Summon: Primal Odin – Final Fantasy
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2025
Ratings:
Constructed: 3
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 4.1
Multiplayer: 3.7
Commander [EDH]: 3.9
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
These saga creatures are really fascinating. They work both as creatures that generate immediate value on entry, and also as ones that generate value over time – albeit a limited time. Primal Odin is no exception to that, although he seems to be pulling in two different directions. His first and third abilities are pretty standard black midrange fare, controlling the table and generating card advantage, but in the middle you have a combo-style ability that invites you to find a way to get him through and take someone out when you shouldn’t be able to. Depending on the context, you can think of his first ability as a demolition instrument that makes it more likely he’ll have a clear path, or you can think of his second ability as a bonus that’ll occasionally snipe uncautious opponents. Either way, I think the card has potential, though his mana cost will be a little high for some decks. Noxious Gearhulk got some tournament play in its day, so there could end up being a tournament deck for Primal Odin too.
There have now been three different cards clearly inspired by the mythological Odin, with varying degrees of directness. Alrund, God of the Cosmos from Kaldheim is based on his wisdom and/or magic aspects; Havi, the All-Father from Assassin’s Creed is based on his role as the patron of kings and father of victory. Primal Odin is somewhat more distant, drawing mainly on the imagery of the Wild Hunt and the numinous rider who leads it. But all this is fitting for the god with a thousand names.
Constructed: 3
Casual: 5
Limited: 4.5
Multiplayer: 4
Commander [EDH]: 4
My first encounter with Odin in the Final Fantasy context was far removed from this version, all the way back on the Super NES version of Final Fantasy IV. In that game, he’s an optional boss that becomes available partway through the story, and in my overconfidence I challenged him as soon as I could. I distinctly remember getting in what I thought were good early hits and thinking to myself “I’ve got a chance!”. Then his turn came around and the word “Zantetsuken” appeared over his head. Before I could even ask what that word means, my entire party had been knocked out. I got the hint and didn’t attempt the challenge again until much later in the game!
Much like Ultima, Odin’s presence in Final Fantasy is pretty storied, starting with the NES Final Fantasy III as a boss and summon for the Summoner/Evoker class. Since then, Odin’s been a mainstay of most games, appearing in the next six games in varying forms and still making appearances to this day in places like Final Fantasy XIV. That, fittingly, is the appearance captured here, and it feels like the Odin we all know.
Odin’s shtick has always been one thing: killing in a single blow. Even if his signature spell, Zantetasuken, has an accuracy/success rate lower than my standards, the promise of sending Odin to cleave through an army with one cast is somewhat captured here. He throws his spear, Gungnir, in an attempt to clear the way for next turn’s rampage, and then he tries to make it count. If you fail, he’ll reimburse you a bit (and the life loss isn’t wholly trivial), but the main allure is his second saga ability, that attempt to cleave through an opponent. Trample does wonders for helping this, but the caveat here is that odin is in a color that struggles to grant trample…though black does like other forms of evasion, so you may have more success there.
All that said, Odin is…more fun than functional. Six mana to kill a creature is quite high (though workable if you need it), and that three toughness means he’s going to have a hard time living to try to charge through an opponent. I suppose this is a fitting encapsulation of him…his success rate is not great, but the effects can be devastating.
Constructed: 2.5
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 4.25 (honestly pretty good here, thanks to being removal that also presents an immediate threat to end the game)
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander [EDH]: 4
Thijs
Constructed: 3,5
Casual: 4
Limited: 3,5
Multiplayer: 3,5
Commander [EDH]: 3,5
When in FFXIV you fail to destroy Primal Odin when he charges his sword Zantetsuken, you lose the game. When in MtG you don’t deal with Primal Odin the moment he enters the battlefield, you might lose the game.
This Saga Creature is not cheap, but it’s very powerful. Especially because once it receives its second ability and you find a way to remove lore counters (with for example Garnet, Princess of Alexandria), it will remain a threat for as long as it’s on the battlefield. This is a perfect example of ‘I will force my opponent to respond immediately’, and I love that. At a cost of six mana it’s not easy to bring into the game though!
We’re going to have to see if the Saga Creatures have a place in any format in the coming months, but splashing a card like this one every once in a while, might not be a bad choice.
The art reminds one of the Nazgûl, the Wraiths from Lord of the Rings, one of which was also created by the artist Nino Is.
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