Building Vivi Ornitier for cEDH

The Best Equipment Cards From Final Fantasy

Cloud, Midgar Mercenary Deck Tech

The Best New Cards for Minotaur Typal in Final Fantasy

Why Final Fantasy XV Cards Matter the Most

The Best Reprints In Final Fantasy

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Catch a Fish" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Catch a Fish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://galorart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gal Or</a></em></p>
<p>Hey everyone! It's <em>Final Fantasy </em>(FIN) week on EDHREC, so instead of a <em>Back to Basics </em>breakdown of most played cards from a particular set or of a certain type or color identity, I'll be looking at the five Sidequest enchantments from FIN.</p>
<p>Much like the game mechanics they represent, the Sidequests reward you for completing a task. But, these cards also helpfully nudge you in the right direction by providing a a boost that helps you complete the quest a little easier. These are very flavorful cards that are evocative not just of <em>Final Fantasy</em>, but of role-playing games in general, and they've been translated beautifully to <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. How good are they, though? Let's find out!</p>
<p>I've ranked them roughly by how well they can contribute to existing themes and decks. Let me know if you disagree with my very loose ranking in the comments!</p>
<h2>5. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Card Collection" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Card Collection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidequest: Card Collection"></div></div>
<p>While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Card Collection" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Card Collection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be first on my list of best in-jokes from the set (<span class="edhrecp__link only-back"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Card Collection" href="#" target="_blank">Magicked Card</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!!!!), I just don't see this making a huge impact in the format. The ability on its face is a useful one as players are always looking for redundancy in their decks and a lot of builds also want to be filling the graveyard. The effect you get is just too expensive at four mana when cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thirst for Knowledge" href="#" target="_blank">Thirst for Knowledge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frantic Search" href="#" target="_blank">Frantic Search</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> exist.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thirst for Knowledge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frantic Search"></div></div>
<p>But, what about the back half? I mean, it seems like a good Limited card, but a 4/4 flyer that still needs to be crewed isn't going to get the job done in the vast majority of games. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Search for Azcanta" href="#" target="_blank">Search for Azcanta</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Map" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Map</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> this is not!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Search for Azcanta"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Map"></div></div>
<h2>4. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Hunt the Mark" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Hunt the Mark</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidequest: Hunt the Mark"></div></div>
<p>The black Sidequest is also expensive and clunky, but at least it affects the board <em>and </em>makes additional pieces of cardboard in the form of Treasure tokens before you flip it. Both halves can cohesively contribute to a Sacrifice theme deck (although Treasures only happen if your opponents' things die), with the legendary creature on the back half giving you a sacrifice outlet and a beefy body.</p>
<p>The problem is, it's <em>still </em>expensive and clunky, even down to the two-mana activation cost for Yizamat's sacrifice ability. Affecting the board and making tokens does help you win games of <em>Magic</em> though, and a 5/6 can brawl, so this definitely edges Card Collection.</p>
<h2>3. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Play Blitzball" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Play Blitzball</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidequest: Play Blitzball"></div></div>
<p>Blitzball is a very focused tool in a deck that would like to deal a lot of damage in one go, which makes me think of Boros-based (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/equipment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Equipment decks</a> and 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>) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xenagos, God of Revels" href="#" target="_blank">Xenagos, God of Revels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anzrag, the Quake-Mole" href="#" target="_blank">Anzrag, the Quake-Mole</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style builds.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Xenagos, God of Revels"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anzrag, the Quake-Mole"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Embercleave"></div></div>
<p>Being an uncommon, it certainly doesn't quite measure to double strike staple <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Embercleave" href="#" target="_blank">Embercleave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but not many cards do. It still puts a good amount of damage potential on the table and synergizes with commanders like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale" href="#" target="_blank">Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri, Forged in Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri, Forged in Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and more. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also a shiny new option that gives you access to green as well.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nahiri, Forged in Fury"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER"></div></div>
