<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rydia, Summoner of Mist" href="#" target="_blank">Rydia, Summoner of Mist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/user-5c85a8936304b898" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yumi Yaoshida</a></em></p>
<p>Hello everyone, and welcome to my first article in the big leagues! I'm <a href="http://linktr.ee/commandzoe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Command Zoe</a>, and for anyone that doesn't know me yet, I'm a <em>Magic</em> writer and streamer that's been playing since <em>Urza's</em> block. I started playing Commander back when it was still called Elder Dragon Highlander. My chops include winning a junior GP, making a deck that got a card banned, writing an article that got an Alchemy card nerfed out of existence, and hitting #1 on the Arena ladder. I've been writing about <em>Magic</em> since 2020, and have been at <a href="https://cardgamer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cardgamer.com</a> since the beginning of January this year. I started streaming at the beginning of this year, and was recently chosen as a Featured Creator for MagicCon Atlanta. I'm so excited to be given the chance to bring my Commander knowledge here to EDHREC for you all.</p>
<p>Today I'm doing a deck tech on one of my very favorite <em>Final Fantasy</em> characters of all time, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rydia, Summoner of Mist" href="#" target="_blank">Rydia, Summoner of Mist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. She's a character from <em>Final Fantasy IV</em> who begins the game as the party's white mage. Halfway through the story there's an accident, and it appears Rydia dies being thrown overboard and eaten by Leviathan. However, she's actually taken by the beast to the land of Eidolons (the name for summons in that game) where time moves differently, and she grows up into an adult off screen. When she eventually returns to the party she's a powerful black mage capable of not only calling forth powerful Summons, but also backing up those Summons with an arsenal of powerful spells. Let's take a look at how that translated to the <em>Magic</em> card.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rydia, Summoner of Mist"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>First I play Rydia, then I get rid a' ya'.</em></p>
<h2>What Does Rydia, Summoner of Mist Do?</h2>
<p>The game plan is fairly straight-forward. We play Rydia early enough that we can ramp and use Rydia's <em>landfall</em> ability to fill the graveyard with Saga creatures by discarding them. After setup is complete, we use all that mana from ramping to bring those Saga creatures back with Rydia's <em>Summon</em> ability.</p>
<p>There's a small wrinkle in that it doesn't necessarily need to bring back a creature Saga, but the card clearly wants you to because it also gives the Saga it returns haste; there'd be no need to give it haste if it was exclusively intended to bring back noncreature Sagas. Rydia also puts a finality counter on the Saga in an attempt to keep players from repeatedly cycling the same Saga ad infinitum.</p>
<p>Finally, and quite notably, Rydia is very fragile, having only two toughness and no defensive keywords. If she's viewed as a threat, she's very easy to destroy, so she'll need some help staying alive.</p>
<p>The most exciting thing about Rydia for me is that there has never been a Gruul (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) commander like her. Red-green reanimation is not something that has been explored a lot in <em>Magic</em>. The closest I can think of is the mono-red card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who brings back creatures as artifact tokens for one turn. However, Feldon neither has an ability to set himself up, nor can he bring back cards for multiple turns. He's also unable to use green cards to help keep card advantage, remove enchantments, or diversify his selection of bombs to reanimate.</p>
<p>The one thing we need to be wary of when crafting a deck like this is that there simply aren't very many Summon cards, so we'll need to be lenient with our bombs and work around them to make the strategy work. It won't be as simple as Reanimator decks in other colors because the card quality of what we're returning is not on the same level as, say, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archon of Cruelty" href="#" target="_blank">Archon of Cruelty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Because of that there is an instant and sorcery sub-theme, as several of the summon cards available care about them.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Rydia, Summoner of Mist</h2>
<h3>Summon Sagas</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Titan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Bahamut"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Kujata"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>These are your best boys.</em></p>
<p>I started by adding all the available Summon cards that I could, but after some testing I found that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Brynhildr" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Brynhildr</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was just not good for our plan. The first chapter on it is decent, but the second two are completely irrelevant when our commander already gives all our Sagas haste. Also, a 2/1 for two mana isn't very good when we'd rather be playing our commander on turn two.</p>
