Last updated on April 2, 2025
Gladiolus from Final Fantasy XV
It turns out that the Landfall previews from Final Fantasy weren't just throwaway cards! Confession: I haven't played Final Fantasy XV (yet?), but Gladiolus Amicitia is one of the Prince Noctis' companions from that game. He comes from a military background, and serves his prince; even in the face of certain death. He's a powerful swordsman who is strong enough to wield a greatsword in one hand, and was the game's beefiest party member in terms of HP and Defense. The question is: Will this guy see any play?
Can Gladiolus Pack a Deadly Punch in Standard?
Sadly, it looks like he doesn't have much of a shot at Standard, or any other Eternal format, as other 6-drops are simply more pushed these days. However, this Landfall Legend could work well with a few other spoiled cards from MTG x Final Fantasy, such as Sazh's Chocobo and Zell Dincht. T1 Sazh's Chocobo, T2 Land drop + ramp spell, T3 Zell Dincht, for an early game Gladiolus Amicitia could be powerful, but it's almost certainly too slow for the current meta. We all know how vicious Gruul Aggro is, perhaps upcoming Final Fantasy spoilers will bolster Landfall to make it a true competitor.
Questionable Potential in Limited
Primeval Titan – illus. Aleksi Briclot
With so few cards spoiled, it's hard to say exactly how it'll play out in Final Fantasy Limited, though the rate looks quite strong there. Gladiolus Amicitia seems to indicate a that RG has a landfall archetype in Draft, with Gladiolus as the signpost uncommon. The card itself is kind of a like “junior Primeval Titan” of sorts, as it fetches any land when it enters, and packs the same 6/6 stat line. The triggered ability will also let you give +2/+2 and trample to something immediately when he enters, which makes up for his lack of an attack trigger. Gladiolus' buffing ability could be the payoff that a Landfall deck needs in order to smash in Limited.
Landfall in Commander is Surefire
Omnath, Locus of Rage – illus. Brad Rigney
Gladiolus Amicitia seems like a great inclusion for landfall EDH decks, as “any land” and the powerful triggered ability make up for his high cost. You could certainly make an argument for this in Omnath, Locus of Rage and Phylath, World Sculptor, for instance. If you can turn turning lands into creatures AND buff those creatures AND give them trample at the same time, you're bound to be hitting hard turn after turn. Ultimately, Gladiolus will help you do what Gruul does best: Play additional lands, cast creatures, buff your board, and swing hard.
In Conclusion
Gladiolus is definitely going to be a hit among Final Fantasy fans making the leap to MTG. He might not be exactly right for Standard, but, it would be incredible to see Landfall as an archetype in Final Fantasy Limited. Despite Gladiolus not being the most popular character in the franchise, Landfall is an easy strategy to start with, and has always been a favorite among casual Commander players. The Universes Beyond: Final Fantasy set drops June 13th, and we cannot wait to play it.
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3 Comments
New card for Applejacks, I hear you say?
I’m not familiar with that term?
Gruul (or sometimes Naya or Jund) deck in Legacy that uses Orcish Lumberjack to play some very expensive cards ahead of schedule. It’s never really been a *good* deck, but it’s hilarious when it works.
Though post-Mycospawn ban, I could see a few 12-Post players splashing red again to see if he works in there. It would be fringe cases at best, but brewers have played worse cards before.
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