Magic: The Gathering's highly anticipated Final Fantasy crossover is almost here! This June, get ready for a fully draftable, Standard-legal set, along with four preconstructed Commander decks, each themed around a different mainline Final Fantasy game: VI, VII, X, and XIV.
A First Look at the Commander Decks:
Check out the image gallery below for a sneak peek at the key card and packaging for each deck.
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Each 100-card deck features a mix of reprints with new Final Fantasy art and brand-new cards designed specifically for Commander. The decks aren't just character-themed; they delve deep into the lore and iconic moments of each respective game.
Deck Selection and Design Choices:
Senior Game Designer Daniel Holt explains the selection process: While FFVII and FFXIV were easy choices, FFVI and FFX required more deliberation, ultimately chosen due to their popularity within the development team. The passion for Final Fantasy within Wizards of the Coast significantly influenced the development process.
For FFVII, the deck's narrative follows the original 1997 game, but incorporates the modern aesthetics of the Remake trilogy to enhance the visual appeal. Principal Narrative Game Designer Dillon Deveney highlights this fusion of nostalgia and modern design.
FFVI presented a unique challenge, given its pixel art origins. The team collaborated directly with the FFVI team to update character designs, blending elements from original concept art, sprites, and the Pixel Remaster.
Commander Choices and Deck Strategies:
The choice of commanders also involved careful consideration. While Cloud was an obvious choice for FFVII, other selections required brainstorming. The FFVI deck, focusing on the World of Ruin, centers around rebuilding your party from the graveyard. FFVII's deck utilizes a white-red strategy enhanced by green to incorporate "power matters" cards and elements referencing the Planet and lifestream. FFX's deck, inspired by the Sphere Grid system, employs a white-blue-green strategy to empower creatures. Finally, the FFXIV deck, featuring Y'shtola during her Shadowbringers arc, uses a white-blue-black color identity to emphasize spellcasting.
Beyond the commanders, each deck includes many beloved Final Fantasy characters as legendary creatures and in spell art.
Availability and Collector's Editions:
The Final Fantasy set launches June 13th. Each of the four Commander decks will be available in regular ($69.99 MSRP) and Collector's Edition ($149.99 MSRP) versions, the latter featuring Surge foil treatment on all 100 cards. While these four decks are the initial release, Holt assures fans that all sixteen mainline Final Fantasy games will be represented in future products.
