The Greatest ‘Closing Fantasy’ References in Its Enormous ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Crossover

Right this moment 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 complete standard-legal therapy. It’s a wedding of two of gaming’s most beloved fantasy realms, and with absolute legions of followers of each Magic and Closing Fantasy to please, it has to hit the highlights and mechanical flavoring of 16 mainline sport’s value of viable playing cards. From every part we’ve seen of the set within the run as much as in the present day’s launch, it seems 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 Closing 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 Closing Fantasy titles. In case you’re not caught up with the 16 mainline video games which have launched over the previous 4 many years, properly, contemplate your self very flippantly spoiler warned right here.

Tiered Spells Are a Excellent Mix of Closing Fantasy and Magic

One of many new mechanical additions the Closing Fantasy set brings to Magic is the “Tiered” rule: if a participant pays an extra value to the cardboard’s preliminary mana value, they will choose from one among three tiers of energy. Extra mana means extra results—identical to how in Closing Fantasy plenty 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 totally different types: some are given to signify numerous restrict break assaults from Closing Fantasy VII, reflecting the celebration’s capacity to develop stronger particular assaults over the course of the sport. However the ones that signify a few of Closing Fantasy‘s elemental and restorative magics are every well attuned to the colour identities they’re assigned to in Magic. Aggressive fireplace and thunder magics are assigned to pink; ice, which as a substitute of doing harm bounces playing cards again into an opponents arms or libraries, is assigned to blue, which displays that colour’s archetypal deal with interruption and management mechanics. It’s a really neat approach to mechanically marry a Closing 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 Closing Fantasy VI, is without doubt one of the many martial skills of Sabin the Monk, letting him… properly, 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 huge 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 celebration encounters the Phantom Prepare after Sabin, Cyan, and Shadow flee the Empire’s invasion of Doma. The Phantom Prepare is, in fact, a spectral haunted steam practice, so it’s very absurd that Sabin can simply decide it up and suplex it prefer it’s no huge deal.

Suplex will get its personal card as a sorcery in Magic, which helps you to do three harm to a creature—fairly fundamental. Besides, a participant who performs Suplex might as a substitute use its second capacity, which permits it to particularly exile an artifact card. You already know what’s an artifact within the Closing 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 sport—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).

Nevertheless it’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 celebration deal bonus harm to an opponent as soon as they’ve maxed out its stagger gauge by regular, repeated assaults for a quick time period. 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. Identical hat!

Sephiroth Yearns to Kill Aerith

One of many most infamous moments within the authentic Closing 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 offers 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 also sacrifice any card, together with one among your individual, each time he assaults. Which, as a rule, 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 will have in play. So, when 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.

Closing Fantasy XIV‘s Closing Days

One of many largest items of background lore within the critically acclaimed MMORPG Closing Fantasy XIV is the “Closing Days,” a cataclysmic apocalypse that occurred 1000’s of years prior 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 Closing Days’ arrival. A lot of Closing 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 Closing Days within the first place. In the meantime, Emet-Selch, Unsundered—one of many few surviving Ancients, haunted by his want 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 may play playing cards out of your graveyard as soon as he’s performed so.

Phoenix Down Can Heal… and Hurt

Phoenix Down is an iconic merchandise from throughout Closing Fantasy, the easy revival drugs that allows you to deliver again a useless celebration member in battle. In Magic, it will possibly solely deliver again playing cards out of your graveyard with a mana worth of 4 or much less, reflective of its comparatively fundamental type of restorative magic. However even higher is the truth that it has a second capacity: you need to use it to exile undead creatures, a nod to the truth that therapeutic objects in Closing Fantasy can be utilized on undead enemies to do harm as a substitute.

Worry the Tonberry

Tonberries could look oddly cute with the dainty little knife and their huge yellow eyes, however each Closing 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 celebration—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 implies 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 should all the time do deadly harm.

Galuf’s Sacrifice

Galuf’s loss of life preventing Exdeath in Closing Fantasy V is without doubt one of the sport’s most iconic moments, made all of the extra bittersweet by the very fact his skills are handed onto his granddaughter Krile, who joins the celebration in his stead. That inheritance is of course mirrored in Galuf’s Closing 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 Closing Fantasy VII comes when the celebration goes to rescue Aerith from Shinra’s HQ forward of the climactic escape from Midgar. You’re given a easy alternative, in each the unique sport and in Remake: take the elevator as much as the sixtieth ground, which stops a number of instances for a collection of fights, or the “quiet” route… having to regulate Cloud as he runs up 59 flights of stairs.

