Magic: the Gathering - Final Fantasy Previews Begin

Preview season for Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy kicked off in earnest this past week. Last Saturday saw a lengthy debut, spanning two hours and covering dozens of cards. Then, on the following Monday, Wizards dropped the complete decklists and card images for all four Commander decks. These, coupled with promo drops and more, have made for a rich full week of previews.

Additionally, on Wednesday, Wizards dropped the full contents of the three upcoming Secret Lair drops for Final Fantasy. Initially dropping on the website for Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, these lairs include several powerful spells. The first, titled Game Over, showcases numerous powerful spells themed after various events within the games - primarily board wipes. The second one - Grimoire - focuses on protagonist characters casting mighty magic that, when taken in MTG form, includes pricey cards like Cyclonic Rift and Heroic Intervention. Last but not least is Weapons focusing on - you guessed it - iconic equipment from throughout the games.

These lairs go on sale June 9 as part of the next Secret Lair superdrop. Check out this article to find out all the details! Additionally, you can check out my general writeup on the debut presentation here - with more official resources at the bottom - or check out my lengthy lore article if you're not familiar with the series and are feeling a little lost. If you're as excited as I am, be sure to check with your local game store to lock in your cards, or else visit the Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy page right here on CoolStuffInc.com for more info.

MagicCon Atlanta Badges Go On Sale

Early Bird Badges for #MCAtlanta are on sale NOW! Early Bird pricing is available until 5/23 or while supplies last!

From the Planes to Stars both near & far, a new horizon awaits you! ?? mtg.social/MCAtlantaTix

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— MTG Festivals (@mtgfestivals.com) May 15, 2025 at 11:00 AM

As of yesterday, badges for MagicCon Atlanta are on sale! This event will be primarily centered around Edge of Eternities and Magic: The Gathering - Marvel's Spider-Man, so if that seems exciting to you, you can get in on all the fun right now! Check it out right here and lock in your badges today! Not sure what all the hubbub is with the event? You can find out all the preliminary details right here! You'll even see me there as well along with several other prominent content creators. Get ready to join the party and have a blast!

MTG Arena Gave More Time For Veteran Explorer Achievement

Whoa there, buddy. Stand up. Stretch. Stay hydrated. We're gonna give you a few extra days to earn that "Veteran Explorer" title, because... well, sleep is important. You'll have until Monday, May 12 at 9 am PT to earn the Veteran Explorer title on #MTGArena. Whew, okay, nap time.

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— MTG Arena (@mtgarena.com) May 9, 2025 at 1:32 PM

The MTG Arena team might've given players a little more to chew on than they could handle. With the sudden revelation that Explorer was turning over to Pioneer, the achievement earned by playing 450 matches of the format was noted to go from "Veteran Explorer" to "Perilous Pioneer." Thus, there was a mad scramble by achievement hunters and hardcore players to lock in this elusive title before it went away for good. Because of just how all-in players went after it, the team opted to extend the time to complete this goal by a couple days, ending this past Monday. Congratulations to those who earned it, and for everyone else, be sure to check out the now-"complete" Pioneer format on Arena today!

Decklist of the Week

Dimir Midrange | TDM Standard | Jennifer Rose, 1st Place ANZ1 Regional Championship

• Creaures (21)
• 1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
• 2 Tishana's Tidebinder
• 3 Deep-Cavern Bat
• 3 Floodpits Drowner
• 4 Enduring Curiosity
• 4 Preacher of the Schism
• 4 Spyglass Siren

• Planeswalkers (2)
• 2 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares

• Instants (9)
• 1 Anoint with Affliction
• 1 Phantom Interference
• 1 Spell Pierce
• 3 Cut Down
• 3 Go for the Throat

• Sorceries (3)
• 1 Dreams of Steel and Oil
• 2 Duress

• Lands (26)
• 3 Island
• 5 Swamp
• 2 Restless Reef
• 4 Soulstone Sanctuary
• 4 Darkslick Shores
• 4 Gloomlake Verge
• 4 Underground River

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Cut Down
• 1 Disdainful Stroke
• 1 Duress
• 1 Negate
• 1 Phantom Interference
• 1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
• 2 Anoint with Affliction
• 2 Ghost Vacuum
• 2 Gix's Command
• 3 Faerie Mastermind

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This past weekend saw the regional championship take place in the Australia-New Zealand region. Jennifer Rose took down the event, calling her shot that she'd do just that on the back of Dimir Midrange. Perhaps more interesting was her opponent in the finals rocking a true dark horse option in Rakdos Midrange. Will we continue to see underdog decks like this take it down in Hartford this weekend or will we see a powerhouse like Izzet Prowess rise to the top once again? We'll just have to stay tuned and see.

Congratulations Jennifer!

Paige Smith

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