<h2>2. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Raise a Chocobo" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Raise a Chocobo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidequest: Raise a Chocobo"></div></div>
<p>This is an interesting one because it powers up Bird kindred decks, but it's also in a tertiary color for that creature type, green. Most of the commanders that really enhance other Birds are in Azorius (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>), like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kastral, the Windcrested" href="#" target="_blank">Kastral, the Windcrested</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kangee, Aerie Keeper" href="#" target="_blank">Kangee, Aerie Keeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and (more loosely) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Errant and Giada" href="#" target="_blank">Errant and Giada</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kastral, the Windcrested"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kangee, Aerie Keeper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Errant and Giada"></div></div>
<p>Diversity in Commander is great though, so having this as a Bird payoff in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Derevi, Empyrial Tactician" href="#" target="_blank">Derevi, Empyrial Tactician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Falco Spara, Pactweaver" href="#" target="_blank">Falco Spara, Pactweaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tawnos, the Toymaker" href="#" target="_blank">Tawnos, the Toymaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could be great.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Derevi, Empyrial Tactician"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Falco Spara, Pactweaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tawnos, the Toymaker"></div></div>
<p>Being cheap helps a ton, as does giving you a body upfront that can also brawl. Getting a 2/2 on the backside isn't busted or anything, but being easy enough to get there in a dedicated Birds deck and also spotting you the first <em>landfall</em> trigger by searching up a land can lead to a surprising power spike and a chunk of damage.</p>
<p>It's important to mention that Bant (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) Birds is getting a new commander from FIN in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Choco, Seeker of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Choco, Seeker of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as well as a few new creatures and enablers/payoffs, helping green Birds decks with more options.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Choco, Seeker of Paradise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bartz and Boko"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chocobo Racetrack"></div></div>
<h2>1. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Catch a Fish" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Catch a Fish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidequest: Catch a Fish"></div></div>
<p>Raise a Chocobo is more powerful in the right deck, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidequest: Catch a Fish" href="#" target="_blank">Sidequest: Catch a Fish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a simply a more flexible card that provides a little bit of a lot of things for a reasonable three mana: you draw a card, you make an artifact token, you get more mana (which is so, so powerful), <em>and</em> you can buff your whole team by sacrificing the "free" token you already received!</p>
<p>Of course, you'll want to slot this into a deck with a lot of creatures, but that's a trivial side quest in a white deck. Tyler Bucks <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/amazing-commons-uncommons-from-the-final-fantasy-set" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes more about this card here</a>, including the great call that this is an excellent option in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Artful Provocateur" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Artful Provocateur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alela, Artful Provocateur"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thraben Inspector"></div></div>
<p>I'm a simple person; I think of how this card meshes well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thraben Inspector" href="#" target="_blank">Thraben Inspector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and I get excited. Watch out for this in <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/hatebears" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hatebears</a> too!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shinra Reinforcements" href="#" target="_blank">End of the Line, Punk!</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>Five sidequests aren't that many, but figuring out how to maximize them should provide ample distraction from the main quest of playing with all the other fantastic FIN cards!</p>


Breaking Down the Sidequests From Final Fantasy

The Over/Under - Predicting the Popularity of the Final Fantasy Commanders

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tifa, Martial Artist|fic|206" href="#" target="_blank">Tifa, Martial Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CRobert+Cornelius%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robert Cornelius</a></em></p>
