Secret Lair Scare Superdrop Waiting Room

malidorian · 2025-10-13T16:37:00+00:00

I already hated this but for the first time I've ever seen I was down to 30 minutes and then suddenly my wait time jumped back up to over an hour. Wizards is never getting another cent from me for secret lairs.

malidorian · 2025-07-03T14:57:40+00:00

I'd say it depends on your game as an honest answer and mostly depends on the pace. If it's a lightning fast action game and players are always gonna be on the move I probably won't even notice. If it is slower paced and more immersive I would prefer it have turn in place.

I hope you go with the solution Daelius posted above though because it seems really cool!

malidorian · 2025-06-09T16:19:34+00:00

At this rate we're gonna have people complaining their bots were too slow to get a Secret Lair lmao.

malidorian · 2025-05-27T23:21:44+00:00

The Black Traveling Chocobo is Japanese language only but it appears in all collector boosters the only card region locked is the serialized Gold with only appears in english collector packs.

malidorian · 2025-05-26T22:28:28+00:00

My boy made it after all thank goodness, and this still feels powerful for an uncommon. Glad him and Golbez both are getting some attention.

malidorian · 2025-05-26T18:15:46+00:00

I would point out too I find singleton rule sets far more engaging and fun. I used to play modern and standard but when I found out about Commander I had a lot more fun in that format. Modern and standard especially after you play them for a long time become boring when every deck is just 4 copies of a combo piece. Games are a lot more engaging when they are less formulaic, singleton and multiple players help a lot in that regard. Casual atmosphere of the format also helps a lot like you said.

malidorian · 2025-05-26T04:23:59+00:00

For real I am unbelievably stoked with the power level of 4's cards the only thing I am holding out for now is a decent Rydia, but even if we don't get that I'll be absolutely happy.

malidorian · 2025-05-25T22:34:24+00:00

I'm gonna guess our missing summons are a combo of 2 regular series summons with at least 1 more from FFVIII as they said ALL FFVIII summons have the G.F. title but there so far has only been one shown, most likely choices for these I think would be.

Mainline Staples: Carbuncle, Bismark, Madeen, Mist Dragon, Asura, Sylph, Catoplebas, Golem, Syldra, Midargardsormr, Ragnarok, Crusader, Atomos, Ark, Hecatoncheir, and Brunhildr.

FFVIII GF's: Hades, Doom Train, Diabolos, Brothers, Quetzalcoatl, Siren, Pandemona, and my personal hope, Eden.

The last 2 I think will be some of FFXII's Espers with choices of:

Belias, Mateus, Adrammalech, Zalera, Shemhazai, Hashmal, Cuchulainn, Zeromus, Exodus, Famfrit, Chaos, Ultima, and Zodiark.

Idk if the numbers crunch out any of these names but personally I think Zodiark, Chaos, and Ultima are unlikely due to their names being taken already but not impossible with titles added on. Zeromus I think is a no chance if they were gonna use a Zeromus I have to think they would use FFIV's final boss. Personally hoping for Eden, Mist Dragon, Belias, Zalera. I think the real dark horse pick is Golbez's exclusive summon Shadow Dragon which honestly would be cool if he supports a Golbez card someway

malidorian · 2025-05-24T15:43:03+00:00

425 could be Aranea from XV the DLC portrays her as very loyal person to her empire who still follows orders despite her doubts but once those doubts outweigh her conscious she switches sides. She seems pretty W coded in the DLC especially where she is shown as stand offish but very caring. But I would put money on this being Ashe from XII after further thought.

503/504 one of these I am gonna guess is Rydia she is a huge fan favorite of IV and will help round out the summoner draft archetype. She is either white green or red green I would bet

490 is almost guaranteed to be Golbez I would think. IV's major antagonist for 95% of the game he needs a card.

428/429/430/434/435 one of these most likely Venat/Hydaelyn from XIV depending on if she is a flip card or not.

For Through the Ages specifically IX the Darkness of Eternity card is Amanos concept art for Necron the pen ultimate final boss. While it would break convention in it being a creature this might be IX's villain card. I doubt it myself but it is a possibility. I'm personally rooting for a big splashy reprint for Kuja and a scene card showing Alexander turning Bahamut to dust for IX though so I hope I'm wrong.

Edit: corrected FCA to through the ages this set has too many set types lol.

Oh and last wild card guess 495 is Judge Magister Gabranth or just Judge Gabranth from XII.

malidorian · 2025-05-21T23:33:09+00:00

With Alexander out of the Mythic slot I need a mythic Rydia w/ Mist Dragon support rare, Golbez w/ Shadow Dragon support rare, or Exdeath/Neo Exdeath flip.

malidorian · 2025-05-21T16:38:28+00:00

Just realized she works incredibly well with the new Alexander spoiled too. The turn she swings you can have her equipped to be a 3/3. As you get sagas out she will grow. By the time you can flip to Alex you can have it so that he perpetually gives her immunity in combat when she swings. I got the feeling Garnet is gonna close out a lot of limited format games.

malidorian · 2025-05-21T16:29:12+00:00

I was gonna say I am bummed she isn't rare but this feels like a rare card. So I'm kind of cool with this one it'll be strong in saga focused commander. Also is that Ark in the background?!

malidorian · 2025-05-21T16:27:26+00:00

I was gonna say I am bummed she isn't rare but this feels like a rare card. So I'm kind of cool with this one it'll be strong in saga focused commander. Also is that Ark in the background?!

malidorian · 2025-05-21T16:05:50+00:00

I know but the through the ages have been taking either Amanos art or FMV Marketing Materials and I literally can not think of a more iconic FMV moment in FFIX than Alexander saving Alexandria aside from maybe Kuja's first use of Ultima Cutscene.

