<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>It's Friday, June 6th, at long last! That means it's the day that a lot of people have been waiting for: <em>Final Fantasy</em> Prerelease day! But also, today is Day 10 of our count-up towards the official release of the set. I've been writing about the best and most flavorful cards from each game in the main <em>FF</em> series. <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-nine-ffix/">Yesterday I covered <em>FFIX</em></a>, and today I'll be looking at <em>Final Fantasy X</em>!</p>
<p>The criteria we're working with for this superlative list is as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These can be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover. Today's list will only have one card.</li>
<li>Best as a Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our <em>FFI</em> list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific <em>Final Fantasy</em> town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
<p>Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, <em>Through the Ages</em>, and promotional/<em>Secret Lair</em> cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.</p>
<p>With that, let's begin!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Al Bhed Salvagers"></div></div>
<p>This Honorable Mention was actually quite difficult, as there are a fair few cards that were in the running. However, I decided to give it to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Al Bhed Salvagers" href="#" target="_blank">Al Bhed Salvagers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card eked out the superlative win over <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Combat Tutorial" href="#" target="_blank">Combat Tutorial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the merits of mechanical utility over flavor. Al Bhed Salvagers is a helpful, if literally uncommon, Aristocrat-style card in this set, with the only other card overtly like it in the set being <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. As such, Al Bhed Salvagers is a helpful addition to many different builds. It will see a lot of play in Limited under the white-black sacrifice archetype, but the card is more genuinely useful in any deck that utilizes black in the format. And this isn't even touching upon Commander's applications of the card, which seem quite vast as well!</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuna, Hope of Spira"></div></div>
<p>In the Best as a Commander spot, we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuna, Hope of Spira" href="#" target="_blank">Yuna, Hope of Spira</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Between <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sin, Spira&#039;s Punishment" href="#" target="_blank">Sin, Spira&#039;s Punishment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> costing too much mana and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seymour Flux" href="#" target="_blank">Seymour Flux</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> having too few colors about it, Yuna felt like the right choice for this superlative spot. As a dedicated "Summon"-centric legend, Yuna seems like fertile ground for open potential in deckbuilding. You could always go with the Saga creatures from the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set, but you could also err towards general enchantment creatures as well. There is a real case for Yuna's high degree of open utility here, so make of that what you will.</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overkill"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overkill" href="#" target="_blank">Overkill</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of those cards that you have to experience to really understand the magnitude of. Whether it's killing a bomb of a creature definitively and turning the tide of the game, or comboing out with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jaws of Defeat" href="#" target="_blank">Jaws of Defeat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to take a player out, Overkill will seldom be unimpactful in a game of Commander.</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blitzball"></div></div>
<p>How could we talk about <em>Final Fantasy X</em> and not put <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blitzball" href="#" target="_blank">Blitzball</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at Most Flavorful on this list? The card is a solid mana rock (mana ball? The verdict is still out among my editors) and provides ample card advantage upon scoring a goal. The analogy of <a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Blitzball_(minigame)">scoring a goal</a> being a legendary creature dealing combat damage is pretty rad, if I'm being frank. In Limited, people will probably only be sacrificing Blitzball in the late game, as mana is so vital earlier in Sealed or Draft. However, this card will be used a lot in Commander decks that care about the card advantage capabilities of this card. Time will tell how many decks want it, but it's still a really cool and flavorful card.</p>
<p>And that brings us to the Best In Show for <em>FFX</em>. Which card takes this category? It couldn't be any other card than...</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy X</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Bahamut"></div></div>
<p>...<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Bahamut" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Bahamut</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>This absolute monster of a Summon is one of the most impactful cards in the set, if you can cast it. If you're able to cheat it into play, such as by reanimating it with Yuna, Hope of Spira, it's even better. At one or two lore counters, Bahamut is <em>going</em> to ruin an opponent's day. But that's nothing compared to what's to come. When it reaches its apex at four lore counters, it's apt to do a metric ton of damage to every one of your opponents; this may often end games outright. It's one helluva powerful card, and that's reason enough for it to be my Best In Show for <em>FFX</em>.</p>
<p>So, that marks the end of my count-up for <em>Final Fantasy X</em>! Do you agree with my assessments here? Are there better considerations that I've perhaps missed? Make your case in the comments! And while waiting for tomorrow's <em>FFXI</em> count-up, feel free to read some of the previous entries in the articles linked below.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 1: <em>FFI</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 2: <em>FFII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 3: <em>FFIII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-four-ffiv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 4: <em>FFIV</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-five-ffv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 5: <em>FFV</em></a> |</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Day 6: <em>FFVI</em></strong></a><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-seven-ffvii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 7: <em>FFVII</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii">Day 8: <em>FFVIII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-nine-ffix/">Day 9: <em>FFIX</em></a></strong></p>


Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Ten: FFX

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Today is Thursday, June 5th, and we are already halfway through with our count-up towards the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set release date! This set has so much going for it. For this series, we are looking at the best cards from each individual game in the main series. Yesterday we covered <em>FFVIII</em>, and for today's list, we're looking at <em>Final Fantasy IX</em>!</p>
<p>The criteria we're working with for this superlative list is as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover. (Today's list will only have one card.)</li>
<li>Best as a Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our <em>FFI</em> list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific <em>Final Fantasy</em> town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
<p>Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, <em>Through the Ages</em>, and promotional/<em>Secret Lair</em> cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.</p>
<p>With that, let's begin!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Waltz No. 3"></div></div>
<p>We start today's list off with a formidable Black Mage from the set. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Waltz No. 3" href="#" target="_blank">Black Waltz No. 3</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a remarkably powerful legendary creature in this game's subset of cards. It saps opponents of their life totals, it flies, and it kills whatever creature it damages. For an easy four mana, this creature truly is pushed for an uncommon.</p>
<p>However, it could theoretically do more. The simple nature of how this card functions so effortlessly is the reason that Black Waltz No. 3 is only an Honorable Mention here. By no means is it a bad commander, or part of 99, but it's such an easy card to fit both categories that choosing was difficult. Honestly, it could've been Best In Show if not for the stronger alternative that made it there.</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Choco, Seeker of Paradise"></div></div>
<p>Players have been clamoring for a dedicated Bird kindred commander for a while now. But, specifically, one that can utilize blue, white, <em>and</em> green. After all, how can you run the ever-iconic <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Birds of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Birds of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> without green? Enter <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>. This legendary Chocobo was what Bird player aspirants wanted sorely. <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> clearly did not satisfy due to a lack of white. <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>, once again, lacked green. Choco is a perfect fit for the needs of these players.</p>
<p>Furthermore, there's an argument here for Choco to be a strong landfall commander as well, although that archetype is quite cramped to begin with. But suffice it to say, Choco wants Birds swinging for the fences to use its triggered ability properly. It'll be one heck of a potent commander upon release.</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lindblum, Industrial Regency"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lindblum, Industrial Regency" href="#" target="_blank">Lindblum, Industrial Regency</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a member of a cycle of five lands with Adventures stapled onto them. However, being that Lindblum is the only one from <em>Final Fantasy IX</em>, it seemed fair to put it here, as Best in the 99. The card is very strong; it makes a "Black Mage" body, it triggers any other Black Mages you had on the battlefield already, and it allows you a land drop later on. What's not to love about that?</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kuja, Genome Sorcerer"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kuja, Genome Sorcerer" href="#" target="_blank">Kuja, Genome Sorcerer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the antagonist of <em>FFIX</em>. He is a pivotal character when it comes to purportedly knowing the secret to creating Black Mages in the context of the video game. As such, when it comes to his <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> card, his story and flavor tie into this exceptionally well.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Trance_Kuja_(cinematic_enemy)">Trance Kuja</a>, the party of <em>FFIX</em> cannot defeat him for cinematic reasons, so it's harder to translate this into card game terms, but it seems to have been adapted pretty well in a fashion.</p>
<p>And that brings us to the <em>Final Fantasy IX</em> Best In Show. You probably can guess which card this is already, but here we go anyhow...</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy IX</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vivi Ornitier"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi Ornitier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone as our Best In Show. A highly beloved character from this game, Vivi has been cleverly adapted for <em>Magic</em>. He's rather pushed, mechanically, even beginning to break into the echelons of cEDH territory before anyone even has the card. Vivi combos rather well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quicksilver Elemental" href="#" target="_blank">Quicksilver Elemental</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curiosity" href="#" target="_blank">Curiosity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigil of Sleep" href="#" target="_blank">Sigil of Sleep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and a variety of other strong cards. My overall assessment of this amazing card is why Vivi is ultimately the Best In Show for the subset of <em>FFIX</em>.</p>
<p>And now, we've reached the end of today's count-up. How are you liking this series so far? Are we missing anything vital? Sound off in the comments! And if you want to read my previous count-up articles for <em>Final Fantasy</em>, the links thus far are all below.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 1: <em>FFI</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 2: <em>FFII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 3: <em>FFIII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-four-ffiv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 4: <em>FFIV</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-five-ffv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 5: <em>FFV</em></a> |</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Day 6: <em>FFVI</em></strong></a><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-seven-ffvii">Day 7: <em>FFVII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/">Day 8: </a><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/"><em>FFVIII</em></a></strong></p>


Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Nine: FFIX

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>It's Wednesday, June 4th, which means it's time for the next entry in our <em>Final Fantasy</em> count-up series! Each day leading up to <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/final-fantasy">the release of the new <em>Universes Beyond</em> set</a>, I'm denoting my picks for the most powerful and flavorful cards from each game in the main series. Yesterday, we went over <em>FFVII</em>, and today marks Day 8 of our count-up, so naturally, we're covering <em>Final Fantasy VIII</em> today.</p>
<p>The criteria we're working with for this superlative list is as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover. (Today's list will only have one card.)</li>
<li>Best as a Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our <em>FFI</em> list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific <em>Final Fantasy</em> town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
<p>Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, <em>Through the Ages</em>, and promotional/<em>Secret Lair</em> cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.</p>
<p>With that, let's begin!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rinoa Heartilly"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rinoa Heartilly" href="#" target="_blank">Rinoa Heartilly</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is our Honorable Mention in this list. She has a lot of cool, flavorful applications to her. Namely, Rinoa can create Angelo and then essentially launch him at opponents. This is more of a case for Angelo than Rinoa, as Angelo is <em>the</em> bestest boy in this game. However, as Angelo is a token and linked to Rinoa, we have to give this superlative to her.</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Squall, SeeD Mercenary"></div></div>
<p>I've noticed that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Squall, SeeD Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Squall, SeeD Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is practically identical to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seifer Almasy" href="#" target="_blank">Seifer Almasy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in many ways. Both are 4-mana 3/4 legendary creatures that can give double strike to a lone attacker. Plus, both have a trigger on dealing combat damage that recurs a card with a mana value of 3 or less. However, with this stiff competition, Squall beats out Seifer here in that Squall doesn't give the creature cards he recurs finality of any sort. Seifer effectively does, since he exiles the instants and sorceries he allows you to cast from your graveyard. Both are very powerful recursion engines, but Squall is a stronger card in this way. To this end, Squall, SeeD Mercenary is my pick for Best as a Commander.</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="PuPu UFO"></div></div>
<p>I'm a fan of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Walking Atlas" href="#" target="_blank">Walking Atlas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects. I think they're fantastic and have a lot of useful utility. As such, I will be giving the Best in the 99 superlative to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="PuPu UFO" href="#" target="_blank">PuPu UFO</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, an even better Walking Atlas effect than Walking Atlas itself. Sure, Atlas has one more power in any normal situation, but PuPu UFO is a 0/4 flyer that can get huge in Limited. There are even some Commander decks that will synergize well with PuPu UFO, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wandering Minstrel" href="#" target="_blank">The Wandering Minstrel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Obviously, by the strictest definitions, it's not <em>strictly</em> better than Atlas, but it's certainly pushed and power crept.</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triple Triad"></div></div>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/best-final-fantasy-spoilers-from-may-12th-15th">I've covered</a> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triple Triad" href="#" target="_blank">Triple Triad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the past. I truly like the card. Put simply, it's a minigame that is heavily based on the card game minigame from <em>FFVIII</em> and beyond. There are a bunch of layers to this that we can unpack, but at the end of the day, it's just a really fun card that's bursting with flavor.</p>
<p>With that, we've gotten to our Best In Show for <em>Final Fantasy VIII</em>. Which card earned this superlative?</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy VIII</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jumbo Cactuar"></div></div>
<p>It's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jumbo Cactuar" href="#" target="_blank">Jumbo Cactuar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>Jumbo Cactuar is a strong card with humorous flavor implications. It's probably the most memetic card in the set right now on social media. Since its reveal, people have been trying to find ways to adequately break the giant cactus monster, and many have succeeded. It's essentially the new "Congratulations, we finally broke _____" card, always funny to a fault.</p>
<p>Additionally, the card itself <em>is</em> disgustingly powerful. Give this thing trample, flying, or even haste against an unsuspecting board, and you have a card that will defeat opponents quickly and easily. 10,000 power is no joke, dear reader, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>ing 10,000 power is itself a power move. And let's not even talk about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of Consumption" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of Consumption</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Defeating one opponent and gaining an unreasonably high amount of life is usually a way to end games outright. Plays like that are why Jumbo Cactuar is our Best In Show for this game.</p>
<p>That wraps up our coverage of <em>Final Fantasy VIII</em> for this count-up series! Do you think we missed any important points here? What are your picks for any of these superlatives? Sound off below! And, in the meantime, if you want to look at any of our previous entries, you can find them below as well.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 1: <em>FFI</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 2: <em>FFII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 3: <em>FFIII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-four-ffiv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 4: <em>FFIV</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-five-ffv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 5: <em>FFV</em></a> |</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Day 6: <em>FFVI</em></strong></a><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-seven-ffvii">Day 7: <em>FFVII</em></a></strong></p>


Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Eight: FFVIII

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>It's Tuesday, June 3rd, and that means it's time for another <em>Final Fantasy</em> count-up entry! Each day ahead of the release of the new <em>Universes Beyond</em> set, I'm writing a piece wherein I list some of the best and most flavorful cards from each game in the series! Yesterday, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi">I covered <em>FFVI</em></a>, my personal favorite. Today, we are looking at <em>Final Fantasy VII</em>, arguably the most popular game in the franchise!</p>
<p>The criteria we're working with for this superlative list is as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover. (Today's list will only have one card.)</li>
<li>Best as a Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our <em>FFI</em> list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific <em>Final Fantasy</em> town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
<p>Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, <em>Through the Ages</em>, and promotional/<em>Secret Lair</em> cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.</p>
<p>With that, let's begin!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER"></div></div>
<p>Wow, I bet you didn't see <em>this</em> coming!</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card that, by most intents and purposes, should be a high-ranking card in most any set. It's powerful, it's iconic, and it rises above and beyond most other cards in its weight class. However, for all it's worth, it doesn't do that here. It's only an Honorable Mention. Why? Well, to be fair, this set is positively <em>stacked</em> with cool cards! It's not that Sephiroth is bad by any stretch of the imagination; however, there are better cards in the set to match my criteria therein. Ultimately, though, this card had to make this list, and so to the Honorable Mentions he goes.</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a strong choice to pilot a mono-white Commander deck. Cloud Strife is one of the more iconic characters of <em>Final Fantasy VII</em>, if not <em>the most</em> iconic. His reputation precedes him. And, as a powerful, impactful Equipment commander, Cloud certainly lives up to it in <em>Magic</em>.</p>
<p>Cloud is a tutor from the command zone, and a potent one at that. Being able to search up any Equipment and put it into hand is a very strong ability. Be wary, though: some players will attempt to capitalize on timing with this card, and it won't work out. If you were to equip Cloud before his entry trigger resolves (with something like a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hero&#039;s Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Hero&#039;s Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for instance), you'll still only tutor up one Equipment, despite his triggers then being doubled. It's not an ideal play in many cases, unless you prefer to have him equipped for some doubled effect later on.</p>
<p>That said, if you load Cloud up with plenty of Equipment that have triggers, or grant them, such as the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Fire and Ice" href="#" target="_blank">Swords</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Feast and Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrodin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umezawa&#039;s Jitte" href="#" target="_blank">Umezawa&#039;s Jitte</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you probably have one of the scariest commanders on the battlefield. Happy hunting!</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nibelheim Aflame"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nibelheim Aflame" href="#" target="_blank">Nibelheim Aflame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great variant on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandra&#039;s Ignition" href="#" target="_blank">Chandra&#039;s Ignition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. For one thing, Nibelheim Aflame only costs four mana to essentially wipe the board of all creatures (sans those protected). If that isn't enough, you can also do it again for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-5" 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><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>! Plus, when you do that, you can get four new cards. That's pretty impactful for a board wipe, especially because if it resolves, your opponents' hands are likely exhausted of cards too. And how cool is that art?</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aerith Gainsborough"></div></div>
<p>Come on, you <em>knew</em> we had to choose <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aerith Gainsborough" href="#" target="_blank">Aerith Gainsborough</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for this superlative! And, if you didn't, feel free to skip ahead a paragraph because this one contains a massive spoiler for <em>Final Fantasy VII</em>. In the game, Sephiroth straight-up kills Aerith, which is a major plot point in the game and ultimately spurs on the end-stage of his plans. He is trying to stop Aerith from using her Holy magic to stop his Meteor spell from destroying the planet. It's a whole thing, and honestly, this iconic scene is probably the last motivation that Cloud and company needed in order to take Sephiroth down.</p>
<p>So that's why Aerith has the triggered ability she does. It's also very possible to enact that very scene from <em>FFVII</em> in this way!</p>
<p>So, with that, we move on to our Best In Show. I feel like you know what's coming, especially if you've been watching YouTube videos or reading other list articles on this very subject. So, in the greatest twist <em>ever</em> (I say with sincerest sarcasm), we chose...</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy VII</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Buster Sword"></div></div>
<p>The <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buster Sword" href="#" target="_blank">Buster Sword</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>Please, hold your applause. This card is legitimately the best Equipment in the set, even above <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Genji Glove" href="#" target="_blank">Genji Glove</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aettir and Priwen" href="#" target="_blank">Aettir and Priwen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It slices, it dices, it does your laundry, and it even allows you to cast a boatload of spells if it sticks.</p>
<p>Lorewise, it uses <a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Materia_(Final_Fantasy_VII)">Materia</a> as a source for Cloud to use magic and summons, among other abilities. This is a good representation of that, in the context of the <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> card analogue. Overall, it's just a really strong piece of Equipment that can break the game if left alone on a creature for too long! Plus, equipped to Cloud, Midgar Mercenary (or <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>), it performs even better than it would on most any other given creature! How's <em>that</em> for a flavor win?</p>
<p>With that, we have reached the end of our <em>Final Fantasy VII</em> count-up entry. If you liked this series so far, feel free to let us know in the comments below! And, if you wish to read any more of them, the series so far is below as well.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 1: <em>FFI</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 2: <em>FFII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 3: <em>FFIII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-four-ffiv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 4: <em>FFIV</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-five-ffv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 5: <em>FFV</em></a> |</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi"><strong>Day 6: <em>FFVI</em></strong></a></p>


Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Seven: FFVII

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
<p>Today is Monday, June 2nd, the sixth day of our count-up towards the release date of the <em>Magic</em> set for <em>Final Fantasy</em>! For the past five days, I've been examining the best cards in the set from each game in the series based on superlatives. Yesterday we looked at <em>FFV</em>, and today we'll be looking at <em>Final Fantasy VI</em>! Like many other <em>FF</em> fans, this game is my favorite entry in the main series, so I have some thoughts on this one. So join me as we look into this masterpiece of a game and the most powerful and faithfully adapted cards for <em>FFVI</em>!</p>
<p>The criteria we're working with for this superlative list is as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover. (Today's list will only have one card.)</li>
<li>Best as a Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our <em>FFI</em> list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific <em>Final Fantasy</em> town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
<p>Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, <em>Through the Ages</em>, and promotional/<em>Secret Lair</em> cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.</p>
<p>With that, let's begin!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<p>It was actually very difficult to find an optimal Honorable Mention for <em>Final Fantasy VI</em>. Every card in this subset is extremely well made and faithful to the game in a huge way. However, having found one, I can safely say it is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opera Love Song" href="#" target="_blank">Opera Love Song</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Opera Love Song"></div></div>
<p>Opera Love Song depicts such an important and iconic scene from <em>FFVI</em>. This is the moment that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celes, Rune Knight" href="#" target="_blank">Celes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is quite torn about the affections of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Locke Cole" href="#" target="_blank">Locke Cole</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, her fellow party member who is himself torn between Celes and <span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terra, Magical Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Terra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. He's smitten with both, but at that time, Terra had left the party, having gone into an Esper Trance form. One of Celes' main concerns is if, to Locke, she's just a rebound or "replacement" for Terra. Celes is also performing in an opera during this scene, but her passion, alongside this particular issue, shines through her performance.</p>
<p>Now, the reason I have to only give this scene-depicting card Honorable Mention over Most Flavorful is that there are still more important scenes in this subset. Furthermore, Opera Love Song is an okay card at best. Mechanically, it's not terrible, but it doesn't exactly shine, either. I love how it shows this scene, but love isn't an easy thing to represent in <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. Given enough time for Wizards of the Coast to figure that out, it might be okay eventually to redo. But for now, the concept is a bit mechanically undercooked.</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kefka, Court Mage"></div></div>
<p>For full disclosure, <span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kefka, Court Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Kefka, Court Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a subject of my clear-cut biases. Whether it's Piedmon from the <em>Digimon Adventure 01</em> anime, Dhoulmagus from <em>Dragon Quest VIII</em>, or even Chuckles from <em>Legends of Avantris</em>, I'm an absolute sucker for evil or demented clowns. I even have my own evil clown "BBEG" (or "Big Bad Evil Guy"), in the <em>Dungeons &amp; Dragons</em> campaign I currently act as Dungeon Master for. Suffice to say, after Dhoulmagus and Piedmon, Kefka is probably my favorite of the lot.</p>
<p>Anyway, Kefka is the best commander of the <em>FFVI</em> options. As a tricolor legend, he has more versatility than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar, King of Figaro" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar, King of Figaro</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or Locke Cole, but a less-difficult required mana base than Terra, Magical Adept. His control strategy paired with the ability to pivot into a combo stance is also a really powerful playstyle. I <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/group-slugging-with-kefka-court-mage">covered Kefka in a deck tech</a> early on in the preview season. And, I still stand by the idea that he's my favorite commander in the set overall.</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phoenix Down"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phoenix Down" href="#" target="_blank">Phoenix Down</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a strong modal artifact with a use in many white decks. If you need to reanimate a reasonably-sized creature, Phoenix Down has your back. Do you need to remove a pesky undead? Phoenix Down is available to help you here as well. This falls in line with how the card works in the <em>Final Fantasy</em> series, as healing magic can kill undead creatures. But overall, it's a very versatile card and works great in the 99 of most white decks for its extreme utility in a pinch.</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<p>With cards like Opera Love Song and Phoenix Down in other superlative spots, what takes the cake as Most Flavorful? Well, we have to give this one to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Suplex" href="#" target="_blank">Suplex</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Suplex"></div></div>
<p>The flavor of Suplex is that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sabin, Master Monk" href="#" target="_blank">Sabin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is faced against the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phantom Train" href="#" target="_blank">Phantom Train</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Normally, you could kill the Train with a Phoenix Down, which would deal 9,999 damage to it, but Sabin can <em>also</em> suplex the Train. Yes, you read that correctly. It's apparently a major rite of passage for <em>Final Fantasy VI</em> players to suplex the Phantom Train, and many do it just for bragging rights.</p>
<p>What's that? Suplex can exile an artifact? And the Phantom Train is an artifact? What a supreme flavor win!</p>
<p>The card depicts this memetic scene so well that it had to be my Most Flavorful.</p>
<p>And that brings us to our Best In Show. With so many awesome entries ultimately relegated to other categories, what could this one be? Well...</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy VI</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stolen Uniform"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stolen Uniform" href="#" target="_blank">Stolen Uniform</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card that, like Suplex, depicts a really cool scene from <em>Final Fantasy VI</em>. In the game, at some point in the first half, Locke has to infiltrate the ranks of the Gestahlian Empire to find a way to escape a town. To do this, he robs an Imperial soldier blind, down to his uniform. The soldier flees, naked down to his boxers, in a scene that can be best described as "pathetic for the soldier" and "funny for Locke". So, this card has a ton of flavor to it.</p>
<p>It also has a ton of mechanical usage. In Limited, it's going to be a card that changes games in a big way due to all of the job select cards. And in Commander, the same will happen; someone is bound to steal and equip a pair of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Greaves" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Greaves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, making something susceptible to removal for upwards of a turn cycle. I can't wait to cast it on my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tetsuo, Imperial Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Tetsuo, Imperial Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, though, and equip my own <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaldra Compleat" href="#" target="_blank">Kaldra Compleat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> onto him. The potential is basically endless here!</p>
<p>That does it for our count-up of <em>Final Fantasy VI</em>! Do you agree with my takes on this game's cards? Sound off below! Also, if you missed any of our past coverage of this count-up, feel free to read these articles below to refresh yourself!</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 1: <em>FFI</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 2: <em>FFII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 3: <em>FFIII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-four-ffiv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 4: <em>FFIV</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-five-ffv">Day 5: <em>FFV</em></a></strong></p>


Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Six: FFVI

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Squqare Enix</h6>
<p>Happy June! It's June 1st, and our fifth day counting down towards the release of the <em>Final Fantasy</em> <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> set. Yesterday, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-four-ffiv">we went over <em>FFIV</em></a> and all the best cards that this article series wished to cover. What that means is, today we get to cover the best cards from <em>Final Fantasy V</em>!</p>
<p>The criteria we're working with for this superlative list are as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover. (Today's list will only have one card.)</li>
<li>Best as a Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our <em>FFI</em> list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific <em>Final Fantasy</em> town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
<p>Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, <em>Through the Ages</em>, and promotional/<em>Secret Lair</em> cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.</p>
<p>With that, let's dive into this game!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bartz and Boko"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bartz and Boko" href="#" target="_blank">Bartz and Boko</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is our Honorable Mention for <em>FFV</em>. This card, while cute-yet-potent for what it aims to do, isn't quite as effective of a commander as, for instance, <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>. It is fine in the 99 of a deck like Choco, Seeker of Paradise, but that's hardly ubiquitous or utilitarian. Furthermore, when looking at it for flavor, there may be something to show here, but there's a bigger choice in <em>FFV</em>'s card list that suits this part much more. What card is that? You'll have to wait and read on.</p>
<p>However, Bartz and Boko is not a card to sniff at. The creature can come in cheaply, at a minimum cost of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" 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>, and immediately have your other Birds stomp something to death. It's a fine card for what it is and does. Other cards just outclass it in this subset, which is why it only attained an Honorable Mention here.</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms"></div></div>
<p>Get ready for all the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP5lz2CYNR4">SakuraCon 2009</a> memes people will sourcelessly reference when they play this commander! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms" href="#" target="_blank">Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerhouse in mono-red. It is very similar to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Godo, Bandit Warlord" href="#" target="_blank">Godo, Bandit Warlord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and even synergizes quite well with that card. Just imagine if you manage to grab a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Helm of the Host" href="#" target="_blank">Helm of the Host</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with Gilgamesh! It's also a faithful depiction of a famed and beloved character from within <em>Final Fantasy V</em>, so there's really very little to dislike here if anything.</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Restoration Magic"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Restoration Magic" href="#" target="_blank">Restoration Magic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is this set's obligatory <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Protection" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Protection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> analogue, but boy howdy, is it ever versatile! For just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> you can make something indestructible and hexproof; plus, for one more mana you can gain 3 life on top of that. However, if you pay a total of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" 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-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, you can protect your entire board and gain 6 life! While I don't see many players using the <em>Cura</em> mode on this card, I can foresee common cases for either <em>Cure</em> or <em>Curaga</em>'s uses.</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tonberry"></div></div>
<p>If you're going down a dimly lit path at night and you suddenly see a lantern in the distance, <em>keep away!</em> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tonberry" href="#" target="_blank">Tonberry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of those extremely iconic creatures from the <em>Final Fantasy</em> series, and as always, this time it's out for blood. The creature is understandably slow, which here is represented by a stun counter on entry, but when it gets going, it's positively deadly (It's also sure to be scary in Limited, but that's not the point here). The card gets the Most Flavorful pick because of all that it accurately implies in the scope of both <em>Magic</em> and <em>Final Fantasy</em>.</p>
<p>This brings us to our <em>FFV</em> Best In Show. There were quite a few spots on this list already vying for this one. So, what card could have outclassed them?</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy V</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Genji Glove"></div></div>
<p>...It's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Genji Glove" href="#" target="_blank">Genji Glove</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>This card is my Best In Show pick for its mechanical might a little bit more than its flavor impact. The card does have some big flavor implications (for example, being able to attack twice with two weapons in a turn). But generally speaking, the card is a very powerful piece of Equipment. At 5 mana, it is great with a commander like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tetsuo, Imperial Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Tetsuo, Imperial Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's great with really any Equipment-based Voltron strategy, though. Truly, its relevance can't be understated if you have a cool or impactful trigger on attack or combat damage.</p>
<p>That's it for my picks for the best cards in <em>Final Fantasy V</em>! Tomorrow, we'll be looking at <em>FFVI</em>, my personal favorite entry in the series, and I have some <em>thoughts</em> on that game for this list series! So please, if you're interested, keep reading on because there are still <em>eleven</em> more days and eleven more games to go!</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 1: <em>FFI</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 2: <em>FFII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 3: <em>FFIII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-four-ffiv">Day 4: <em>FFIV</em></a></strong></p>


Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Five: FFV

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
<p>It's Saturday, May 31st, and the <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/final-fantasy/card-image-gallery">entire <em>Final Fantasy</em> set</a> is now public knowledge! Today, we're continuing our count-up of the best and most flavorful cards in the series by game. <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii">We went over <em>FFIII</em> yesterday</a>, and so today, we're covering <em>Final Fantasy IV</em>.</p>
<p>The criteria we're working with for this superlative list is as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover. (Today's list will only have one card.)</li>
<li>Best as a Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our <em>FFI</em> list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific <em>Final Fantasy</em> town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
<p>Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, <em>Through the Ages</em>, and promotional/<em>Secret Lair</em> cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.</p>
<p>So, without further ado, let's take a look at my picks for the best cards in <em>Final Fantasy IV</em>!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cecil, Dark Knight"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cecil, Dark Knight" href="#" target="_blank">Cecil, Dark Knight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a pretty interesting card, but it's not quite up to snuff for a given Commander deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Death&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Death&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style effects are often interesting, but it's a tricky effect to build around properly. Granted, the Redeemed Paladin side of Cecil is nice, but going down to 20 life or less in Commander is putting oneself into a red zone that many players may not be comfortable with being in. It's still a neat card for flavor, but for what it's worth, there's better flavor in other cards. Cecil is our Honorable Mention, though, because he's <em>almost</em> good enough for a few categories.</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tellah, Great Sage"></div></div>
<p>This card ranks as our Best to lead a Commander deck because he's a fantastic midrange value engine. Drawing two cards from casting something for four or more mana is going to do wonders for your card advantage output. Plus, the potential to do a massive amount of damage with this commander is nothing to sniff at. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tellah, Great Sage" href="#" target="_blank">Tellah, Great Sage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card that needs some amount of build around to be a formidable commander, especially at a mana value of 5. Still, when you manage to keep him protected and pivot into a strong, moderate to high-MV spell, you're going to get amazing value out of him.</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mysidian Elder"></div></div>
<p>I'll be real with you all; I <em>seriously</em> like the Black Mage synergies in the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set. I wouldn't call myself biased, per se, but I do like how they interact and swarm upon the opposition when you cast noncreature spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mysidian Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Mysidian Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of those cards you'll want to add to a deck that cares about noncreature interaction. A given white-blue-red deck, any number of blue-black-red decks, and, let's face it, any number of blue-red decks in general, all want this sort of effect. This is a great card, especially if you can flicker it repeatedly.</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kain, Traitorous Dragoon"></div></div>
<p>Kain is a character that many either love or hate in <em>Final Fantasy </em><em>IV</em>. He is a supreme backstabber and this is a trait that is encapsulated perfectly in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kain, Traitorous Dragoon" href="#" target="_blank">Kain, Traitorous Dragoon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's clear that his loyalties are anything <em>but</em> clear, and the card swaps controllers more than you do with your older siblings at your childhood home. I digress; the card is chock-full of flavor and it is our Most Flavorful for that reason.</p>
<p>And that brings us to the Best In Show category. Which <em>FFIV</em> card made the cut?</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy IV</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Lunar Whale"></div></div>
<p>You may be surprised to learn that my Best In Show is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Lunar Whale" href="#" target="_blank">The Lunar Whale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card is a strong card that gives me flashbacks to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Reality Chip" href="#" target="_blank">The Reality Chip</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. However, it offers more overall damage output potential. I've played enough with The Reality Chip to know a strong <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Future Sight" href="#" target="_blank">Future Sight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style effect when I see one, and The Lunar Whale is one. With the evasion it has plus the low crew cost (just tap a Hero token or something!), this card is something very neat. Its design is extremely elegant, too.</p>
<p>So that does it for <em>Final Fantasy IV</em>! Tomorrow, we seek to delve into <em>FFV</em> and all the subset offers us in <em>Magic</em>. Are you following along with this series? Do you agree with my picks? Sound off below!</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi?utm_source=edhrec">Day 1: <em>FFI</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii?utm_source=edhrec">Day 2: <em>FFII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii">Day 3: <em>FFIII</em></a></strong></p>


Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Four: FFIV

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
<p>Welcome to the third day of our countdown to the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set release! Each day, I'm selecting up to three cards from each game in the series (in ascending order) that I feel are the best within a certain set of criteria. Those criteria, to go over that again, are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover.</li>
<li>Best As A Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <span class="edhrecp__link"><span class="d-none d-md-inline"><a href="https://edhrec.com/cards/town-greeter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Town Greeter</a></span></span> in our <em>FFI</em> list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific <em>Final Fantasy</em> town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
<p>Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, <em>Through the Ages</em>, and promotional/<em>Secret Lair</em> cards are inelgiible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set. Yesterday, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii">we looked at cards from <em>FFII</em></a>. So with that, hold onto your hats, because it's time to look at <em>Final Fantasy III</em>!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mentions</h2>
<div id="attachment_153583" style="width: 1004px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Featured-Image-crystals-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-153583" class="wp-image-153583" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Featured-Image-crystals-1.jpg" alt="The five Crystals from Final Fantasy III. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="994" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Featured-Image-crystals-1.jpg 1920w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Featured-Image-crystals-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Featured-Image-crystals-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Featured-Image-crystals-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Featured-Image-crystals-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 994px) 100vw, 994px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-153583" class="wp-caption-text">The five Crystals from <em>Final Fantasy III</em>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</p></div>
<p>The Crystal cycle from <em>FFIII</em> is a major plot device for the game. This idea of crystals arbiting balance across the world is also a recurring theme across the series as a whole. While it started in <em>FFII</em>, <em>III</em> really drove that point hard as well.</p>
<p>This cycle is largely a flavor choice, but I'd say they'd also be fantastic in a 99 of decks that like to do any number of things. To reiterate, the Crystal cycle consists of:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wind Crystal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Water Crystal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Darkness Crystal"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Fire Crystal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Earth Crystal"></div></div>
<p>Because this set was a cycle of cards, I couldn't justify putting them anywhere else but Honorable Mentions, however, so that's where they go!</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Xande, Dark Mage"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xande, Dark Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Xande, Dark Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a pretty interesting commander option. He's in colors that work well for filling your graveyard. And, these colors are great for noncreature spell strategies. Paired together and with some evasion in menace added to the mix, Xande becomes a threat fairly quickly.</p>
<p>Furthermore, as black is one of the better colors for recursion, that mana value of 4 plus any commander tax means very little when you can <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reanimate" href="#" target="_blank">Reanimate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> him. A truly formidable creature, indeed!</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Item Shopkeep"></div></div>
<p>Once again, we have yet another card that works well with Equipment strategies. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Item Shopkeep" href="#" target="_blank">Item Shopkeep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an inexpensive creature that grants menace to an equipped creature. You don't even have to attack with the Shopkeep to achieve this, making the card fairly useful as support for a Voltron strategy and as a blocker when things get tough.</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Adventurer&#039;s Inn"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adventurer&#039;s Inn" href="#" target="_blank">Adventurer&#039;s Inn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a common Town in the set, is my choice for Most Flavorful for <em>Final Fantasy III</em>. While this card could feature in any of the game subsets, its ubiquity shines here especially well. This land provides a traveler with a brief respite in the form of two points of lifegain. It's a cute card, even if it does rather little in <em>Magic</em>. However, the flavor of visiting an Inn and resting to regain life is a pretty fun idea.</p>
<p>With that, we come to the Best In Show for <em>FFIII</em>. What card could that possibly be, out of three other possibilities (at the time of writing)?</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy III</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud of Darkness"></div></div>
<p>...It's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud of Darkness" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud of Darkness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>This creature is the final boss of <em>FFIII</em>. While the stats of 3/3 don't quite match the magnanimity of this boss, that's just an unfortunate side-effect of game balancing for <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news"><em>Magic</em></a>. Nevertheless, the flavor certainly does a lot to bring out the best in this creature. Cloud of Darkness can easily vaporize a creature when it enters, and as a commander (especially in Pauper Commander), it will be frustrating to attempt to remove.</p>
<p>There isn't much more to <em>FFIII</em> in the <em>Magic</em> set, but Cloud of Darkness felt the most apt to award Best In Show!</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>These past three count-up articles covered some sparsely populated cards within the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set, but <em>FFIV</em> and others will most assuredly have more representation. Stay tuned for more of these articles! And, if you agree or disagree with these choices, let us know in the comments below!</p>
<p>Meanwhile, if you wish to catch up on the count-up so far, you can read them below:</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi">Day One: <em>FFI</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii">Day Two: <em>FFII</em></a></strong></p>


Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Three: FFIII

<p>Today is Thursday, May 29th, fifteen days before the official release of the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set for <a href="http://dailymtg.com"><em>Magic: The Gathering</em></a>. We are compiling a list of the best cards from each game in the series! Following up from yesterday's article, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi">which covered <em>FFI</em></a>, today we're covering <em>Final Fantasy II</em>'s coolest cards.</p>
<p>To reiterate, we are judging this based on a few types of criteria:</p>
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover.</li>
<li>Best As A Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our <em>FFI</em> list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific <em>Final Fantasy</em> town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
<p>Oh, and, in case you're wondering for <em>FFVI, FFVII, FFX, </em>and <em>FFXIV</em>, the Commander precon cards, <em>Through the Ages</em>, and any promotional or <em>Secret Lair</em> cards won't be included for consideration here. Basically, if it doesn't have the <em>MTGFIN</em> set symbol, it's not eligible.</p>
<p>With that, let's begin!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cid, Timeless Artificer|FIN|0407"></div></div>
<p>So, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cid, Timeless Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Cid, Timeless Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a tricky consideration here. For one, I frankly contemplated putting him in Best Of Show, and I almost did (and I almost swapped it with the real Best In Show as a result). He's just that good, from both mechanical and lore perspectives. However, because his card is spread <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">across so many iterations among the other games in the <em>Final Fantasy</em> series, I couldn't justify it for any other superlative but </span>Honorable Mention.</p>
<p>He could also count as Best as a Commander, but we have a more fitting choice for that one as well.</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firion, Wild Rose Warrior"></div></div>
<p>I chose <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firion, Wild Rose Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Firion, Wild Rose Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for Best As A Commander over Cid or <span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Emperor of Palamecia" href="#" target="_blank">The Emperor of Palamecia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There was some competition this time, even taking Cid out of the equation. Why Firion, then? Well, Firion's ability is pretty novel, making temporary copies of Equipment and cheapening their equip costs. This also synergizes really well with For Mirrodin! and job select abilities, making a token. Unlike the Equipment, that token actually sticks around after the turn ends. It's most assured to be a Limited build-around bomb, but also a very strong commander in that format. Probably also Tiny Leaders, if that format was still supported. No shade!</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swallowed by Leviathan"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swallowed by Leviathan" href="#" target="_blank">Swallowed by Leviathan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't the flashiest card, but it outclasses many other cards in the <em>FFII</em> subset of the set in its utility. It potentially fills your graveyard and then uses that to counter a spell. All of this for just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. It also provides a bit of relevant card selection, as surveil 2 is a surprisingly relevant amount of digging compared to surveil/scry 1.</p>
<p>And, if your opponent is going to pay mana to offset the counter, you're making their turn that much more difficult to enact. They're surely paying a ton of mana in this process, if you've timed this counterspell correctly!</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Random Encounter"></div></div>
<p>There's something oddly satisfying about cards that care about the metanarrative of <em>Final Fantasy</em> in a way. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Battle Menu" href="#" target="_blank">Battle Menu</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Combat Tutorial" href="#" target="_blank">Combat Tutorial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and of course <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Random Encounter" href="#" target="_blank">Random Encounter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are all examples of the set noting <em>Final Fantasy</em>'s existence as a video game series. All are witty, and all are welcome. As for Random Encounter specifically, I love the idea of bringing in a creature like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hecteyes" href="#" target="_blank">Hecteyes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tonberry" href="#" target="_blank">Tonberry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cactuar" href="#" target="_blank">Cactuar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> onto the battlefield, like it was an actual video game. I think the only thing I'd suggest about this card is that I'd've liked it to be at instant-speed. But the sorcery speed also makes sense for balancing purposes.</p>
<p>With that, we come to our <em>FFII</em> Best In Show. What card could it be? It's none other than...</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy II</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commune with Beavers"></div></div>
<p>...<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commune with Beavers" href="#" target="_blank">Commune with Beavers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>This card really encapsulates a lot of what it means to be Best In Show for this subset of cards. Flavorfully, it's a great dig spell that can get you a number of things that, frankly, make sense for a beaver to grant you. It can get you a creature (perhaps even a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giant Beaver" href="#" target="_blank">Giant Beaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!), an artifact (like its dam), or a land (like the river it builds the dam upon). Plus, we can't deny that the "Guy speak beaver" memetic moment absolutely hits on all sevens.</p>
<p>Mechanically, you're doing all of the above for just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. That's a strong amount of dig, even if it's a little less dig than something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commune with Nature" href="#" target="_blank">Commune with Nature</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Stirrings" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Stirrings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. To understate for a second, those other options are pretty good in the formats they're legal in. So it's a fair assessment to presume that Commune with Beavers will at least be a decent source of card selection in Limited. All of this comingling together is why Commune with Beavers is Best In Show for <em>FFII</em>!</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Like <em>FFI</em>, <em>Final Fantasy II</em> had only a small handful of options in-class for this list. Technically, <em>FFIII</em> will have even fewer, but nevertheless, we'll have a list from that game for you tomorrow!</p>
<p>But for now, let's hear from you. Do you agree with this list? Are there some superlatives we should add to this? Did we miss an important point when selecting these over other options? Let me know in the comments!</p>


Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Two: FFII

<p>Today is Wednesday, May 28th, sixteen days before the upcoming <em>Final Fantasy</em> set formally releases! As such, we are going to begin something special. Every day up through June 12th, we will provide you with a superlative list of some of the best cards from the set, sorted by each video game in the series. We want to start with <em>Final Fantasy I</em> and end on <em>FFXVI</em>. If that sounds good, let's begin at the very beginning!</p>
<h2>But First, Criteria!</h2>
<p>Each day, we will gauge between one and three cards from the game in question by the following criteria:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Honorable Mention</strong>: This superlative will generally either be a cycle, a grouping of cards from a given game, or a card that otherwise didn't quite make the cut for the other superlatives.</li>
<li><strong>Best As A Commander</strong>: This superlative denotes the best legendary creature(s) from the game in question.</li>
<li><strong>Best In The 99</strong>: In Best in the 99, we will choose the best cards for the 99 of a given Commander deck.</li>
<li><strong>Most Flavorful</strong>: As described, this card (or cards) will be the most flavorful card and most analogous to the game if possible.</li>
<li><strong>Best In Show</strong>: This one card will be the best overall (at least, in this author's opinion).</li>
</ul>
<p>With that in mind, let's discuss <em>Final Fantasy I</em>!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mentions</h2>
<p>The Honorable Mention for this game is a set of three common cards that work to create a very flavorful environment relative to what they do. Three cards fit the criteria for this in a big way, which is why this has to be an Honorable Mention; if it were just one, it would be Most Flavorful. The Honorable Mentions are:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Mage&#039;s Rod"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warrior&#039;s Sword"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="White Mage&#039;s Staff"></div></div>
<p>These three Equipment with job select are amazing at providing story beats within the context of a given match. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Mage&#039;s Rod" href="#" target="_blank">Black Mage&#039;s Rod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes the creature it's equipped to a Black Mage (a la the Wizard tokens from the set), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warrior&#039;s Sword" href="#" target="_blank">Warrior&#039;s Sword</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes the creature a Warrior (as expected), and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="White Mage&#039;s Staff" href="#" target="_blank">White Mage&#039;s Staff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns your creature into a White Mage. The concept is simple and intuitive, and for what it's worth, it rocks.</p>
<h2>Best As A Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Garland, Knight of Cornelia"></div></div>
<p>Unfortunately, at this time, <span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Garland, Knight of Cornelia" href="#" target="_blank">Garland, Knight of Cornelia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is Best As A Commander by default. This isn't shade for Garland, as the card is fine, especially in Pauper Commander. I just wish there were more competition in this category.</p>
<p>Being able to surveil off casting a noncreature spell is nice, especially when built around. Getting a 5/5 flying Demon later on is also nice. And, a 3/2 body for two mana is also pretty sweet. So, Garland gets this one largely by default, but certainly deserves it in some contexts.</p>
<h2>Best In The 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Starting Town"></div></div>
<p>From the moment it was revealed, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Starting Town" href="#" target="_blank">Starting Town</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has turned heads as an additional copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Confluence" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Confluence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="City of Brass" href="#" target="_blank">City of Brass</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While it's decidedly not either of those cards, its power as a versatile land can't be overstated. It's a <em>really</em> good land, but it's undoubtedly better in the early game. Furthermore, because there are only eight cards revealed from <em>Final Fantasy I</em> (at the time of writing), this is the pick of the litter, so to speak.</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Town Greeter"></div></div>
<p>A card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is pretty fun when we consider the implications of, for instance, revealing and putting a Starting Town or better onto the battlefield. This is even better when it's a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Midgar, City of Mako" href="#" target="_blank">Midgar, City of Mako</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gohn, Town of Ruin" href="#" target="_blank">Gohn, Town of Ruin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It may generally be a <em>weaker</em> play, but at least you can tell your opponents, "Welcome to Midgar, City of Mako", or whatever other Town you chose.</p>
<p>That brings us to our Best In Show. What <em>FFI</em> card achieved this? Well, it could be none other than...</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy I</em> Best In Show</h2>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fin-252-adventurer-s-airship.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154329" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fin-252-adventurer-s-airship.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fin-252-adventurer-s-airship.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fin-252-adventurer-s-airship-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a></p>
<p>...Adventurer's Airship!</p>
<p>Every <em>Final Fantasy</em> game in the series has some kind of want for an airship, just as every game after <em>FFI</em> has some version of Cid. It's natural to the series at this point, and from here till <em>FFXVI</em>, and probably even beyond, the idea of the airship will remain ubiquitous to the series. As such, this card has the flavor chops to hold its own with the rest of them.</p>
<p>As for mechanics, as a common card, Aventurer's Airship is quite stacked. Sure, the mana value is one higher than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smuggler&#039;s Copter" href="#" target="_blank">Smuggler&#039;s Copter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as is the crew cost, and for one less toughness, but this card does a great job imitating it. Copter was <a href="https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Banned_and_restricted_cards/Timeline">banned in Standard</a> in January 2017, in Pioneer for a span, and in Brawl from the beginning. Therefore, this card theoretically could make some waves in a great many formats upon release. And that, dear reader, is why this card is Best In Show among the cards from <em>Final Fantasy I</em>.</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>I wish there were more options to choose from at the time of writing, but the options I had to choose from weren't too shabby. Tomorrow we will seek to look at <em>Final Fantasy II</em> and the similarly small pool it provides. But for now, let's open the floor to you. Do you think these options are correct? Were there some discrepancies I've missed? What superlatives would you give to other games, and what makes the cut,in your eyes? Sound off below!</p>
