Your adventure into Magic: The Gathering begins here.
It’s here, it’s finally here.
Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY looks to be nothing short of incredible, and it’s no wonder the Standard release is already the best-selling MTG release of all time. There’s just something for everyone, and the levels of excitement for the release are simply off the charts.
Given the scale of the set and the new audiences it’ll bring to MTG, there’s an awful lot to cover today — so let’s run down the cards you’ll be thrilled to open from MTG—FINAL FANTASY Play and Collector Boosters on release day and beyond.
#16 The Cid, Timeless Artificer Cards
One of the many aspects of MTG—FINAL FANTASY is the marriage of flavor and card design, and Cid, Timeless Artificer is one of the many notes struck with the Standard release. As Cid is a permanent fixture of the mainline Final Fantasy games, it makes sense to have the MTG—FINAL FANTASY card come with an exciting clause geared towards Commander play. If you’re unfamiliar with Magic: The Gathering outside of MTG—FINAL FANTASY, Hare Apparent and Slime Against Humanity are some of the most-purchased cards here at TCGplayer, as these cards fall into an interesting space of playing as many copies of the named card as you wish. Since Commander adopts a strict singleton card rule, these styles of cards inspire a novel approach to building Commander decks that’s become more popular over the last few years. This sentiment also applies to Cid, Timeless Artificer, who comes with fifteen different printings, each of them referencing the mainline Final Fantasy games (outside of the first).
Market Price: $10.42
If you’re familiar with the Nazgûl cards from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, these became highly valuable (for uncommons) upon release — because there’s a deep collector element to these cards given the intellectual property, creating further demand while also becoming difficult to open all of them given the different variants. The same will happen with Cid, Timeless Artificer over time with a value multiplier on foils to accommodate the most ardent Final Fantasy collectors.
#15 Starting Town
Starting Town
FINAL FANTASY, Rare
While MTG—FINAL FANTASY looks favorable for casual and Commander play, there are a few cards that could see Constructed applications upon release. Starting Town is one of these, as the land card can enter play untapped if it’s played within the first three turns of a game. Once it enters play, you may pay one life to add a mana of any color. Cards such as City of Brass and Mana Confluence have remained desirable as having access to a mana source you can tap for any color is historically popular within MTG (especially in Commander).
With MTG—FINAL FANTASY becoming the first Universes Beyond release that’s Standard-legal, there’s some passive interest from competitive players as they look to buy what they need going into a new Standard environment. Unsurprisingly, a card that fixes all your mana at the expense of one life is going to be one of the more popular competitive options from MTG—FINAL FANTASY.
#14 Jumbo Cactuar (Borderless Woodblock)
Jumbo Cactuar
FINAL FANTASY, Rare
Perhaps one of my favorite cards from MTG—FINAL FANTASY is Jumbo Cactuar, which can deal an incredible 10,000 points of damage to an opponent whenever the lumbering cactus attacks. Another element of MTG—FINAL FANTASY is how Wizards of the Coast have captured the ability to be a bit ridiculous with MTG gameplay (as is often the case when playing Final Fantasy), and Jumbo Cactuar is no exception to this premise.
Since MTG—FINAL FANTASY is a tentpole release, there’s a flurry of distinct and gorgeous treatments to collect — with the Borderless Woodblock printing being one of these and can appear on copies of Jumbo Cactuar. There are roughly 50 Borderless Woodblock cards to collect, bringing a classic Final Fantasy aesthetic to MTG.
#13 Tifa Lockhart (Borderless Character)
Tifa Lockhart
FINAL FANTASY, Rare
When you have a release that’s so intrinsically tied to Final Fantasy, being able to acknowledge every single character in the mainline games within one MTG set is a massive undertaking, but Tifa Lockhart was always going to have her own MTG—FINAL FANTASY card — who happens to pack a massive punch, no less.
Elegantly put, Tifa Lockhart comes with the ability of whenever a land you control enters the battlefield, you double Tifa’s power until the end of turn. Tifa also comes with trample, meaning she can push through damage without breaking a sweat — making her a fantastic option to lead a Mono-Green aggressive strategy in Commander or maybe even in Constructed alongside Fabled Passage. In particular, it’ll be the Borderless Character printing of Tifa Lockhart that will see the most substantial interest from players, as she’s one of the most popular characters in the whole Final Fantasy franchise.
