<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 style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Queen Brahne" href="#" target="_blank">Queen Brahne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/lorenzomastroianni" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lorenzo Mastroianni</a></em></p>
<p>Welcome back to <em>Archetypes of Imagination</em>, the series where we build decks based on popular Commander archetypes. I'll be using Scryfall's tagging system and EDHREC's Tag pages to build around a new theme each week. Scryfall has a really cool way of categorizing cards, where each card has specific labels attached to it for later reference. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terisiare&#039;s Devastation" href="#" target="_blank">Terisiare&#039;s Devastation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the artifact synergy tag and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fateful Absence" href="#" target="_blank">Fateful Absence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the removal tag. EDHREC's tag system is really cool too, letting users see popular cards associated with a given strategy. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm-Kiln Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Storm-Kiln Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great in spellslinger decks and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Juri, Master of the Revue" href="#" target="_blank">Juri, Master of the Revue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great in sacrifice decks. These tagging systems are great ways to get inspiration for certain deck archetypes, and I often start there when it's time for me to build a new deck.</p>
<p>This week we'll be building a deck focused on polymorphing small, less useful creatures into big, powerful monsters. For those who may not know, “polymorphing” is the process of removing a creature and having its owner replace it on the battlefield by revealing cards from the top of their library until a new creature appears. Essentially, these effects will let us turn tokens and other cheap creatures into high mana value beaters. So we'll need a commander that lets us get easy access to disposable creatures, and it'll need to have <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> or <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> in its color identity, as that's where most of <em>Magic</em>'s polymorph effects lie. Luckily, <em>Final Fantasy</em> has presented us with a fantastic option: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Queen Brahne" href="#" target="_blank">Queen Brahne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Queen Brahne"></div></div>
<p>For those of you who are interested, here are some of the Scryfall searches I used to write this article:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=otag%3Apolymorph+commander%3Ared+legal%3Aedh+order%3Aedhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Polymorph effects</a></li>
<li><a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=t%3Acreature+cmc%3E4+-fo%3A%22when+you+cast+this+spell%22+commander%3Ared+legal%3Aedh+order%3Aedhrec&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Creatures to polymorph into</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>What Does Queen Brahne Do?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Queen Brahne" href="#" target="_blank">Queen Brahne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an interesting new design, netting us a cool token every time it attacks. These 0/1 Wizard tokens will ping our opponents when we cast noncreature spells, which is great because most of our polymorph spells aren't creatures. While the chip damage they provide likely won't be game-winning, it'll certainly add up as the game goes on. But, a lot of these tokens will end up being sacrificed so we can cheat something scarier onto the battlefield. I'm super excited to talk about the deck's inner workings, so let's get going!</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Polymorphing With Queen Brahne</h2>
<p>First, let's talk about the different ways that we can turn little guys into big guys. The classics are all here, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Divergent Transformations" href="#" target="_blank">Divergent Transformations</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Indomitable Creativity" href="#" target="_blank">Indomitable Creativity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reality Scramble" href="#" target="_blank">Reality Scramble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. That last one's my favorite, because we can recast it as many times as we'd like (provided there's lands in our hand). Sometimes we'll get unlucky and spin into a creature that doesn't work well on the current board state. Cards like Reality Scramble ensure that we can get a do-over whenever needed.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Divergent Transformations"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Indomitable Creativity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reality Scramble"></div></div>
<p>There's a few more repeatable ways for us to polymorph our creatures too. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fireflux Squad" href="#" target="_blank">Fireflux Squad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can polymorph a creature every turn if it survives combat. This is particularly strong alongside our commander, given that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Queen Brahne" href="#" target="_blank">Queen Brahne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes a new token every turn that can serve as an easy target for polymorphing.</p>
<p>I also really like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lukka, Coppercoat Outcast" href="#" target="_blank">Lukka, Coppercoat Outcast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, because it provides value outside of just polymorphs. The card advantage this planeswalker provides is nice, and its ultimate can easily end the game when activated. Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dreamshaper Shaman" href="#" target="_blank">Dreamshaper Shaman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> slots super well into our game plan. If we've got extra mana and any extra nonland permanents lying around, this creature can turn those into game-ending threats quite easily. Plus, it's no slouch in combat as a 5/4.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fireflux Squad"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lukka, Coppercoat Outcast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dreamshaper Shaman"></div></div>
<p>But that's enough talk about polymorph spells. Lets talk about the big, scary creatures we'll be getting onto the battlefield. I'll start by talking about a trio of Dragons: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skyline Despot" href="#" target="_blank">Skyline Despot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utvara Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Utvara Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balefire Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Balefire Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These are all huge, flying creatures that'll make short work of our opponents if we can get them onto the board early. I like that these creatures provide more than just power and toughness, though. They provide card advantage, token production, and removal, respectively. We need our big threats to do more than just attack and block, given how much we're investing in them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skyline Despot"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Utvara Hellkite"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balefire Dragon"></div></div>
