I love Final Fantasy's Vivi, but he's ruining Magic: The Gathering

[ad_1] Vivi Ornitier is a 3’11” black mage who, whereas dealing with the existential disaster of questioning his place on the planet, fights evil aliens and apocalyptic gods in Closing Fantasy IX. Twenty-five years later, Vivi continues to be related, as he has additionally damaged Magic: The Gathering Commonplace format. Whereas I’m comfortable to have a set of Magic: The Gathering playing cards that includes characters from my favourite JRPG, the dynamic Universes Past units convey to the MTG ecosystem is problematic to say the least, because it dangers harming the muse that sustained Magic: The Gathering for a very long time.

As somebody who has been introduced again to Magic due to a Universes Past set, I do know the enchantment. On the identical time, being again jogged my memory of the previous instances after I was extraordinarily excited in regards to the probability of getting a duplicate of Akroma, Angel of Wrath, or after I turned obsessive about Arcanis, the All-powerful. Each of those legendary creatures are native to Magic lore, they usually have remained iconic for many years. A part of me would not wish to fall into the nostalgic lure of considering Magic had an essence that's now being misplaced, however the different half is aware of if Wizards of the Coast goes to maintain Universes Past authorized in Commonplace, it might at the least strive tougher to make the playing cards balanced.

Picture: Wizards of the Coast

I do know the troubles Vivi Ornitier causes (particularly when paired with Agatha’s Cauldron), however I wouldn’t be taking part in Magic in 2025 if it weren’t for the Closing Fantasy set. When it was introduced two years in the past, I immediately knew I might be again within the recreation I had barely touched for 10 years. I requested a buddy to lend me a Commander deck and commenced attending my native card recreation retailer. I began saving a part of my wage for the fateful day I might preorder the official pre-constructed Commander decks and purchase as many boosters as I might.

To remain alive and kicking, a recreation wants gamers, and Universes Past has proved itself as a potent supply of revenue for Hasbro. Our relationship with popular culture has modified within the final 20 years, with many corporations specializing in converging and overlapping as many IPs as attainable. From Ernest Cline's 2011 e-book Prepared Participant One to Fortnite, many have appeared for tactics to create the proper playground the place pop-culture followers can get pleasure from their favourite franchises, regardless of the recipient they have been put into.

There's energy within the Universes Past undertaking due to how properly it communicates with informal gamers and particularly with those that are new to the sport. (Even when Mark Rosewater just lately disputed the declare that Universes Past is primarily focused at new gamers.) In the course of the Closing Fantasy set prerelease occasion, I performed subsequent to a man who stated he had offered his older brother's previous playing cards to pay for a Closing Fantasy play booster field and a Commander precon. I can solely think about the tales we are going to hear as soon as the Avatar: The Final Airbender set is launched, one that's already making individuals excited with cabbage sellers and memorable moments represented within the playing cards Wizards of the Coast has revealed thus far.

Picture: Polygon

After years of getting left my Magic playing cards with my buddy, I purchased a brand new binder the place I maintain my uncommon Closing Fantasy playing cards — with a particular part just for these referencing Closing Fantasy IX, which is my favourite numbered title within the well-known Sq. Enix collection of JRPGs. It goes with out saying that Vivi is one in all my favourite characters as properly. Nevertheless, I do not suppose he must be in Magic, not at the least in the way in which he is now.

Though Vivi may not be the most important risk in Commander, he has been a behemoth in Commonplace, particularly mixed with the cardboard Agatha's Soul Cauldron. Vivi not solely grows greater and hits the opponent the extra spells you play, it then turns that into mana, which you need to use to forged much more spells. In the event you exile Vivi with a Soul Cauldron, then all of your creatures get those self same talents. Based mostly on information collected from over 600 matches within the Commonplace format in a number of contexts, 41% of the winners performed with an Izzet Cauldron deck. In different phrases, there's little room for inventive and completely different methods, regardless of the Commonplace format now together with a pretty big variety of units.

In addition to, Vivi Ornitier is the most costly card in a set whose foremost goal was to draw new followers and introduce them to the sport. If somebody desires to have a single copy of this card, they should pay round $100 (the cardboard was promoting at $98.98 on TCG Participant as of the time of penning this story). Whereas the spike in value can also be on account of scalping (the follow of shopping for massive portions of in style or limited-edition merchandise at retail value to cut back provide and improve demand), or the variety of new individuals who solely wish to acquire, if the cardboard will get banned because of the skewed metagame, that worth will probably drop, pissing off a couple of devoted collector.

Picture: Wizards of the Coast

New gamers would possibly come to Magic: The Gathering as a result of they'll have fairly foil playing cards of their favourite online game character, however older gamers would possibly get bored with seeing their beloved recreation diluted by different IPs (a typical criticism about Universes Past). They'll really feel much less motivated to competitively interact with Magic as a result of a set made to please one other fanbase is altering their favourite recreation.

Magic: The Gathering has a lot to supply: It may be a enjoyable recreation for brand spanking new gamers, an important pastime for informal ones, and essentially the most aggressive TCG on the planet. Universes Past can convey some nice taste to the sport, but when the associated fee is alienating a loyal participant base, then Wizards ought to maybe rethink a few of its technique. Vivi is simply essentially the most obvious instance.