At long last, the Final Fantasy Debut presentation has come and gone. As expected, this event was jam-packed with new cards to delight both MTG and Final Fantasy fans alike. As usual, some of these new Final Fantasy MTG cards featured new mechanics; however, not as many as usual.
For better or worse, it seems that the Final Fantasy MTG set isn’t being too bold with its many mechanics. While we are getting a couple of new ones, the vast majority of the main mechanics are ones that we’ve seen before. Hell, even the new mechanics are retreads of designs that we’ve seen before.
While the Final Fantasy MTG set may not have the most groundbreaking mechanics we’ve ever seen before, they’re nonetheless worth going over.
Job Select
To start with, the new mechanics in the Final Fantasy MTG set, we have Job Select. As mentioned, those who have been playing MTG for a while may find this mechanic rather familiar. Job Select plays incredibly similarly to Living Weapon from Mirrodin Besieged, and For Mirrodin! from Phyrexia: All Will Be One.
Like these two past mechanics, Job Select gives you a free body whenever you cast an equipment spell with this ability. Unlike the other mechanics, this time you get a 1/1 colorless Hero token, which fits the Final Fantasy theme. In terms of power, this new mechanic technically sits between its predecessors, but the mechanic’s strength is rarely the deciding factor.
Instead, whether or not Job Select across sees any play will come down to whether or not the equipment itself is any good. Sadly, things aren’t looking good so far, as White Mage’s Staff and Black Mage’s Rod both seem somewhat meh. While these cards do grant additional types, which could be interesting in Typal decks, they otherwise seem rather lackluster. The job class equipment does add a creature type when equipped, which is a nice nod. These could find some niche use in typal Commander decks.
Tiered
Continuing the trend of new Final Fantasy mechanics that feel incredibly familiar, we have Tiered. As you can see above on Fire Magic, this mechanic is basically an offshoot of Spree from Outlaws of Thunder Junction. Rather than getting to cast any of the mods of a Tiered spell, you can only choose one.
Much like Spree cards, this means that Tiered spells have extra utility when compared to a standard instant or sorcery. While this increased functionality may come at an additional cost, the return is worthwhile more often than not. In the case of Fire Magic, this spell appears to be rather aggressively costed.
Admittedly, Blazing Volley, Pyroclasm, and one half of Burn Down the House all do what Fire Magic does, but better or cheaper. That doesn’t mean the card is bad, however, since it’s essentially all three in one. In theory, this could make it a fantastic addition to burn decks that need to spend their mana wisely.
Saga Creatures
While we have seen them before, Saga Creatures are one of the biggest new mechanics in the Final Fantasy MTG set. Found on the set’s Summons, these Summons are only around for a few turns, however, they pack a punch during that time. As you might expect given their name, these creatures each have the abilities of a Saga, while also having their own stats.
For the most part, these Saga Creatures are actually fairly straightforward, even if they do look rather unusual. Neither Sagas nor Creatures are anything new in MTG, after all, and this fusion works as expected. The only thing you really have to look out for is cards like Terra, Magical Adept // Esper Terra, who flips back rather than being sacrificed.
Adventures
Much like Saga Creatures, Adventures were revealed to be part of the Final Fantasy set just before this debut. This is another mechanic that we’ve seen time and time again in MTG, especially thanks to the recent return to Eldraine. Despite this familiarity, Final Fantasy does have some tricks up its sleeves to make Adventures more exciting than usual.
In Final Fantasy, we’re getting Adventures on lands for the first time ever. For better or worse, this has the potential to be a game-changer as the Adventures can theoretically provide some amazing late-game value. Technically, this is true for Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis, however, the card doesn’t seem that amazing.
As a land that enters tapped, Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis will always be somewhat slow. Ultimately, this may keep it from being played outside of Commander in the long run. In this format, the Lasting Fayth Adventure could create a decently statted threat, which isn’t bad when top decking a land.
Like all Adventures, these new lands can be played from exile after casting the Adventure half. This means you won’t be missing out on any late-game land drops or Landfall synergies. Considering that Final Fantasy also has Landfall as one of its main mechanics, these Adventures could put in work in Limited.
Ultimately, while Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis might not be amazing, these land Adventures could have a lot of potential. When more of these unique cards get spoiled, they’ll definitely be worth paying attention to.
Meld
Last, but by no means least, Meld is coming back in the Final Fantasy MTG set! Unfortunately for Meld enjoyers, there’s only one Meld pair in the entire set. Still, that’s better than nothing, and it’s nice that both halves are uncommon.
During Final Fantasy Draft, the two cards you’ll be looking for are Fang, Fearless I’Cie and Vanille, Cheerful I’Cie. For an additional cost of 3BG, you can create Ragnarok, Divine Deliverance, which is pretty sweet. In Limited, this card should be a real monster, but competitively, Meld cards have always failed to impress.
Plenty More To See
As always, these aren’t going to be the only MTG mechanics appearing in the Final Fantasy set. There are also going to be lots of evergreen and deciduous mechanics, as well as unexpected cameos, too. On top of all that, there are also tons of mechanics with flavorful names, especially in the Commander decks. Unsurprisingly, the Final Fantasy MTG set is utterly jam-packed full of content, so we’ll just have to wait and see what’s in store.
Thankfully, as of today, the spoiler season for Final Fantasy has officially begun. Spoilers will conclude in roughly three weeks, on May 30th.