The crossover event the gaming world didn’t know it needed has arrived, and it’s a bona fide critical hit. The Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy collaboration set delivers a powerful, heartfelt tribute to the iconic video game franchise while making a significant impact on the world of Magic. It’s lauded as a set that manages the rare feat of being genuinely welcoming to new players, offering fantastic value, and dynamically shaking up some of Magic’s most popular formats.
This isn’t just a collection of cards with Final Fantasy art slapped on them; it’s a carefully crafted homage, steeped in the lore and characters fans adore. Beyond the powerful wave of nostalgia it provides, the set distinguishes itself with genuinely strong card designs and the introduction of fresh, engaging mechanics.
A Loving Tribute in Cardboard Form
From the moment you crack open a pack, the attention to detail is evident. Every card feels like a love letter to the Final Fantasy saga, seamlessly translating its heroes, villains, monsters, and moments into Magic’s strategic framework. The designers clearly had a blast bringing this world to life on cardboard, resulting in standout cards like the unexpectedly hilarious “Suplex.”
The set offers a stylish array of products, including booster boxes, Bundle boxes, and a dedicated Cloud/Sephiroth Starter Kit, all adorned with stunning artwork featuring the saga’s most renowned heroes. Cracking packs can yield powerful equipment artifacts (of which there are many), gorgeous showcase cards, unique original art reskins, and more, making the collecting aspect immensely satisfying for fans of both worlds.
Standout Commander Decks
Arguably the highlight for many players are the four prebuilt Commander decks, each centered around famous Final Fantasy personas: Cloud, Y’shtola, Terra, and Tidus. These decks are a blast to pilot, offering distinct playstyles straight out of the box. Cloud’s versatile equipment strategy and Y’shtola’s fun card draw and damage engine make their decks particularly accessible and enjoyable for players diving into the Commander format or returning to Magic. Achieving a board state with seven mana, an equipped Cloud, and a buffed Sephiroth by turn four, for instance, demonstrates the explosive potential and sheer fun these decks can provide (even if it makes you a target!).
Fresh Mechanics and Strategic Depth
The Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy set doesn’t just rely on familiar mechanics; it introduces new ones that add exciting layers to gameplay. The new “Job Select” mechanic is a simple yet brilliant addition that particularly shines in limited play formats.
Alongside this, new “Tiered spells” like “Restoration Magic” and “Fire Magic” feel like a breath of fresh air, offering scaled effects based on mana spent. Familiar mechanics also make a welcome return, such as Adventures and Double-faced cards. Furthermore, the set cleverly utilizes mechanics like Landfall and Saga creatures to perfectly inspire iconic Final Fantasy elements, such as Chocobo play.
With many notable characters from the 16 mainline Final Fantasy games appearing as viable commanders, these new and returning mechanics are poised to make a significant impact on the popular Elder Dragon Highlander (EDH) format. The translation of characters into card form is expertly done, with artwork for Cloud, Sephiroth, Balthier, Fran, Yuna, and Kujo being particularly striking. For competitive play, Tifa and Vivi have emerged as early contenders, standing out for potential impact in high-level brackets.
Unprecedented Success Comes at a Price
The community’s reaction to the Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy collaboration was immediate and overwhelming. The set “fully popped off,” quickly becoming the most profitable set in Magic: The Gathering’s history even before its official release date. This immense popularity, while a testament to the set’s quality and the passion of both fanbases, has unfortunately led to a significant downside.
Demand has skyrocketed, driving card prices to astronomical levels in the secondary market. This surge in cost ironically makes the set one of the toughest sets for new players to access, creating a barrier to entry for the very audience it was designed to welcome. While pre-release periods often see inflated prices, the situation with this set is particularly acute.
For those looking to collect or play without breaking the bank, patience is crucial. Waiting for the initial hype to subside offers the best chance for prices to stabilize and find better bargains. Avoid paying exorbitant, scalper prices for highly sought-after products like collector’s boxes.
Despite the cost hurdle, the set’s highly coveted line of products is an absolute treat for fans, particularly appealing to enthusiasts of popular Magic archetypes like Voltron, Landfall, and Aristocrats.
Overall, the Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy collaboration is a resounding success with little to no flaws in its design and execution. It’s a deserving loving treatment of a beloved childhood game within the framework of the greatest strategic trading card game. Its monumental impact and popularity mean that future collaborations will undoubtedly be measured against the incredibly high standard this set has established.