#12 Summon: Knights of Round
Summon: Knights of Round
FINAL FANTASY, Mythic
You can’t have an MTG—FINAL FANTASY release without summons, which is why Summon: Knights of Round will be one of the many cards players will be ecstatic to open when cracking those Play and Collector Boosters.
If you’ve played Final Fantasy 7 (VII), you’ll be fully aware of how iconic Knights of the Round Table’s summoning sequence is and how it convinced everyone to care about chocobo breeding as the route to find the illusive red materia (unless you used GameFAQs instead, I won’t judge). While MTG—FINAL FANTASY offers a much easier and less tedious route to casting Summon: Knights of Round, you do have to spend around two minutes resolving the spell when playing the MTG version. Sorry, them the (flavor) rules.
#11 Traveling Chocobo
Traveling Chocobo
FINAL FANTASY, Mythic
Going back to chocobos, Traveling Chocobo is another hotly-desired card from MTG—FINAL FANTASY, as the Bird provides so much value that it’s setting itself up to see plenty of casual and competitive interest upon release. Admittedly featuring a ton of text, Traveling Chocobo allows you to peek at the top card of your library at any time, and if there happens to be a land card or Bird spell on top — you may play that card. Furthermore, if a land or Bird you control enters the battlefield and causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, it’ll trigger an additional time. Pair this Tifa Lockhart, and you’ll have access to double Landfall triggers, which means a lot more damage!
It’s the Traveling Chocobo’s ability to double-up on these effects with land cards specifically that’s driven a surge in sales as of late, becoming a desirable inclusion for any Commander strategy that cares about playing as many lands as possible (which is pretty common if you’re playing green). There’s also the Bird synergy that’ll be popular with Choco, Seeker of Paradise, who’s looking to be the de-facto option if you want to build a Chocobo Commander deck upon MTG—FINAL FANTASY’s release.
#10 Lightning, Army of One (Borderless Artist)
Lightning, Army of One
FINAL FANTASY, Mythic
While on the subject of de-facto cards for Commander, Lightning, Army of One is looking to be incredible to lead any Equipment-focused strategy as she can just threaten so much damage for the measly cost of three mana. Keyword soup aside, Lightning comes with the remarkable ability to double any damage you’d deal to a player (or a permanent) that player controls until your next turn. Sure, Lightning does need to connect with the opponent for this to trigger, but with trample, this makes this effortless to achieve. What makes the Final Fantasy 13 (XIII) protagonist so incredible in Commander is if you let the first strike damage happen with Lighting first, all your non-first strike creatures will then deal double damage!
Market Price: $13.36
Since revealed as part of the MTG—FINAL FANTASY’s previews back in May, Commander players have been figuring out the most optimal (and let’s be honest, disgusting) way to build Lightning, Army of One with further interest in acquiring the Borderless Artist version upon release, which features works from the legendary 国料勇/ISAMU KAMIKOKURYO who worked on the Final Fantasy 13 (XIII) series!
#9 Summon: Bahamut (Borderless Woodblock)
Summon: Bahamut
FINAL FANTASY, Mythic
We can’t talk about Final Fantasy without mentioning one of the most recognizable summons in the game’s history, Bahamut. And if you thought Bahamut was gnarly in Final Fantasy, the MTG—FINAL FANTASY card also lives up to those devastating expectations. From destroying nonland permanents to drawing cards, Summon: Bahamut packs a ton of value while leading up to Mega Flare, which flavorfully wins you the game.
Bahamut also happens to be a Dragon, which is one the more popular creature types you can play in MTG due to the release of Tarkir: Dragonstorm — leaving plenty of The Ur-Dragon Commander players wanting a copy of Summon: Bahamut for their decks. In particular, the Woodblock Borderless printing of Bahamut will be especially desirable amongst players, as it displays the wonderful aesthetic that Final Fantasy 10 (X) brought to these summons back in 2001.
