Final Fantasy (FIN)

In figures

• 769,659 games analysed
• On the play: 58.6% wins, against 52.9% on the draw
• A game lasts 9.2 turns on average

What players think

Final Fantasy is seen as a rather slow, balanced format with no unplayable color pair, where removal is often pricey or clunky. Opinions split on archetypes: Four-Mana Spells and Permanents in the Graveyard are named among the strongest, but some rank Landfall and Birds among the weakest while others call it the most consistent deck. Arms and Equipment is judged very dependent on pool quality. Our games confirm Four-Mana Spells at the top and Permanents in the Graveyard third; they contradict the enthusiasm for , which finishes clearly last, and put second despite the wariness it inspires. Apart from , the spread between pairs is narrow.

Colour pairs

Win rate of the decks of each pair, from real games of online draft players.

Pair	Share of games	Win rate	Strong players	Over time
Four-Mana Spells	13.6 %	57.3 %	57.2 %	57.5 → 57.2 → 57.1
Permanents in the Graveyard	11.4 %	56.7 %	54.3 %	56.9 → 56.3 → 57.4
Surveil and Graveyard	10.2 %	55.5 %	53.7 %	56.0 → 55.2 → 54.0
Artifacts and Heroes	9.8 %	55.9 %	53.8 %	55.9 → 55.9 → 55.5
Useful Deaths	8.2 %	56.6 %	54.9 %	56.8 → 56.4 → 56.6
Arms and Equipment	8.0 %	56.9 %	55.3 %	56.8 → 56.6 → 58.4
Wizards and Direct Damage	6.7 %	55.2 %	55.0 %	55.2 → 55.4 → 53.9
Lands and Towns	6.4 %	55.9 %	54.4 %	55.7 → 56.1 → 55.9
Sagas and Legends	5.7 %	56.2 %	53.9 %	56.1 → 56.7 → 55.4
Landfall and Birds	4.0 %	53.8 %	51.3 %	53.8 → 54.1 → 52.6

Archetypes: the gold uncommons

• Artifacts and Heroes

  55.9 % win rate9.8 % of games

  Job select

  • 

    250. Tidus, Blitzball Star

    4.2
  • 

    126. Cid, Timeless Artificer

    5.8

• Four-Mana Spells

  57.3 % win rate13.6 % of games

  Tiered

  • 

    26. Shantotto, Tactician Magician

    7.6
  • 

    21. The Emperor of Palamecia // The Lord Master of Hell

    7.8

• Surveil and Graveyard

  55.5 % win rate10.2 % of games

  Flashback

  • 

    95. Locke Cole

    6.2
  • 

    170. Ultimecia, Time Sorceress // Ultimecia, Omnipotent

    5.3

• Wizards and Direct Damage

  55.2 % win rate6.7 % of games
  • 

    231. Black Waltz No. 3

    4.4
  • 

    72. Garland, Knight of Cornelia // Chaos, the Endless

    6.6

• Permanents in the Graveyard

  56.7 % win rate11.4 % of games
  • 

    32. Cloud of Darkness

    7.4
  • 

    83. Exdeath, Void Warlock // Neo Exdeath, Dimension's End

    6.4

• Useful Deaths

  56.6 % win rate8.2 % of games
  • 

    89. Judge Magister Gabranth

    6.4
  • 

    87. Rufus Shinra

    6.4

• Arms and Equipment

  56.9 % win rate8.0 % of games

  Job select

  • 

    85. Giott, King of the Dwarves

    6.4
  • 

    62. Zidane, Tantalus Thief

    6.8

• Sagas and Legends

  56.2 % win rate5.7 % of games

  Summon

  • 

    109. Garnet, Princess of Alexandria

    6.0
  • 

    98. Rinoa Heartilly

    6.2

• Lands and Towns

  55.9 % win rate6.4 % of games
  • 

    46. Ignis Scientia

    7.0
  • 

    96. Omega, Heartless Evolution

    6.2

• Landfall and Birds

  53.8 % win rate4.0 % of games

  Landfall

  • 

    213. Rydia, Summoner of Mist

    4.8
  • 

    110. Gladiolus Amicitia

    6.0

Mechanics of the set

• Job select

  When this Equipment enters, create a 1/1 colorless Hero creature token, then attach the Equipment to it.

• Landfall

  Ability word: an effect triggers each time a land enters under your control.

• Tiered

  Choose one additional cost from several: each cost gives a different effect, and the first one costs nothing extra.

• Crew

  Tap creatures with total power equal to or greater than the number: the Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.

• Summon

  A Saga that is also an enchantment creature: a lore counter is added when it enters and after your draw step, and it is sacrificed after its last chapter.

• Flashback

  You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying its flashback cost, then it is exiled.

The best cards

By colour

Rank by our rating, then rank by win rate when the card is in hand.

To remember

• Sixteen cards have Job select: they create their own wearer, so an Equipment of this kind is never dead for lack of a creature.
• Six Tiered cards have a free mode: Thunder Magic deals 2 damage for one red mana, or 8 for seven mana in total.
• Twenty-three cards in the set are Towns: take some, they count for Omega and for the discounts on Qiqirn Merchant (its seven-mana ability) and Travel the Overworld.
• Eight cards have Crew, six of them Crew 1: a 1/1 Hero is enough to crew them, so keep a few small bodies.