The 45 Best Cards in Final Fantasy Ranked

Chaos, the Endless | Illustration by Billy Christian

MTG sets these days are a big deal. Just Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy Commander alone have more than 500 cards between new cards and reprints. There are many strong and unique designs here for all formats, and for FF fans from all games, gaming consoles, and ages. Some of these cards are commanders that will appeal to niche groups, while others will find their place elsewhere.

I’d like to think that these are the cards you’re going to see played in most decks. Also, I’m heavily biased towards new cards (sorry, reprints) and Standard playability, but I’m also including an interesting Commander card here and there, not to mention the legendary powerhouses people are already trying to build around.

Honorable Mention: Through the Ages Bonus Sheet

The Final Fantasy: Through the Ages bonus sheet brings 64 reprints of Constructed staples across MTG’s history, so it’s not fair to compare them with the new cards. I’ll put some of the highlights in order, then gold, just for people to know what they can expect out of these:

• Kenrith, the Returned King
• Akroma's Will
• Urza, Lord High Artificer
• Counterspell
• Cryptic Command
• Rhystic Study
• Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
• Bolas's Citadel
• K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
• Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
• Ancient Copper Dragon
• Primeval Titan
• Atraxa, Grand Unifier
• Tymna the Weaver
• Isshin, Two Heavens as One
• Thrasios, Triton Hero

#45. Sazh's Chocobo

While it looks small and innocuous, decks need 1-drops, and this is also a bird for typal purposes. Sazh's Chocobo picks up counters like a boss, especially with fetch lands involved. With Bristly Bill, Spine Sower around, the synergies are even greater.

#44. Freya Crescent

Freya Crescent is a 1-drop creature that flies, goes well with equipment, and even wears said equipment into battle. Even if it’s too small to rumble, you can use its mana ability, and it’s a red Llanowar Elves when you consider mechanics like living weapon and job select.

#43. Adventurer’s Inn

Adventurer's Inn will see play considering that red aggressive decks are on the rise, at least in formats like Standard and Pioneer. WB lifegain decks appreciate the extra triggers, and it’s also a town for synergies, so ramp decks can stabilize early and get the payoffs later.

#42. Summon: Knights of Round

Just how many knights can you produce with this card? I know, the FFVII Summon: Knights of Round gives 12, so that’s what you get, on top of an indestructible 3/3 creature. It dies to Nowhere to Run, but not before it gives you at least three tokens. EDH knight decks and enchantment reanimation decks should look forward to this.

#41. Summon: Bahamut

Summon: Bahamut is an awesome ramp/reanimate target, at least for Standard or casual dragon Commander decks. You get a huge flier, you get immediate removal and card advantage later. It’s worth it even if it eats instant removal, and it only gets better from there. It’s also interesting in Eldrazi decks that look for colorless expensive threats.

#40. Zenos yae Galvus / Shinryu, Transcendent Rival

The front of Zenos yae Galvus is already an interesting card as a sweeper on a stick. You can also combine it with instant speed removal or edict effects to transform it into Shinryu, Transcendent Rival, which leaves you with a mighty 8/8 flier.

#39. Summon: Fenrir

Cards like Summon: Fenrir always find their way into ramp decks as a kind of Civic Wayfinder/Solemn Simulacrum. You can also get more benefits along the way, which offsets the fact that your creature will be gone in a few turns.

#38. Garland, Knight of Cornelia / Chaos, the Endless

Cards that are good early and late aren’t to be underestimated. Garland, Knight of Cornelia is an okay-sized creature that gives you some value while you cast noncreature spells. This card prevents flooding in two ways: It both surveils and gives you something to do with excess mana later. Even if it is 7 mana, Jund () midrange decks appreciate Chaos, the Endless as an option.

#37. Jumbo Cactuar

While this looks like a Commander card, it’s actually in the Standard set. Jumbo Cactuar is making some waves in people’s imagination because you can attack with it, fling or Self-Destruct it, or Berserk it to win. It can be a powerful win condition in green ramp decks with a simple Garruk's Uprising in play, or in a deck when you can give it haste.

#36. Hildibrand Manderville

Hildibrand Manderville, besides being a token lord, has that Mosswood Dreadknight vibe. The color identity won’t help in some scenarios, but this card covers all aristocrat bases. You can think about it in decks like Teysa Karlov where you sacrifice creatures but also take advantage of tokens, like with the afterlife mechanic.

