Grading the Commanders from the MTG | Final Fantasy Reveal
Magic: The Gathering’s LEGO-like delving into other IP’s continues with Final Fantasy this summer. Here’s our ranking of the four commanders that were recently unveiled.
Y’shtola, Night’s Blessed
A four-mana casting cost with three different colors for a 2/4 with vigilance isn’t very good. The 4-or-more life loss requirement at the opponent to draw a card is also uninspiring in a vacuum. The fact that you have to spend six mana (and two cards) minimum to trigger it through Y’Shtola’s built-in ability doesn’t make t much better, even if it drains your opponent for 4 in the process. C-/D+
Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER
Five mana, including three of different colors, for a 4/4 with haste isn’t anything special in the annals of MTG creaturedom. Getting to draw a card if it has an equipment you can auto-attach whenever it attacks is better but still not exactly the most powerful thing in the world, even with the added perk of getting to draw a card for every other attacking creature that’s equipped as well. The treasure token thing is a nice thematic afterthought but why you’d care terribly about that after turn five or six isn’t obvious to me. It seems the idea is to wind up for a big late-game finish but if is card were a giant angry goblin instead of possibly the most recognizable Final Fantasy character ever would anyone care? B-
Tidus, Yuna’s Guardian
It’s the casting cost that makes this a solid B for me. A free extra card a turn with proliferation seems like it could be mighty good at helping you win the game with the right support. On the downside, it doesn’t do a whole lot else and does cost three mana in different colors to bring in. B
Terra, Herald of Hope
Three for a 3/3 offense-only flyer is already solid. The supposed drawback–putting the top two cards from your library into your graveyard–can actually be a hidden boon for a 100-card EDH deck with black spells since it exposes more cards to being playable, which, lo and beohld, the Terra helps with as well. The need to deal combat damage *and* pay 2 to bring a 3-power-max creature into play likely keeps it from being broken, but at this point I’d say that it’s probably the best of the bunch here. A-