MTG Final Fantasy is the next major Universes Beyond crossover set to come our way. Releasing in June, this set is going to be Standard legal and jam-packed with tons of neat designs and themes from the Final Fantasy franchise.
Additionally, for EDH fans, there are multiple different Commander Precons joining the party. The main Commanders for each deck were revealed a while ago, but now, it appears another legend from the Limit Break Commander deck has been leaked.
As is the case with leaks in general, this new card could turn out to be fake even though it looks real. For the sake of this article, we will continue under the assumption that the card is indeed real. If you’d like to wait for an official preview announcement, consider this your spoiler warning. Now without further ado, let’s dive in and see what this new legend has to offer.
Tifa, Martial Artist’s Weird Wording
The new card in question is Tifa, Martial Artist. Tifa is presumably the secondary Commander in the Limit Break Commander Precon and shares a similar theme of “seven-power creatures matter” as Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER.
While Cloud pairs exceptionally well with Equipment, you don’t need Equipment synergies to make Tifa strong. All you need is a high density of creatures with power seven or greater.
Tifa can help with this herself thanks to Melee. Assuming you’re playing in a Commander pod with four players, if you attack each opponent, Tifa will grow to a 7/7 and reward you with an extra combat step if you connect. Tifa doesn’t naturally have evasion, but the Equipment package in the Limit Break deck certainly helps.
Where Tifa gets really scary, though, is when you can reliably connect in combat with multiple seven-power creatures aimed at different players. Tifa is worded a bit weirdly.
Despite having the text “Whenever one or more creatures you control deal combat damage a player,” you can actually get multiple extra combat steps if you deal damage with multiple seven-power threats attacking different players.
So, if all three opponents get hit, you’ll earn three extra combat steps. Assuming you can connect again in your second combat, you’ll still get to untap all of your creatures.
Tifa also works well alongside beefy bombs with First Strike. If you attack the same player with a seven-power creature with First Strike and one without First Strike, you’ll get two extra combats as a result if both get through. Tifa can really take over a game if you build around her.
Impactful Creature Inclusions
If you’re looking to craft a deck with Tifa as your primary Commander at the helm, there are a number of different ways to maximize her. Obviously, you want access to a high density of creatures with seven power, but ideally, you also want to create a big advantage through your extra combat steps.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to play big creatures with potent attack triggers or beginning of combat triggers. Take Demolisher Spawn, for instance. Demolisher Spawn has Trample, so your opponent can’t just chump block to deny a Tifa trigger. When it attacks, if you have Delirium, your other attackers get a huge buff, making them tougher to block profitably.
As long as Demolisher Spawn survives through combat at that point, for each extra combat step you have, you get to untap your creatures including Demolisher Spawn, attack again, and make your other creatures bigger and bigger.
Demolisher Spawn is hardly the only beefy body with a great trigger. Drakuseth, Maw of Flames, Old Gnawbone, Salvation Colossus, and Quilled Greatwurm are all examples of huge, evasive bodies that provide a big reward with Tifa in command.
Thanks to the untap clause, Tifa also rewards your creatures with potent activated abilities. A card like Godsire can not only attack to help give you an additional combat step, but you can also tap it to make an 8/8 before damage is dealt. Then, it’ll untap, you’ll get at least one more attack and another 8/8 out of the deal, setting up an excellent following turn.
Other Strong Synergies
Beyond filling your deck with big creatures with impactful triggers, you’ll want some noncreature spells that support your gameplan. Right off the bat, trigger-doubling effects like Annie Joins Up can net you combats galore with Tifa in play.
Ideally, you’ll also need ramp elements to get you to your haymakers ahead of schedule. Herd Heirloom is a recent printing that seems particularly effective. Giving Trample to Tifa in the late game to make it easier to deal combat damage to your opponents is nice. Plus, thanks to the extra combat steps, Herd Heirloom will likely draw you multiple cards in the process. You can’t really ask for much more from your mana rock.
Notably, Tifa doesn’t have to be in the Command Zone to be an effective card, either. There are legends like Gishath, Sun’s Avatar that synergize perfectly with the extra combat steps Tifa gives you. If you’re in Naya and have plenty of huge creatures, Tifa should serve as a great support piece.