Rebuilding Inalla, Archmage Ritualist With Final Fantasy Cards

Today is Thursday, June 12th, and the final day of our Final Fantasy 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 FFXV. Today, we wrap things up with Final Fantasy XVI!
To refresh you about the criteria I'm using to rank cards from each game subset:
<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 <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a> in our FFI list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific Final Fantasy town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, Through the Ages, and promotional/Secret Lair cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.
With that, let's finish things off by taking a good look at the best cards from FFXVI!
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ultima, Origin of Oblivion"></div></div>
Our final Honorable Mention is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ultima, Origin of Oblivion" href="#" target="_blank">Ultima, Origin of Oblivion</a>. This legendary creature is a major deal in the context of Final Fantasy. The concept of the "Ultima Weapon" spans games all the way back to FFII, and has made appearances throughout the series. However, Ultima as we know it in FFXVI is a different enemy altogether. It is the final boss and main antagonist of the game. Very few Final Fantasy concepts have the distinction of being referred to as Ultima, but this is the most distinctive Ultima in modern FF.
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.
<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>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joshua, Phoenix&#039;s Dominant" href="#" target="_blank">Joshua, Phoenix&#039;s Dominant</a> is a really 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 <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hofri Ghostforge" href="#" target="_blank">Hofri Ghostforge</a> and a better Phoenix kindred commander than <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Otharri, Suns&#039; Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Otharri, Suns&#039; Glory</a>. He is my pick, potentially due to bias, for Best as a Commander.
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clive&#039;s Hideaway"></div></div>
Of all the Town cards in the new set, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clive&#039;s Hideaway" href="#" target="_blank">Clive&#039;s Hideaway</a> 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.
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Torgal, A Fine Hound"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Torgal, A Fine Hound" href="#" target="_blank">Torgal, A Fine Hound</a> is best boy. 'Nuff said.
But in all seriousness, Torgal is a great creature for Human, Wolf, Dog, and even Werewolf kindred decks. Overall, Torgal is my pick for Most Flavorful, though, because he's a good boy. One might even suggest he's the "goodest" of boys in context.
This brings us to the Best In Show for FFXVI. Which card came out on top?
<h2>Final Fantasy XVI Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clive, Ifrit&#039;s Dominant"></div></div>
It's <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clive, Ifrit&#039;s Dominant" href="#" target="_blank">Clive, Ifrit&#039;s Dominant</a>!
Clive is a strong commander for . 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.
And so, the sun sets on our Final Fantasy 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!
<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: FFI</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: FFII</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: FFIII</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: FFIV</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: FFV</a>
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 6: FFVI</a> | <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: FFVII</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">FFVIII</a> | <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: FFIX</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: FFX</a>
<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: FFXI</a> | <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: FFXII</a> | <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: FFXIII</a> | <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: FFXIV</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-fifteen-ffxv">Day 15: FFXV</a>