<p>There are, of course, Eldrazi here too. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Void Winnower" href="#" target="_blank">Void Winnower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can cripple our opponents' ability to play the game at all, while also being a massive 11/9. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulamog&#039;s Dreadsire" href="#" target="_blank">Ulamog&#039;s Dreadsire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a newer card that can produce huge amounts of power if left unchecked. And, one of my personal favorites, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pathrazer of Ulamog" href="#" target="_blank">Pathrazer of Ulamog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will ensure our opponents' board states aren't strong enough to fight back against us. Although these creatures don't provide as much value as the aforementioned Dragons, I'm still more than happy to include them here.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Void Winnower"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ulamog&#039;s Dreadsire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pathrazer of Ulamog"></div></div>
<p>Given that many of our polymorph effects destroy or sacrifice one of our creatures, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Triniform" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Triniform</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wurmcoil Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Wurmcoil Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triplicate Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Triplicate Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> become even stronger in this deck. It's great to have them on board as big 9/9s, but we're also perfectly okay with sacrificing them to go fetch another big creature from our deck. The tokens they leave behind are powerful, and can be sacrificed for future polymorph spells too. All of these creatures, and the tokens they leave behind, fit extremely well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror of the Peaks" href="#" target="_blank">Terror of the Peaks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Not counting the tokens we'll be creating, the average power of creatures in this deck is six. Suffice it to say that Terror of the Peaks will be dishing out tons of damage over the course of the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Triniform"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triplicate Titan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terror of the Peaks"></div></div>
<p>Our commander has prowess, which conveniently synergizes with the 39 noncreature spells in this deck. But there are other ways to take advantage of those spells too, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Young Pyromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Young Pyromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Although including this creature in the deck does run the risk of it being flipped off a polymorph spell, the huge amount of creature tokens it'll be creating for us is too good to pass up. Same goes for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bothersome Quasit" href="#" target="_blank">Bothersome Quasit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which provides combat control through goading. And, as a unique include to re-trigger our noncreature synergies, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mark of Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Mark of Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is here. Haste is pretty important in this deck, letting our big creatures attack for value or letting our commander attack to make an additional creature token. Having the chance to cast this spell and give a new creature haste on every single turn feels really strong.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Young Pyromancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bothersome Quasit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mark of Fury"></div></div>
<h2>Queen Brahne Polymorph Commander Deck List</h2>
<p>Here's the full decklist, which includes one of my personal favorite cards in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Powerbalance" href="#" target="_blank">Powerbalance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Archetypes of Imagination - Queen Brahne" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Queen Brahne
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Commander&#039;s Plate
*1 Idol of Oblivion
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mithril Coat
*1 Ruby Medallion
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Tome of Legends
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Ancient Copper Dragon
*1 Aspiring Champion
*1 Balefire Dragon
*1 Blightsteel Colossus
*1 Bonehoard Dracosaur
*1 Bothersome Quasit
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
*1 Dreamshaper Shaman
*1 Etali, Primal Storm
*1 Fireflux Squad
*1 Magmatic Force
*1 Molten Primordial
*1 Pathrazer of Ulamog
*1 Phyrexian Triniform
*1 Pinnacle Monk // Mystic Peak
*1 Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded
*1 Skyline Despot
*1 Terror of the Peaks
*1 Triplicate Titan
*1 Ulamog&#039;s Dreadsire
*1 Utvara Hellkite
*1 Void Winnower
*1 Wurmcoil Engine
*1 Young Pyromancer
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Breaching Dragonstorm
*1 Mark of Fury
*1 Powerbalance
*1 Shifting Shadow
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Chaotic Transformation
*1 Descent of the Dragons
*1 Indomitable Creativity
*1 Jeska&#039;s Will
*1 Reality Scramble
*1 Shatterskull Smashing // Shatterskull, the Hammer Pass
*1 Song of Totentanz
*1 Sundering Eruption // Volcanic Fissure
*1 Transmogrify
*1 Will of the Jeskai
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Crimson Wisps
*1 Desperate Ritual
*1 Divergent Transformations
*1 Expedite
*1 Guff Rewrites History
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Pyretic Ritual
*1 Seething Song
*1 Tibalt&#039;s Trickery
*1 Untimely Malfunction
*1 Valakut Awakening // Valakut Stoneforge
*1 Wild Magic Surge
*1 Zoyowa&#039;s Justice
[/Instants]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Lukka, Coppercoat Outcast
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Kher Keep
*32 Mountain
*1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
*1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Voyage&#039;s End" href="#" target="_blank">Voyage&#039;s End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>Thanks for sticking around to the end! Before you go, there's a few more cards I wanted to shout out for their role in the 99 of this deck. We're making a lot of 0/1 and 1/1 tokens, so cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Idol of Oblivion" href="#" target="_blank">Idol of Oblivion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide a ton of card advantage. And, should we wish to upgrade some of those tokens into game-ending threats, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Descent of the Dragons" href="#" target="_blank">Descent of the Dragons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can do so. I love this card for its ability to downgrade an opponent's scariest threat into a mere 4/4 and its ability to upgrade our small tokens into flying threats.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skullclamp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Idol of Oblivion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Descent of the Dragons"></div></div>
<p>Thanks once again for reading! I'll see you all soon for another edition of <em>Archetypes of Imagination</em>!</p>