<p>The rest of the Summon creatures we're going to need to find a way to win with, because there are only ten of them. <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> is the obvious juggernaut card that we want to get out as many times as possible; it's definitely the deck's most efficient way of ending the game. All three of the five-mana Summons are decently powerful options for pushing damage through, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in particular you can rely on to help close games. The second chapter ability is usually going to bring a ton of lands back, so the third chapter will let something hit like a truck.</p>
<p>All of the three- and four-mana Summons are much more utility-focused than the higher mana value ones, but cutting any of them would make the deck's threat-density flimsier than it already is. This scarcity of Summons brings up the next type of card that's needed by the deck.</p>
<h3>Dredge and Self-Mill</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malevolent Rumble"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aftermath Analyst"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golgari Grave-Troll"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>My dredge cards put all the cards in the yard.</em></p>
<p>The deck needs to have a way of putting more cards into the graveyard. One per turn isn't consistent enough because it relies too much on drawing one of only ten cards, and hoping it's one that's good enough to win with. So there are several cards added for which the main goal is to get more than one or two cards into the yard per turn.</p>
<p>Dredge cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Life from the Loam" href="#" target="_blank">Life from the Loam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> work great with Rydia's <em>landfall</em> effect, as they're not only a great way to fill the yard, but also will give a consistent way to return them to hand. The sequence is as follows: cast Loam to get three lands, then play one of those lands, discard another, get Loam back with dredge 3.</p>
<p>Another great self-mill card in the list is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wreck and Rebuild" href="#" target="_blank">Wreck and Rebuild</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Its versatility really shines in this deck. It can ramp while netting four additional cards into the graveyard, remove a troublesome artifact or enchantment, and can still be useful if it gets milled into the graveyard by another self-mill effect because of flashback.</p>
<p>There are also two self-mill cards that can double as ways to get cards back from the graveyard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aftermath Analyst" href="#" target="_blank">Aftermath Analyst</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can make a ton of Rydia triggers at once and help filter down to the Sagas if they aren't coming up early, and the ramp is always good for Rydia's summon ability. The other is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shigeki, Jukai Visionary" href="#" target="_blank">Shigeki, Jukai Visionary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, whose <em>channel</em> effect can be critical for getting key cards that get milled back to hand. There's also a neat interaction between Shigeki and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peerless Recycling" href="#" target="_blank">Peerless Recycling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> where they can keep getting each other back plus another card, and at instant speed!</p>
<h3>Dealing With Finality Counters</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Power Conduit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gemrazer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloudstone Curio"></div></div></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>What do these three cards have in common?</em></p>
<p>The final problem the scarcity of Summons presents is the finality counter that Rydia puts on them. The strategy gets too inconsistent if it keeps losing Summons to exile. It means Rydia would only have 10 total chances with her second ability to close out a win, and not all of those are game-winning targets. So a way is needed around these finality counters.</p>
<p>The most obvious way is to simply remove the counters from them, but the options are limited. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Power Conduit" href="#" target="_blank">Power Conduit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hexavus" href="#" target="_blank">Hexavus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are obvious inclusions, as is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nesting Grounds" href="#" target="_blank">Nesting Grounds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which has the added villainous-synergy of moving those finality counters onto our opponents' creatures.</p>
<p>Mutate cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gemrazer" href="#" target="_blank">Gemrazer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Migratory Greathorn" href="#" target="_blank">Migratory Greathorn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sawtusk Demolisher" href="#" target="_blank">Sawtusk Demolisher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have an interesting interaction with the new Saga creatures. If you mutate on top of them, they stop being Saga-type. This means they will stop gaining lore counters, which allows them to not be sacrificed into exile when they reach their final chapter. It unfortunately means they will also stop gaining lore counters, but if they get proliferated to their final chapter they will still retain the textbox, so the final chapter would still trigger, but without the downside of getting sacrificed.</p>
