Unlock Budget Magic: How Final Fantasy’s New Commander Can Save You Big!

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In the final stages of previews for the upcoming “Final Fantasy” set in Magic: The Gathering, I wasn’t anticipating many more cards to truly astound me. I thought there might be a handful of intriguing designs held back until the Prerelease events next week to keep enthusiasm high. What took me by surprise was the introduction of a new commander card that has piqued my interest, even though I haven’t played the “Final Fantasy” game it originates from.

Mostly, what captivated me the most about the Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy set was how seamlessly its mechanics mirrored the story of the Final Fantasy game. Additionally, I’ve been intrigued by Wizards of the Coast designing a Universes Beyond set that’s also Standard legal. Until recently, I hadn’t paid much attention to the cards from this set as a Magic player, but upon seeing the latest preview, I immediately envisioned the potential for a deck centered around this commander.

Wandering Minstrel Makes Tap Lands More Powerful

Wandering Minstrel Makes All Your Lands Enter Untapped

One of the latest previews in Magic: The Gathering showcases a card illustrated with Final Fantasy XIV’s Wandering Minstrel. This legendary creature card boasts five colors and carries an array of effects, but its standout feature is a static ability that causes all lands to enter untapped during your gameplay. At first glance, this might appear as a somewhat weak effect since lands usually enter untapped naturally, unless explicitly stated otherwise on the land itself. However, with the prevalence of tap lands in play, this card proves not only potent but also economical by saving you some resources.

In the game of Magic: The Gathering, there are numerous territories that could hold significantly more influence if they didn’t require tapping initially. For example, Molten Tributary plays a similar role as the true dual-land, Volcanic Island, provided Wandering Minstrel is present on the battlefield. However, Molten Tributary costs only a few dollars, while Volcanic Island has a market value of $545 according to TCGPlayer. Lands like those from Ikoria, such as Triomes that provide three colors and can be sought by other cards, lack equivalents that enter untapped because they would be far too potent to include in the game.

A Vagabond Bard could help you cut costs on fetch lands in the game of Magic: The Gathering. These are territories that enable you to scan your library for a card with specific basic land types and transfer it to your battlefield without it being tapped initially. There are more affordable and slower options, such as Mountain Valley, priced at only $0.30, which operates in the same manner but comes into play as a tapped territory. With Wandering Minstrel around, these budget choices work just as effectively as the original versions.

Wandering Minstrel Could Be The Perfect Five-Color Commander

Wandering Minstrel Makes Five-Color Decks Possible To Build On A Budget

Apart from providing a more affordable mana base compared to standard five-color decks, the Wandering Minstrel is an exceptional choice for a five-color commander for several reasons. Generally, I wouldn’t construct a deck that heavily relies on consistently having my commander present. However, due to its simplicity in casting, the Wandering Minstrel is an exception to this norm. Since it derives its five-color identity from its text rather than its casting cost, the Wandering Minstrel can often be easier to cast compared to other five-color commanders.

Here are several methods to construct a Magic: The Gathering deck featuring Wandering Minstrel. If you’re keen on a Final Fantasy motif, the set’s towns often function as dual-colored tap lands, and Wandering Minstrel was designed with these in mind. I’m eager to experiment with this as a new commander for my five-color Maze’s End deck, as it should expedite the Gates that form the mana base. Alternatively, you could simply employ this for a budget five-color “multi-purpose” deck, saving on land costs.

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2025-05-28 23:17