Making a Polymorph Deck With Queen Brahne

Building a Selesnya Tokens Commander Deck With Rinoa Heartilly

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
<p>Today is the final day of content creator previews for <em>Final Fantasy</em>! Tomorrow, the official <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/final-fantasy/card-image-gallery">Card Image Gallery</a> will be full up with every single card from the set and its offshoots. So, in advance of tomorrow's happenings, let's showcase the spoilers for the set from over the past day!</p>
<h2>But First... May 28th Spoilers, Revisited</h2>
<p>Remember when we said there would be a few things we missed when <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/best-final-fantasy-spoilers-for-wednesday-may-28th">we covered yesterday's previews</a>? Well, those can be found here right now!</p>
<p>All image assets below are credited to Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01-The-Wandering-Minstrel.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154564" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01-The-Wandering-Minstrel.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01-The-Wandering-Minstrel.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01-The-Wandering-Minstrel-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Excalibur-II.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154565" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Excalibur-II.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Excalibur-II.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Excalibur-II-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Genji-Glove.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154566" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Genji-Glove.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Genji-Glove.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Genji-Glove-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a><br />
The two Equipment in yesterday's previews are pretty neat, and The Wandering Minstrel seems quite ridiculous in a dedicated Town deck. Plus, it's another five-color card to command a deck with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lurrus of the Dream-Den" href="#" target="_blank">Lurrus of the Dream-Den</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a companion!</p>
<h2>May 29th's <em>Final Fantasy</em> Spoilers</h2>
<p>Overall, the last (or "final", as it were) content creator-driven previews for the set are interesting, albeit ranging in usefulness. A few of these cards are definitely Limited fodder, for sure. However, a couple could be usable in Constructed (depending on how much mana you want to spend casting them). Let's look at these cards!</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01a-Sidequest-Card-Collection.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154567" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01a-Sidequest-Card-Collection.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01a-Sidequest-Card-Collection.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01a-Sidequest-Card-Collection-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01b-Magicked-Card.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154568" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01b-Magicked-Card.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01b-Magicked-Card.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01b-Magicked-Card-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Tifas-Limit-Break.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154569" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Tifas-Limit-Break.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Tifas-Limit-Break.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Tifas-Limit-Break-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Vincents-Limit-Break.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154570" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Vincents-Limit-Break.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Vincents-Limit-Break.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Vincents-Limit-Break-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/04-Summon-GF-Ifrit.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154571" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/04-Summon-GF-Ifrit.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/04-Summon-GF-Ifrit.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/04-Summon-GF-Ifrit-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05a-Exdeath-Void-Warlock.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154572" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05a-Exdeath-Void-Warlock.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05a-Exdeath-Void-Warlock.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05a-Exdeath-Void-Warlock-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05b-Neo-Exdeath-Dimensions-End.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-154573 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05b-Neo-Exdeath-Dimensions-End.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05b-Neo-Exdeath-Dimensions-End.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05b-Neo-Exdeath-Dimensions-End-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a><br />
We will leave to you the guesswork as to which Limit Break is more suited for Limited and which may be better elsewhere. But, apropos of none of that, the Sidequest is pretty witty!</p>
<h2><em>Final</em> Thoughts</h2>
<p>This set is an amazingly faithful homage to <em>Final Fantasy</em>'s game series on the whole. It reads like a devoted team really took the time to profess their love for the series through their hard work. And it does so because, at least according to Wizards of the Coast, that's absolutely <em>true</em>.</p>
<p>So, let us ask you now, dear reader: Does this set inspire you to build something new? What commanders would you want to build around from this set? Do any of your older decks want any of the new cards as a touch-up? Sound off below!</p>