<p>Lastly, using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudstone Curio" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudstone Curio</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to return a Summon to hand that has a finality counter on it is another way around the exile effect. It also lets you bounce your own lands back to your hand so you never miss a land drop, and can then discard those returned Summons to reanimate them over and over.</p>
<h2>How Does This Rydia, Summoner of Mist Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p>The win conditions in this deck are straightforward: get out large Summon creatures repeatedly and attack your opponents with them. So despite Reanimator not being typically featured in Gruul, Rydia still manages to pull off the vibes of the color pairing quite well. The go-to win card is <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>. Combine its third chapter effect with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Weaver of Harmony" href="#" target="_blank">Weaver of Harmony</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a decent board state, and the game can end on the spot. This can also work with the third chapter on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Kujata" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Kujata</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, depending on what's discarded. Morphing onto an unblockable <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ferropede" href="#" target="_blank">Ferropede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can also close a game out quickly, especially if you start putting +1/+1 counters on it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Weaver of Harmony"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Day of the Moon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Monument to Endurance"></div></div>
<p>Alternatively, there are two ways to win that don't involve attacking opponents directly. The first is by using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Day of the Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Day of the Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with the counter-removers to eventually name every creature on the board. Start with each opponents' commanders, then move on to whatever else is around. It works cumulatively, so eventually every creature in their decks will get named. Just be ready when there's only one opponent left to finish them off.</p>
<p>The other way of winning is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monument to Endurance" href="#" target="_blank">Monument to Endurance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Each <em>landfall</em> on your turn triggers it, but so does looping the channel cards in the deck on opponents' turns so that the lose three life option of Monument can be chosen repeatedly in a turn cycle. This can add up incredibly quickly, especially if you copy the Monument with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Mycosynth Gardens" href="#" target="_blank">The Mycosynth Gardens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for two triggers per discard.</p>
<h2>Rydia, Summoner of Mist Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Growing Up Fast" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Rydia, Summoner of Mist
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Aftermath Analyst
*1 Arbor Elf
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Elvish Mystic
*1 Eternal Witness
*1 Evolution Witness
*1 Ferropede
*1 Fyndhorn Elves
*1 Gemrazer
*1 Goblin Anarchomancer
*1 Golgari Grave-Troll
*1 Hexavus
*1 Llanowar Elves
*1 Migratory Greathorn
*1 Sanctum Weaver
*1 Sawtusk Demolisher
*1 Shigeki, Jukai Visionary
*1 Summon: Bahamut
*1 Summon: Esper Ramuh
*1 Summon: Esper Valigarmanda
*1 Summon: Fat Chocobo
*1 Summon: Fenrir
*1 Summon: G.F. Cerberus
*1 Summon: G.F. Ifrit
*1 Summon: Kujata
*1 Summon: Magus Sisters
*1 Summon: Titan
*1 Timeless Witness
*1 Weaver of Harmony
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Beast Within
*1 Cache Grab
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Guff Rewrites History
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Peerless Recycling
*1 Seed of Hope
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Safekeeping
*1 Wild Magic Surge
*1 Zoyowa&#039;s Justice
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cultivate
*1 Explore
*1 Farseek
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Life from the Loam
*1 Magmatic Insight
*1 Malevolent Rumble
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Three Visits
*1 Wreck and Rebuild
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Cloudstone Curio
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Monument to Endurance
*1 Pip-Boy 3000
*1 Power Conduit
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Day of the Moon
*1 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki
*1 Utopia Sprawl
*1 Wild Growth
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Wrenn and Six
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Boseiju, Who Endures
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Commercial District
*1 Copperline Gorge
*1 Cragcrown Pathway // Timbercrown Pathway
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fire-Lit Thicket
*6 Forest
*1 Grove of the Burnwillows
*1 Gruul Turf
*1 Karplusan Forest
*1 Mossfire Valley
*4 Mountain
*1 Nesting Grounds
*1 Plaza of Heroes
*1 Raging Ravine
*1 Rockfall Vale
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Shifting Woodland
*1 Spire Garden
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Sunken Citadel
*1 The Mycosynth Gardens
*1 Thornspire Verge
*1 Urza&#039;s Cave
*1 Urza&#039;s Saga