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

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
&nbsp;
Today is Wednesday, June 11th, the second-to-last day before Final Fantasy's Magic: The Gathering 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 FFXIV, and today we'll be covering Final Fantasy XV!
To refresh you about the criteria I'm using to rank cards from each game subset:
<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 <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a> in our FFI list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific Final Fantasy town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, Through the Ages, and promotional/Secret Lair cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.
With that, let's hit the road and delve into the wide world of FFXV!
<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>
I chose Noctis's retainers/friends as FFXV's Honorable Mentions. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prompto Argentum" href="#" target="_blank">Prompto Argentum</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gladiolus Amicitia" href="#" target="_blank">Gladiolus Amicitia</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ignis Scientia" href="#" target="_blank">Ignis Scientia</a> are all interesting cards individually. They each have their own niche usage in the context of Magic, just as in Final Fantasy XV. But they're also best evaluated as a team (and especially alongside Noctis). Where is Noctis, you may ask? You'll see later. But because of this grouping, they're best as our Honorable Mentions.
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ardyn, the Usurper"></div></div>
My Best as a Commander pick is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ardyn, the Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ardyn, the Usurper</a>. 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 awesome 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.
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Regalia" href="#" target="_blank">The Regalia</a>
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!
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Adamantoise"></div></div>
Creatures like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Adamantoise" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Adamantoise</a> are decidedly very easy to encounter in the context of Magic: The Gathering. 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 Final Fantasy XV 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.
And so, that brings us to my Best In Show. What card could it be?
<h2>Final Fantasy XV Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Noctis, Prince of Lucis"></div></div>
It's no surprise that our Best In Show is Noctis! <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Noctis, Prince of Lucis" href="#" target="_blank">Noctis, Prince of Lucis</a> 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 <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetherflux Reservoir" href="#" target="_blank">Aetherflux Reservoir</a>). Noctis has shown himself to be a competent card in the format and is our Best In Show primarily for that reason.
Unfortunately, he can't join his comrades/retainers in a given deck led by any of them. However, he has a Through the Ages reskin wherein he is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kenrith, the Returned King" href="#" target="_blank">Kenrith, the Returned King</a> who can field them all, even this iteration of Noctis as well.
With that, we conclude our Count-Up entry on Final Fantasy XV! Have you ever played FFXV? 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 FFXVI, the final entry in this series! The rest of the articles can be found in the links below!
<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: FFI</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: FFII</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: FFIII</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: FFIV</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: FFV</a>
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 6: FFVI</a> | <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: FFVII</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">FFVIII</a> | <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: FFIX</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: FFX</a>
<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: FFXI</a> | <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: FFXII</a> | <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: FFXIII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-fourteen-ffxiv">Day 14: FFXIV</a>

Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Fifteen: FFXV

Final Fantasy Through the Ages Reprint Review

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
&nbsp;
It's Tuesday, June 10th, and we are still three days away from the release of the Final Fantasy Magic set! Meanwhile, I've been hard at work covering the best and most flavorful cards from every mainline game in the series for our 16-day Count-Up! Yesterday I covered FFXIII; today, I'm looking at Final Fantasy XIV!
To reiterate, here is the criteria I'm looking at:
<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 one card in this category.</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 <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a> in our FFI list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific Final Fantasy town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, Through the Ages, and promotional/Secret Lair cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.
With that, let's look at some amazing FFXIV cards!
