In the present day one of many largest units in Magic: The Gathering‘s current historical past makes its grand arrival ultimately: Final Fantasy, the primary of Magic‘s at-times-controversial “Universes Past” crossovers with different franchises to be given the total standard-legal remedy. It’s a wedding of two of gaming’s most beloved fantasy realms, and with absolute legions of followers of each Magic and Remaining Fantasy to please, it has to hit the highlights and mechanical flavoring of 16 mainline recreation’s price of viable playing cards. From all the pieces we’ve seen of the set within the run as much as as we speak’s launch, it appears like Wizards of the Coast and Sq. Enix helped construct a match made in (seventh) heaven—however right here’s a few of our favorite nods to Remaining Fantasy‘s huge legacy that we love most from the set.
Naturally, a few of these references are about key main story factors of their respective Remaining Fantasy titles. Should you’re not caught up with the 16 mainline video games which have launched over the previous 4 many years, nicely, contemplate your self very calmly spoiler warned right here.
Tiered Spells Are a Excellent Mix of Remaining Fantasy and Magic
One of many new mechanical additions the Remaining Fantasy set brings to Magic is the “Tiered” rule: if a participant pays a further price to the cardboard’s preliminary mana price, they will choose from considered one of three tiers of energy. Extra mana means extra results—similar to how in Remaining Fantasy loads of magic spells have three evolutionary steps: their base type, a stronger model of that type with the suffix -ara, after which its strongest type with the suffix -aga.
The tiered spells within the set are unfold throughout two completely different types: some are given to signify varied restrict break assaults from Remaining Fantasy VII, reflecting the occasion’s capability to develop stronger particular assaults over the course of the sport. However the ones that signify a few of Remaining Fantasy‘s elemental and restorative magics are every neatly attuned to the colour identities they’re assigned to in Magic. Aggressive fireplace and thunder magics are assigned to purple; ice, which as an alternative of doing harm bounces playing cards again into an opponents palms or libraries, is assigned to blue, which displays that shade’s archetypal deal with interruption and management mechanics. It’s a really neat solution to mechanically marry a Remaining Fantasy participant’s understanding of the collection’ base magic system to a Magic participant’s understanding of its personal colours’ archetypes and escalatory results.
Suplex the Prepare, Dammit
Suplex, renamed to Meteor Strike in later variations of Remaining Fantasy VI, is without doubt one of the many martial talents of Sabin the Monk, letting him… nicely, decide an enemy up and flip them within the air to slam them straight again down. However whereas Sabin can use the transfer on a large number of VI‘s massive creatures, probably the most notorious sufferer of the assault—spurring years of web meme historical past—is the truth that he can use it when the occasion encounters the Phantom Prepare after Sabin, Cyan, and Shadow flee the Empire’s invasion of Doma. The Phantom Prepare is, after all, a spectral haunted steam prepare, so it’s very absurd that Sabin can simply decide it up and suplex it prefer it’s no massive deal.
Suplex will get its personal card as a sorcery in Magic, which helps you to do three harm to a creature—fairly primary. Besides, a participant who performs Suplex might as an alternative use its second capability, which permits it to particularly exile an artifact card. what’s an artifact within the Remaining Fantasy set? The Phantom Prepare.
Lightning’s Stagger
FF XIII‘s protagonist has a number of playing cards to her identify within the set, however Lightning, Military of One has a number of cool mechanical nods to XIII‘s battle system. The primary is that “Military of One” suffix, a reference to Lightning’s highly effective combo assault of that identify within the recreation—an aggression that’s symbolically matched within the card by giving her a number of offensive key phrases like Trample (which lets her deal extra harm from fight on to a participant) and First Strike (which lets her deal harm earlier than anybody else resolves harm in fight).
But it surely’s Lightning, Military of One’s different rule that’s the neater reference: she has Stagger, a nod to the mechanic of the identical identify in XIII that lets the occasion deal bonus harm to an opponent as soon as they’ve maxed out its stagger gauge by regular, repeated assaults for a quick time frame. In Magic, it lets some other creature that assaults Lightning’s goal, whether or not it’s one other creature or a participant, take double harm for the remainder of the flip. Similar hat!