*1 Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Final Thoughts on Finally Fantasizing about Final Fantasy</h2>
<p>This deck is an absolute blast to play. I had so much fun trying to get it to work, and finally getting it to a place where it was able to beat a couple of my friends was very rewarding. The deck can certainly do strong things, though it can struggle with consistency. It works best in a Bracket 2 environment, but if it were going up a step, the Game Changers I'd suggest focusing on are tutors and fast mana. This deck would love both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Worldly Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Worldly Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeska&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Jeska&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for instance. It's not the most spikey list, but if you love <em>Final Fantasy: IV</em> or are a Johnny/Jenny who loves lots of synergies and landfall, give Rydia a try.</p>
<p>Thanks so much, everyone, for taking the time to read my first article here at EDHREC. I have been Command Zoe. Next time I'll do a deck tech on everyone's favorite little guy, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mog, Moogle Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Mog, Moogle Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>


Growing up Fast: A Rydia, Summoner of Mist Commander Deck Tech

<p>Today is Thursday, June 12th, and the final day of our <em>Final Fantasy</em> Count-Up series! Every day for the past fifteen days, I have compiled my picks for the best and most flavorful cards from each mainline game in the series. Yesterday, we covered <em>FFXV</em>. Today, we wrap things up with <em>Final Fantasy XVI</em>!</p>
<p>To refresh you about the criteria I'm using to rank cards from each game subset:</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 have just 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 finish things off by taking a good look at the best cards from <em>FFXVI</em>!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ultima, Origin of Oblivion"></div></div>
<p>Our final Honorable Mention is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ultima, Origin of Oblivion" href="#" target="_blank">Ultima, Origin of Oblivion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This legendary creature is a major deal in the context of <em>Final Fantasy</em>. The concept of the "Ultima Weapon" spans games all the way back to <em>FFII</em>, and has made appearances throughout the series. However, Ultima as we know it in <em>FFXVI</em> is a different enemy altogether. It is the final boss and main antagonist of the game. Very few <em>Final Fantasy</em> concepts have the distinction of being referred to as Ultima, but this is the most distinctive Ultima in modern <em>FF</em>.</p>
<p>Why is Ultima just an Honorable Mention, then? Well, the card is too niche to be Best as a Commander, nor is it Best in the 99 of a lot of the decks around. It could be a runner for Most Flavorful, but we have a better choice for that category as well. But Ultima is too important in the franchise's overall lore to ignore outright. That's why Ultima was my pick for Honorable Mention.</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Joshua, Phoenix&#039;s Dominant"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joshua, Phoenix&#039;s Dominant" href="#" target="_blank">Joshua, Phoenix&#039;s Dominant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a <em>really</em> neat card to lead a Commander deck with. I've written a Bracket 2 deck tech about Joshua, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/forging-rebirth-with-joshua-phoenixs-dominant">which you can check out here</a>. I've written pretty extensively as to why he would be a good commander in that article, my own name aside, but as a refresher, Joshua is relatively novel. He does something no other commander can do quite as well in the white-red color identity. He is arguably a better recursion commander than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hofri Ghostforge" href="#" target="_blank">Hofri Ghostforge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a better Phoenix kindred commander than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Otharri, Suns&#039; Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Otharri, Suns&#039; Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. He is my pick, potentially due to bias, for Best as a Commander.</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clive&#039;s Hideaway"></div></div>
<p>Of all the Town cards in the new set, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clive&#039;s Hideaway" href="#" target="_blank">Clive&#039;s Hideaway</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is not only the most ubiquitous but also the most useful. As a colorless land, it can be used in any Commander deck. Furthermore, its Hideaway ability isn't tied to it entering tapped. As the land doesn't enter tapped anyway, it can cast the exiled card that same turn if its conditions are met. This means that if you have at least four legendary creatures on the battlefield when you play Clive's Hideaway, you'll be able to cast that card on the same turn for 2 mana. That's absolutely nothing to sniff at and is one of the big reasons why this card is my pick for Best in the 99.</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Torgal, A Fine Hound"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Torgal, A Fine Hound" href="#" target="_blank">Torgal, A Fine Hound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is best boy. 'Nuff said.</p>
