Final Fantasy MTG spoiler season is in full swing, and one of the neat things about the set so far is the sheer number of iconic characters that are getting reimagined in the MTG world. The main set may be Standard legal, but it’s clear that many of these cards are best suited for Commander.
Today, we’re going to highlight a particular uncommon legend that looks like a blast to build around in an EDH setting. It may not have what it takes to make noise in Constructed, but it has the potential to be a really sweet group hug Commander. With enough support, you’ll be generating tons of mana every turn cycle!
Zidane, Tantalus Thief
Zidane, Tantalus Thief is the legend in question, and there’s a lot to like here. When Zidane enters, you get a Zealous Conscripts effect. You’re limited to gaining control of only Creatures, but in a multiplayer Commander game, you’ll often be able to take something with a decent attack trigger and get some value, as well as a nice life boost.
The real value of this card, however, comes from its second ability. Anytime one of your opponents gains control of a permanent from you, you get a Treasure token as a reward. Zidane’s enters-the-battlefield trigger obviously feeds this, as you’ll net one Treasure token when your opponent regains control of the Creature you stole.
In order to maximize Zidane, the goal is to have a bunch of ways in your deck for your opponents to take your stuff. Much like with Zedruu the Greathearted, Zidane pays you off for donating permanents, just in a different way. As such, some of the cards you’d want in a Commander deck with Zidane at the helm are Zedruu staples.
There is a plethora of different cards that give you a bonus, then automatically get donated to an opponent. Hithlain Rope and Bucknard’s Everfull Purse are great examples. You get to generate some advantage and give the Artifact to an opponent, getting a Treasure token in the process. Eventually, these Artifacts will make their way back to you, and you’ll start producing even more Treasures.
You can also pair Zidane with cards like Jinxed Ring and Jinxed Idol that have negative effects on the game. If you can find a window to cast Zidane with either of these cards in play, you’ll get to take control of an opposing Creature, then sacrifice it to the Artifact. The Creature will be gone for good, one of your opponents will be stuck with the unlucky Artifact, and you’ll get a Treasure, too.
That opponent can then sacrifice a Creature to send the Artifact back to you. Assuming you have Creatures to sacrifice, this isn’t a bad exchange, since you’ll get more Treasures out of the deal.
From there, you’re free to go deeper. Playing cards such as Stiltzkin, Moogle Merchant gives you a constant source of Treasures and resources. You have a lot of agency over what permanents you donate and may be able to take them back with Homeward Path. There are a lot of directions to go with Zidane, and we’re just getting started.
Treasures Galore
Up to this point, we’ve mostly focused on cards that will earn you one Treasure at a time. Yet, Zidane provides immense upside in conjunction with cards that keep going back and forth between you and your opponents in a multiplayer setting.
Both Slicer, Hired Muscle and Assault Suit fit the bill perfectly. In the case of Slicer, all you need to do is cast Slicer with Zidane in play. Once you pass the turn, you’ll have your first opponent gain control of Slicer and you’ll get a Treasure. Thanks to Goad, you don’t have to fear getting attacked by Slicer.
Slicer will then go back to you, only to trigger again during your next opponent’s upkeep. In a four-player game, you’ll essentially end up with three Treasures every turn cycle as long as you choose to give Slicer away temporarily.
Similarly, with Assault Suit, you just need to go through the effort of equipping the Suit to one of your Creatures and you’ll get the same effect. You won’t get attacked, and while your opponents are incentivized to attack each other, you’ll be in the corner producing lots of mana.
Another cool way to abuse Zidane is with mass Threaten effects. Zidane’s second ability isn’t limited to triggering once each turn. This means that if you gain control of a bunch of permanents at once, when you give them all back, you get a bunch of Treasures for your efforts. Call for Aid and the brutal Insurrection do the trick just fine.
Abusing Treasures
The last thing a Zidane deck needs is a way to maximize all of this Treasure creation. Having extra mana is nice, but you’d ideally want other ways to convert your Treasures into something more meaningful. Fortunately, there are a few helpful cards that come to mind.
Magda, Brazen Outlaw is an excellent Treasure payoff. All you need to do is put some decent Artifacts or Dragons in your deck to tutor for, and you’re golden. Hellkite Tyrant is an amazing Dragon to search for right before your turn. If you have enough Treasures lying around, you’ll simply win the game during your upkeep.
Using Magda, the Hoardmaster to flood the board with Dragons is a solid alternative. So is sacrificing them to Professional Face-Breaker to churn through your library.
All of these support cards make Zidane a rather fearful Group Hug Commander. Even if Zidane isn’t strong enough for Standard, the uncommon legend looks like a sweet and underrated EDH build-around.