<p>Hello and welcome back to <em>Archetypes of Imagination</em>, the series where we build decks based on popular Commander archetypes. We'll use Scryfall's tagging system and EDHREC's Tag pages to build around a new theme each week. Today we're building a deck focused on sneaking creatures onto the battlefield, with <em>Final Fantasy</em>'s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tifa, Martial Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Tifa, Martial Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Scryfall has a really cool way of categorizing cards, where each card has specific labels attached to it for later reference. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Springbloom Druid" href="#" target="_blank">Springbloom Druid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the ramp tag and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Druid of Purification" href="#" target="_blank">Druid of Purification</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the removal tag. EDHREC's tag system is really cool too, letting users see popular cards associated with a given strategy. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rogue&#039;s Passage" href="#" target="_blank">Rogue&#039;s Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great in voltron decks and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hydroid Krasis" href="#" target="_blank">Hydroid Krasis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great in X spell decks. These tagging systems are great ways to get inspiration for certain deck archetypes, and I often start there when it's time for me to build a new deck.</p>
<p>Let's get brewing!</p>
<h2>What Does Tifa, Martial Artist Do?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tifa, Martial Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Tifa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is sure to be one of the most popular commanders from the upcoming <em>Final Fantasy</em> release. Costing just four mana, she lets us get up to three extra combats per turn when a sufficiently big creature hits one of our opponents. Luckily, <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-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> decks have access to a lot of creatures with power seven or greater. So, this deck will aim to land Tifa early, sneak in a few big creatures, and swing with them to allow for extra combat steps galore.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tifa, Martial Artist"></div></div>
<p><em>Magic</em> usually requires players to pay mana for their spells, but we'll be doing all we can to skirt around that requirement. Some effects let us cast spells for free while others let us put permanents directly onto the battlefield, and we'll be taking advantage of both in this deck. While every color's got a few ways to cheat mana costs, the Naya color combination of <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-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> has a ton of these effects at its disposal. But, we want something to do with all the big creatures that we'll be cheating onto the battlefield. So, to that end, we'll be using Tifa to swing in for damage multiple times.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for a Sneak Commander Deck</h2>
<h3>Ways to Sneak Creatures Out</h3>
<p>There's tons of ways to cheat creatures onto the battlefield here, starting with the classic <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sneak Attack" href="#" target="_blank">Sneak Attack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Although we need to sacrifice whatever creature we put onto the board with it, we'll hopefully have swung in for damage with that creature several times already. We don't really mind needing to sacrifice one of our big Eldrazi if we've already gotten to attack with it four times. There's also some ways to get creatures onto the battlefield permanently, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eladamri, Korvecdal" href="#" target="_blank">Eladamri, Korvecdal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oviya, Automech Artisan" href="#" target="_blank">Oviya, Automech Artisan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These cards are fantastic, providing us with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Piper" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Piper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variants with significant amounts of upside (card advantage and team-wide trample respectively).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sneak Attack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eladamri, Korvecdal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oviya, Automech Artisan"></div></div>
<p>There's several more ways to sneak creatures in, so I'll just hit upon a few of my favorites. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smuggler&#039;s Surprise" href="#" target="_blank">Smuggler&#039;s Surprise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can put two creatures onto the battlefield for just <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-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, while also providing well-costed board protection and card advantage–all at instant speed! There's also <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This big Dinosaur is both a great card to sneak onto the board, and a way to sneak other creatures in. Rounding out the highlights of this group is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the East Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the East Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Because we'll be putting so many high mana value permanents onto the battlefield, this card will really shine here.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smuggler&#039;s Surprise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kodama of the East Tree"></div></div>
<h3>The Best Creatures to Sneak Out</h3>