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Matoya, Archon Elder"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Matoya, Archon Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Matoya, Archon Elder</a> is a deceptively strong creature. She puts in more work as a good imitation of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eligeth, Crossroads Augur" href="#" target="_blank">Eligeth, Crossroads Augur</a>, but somehow her ability is even better. While she doesn't draw quite as many cards as Eligeth does, she allows you to improve the quality of the draw she provides. What's more, she also triggers off of surveilling, which is a big part of Magic these days.
The primary reason Matoya is only an Honorable Mention for this subset of cards is that she's outclassed by a ton of cards that are even better than she is. Let's take a look at some of them!
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emet-Selch, Unsundered"></div></div>
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a copy of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yawgmoth&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Yawgmoth&#039;s Will</a> in your command zone? If you've never owned a copy of Yawgmoth's Will but can appreciate the value it provides, chances are good that you have. Well, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emet-Selch, Unsundered" href="#" target="_blank">Emet-Selch, Unsundered</a> is very much that card. While rather unassuming on its front face, Emet-Selch eventually transforms into a permanent version of Yawgmoth's Will on its rear face. While this version only works on your turns, it's still a fantastic iteration of an arguably broken effect. As such, Emet-Selch is my pick for Best as a Commander for Final Fantasy XIV.
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Confidant"></div></div>
"Bob" is back! Designed by Magic Invitational winner Bob Maher back for the original Ravnica: City of Guilds, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Confidant" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Confidant</a> has finally come home to Standard. However, that doesn't mean he's out of place in Commander! For a simple and low cost of and some life, you can have all the comforts of extra card advantage at each of your upkeep steps. Maher's elegant design shines through this card even today, providing "greatness, at any cost" (to quote the original Ravnica flavor text).
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Primal Odin"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Primal Odin" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Primal Odin</a> is a card that, understandably, evokes Primal Odin, a figure in Final Fantasy XIV that you must face at a given point in the game. He does, in fact, take a party member out of the game with his might during that portion of combat, I'm told, and as such, his Zantetsuken ability on the card aligns well with the things the game's iteration is capable of. With that in mind, Summon: Primal Odin is my pick for Most Flavorful.
With that, we come to Final Fantasy XIV's Best In Show. There are 43 eligible entries in the entire subset and 39 cards left after the above. So, what won out? Well...
<h2>Final Fantasy XIV Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wandering Minstrel"></div></div>
It's <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wandering Minstrel" href="#" target="_blank">The Wandering Minstrel</a>!
The Wandering Minstrel is nothing short of amazing. His basic affinities for Town lands mean it's easier to build around those kinds of nonbasic lands with him. Plus, as a 2-cost, five-color commander he can be used with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lurrus of the Dream-Den" href="#" target="_blank">Lurrus of the Dream-Den</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zirda, the Dawnwaker" href="#" target="_blank">Zirda, the Dawnwaker</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyruda, Doom of Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Gyruda, Doom of Depths</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umori, the Collector" href="#" target="_blank">Umori, the Collector</a>, or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jegantha, the Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Jegantha, the Wellspring</a> as companions. That's assuming you build The Wandering Minstrel around them, but all are technically eligible companions for him.
Lorewise, The Wandering Minstrel is, in the game, a self-insert by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naoki_Yoshida">Naoki Yoshida</a>. Also known as "Yoshi-P", Yoshida is a major game producer, director, and designer for Square Enix. Most notably, he produced Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn! As such, he needed to be our Best In Show for the subset - I accept no substitutions here.
With that, we wrap up our coverage of Final Fantasy XIV. This set has a lot of FFXIV representation compared to many other games in the series. How did you feel we fared with this list? Do you think we missed anything of note? Sound off in the comments! And, please feel free to look at our entries for previous games in the various links below!
<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: FFI</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: FFII</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: FFIII</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: FFIV</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: FFV</a>
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 6: FFVI</a> | <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: FFVII</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">FFVIII</a> | <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: FFIX</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: FFX</a>
<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: FFXI</a> | <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: FFXII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-thirteen-ffxiii">Day 13: FFXIII</a>

Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Fourteen: FFXIV

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
&nbsp;
It's Monday, June 9th! As we enter the final week before the Final Fantasy Magic set officially releases, we have even more Count-Up articles for you! To refresh you, I've been listing the best and most flavorful cards for each game in the series, in order from FFI to FFXVI. Yesterday we covered FFXII; today, I'll be examining Final Fantasy XIII!
To reiterate, here is the criteria I'm looking at:
<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 two cards for this category.)</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 <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a> in our FFI list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific Final Fantasy town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, Through the Ages, and promotional/Secret Lair cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.
Let's waste no time and dive right in!
<h2>Honorable Mentions</h2>
For the past few days, pickings were sparse for the games covered. As a result, we couldn't look at any Honorable Mentions. Today, we have enough cards handy for not only one, but two Honorable Mentions! What are those cards? Well...
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fang, Fearless l&#039;Cie"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vanille, Cheerful l&#039;Cie"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fang, Fearless l&#039;Cie" href="#" target="_blank">Fang, Fearless l&#039;Cie</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vanille, Cheerful l&#039;Cie" href="#" target="_blank">Vanille, Cheerful l&#039;Cie</a> are a pair of melding legendary creatures. They're a remarkable duo of cards that work exceptionally well with graveyard-filling decks and create a creature together that is more than the sum of its parts. What is that melded creature?
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/fin-526b-ragnarok-divine-deliverance.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-155670" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/fin-526b-ragnarok-divine-deliverance.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/fin-526b-ragnarok-divine-deliverance.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/fin-526b-ragnarok-divine-deliverance-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a>
Ragnarok, Divine Deliverance is a fearsome creature that has a ton going for it, if you can manage to meld Fang and Vanille together (and it's definitely not easy). So, while these two have to be Honorable Mentions in this article due to the nature of the cards, Fang and Vanille merited inclusion with absolutely no doubt.
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serah Farron"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serah Farron" href="#" target="_blank">Serah Farron</a> is a strong white-green creature in a deck archetype that you don't often see for that color pair: legends matter. Yes, we've historically seen it before with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain Sisay" href="#" target="_blank">Captain Sisay</a>. Sisay players are probably delighted to see a card like Serah Farron in her 99, and vice-versa. As such, the card is a great commander if one can't necessarily afford to get Captain Sisay as a commander, financially speaking. It is a fantastic card, and while our Best In Show is even better in many categories, Serah deserves high marks as well.
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magic Damper"></div></div>
The card I'm choosing for my Best in the 99 category is extremely utilitarian by many metrics and can be quite useful. At instant speed, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magic Damper" href="#" target="_blank">Magic Damper</a> untaps a creature, provides it with a turn of protection and a buff, and only costs one blue mana. That's a lot for one mana, and it feels extremely pushed for a common. It is probably the best utility piece for the Final Fantasy XIII subset of cards.
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thunder Magic"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thunder Magic" href="#" target="_blank">Thunder Magic</a> is a fabulous example of a tiered spell from the game series. Thunder, Thundara, and Thundaga are all extremely powerful electric attacks in the games, and this card encapsulates the concept swimmingly. While Thundara is a little below rate compared to both Thunder and Thundaga here, the spells all do exactly what you'd expect a bolt of electricity to do to a creature: fry it!
With that, it's time to move on to our Best In Show for Final Fantasy XIII. Which card got there above the others?
<h2>Final Fantasy XIII Best In Show</h2>
When there's Thunder Magic, often there's also...
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning, Army of One"></div></div>
<a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Lightning_(Final_Fantasy_XIII)">Lightning</a>! Namely, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning, Army of One" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning, Army of One</a>. This card is an amazing Aggro powerhouse, capable of defeating opponents quite easily. For just , you have a 3/2 that is capable of putting the hurt on opponents quickly and efficiently. She also facilitates even more damage with her ability to double the output of creatures that don't deal damage at the same time as, or before, Lightning. That's generally a lot faster than most creatures, so she's super reliable for this purpose.
It's also really neat that Lightning, Army of One synergizes nicely with Thunder Magic, a card she's depicted on. After hitting with Lightning, you can then cast Thunder Magic for any of its tiers. This can deal a heap of damage to something. It's amazingly strong!
With that, we conclude our entry on Final Fantasy XIII. Have you played this game before? How did you enjoy it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! And while awaiting our coverage of FFXIV, feel free to peruse our other entries in the Count-Up series below!
<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: FFI</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: FFII</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: FFIII</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: FFIV</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: FFV</a>
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 6: FFVI</a> | <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: FFVII</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">FFVIII</a> | <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: FFIX</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: FFX</a>
<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: FFXI</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-twelve-ffxii">Day 12: FFXII</a>

Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Thirteen: FFXIII

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
&nbsp;
Get ready to queue up! Secret Lair is having its 2025 Summer Superdrop event starting today, June 9th, at 9 AM Pacific (Noon Eastern). The Superdrop event has six potential drops for you to try and nab. What are those drops, and how concerned should you be about getting them before they sell out completely? Read on, and we'll elaborate!
<h2>Six Drops, One Summer (2025) Secret Lair Superdrop</h2>
The Summer 2025 Superdrop is a big deal because in it, we are getting three Final Fantasy-themed drops. We covered these previously, and <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/secret-lair-x-final-fantasy-three-new-drops-revealed">you can find that coverage here</a>. Naturally, due to the intense hype surrounding the upcoming release of the Final Fantasy Magic set this Friday and the Prerelease events that happened this past weekend, demand for these will be astronomical. Expect queues to be long for those three drops specifically.
We <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/secret-lair-summer-superdrop-2025-officially-announced">covered the other three drops</a> as well. The other three Secret Lair drops will be a bit less trendy, but still are heavy hitters in their own right. For one, Phil Foglio's art is iconic among Magic players, new and old. This drop will probably sell out as well, if not for the artist's name, then because it's the first foil iteration of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Constant Mists" href="#" target="_blank">Constant Mists</a>. Frank Frazetta's second drop collection will similarly sell out because Frazetta's name is essentially revered in the fantasy and pulp-art communities across the globe. And while Imiri Sakabashima's name isn't necessarily as well-known in the United States, his drop is weird and wild enough to sell out in due time as well.
The order in which these drops may sell out is up for debate, but it's almost certain to some that the foil Final Fantasy drops will sell out first. Time will tell, though, and we may be in for a surprise!
The Summer Superdrop 2025 event can be found on <a href="https://secretlair.wizards.com/us">the official webstore for Secret Lair</a>. Remember, this superdrop event starts at 9 AM Pacific, Noon Eastern!
And now, let us open the floor to you, dear readers. Are you planning on queueing up for this Secret Lair Superdrop? Are you already in the queue? Which drops do you want most? Sound off in the comments below!

