Warning: The following article contains MAJOR SPOILERS from multiple Final Fantasy games.One month before its full launch,Magic: The Gatheringshowed off some new character cards from theFinal Fantasycrossover expansion set. The newMagic: The Gatheringcharacter cards wereFinal Fantasy 14’s Hildibrand Manderville and Zenos yae Galvus, along with new card art for iconicFinal Fantasyseries figures like Tifa, Squall, Kefka, and Sephiroth.
Final Fantasyis the latest set inMagic: The Gathering’s ongoing Universes Beyond saga, which includes cards from franchises likeAssassin’s CreedandThe Lord of the Rings. As the 105th overall expansion to the popular tabletop card game, Wizards of the Coast declared theFinal Fantasyset legal for StandardMTGplay and draft game modes. Locations and moments from the mainlineFinal Fantasyseries are included with the set, along with Commander Decks that feature protagonists like Cloud and Y’shtola.Pre-orders for theFinal Fantasyset are now availableon Amazon and at local card shops.
Although inventory and prices will vary ahead ofFinal Fantasy’s June 13 launch,Magic: The Gatheringrevealed some additional cards to tide players over. TwoFinal Fantasy 14characters, Zenos yae Galvus and Hildibrand Manderville, will be part of the new expansion as legendary creature cards. As the main character ofFinal Fantasy 14’s fan-favorite Hildibrand quest series, the gentlemanly detective includes a Zombie token creature card that can be taken to the field once Hildibrand’s Adventure effect is activated via two Black Lands.
Magic: The Gathering Will Include More Iconic Final Fantasy Characters
As for Zenos, the main antagonist of theStormbloodexpansion is a double-faced creature card that allows the Garlean prince to transform into the legendary dragon Shinryu after taking down a chosen opponent. Shinryu’s unique effect, Burning Chains, can come in handy in the multiplayer Commander format, though this may cause other players to focus their attacks on Shinryu and its user.
While Cloud and Sephiroth were previously confirmed aspart of theFinal Fantasystarter kit, the legendary variants of both character cards were teased to appear at PAX East via some standees throughout the convention. According to posts on the r/MagicTCG and r/FinalFantasy subreddits, characters with PAX East stands include Squall, Kefka, and Tifa.
The effects of each card were replaced with a promotion for an upcomingMTG: Final Fantasycard reveal panel, hosted byFinal Fantasy 16voice actor Ben Starr, on Saturday, May 10, at Noon Eastern. Only time will tell whichotherFinal Fantasycharacters will appear in the newMTGexpansion.