#8 Stay with Me (Rhystic Study – Through the Ages)
Rhystic Study
FINAL FANTASY: Through the Ages, Mythic
Given how special MTG—FINAL FANTASY is as a set, it isn’t a surprise to see a bonus sheet to support this wonderful release. Called Through the Ages, these are reprints of existing MTG cards featuring existing artwork from the Final Fantasy series. While including previous works from 野村哲也/TETSUYA NOMURA and 天野喜孝/YOSHITAKA AMANO, it’s the reprint of Rhystic Study (Stay with Me) showcasing the iconic moment in Final Fantasy 10 (X) between Tidus and Yuna which will become a valuable card from the subset. Scene importance aside, Rhystic Study remains one of the most polarizing cards you can play in Commander — it’s powerful but often dictates the game by asking the same question each time an opposing player casts a spell. But hey, a reprint is a reprint.
Market Price: $28.89
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Market Price: $43.53
Despite the polarization in the MTG community, Rhystic Study remains a fixture of the Commander format, and players will always welcome reprints whenever they happen. In total, there are 64 of these Through the Ages cards to collect and appear in both Play and Collector Boosters, with foil copies available only in Collector Boosters.
#7 The 天野喜孝/YOSHITAKA AMANO Borderless Cards
Market Price: $44.09
Market Price: $70.19
Market Price: $57.30
We’ve already discussed how MTG—FINAL FANTASY introduces existing works from the likes of 天野喜孝/YOSHITAKA AMANO, but Wizards of the Coast also offered these iconic Final Fantasy artists the opportunity to create new pieces for the release. The Artist Borderless Kefka, Court Mage and Terra, Magical Adept are two cards with brand new 天野喜孝/YOSHITAKA AMANO artwork, which will have their following of collectors upon release (this also applies to the previously mentioned Through the Ages bonus sheet, especially Dragon of Mount Glug). And I don’t blame them, I’m eying up a copy of Kefka for myself — I mean, just look at it.
#6 Cloud, Midgar Mercenary (Extended Art)
Cloud, Midgar Mercenary
FINAL FANTASY, Mythic
As MTG—FINAL FANTASY focuses on the sixteen mainline games, there was always going to be heavier attention towards the popular entries compared to others — which is why Cloud, Midgar Mercenary is going to be a multi-format all-star upon the set’s release. Sharing similar abilities to the iconic Stoneforge Mystic, Cloud lets you search for an equipment and put the card into your hand, but you also can use Cloud to double up on triggers of equipment or Cloud himself (if Cloud happens to be equipped). Historically, these kinds of effects are powerful in MTG, seeing extentsive play both casually and competitively — especially with Tarkir: Dragonstorm’s Cori-Steel Cutter remaining a fixture of Standard.
Along with the continued popularity of Final Fantasy 7 (VII), it isn’t a shock to see this iteration of Cloud becoming a card everyone will want to open from MTG—FINAL FANTASY upon release. Also, it’s worth mentioning there’s an insane multiplier on any Extended Art cards opened in foil, as these seem to only exist in MTG—FINAL FANTASY Bundles and Gift Bundles (releasing June 27).
#5 Buster Sword (Borderless Woodblock)
Buster Sword
FINAL FANTASY, Mythic
And if you want something to search up with Cloud, Midgar Mercenary, well, how about his trusty Buster Sword?
Unsurprisingly, the Buster Sword plays quite nicely with Cloud, allowing you to double up on the Sword’s triggers if equipped to Cloud. Even if you are unable to leverage Cloud when playing with the Buster Sword, being able to draw cards and potentially cast spells for free is a great deal for connecting with the opponent with combat damage. While normal printings of Buster Sword continue to climb in value at the time of publication, it’s the Borderless printing that will capture the most interest with collectors. Remember, MTG is entering a space where card collection is becoming a serious hobby, and tying that sentiment to something as big as Final Fantasy only means this approach will become more common over time.
#4 Vivi Ornitier (Borderless Artist)
Vivi Ornitier
FINAL FANTASY, Mythic
Final Fantasy’s 9’s (IX) Vivi Ornitier has seen plenty of hype since the card’s reveal in early May, where it’s looking to be one of the most played Commanders from MTG—FINAL FANTASY, and it doesn’t look remotely close. For three mana, Vivi comes with a mixture of abilities allowing the Black Mage to grow in power (in the form of +1/+1 counters) for each noncreature spell you cast, where Vivi can then convert that power into adding a ton of red or blue mana — so you can cast even more spells!
