When Tifa Lockhart was first spoiled, the card received a ton of hype. Its synergy with pump spells and ways to play extra lands makes it a very scary threat if it sticks around. Unfortunately, Tifa hasn’t had much of an impact in Standard. Most Tifa shells were too inconsistent and vulnerable to removal.
The good news is that Tifa is starting to make its presence felt in a different format. Tifa finished second in a Magic Online Duel Commander Trial, showcasing its potential. The deck’s mix of buff effects and protection spells makes dealing lethal damage in one hit easier than you might expect.
Enabling Massive Attacks
Unlike most legends, Tifa Lockhart can put the opponent under the gun immediately. Tifa only costs two mana, and if you’re able to untap with it, there are numerous combinations of cards that can let you win the game right then and there.
The easiest combination of cards that gets the job done is a pump spell that increases Tifa’s power by four and a Fetchland. This deck features a ton of redundancy in both departments, so you can present a turn three kill relatively consistently if Tifa is left unchecked.
For pump spells, Invigorate is your cheapest option. At one mana, Scale Up, Might of Old Krosa, and Groundswell all do the trick. Of course, you can also combine smaller pump spells, such as Giant Growth plus Mutagenic Growth, to accomplish the same effect.
From there, any Fetchland will let you double Tifa’s power, then double it again so you have a Trampler with 20+ power at the ready. Not only does this include traditional Fetchlands like Windswept Heath, but cards like Cabaretti Courtyard or simply Evolving Wilds also work.
Protecting Tifa Lockhart
The one downside associated with Tifa is that the card doesn’t have Haste (assuming you don’t have Lightning Greaves or Lavaspur Boots at the ready). As such, you need to protect it for a full turn cycle before you can smash for tons of damage. Outside of a couple threats like Scythecat Cub, you don’t have many other creatures that can reliably close games, either.
So, it’s in your best interest to play Tifa Lockhart with mana available to give it Hexproof or Indestructible if your opponent goes to kill it. There are plenty of different effects that make removing Tifa difficult if you’re prepared.
At one mana, there are a bunch of anti-removal elements. From Ranger’s Guile to Hapatra’s Mark, there’s a lot of redundancy in this slot. Sylvan Safekeeper acts as a repeatable source of Hexproof, and is thus one of your strongest options versus midrange decks. You’ll even find some narrower options like Veil of Summer that allow you to sneak Tifa Lockhart past counter magic.
Your best protection spells are definitely those that also function as pump spells when applicable. Vines of Vastwood is a perfect example. Casting it to save Tifa is fine, and on your turn, you can kick it to help present lethal. Blossoming Defense and Wild Shape are versatile option in their own right as well.
Ramp
The last group of cards that are worth mentioning are your ramp pieces. These spells come in a couple different forms and make it easier to have extra mana lying around to protect Tifa.
First off, you’ll find a high density of one-drop mana dorks. Nearly every mana dork that produces green mana on turn one that this deck can legally run makes an appearance here. Delighted Halfling has the upside of making Tifa uncounterable, though Llanowar Elves and other variations are fine inclusions themselves.
These cards lead to your most explosive draws. Following any turn-one mana dork, you can play Tifa on turn two with protection backup and likely win the game with protection backup on the following turn. Throw in Elvish Spirit Guide as a surprise source of free mana, and your opponent is in for a rough time.
In addition to these turn-one plays, you’ll also find a handful of traditional ramp spells further up the curve. Cards like Harrow and Flare of Cultivation give you lots of mana to work with while also triggering Landfall many times on the same turn.
In the event Tifa Lockhart gets answered a couple times, this excess mana can be used to recast Tifa or simply jam a bigger threat like Primeval Titan. If you expect a lot of targeted removal, you’ll sometimes want to set up your mana and cast Tifa when you’re confident it’ll stick. The worst thing you can do is lose a war in combat fighting to protect Tifa and waste all of your pump spells in the process.
You have a lot of agency over how you approach a given matchup. Depending on how much pressure you’re under, you can adjust when to slam Tifa. Despite its blazing speed, this deck has a lot of play to it. It’s nice to see Tifa finally get its time in the spotlight.
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