facebook
Star Wars: Unlimited - Legends of the Force

CoolStuffInc.com

Full Service Selling! Send in your cards and let us do the rest!
  
Account Meeple
Location IconLocations
Account MeepleLogin
0 Item
Advanced Search
Star Wars: Unlimited - Legends of the Force
   Sign In
Create Account
Main » Articles » Ten Final Fantasy Cards Making Waves in Standard

Ten Final Fantasy Cards Making Waves in Standard

Michael Flores
Posted on June 20, 2025
 Reddit

Cloud!

Cloud is the second coming of Stoneforge Mystic!

Sephiroth!

Sephiroth is a BMF! Should have that 2b etched on Mace Windu's lightsaber.

These characters are a BIG DEAL.

And yes, they might be some of the biggest, most exciting, characters from Final Fantasy... But... They're not the first. They're not the first cards to perform in Standard from the new set.

So... What are?

While many of these aren't the most exciting new inclusions in Standard (though for sure at least one or two of them are), they're our first look into how the format is going to shift, and accommodate a few hundred new friends. Some are add-ins to existing decks, but one or two are spawning completely new strategies.

Let's check 'em out!

10. Sidequest: Play Blitzball

As seen in:

Mono-Red Mouse | FIN Standard | Peter_Rabbit, 22nd Place MTGO Standard Challenge 6/15/2025

Card Display

Buy This Deck Export text Export Arena

Sidequest: Play Blitzball isn't radically transforming the Mouse archetype or anything (there is only a single copy in this deck list)... But it does have some utility and seems like it is giving the Mice tribe the kind of oomph they very specifically want.

The initial cost is 3 mana, but after that, additional targeting is zero mana. So, you can play Heartfire Hero and Emberheart Challenger... And then starting on turn three you can set up "free" Valiant triggers the rest of the game to make them bigger or draw extra cards. Or you can do this at least until the point you deal six damage to the opponent. Which is not a trivial number given the number of times the words "double strike" appear in this deck list.

9. Dark Confidant

As seen in:

Sell-Sword Red | FIN Standard | Hamuda, 9th Place MTGO Standard Challenge 6/15/2025

Card Display

Buy This Deck Export text Export Arena

One of the knocks against the br version of Red Aggro in Standard is that it is one-dimensional. The deck can be brutally fast (this one has the Callous Sell-Sword combo with Cacophony Scamp and Heartfire Hero)... But it doesn't have an overabundance of additional plans of attack.

Removal-wise, HAMUDA played only a couple of copies of Burst Lightning in the main.

Dark Confidant is a great card to test in specifically this flavor of Red aggro. The cards are super cheap... Lots of one and two mana cost cards, so Bob isn't going to kill you as often as it did back in its original Block...

Hit // Run

... But rather creates an additional angle for the deck - grinding card advantage instead of just going completely - is a valuable addition. Especially true if the opponent is completely stocked up to fight Plan A only.

8 + 7. Traveling Chocobo + Sazh's Chocobo

Traveling Chocobo is like an offensive Courser of Kruphix. It's probably going to find wider adoption in Standard than just this strategy; but it is highly synergistic with specifically Iridescent Vinelasher. Traveling Chocobo helps secure consistent land drops; generates a very specific kind of card advantage (that you want)... And of course there is the bonus trigger potential.

But I think Sazh's Chocobo is going to be the bigger hit overall. Sazh's Chocobo obviously benefits from Traveling Chocobo's ability to deploy more lands, but the card is pretty fantastic on its own. Imagine you just play one on turn one (and another on turn two). Then you make a non-untapped Fabled Passage. You've now produced two 2/3 Chocobos for the low low price of g plus g.

And they're not done!

Unlike earlier iterations like Steppe Lynx, Sazh's Chocobo keeps its size. At some point the rate is completely off the charts. This is just a great offensive card for any deck that wants to... Let's see here... Hit even one or two land drops after casting it.

6 . Opera Love Song

Mono-Red | FIN Standard | sandoiche, 2nd Place MTGO Standard Challenge 6/15/2025

Card Display

Buy This Deck Export text Export Arena

Opera Love Song is one of the most widely played cards from Final Fantasy so far.

Careful readers have probably already noticed that it was included in HAMUDA's deck above... And arguably in a more interesting context there.

In a Cori-Steel Cutter deck, Opera Love Song has some additional text. It can be the first spell to help trigger the creation of a Monk token; or can give you more cards to finish off the trigger. As an instant, it can even have your Equipment do double duty!

The second mode on Opera Love Song (potentially targeting multiple creatures) is obviously twice as good in a deck where there is consistently more than one creature on the battlefield (and even better if those creatures have Prowess and Trample).

But somehow, Opera Love Song seems to be even more popular in non-Cutter Mice builds so far.

Remember that Seek the Beast has been a staple in the Red-Green versions in Standard for over a year. If you're just considering the "card drawing" half of each card, Opera Love Song is basically the same. This is just a very thematic way for Red aggro decks to potentially obtain card advantage, with a punchy upside.

Now let's look at that other side more closely for a second.

If you're only targeting one creature, Opera Love Song translates into two damage for 2 mana; which is not good. At two targets, it's four damage for 2 mana, which is less consistent... But now you're in Boros Charm territory damage-wise. But what if you're going Valiant? About to blow it all up with Burn Together (or our next card, Self Destruct)?

Now 2 mana might be 5-8 damage, depending on synergies. The Plan B on Opera Love Song is starting to throw elbows to get into the Plan A position.