Best Final Fantasy Spoilers From Thursday, May 29th

Tellah, Great Sage - Final Fantasy Spellslinger Commander Deck

Picking Fights with Lightning, Army of One - Commander Deck

<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

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
<p>It seems that <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news"><em>Magic: The Gathering</em></a> previews are starting to finally slow down for <em>Final Fantasy</em>. That means our time recapping those spoilers daily is drawing to a close. However, let's make the very most of it, live for the moment, and look at some spoilers from today, Wednesday, May 28th!</p>
<h2>May 27th Recaps, Today</h2>
<p>But first, let's talk about a few cards that flew under our radar from Tuesday, May 27th. Tuesday was a pretty hefty day for previews; we had an extended weekend in the United States, so there were plenty of previews to catch up on, and it stood to reason that a few would be missed. Not taking the <em>Through the Ages</em> copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stroke of Midnight" href="#" target="_blank">Stroke of Midnight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from last Friday into account, there were three previews in the main set that we will now cover. These were rendered originally in a non-English language but now that we have the renders in English, it's easier for us to cover them:</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01-Graha-Tia.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154466" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01-Graha-Tia.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01-Graha-Tia.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01-Graha-Tia-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Il-Mheg-Pixie.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154467" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Il-Mheg-Pixie.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Il-Mheg-Pixie.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Il-Mheg-Pixie-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154468" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Travel-the-Overworld.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Travel-the-Overworld.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Travel-the-Overworld-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /><br />
These are just a few of your standard-issue common and uncommon cards, but they're still pretty neat. Moving on, let's look at May 28th's previews!</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy</em> Spoilers For Wednesday, May 28th</h2>
<p>The previews from May 28th are pretty impactful. There are quite a few rare cards among those revealed in today's previews. We even got Sephiroth's primary weapon, and no, I'm not talking about his Meteor. Let's check them out!</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01-The-Masamune.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154470" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01-The-Masamune.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01-The-Masamune.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/01-The-Masamune-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Relentless-X-ATM092.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154471" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Relentless-X-ATM092.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Relentless-X-ATM092.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/02-Relentless-X-ATM092-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Summon-GF-Cerberus.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154472" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Summon-GF-Cerberus.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Summon-GF-Cerberus.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03-Summon-GF-Cerberus-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/04-Magic-Pot.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154473" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/04-Magic-Pot.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/04-Magic-Pot.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/04-Magic-Pot-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-Golbez-Crystal-Collector.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154474" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-Golbez-Crystal-Collector.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-Golbez-Crystal-Collector.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-Golbez-Crystal-Collector-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/06-Summon-Choco-Mog.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154475" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/06-Summon-Choco-Mog.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/06-Summon-Choco-Mog.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/06-Summon-Choco-Mog-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/07-Summon-Fat-Chocobo.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154476" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/07-Summon-Fat-Chocobo.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/07-Summon-Fat-Chocobo.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/07-Summon-Fat-Chocobo-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a> <a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/08-Summon-Brynhildr.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-154477" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/08-Summon-Brynhildr.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/08-Summon-Brynhildr.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/08-Summon-Brynhildr-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a></p>
<p>There <em>was</em> one other preview for today, but as it is still officially rendered in Japanese only, we don't have its name or any additional flavor. As such, we will save it for inclusion among tomorrow's reveals during our recap.</p>
<h2>Two Days To Go</h2>
<p>With that, there are only two days of previews left to go. Have you been enjoying these <em>Final Fantasy</em> preview recaps? Did any of the cards recapped inspire you to build anything new? Sound off below!</p>


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