When I was a child watching my brothers play Final Fantasy IX, I was obsessed with the character of Zidane. Not only did I have long blonde hair, I also had a tail… Okay, one of those things was a lie (which one? You decide!). So when I first saw his card, Zidane, Tantalus ThiefZidane, Tantalus Thief, I loved how it captured his generous yet rambunctious nature.

Today we'll be looking at a fun direction to take this commander in: borrowing cards from other players, as well as gifting them some pieces that benefit you at the same time. My name is Tyler ‘Savesya’ Bucks, and with all that in mind, let’s take a look at fourteen cards for under $14 that will get you started on a brand new Final Fantasy deck!

Zidane, Tantalus Thief

The first thought that came to mind when I saw Zidane, Tantalus ThiefZidane, Tantalus Thief was his synergy with ThreatenThreaten effects. Sure, I could fill this list with every version of that type of card, but that would be a little one-note. If you have a lot of those cards, throw them in this deck!

This list will showcase some interesting ways to steal your opponents' cards, whether it's one at a time or multiple all at once. We'll also look at a few spells that will “gift” cards to other players, so that you can get a Treasure in return. Finally, at the end of the list, I'll showcase two cards that represent a few tricky directions you can take this commander.

Kari Zev's Expertise

Kicking things off with one of my favorite versions of a Threaten effect, we have Kari Zev's ExpertiseKari Zev's Expertise. Three mana is the going rate for stealing a creature for a turn, but adding the ability to cast a spell with mana value two or less for free is what sets this apart. Sure, you might only hit something like a Signet or cheap removal off of this, but that’s better than nothing when you consider you'll also get a Treasure once you return the creature you borrowed.

Claim the Firstborn

Like I said at that start of this article, I won’t fill this list with too many Threaten effects, but Claim the FirstbornClaim the Firstborn is too good not to include. One mana to take a creature with mana value three or less is incredibly powerful, especially in this deck, since you’ll get that mana back when you make that Treasure. You don’t always need to get the biggest thing from your opponents; as long as you’re stealing cards, Zidane will be happy!

Captivating Crew

Say you have a lot of Treasure tokens sitting around, and nothing to dump them all into. That’s where a card like Captivating CrewCaptivating Crew can truly shine. Four mana to steal one creature for a turn isn’t the greatest rate, but if you have the resources to swipe several creatures at a time, it could turn the game in your favor. Plus, at the end of your turn, you’ll make a Treasure for each creature you give back.

Frenzied Fugue

Speaking of four-mana theft spells, next up we have Frenzied FugueFrenzied Fugue. When this enters, and at the beginning of your upkeep, you’re going to steal the enchanted permanent until end of turn. Since this is a repeatable way to take something and then give it back on each of your turns, it’ll be a nice little Treasure making engine. Also, don’t overlook the fact that you can steal any permanent with this card like lands or even planeswalkers.

Call for Aid

These next two cards will show off the power of stealing your opponents' things en masse. Call for AidCall for Aid lets you gain control of all the creatures target opponent controls, which is a major shift in your favor even though you can’t attack them that turn. Plus, once you give all those creatures back, you’ll be making a huge number of Treasure tokens, which can set you up for your endgame from there.

Insurrection

Taking all the creatures from one player is great, but taking all the creatures on the battlefield is even better! InsurrectionInsurrection is the most expensive card on this list, and for good reason. Back in the early days of Commander, this card used to be a favorite win-con for many red decks. When paired with Zidane, this spell will make you a whole lot of Treasures when you give those creatures back to anyone who survived the onslaught. (Also see Mob RuleMob Rule for another budget option.)

Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos

Moving on to the cards I’m titling “Gifts,” we have Alexios, Deimos of KosmosAlexios, Deimos of Kosmos. This is a creature you can give away to each opponent on their turn, which has to attack, can’t attack you, and grows with counters. With this creature and your commander alone, you’ll be making three Treasures and forcing your opponents to whittle each others' life totals down in the process.

Yes Man, Personal Securitron

Up next is Yes Man, Personal SecuritronYes Man, Personal Securitron. This deck can benefit from a little bit of politics, since you'll be handing out some value pieces during the game. Yes Man is a prime example of this, where you can make a deal with another player to give it back and forth to each other throughout the game. Drawing two cards and making a Treasure token is a nice combo. Plus, you could make a large amount of Soldier tokens when this creature leaves the battlefield.

Coveted Jewel

Possibly the wackiest card on this list is Coveted JewelCoveted Jewel. For six mana you'll draw three cards and get a rock that taps for three mana; sounds like a good rate to me! However, if someone attacks you and you don't block all the attackers, they gain control of the Jewel. Luckily, your commander will make you a Treasure when that happens. Plus, since this deck’s main goal is to take creatures and attack with them, there’s a good chance you'd be able to swing right over and take the Jewel back on your next turn.

Humble Defector

I recently built a deck around The Jolly Balloon ManThe Jolly Balloon Man and got extremely excited to find a new home for Humble DefectorHumble Defector. Drawing two cards just for tapping this creature is a great rate. However, you have to give it away once you do that. This is where incorporating some politics into your games will be the most beneficial, since you could just trade the Defector back and forth with the same player. Drawing two and creating a Treasure on each of your turns is the type of value that can help you close out games.

Hithlain Rope

Our next card on the list offers some more possible card draw as well as land ramp, just for the small price of handing it over to the player to your right. Hithlain RopeHithlain Rope gives players two different options they can activate, which could help incentivize them to pass this card around the table, depending on what they need in that moment. The main drawback is that you have to pass it to your right, which means it'll take a little longer to get back to you. However, in this deck, giving it away once might be enough value for one game.

Discerning Financier

Discerning FinancierDiscerning Financier raised my eyebrows when I first saw it in one of my Wilds of Eldraine boosters. Making you a Treasure if your opponents have more lands than you is nice to have around. The main star in this card’s text box comes from the fact that you can pass an opponent a Treasure to draw a card for three mana. If you have your commander out when you do that, you’ll be at parity with your Treasures, since you’ll make a new one just for handing it out. This is great for making deals with other players, since you're not going down in resources.

Kazuul's Fury

Our final two cards will highlight some of the ways you can take this deck, while still fitting in any build for this commander. Kazuul's FuryKazuul's Fury is a FlingFling style effect that’s attached to a land on the backside, making it feel free to run. Sure, giving the cards you steal back to your opponents makes you lose those Treasures, but sometimes you want to just get a threat off the board entirely. This spell, and other cards like it, are definitely a direction to go if you’re looking to make this a meaner build.

Cloudshift

Finally, we have CloudshiftCloudshift, which can save one of your important creatures when you need it; but there’s something more sinister lurking behind this card. With the wording it has, when you exile a creature you've stolen, it comes back to play under your control, not its owner. Recent blink cards aren’t usually worded this way, so finding a few cards that let you steal something for the rest of the game could be extra tricky for your opponents to deal with.

In Closing

So, there you have it, fourteen cards for under $14 to get you started on your very own Zidane, Tantalus ThiefZidane, Tantalus Thief deck. Let me know in the comments what cards you would include in the rest of the 99, and bonus points for telling me your favorite Threaten effect. You can check out the full list, as well as some cards that didn't make the cut, on my Archidekt!

A Fancy Fifteenth - Slicer, Hired Muscle

If you liked the playstyle of Alexios, Deimos of KosmosAlexios, Deimos of Kosmos, then you might also enjoy his more expensive cousin Slicer, Hired MuscleSlicer, Hired Muscle. While it’s not the most essential inclusion for this deck, if you have some more funds set aside while you're building, then give this Transformer a chance!