Vivi is simply a powerhouse in Commander and could become a hit in Constructed, as there’s enough going on with Vivi to make it competitively viable. While opening any copy of Vivi Ornitier will be a welcome (and valuable) hit, the incredible Borderless Artist treatment created by none other than 板鼻利幸/TOSHIYUKI ITAHANA (the character designer for Final Fantasy 9/IX) will command remarkable value solely on character popularity and card design alone.
#3 Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER (Borderless Artist)
Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER
FINAL FANTASY, Mythic
Another Commander that’s looking to see extensive interest upon MTG—FINAL FANTASY’s release is Final Fantasy 7’s (VII) Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER, who is one of the few creatures in MTG to create an emblem when flipped into the One-Winged Angel. Like Vivi, Sephiroth comes with a slew of excellent abilities that can dictate a game of MTG with little effort. What makes Sephiroth so strong is the ability to sacrifice creatures upon attacking to draw a card, along with the passive effect of forcing an opponent to lose one life (and you’ll gain one life) any time a creature dies on the battlefield. If you can trigger this effect four times during a turn, you’ll gain access to the One-Winged Angel, who supercharges these effects massively.
Market Price: $40.07
Market Price: $59.60
Market Price: $90.48
And much like with Vivi Ornitier, opening any printing of Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER will be ideal given the demand for the Final Fantasy 7 (VII) antagonist amongst players and collectors, but there’s going to be further excitement in acquiring the Borderless Artist printing created by none other than 野村哲也/TETSUYA NOMURA!
#2 The Surge Foil Character Borderless Cards
Market Price: $446.07
Market Price: $609.43
Market Price: $406.60
Market Price: $238.85
Market Price: $445.36
Market Price: $111.68
Appearing exclusively in MTG—FINAL FANTASY Collector Boosters, the Surge Foil Borderless Character cards are some of the most desirable treatments from the release — with Y’shtola, Night’s Blessed, Yuna, Grand Summoner, and Cloud, Midgar Mercenary being the most valuable hits at the time of publication. What is notable about the Surge Foil Borderless Character cards from the Commander: FINAL FANTASY subset is that they come with a pull rate of roughly 1%, meaning these have serious collector value and are incredibly hard to open!
And from the base MTG—FINAL FANTASY set, there’s a 15% pull rate for any Surge Foil Borderless Character cards printed at rare and roughly 3% for mythic rares, making these some of the sought-after cards from the release. As mentioned before, Final Fantasy brings an audience that cares about collecting cards of their favorite characters, meaning these treatments will have a resilient future in terms of holding value.
#1 The Neon Ink and Gold Serialized Chocobo Cards
Market Price: $903.48
Market Price: $877.60
Market Price: $963.92
Market Price: $752.81
Market Price: $3,748.60
Speaking of value, Wizards of the Coast have re-introduced Neon Ink cards for MTG—FINAL FANTASY (first debuting in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty) on flavorful variants of Traveling Chocobo. Appearing in Blue, Green, Pink, Yellow, and Black (Japanese language only), these vivid renditions of Traveling Chocobo are going to be must-haves for any veteran Final Fantasy collector. Like with many of the highly unique treatments in MTG, these are exclusive to Collector Boosters and will appear in less than 1% of all Collector Boosters of any language.
Traveling Chocobo
FINAL FANTASY, Mythic
Of course, we can’t discuss MTG—FINAL FANTASY without mentioning the chase Golden Chocobo card! Appearing in less than 1% of English Collector Boosters, this stunningly unique printing of Traveling Chocobo will be the card everyone will want to open from MTG—FINAL FANTASY. Serialized out of 77, the Golden Traveling Chocobo is going to command remarkable value if opened — with a multiplier on any cards with serialization from #1 to #16 (since there are sixteen mainline Final Fantasy games). Of course, number #69 (nice) will also hold decent value due to evergreen cultural trends.
Market Price: $202.32
Market Price: $1,014.06
Market Price: $313.72
Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY relases on June 13, where you can buy Play and Collector Boosters along with Prerelease Kits, and Bundles along with Gift Bundles releasing on June 27. Furthermore, MTG—FINAL FANTASY sees four fantastic Commander Decks to collect built around Final Fantasy 6 (VI), Final Fantasy 7 (VII), Final Fantasy 10 (X), and Final Fantasy 14 (XIV)!