Magic the Gathering Final Fantasy scores a critical hit with a powerful tribute to the iconic video game franchise. The monumental set checks all the boxes: it offers an inviting welcome mat to new players, gives you a great bang for your Gil, and refreshingly shakes up Magic’s most popular formats.
The whole set is a careful homage to a videogame staple. But nostalgia goggles aside, what truly sets Magic the Gathering Final Fantasy apart from past crossovers? Are the cards viable for competitive play? And most importantly – does the set bring fresh mechanics to the table?
Read our full Magic the Gathering Final Fantasy below to find out!
ONE Esports’ Magic the Gathering Final Fantasy review
Magic the Gathering Final Fantasy sports a stylish array of decks, high-value booster boxes, Bundle boxes, and a Cloud/Sephiroth Starter Kit – all adorned with the saga’s most renowned heroes.
Cracking open a pack of Final Fantasy can steal you powerful equipment artifacts (of which there are many), gorgeous showcase cards, original art reskins, and many more. But out of all of the merchandise, FIN’s new precons stand out the most.
The new set offers four, prebuilt Commander decks centered on famous Final Fantasy personas: Cloud, Y’shtola, Terra, and Tidus. While all of them are a blast to pilot, the first two are the easiest due to Cloud’s versatile equipment playstyle and Y’shtola’s fun card draw/damage engine.
I was lucky enough to play with both, and having seven mana sources, an equipped Cloud, and a buffed Sephiroth by turn four (yes, it’s possible) made me feel godlike. I was subsequently ganged up on by my table. But it was a fun six seconds!
Needless to say, the community didn’t take much convincing for the set to fully pop off – becoming the most profitable set in Magic: The Gathering’s history weeks before its June 13 release.
Wizards of the Coast graced us with the bulk of the set, and the attention to detail in this collaboration is nothing short of impressive. Every card feels like a love letter. And it’s clear that the designers had fun bringing the crossover to life (looking at you, Suplex).
Speaking of fun, it’s been a while since I felt this much energy going into a pre-release event, and much of that is owed to Magic the Gathering Final Fantasy’s new “Job Select” mechanic – a simple, yet exciting mechanic that shines in limited play.
The new Tiered spells I pulled felt like a breath of fresh air; “Restoration Magic” and “Fire Magic” being the best. Familiar mechanics like Adventures and Double-faced card make a comeback too, with Landfall and Saga creatures perfectly inspiring Chocobo play.
And since notable characters in Final Fantasy’s 16 mainline games are viable commanders, it’s easy to imagine these new mechanics making an impact in EDH.
The design team did a fantastic job of translating the most beloved FF characters into their shiny cardboard versions. Cloud, Sephiroth, Balthier, Fran, Yuna, and Kujo all look the best they’ve ever been, but Tifa and Vivi stand out as the clear winners for high-bracket play.
Final Fantasy’s fiery entrance into the realm of MTG seems to have little to no flaws on its own. Who can complain about a childhood game getting the loving treatment it deserves? In the greatest strategic trading card game of all time, no less?
Popularity raises costs heavensward
When a monumental crossover exceeds expectations, demand skyrockets – and Magic the Gathering Final Fantasy is no exception. Card prices have surged to ridiculous levels in the secondary market, making it one of, if not the toughest sets for new players to access.
If I had to think of a downside to this set (which was damn near impossible), it would be this. Ironically, what made Magic the Gathering Final Fantasy so appealing has also made it harder than ever to jump in.
That said, pre-release periods always come with a squall of inflated costs. For those looking to grab the best deals, patience is key. Wait for the hype to settle for better bargains down the line. And don’t go paying the price of a PlayStation 5 for a resold collector’s box either!
While its collectability has made it cost more than an arm and a leg, Magic the Gathering Final Fantasy’s highly coveted line of TCG products is an absolute treat, servicing fans from both sides, especially voltron, landfall, and aristocrat enthusiasts.
Future collaborations will have to measure their successes against this set, and for good reason.
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