The Magic card Aerith Rescue Mission encapsulates that alternative completely: you possibly can both take the elevator, providing you with three 1/1 Hero Tokens (representing Cloud, Tifa, and Barrett being able to battle), 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

Closing Fantasy X is constructed across the cycle of Sin, a large creature that rises to cull civilizations that develop too giant or too superior—however whose slaughter will be paused for a interval of “Calm” years when a Summoner sacrifices themselves in a ultimate battle towards Sin to summon a ultimate aeon able to defeating Sin… albeit solely quickly, 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 additionally returns to your library when it dies quite than dying, that means it will possibly’t be conventionally defeated. Its personal bonus counters created from eradicating counters will be given to one among your different creatures… you recognize, 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 Closing 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 commonplace 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

Closing Fantasy has all types of various magical archetypes throughout the collection, however Blue Magic is one among its most arcane emblems within the numerous faculties of color-themed magics. Black Magic is primarily damaging elemental spells, White Magic is therapeutic and help, Pink Magic blends the 2, whereas Blue represents a capability to soak up and study the abilities of an enemy opponent. Blue Mages exist throughout a number of Closing 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 colour archetype, however that her Blue Magic capacity lets her forged spells from any participant’s graveyard, be it yours or your opponent: and that she forged them with any mana, no matter their authentic value.

Kain’s Thoughts Management

Kain Highwind is an interesting foil in Closing Fantasy IV, his lingering jealousy in direction of FF IV‘s foremost character Cecil making him a simple 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 capacity to be pressured into betraying you is delightfully woven into Magic along with his card, Kain, Traitorous Dragoon—every time Kain does harm to a different participant, they will select to take management of him and he does mirrored harm to his authentic 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 Closing 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 ability of the almighty crystal referred to as the Solar-Cryst to destroy the Archadian Empire that attacked Dalmasca at first 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. Nevertheless it 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 approach 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, in fact, for Ignis’ meme-worthy repeated catchphrase from Closing Fantasy XV: the celebration’s cook dinner every time they camped, Ignis might study numerous recipes all through XV to grant the celebration numerous buffs and standing results once they rested. Specifying the bonus for exiling a creature is itself a cute reference to the truth that Ignis can cook dinner numerous meals from the supplies you get from killing creatures throughout XV‘s world, besides.

A Smile Higher Fits a Hero

A number of playing cards all through the Closing 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 one among them, however its inclusion within the Closing 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 one among 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 a substitute, 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, through which protagonist Clive Rosfield, remodeled into the almighty summon Ifrit, scraps with rival summon Titan in an epic battle. Apart from trying as cool because the battle in XVI does, this sorcery permits you to manipulate the quantity of lore counters on a Saga card below your management: the cardboard archetype that represents Closing Fantasy‘s numerous summon creatures throughout the video games within the set to replicate their standing as highly effective, however limited-time forces in battle.

It’s not solely flavorful in that sense, it’s notably flavorful to Closing Fantasy XVI. The battle between Ifrit and Titan is absolutely the primary time that Clive really 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 power to control Sagas on this method!

The Warrior of Mild Unites All

The Warrior of Mild is the identify of the character created to signify the generic celebration members of the very first Closing Fantasy, who had no set characters and might be given any of the collection’ iconic jobs over the course of the sport. Now a quasi-mascot of Closing Fantasy as a complete, oddly sufficient the Warrior of Mild doesn’t even have a singular card representing him within the Magic set (he seems on some, however none are particularly centered round him as a personality).

He’s represented, nevertheless, on the “Via The Ages” bonus sheet, a collection of playing cards that reprints traditional Magic playing cards with paintings drawn from throughout Closing Fantasy historical past, from character idea work to promotional imagery from every sport. The Warrior of Mild is represented on this set of playing cards with a reprint of Jodah the Unifier, an iconic card that’s well-liked in Magic‘s Commander as a “WURBG” archetype: having a price 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 colour in flip.

On high of that, Jodah the Unifier’s skills are constructed round synergies with Legendary Creatures and spells, buffing the extra of them you will have in play and getting extra of them in play as shortly as attainable. Throughout the Closing Fantasy set most foremost characters are represented as Legendary Creatures, so it’s becoming that the Warrior of Mild can deliver collectively heroes and villains from throughout the entire collection to face collectively!

Need extra io9 information? Take a look at when to anticipate the most recent Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and every part you might want to learn about the way forward for Doctor Who.