<p>I've talked a lot about how we're going to sneak creatures onto the battlefield. So, let's talk about what scary monsters we'll actually be putting onto our battlefield free of charge.</p>
<p>One of my favorites is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I love this card for two main reasons. First, it's got seven power, meaning that it'll help our commander give us extra combat steps. Second, it's got a good chance to provide us with another big creature off the top of our library with its enters trigger. And, given all the extra combat steps we'll be taking, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giant Adephage" href="#" target="_blank">Giant Adephage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will quickly provide an insurmountable Insect army. Although this card may seem a little bit battlecruiser-ish, its seven base power and powerful combat damage trigger make it a solid choice for this deck. I also really like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kogla, the Titan Ape" href="#" target="_blank">Kogla, the Titan Ape</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> here. It's a big body that provides removal upon entering the battlefield and upon attacking, and can even protect Tifa in a pinch.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Conqueror"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Giant Adephage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kogla, the Titan Ape"></div></div>
<p>There's a few more creatures I want to talk about. We already spoke about New Etali, but let's take a moment to appreciate Old Etali. Although <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is definitively less powerful than some others in the deck, we'll really be able to run away with the game if we can string together multiple attack with this Dinosaur in one turn. I also wanted to talk about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trumpeting Carnosaur" href="#" target="_blank">Trumpeting Carnosaur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which feels purpose-built for this deck. It's got seven power, a super strong enters trigger, and can even be used as a removal spell if we really need it. This card is just amazing, and I've found myself super happy to draw it in playtesting.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Storm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trumpeting Carnosaur"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Old Gnawbone"></div></div>
<p>Last but not least, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Old Gnawbone" href="#" target="_blank">Old Gnawbone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> feels great when we're attacking multiple times per turn, and really takes advantage of all the high power creatures we'll be going to combat with.</p>
<h2>Tifa, Martial Artist Commander Deck List</h2>
<p>And now, here's the full decklist:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Archetypes of Imagination - Tifa, Martial Artist" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Tifa, Martial Artist
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Agonasaur Rex
*1 Ancient Gold Dragon
*1 Apex Altisaur
*1 Avacyn&#039;s Pilgrim
*1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Blightsteel Colossus
*1 Boreal Druid
*1 Champion of Rhonas
*1 Delighted Halfling
*1 Disciple of Freyalise // Garden of Freyalise
*1 Eladamri, Korvecdal
*1 Elvish Mystic
*1 Elvish Piper
*1 Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness
*1 Etali, Primal Storm
*1 Fanatic of Rhonas
*1 Fyndhorn Elves
*1 Ghalta and Mavren
*1 Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant
*1 Giant Adephage
*1 Ilharg, the Raze-Boar
*1 Ilysian Caryatid
*1 Kodama of the East Tree
*1 Kogla and Yidaro
*1 Kogla, the Titan Ape
*1 Llanowar Elves
*1 Old Gnawbone
*1 Oviya, Automech Artisan
*1 Paladin Elizabeth Taggerdy
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
*1 Sire of Seven Deaths
*1 Terastodon
*1 Terror of the Peaks
*1 Titan of Industry
*1 Torsten, Founder of Benalia
*1 Toski, Bearer of Secrets
*1 Trumpeting Carnosaur
*1 Winota, Joiner of Forces
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Doors of Durin
*1 Monster Manual // Zoological Study
*1 The Great Henge
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Annie Joins Up
*1 Garruk&#039;s Uprising
*1 Growing Rites of Itlimoc // Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun
*1 Guardian Project
*1 Sneak Attack
*1 Tribute to the World Tree
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Bridgeworks Battle // Tanglespan Bridgeworks
*1 Last March of the Ents
*1 Rishkar&#039;s Expertise
*1 Selvala&#039;s Stampede
*1 Stump Stomp // Burnwillow Clearing
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Archdruid&#039;s Charm
*1 Boros Charm
*1 Collective Resistance
*1 Get Lost
*1 Legion Leadership // Legion Stronghold
*1 Nature&#039;s Claim
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Smuggler&#039;s Surprise
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Through the Breach
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Bountiful Promenade
*1 Brushland
*1 Command Tower
*1 Fire-Lit Thicket
*6 Forest
*1 Hushwood Verge
*1 Jetmir&#039;s Garden
*1 Karplusan Forest
*6 Mountain
*1 Overgrown Farmland
*6 Plains
*1 Rockfall Vale
*1 Rugged Prairie
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Spire Garden
*1 Sunbillow Verge
*1 Sundown Pass
*1 Thornspire Verge
*1 Wooded Bastion