Sephiroth Yearns to Kill Aerith
One of many most infamous moments within the unique Remaining Fantasy VII is Sephiroth’s homicide of Aerith as she prays within the Metropolis of Ancients. Just like the synergy between Suplex and Phantom Prepare earlier than it, Sephiroth, Fabled Soldier and Aerith have a synergy that grimly displays his fated killing: Aerith’s guidelines let her achieve +1/+1 counters each time you achieve life, and Sephiroth, Fabled Soldier provides you life each time one other creature dies. The fourth time that impact occurs, you possibly can flip Sephiroth over, reworking him into his highly effective One Winged Angel type.
However he may sacrifice any card, together with considered one of your personal, each time he assaults. Which, most of the time, triggers “dies” as a mechanic, advancing Sephiroth nearer to his transformation… and Aerith herself has a particular rule that, when she dies, her accrued +1/+1 tokens will be given to all Legendary Creatures you’ve in play. So, if in case you have them each in play, Sephiroth can sacrifice Aerith for his fourth set off, reworking, and then reap the advantages of all of the +1/+1 tokens Aerith had constructed up from his attacking. It’s imply! And really flavorful.
Or you possibly can simply play Sephiroth’s Intervention, a black Instantaneous that destroys any goal creature, in case you simply need to kill an Aerith for funsies.
Remaining Fantasy XIV‘s Remaining Days
One of many largest items of background lore within the critically acclaimed MMORPG Remaining Fantasy XIV is the “Remaining Days,” a cataclysmic apocalypse that occurred 1000’s of years up to now that noticed the world of Etheirys, the realm of a precursor race referred to as the Ancients, break into 14 shards throughout a battle between the gods Zodiark and Hydaelyn in an try and stall the Remaining Days’ arrival. A lot of Remaining Fantasy XIV takes place on the first of these reflective shards, the Supply, whereas a few of its expansions have seen gamers journey to the worlds of different shards, like Shadowbringers.
This occasion comes up in a number of poignantly thematic playing cards within the Magic set. Zodiark, Umbral God sees a participant sacrifice half of the creatures they management, as a reference to the sacrifice the Ancients made to summon Zodiark and delay the Remaining Days within the first place. In the meantime, Emet-Selch, Unsundered—one of many few surviving Ancients, haunted by his need to revive the world to what it was in his lifetime—can rework into his godlike type of Hades as soon as 14 playing cards enter your graveyard, and might play playing cards out of your graveyard as soon as he’s completed so.
Phoenix Down Can Heal… and Hurt
Phoenix Down is an iconic merchandise from throughout Remaining Fantasy, the easy revival medication that allows you to carry again a useless occasion member in battle. In Magic, it could possibly solely carry again playing cards out of your graveyard with a mana worth of 4 or much less, reflective of its comparatively primary type of restorative magic. However even higher is the truth that it has a second capability: you should utilize it to exile undead creatures, a nod to the truth that therapeutic objects in Remaining Fantasy can be utilized on undead enemies to do harm as an alternative.
Concern the Tonberry
Tonberries might look oddly cute with the dainty little knife and their massive yellow eyes, however each Remaining Fantasy participant is aware of that these inexperienced critters imply enterprise as soon as they get near you. In most of their appearances, Tonberries take a number of turns of fight to slowly inch in direction of your occasion—and as soon as they do, they immediately kill you in a single assault with their chef’s knife. That is splendidly translated into Magic with a mixture of two mechanics: a Tonberry enters play tapped and with a stun counter on it, which suggests it takes two participant turns to be able to assault. As soon as it does assault although, it has First Strike and Deathtouch, that means regardless of how a lot harm it does to a creature, it’ll at all times do deadly harm.
Galuf’s Sacrifice
Galuf’s dying combating Exdeath in Remaining Fantasy V is without doubt one of the recreation’s most iconic moments, made all of the extra bittersweet by the actual fact his talents are handed onto his granddaughter Krile, who joins the occasion in his stead. That inheritance is of course mirrored in Galuf’s Remaining Act, which not solely briefly boosts a creature’s energy (a nod to Galuf going all out as he takes on Exdeath 1v1), however lets it cross on +1/+1 tokens equal to its energy when it dies.
