Final Fantasy Commander Decks Revealed, Feature Cloud, Tidus, and More

Magic: The Gathering's exciting new crossover with Final Fantasy is here! This June, get ready for a fully draftable, Standard-legal set, plus 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 gallery below for a sneak peek at the key card and packaging for each deck. [Image Gallery: ]

Each 100-card deck features reprints with new Final Fantasy art and brand-new cards designed for Commander. The decks aren't just themed around characters – they delve deep into the lore of each individual game.

Deck Selection and Design Choices:

Senior Game Designer Daniel Holt explains the selection process: FFVII and FFXIV were easy choices, while FFVI and FFX were chosen based on team favorites and gameplay potential. The team's passion for Final Fantasy fueled the development process.

For FFVII, the deck tells the story of the original game, but incorporates modern aesthetics from the Remake trilogy. Principal Narrative Game Designer Dillon Deveney explains the fusion of old and new.

FFVI presented a unique challenge, lacking the modern art references of the other games. To capture the essence of the original pixel art, Wizards of the Coast collaborated directly with the FFVI team, blending elements from various sources to create updated character designs.

Commander deck leadership was carefully considered. While Cloud was a natural choice for FFVII, other selections involved brainstorming. Ultimately, the "lead" characters were chosen, with Y'shtola from FFXIV's Shadowbringers arc representing the MMO.

Gameplay and Color Identity:

Each deck's color identity was chosen to reflect both the game's theme and desired gameplay. All four decks include white, facilitating the inclusion of a diverse range of heroes.

• FFVI: Focuses on rebuilding your party from the graveyard, reflecting the game's latter half.
• FFVII: A white-red-green deck incorporating equipment strategies, "power matters" cards, and references to the Planet and lifestream.
• FFX: A white-blue-green deck inspired by the Sphere Grid, empowering creatures.
• FFXIV: A white-blue-black deck emphasizing non-creature spell casting.

Beyond the lead characters, each deck includes a host of beloved Final Fantasy characters as legendary creatures and in other spell cards.

Release and Collector's Editions:

The Final Fantasy set launches June 13th. All four Commander decks will be available in regular ($69.99 MSRP) and Collector's Editions ($149.99 MSRP), with the latter featuring Surge foil treatment for all 100 cards. Holt assures fans that all sixteen mainline Final Fantasy games will be represented in the wider set.

[Poll: Which Final Fantasy Commander deck is your favorite so far? Options: Revival Trance - FFVI, Limit Break - FFVII, Counter Blitz - FFX, Scions & Spellcraft - FFXIV]

[Poll: Do you enjoy that Magic: The Gathering is doing so many crossovers? Options: Yes, I want to see more, I don't care either way, No, I want Magic to just be Magic]