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)
Astrologian’s Planisphere
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
There are a lot more noncreature spells considering job select equipment counts as both. The effect can be a bit slow, or not come up too often, but you still get a 1/1 out of it. Other times, you can grow the creature turn after turn for free, which is hard to discount.
Cargo Ship
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
There are a good number of artifacts this set, and a lot of artifact abilities (specifically equipment). The size of this creature is great, and should handle most other two drops in combat. It can be awkward if you don’t have artifact synery, but that’s hard to picture at this point.
Combat Tutorial
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
Divination is pretty weak in todays limited landscape, but the +1/+1 counter does make it quite a bit better. I still think this will be a bit too slow to be excited about playing it.
Dragoon’s Wyvern
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
Previous iterations of this creature have been extremely powerful, like Preening Champion. I don’t think the 1 toughness is too big of a nerf, and this should be one of the best blue common creatures.
Dreams of Laguna
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
Surveil 1 draw 1 is a pretty powerful effect in limited for 2 mana. Albeit slow, this card can generate lots of value if the game goes long enough.
Edgar, King of Figaro
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
The strength of Edgar is dependent on the amount of artifacts in your deck. Assuming you will have >=2 by the time you play him, this is a big body that draws 2 (or more) when it enters.
Eject
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This is a really nice utility spell. There are plenty of things you can bounce with this in meaningful ways, and it replaces itself along the way.
Ether
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a really powerful effect, but you really need to build your deck with this card in mind. The floor is really low, but in a spell heavy deck this card can be insane.
Gogo, Master of Mimicry
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This is a pretty versatile creature, and there are tons of possibilities. You’ll likely only be able to copy something for x=1, but if the game goes late enough, or the ability is free (like saga triggers), this can do some game warping things.
Ice Flan
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This is pretty weak for a land cycler. I’d try not to play it unless you really need the fixing or have some graveyard synergies.
Ice Magic
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a sweet, flexible bounce spell. It’s also one of the few reasonable ways to pop off with Ultros, Obnoxious Octopus
Il Mheg Pixie
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This is a really nice 2 drop that should be relatively unchallenged in the early game.
Jill, Shiva’s Dominant // Shiva, Warden of Ice
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
This cards pretty insane. The first ability is powerful enough as it is. The transform ability helps you push some damage through, then bounce a permanent again.
Louisoix’s Sacrifice
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
There are much better counterspells in the set, but it could come in from the sideboard in certain matches.
Magic Damper
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
A cheap protective spell if you’re in the market for it.
Matoya, Archon Elder
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
There isn’t very many sources of scry/surveil in the set, so you need a very specific deck to justify playing this. If you have multiple copies of Il Mheg Pixie, I would consider playing this.
Memories Returning
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This is a bit slow, but the value is hard to beat for 4 mana. You get three cards, including the 1st and 3rd best from your top 5.
Qiqirn Merchant
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This guy really wants the game to go late. It’s a decent blocker, which is a good characteristic for looters, but I’m still not too optimistic about it.
Quistis Trepe
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
You want to make sure your deck has lots of cheap spells to want this in the deck. If you have a good amount of 1-3 mana instants/sorceries, this can be solid. Also, you can hit your opponents graveyard too, so they might have something to hook you up with :).
Relm’s Sketching
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This spell has a lot of versatility, since you can target your opponents stuff. It will always have the option of being a copy of the best creature on the battlefield, but there are some good artifacts you can copy as well.
Retrieve the Esper
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This is a bit weak, but it’s important to keep in mind that it has a mana cost of 4 – an important number for a number of Izzet related cards.
Rook Turret
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a copy of Skyswimmer Koi which was decent in NEO. Thjis creature has the benefit of being an artifact itself, making them better in multiples and artifact based decks.
Sage’s Nouliths
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This is one of the weaker equipments, but it’s still totally playable if you need the two drop.
Sahagin
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
Hopefully you don’t have to play this card, but it can be a decent sideboard option against a hyper aggressive opponent.
Scorpion Sentinel
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This is an artifact that blocks pretty well. If you’re in the market for both of those, this is fine.
Sidequest: Card Collection // Magicked Card
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
The draw effect is a little sketchy, but it’s easy enough to flip into a giant flying vehicle.
Sleep Magic
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This is a really powerful removal spell for 1 mana.
Stolen Uniform
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
This is a really cool trick, allowing you to instant equip your own creatures with your own equipment as a combat trick as well. It’s still way too narrow.
Stuck in Summoner’s Sanctum
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This is a really solid piece of removal. It can also take out equipment by removing their “equip” activated ability.
Summon: Leviathan
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This is a very good way to slow the game down for blue. There’s only one octopus and one merfolk to get additional draw triggers from, so it’s mostly about the reset, attack for 6, and draw the one card.
Summon: Shiva
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
By itself this is fine enough, you will get a big body for a couple of turns, shut down the opponents best creature, and draw a card. But it works very well with Stuck in Summoner's Sanctum, Sleep Magic, as well as other tap/stun effects.
Swallowed by Leviathan
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This is a really nice counterspell that should just net you “surveil 2” when you cast it. There may be some awkward times when you can’t counter something, but you should be able to hit most things and still keep 1-2 cards on top if you want them.
Syncopate
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
Syncopate is normally a good counterspell in limited, so I assume it will be solid here as well.
The Lunar Whale
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This card is sick if you can attack with it, but there will be times when it’s a bit weak on defense or without a crew.
The Prima Vista
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a gigantic flying threat. It’s not so great in a reactive blue deck, but can be a very fast clock in an aggressive blue deck.
The Water Crystal
Rating: 1.0 // 5.0
This is far too slow for most decks, but can be a great sideboard option against an opponent that wants to play the late game, or has lots of self-mill cards.
Thief’s Knife
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a bit underwhelming in a lot of games, but it can be pretty sweet in certain situations. It will probably end up being a 1.5, but I’m optimistic.
Travel the Overworld
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This is a fantastic card for multicolor town decks. If you can regularly have 2 or more towns in play, drawing 4 for 5 mana or less is pretty powerful.
Ultros, Obnoxious Octopus
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
This won’t be very good in most decks, but it can be serviceable in a spell heavy deck, especially one that can cast an eight mana spell.
Valkyrie Aerial Unit
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This seems pretty solid even without a ton of artifacts. You want to make sure your deck can have at least 1 artifact in play by the time you want to cast this, but when you are able to play this for 5 or less, it feels pretty powerful.
Y’shtola Rhul
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
This card has some insane synergies, and works incredibly well with saga creatures, untapping them and resetting their lore counters. There are too many good targets for this to not be insane most games.
Top 3 Blue Commons:
Stuck in Summoner's Sanctum Syncopate Ice Magic
Blue has some really powerful lategame options, and some awesome counterspells. For the most part, Blue wants to slow the game down as much as possible, but it does have some nice evasive threats for Azorius artifact decks. Join me as i break down Black in the next article, stay tuned!
Lose and Learn, Learn and Win!
