Final Fantasy looks like one of the most flavorful sets in Magic's history, a true homerun when it comes to paying homage to the games that have shaped the RPG genre for almost 40 years. The set is already setting records and might be the most hyped set Standard has ever seen. It's entirely possible that this is landmark demarcation in the game's history, where we'll mark it as Magic before UB in Standard and Magic after.

I know we're all anxious to play with the cards from one of our favorite game series, but before we jump into my top ten cards in Final Fantasy, let's take a look at some of the cards that are already Standard legal that might pair well with the cards in Final Fantasy!

10. Plaza of Heroes

If you're going to play a game full of legendary characters, it only make sense that those characters will translate into Legendary cards when they make their way onto the tabletop. FF is full of legends, and players will eb anxious to jam their favorites into as many decks as possible. This means, they're going to need to find ways to pay for those legends, and there's not a better card in Standard for the job than Plaza of Heroes. Pairing this with Starting Town and you have a strong base for a 3-4 (or even 5) color Legends deck.

9. Agatha's Soul Cauldron

I know, it seems like this card gets mentioned with every set. But, it's kinda earned it, and like Birthing Pod before it, this is a card that will only grow stronger as more creatures are printed (this car dis almost 100% to get banned at some point in the future). This time, I want to pair this with what is probably the hottest card in Final Fantasy, Vivi Ornitier. I've already been messing around with Cauldron and Loot, the Pathfinder, and Vivi slots right into the deck.

8. Entity Tracker

This one has already flirted with Standard playability and I can only see that growing when Final Fantasy hits. There are so many Saga cards I want to try out with the set that I've been exploring enchantment-matters cards, and Entity Tracker may be the best of them.

7. Jackdaw Savior

In case you missed the memo, apparently Bird is the Word with Final Fantasy as everyone's favorite flightless feathered creatures, the Chocobos, are a featured creature type. Standard is very harsh on 1-2 drops at the moment and Jackdaw Savior is a way get some value by regrowing those early drops when they kill your later creatures and grinding into the mid-late game. Birds is definitely an archetype to keep an eye on.

6. Essence Channeler

With cards like Excalibur II and Aerith Gainsborough we might finally be reaching a critical mass of Soul Sisters-esque cards for Standard. Essence Channeler may be the best of them, especially when paired with the painlands, while we have them.

5. Freestrider Lookout

This is another card that's already skirting the border of seeing play, and might have a chance to shine post-FF. If you're looking to build a Town deck this is one of the best ways to ramp out Town lands. Most ramp spells look for basics, so relying on cards like Freestrider Lookout, Skyseeker Serpent, or even Clifftop Lookout to take any land card from top of your deck and put them into play. Hell, go Bant and pair it with Choco, Seeker of Paradise so you can focus on the landfall triggers you can get from Freestrider Lookout too. Ghost Vacuum is already seeing maindeck play in some decks and is a great way to enable Freestrider Lookout.

4. Jodah, the Unifier

Jodah is the best legendary payoff in the format, and with such a large influx of legendary cards entering the format we really need to take a look at the 5-color legend deck again. Starting Town gives us another 5 mana land to pair with the aforementioned Plaza of Heroes, and Relic of Legends is still in the format to smooth our the manabase. Seriously, I just did a lazy search for the card type "Legendary" in Final Fantasy and there were 114 hits. It's entirely possible we could get multiple Legendary-themed decks from this set.

3. Mossborn Hydra

If you've played with or against this you know it is a powerful creature, and I've already been brewing with it and Tifa Lockhart since her card was spoiled. Landfall is an innately powerful ability because it rewards you for something you are already doing when you play Magic, hitting your land drops. The Chocobos may seem like a casual tribe, but pairing them with this beefy beater and building your deck around making sure you're hitting your lands could be a legitimate strategy when Final Fantasy drops.

2. Danitha, Benalia's Hope

I've wanted to build an Equipment deck in Standard, and it seems like WOTC keeps pushing the archetype hoping it will break through (while being very cautious with the power-level of equipment). Cloud, Midgar Mercenary gives the deck a big boost, and Danitha could be the perfect card to act as a finisher for the deck. I think there's a chance both a Boros and an Azorius version of the equipment deck could see play.

1. Ratadrabik of Urborg

Brewers have been trying to make Ratadrabik work since the card was spoiled. As I've already mentioned multiple times, Final Fantasy is loaded with legend cards, and this one of the best ways to take advantage of them. Maybe we pair Ratadrabik with Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER to double up on legends with a sacrifice outlet? Or play it with the Town land Clive's Hideaway to give you an easier route to meeting the 4 legendary creatures requirement? Ratadrabik offers a unique effect that plays well with the predominant "theme" of Final Fantasy and should be one of the first cards you consider when brewing around the set.

Final Fantasy is finally here, and as the first Universes Beyond set to be Standard-legal, it is a landmark event in Magic's history. I can't wait to see what decks this brings to Standard!

You can find more of my Magic musings on Twitter/X @travishall456 and on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/anakinsdad.bsky.social