Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix

On Friday, May 9th, social media outlets for Final Fantasy revealed a handful of cards in advance of the PAX East preview event. The cards previewed are a FFXIV-themed reprint of Dark ConfidantDark Confidant and the set's iteration of Y'shtola Rhul. Notably, Y'shtola is also a character from FFXIV, who serves as the face commander for one of the precons. Furthermore, this marks a major return for Dark Confidant into the Standard format. But who are these cards representing, and what makes these cards important? Read on and find out!

Y'shtola Rhul

Known as "Night's Blessed" and a member of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Y'shtola Rhul is a Miqo'te who is part of the party roster in Final Fantasy XIV. She claims to be 23, but the timelines don't add up in her story. Her life and personality is equally mysterious, with wisdom beyond her years. Y'shtola is a conjurer character with a collected demeanor abut very little patience for disrespect.

Y'shtola Rhul, a new card from the main set of Final Fantasy. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix

In Magic: The Gathering's context, Y'shtola Rhul is great at flickering your cards into and out of exile, and getting additional effects off of them entering or leaving the battlefield. She can also double your abilities that trigger on your end step. The flicker effect lends itself well to many different creatures' assets, including Peregrine DrakePeregrine Drake, Frost TitanFrost Titan, or MulldrifterMulldrifter, to name but a few. Naturally, when Y'shtola generates a second end step for you, you can flicker a creature once more! The potential for absurd plays is very present here.

Dark Confidant, Final Fantasy XIV-Style

According to those in the know, the reprint of Dark Confidant in a style befitting FFXIV is in the form of an Ascian. According to the official FFXIV website, this is how they describe one of these figures:

Known also as "Paragons," these malevolent, black-robed figures sow the seeds of conflict across the lands of Eorzea. Just as their faces are concealed by sinister masks, the true motives of the Ascians remain obscured behind veils of secrecy and terror.

Spooky, to be sure!

Dark Confidant, a reprinted card from Final Fantasy. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix

What's even spookier is that this card was an absolute terror in Standard. This card, affectionately known as "Bob" after Magic Invitational winner Bob Maher (whose likeness was used for the original illustration), wreaked havoc on Ravnica: City of Guilds-era Standard. What horrors will it portent here when Final Fantasy releases on June 13th? Time will tell.

But now, we open the floor to you, dear readers. Are you excited about these newly revealed Final Fantasy cards? Would you play Standard with Bob running around again? Sound off below!