Sphere of Influence: August 29, 2025

Hraesvelgr of the First Brood | Illustrated by Néstor Ossandón Leal

Welcome to Sphere of Influence, a pre-FNM look at some potential movers and shakers that are worth picking up before their prices increase.

Final Fantasy Commander was slightly overshadowed by the sheer volume of the main set, but it contains a large number of bangers ready to roar through your pods. Here are some cheap pick-ups that promise maximum impact:

Cait Sith, Fortune Teller - $0.50

The card and tempo advantages Cait Sith unlocks aren't necessarily visible right away, but over time, this card can set you far ahead of your opponents. It helps manipulate your draws and provides a new card every combat step, even the first one after it comes down, and even a modest +1/+0 boost accompanied by a single scry trigger tweaks the combat calculus ever so slightly in your favor. Cait Sith can easily slot into any red deck that cares about combat, but in the right deck, the buff it provides can be substantial.

Bugenhagen, Wise Elder - $1

Two-mana dorks are often quite bad, though Biophagus and Fanatic of Rhonas are shifting the tide. Bugenhagen is worse than those two, but stronger than most and very playable in the right deck. It works best early in the game, when its reach ability can successfully deter small attacks; after only one card drawn, Bugenhagen effectively returns its investment.

Hraesvelgr of the First Brood - $0.50

That's a lot of keywords for a five-mana 5/5, especially one with the power to make your creatures unblockable fairly easily. This Elder Dragon requires a bit of an upfront payment but is likely to stick around and facilitate plenty of damage while it does. Notably, Hraesvelgr can target itself.

Lifestream's Blessing - $0.75

Rishkar's Expertise at instant speed ain't half bad, particularly when you can set this one aside early in the game and secure a one-mana cost reduction down the line. The lifegain is surprisingly relevant in almost every deck; Commander is a format that severely underestimates lifegain. Anyone who runs Soul Warden will understand its power, though.

Yuffie, Materia Hunter - $0.50

One Sol Ring, please and thank you. While Yuffie's ability to equip herself can be relevant, the main draw here is that she can steal a key artifact of any mana value for only two mana. That's far better than Thieving Skydiver.

Commanding Lead

Which Final Fantasy cards have far exceeded your expectations so far? I'd love to know!