#35. Summon: Primal Odin

Speaking of win conditions, Summon: Primal Odin can be a black wincon as well. You get immediate value from your 6 mana value card, and on the next turn, you might even auto-win. Or draw some more cards. Either way, you get that good-old midrange value.

#34. Cecil, Dark Knight / Cecil, Redeemed Paladin

Besides its incredible, flavorful design (FFIV), Cecil, Dark Knight is also a very good black suicide aggro card as a 2/3 deathtouch creature with a little bit of a downside that you can turn into upside later. In some decks, you also want to speed up the way you lose life, like with Death's Shadow, so that’s another interesting application.

#33. The Lunar Whale

Playing cards from the top of your library is always nice because it sets up good synergies and combos, and it gives you more information. With The Lunar Whale, you can do that and have a 3/5 flying vehicle that’s easy to crew.

#32. Astrologian's Planisphere

I don’t know what I like best about this card. Is it the similarity to a card like Ledger Shredder, which starts small and ends up being a real beater? Or the fact that you can transfer Astrologian's Planisphere to a real creature since it’s an equipment, or to a creature that has synergies with +1/+1 counters placed put on it? It’s doing small, different stuff, and the package seems good enough.

#31. Ultima

With cards like Day of Judgment in Standard, white wraths have to do something strong to compete. So here’s Ultima, a 5-mana card that’ll find its way into control decks. In a format where you’ll probably have to deal with artifacts and equipment, you get to destroy everything (I’m looking at you Cori-Steel Cutter). Those pesky Simulacrum Synthesizer decks will get what they deserve.

#30. Zodiark, Umbral God

Although limited to black decks, Zodiark, Umbral God is pretty interesting as a way to level up the board. The card is a payoff for sacrifice strategies and a good devotion enabler.

#29. Cloud's Limit Break

Cloud's Limit Break is a very flexible mix of spot removal and wrath, and it’s worth playing in your white EDH decks. It’s similar to what Damn does, but here we have a mix of good effects that can also reward you for tapping different creatures and getting rid of them.

#28. Observed Stasis

Observed Stasis will feel like cheating when you get to exile your opponent’s best creature and draw a lot of cards. Like Settle the Wreckage, this card is at its best when an opponent attacks you with a bunch of creatures. Or maybe you’ll say: Hey, don’t attack me, I have an Observed Stasis.

#27. Summon: Esper Valigarmanda

One of the problems with the saga summon creatures is that you have precious few turns while the creature is in play to attack. Well, not anymore with Summon: Esper Valigarmanda, as a hasty 3/3 flier gets right in. You also get to feed from your opponent’s graveyard while you generate mana to cast the exiled cards.

#26. Summon: Yojimbo

With Summon: Yojimbo, WotC wanted to make a card that fits multiple deck styles. You get the enchantment + Ghostly Prison for pillow fort decks, a good-sized vigilance creature for defense, and a creature that can attack alone and get rewards for samurai decks. Plus, it’s spot removal tied to a good creature – and good forbid if you Ephemerate it.

#25. Firion, Wild Rose Warrior

Firion, Wild Rose Warrior is a house with equipment, as you can have situations when you cast an equipment that costs 2 or less to equip, make a token copy of it, immediately equip another creature, and attack. Giving haste to job select/living weapon /for Mirrodin! tokens isn’t bad either. Think about casting a Batterskull that has haste, and you get to make a hasty copy of it until end of turn.

#24. Lightning, Army of One

Lightning, Army of One has good skills for a Voltron build, which is what you’ll do to buff this creature and hit your opponents. You want to hit them and double the rest of your damage for the turn, which can come from burn spells or from non first strike creatures that attacked alongside Lightning. Sometimes, the game is over after you double all the damage from Lightning Bolts.

#23. Ultimecia, Temporal Threat

Let’s say you have a few creatures in play and cast Ultimecia, Temporal Threat. If you’re playing the Final Fantasy Starter Decks, the game’s probably over. Not only do you get the saboteur effect, but also the evasion you need. This card ends games across formats, but if you’re losing the game, it’s not going to do you any favors.

#22. O'aka, Traveling Merchant

This Commander card is a perfect fit for decks that produce counters. O'aka, Traveling Merchant’s most probable home is in saga/summon-heavy decks to grind more value and draw cards. You also interact profitably with stun counters and -1/-1 counters. Soul Diviner already exists, so this card adds more redundancy to the strategy, at least slotting into the same decks.