<p>But in all seriousness, Torgal is a great creature for Human, Wolf, Dog, and even Werewolf kindred decks. Overall, Torgal <em>is</em> my pick for Most Flavorful, though, because he's a good boy. One might even suggest he's the "goodest" of boys in context.</p>
<p>This brings us to the Best In Show for <em>FFXVI</em>. Which card came out on top?</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy XVI</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clive, Ifrit&#039;s Dominant"></div></div>
<p>It's <span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clive, Ifrit&#039;s Dominant" href="#" target="_blank">Clive, Ifrit&#039;s Dominant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>Clive is a strong commander for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" 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>. He is a discard outlet, a draw engine, a removal spell, and a mana outlet all in one card. That's something special. Plus, you then have a 9/9 beater for a turn of destruction (more if he is given haste). And then, you get to do it all over again! That's massive for even a 6-mana creature, and is why Clive is my pick for Best In Show.</p>
<p>And so, the sun sets on our <em>Final Fantasy</em> Count-Up series! Did you like this series? What was your favorite article out of all sixteen, and what did you agree/disagree with most? Sound off in the comments! And, if you haven't yet, please feel free to read the previous entries as well. Those are 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> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 8: </a><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>FFVIII</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-nine-ffix?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 9: <em>FFIX</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-ten-ffx/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 10: <em>FFX</em></a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eleven-ffxi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 11: <em>FFXI</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-twelve-ffxii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 12: <em>FFXII</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-thirteen-ffxiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 13: <em>FFXIII</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-fourteen-ffxiv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 14: <em>FFXIV</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-fifteen-ffxv">Day 15: <em>FFXV</em></a></strong></p>


Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Sixteen: FFXVI

Build a Rebels Deck with Banon, the Returners' Leader

Building an Edgar, Master Machinist Commander Deck

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><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> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/arifwijaya" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arif Wijaya</a></em></p>
<p><em>Final Fantasy</em> has taken over <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>, and Summons are among the most flavorful and powerful cards introduced in the set. Seeing as Summons in the actual <em>Final Fantasy</em> franchise only stick around for a few turns, having them represented as Sagas in <em>Magic</em> makes perfect sense.</p>
<p>As a “Timmy” <em>Magic </em>player, many of these Summons feel as if they were printed explicitly for me. A giant 9/9 flyer that can destroy permanents and then nukes your opponents as it dies? Yes, please! A 7/7 Giant for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> with reach and trample that brings back all of your lands from the graveyard and then boosts another creature’s power and toughness equal to the number of lands you have? That works for me.</p>
<p><em>Final Fantasy</em> is both a design and sales dynamo for <em>Wizards of the Coast</em>, and with cards like these amazing Summons, it’s no wonder that the set is already <em>Magic’s</em> best-selling release of all time. So today we're ranking the ten best Summon spells in the set.</p>
<p><em>Note: While I never delved too far into the Final Fantasy video games, I did play </em>FF8 <em>when it released (that opening cinematic blew my mind as a lad), and I nearly beat </em>FFX<em>, but was derailed by a crippling <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blitzball" href="#" target="_blank">Blitzball</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> addiction – even without the <a href="https://www.thegamer.com/final-fantasy-10-jecht-shot-location-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jecht shot</a>!</em></p>
<h3>10. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Ixion" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Ixion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<p>A 3/3 with first strike for three mana used to be a helluva deal… but those days are long gone. Now, this 3/3 first striker for three provides you with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiend Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Fiend Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in its first chapter (exile another target creature while it’s on the battlefield). Already, that’s pretty sweet.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Ixion"></div></div>
<p>While it’s next two chapters – place a +1/+1 counter on two target creatures and gain two life – aren’t wildly powerful, they still provide you ample value for the low, low price of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>.</p>
