When creating the Magic’s newest crossover, Chocobos were considered an imperative inclusion. Very few things are as synonymous with the Final Fantasy franchise as the strange, predominantly yellow birds.
In Magic’s take on the Chocobo, the birds want to help their flock. As a result of this, anyone who wants Bird Typal to be a bigger part of Magic is getting their wishes fulfilled. Many of Final Fantasy’s Chocobo all care about Bird Typal, but nothing announces the arrival of a new typal theme like a typal tutor.
Sazh Katzroy
For four mana, Sazh Katsroy looks pretty impressive. This card enters, immediately replaces itself with any Bird of your choice, and doubles as a significant threat. While a 3/3 for 4 is indeed understatted, Sazh’s triggered ability means that the card can also snowball the game out of contention if left unchecked. Adding +1/+1 counters to creatures and doubling them leads to a massive board presence with just a few turns.
This certainly means that Sazh has potential in some Standard decks, but that’s unlikely to be where the Bird tutor shines the most. Instead, Sazh Katzroy is likely going to mostly be played in Commander within Bird Typal decks. Considering the number of Chocobo cards we’re getting in Final Fantasy, there’s a good chance these are quite popular soon.
Alongside this major home, Sazh Katzroy may also see play in Commander variants, specifically alongside Nadu, Winged Wisdom. While Duel Commander and Canadian Highlander are somewhat niche, Sazh has great potential to essentially be a second Nadu in the 99.
Bird Typal in Standard
While there are lots of Chocobo cards coming in Final Fantasy, there’s already a surprising amount of Birds legal in Standard. In total, 48 different Birds are currently Standard legal, not including anything coming in Magic’s next release.
Thanks to lots of support in Bloomburrow and a few powerful inclusions from Outlaws of Thunder Junction, Bird Typal might have stronger potential than it seems. A few powerful three drops hold the archetype’s potential together. Thanks to essentially functioning as a temporary counterspell on a body, Aven Interruptor gives an incredible tempo advantage by both adding a body to the board and taking away something from the opponent. Other powerful tempo pieces like Mockingbird, Miner’s Guidewing, and Plumecreed Escort can help fill out the lower part of the deck’s curve.
From Bloomburrow’s foray into the Bird Typal archetype, Jackdaw Savior and Kastral, the Windcrested emerge as the biggest payoffs. Jackdaw Savior easily plays well in a Bird Typal archetype with a curve, constantly reanimating fallen threats. Kastral’s inclusion is a bit sketchier since five-mana is a lot for a creature deck in the current Standard, but if this deck can weather the opening turns, Kastral gives the Bird Typal deck a ton of agency. The Bird can refill your resources or build up your board state, regardless of the situation.
Other Final Fantasy Bird Typal Cards
Bartz and Boko is an incredible card to pair with Sazh Katzroy. If Bartz and Sazh are at the top of your curve, you can create consistent blowout scenarios in Standard. Just open the first few turns with some birds and search for Bartz with Sazh. Bartz can come down for cheap and use your Birds to act as a one-sided board wipe. Playing this naturally on turn three without Sazh is possible, albeit unlikely.
That said, creating the ideal curve for a Bird Typal deck might be easier than you expect. Sazh’s Chocobo ended up getting its own card, and it fits as the perfect one-drop on the Chocobo curve, scaling in size as the game progresses. Traveling Chocobo even doubles all of Sazh’s Chocobo’s triggers, making sure the creature scales appropriately into the late game. Making things better, Traveling Chocobo also works as a Future Sight variant for Birds, which should provide a lot of extra value.
While the potential for a Chocobo deck is certainly there, it’s simply that. Sazh Katzroy and Bartz and Boko are certainly powerful payoffs for the Bird Typal archetype, but Standard’s power level is absurdly high. To have any chances of competing, a deck can’t just be good, it has to be good enough to compete with the likes of Cori-Steel Cutter. Sazh and Bartz are powerful pieces of the puzzle, but what about the other 52 cards?
The good news, at least, is that these cards will likely see ample Commander play. Don’t be surprised if some Birds start seeing price spikes in the near future.
