Final Fantasy (FIN) Limited Set Review: Black

FIN is the most excited I’ve been for a set, possibly ever. I’m sure like many others, Final Fantasy played a huge part of my childhood, and I always love revisiting the games. Not only is the IP very exciting, but it’s the second Universes Beyond draftable set (the first being The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth, one of the better limited sets in modern limited). The commons and uncommons are allowed to be a bit more powerful, and the set is designed with a heavy emphasis towards draftability. I hope you’re as hyped as I am, now let’s start analyzing the cards!

5.0: Disgustingly powerful and basically unbeatable. Either answer it the turn it comes down or just pack up your cards. (Gruff Triplets, Virtue of Persistence, The Eternal Wanderer)

4.5: Incredible bomb that still gives your opponent a slim chance. (Virtue of Loyalty, Imodane's Recruiter, Realm-Scorcher Hellkite)

4.0: Great rare or the absolute best uncommons and removal. (Faunsbane Troll, Gumdrop Poisoner, Talion’s Messenger)

3.5: Great role filler or removal that you never cut. (Candy Grapple, Hearth Elemental, Torch the Tower)

3.0: Good playable that I’m basically never cutting. (Shrouded Shepherd, Spellscorn Coven, Sharae of Numbing Depths)

2.5: Decent playable and the bar I hope nearly every card in my deck to reach. (Evolving Wilds, Archon's Glory, Flick a Coin)

2.0: Mediocre filler that normally is your 20-23rd card(s). (Mintstrosity, Ice Out, Grabby Giant)

1.5: Replaceable, overall bad filler. Could also be decent sideboard cards. (Titanic Growth, Scarecrow Guide, Territorial Witchstalker)

1.0: Bad filler. Gets cut most of the time. (Dark Tutelage, Kindled Heroism, Impact Tremors)

0.5: Very unhappy to main deck this, but maybe it has fringe sideboard applications. Cards that “could” be situationally decent, but bad in most situations. (Smothering Tithe, Rhystic Study, Mana Flare)

0.0: Unplayable in every possible situation. They rarely print cards this bad these days. (Hew the Entwood, One with Nothing)

Ahriman

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This is a decent creature that can trade with any attacker, net you some cards, or even push flying damage. It’s a bit slow, but has a lot of practical applications.

Al Bhed Salvagers

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

The Blood Artist effect is always powerful in limited, and this should be decent in most decks.

Ardyn, the Usurper

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

It’s difficult to get to 8 mana, but the card is powerful nonetheless. You can try to play this with if you have reliable methods of getting him in your graveyard.

Black Mage’s Rod

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This is one of my favorite common job select equipment pieces. I’m hoping mass black mages will be a legitimate strategy, because black mages are awesome.

Cecil, Dark Knight // Cecil, Redeemed Paladin

Rating: 3.0 // 5.0

This may be difficult to flip, as you have to deal damage with him to trigger the flip (which will be in the late game). Nonetheless, this is a 2/3 deathtouch for 1 mana, which is pretty insane.

Circle of Power

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This works really well if you already have black mages in play. On its own, it’s fine, but nothing too special without other synergies.

Cornered by Black Mages

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

This is on the weaker side without other black mage support, but it can be a solid addition to any deck looking to drain the opponent.

Dark Confidant

Rating: 3.0 // 5.0

This is a great card in the early-mid game, and can become a bit of a liability in the late game. You want to make sure you don’t have a high curve when you play this, so you don’t randomly lose 6+ life.

Dark Knight’s Greatsword

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This can be a great aggressive tool, especially paired with evasive or aggressive decks.

Demon Wall

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

There aren’t many good ways to put a counter on this, but if you can sequence this into turn 3 Combat Tutorial (or something similar), it can be a really aggressive start.

Evil Reawakened

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

Like most other reanimate cards, this is a build around that requires reliable ways to either discard or self-mill to fill your graveyard.

Fang, Fearless l’Cie

Rating: 1.0 // 5.0

This is a really weak card on its own, but if I have Vanille, Cheerful l'Cie, I’d like to try creating Ragnarok, Divine Deliverance just to say I did it.

Fight On!

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

You could run this in Golgari, but it’s pretty slow for most of the other builds.

Gaius van Baelsar

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

The ETB trigger does say both players, but with 3 options to choose from, you should be able to get a favorable ETB trigger the majority of the time.

Hecteyes

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

Burglar Rat has always been good in limited, I assume it will be solid here as well.