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quarrel&#039;s End" href="#" target="_blank">Quarrel&#039;s End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>Thanks for reading about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tifa, Martial Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Tifa, Martial Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in this week's <em>Archetypes</em> article! As always, I've got a few more cards I want to spotlight. This deck is full of high power creatures, and there's a few more ways that we can make the most of them. Among those are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Last March of the Ents" href="#" target="_blank">Last March of the Ents</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rishkar&#039;s Expertise" href="#" target="_blank">Rishkar&#039;s Expertise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, both of which will routinely draw us a fresh seven cards and allow even more mana-cost cheating. There's also a few mana creatures, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ilysian Caryatid" href="#" target="_blank">Ilysian Caryatid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fanatic of Rhonas" href="#" target="_blank">Fanatic of Rhonas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can provide us with extra acceleration once we've gotten a sufficiently big guy on the board.</p>
<p>Lastly, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghalta and Mavren" href="#" target="_blank">Ghalta and Mavren</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror of the Peaks" href="#" target="_blank">Terror of the Peaks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make sure that our large creatures provide us even more advantage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Last March of the Ents"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rishkar&#039;s Expertise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghalta and Mavren"></div></div>
<p>There's a few more cards that really shine here, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion of Rhonas" href="#" target="_blank">Champion of Rhonas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Although this creature asks that we exert it if we'd like to cheat a creature onto the battlefield, our commander lets us untap it multiple times per turn (meaning that we can cheat multiple creatures per turn onto the battlefield). I also really like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selvala, Heart of the Wilds" href="#" target="_blank">Selvala, Heart of the Wilds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I know, it's shocking to hear that this card is good in a <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>-based creature deck. But because we'll usually have the biggest creatures at the table, Selvala will provide tons of mana and card advantage for just three mana.</p>
<p>And there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ilharg, the Raze-Boar" href="#" target="_blank">Ilharg, the Raze-Boar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This 6/6 creature lets us sneak in creatures and reuse their enters effects while also being extremely hard to kill permanently. I love this card, and I'm glad it's got a place in this deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Champion of Rhonas"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Selvala, Heart of the Wilds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ilharg, the Raze-Boar"></div></div>
<p>Thanks once again for reading! For those of you who are interested, here are some of the Scryfall searches I used to write this article:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=%28otag%3Asneak+or+otag%3Asneak-creature+or+otag%3Asneak-permanent%29+commander%3Anaya+legal%3Aedh+order%3Aedhrec&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ways to sneak creatures onto the battlefield</a></li>
<li><a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=t%3Acreature+pow%3E%3D7+commander%3Anaya+legal%3Aedh+order%3Aedhrec&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big creatures to sneak onto the battlefield</a></li>
<li><a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=otag%3Apower-matters+commander%3Anaya+legal%3Aedh+order%3Aedhrec&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ways to get value from having big creatures on the battlefield</a></li>
</ul>


How to Make a Sneak Commander Deck, With Tifa, Martial Artist

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Minwu, White Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Minwu, White Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.josuhernaiz.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josu Hernaiz</a></em></p>
<p>One of the things I love about Universes Beyond is that, even though none of the universes <em>Magic</em> has gone to have spoken to me yet, there are a lot of cool legends that show creativity in design and add to the card pool in intriguing ways. As a result, I choose to see them as unique game pieces rather than delving into the lore of a series of games I’ll never play. One of my favorite games to play during spoiler season is to try to find legends that either add layers to existing cards, or commons and uncommons that provide a critical mass of effects to enable existing strategies. One of the commanders that caught my eye in <em>Final Fantasy </em>is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Minwu, White Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Minwu, White Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Minwu, White Mage"></div></div>
<p>Minwu provides support for a classic typal strategy, Clerics. Clerics have been around since the beginning of <em>Magic</em>, seeing particular success in <em>Onslaught</em>, where they were primarily in white with some black. They have historically had a connotation with life gain, although some of their common abilities, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s, have occasionally been shared with Wizards, Citizens, and non-occupation creature types. As a result, our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Minwu, White Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Minwu, White Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck will have Clerics and cards that have abilities that work with them.</p>
<h2>What Does Minwu, White Mage Do?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ajani&#039;s Pridemate"></div></div>