Battle or Flight
An notorious gag second in Remaining Fantasy VII comes when the occasion goes to rescue Aerith from Shinra’s HQ forward of the climactic escape from Midgar. You’re given a easy selection, in each the unique recreation and in Remake: take the elevator as much as the sixtieth flooring, which stops a number of instances for a collection of fights, or the “quiet” route… having to manage Cloud as he runs up 59 flights of stairs.
The Magic card Aerith Rescue Mission encapsulates that selection completely: you possibly can both take the elevator, supplying you with three 1/1 Hero Tokens (representing Cloud, Tifa, and Barrett being able to struggle), or you possibly can take the steps, which helps you to faucet and stun as much as three creatures (representing their cardio-induced duress).
The Cycle of Sin
Remaining Fantasy X is constructed across the cycle of Sin, a large creature that rises to cull civilizations that develop too massive or too superior—however whose slaughter will be paused for a interval of “Calm” years when a Summoner sacrifices themselves in a remaining battle in opposition to Sin to summon a remaining aeon able to defeating Sin… albeit solely briefly, locking the world in a cycle of destruction.
That will get a fairly spot-on mirror within the card Sin, Never-ending Cataclysm; it not solely removes counters from any variety of creatures on the battlefield (to signify Sin’s limitation of technological development), but in addition returns to your library when it dies slightly than dying, that means it could possibly’t be conventionally defeated. Its personal bonus counters created from eradicating counters will be given to considered one of your different creatures… you realize, so Sin can inherit them twice over when it returns.
Champions From Past the Rift, Heed My Name!
Champions From Past is a multilayered reference for Remaining Fantasy XIV gamers: the identify and the artwork represents the climactic moments of the Shadowbringers enlargement, when the participant is aided by Iconic Catboy G’raha Tia, who summons heroes (aka, different gamers) from throughout the 14 shards of the world to battle Emet-Selch. That group-content focus is mirrored in its guidelines, which helps you to create any variety of Hero tokens whereas additionally providing bonuses for attacking in both teams of 4 or eight creatures. These are references to the 2 normal group sizes for FF XIV‘s multiplayer content material: Mild Events, teams of 4 for normal dungeon content material; and Full Events, teams of eight usually utilized in more difficult boss fights or endgame raids.
Quistis’ Blue Magic
Remaining Fantasy has all kinds of various magical archetypes throughout the collection, however Blue Magic is considered one of its most arcane logos within the varied faculties of color-themed magics. Black Magic is primarily damaging elemental spells, White Magic is therapeutic and assist, Pink Magic blends the 2, whereas Blue represents a capability to soak up and study the talents of an enemy opponent. Blue Mages exist throughout a number of Remaining Fantasy video games, however FF VIII‘s Quistis it maybe one of the crucial well-known. It’s becoming then that not solely is she slotted into Magic‘s blue shade archetype, however that her Blue Magic capability lets her solid spells from any participant’s graveyard, be it yours or your opponent: and that she solid them with any mana, no matter their unique price.
Kain’s Thoughts Management
Kain Highwind is an interesting foil in Remaining Fantasy IV, his lingering jealousy in direction of FF IV‘s major character Cecil making him a straightforward goal for the sport’s antagonist, Golbez, to deprave him and brainwash him a number of instances over the course of the story. Kain’s almost-comical capability to be pressured into betraying you is delightfully woven into Magic together with his card, Kain, Traitorous Dragoon—at any time when Kain does harm to a different participant, they will select to take management of him and he does mirrored harm to his unique proprietor, that means that Kain can bounce backwards and forwards between possession over the course of the sport!
Ashe’s Temptation
A serious turning level in Remaining Fantasy XII comes when Ashe, the exiled princess of the dominion of Dalmasca, finds herself confronted with a harmful temptation: fulfill her future as Ivalice’s generational ruler and use the facility of the almighty crystal referred to as the Solar-Cryst to destroy the Archadian Empire that attacked Dalmasca initially of the sport, or destroy the Solar-Cryst and free Ivalice from the machinations of its creators.