Jecht, Reluctant Guardian // Braska’s Final Aeon

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

This won’t connect a good amount of the time, either by creatures blocking or it being killed, but if you can connect with him, the saga is incredibly powerful..

Kain, Traitorous Dragoon

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This is a really tough card to evaluate, and I don’t really know how much I like it. You can do some cool stuff like equip him, draw a bunch, then kill him or unequip. I’ll have to play with this card to get a feel for if I like it.

Malboro

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

This is the best of the land cyclers, and is a pretty solid top end creature on its own.

Namazu Trader

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

The attack trigger is pretty weak on this guy, but it does help ramp/fix your mana a bit.

Ninja’s Blades

Rating: 3.0 // 5.0

This has potential to kill opponents quickly if you have high mana cost cards to discard. It’s still a little weak, but the equip cost is too cheap to dismiss.

Overkill

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

A solid, instant speed removal spell.

Phantom Train

Rating: 1.0 // 5.0

This will trick a few people because it doesn’t have a crew cost. It’s still a vehicle, which means it is not a creature unless you activate the ability. I still wish there was some reference to suplexing the train.

Poison the Waters

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

The second option will be the choice the majority of the time, and you will very rarely miss if you cast this in the early game.

Qutrub Forayer

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

This is a fine filler card, but can be situationally strong.

Reno and Rude

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

A decent two drop that can make some big plays in the mid-late game.

Resentful Revelation

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

A good way of filling up your graveyard, and a strong option for decks looking to play the late game.

Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel

Rating: 3.5 // 5.0

This isn’t too hard to flip if the board is full of creatures, and ends the game pretty quickly if you do. The floor of the card is pretty high too.

Sephiroth’s Intervention

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

Weaker than Overkill, but still a solid removal spell if you need it.

Shambling Cie’th

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

These types of creatures normally underperform, so I’m going to assume this will as well.

Shinra Reinforcements

Rating: 1.0 // 5.0

This is a pretty weak creature on its own. You need other reasons to put this in your deck, like reanimate synergies.

Sidequest: Hunt the Mark // Yiazmat, Ultimate Mark

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

This is a slow kill spell, but the longer the game goes, the easier it is to flip it. It works really well if you have other treasure cards that allow this to flip early.

Summon: Anima

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

4 chapters lets this creature stick around a turn longer than most other sagas. This provides a ton of value over the full story, and replaces itself if it is killed the turn it enters.

Summon: Primal Odin

Rating: 3.5 // 5.0

At the very least, this kills a creature. Sometimes this will connect and end the game, and other times you can just keep him around to draw an additional 2 cards. Pretty fun card.

The Darkness Crystal

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

This is one of the crystals that might actually be playable. The floor is still pretty low, but the life gain helps you extend the game to enable the activated ability.

The Final Days

Rating: 2.0 // 5.0

Similar to Spider Spawning, this can be a win condition for Golgari decks. You do need to survive a turn to untap the creatures, but it can be incredibly powerful in the right decks.

Tonberry

Rating: 1.0 // 5.0

I love the flavor of this card, but I don’t care for it in practice. It’s a terrible topdeck, and pretty bad on defense.

Undercity Dire Rat

Rating: 1.5 // 5.0

This is alright filler if you need a two drop.

Vayne’s Treachery

Rating: 2.5 // 5.0

This is a solid piece of removal, but can be awkward at times that you can’t pay the kicker cost.

Vincent’s Limit Break

Rating: 0.5 // 5.0

There is probably some cool applications for this, but I really dislike these narrow tricks.

Vincent Valentine // Galian Beast

Rating: 3.5 // 5.0

This is pretty insane as long as you can kill a creature when Vincent’s on the battlefield. He can have a low floor, but it’s pretty easy to make him work.

Zenos yae Galvus // Shinryu, Transcendent Rival

Rating: 3.5 // 5.0

This card can be pretty insane, and is easy to transform into an 8/8 flyer.

Zodiark, Umbral God

Rating: 0.5 // 5.0

The only time you can play this is if you randomly end up in mono black.

Top 3 Black Commons:

Vayne's Treachery Malboro Sephiroth's Intervention

Black looks to be a bit more mid-range oriented. Of course, it has good kill spells, but it also has some really strong discard cards as well. It has a high count of bomb rares and commons, but is a bit lacking in the uncommon department. I’ll be breaking down Red next, stay tuned!

Lose and Learn, Learn and Win!