Get ready for a magical adventure! This June, Magic: The Gathering and Final Fantasy collide in an exciting crossover event featuring four preconstructed Commander decks. Each deck, showcasing a different mainline Final Fantasy game (VI, VII, X, and XIV), contains 100 cards – a blend of reprints with new Final Fantasy art and brand-new cards designed specifically for Commander.
A Glimpse into the Decks:
Check out the image gallery below for a sneak peek at the key card and packaging for each deck.
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Deck Design and Storytelling:
The design team meticulously chose these four games, balancing gameplay considerations with story recognition. While Final Fantasy VII and XIV were straightforward choices, VI and X required more deliberation, ultimately selected due to their popularity within the development team.
The Final Fantasy VII deck faithfully adapts the narrative of the original 1997 game, while leveraging the updated visuals from the Remake trilogy to enhance the card art. This approach offers a nostalgic experience for fans of both iterations.
Final Fantasy VI, with its pixel art origins, posed a unique challenge. The team collaborated directly with the Final Fantasy VI team, blending elements from original concept art, sprites, and the Pixel Remaster to create updated character designs for the Magic cards.
Commander Choices and Deck Strategies:
The selection of Commanders for each deck also involved careful consideration. While Cloud (FFVII) was a natural choice, other selections, such as Terra (FFVI) and Y’shtola (FFXIV during her Shadowbringers arc), were chosen based on a combination of character popularity and their suitability for the deck's color identity and strategy.
Each deck's color identity and gameplay mechanics are thoughtfully tied to its respective game's themes and mechanics. For example, the FFVI deck focuses on graveyard recursion, reflecting the game's storyline, while the FFVII deck incorporates "power matters" and lifestream elements.
Beyond the Commanders, expect to see many beloved Final Fantasy characters represented throughout the decks as legendary creatures and on spells.
Availability:
The Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy set launches June 13th. Each of the four Commander decks will be available in regular and Collector's Edition versions, with the latter featuring Surge foil treatment for all 100 cards. This is just the beginning; all sixteen mainline Final Fantasy games will be featured in future products.
