The hotly-anticipated release of Magic: The Gathering’s Final Fantasy tie-in is near, and we’ve got the first look at one of the strongest cards in the set, Slash of Light.
A two-cost instant that can take out an enemy in one go, read on to learn more about its effects, and how to best use it in MTG’s most popular formats.
MTG Final Fantasy spoiler: Slash of Light
Wizards of the Coast graced us with an exclusive preview of something they’ve been synthesizing for their big Final Fantasy’s crossover, and it’s something White token players are going to love.
“Slash of Light” is a two-mana monowhite instant spell that deals damage to a single creature equal to the number of creatures and equipment you have on your board.
The Common card depicts the climax of the very first Final Fantasy game: the Warriors of Light defeating the fiendish Garland AKA Chaos. But old-school fanboying aside, the spell is fairly versatile and can find a use in most decks of its color.
White decks are known for generating tons of creature tokens, often going wide with Aggro and Lifegain effects. Slash of Light performs well in this playstyle, especially when you want to punish a player before a Crippling Fear resolves.
Equipment-heavy decks that contain Puresteel Paladin, Sigarda’s Aid, and Cloud, Planet’s Champion can also get a big kick out of Slash of Light if used correctly.
Slash of Light: Power level ranking
Slash of Light boasts iconic art, awesome flavor, and good synergy with established mechanics. But is it worth splashing into White?
Slash of Light scales with board presence, so we’d put it just below the best removal spells of the game like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile. Not only do these get around the “Indestructible” keyword, but they’re also cheaper and lack any prerequisites.
That said, Flash of Light’s awesome flavor – and the rarity of targeted removal spells in its color – makes it a solid option for Final Fantasy-themed casual play.
The idea of it being imprinted on an Isochron Scepter is also a fun idea for a removal engine if (and that’s a big “if”) you protect your boardstate. Boros Signet, Promise of Tomorrow, and Darksteel Forge are all great choices.
Slash of Light in popular Magic: The Gathering formats
Flash of Light’s effectiveness varies with each popular Magic format.
For Commander, the two-cost instant shines with a target-rich environment and the general benefit of having token plus Equipment decks that go wide. On the other hand, Flash of Light won’t be effective if you’re behind, and better alternatives are widely used.
Slash of Light might find value in Standard or even fringe Modern decks due to its cheap cost. However, it’s easily outclassed in Pioneer due to its tight meta and Slash’s reliance on getting a full board.
All 16 mainline Final Fantasy games are coming to Magic: The Gathering, and pre-orders are already flying off the shelves.
Universes Beyond crossovers like Final Fantasy’s aim to get more people interested in Magic. We’ve seen a massive influx of new players in the Lord of The Rings and Marvel tie-ins, but this one’s already on track to be Wizards’ most profitable set… and it hasn’t even come out yet.
READ MORE: Magic the Gathering Tarkir Dragonstorm review: Get ready to exchange clan flavor for unbridled power