<p>The first thing that likely sticks out about Minwu is the prohibitively expensive five-mana casting cost. For a spell to be worth spending that kind of mana in today’s spell economy, it needs to be a curve-topping threat, and Minwu fits that role well. Unfortunately, Minwu does not seem to dominate combat at first glance, despite having both lifelink and vigilance, as the power and toughness are both three. It's worth noting, however, that the last ability, which puts a +1/+1 counter on all Clerics includes itself, so it can act as a much bigger <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani&#039;s Pridemate" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani&#039;s Pridemate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that boosts the whole team.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Orah, Skyclave Hierophant"></div></div>
<p>While there are other options for Cleric commanders, most of them happen to be Clerics, but don’t provide a payoff for what Clerics do. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taborax, Hope&#039;s Demise" href="#" target="_blank">Taborax, Hope&#039;s Demise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a mono-black Cleric commander, but it only cares about Clerics dying, which doesn’t really capture what Clerics do. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orah, Skyclave Hierophant" href="#" target="_blank">Orah, Skyclave Hierophant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an Orzhov Cleric commander, which has the benefit of adding to the color identity so there are more playable cards. It also cares about death triggers of Clerics, although it adds an element of white by reanimating them as well. Both Taborax and Orah are interesting engines, but neither provides a payoff, meaning that their decks take a lot of game actions without contributing meaningfully to winning the game in a timely manner.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soul Warden"></div></div>
<p>What Minwu does that is unique to other Cleric commanders is that it supports an archetype that Clerics feature prominently in: Soul Sisters. In fact, Minwu gives Soul Sisters something it desperately needs: a clock. Soul Sisters consist of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul&#039;s Attendant" href="#" target="_blank">Soul&#039;s Attendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and similar creatures that gain life each time a creature enters the battlefield. In fact, most of those effects trigger for each player, which can get out of hand quickly in a game of Commander. Unfortunately, these creatures are usually small, so the life buffer is similar to a high Hit Points stat in <em>Pokemon</em>; it helps to soak up damage but not to prevent it, so the deck struggles to turn the corner after getting punched in the mouth due to a lack of dealing meaningful or consistent damage.</p>
<p>The layers of counters turns our small creatures into threats and can even make crazy combinations, especially with the new <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/ranking-the-job-select-equipment-cards-from-final-fantasy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">job select Equipments</a> that can turn creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hangarback Walker" href="#" target="_blank">Hangarback Walker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into powerful exhaust if we decide to go in a more combo-heavy route.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Minwu, White Mage</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soul&#039;s Attendant"></div></div>
<p>One set of cards that’s key for a Soul Sisters deck is…the Soul Sisters. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul&#039;s Attendant" href="#" target="_blank">Soul&#039;s Attendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are the namesake cards of the archetype, but there are actually close to 20 cards that provide a similar effect. Some are Clerics, some aren’t (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lifecreed Duo" href="#" target="_blank">Lifecreed Duo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), and some aren’t even creatures (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani&#039;s Welcome" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani&#039;s Welcome</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>). We need as many copies of this ability as we can find, as it’s the bread-and-butter of the deck. This means accepting some off-curve and somewhat disappointing options, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angelic Chorus" href="#" target="_blank">Angelic Chorus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, in order to make sure we see multiple copies every game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archangel of Thune"></div></div>
<p>Soul Sisters decks are notorious for being slow, trigger-heavy, and a bit frustrating to play against. This is where Minwu comes in, as the White Mage provides a payoff for the lifegain. But our commander isn’t alone. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archangel of Thune" href="#" target="_blank">Archangel of Thune</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is arguably the most powerful card in the deck, removing the limit on Clerics that our commander has, while also being a flying attacker. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos Paragon" href="#" target="_blank">Nykthos Paragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> adds to the counters flying around, and, like the other cards that provide layers of counters, triggers for each <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> activation.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mentor of the Meek"></div></div>