Secret Lair Summer Superdrop 2025 Launches Today

The Best Reprints In Final Fantasy

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
&nbsp;
Today is Sunday, June 8th! Prerelease weekend may be winding down to a close, but we are still going strong with our Count-Up series for Final Fantasy! Each day until the set fully officially releases, I'm picking the best and most flavorful cards in the main set. Yesterday, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eleven-ffxi">we covered FFXI</a>; today, we will look at Final Fantasy XII!
<h2>Criteria And Notable Omissions</h2>
Notably, the FFXI subset had only thirteen cards in it, just eleven of which are at all applicable to this series. This was fine, but FFXII has even less. The subset has just twelve cards, ten of which can be used in this article's superlatives. Therefore, we will be eschewing an Honorable Mention for this section. Other subsets from here have a few more cards than that. However, the overall criteria we're working with for this superlative list is as follows:
<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, like yesterday's, not have a card for this category.)</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 <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a> in our FFI list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific Final Fantasy town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, Through the Ages, and promotional/Secret Lair cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.
With that, let's dive right in!
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balthier and Fran"></div></div>
This duo of characters from Final Fantasy XII are collectively a fantastic Vehicle commander. There aren't a ton of pre-Aetherdrift red-green Vehicle-centered cards, but <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balthier and Fran" href="#" target="_blank">Balthier and Fran</a> will make many players rethink overlooking the set for its "racing-helmet" aesthetic. Plus, giving Vehicles vigilance, reach, and a ton of combat steps to run over opponents seems incredibly powerful.
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidequest: Hunt the Mark"></div></div>
Enchantments that destroy permanents are some of my favorite kinds of enchantments. They're typically super-versatile and will often open up a power vacuum that the caster often has the first opportunity to fill in. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Hunt the Mark" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Hunt the Mark</a> is not only an enchantment that destroys a creature, but it can also fill the void left behind in its wake with its rear face. This card is fantastic for that reason, even if its mana cost is a tad steep.
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Choco-Comet"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Choco-Comet" href="#" target="_blank">Choco-Comet</a> evokes an amazing, and frankly hilarious, piece of mental imagery. A flightless red bird summoning a ton of comets to rain death and destruction upon its hapless victims? Sign me up! This card does exactly what it advertises in its flavor, and that's always great to see in a card like this.
And that brings us to the Best In Show for Final Fantasy XII. Which card of the seven remaining eligible cards got this prestige? Well...
<h2>Final Fantasy XII Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vaan, Street Thief"></div></div>
If you guessed it'd be <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vaan, Street Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Vaan, Street Thief</a>, a) I didn't think I was that predictable, and b) you're absolutely right!
Vaan is a strong Commander card for outlaws-matter styled decks as well as decks that like Rogues or Pirates. While Scout is a fairly uncommon creature type at this time, Vaan himself is a Scout and seems remarkably strong for that kindred archetype as well.
<a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Vaan">As for the flavor of this character</a>, Vaan has that in spades as well. As a Pirate (judging by the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain Lannery Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Captain Lannery Storm</a> reskin from Through the Ages), and as a thief, Vaan is adept at stealing opponents' cards pretty handily. This first ability he has is a good one to link to that flavor. All of this combined makes Vaan, Street Thief my Best In Show for FFXII.
With that, we conclude today's Count-Up article! Are you reading them and do you have any thoughts on how it's turning out? Sound off in the comments! Meanwhile, you can read the series thus far in the links below!
<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: FFI</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: FFII</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: FFIII</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: FFIV</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: FFV</a>
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 6: FFVI</a> | <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: FFVII</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">FFVIII</a> | <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: FFIX</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: FFX</a>
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eleven-ffxi">Day 11: FFXI</a>

Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Twelve: FFXII

Today is Saturday, June 7th; I hope everyone has been enjoying the new Final Fantasy set since yesterday's first batch of Prerelease events! I hope, too, that you've all been enjoying this Final Fantasy Count-Up article series! Yesterday we covered <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-ten-ffx/">FFX</a>, and today we will be covering Final Fantasy XI.
Notably, the FFXI subset has only thirteen cards in it, just eleven of which are at all applicable to this series. So, we will be eschewing an Honorable Mention for this section. However, the overall criteria we're working with for this superlative list is as follows:
<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, again, not have a card for this category.)</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 <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a> in our FFI list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific Final Fantasy town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, Through the Ages, and promotional/Secret Lair cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.
With that, let's look at some of the best and most exciting cards in the FFXI subset!
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shantotto, Tactician Magician"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shantotto, Tactician Magician" href="#" target="_blank">Shantotto, Tactician Magician</a> was revealed fairly early on in the spoiler season for this set. Even so, she's my pick for the best Final Fantasy XI card to have as a commander. This isn't any shade towards cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Absolute Virtue" href="#" target="_blank">Absolute Virtue</a>, as you'll see in a moment. Shantotto just happens to have a remarkably strong ability that allows her to shine in a way that's a minor challenge and a major delight.
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sabotender"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sabotender" href="#" target="_blank">Sabotender</a> is a lowball entry, but with only eleven applicable cards for this subset to grant superlatives, we have to work with what we have. It's a good card, though, as it acts as a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spitfire Lagac" href="#" target="_blank">Spitfire Lagac</a> analogue in a set that likes to burn opponents little by little. I can see a Limited environment in which Sabotender completely shines for its controller, even winning some games almost totally on its own (or in multiples).
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gysahl Greens"></div></div>
A question for the Final Fantasy diehards reading this article: Did you ever want to own a Chocobo of your very own? If so, did the concept of enticing a Chocobo with a favorite food ever appeal to you? If so, you probably understand what I'm saying when I nominate <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gysahl Greens" href="#" target="_blank">Gysahl Greens</a> as the Most Flavorful card in the FFXI subset. It's a cute card with reasonable gameplay application, and it summons a Chocobo! What's not to love about that?
And with that, we move to our Best In Show. I hinted at it earlier, so it should come as no surprise to you that our Best In Show is...
<h2>Final Fantasy XI Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Absolute Virtue"></div></div>
...<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Absolute Virtue" href="#" target="_blank">Absolute Virtue</a>!
When the Final Fantasy Design team first previewed <a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Absolute_Virtue">Absolute Virtue</a>, they imparted a story that implied that the creature in-game took a hellishly long time to vanquish for the many, many players in FFXI. This feels like it tracks with this card version in a fairly big way. Protecting you and everything you control from opposing forces seems great and makes you a prime threat at the Commander table. However, it's not hard to make Absolute Virtue just as hard to defeat as in the video game. Be it by frequent reanimation or consistent protection, this creature could be the bane of many Aggro players in many cases. Even at eight mana, Absolute Virtue is beyond worthy of being my Best In Show for Final Fantasy XI.
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
This particular article was a bit harder to pen than the others so far. This was namely due to the lack of options, but I'm glad to continue this series. We only have five more count-up articles to go until Final Fantasy officially fully releases! It really feels like it's no time at all.
And now, some questions for you, dear readers. Are you enjoying the Prerelease events this weekend thus far? Are you hoping to open any particular cards from MTGFIN packs? And, are you building any cool decks this weekend to give any of the new cards a home? Sound off in the comments! And, if you are interested in reading more, the previous entries in the Count-Up series are all below. Feel free to give them a read!
<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: FFI</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: FFII</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: FFIII</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: FFIV</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: FFV</a> |
<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 6: FFVI</a> | <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: FFVII</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">FFVIII</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-nine-ffix">Day 9: FFIX</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-ten-ffx/">Day 10: FFX</a>

mtgxff