#21. Alisaie Leveilleur + Alphinaud Leveilleur

These partner with commanders have great synergy. Alphinaud Leveilleur rewards you for casting two spells, while Alisaie Leveilleur reduces the cost of the second spell. Jeskai () colors have many mechanics including flurry that reward you for casting two spells, so there’s an interesting WU package here with the Leveilleur twins.

#20. The Crystal Cycle

• The Wind Crystal
• The Water Crystal
• The Darkness Crystal
• The Fire Crystal
• The Earth Crystal

Taking a cue from the cycle of Medallions, we have the cycle of Crystals, which at least casual EDH decks will be interested in playing. Reducing the cost of colored spells permanently is very strong, especially in combo decks. These “ramp” cards also have passive effects and activated abilities that are well worth playing, so it’s not a Mind Stone situation where you’ll want to cash this in for a card when ramp isn’t good enough.

#19. The Mono-Color Town Cycle

• Ishgard, the Holy See
• Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital
• Midgar, City of Mako
• Lindblum, Industrial Regency
• Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis

All of these town lands have an adventure tied into them. It’s an interesting play pattern where you can play the spell when you have enough mana and play the land right after. Or just play the land tapped in the early game, hopefully with nice bounce land synergies. It’s nice that the adventure side represents common themes found in those colors, so sac decks will like the black one, while spellslinger decks will play the red one, and so on.

#18. Balamb Garden, SeeD Academy / Balamb Garden, Airborne

Slightly better than the mono-color town cycle is a GU dual land that’s also a town and transforms into a vehicle later on. Balamb Garden, SeeD Academy is a tapped dual land in the “town colors” that’s actually an enabler and a payoff for the strategy.

#17. Starting Town

Starting Town is a flexible pain land for aggressive decks that can also help town synergies. You can also use it in 5cEDH for easy mana fixing in the early game.

#16. Terra, Magical Adept / Esper Terra

Terra, Magical Adept, discounting the transformed side, is already a good 4/2 creature that mills and gives you a little value. It’s also a 5-color saga commander, seeing as its transformed side makes all kinds of copies of sagas or summons. If you’re looking for an extra Tom Bombadil card, or a card that synergizes with all the crazy summons from this set, here’s your leader. Bonus points if you win via Door to Nothingness using this card.

#15. Y'shtola Rhul

Doubling the end step? Seriously? Y'shtola Rhul can immediately come into play and blink a creature on the end step, which happens twice thanks to its ability. This goes very well with all the summons that you can play. Blink the summons right before they go away, and you have a nice engine going on, besides all the crazy stuff that you can do with Agent of Treachery or Atraxa, Praetors' Voice.

#14. Venat, Heart of Hydaelyn / Hydaelyn, the Mother Crystal

If you need more “legends-matter” cards, take a look at Venat, Heart of Hydaelyn. It’s a 3/3 that can draw you a card while you cast a legend. It also gets its own removal spell if you pay 7 and transform it into Hydaelyn, the Mothercrystal. This card is good even if you don’t have that many legends and use it only to draw cards from your commander(s).

#13. Buster Sword

Buster Sword is pretty “busted.” Voltron creatures and strategies want to attack for a lot of damage, and with this sword, you get a card and a payoff based on the damage dealt. You'll often get to cast a 4+ MV card for free.

#12. Kefka, Court Mage / Kefka, Ruler of Ruin

I’m biased. FFVI is my favorite Final Fantasy, and Kefka’s one of the greatest villains. And look, they gave me a “Nicol Bolas” type card to play with. Kefka, Court Mage already gets you some card advantage by hitting play. If you attack with it, more card advantage. Paying 8 and attacking with Kefka, Ruler of Ruin is just nasty.

#11. Traveling Chocobo

Traveling Chocobo is a very strong bird reinforcement as well as a competent 3-drop that does everything the FF bird style deck wants. You get card advantage from the top of your library, and you get double the bird triggers and double landfall triggers. It’s not even legendary, so you can have multiple copies of it. It’s good to remember that there are good white and blue Bloomburrow birds, and there’s a nice commander in Choco, Seeker of Paradise to be buddies with this card.

#10. Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER / Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel

While overhyped as a FF villain, Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER is the real deal. You get a serviceable Blood Artist that’s not a useless 1/1. It does everything: It enables the strategy, it’s a payoff, and if you can turn it into Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel, which gives you an emblem for the rest of the game. MTG players will eventually figure out a way to transform this card back and forth multiple times and generate plenty of emblems.

