If you thought two years of teasing were enough, think again—Magic: The Gathering is taking another epic leap by collabing with Final Fantasy! That amazing partnership between Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix is set to drop on June 13 in local game stores and big box retailers, with prerelease events lighting up stores starting June 6. Over 400 cards in the main set, plus a slew of Commander preconstructed decks (100 cards each) and the special Final Fantasy: Through The Ages bonus sheet, mark this release as a must-watch for both card geeks and nostalgic gamers.
Magic Meets Final Fantasy – The Big Picture The PAX East panel kicked off the card reveal season in spectacular style, showcasing cards from every mainline Final Fantasy game—from the OG classic all the way through Final Fantasy XVI. The bonus Through The Ages sheet adds another twist: 64 reprints from MTG’s own history re-skinned with iconic Final Fantasy artwork. You can even find these special gems in one out of every three Play Boosters and every Collector Booster.
Garland and Chaos – Double-Faced Transformations The panel warmed up with a blast from the past: Garland, Knight of Cornelia could transform into Chaos, the Endless. Talk about double the trouble, double the fun! Transformation is a hallmark of this expansion, and double-faced cards make plenty of appearances.
Equipment Gets a Job Upgrade Next up on the card runway were the trusty Equipment cards—White Mage’s Staff and Black Mage’s Rod—that introduce a slick new mechanic called Job Select. When you cast these, you create a 1/1 Hero token that immediately gets kitted out with the Equipment. On top of that, each equipment adds a creature-type flair and an extra boost, making decks built with Equipment even more dynamic.
Double Versions of Firion – Wild Warrior or Swordmaster? FFII’s star, Firion, makes a dramatic entrance in two flavors. Firion, Wild Rose Warrior from the main set can duplicate Equipment cards for a wild turn of speed and grant equipped creatures haste. Meanwhile, Firion, Swordmaster is a nod to MTG’s Sram, Senior Edificer and even features treasure artwork from the legendary Yoshitaka Amano. Gear up, red decks—this one’s for you!
Crystals, Kings, and Transformations From Final Fantasy III comes The Darkness Crystal, a part of a five-card cycle where each card (one per color) slashes off mana costs for spells. But this isn’t your usual crystal—The Darkness Crystal exiles opposing creatures when they die and then brings them back under your control. Now that’s what I call a game changer!
Cecil and Kain – Duality in FFIV Taking us deeper into FF lore, Cecil’s dual-faced card (Dark Knight transforming into Redeemed Paladin when life is low) reappeared, echoing his epic journey. Not to be left out, Kain, the ever-scheming Dragoon, can switch sides mid-battle by hopping onto another player’s board when he deals damage. Betrayal never looked so stylish!
Samurai Moves from Gilgamesh to Esper Valigarmanda From Final Fantasy V, Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms, lets you sift through six cards for your perfect Equipment, then share the spoils with a fellow Samurai creature. And then FFVI steps in with Esper Valigarmanda from the Commander deck. This Summon can exile spells from your opponents’ graveyards and cast them over three turns using any mana color—talk about planning ahead!
Terra, Kefka, and a Roster of Revamps Moving to Final Fantasy VI, Terra shines in two versions: one that transforms into Esper Terra and boasts artwork by Amano-san, and her nemesis, Kefka, who’s making his debut in a final form never seen before in MTG. Kefka’s card not only features brand-new Amano artwork but also brings his signature chaotic vibe to your tabletop battles.
Chocobo Variations – Not Just a Bird in FFVII Of course, we can’t forget the lovable Traveling Chocobo from Final Fantasy VII. The standard Traveling Chocobo is in the set alongside stunning variants available only in Collector Boosters. And then there’s the golden, serialized Traveling Chocobo Headliner—a super rare prize with just 77 copies in the entire world. Now, if that doesn’t get your collector’s heart racing, I don’t know what will!
Icons of FF7 – Cloud and Sephiroth The panel then spotlighted Cloud, Midgar Mercenary—who doubles the effects of Equipment cards—followed right by the ominous Sephiroth. With dazzling art by Tetsuya Nomura and abilities that let you sacrifice creatures for life drain, Sephiroth eventually transforms into his fearsome One-Winged Angel form. Heavy stuff for those epic duels!
