Black Mage’s Rod – Final Fantasy
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2025
Ratings:
Constructed: 3.13
Casual: 4.13
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 3.63
Commander [EDH]: 3.5
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
As you might recall, one of the Final Fantasy set’s archetypes is making lots of black mage tokens and chipping away at your opponent by casting noncreature spells. Conveniently, there are various tournament decks that run so many cantrips and card selection spells they lose count. Inconveniently, those decks might not have much space for a card that isn’t a cantrip or card selection spell itself. Of course, the advantage that Black Mage’s Rod has over a creature with the same text is that future copies trigger any bearers that are already on the table. I’m not sure that’ll be enough for the card to make it in, say, Modern, but it is rather enticing for some environments. And the art is just wonderful!
Constructed: 3
Casual: 4
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander [EDH]: 3.5
The various job equipments seem divided between representations of Final Fantasy XIV and the six original Final Fantasy I jobs, and this is the latter. Black mages are one of the iconic classes of the series, their floppy hats and blue palette becoming a series staple, and Black Mage’s Rod turns anyone into a black mage, pinging everything to kingdom come while also technically making a 2/1 on entry. The body isn’t spectacular, but it’s still a surprising threat if allowed to foment, and the passive can add up if you give it time. This kind of card isn’t too spectacular, but it puts in a healthy amount of work, and it’s also able to provide a small buff that can snowball out of control on the right body…remember that the creature itself does damage, and I’d imagine you can make for a lot of fun with damage triggers or, say, infect.
Constructed: 3.25 (probably a bit weak, but still usable if you believe in yourself)
Casual: 4.25
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 3.75
Commander [EDH]: 3.5
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