<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>


ffix

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