Aerith, Tifa, and Squall – From Hearts to Combat Aerith Gainsborough enchants us next, rewarding life gain by powering herself up and sharing that strength with legendary teammates when she falls. Then we get a two-for-one with Tifa, showcasing both Tifa, Martial Artist from the Commander deck and Tifa Lockhart from the main set—the former getting a boost from multi-opponent attacks and faster combat turns, and the latter amping up with every land you drop. Squall, SeeD Mercenary from Final Fantasy VIII rounds out this trio by giving lone attackers double strike and even resurrecting creatures from the graveyard. Talk about a one-two punch!
Continued Epic Reveals – Rinoa, Kuja, Zidane, and More As the panel marched on, it unveiled FFIX’s duo: Rinoa Heartily and Angelo, with Rinoa creating her own special token as part of her ability. Then came Kuja, Genome Sorcerer from FFIX; his transformative power into Trance Kuja doubles all Wizards’ power and is sure to spice up black and red decks. Zidane Tribal also enters the fray via the Through The Ages bonus—styled after Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, one of MTG’s most potent cards in recent years.
Mana, Summons, and Tactical Land Plays Fan-favorite Vivi gets his own card that’s primed to generate a ton of mana when buffed properly, while Fire Magic debuts the new Tiered Magic mechanic, letting spells grow stronger with more mana invested. From Final Fantasy X, Yuna, Hope of Spira boosts Summon enchantments and has the handy ability to reanimate them for another go. Not to be outdone, the mighty Summon: Bahamut arms you with a four-turn ticking bomb—whenever you have enough permanents on board, prepare for a massive board-scrub! Meanwhile, the rare land Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis introduces the Adventure mechanic to lands for the very first time. Cast the Adventure spell, exile the card, and then bring it back later as a land—innovation at its finest!
Continuing the Legacy – Absolute Virtue to Final FF16 Final Fantasy XI graces us with Absolute Virtue, an uncounterable card that keeps you safe on the battlefield. Then FF XII’s duo, Balthier and Fran, work together to power up Vehicles and add a repeat combat twist. FF XIII’s Lightning, Army of One doubles up damage after she’s struck an opponent—a mechanic that could seriously hurdle your rivals in a multiplayer brawl. Over in FFXIV, we see the unique meld mechanic on Fang, Fearless l’Cie and Vanille, Cheerful l’Cie—combine these two for one colossal creature, then smash down your foes with Ragnarok, Divine Deliverance, which not only crushes enemy permanents but also resurrects your own. And speaking of FFXIV, Summoner’s Grimoire (from Y’shtola’s Commander deck) adds another layer of Job Select magic by letting equipped creatures drop an additional creature (yes, even tapped and attacking if it’s an enchantment creature). Not to mention Zodiark, Umbral God, who wipes out half your opponents’ non-God creatures on arrival, while bolstering its own power with every sacrifice.
Bringing It Home – Noctis, Clive, and the Many Faces of Cid Final Fantasy XV’s Noctis, Prince of Lucis can recycle your artifacts from the graveyard at the cost of some life—perfect for those artifact-driven strategies! Then, selling the transformation theme once more, Final Fantasy XVI’s Clive, Ifrit’s Dominant can flip into Ifrit, Warden of Inferno when you pay the mana cost. With Ifrit, you get a fight mechanic that obliterates an opponent’s creature and adds four extra mana every turn until Clive is reformed. And finally, as a tribute to Final Fantasy’s lasting legacy, we wrap up with not one, not two, but 15 dazzling variants of Cid, Timeless Artificer—a recurring icon who, thanks to this expansion, you can now play in as many copies as you want regardless of format.
For more details and all the juicy tidbits from the panel, head over to the original GameSpot article. Whether you’re a long-time Magic veteran or a Final Fantasy die-hard, this expansion promises to be an absolute game-changer filled with nostalgic tributes and innovative mechanics that’ll keep you on your toes!
Source: This article was inspired by content from Gamespot . All images belong to their respective owners.