<h3>9. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Magus Sisters" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Magus Sisters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<p>Sometimes the extreme power found across a wide variety of <em>Magic</em>’s most popular formats can get a bit tiresome. Sure, winning the game consistently by turn four is fun, but where’s the variety, the spice? This Summon grants something that many games of <em>Magic </em>sorely lack: randomness.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Magus Sisters"></div></div>
<p>Coming down as a hasty 5/5 for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> means you can deal some damage right away, but it’s the random options that can truly swing a game: putting three +1/+1 counters on target creature, putting a shield counter on target creature and gaining three life, or fighting another target creature a foe controls. As the sisters say: “Sorry, but your quest will be over here!”</p>
<h3>8. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Yojimbo" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Yojimbo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<p>A strong Summon as well as a great greeting for any of your friends named Jim, Yojimbo is a 5/5 with vigilance for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> – already a good rate – from the <em>Final Fantasy Commander</em> precons.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Yojimbo"></div></div>
<p>Its first chapter provides a situational <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oblivion Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Oblivion Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, its next two chapters provide a temporary <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Propaganda" href="#" target="_blank">Propaganda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to help thwart “go-wide” strategies, and its final chapter lets you net some Treasure tokens so long as at least one of your opponents has a creature with power four or greater.</p>
<h3>7. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Leviathan" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Leviathan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<p>As previously evinced, Summons seem perfectly positioned as go-to “Timmy/Tammy” cards. Any card that mentions the sea monster creature types of <em>Magic</em> – Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus, or Serpent – are always going to be attractive to players that love the biggest, baddest beaters around.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Leviathan"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Leviathan" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Leviathan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, in particular, is extremely potent in such builds as it delivers a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whelming Wave" href="#" target="_blank">Whelming Wave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for its first chapter and then draws you a card whenever one of those creatures attacks (a trigger for each one, that is). To add to the fun, this card also works well in Merfolk strategies and has built-in protection thanks to having ward <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. What’s not to like?</p>
<h3>6. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Good King Mog XII" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Good King Mog XII</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<p>One of the finest additions that <em>Final Fantasy</em> has made to the world of <em>Magic </em>is the inclusion of Moogles as a playable creature type. These adorable little marshmallows are featured throughout the set, though they don’t have quite the support that Chocobos/Birds received upon release.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Good King Mog XII"></div></div>
<p>This five-mana Saga Moogle (a fun phrase to say) creates two 1/2 Moogle tokens with lifelink in its first chapter, then can duplicate any non-Saga token you control in its next two chapters. Its final chapter gives a Moogle “lord” payoff by tacking on two +1/+1 counters to all Moogles you control before it exits the battlefield. A strong Moogle payoff, and an extremely cute creature “lord.”</p>
<h3>5. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Brynhildr" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Brynhildr</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<p>Of course, a Summon exists that looks like it will be a strong addition to the mono-red Aggro decks that have long been eminently attractive options in Standard. This 2/1 for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> provides an “impulse draw” that you can play for as long as the card has lore counters on it – so roughly three turns – for its first chapter. Early card advantage is eminently important for mono-red decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Brynhildr"></div></div>
<p>Then, for its final two chapters, the next creature spell you play gains haste – which can provide some stunning surprise attacks and delivers yet more ammo for mono-red strategies (or Jeskai Prowess strategies) to run roughshod over Standard for the foreseeable future.</p>
<h3>4. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Knights of Round" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Knights of Round</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<p>One of the rarest Summons in <em>Final Fantasy VII</em>, this eight-mana 3/3 with indestructible sticks around for four turns, producing a 2/2 white Knight creature (though not a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="White Knight" href="#" target="_blank">White Knight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) for each of its first four chapters.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Knights of Round"></div></div>
