15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Auron and Bartz bring tactics to the battlefield in this Exclusive MTG Preview
The crossover between Final Fantasyand Magic: The Gatheringcontinues to deliver legendary characters and exciting mechanics. We take an exclusive look at two powerful cards: Auron's Inspiration and Bartz Klauser.
The Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy crossover launches June 13, 2025, with pre-releases starting June 6, 2025. The set will include Play Boosters, Commander Decks, and Collector Boosters (including the serialised Golden Chocobo).
We have the pleasure of exclusively revealing two brand new cards from the set - Auron's Inspiration, and Bartz Klauser.
Auron's Inspiration – The Mentor's Wisdom Lives On
This Instant card embodies Auron's role as a tactical leader, empowering his allies mid-combat and allowing his influence to persist even after the initial cast.
It has a mana cost of 2 colorless and 1 white, and gives attacking creatures +2/+0 until end of turn. This is a perfect combat trick for aggressive decks, allowing warriors to strike harder.
It also offers a flashback effect for one extra white mana (so 2 colorless, 2 white), allowing you to cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost, then exile it. This reflects Auron's lasting influence, ensuring his wisdom can be recalled for another crucial battle moment.
Auron's presence in Final Fantasy X is unshakable, even after his fate is revealed. His guidance to Tidus and Yuna, urging them to take control of their destinies, is echoed in the card's flavor text:
"Now is the time to choose! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!"
This card perfectly captures his mentorship, allowing players to amplify their warriors when it matters most.
Bartz Klauser – The Master of Adaptability
Bartz, the protagonist of Final Fantasy V, is defined by his ability to wield multiple job classes, adapting as needed. His card mirrors this flexibility by recruiting new allies in battle.
At the cost of 2 colourless, 1 red and 1 white mana, you get a 4/4 Human Warrior with the power to add Human creatures to the battlefield anytime a non-Human creature you control attacks. That new card then gets indestructable until the end of the turn.
This ability is true to Bartz's nature, allowing him to call forth human allies from the deck mid-battle, just like he gathers job classes throughout FFV. Giving the summoned ally indestructible for the turn also reflects Bartz's leadership in ensuring warriors survive the fight
Unlike most Final Fantasy protagonists, Bartz isn't bound to a single class—his mastery over multiple jobs is the core mechanic of FFV. The ability in this card channels this by expanding his army dynamically, ensuring each battle brings new allies into the fray.
In addition, this card features a special Collector's Art treatment illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano, one of the most influential artists in Final Fantasy history. Amano's signature ethereal style, known for its dreamlike brushstrokes and flowing designs, has defined the franchise's early aesthetic, including character designs for Final Fantasy I–VI.
Auron and Bartz: Two Legendary Warriors, Two Distinct Strategies
These two cards showcase different playstyles that reflect their Final Fantasy origins.
Auron's Inspiration empowers allies with wisdom and strength, ensuring warriors fight harder when it counts, while Bartz Klauser dynamically recruits allies mid-combat, reinforcing his adaptive nature and command over different job classes.
Whether you're looking for a combat trick to turn the tide or a commander who constantly grows his ranks, these cards bring the essence of Final Fantasy to Magic: The Gathering in spectacular fashion.
