Three Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Cards Are Already Some of the Best Commanders Ever

by

In approximately three weeks, the Spider-Man-themed set for Magic: The Gathering will be released. At present, many of the cards from this upcoming collection remain undisclosed. As a result, it is expected that this new set may significantly influence various game formats due to its potential impact. However, its predecessor, the Final Fantasy set, established a high benchmark with over $200 million in sales on the very day of its release. Moreover, numerous cards from the Final Fantasy set had a profound effect on the trading card game (TCG), with Magic: The Gathering’s Vivi Ornitier causing havoc in the Standard format. Interestingly, three particular Final Fantasy cards continue to perform well, but their influence has been most prominent within the Commander format.

The Commander role is frequently associated with Magic: The Gathering due to various factors such as high sales of Commander-related merchandise, enthusiastic fan involvement in the format, its multiplayer nature contrasting the common 1vs1 gameplay, and its beginner-friendly aspect with preconstructed decks. However, these preconstructed decks often need enhancement or can serve as a foundation for crafting more intricate Commander decks. For enthusiasts aiming to create Final Fantasy-themed decks, three cards stand out as they can be scaled up to cEDH (competitive Commander) level. These are:

1. Card Name 1
2. Card Name 2
3. Card Name 3

  • Kefka, Court Mage // Kefka, Ruler of Ruin
  • Terra, Magical Adept // Esper Terra
  • The Wandering Minstrel

How MTG’s Kefka Commander Decks Work

Kefka, the Court Mage, is a formidable leader due to his tri-colored identity (Blue, Black, and Red), which grants him the power to function as a draw engine and force all players to discard their cards. This feature can be quite potent on its own, as it puts opposing players in a position where they must discard some of their cards if Kefka is not managed, and the player can strategically discard crucial components of a combo to later reclaim them using Underworld Breach, a common Commander asset. If combined with Lion’s Eye Diamond, this setup can generate an infinite amount of mana, enabling the player to eventually win the game.

In lower power levels, Kefka can serve as a combo instigator for the enchantment Waste Not. This enchantment causes the user to produce a 2/2 Zombie token whenever an opponent discards a card, which could happen each time Kefka attacks or enters the battlefield. To enhance this effect, you might also play cantrips and Displacer Kitten, thereby generating an entire horde of Zombie creatures while simultaneously clearing your opponents’ hands of cards.

These Magic: The Gathering (MTG) abilities that cause opponents to discard their cards, such as Wheel of Fortune, tend to make the player using them appear as the “main adversary” or the one causing disruption at the game table.

How MTG’s Terra Commander Decks Work

Similar to Kefka, Terra, Magical Adept primarily employs a strategy where it draws cards from its own deck and places them in the graveyard. This graveyard can be utilized with Underworld Breach and Lion’s Eye Diamond after a storm brought on by Brain Freeze, but it can also achieve victory through a Food Chain combo or the traditional Thassa’s Oracle combined with Demonic Consultation.

In less competitive Magic: The Gathering (MTG) decks, Terra can be utilized in conjunction with numerous enchantments, serving as the main strategy for winning. This could involve characters from the Final Fantasy series, various enchantment creatures within the game, or significant cards like Sythis, Harvest’s Hand, which is an enchantment creature itself and grants players the ability to draw a card and gain 1 life whenever they cast an enchantment.

Terra, the Magical Expert can serve as a commander in the WUBRG format, since her reverse side, Esper Terra, features all five colors.

How MTG’s The Wandering Minstrel’s Commander Decks Work

As a devoted cinema-goer of MTG, I must say that The Wandering Minstrel decks are truly captivating! These decks have a unique charm that allows them to relinquish the commander’s secondary and tertiary abilities, instead highlighting the intriguing aspect where lands enter play untapped. This feature makes it an absolute powerhouse for land loops in competitive EDH, often partnered with numerous self-sacrificing lands such as Barbarian Ring or combo pieces like Hall of the Bandit Lord and Hermit Druid coupled with Underworld Breach. It’s a mesmerizing dance of strategy and skill that keeps me on the edge of my seat!

In competitive EDH games (cEDH), this choice can still be budget-friendly as multiple lands can be included in the deck to fetch them using Ad Nauseam, and not every high-end, vintage dual land is essential. This deck type also thrives on landfall combos, land manipulation that benefits all players like extra lands per turn, playing lands from the graveyard, mass land destruction, making it versatile. The Wandering Minstrel serves as a highly adaptable Commander deck in Magic: The Gathering, capable of functioning effectively through various gameplay strategies.

Read More

2025-09-03 00:06