Noctis, Heir ApparentNoctis, Heir Apparent | Art by Winona Nelson

Today's commander, Noctis, Heir ApparentNoctis, Heir Apparent, was brought to my attention by someone who had commented on a previous article. It stuck with me long enough, so I figure I'd write it up.

However, the big news is that this is going to be the final article for the Beyond the Multiverse series. As I'll explain at the end, this is just the last article in the series. I won't waste much more time on this right now, and would rather save it for the end. In addition, because of this, there'll be two lists. A regular Universes Beyond-only list, and, to satisfy the comment, a Final Fantasy-only build. We'll still have our usual in-universe section, too.

So, without further ado, let's go on this epic car journey together.

What Does Noctis, Heir ApparentNoctis, Heir Apparent Do?

Noctis hails from Final Fantasy XV, and is the heir to a lineage, the kings of Lucis. He travels with his companions Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus to marry Lunafreya to forge a political alliance. However, things go sideways when daemons start attacking, forcing them to save the world first.

Noctis, Heir Apparent has quite the unique set of abilities. The game plan isn't quite as straightforward as your typical Boros () Equipment slugfest. Yes, Noctis wants us to get some Equipment out, but we also need to hold up mana for his second ability. This not only forces us to conserve our mana, and perhaps ramp harder than usual, but we have to be quite selective with what cards to put in.

A Special Kind of Armory

The case in point is Equipment. Our lineup must work with Noctis's activated ability in some capacity. So, cards like Swiftfoot BootsSwiftfoot Boots and SkullclampSkullclamp will not work here. Instead, the Equipment we add needs to fit into at least one of the following categories:

1. Gives Noctis a decent stat boost. It's a deck designed to win via commander damage, albeit a weird one.

2. The Equipment does something when the equipped creature connects. This is especially useful, since Noctis can't be blocked if we use the activated ability.

To that end, the Swords of X and Y cycle, like Sword of Truth and JusticeSword of Truth and Justice (shown above) are excellent choices. Another good choice is Buster SwordBuster Sword, which lets us cast stuff from our hand when Noctis connects. Even better if he were to get double strike somehow.

On the other hand, Excalibur, Sword of EdenExcalibur, Sword of Eden is outright terrifying with Noctis. Suddenly, someone could be facing 14 points of unblockable commander damage (or lethal if Noctis has double strike or other buffs).

However, it's worth noting that Noctis only attaches one Equipment at a time, and he warps in at a time after combat begins, so effects that occur at the beginning of combat won't work with him. To that end, both Forge AnewForge Anew and Sigarda's AidSigarda's Aid are two of the best cards in the deck.

The Traditional Noctis, Heir Apparent Deck List

Pedal To the Metal

Not too much to write home about, as it's typical Boros tactics with an Esper-themed trench coat. Moreover, we have contingencies in the event that Noctis gets too expensive to cast.

For example, Lyse HextLyse Hext will get double strike so as long as we cast two spells on our turns. So, it'd be better to wait to cast those spells until you've got a clear shot for her to get through. Meanwhile, Cloud, Midgar MercenaryCloud, Midgar Mercenary lets us tutor for an Equipment, then double the damage triggers while he's equipped and doing damage.

We also have another version of our commander in Noctis, Prince of LucisNoctis, Prince of Lucis, who can recur destroyed artifacts for a last hurrah.

Lastly, Gandalf the WhiteGandalf the White ensures that we can flash creatures in on our opponents' turns, so they can attack when it's our turn. Not only that, but we can also cast the Equipment, so we can focus on equipping later.

However, the commenter I mentioned at the beginning said they wanted a deck using only Final Fantasy cards. What would such a list look like?

Bonus Round - Noctis, Heir Apparent Final Fantasy Deck List

Other Ideas

Here we have a more thematic deck that doesn't lose much, if any, of its potency.

Firstly, a card I've been warming up to recently is Ashe, Princess of DalmascaAshe, Princess of Dalmasca. True, she doesn't do anything on entry, but she is a good equip target since you want to be attacking with her anyway. In addition, Gogo, Master of MimicryGogo, Master of Mimicry can copy Noctis's first ability, allowing you to stack multiple Equipment on him. Given, of course, you can afford to.

While we don't have as many big boosts like Excalibur's or as many Swords of X and Y to use, there's still some choice options. First, Ultima WeaponUltima Weapon gives Noctis a whopping +7/+7 boost while destroying a creature. Secondly, with all of the artifacts in the deck, Machinist's ArsenalMachinist's Arsenal could potentially grant a bigger buff than Excalibur, but that's assuming we don't get checked.

On an entirely different note, going in-universe is pretty much getting more choices with Equipment, and more support tied to said card type. That's basically it.

Turning Over a New Leaf

With that, this brings us to the end of this series. It's been a fun journey with this series, both with its highs and lows. However, like I said, this is not the end of my time on EDHREC. Oh no, far from it.

I have a couple more series planned, with an article for each coming out every other week. Tune in the week after next, where I turn the page, and begin the next chapter. However, I do have a deck tech for a card from an upcoming set, and I want to acknowledge that this is the last article in this series. So, I'm breaking a cardinal rule for that list.