Magic: The Gathering’sFinal Fantasyset was just officially released, meaning you are now free to use cards from the set at official play events. I’m sure many players who grabbed aFinal FantasyCommander deck are likely eager to test it out at their local Commander events, though they may want to know how they stack up against other decks. UsingMagic’s recent Commander Brackets model for ranking decks, I’ll tell you where theFinal Fantasydecks fall, and what levels they can likely compete against.
Gauging the exact power level of a Commander deck can be tricky, especially if you haven’t gotten the chance to playtest it much yet. Unlucky draws can make any deck feel terrible, and conversely, getting a lucky opening hand can give you a false impression of a deck’s power. Since theFinal Fantasydecks are pretty new, anyone who hasn’t been testing them ahead of time online through unofficial channels like Tabletop Simulator or Cockatrice likely hasn’t gotten a good idea of how well each deck plays just yet.
What Are MTG’s Commander Brackets
MTG’s Commander Brackets Are A Formal Ranking System For Commander Decks' Power
Late last year, Wizards of the Coast officially took overmanagement of the Commander format, which had previously been managed by an independent rules committee. Aside from appointing a new Commander Panel, the company in charge ofMagic: The Gatheringalso started developinga formal Commander Bracket system that players could use to rank the power of their decks. This was introduced to replace the nebulous “power level” rankings ranging from one to ten that players previously used. Players disagreed on how to assign the correct level, and the running joke among players became that every deck was a seven.
To attempt to formalize things a bit further, the new Commander Panel introducedGame Changers, a list of cards whose inclusion marks a more powerful deck. They also instituted general deck-building rules for lower-level decks, like no extra turns or easy infinite combos. A nice aspect of the Game Changerse list is that it allowed cards like Coalition Victory, which players had previously wanted unbanned, to become legal again, but restricted to higher-level play.
Although there are positive aspects of the Commander Bracket system, it is somewhat imperfect. For one thing, having to check both a banlist and a Game Changers list when building a deck, knowing both could potentially change in the future, makesCommander feel like less of a casual format. That said,the Commander Bracket system is probably better than the informal power level rankings, or leaving it up to players to say whether their deck is “competitive” or not without any solid criteria.
How Powerful Revival Trance Is According To Commander Brackets
Revival Trance Has Big Combo Potential With Its Alternate Commander
Looking atRevival Trance, theFinal Fantasy 6deck, there are no Game Changers on the decklist. There also aren’t any built-in two-card infinite combos, extra turn spells, or mass land destruction. This means thatRevival Trancecan be sorted into Brackets One and Two. In fact, this is true for all theFinal FantasyCommander decks, something I was pleased to see. It’s nice to know that Wizards of the Coast paid attention to the bracket system and ensured these preconstructed decks (precons) were legal to use in lower levels of play.
Although this deck could be sorted into both Brackets One or Two, I would lean towards declaring it a Bracket Two deck when you sit down to play with other players. This is one of the betterFinal Fantasydecks right out of the box, especially if youuse Celes as your commanderinstead of Terra. From my playtesting,I’ve seen this deck easily outperform upgraded precons from other sets, so putting it in Bracket One, while technically legal, feels deceptive.
In terms of upwards potential,you could easily get this deck into Bracket Three without even needing to include any Game Changers. Celes can go infinite with any Persist creature and any sacrifice outlet, so as long as you have a way to ping opponents when your creature dies, you can win this way. Depending on how much you want to spend to optimize your land base and include tutors to search for these combo pieces, you could likely take this deck as high as level five.
How Powerful Limit Break Is According To Commander Brackets
Limit Break Is Good Out Of The Box, But Stagnates With Upgrades
There is some debate over which deck is more powerful right out of the box,Limit BreakorRevival Trance. I’ve seen more players give the edge toLimit Break, though some of this will come down to personal preference. In terms of what Commander Bracket this deck belongs to,I would also place it firmly in Bracket Two. This deck is aggressive and will likely steamroll any overly casual Commander decks in Bracket One.
AlthoughLimit Breakis about even withRevival Tranceout of the box, it lacks some of the same potential for improvement with upgrades. You could probably get this deck up to Bracket Three standards by including some better Equipment cards,but this deck doesn’t really have what it takes to make it up to Brackets Four or Fivewithout such a major overhaul that it wouldn’t even be recognizable anymore. I like to keep some unaltered precons around for when I play more casually, andLimit Breakis the perfect candidate for this.
How Powerful Counter Blitz Is According To Commander Brackets
Counter Blitz Is The Only Final Fantasy Deck With An Infinite Combo Out Of The Box
AlthoughCounter Blitzcan technically fit into Bracket One or Two,I would actually place this closer to a Bracket Three deck out of the box. This is in part due to the fact that it includes a three-card infinite combo with the cards Gatta and Luzzu, Walking Ballista, and Hardened Scales. Gatta and Luzzu will prevent damage done to Walking Ballista, and Hardened Scales will mean that any damage done to the Ballista will translate to two new +1/+1 counters instead of one. Walking Ballista can remove a counter to damage itself, creating two new counters and then repeat.
If you’re lucky enough to draw your Sol Ring and Arcane Signet early,you can win with this deck as early as turn two, making it a pretty serious threat. You can make this deck even more consistent by adding a second infinite combo involving your alternate commander: Yuna, Grand Summoner. A card like Freed from the Real or Pemmin’s Aura will allow you to infinitely tap and untap Yuna, meaning the next creature you cast can enter with as many +1/+1 counters as you want. You can then cast Walking Ballista for free and use it to win.
Fully optimizing this deck with tutors could even bring it to higher levels of play, at the very least Bracket Four. I was honestly a little surprised to see any infinite combos in these decks out of the box, even if it isn’t a two-card combo. If you’re looking to just play one of these decks without upgrading, but want to compete at higher levels,Counter Blitzis your best shot.
How Powerful Scions & Spellcraft Is According To Commander Brackets
Scions & Spellcraft Is The Weakest Final Fantasy Deck
I’ve seen theFinal Fantasy XIVdeckScions & Spellcraftbeing sold at higher prices thanRevival Trance, but don’t let that fool you. This inflated price tag is much more indicative ofFFXIV’s popularity than of this deck’s power level.Scions & Spellcraftis firmly a Bracket Two deck out of the box, andif you’re new toMagic: The Gathering, I might even recommend playing it as a Bracket Oneuntil you get the hang of it.
Part of this deck’s problem is that it doesn’t synergize well enough with its commander, Y’shtola, Night’s Blessed. The deck’s focus on including a wide range of recognizable creatures fromFFXIVmeans there aren’t enough spells to make full use of Y’shtola’s abilities. That said, there are a lot ofMagic: The Gatheringcards that could help make a powerful Y’shtola deck if you are looking for a deck to upgrade instead of one to play as is.
