Final Fantasy spoiler season is here, as the debut stream at PAX East is revealing a boatload of new cards. In addition to new designs, the set is also bringing a number of intriguing reprints to the table. We recently got a glimpse at a super iconic reprint that’s making its long-awaited return to the Standard format.
Interestingly, though, Final Fantasy will also bring with it a bonus sheet full of reprints from throughout MTG’s past. These cards are not being reintroduced back into Standard, but they are receiving unique treatment and art that Final Fantasy enjoyers should love.
A Brief Introduction
Before we take a look at a couple bonus sheet spoilers, it’s worth going over how the Final Fantasy bonus sheet works and where you can find the cards. This collection of cards is known as the Through the Ages bonus sheet and consists of 64 cards total. Each card appears to be reskinned as a Final Fantasy character, boasting concept art from the Final Fantasy archives.
Each of the 16 different Final Fantasy games are represented by four bonus sheet cards each. The goal was to choose MTG reprints that fit well alongside their Final Fantasy character counterparts. While we only have a couple cards to talk about today, they are rather beautiful.
Notably, unlike most bonus sheet cards in the past, these cards are not available in 100% of play boosters. Rather, you’ll find a bonus sheet card in one out of every three play boosters. Every collector booster has a dedicated slot for bonus sheet cards, though, so if you’re interested in trying to assemble as many as possible, those packs are probably your best bet.
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
Now, it’s time to take a look at undoubtedly one of the most exciting cards on the bonus sheet. That’s right, Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer is receiving a reprint as Zidane Tribal. Zidane Tribal is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy IX.
Zidane Tribal may not be an actual Monkey, but his demeanor has some overlap with Ragavan’s. Importantly, though, Zidane Tribal will be getting its own mechanically unique card in the Final Fantasy main set, so no need to fret there.
Ragavan is an awesome card worthy of a reprint. It sees tons of play in Modern. At the moment, Ragavan is most known for playing an important role in Boros Energy decks, but that’s hardly the only shell the card has appeared in over the years.
There was a point where the card was literally everywhere, as Izzet Murktide decks and beyond utilized full playsets. There was also a point where Ragavan’s price tag sat nearly in the triple digits.
Unfortunately, the printing of Orcish Bowmasters hurt its stock in Modern. Ragavan was also banned in Legacy because of how easy it was to take over games alongside Daze and Wasteland.
Nonetheless, Ragavan remains one of MTG’s most powerful creatures ever printed, and one that can run away with the game if left unchecked. As a result, it shouldn’t be too surprising that the card still maintains a $30 price tag in its cheapest traditional form, according, according to TCGPlayer market price.
This comes in spite of being reprinted already in the Multiverse Legends bonus sheet. This made Ragavan much more accessible and helped reduce the price a significant amount. Nonetheless, the Creature’s popularity as an icon makes it a great choice for a Final Fantasy bonus sheet reprint.
Sram, Senior Edificer
Our second bonus sheet spoiler is none other than Sram, Senior Edificer. Sram shows up as Firion, the main protagonist of Final Fantasy II. Firion is also showing up as a new Creature in the Final Fantasy main set, and unsurprisingly, also cares about Equipment.
Sram is a powerful card that rewards you for playing both Equipment as well as Auras (and Vehicles, but that’s usually less of a priority). When Sram was originally printed back in Aether Revolt, it gained some extra Modern hype as a potential addition to Cheerios decks. For those unfamiliar, Modern Cheerios relies on a boatload of zero-mana Equipment that pair nicely with Sram and Puresteel Paladin.
Wither either Sram or Puresteel Paladin in play, you can keep jamming your free Equipment to draw cards and build up Storm count. Eventually, you can cast Retract to rebuy all your Artifacts, draw tons of extra cards, and cast Grapeshot for the win! This deck died down over time, especially when Mox Opal was originally banned (Mox Opal is back, but there are plenty of stronger combo options in Modern than Cheerios).
Sram also made an impact in Pioneer in Auras shells in conjunction with Light-Paws, Emperor’s Voice. Once again, though, that deck largely fell by the wayside.
As such, Sram isn’t as prevalent as it used to be, and its reprint value is nothing special. In fact, Sram was also reprinted in the Multiverse Legends bonus sheet a couple of years ago. Sram is worth a little under $2.
The Final Fantasy bonus sheet is a welcome addition to an already exciting set. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for any other bonus sheet cards that get revealed in the near future.
