Magic: The Gathering — FINAL FANTASY released on digital platforms yesterday and the first wave of decklists from Challenges and Leagues from Magic Online show a handful of cards might have the chops to be competitive players in Standard and Modern.
While no new groundbreaking archetypes have popped up in Standard overnight, a good number of cards have been tried out in some of the popular decks. Izzet Prowess, arguably the top deck in Standard, had three cards from Magic: The Gathering — FINAL FANTASY appear in a variety of lists.
Opera Love Song showed up the most in multiple lists, offering the deck a modal spell that allows it to dig deeper for its key spells or acting as a pump spell for two creatures to provide additional burst damage in conjunction with prowess triggers. Vivi Ornitier, one of the most hyped cards from the set, made the cut in one list working as a scaling creature that can deal damage without entering combat while also making mana each turn. Astrologian’s Planisphere only showed up as a one-of in a list, slotting in as a creature replacement with the bonus that the equipped creature gets +1/+1 counters instead of temporary buffs.
Creatures (7)
Lands (21)
Spells (32)
Creatures (8)
Lands (20)
Spells (32)
Esper Pixie picked up Cecil, Dark Knight and Starting Town. Cecil is an efficient creature as a one-mana card that can beat down with the best of them while Starting Town is a great addition to three-color mana bases. Cecil and Dark Confidant also appeared in a Mono-Black Aggro list.
Creatures (24)
- 3 Dark Confidant
- 2 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
- 4 Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
- 4 Deep-Cavern Bat
- 4 Preacher of the Schism
- 3 Tinybones, the Pickpocket
- 4 Cecil, Dark Knight
Lands (21)
- 21 Swamp
Spells (15)
Two of the high-cost Summons look to give Azorius Omniscience new reanimation targets or game-winners to play for free once Omniscience is on the battlefield. Summon: Bahamut will destroy two problematic nonland permanents from an opponent, draw two cards, bash for a bunch of damage and can close the game with its final chapter. Summon: Knights of Round will supply a large enough army to overrun almost any opponent in Standard.
Creatures (11)
- 2 Oracle of Tragedy
- 1 Kutzil's Flanker
- 2 Overlord of the Floodpits
- 4 Marang River Regent
- 1 Summon: Bahamut
- 1 Summon: Knights of Round
Planeswalkers (1)
Lands (24)
Spells (24)
Ultima, the new five-mana wrath effect that hits creatures and artifacts, looks quite strong in control decks. Ending the turn after the spell keeps pesky dies triggers from happening and hitting artifacts in addition to creatures is a clean answer for Cori-Steel Cutter. Combining Ultima with Temporary Lockdown gives the controlling decks plenty of answers to Izzet Prowess and Mono-Red Aggro’s best threats.
Creatures (18)
- 1 Loran of the Third Path
- 3 Bruse Tarl, Roving Rancher
- 4 Magebane Lizard
- 4 Screaming Nemesis
- 4 Voice of Victory
- 2 Joshua, Phoenix's Dominant
Planeswalkers (3)
Lands (26)
Spells (13)
Joshua, Phoenix’s Dominant and Lightning, Army of One are two sweet creatures for a potential new Boros Midrange strategy. One player did show up in the Standard Challenge with a direct-damage based midrange deck taking advantage of both new legends from Magic: The Gathering — FINAL FANTASY.
Amulet Titan in Modern got a few new toys, as the deck tends to do each set release. The Wandering Minstrel is another way to get lands that normally enter the battlefield tapped to be usable immediately and can be found off Green Sun’s Zenith and Summoner’s Pact. Traveling Chocobo is a fun addition that lets you play lands off the top of your library and can double up some triggers from the wide variety of lands the deck plays. Speaking of which, one list tried out Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis as a one-of to offer a potential threat or just another land drop.
Creatures (13)
- 4 Primeval Titan
- 4 Arboreal Grazer
- 1 Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
- 1 Cultivator Colossus
- 1 Aftermath Analyst
- 1 Traveling Chocobo
- 1 The Wandering Minstrel
Lands (32)
- 2 Forest
- 3 Gruul Turf
- 3 Simic Growth Chamber
- 1 Vesuva
- 1 Tolaria West
- 1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
- 4 Crumbling Vestige
- 1 Mirrorpool
- 1 Hanweir Battlements
- 2 Lotus Field
- 4 Urza's Saga
- 3 Boseiju, Who Endures
- 1 Otawara, Soaring City
- 1 The Mycosynth Gardens
- 1 Echoing Deeps
- 1 Urza's Cave
- 1 Shifting Woodland
- 1 Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis
Spells (15)
Players can keep an eye out for any new tech in Magic Online lists posted here.
