One Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy Card is Not For Everyone

The Final Fantasy collection within Magic: The Gathering includes approximately 1,000 unique cards across various sets, such as the main set, products, Eternal cards (new and reprints with Final Fantasy-themed alt art), bonus sheets, and more. Given the size of this set in terms of new cards or versions, its success so far, and some cards reaching high prices, it’s no wonder that valuable Magic: The Gathering cards often come from Final Fantasy. Notably, one expensive Final Fantasy card showcases a memorable scene from the games, but might not be suitable for every collector.

The game known as “Magic: The Gathering” can be financially challenging for new players, despite Wizards of the Coast’s efforts to introduce beginner-friendly products like Welcome Decks and precon Commander decks. There are certain cards that many players may never be able to acquire due to printing limitations or high prices. Unfortunately, even “Final Fantasy” isn’t exempt from this issue, and its Stay with Me card, a reprint of Rhystic Study, has primarily remained out of reach since its launch.

Magic: The Gathering’s Rhystic Study Explained

In the popular card game, Magic: The Gathering, the Commander format often sees some powerfully disruptive decks using what are called “stax pieces,” which are cards that hinder opponents by restricting resources and slowing down gameplay. Rhystic Study is one such stax piece, a 3-mana enchantment (requiring 2 generic and 1 Blue card), that obliges opponents to either pay an additional mana each time they cast a spell or let the player with Rhystic Study draw a card. In a Commander game, getting Rhystic Study on the board early can significantly influence the outcome, whether it’s a win or a loss. This effect holds true for other formats where Rhystic Study is legal as well.

Why MTG’s Rhystic Study Final Fantasy Reprint is Hard to Get

In the Magic: The Gathering (MTG) “Final Fantasy” series, Rhystic Study was reissued as Stay with Me in a special mythic rare edition found exclusively within Collector Booster Packs. Unlike most other cards from this set, Stay with Me is not eligible for play in the Standard format. The card design depicts a popular scene from Final Fantasy 10 – the “water scene” where characters Tidus and Yuna share a kiss at Lake Macalania – which many fans will recall fondly. Whether or not one has personal connections to this game or scene, the artwork for Stay with Me is widely admired. However, due to its rarity, high cost, and the premium pricing of Collector products, acquiring a copy of Stay with Me can be quite challenging.

It’s important to mention that Rhystic Study is permitted in Pauper format due to its previous common printing, however, it was later reprinted as a rare, high-value Mythic card.

Since the launch of the Final Fantasy collection, the Magic: The Gathering card Stay with Me/Rhystic Study has rarely dipped below $100 on TCGPlayer, dropping to $98.36 and $99.21 on two occasions. Its highest point was approximately $117 at the end of June, and it now typically sells for between $100 and $105. However, as this card is not found in standard Play Boosters, investing in Collector Booster Packs to obtain the card is not financially advisable due to each Collector Booster pack costing around $130 and displays selling for over $1,330 individually.

In each pack of MTG’s Final Fantasy collection, it can be challenging to come across high-priced cards, while many of their standard cards are valued at approximately $40-$50.

It’s clear that for many Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts, acquiring a copy of Stay with Me requires either owning it already or paying approximately $100 for a single new one. Not considering the foil version here, which is priced above $400 and can reach up to $500, this financial hurdle makes obtaining the card challenging for most players. With Rhystic Study being costly on its own and the available copies of Stay with Me gradually decreasing over time, it’s not an easily accessible option for the general public. This pattern might continue in Magic: The Gathering’s UB sets, causing Collector packs to become increasingly expensive due to the scarcity of popular cards.

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2025-09-07 00:58