#9. Cloud, Midgar Mercenary

As the second coming of Stoneforge Mystic, Cloud, Midgar Mercenary is pretty powerful, allowing you to tutor for an equipment and have a toolbox at your disposal. Doubling the triggers from equipment is novel, and that makes this Cloud pretty good with Buster Sword equipped, or any sword of X and Y. For folks that complain about lack of white card draw, you can even draw four cards with Skullclamp.

#8. Tifa Lockhart

MTG players are already scared of Tifa Lockhart’s potential to end games quickly. Cast a Titanic Growth on Tifa to set its power to 5, the play a fetch land to double its power twice to 20, plus there’s trample damage. One combat trick = game over. This card has a strong potential to wreak havoc in various Constructed formats.

#7. Emet-Selch of the Third Seat

I want to close out and highlight the gold legends that’ll probably inspire some novel Commander decks. Let’s start with Emet-Selch of the Third Seat, a card you can build in various ways. If you make opponents lose life, you get a kind of Snapcaster Mage effect with cost reduction. You can also think about self-mill and spells that you can naturally cast from the graveyard, considering mechanics like flashback, encore, and escape.

#6. Choco, Seeker of Paradise

Barring a few exceptions like Kastral, the Windcrested, MTG hasn’t got that many powerful bird commanders, let alone a 3-color one. Choco, Seeker of Paradise seeks to change that, adding new and powerful green birds from the FF set. With Choco, you get cards and lands from your library while you attack with birds, so Battle Screech becomes your friend. It’s weird that the landfall triggers benefit only Choco itself, but the card advantage and ramp you get when you attack with birds should make up for it.

#5. Tidus, Yuna's Guardian

Tidus, Yuna's Guardian isn't the most powerful, but it lets you move some counters around. You can give an indestructible counter to a creature that’s attacking, you can proliferate, and you can move level up counters around, so there’s plenty of interesting stuff you could do with Tidus. As a side note, managing different counters in paper could be a total hassle.

#4. Vivi Ornitier

Vivi Ornitier is one of the most hyped commanders from this set, and it’s potentially a playable card from Standard to Modern. The idea here is to cast many noncreature spells, deal damage to your opponent spellslinger-style, and use this extra power from Vivi to add more mana. Let’s think about Monstrous Rage, a card that’s in Standard. That gives Vivi +4/+2, and you get to add 4 mana in any combination of blue and red. Wild Ride also works, using Vivi’s mana to harmonize it. And of course, in older formats it gets busted pretty fast.

#3. Celes, Rune Knight

Celes, Rune Knight’s main ability is to discard your hand and draw new cards, and it effectively sets up many synergies: discard, draw, combos, unearth, reanimate, you name it. You also set up the persist combo automatically with Celes around (e.g., Murderous Redcap + Viscera Seer), and it rewards you for going wide with creatures, if you prefer the fairer route.

#2. Tifa, Martial Artist

Another very hyped commander, Tifa, Martial Artist is a turn multiplier beast. One unblocked or trampling double striker gives you two extra combats in a Tifa deck, but you’re also in good colors for Anzrag, the Quake-Mole or Aggravated Assault. It’s also interesting to note that Tifa itself can deal 7 combat damage due to melee if you attack each other player (Cadric, Soul Kindler plus myriad, anyone?).

#1. Y'shtola, Night's Blessed

Y'shtola, Night's Blessed is so hyped that cards that make you lose life are getting more expensive by the hour. Stuff like Snuff Out or Dismember are already heavily played cards, but here, you get to draw a card from them because you lost 4 life, and you also get to drain your opponents for 2 life, offsetting your life loss. The more spells you cast, the more likely you are to drain their life. You can also work your way around giving Y’shtola Curiosity, so it hits for 2, you draw a card, cast the card you’ve drawn, and continue draining your opponents out with more triggers. 

Wrap Up

Cloud, Midgar Mercenary | Illustration by Kazto Furuya

And that’s about it for all the best Final Fantasy cards! I hope your favorite games and characters were well represented, or at least got a nice card. It’s “probably a coincidence” that many of the main FFVII characters get the most busted cards from the set, whether from the Commander set or the Standard one.

Which cards are you most hyped for? Any interesting legends to build around? Let me know in the comments section below, or let’s take the discussion over to the Draftsim Discord.

Thanks for reading guys, and if I missed something obvious, please let me know.