful), <em>and</em> you can buff your whole team by sacrificing the "free" token you already received!</p>
<p>Of course, you'll want to slot this into a deck with a lot of creatures, but that's a trivial side quest in a white deck. Tyler Bucks <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/amazing-commons-uncommons-from-the-final-fantasy-set" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes more about this card here</a>, including the great call that this is an excellent option in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Artful Provocateur" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Artful Provocateur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alela, Artful Provocateur"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thraben Inspector"></div></div>
<p>I'm a simple person; I think of how this card meshes well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thraben Inspector" href="#" target="_blank">Thraben Inspector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and I get excited. Watch out for this in <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/hatebears" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hatebears</a> too!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shinra Reinforcements" href="#" target="_blank">End of the Line, Punk!</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>Five sidequests aren't that many, but figuring out how to maximize them should provide ample distraction from the main quest of playing with all the other fantastic FIN cards!</p>


best sidequests in final fantasy

Breaking Down the Sidequests From Final Fantasy