<p>While the majority of the deck is designed around gaining life and payoffs of life gain, we do have a couple of other important roles to fill. Since we need a critical mass of triggers and payoffs, as well as ways to keep our triggers flowing, we need card draw. The majority of that draw is tied to creatures entering the battlefield, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mentor of the Meek" href="#" target="_blank">Mentor of the Meek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, enabling us to maximize the ETB triggers that we're already building around with the Soul Sisters. The other major role we need is board protection, as we need permanents to stick around in order to stack abilities and develop a board presence.</p>
<p>Dawn seems to be an ideal time of day for Clerics, as both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dawn Charm" href="#" target="_blank">Dawn Charm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dawn&#039;s Truce" href="#" target="_blank">Dawn&#039;s Truce</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can protect our board, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dawn of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Dawn of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card draw effect that capitalizes off of our life gain.</p>
<h2>How Does This Minwu, White Mage Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nykthos Paragon"></div></div>
<p>Our Minwu deck uses the commander to take a notoriously nebulous archetype and give it a pretty clear win condition: building a board and pushing combat damage with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos Paragon" href="#" target="_blank">Nykthos Paragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects. Gain life, turn that life into power, and use that power to bash opponents’ faces is a much cleaner win condition than trying to draw into and protect <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Felidar Sovereign" href="#" target="_blank">Felidar Sovereign</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or hope the table lets our life total stay high enough to fire the Death Star of an <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> shot to the face. (Still waiting on a Star Wars Universes Beyond, by the way, but, with Marvel coming up, there’s hope.)</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hangarback Walker"></div></div>
<p>If you're looking for a more combo-based build, or one at a higher power level, you could add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hangarback Walker" href="#" target="_blank">Hangarback Walker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to combine with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heliod, Sun-Crowned" href="#" target="_blank">Heliod, Sun-Crowned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to mow down opponents. Two-card combinations and ways to find them would increase the power level, however, and this one is low enough to play at casual or semi-competitive tables, such as those running similarly strong and supported creature types, like Dragons, Elves, or even Slivers. This build should be able to hold its own at any of those tables.</p>
<h2>Minwu, White Mage Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Minwu, White Mage Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Minwu, White Mage
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Ajani&#039;s Welcome
*1 Angelic Chorus
*1 Answered Prayers
*1 Authority of the Consuls
*1 Case of the Uneaten Feast
*1 Cleric Class
*1 Cradle of Vitality
*1 Dawn of Hope
*1 Light of Promise
*1 Sunbond
*1 Tocasia&#039;s Welcome
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Aerith Gainsborough
*1 Ajani&#039;s Pridemate
*1 Archangel of Thune
*1 Auriok Champion
*1 Daxos, Blessed by the Sun
*1 Dazzling Angel
*1 Distinguished Conjurer
*1 Elenda&#039;s Hierophant
*1 Enduring Innocence
*1 Essence Channeler
*1 Exemplar of Light
*1 Gideon&#039;s Company
*1 Guide of Souls
*1 Healer of the Pride
*1 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
*1 Hinterland Sanctifier
*1 Impassioned Orator
*1 Kor Celebrant
*1 Lifecreed Duo
*1 Lunarch Veteran // Luminous Phantom
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Nykthos Paragon
*1 Qala, Ajani&#039;s Pridemate
*1 Redemption Choir
*1 Righteous Valkyrie
*1 Rumor Gatherer
*1 Soul Warden
*1 Soul&#039;s Attendant
*1 Suture Priest
*1 Twinblade Paladin
*1 Vanguard Seraph
*1 Voice of the Blessed
*1 Welcoming Vampire
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Field-Tested Frying Pan
*1 Well of Lost Dreams
*1 White Mage&#039;s Staff
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ajani, Strength of the Pride
[/Planeswalkers]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Akroma&#039;s Will
*1 Brave the Elements
*1 Clever Concealment
*1 Dawn Charm
*1 Dawn&#039;s Truce
*1 Divine Resilience
*1 Flare of Fortitude
*1 Grand Crescendo
*1 Make a Stand
*1 Unbreakable Formation
*1 Your Temple Is Under Attack
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*40 Plains
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>This is a fairly fast and aggressive typal deck, with its speed and board protection serving as positive traits while it’s hindered a bit by a relative lack of removal or recovery. We want to be pushing the pace from the beginning, putting out Soul Wardens instead of building up mana. As a result, our curve is relatively low, with our commander as a curve-topping threat. Minwu sits back until there are enough counters for it to bully other creatures in combat, slowly building up counters until we have an overwhelming board presence.</p>
<p>This deck is for those who enjoy triggers and counters, as well as those who like taking a picture of beautifully spread out board states. It does take some focus to follow all of the interactions and triggers while maintaining board state, so I’d recommend taking it out when you have the energy and space to do so. When you do, it’s a lot of fun, and it shows just how powerful monocolored strategies can be!</p>


mtgxfinalfantasy