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

This June, Magic: The Gathering and Final Fantasy unite in an exciting crossover! Four preconstructed Commander decks, each themed around a different mainline Final Fantasy game (VI, VII, X, and XIV), will be released alongside a fully draftable, Standard-legal set.

A First Look at the Commander Decks:

Browse the gallery below to see the key card and packaging for each deck. [Image Gallery: 13 Images]

Each 100-card deck features reprints with new Final Fantasy art and brand-new cards designed for Commander. The decks are themed not just around characters, but entire Final Fantasy games, allowing for deep dives into their respective lore.

Deck Selection and Design:

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 development team's passion for Final Fantasy is evident in the meticulous design process.

The FFVII deck balances nostalgia for the original with the modern aesthetics of the Remake trilogy, primarily focusing on the 1997 classic's narrative. Principal Narrative Game Designer Dillon Deveney highlights this fusion of old and new in the art style.

FFVI, with its pixel art origins, presented unique challenges. The team collaborated with the FFVI team, drawing inspiration from Amano's concept art, sprites, and the Pixel Remaster to create updated character designs for Magic.

Commander Deck Leaders: While Cloud was an obvious choice for FFVII, other selections involved careful consideration. Terra (FFVI), Tidus (FFX), and Y'shtola (FFXIV during her Shadowbringers arc) were ultimately chosen for their popularity and thematic relevance.

Gameplay and Color Identity:

All four decks incorporate white, facilitating the inclusion of a wide range of heroes. Each deck's gameplay reflects its source game: FFVI focuses on graveyard recursion, FFVII on equipment and "power matters" strategies, FFX on creature empowerment mirroring the Sphere Grid, and FFXIV on non-creature spellcasting.

Supporting Characters: Beyond the commander, each deck features numerous beloved Final Fantasy characters as legendary creatures and in spell art.

Release 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 cards. All sixteen mainline Final Fantasy games will be represented across the entire product line.

[Poll: Which Final Fantasy Commander deck is your favorite so far?]

[Poll: Do you enjoy that Magic: The Gathering is doing so many crossovers?]