<p>Then, for its fifth chapter, it gives all of your other creatures a +2/+2 boost as well as the real kicker, indestructible counters – which stick around, making your entire team pretty tough to defeat. While the price point of this splashy 3/3 Saga Knight is high (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-6" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>), the payoff is well worth it.</p>
<h3>3. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<p>Now we’re getting to the good stuff. In the <em>Final Fantasy</em> games, Titan is found across a number of entries in the franchise as a strong, high damage-dealing bruiser. In <em>Magic</em>, that same logic applies, as this green powerhouse already comes in at an incredibly good rate: <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> for a 7/7 with both reach and trample – a strong creature in its own right.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Titan"></div></div>
<p>But when you tack on milling synergies in its first chapter, returning all lands from your graveyard to the battlefield in the second chapter and another target creature getting +X/+X equal to the number of lands you control in the final chapter, you’ve got the makings of a top-flight game-finisher and yet another example of Summons being playgrounds for the Timmys/Tammys of the world (like me).</p>
<h3>2. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Primal Odin" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Primal Odin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<p>Speaking of big, flashy Summons and cards that scream Timmy/Tammy, how does a creature with the text “Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player loses the game” sound?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Primal Odin"></div></div>
<p>While <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> is pretty steep for a 5/3 creature, when it enters, its first chapter destroys target creature a foe controls, its second chapter is the “your foe loses the game” one, which is obviously awesome, and the third chapter draws you two cards and forces all players to lose two life. Wouldn’t it be funny if your foe survived the second chapter and then fell to the third one?</p>
<h3>1. <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></h3>
<p>You could see where this was going. So far, most Summons have been massively high-powered, splashy, and downright fun cards that make a huge impact on the game both as soon as they’re cast as well as during each of their powerhouse chapters. No Summon card from <em>Final Fantasy</em> defines this quite like the 9/9 flyer for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-9" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, <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>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Bahamut"></div></div>
<p>A tremendously powerful card with four strong chapters, this card can easily win the game for you on its own, especially in Commander if you’re running a dedicated colorless build that’s full of high-mana colorless bombs like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ugin, the Spirit Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ugin, the Spirit Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or Eldrazi Titans. Eminently flavorful and game-warping, <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> is the ideal of what a Summon card should be in <em>Final Fantasy.</em></p>
<h2><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRXE3NNaiks&amp;pp=ygUMaSBzdW1tb24geW91" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I Summon You</a> Here to My Game</h2>
<p><em>Final Fantasy</em> might end up being not just the highest-selling <em>Magic</em> set of all time, but also the most popular. Combining the <em>Final Fantasy</em> franchise with the original trading card game was always going to make this release a mega-hit. The fact that many of the cards within, such as Summons, are so well designed only adds to the set’s appeal and overall success.</p>
<p><strong>Read More:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/meld-ragnarok-with-fang-and-vanille-in-pauper-commander/">Meld Ragnarok With Fang and Vanille In Pauper Commander</a></li>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/20-best-zombie-cards-for-commander">20 Best Zombie Cards for Commander</a></li>
<li><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-through-the-ages-reprint-review/">Final Fantasy Through the Ages Reprint Review</a></li>
</ul>


The 10 Best Summon Cards in Final Fantasy

Matoya, Archon Elder - Final Fantasy Bracket 2 Commander Deck

The Best Graveyard Cards in Final Fantasy

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Today is Wednesday, June 11th, the second-to-last day before <em>Final Fantasy</em>'s <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> set officially releases! As such, it's time to continue our Count-Up series. Each day leading up to Friday, June 13th, I've been compiling the best and most flavorful cards from each mainline game in the series. Yesterday, we looked at <em>FFXIV</em>, and today we'll be covering <em>Final Fantasy XV</em>!</p>
<p>To refresh you about the criteria I'm using to rank cards from each game subset:</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 have three cards.</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 hit the road and delve into the wide world of <em>FFXV</em>!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mentions</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prompto Argentum"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gladiolus Amicitia"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ignis Scientia"></div></div>