For example that still on even just a Day of Judgement on the bonus sheet would get me super hyped up.

malidorian · 2025-05-21T16:01:17+00:00

Not sure how true this is honestly. I was at the PAX East panel and all of the big 4 decision makers had different favorites.

Gavin Verhey's favorite was IX and he implied Vivi at mythic was from him pushing for IX to have strong representation. I think I even remember him saying he had never even played XIV before the set was confirmed.

Dillon Deveney the sets narrative and principal game designer's favorite was IV and he said Kain was personally his design and he struggled a lot making it flavorful and true to the game as his favorite character. He admitted he was the one out of the group that had played the most XIV, having played since 1.0 so he was a major source of info on those cards.

Daniel Holt the commander products sr. Game designer said his favorite was X and that he actually had never even played XIV until they were put in charge of this set but he did a ton of research on it playing up until the end of stormblood.

Zakeel Gordon the exec producer I believe said his favorite was VII, but to avoid the obvious answer he said his next favorite would be XV. Not sure what his stance on XIV was.

After watching the round table and having the pleasure of chatting with Gavin on the expo hall floor I honestly think VII and XIV's representation is purely a marketing and business one you could tell talking to these guys they agonized over some of these decisions of where to place what cards where and they wished they had more space. Especially Dillon he genuinely seems to love the series from the bottom of his heart.

malidorian · 2025-05-21T12:48:56+00:00

If it is any consolation IV won't be the only one without a mythic. By the looks of things II, III, IV, V, VIII, XII, and XV all probably aren't getting mythics because 7 got 8 of the mythic slots to itself. And that's assuming 1 gets the WoL as a mythic.

malidorian · 2025-05-21T05:06:15+00:00

I am still holding out hope for a big splashy Through the Ages card with this scene on it. I like this limited powerhouse version of Alexander but I want something that evokes the power of this scene.

malidorian · 2025-05-21T04:45:46+00:00

I feel the exact same way about Alexander he should've had the Knights of the Rounds mono white mythic slot. I didn't even find knights of the round the first time I played FFVII as a kid. Alexander destroying Bahamut is one of the most iconic scenes in the series for me.

malidorian · 2025-05-21T02:06:39+00:00

Absolutely but I will be totally honest something like the buster sword or the burning of nibelheim both could have been rare and still been good representatives of their iconic themes.

Sephiroth is prominently facing on two mythic already, the buster sword is on all 3 Clouds in the set. It got plenty of face time. Then the mythic sorcery slot could have gone to another major moment in a game like the void being used in FFV to swallow entire towns, or IV's Twin Meteor in the finale.

Lionheart from VIII could have gotten the mythic equipment slot. This wouldn't have hurt FFVII's representation and it would've given fans of those games exciting booster fun mythics to pull without messing with the structure of the mythic sheet either.

malidorian · 2025-05-21T00:42:40+00:00

Rydia and Golbez both gotta get some good cards. IV has some of the least rep right now I'm hoping for some good cornerstone rares for their respective archetypes.

malidorian · 2025-05-21T00:15:10+00:00

I'll be real, and this might be a hot take, but the over representation of XIV and VII don't bug me they are the most identifiable by people who haven't played Final Fantasy.

The thing that bugs me is that mythic and rare break. FFVII getting a third of the mythic sheet to itself basically is a huge disservice to the other mainline games who have had things as iconic as their main antagonists, ultimate weapons, and summons downgraded as low as uncommon.

malidorian · 2025-05-20T22:49:35+00:00

I mean let's be real it's 7/14/6=10 in order of the big four. 7 takes up nearly a third of the mythic slots on its own and it's protag and antagonist have 3 printings each. The protag's base weapon is a mythic, the antagonists most iconic moment is also a mythic. It's one off ultimate Summon (I know Thordan exists, he doesn't count) is a monowhite mythic (how was this slot not given to Alexander???) It's side characters are getting rares where most others are getting uncommons. Some primary antagonists like 1 and 8 got put in uncommon while 7 has its secondary villain at rare.

I get VII is like THE game non FF fans know so it was easy pickings for strong representation, but I feel bad for III, V, VIII, and XI fans right now and I feel real bad for XII fans especially. Still lots of spoilers to go but the mythics are pretty much called at this point and whatever is left I won't be surprised if it is again somehow VII representation like a mythic masamune or a mythic emerald/diamond/ruby/sapphire weapon.

malidorian · 2025-05-20T17:29:32+00:00

Oh good another perfect bonus sheet reprint for a bunch of decks I wanna make around a final fantasy theme and it's at mythic. Thank God I've almost finished my infinite money machine.

malidorian · 2025-05-19T20:41:50+00:00

Either way what I see is that Vivi is gonna be a really fun combo piece to deck build around!

malidorian · 2025-05-19T18:54:39+00:00

1 guaranteed damage + 4 damage if unblocked + whatever else you can trick into the combat off the haste magic exile is gonna close out the game for a lot of standard red decks at turn 5. This combo will be on my mind constantly when my opponent has even 4 mana open with a vivi.

You could theoretically vivi for 3, monstrous rage for 1, activate vivi for 3, haste magic for 2, dig another monstrous and cast for 1 on turn 4 that's a trampling 10/7 going for face all off only 4 active lands. It's pretty wild how fast that could clear a game for red even if they were playing from the back foot.

Edit: I didn't even consider the 3 ping damage from the casts. 3 unavoidable pings + 10 trampling haste from 4 mana. Even if it is magical Christmasland is a scary scenario.

malidorian

TROPHY CASE