5. Self Destruct

As seen in:

Mono-Red | FIN Standard | 11th Place MTGO Standard Challenge 6/15/2025

Card Display

Buy This Deck Export text Export Arena

This is an interesting one!

We have a card that is playing the Burn Together role, but so far in the Mono-Red versions... It's actually a bit better than that, provided you can afford the additional 1 mana.

If you are in the market for "just" a Burn Together, Self Destruct is also an instant. So, you can get some damage in, in response to an opposing Lay Down Arms that might have stolen the death trigger from your hard working Manifold Mouse. That's pretty cool. The Mouse will actually grow before everything else (because it's being targeted) and will get double duty in by killing itself (hence, triggering the aforementioned death trigger).

But that's not all!

The red aggro decks, while being aggressive by nature, are chock full of creatures with - believe it or not - toughness greater than their power!

Hired Claw
Magebane Lizard
Manifold Mouse

So, a fair number of the little red creatures can conceivably survive a Self Destruct, despite its name. I think that you're generally going to want to make a big mess with Heartfire Hero (or do something dastardly with Screaming Nemesis) but it's important to note that sometimes you can just use Self Destruct to destruct one of the opponent's creatures without doing anything permanently bad to your self.

4. Cecil, Dark Knight

As seen in:

Dimir Tempo | FIN Standard | Kampo, 5th Place MTGO Standard RC Super Qualifier 6/15/2025

Card Display

Buy This Deck Export text Export Arena

Cecil isn't actually doing anything super different here (though he was a part of multiple similar decks in this event).

Here he looks like an exploratory inclusion. What if we just add a cheap creature that can get the curve going? If stuff is rolling like we really want it to, that size and Deathtouch is going to get Cecil through unblocked; and that really just means Kaito is going to hit the battlefield. We're not even going to have to take three in that case!

A 2/3 Deathtouch is annoying to block from the first or second turn, and is certainly better at holding the floor than a Spyglass Siren.

That's one half of Cecil. How about this?

Mono-Black | FIN Standard | pirol94, 15th Place MTGO Standard Challenge 6/15/2025

Card Display

Buy This Deck Export text Export Arena

Here EVERYBODY is all in on the gag. Cecil and Bob. Cecil and Bob and the Preacher. Heck, Cecil and Deep-Cavern Bat is a confusing combo; or will be for the hapless opponent!

I think that we're going to see many Final Fantasy pairings of Cecil, Dark Knight with Dark Confidant, because Cecil actively wants to get under 10, and Bob can help with that; and if you can manage that without losing outright to the red decks early, the flip side (Cecil, Redeemed Paladin) can take the game completely over. If Bob is giving you too many fits at that point, just send him into The Red Zone or something.

If you can stabilize at around 10, the Redeemed Paladin and Sheoldred, the Apocalypse are going to do a great job of holding down the battlefield. Cecil doesn't suddenly flip back because your life total got too high.

3. Ultima

As seen in:

Azorius Control | FIN Standard | B3LF3GoR, 5-0 MTGO Standard League 6/16/2025

Card Display

Buy This Deck Export text Export Arena

You know me right now.

Blue-White is my favorite color combination. Ultima is just the "ultimate" addition to the deck. This is a Wrath of God variant that is going to take out all the Cori-Steel Cutters (or Astrologian's Planispheres, see below) on the battlefield along with all the Monks. It's going to ease up the reliance on Temporary Lockdown. And quietly, it prevents Heartfire Hero and Cacophony Scamp from benefitting from their death triggers.

Just a perfect addition to an archetype; provided you're in it for 5 mana instead of three (Split Up) or four (Day of Judgment). I know I will be.

2 + 1. Astrologian's Planisphere + Vivi Ornitier

As seen in:

Izzet Cutter | FIN Standard | BrainsickHater, 5-0 MTGO Standard League 6/16/2025

Card Display

Buy This Deck Export text Export Arena

Vivi especially is all over a ton of decks, including as a four-of. Astrolgian's Planisphere is less frequently included, but might be a three-of or four-of addition to the Izzet Cutter archetype.

Astrologian's Planisphere is kind of like extra Cori-Steel Cutters. It makes its own wielder with Job Select. But instead of going wide with more and more Monks, this card makes its Wizard tall with +1/+1 counters. That's a powerful combination in a deck with so many non-creature spells.

Vivi Ornitier is all over the Izzet decks, despite being a total non-factor offensively the turn it enters the battlefield. A trend we see is that most of these decks have moved away from Slick-Shot Showoff, Monastery Swiftspear, etc. to max out on non creature spells, which benefit everyone in the new synergy. Vivi will grow more consistently if you can't accidentally draw a Bird; ditto on your Job Select Wizards.

If you can string a ton of spells together, Vivi obviously becomes a real threat, including via non-combat damage. But the mana boost is what's really exciting here. Who doesn't need an extra oomph of mana? Get to Level 2 or even Level 3 on your Stormchaser's Talent. Actually cast Steaming Sauna!

I mean the opponent is going to try to get rid of Vivi on sight; but we can all hope, can't we?

Send us your cards, we'll do the rest. Ship It. No Fees. Fast Payment. Full Service Selling!

TAGS articles, standard, constructed, decklist, michael flores, final fantasy, magic: the gathering final fantasy, fin standard, 06202025

Recent Articles

View Archive
Sell your cards and minis 25% credit bonus