<p>I chose Noctis's retainers/friends as <em>FFXV</em>'s Honorable Mentions. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prompto Argentum" href="#" target="_blank">Prompto Argentum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gladiolus Amicitia" href="#" target="_blank">Gladiolus Amicitia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ignis Scientia" href="#" target="_blank">Ignis Scientia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all interesting cards individually. They each have their own niche usage in the context of <em>Magic</em>, just as in <em>Final Fantasy XV</em>. But they're also best evaluated as a team (and especially alongside Noctis). Where <em>is</em> Noctis, you may ask? You'll see later. But because of this grouping, they're best as our Honorable Mentions.</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ardyn, the Usurper"></div></div>
<p>My Best as a Commander pick is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ardyn, the Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ardyn, the Usurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Ardyn is a fabulous Demon-kindred commander option in mono-black, despite not being a Demon himself. He instead brings out the very worst in everyone, turning the dead into Demon creatures with a bunch of extra keywords. You can read <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-demon-typal-deck-with-ardyn-the-usurper">our deck tech on Ardyn here</a> to find out more about how absolutely <em>awesome</em> Ardyn is. You don't have to take my word for that. And granted, he costs 8 mana, but that's an easy enough cost to pay in black.</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Regalia" href="#" target="_blank">The Regalia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<p>We are really focusing on a lot of legendary cards in this Count-Up entry, huh? The Regalia is a powerful Vehicle card that can quickly get you ramping on lands. While it costs a somewhat-frustrating 4 mana to cast, having haste and the low, low crewing cost of 1 means it'll be useful soon thereafter. Vroom, vroom!</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Adamantoise"></div></div>
<p>Creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Adamantoise" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Adamantoise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are decidedly very easy to encounter in the context of <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. Note that I don't mean based on what it does; rather, I mean its level of impact on the game. However, Ancient Adamantoise is a 20-hour fight in <em>Final Fantasy XV</em> and rightly so. Its defenses are nigh-impenetrable. So, too, will this creature protect you in a huge way in a given Commander game. That in itself is enough to give this titanic Turtle the Most Flavorful distinction for this subset.</p>
<p>And so, that brings us to my Best In Show. What card could it be?</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy XV</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Noctis, Prince of Lucis"></div></div>
<p>It's no surprise that our Best In Show is Noctis! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Noctis, Prince of Lucis" href="#" target="_blank">Noctis, Prince of Lucis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful white-blue-black commander that's firing on all cylinders immediately out of the gate. He's a fantastic card that even has some cEDH potential (due to his ability's interactions with cheap, instantaneously-countered artifacts and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetherflux Reservoir" href="#" target="_blank">Aetherflux Reservoir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>). Noctis has shown himself to be a competent card in the format and is our Best In Show primarily for that reason.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, he can't join his comrades/retainers in a given deck led by any of them. However, he has a <em>Through the Ages</em> reskin wherein he is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kenrith, the Returned King" href="#" target="_blank">Kenrith, the Returned King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> who <em>can</em> field them all, even this iteration of Noctis as well.</p>
<p>With that, we conclude our Count-Up entry on <em>Final Fantasy XV</em>! Have you ever played <em>FFXV</em>? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments below. And, if you like this series so far, please stay tuned as tomorrow we go over <em>FFXVI</em>, the final entry in this series! The rest of the articles can be found in the links 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> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 8: </a><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>FFVIII</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-nine-ffix?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 9: <em>FFIX</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-ten-ffx/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 10: <em>FFX</em></a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eleven-ffxi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 11: <em>FFXI</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-twelve-ffxii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 12: <em>FFXII</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-thirteen-ffxiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 13: <em>FFXIII</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-fourteen-ffxiv">Day 14: <em>FFXIV</em></a></strong></p>


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