On the floor, the Instantaneous Destiny of the Solar-Cryst is a fairly typical Magic card, paying 5 mana to destroy any non-land everlasting. But it surely has a bonus twist: it solely prices three mana in case you goal a tapped creature, ie… a creature that’s already attacked you. It’s a really flavorful solution to incorporate Ashe’s temptation in direction of revenge.
Of Course Ignis Cooks
Ignis’ card simply wouldn’t be Ignis if it didn’t embrace a capability primarily based round cooking. “I’ve Come Up With a New Recipe!” lets a participant faucet Ignis and pay some mana to exile a card out of your graveyard—and if it was a creature, you possibly can create a meals token, letting a participant regain well being. It’s named, after all, for Ignis’ meme-worthy repeated catchphrase from Remaining Fantasy XV: the occasion’s prepare dinner at any time when they camped, Ignis might study varied recipes all through XV to grant the occasion varied buffs and standing results after they rested. Specifying the bonus for exiling a creature is itself a cute reference to the truth that Ignis can prepare dinner varied meals from the supplies you get from killing creatures throughout XV‘s world, as well.
A Smile Higher Fits a Hero
A number of playing cards all through the Remaining Fantasy set give new themed artwork to already established Magic playing cards. Relic of Legends, a easy mana-generating artifact launched in Dominaria United, is considered one of them, however its inclusion within the Remaining Fantasy XIV-themed Commander Deck, Scions & Spellcraft, is given a painful twist. The relic of legend within the new artwork refers to a traumatic sacrifice from Heavensward, XIV‘s first enlargement, when considered one of your allies within the kingdom of Ishgard, Haurchefant Greystone, makes an attempt to deflect a magical assault meant to strike the hero… just for his defend to buckle and for the strike to run him by as an alternative, killing him. Cue the waterworks!
Ifrit vs. Titan
Conflict of the Eikons refers to one of many standout moments of the latest mainline Final Fantasy, XVI, by which protagonist Clive Rosfield, reworked into the almighty summon Ifrit, scraps with rival summon Titan in an epic battle. Except for trying as cool because the struggle in XVI does, this sorcery allows you to manipulate the quantity of lore counters on a Saga card underneath your management: the cardboard archetype that represents Remaining Fantasy‘s varied summon creatures throughout the video games within the set to mirror their standing as highly effective, however limited-time forces in battle.
It’s not solely flavorful in that sense, it’s significantly flavorful to Remaining Fantasy XVI. The struggle between Ifrit and Titan is absolutely the primary time that Clive actually comes into his personal as Ifrit’s “Dominant”, embracing his transformation and pulling out all of the stops to defeat Titan—so it’s solely becoming that that conflict represents the flexibility to control Sagas on this manner!
The Warrior of Mild Unites All
The Warrior of Mild is the identify of the character created to signify the generic occasion members of the very first Remaining Fantasy, who had no set characters and could possibly be given any of the collection’ iconic jobs over the course of the sport. Now a quasi-mascot of Remaining Fantasy as a complete, oddly sufficient the Warrior of Mild doesn’t even have a novel card representing him within the Magic set (he seems on some, however none are particularly centered round him as a personality).
He’s represented, nonetheless, on the “By way of The Ages” bonus sheet, a collection of playing cards that reprints basic Magic playing cards with art work drawn from throughout Remaining Fantasy historical past, from character idea work to promotional imagery from every recreation. The Warrior of Mild is represented on this set of playing cards with a reprint of Jodah the Unifier, an iconic card that’s in style in Magic‘s Commander as a “WURBG” archetype: having a value that makes use of one mana from every of Magic‘s 5 colours, a deck with Jodah as its Commander will be constructed out of playing cards from each shade in flip.
On prime of that, Jodah the Unifier’s talents are constructed round synergies with Legendary Creatures and spells, buffing the extra of them you’ve in play and getting extra of them in play as shortly as doable. Throughout the Remaining Fantasy set most major characters are represented as Legendary Creatures, so it’s becoming that the Warrior of Mild can carry collectively heroes and villains from throughout the entire collection to face collectively!
Need extra io9 information? Try when to count on the newest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and all the pieces you must learn about the way forward for Doctor Who.
