Given that Vivi Ornitier was banned in Magic: the Gathering's Standard format more than a month ago, you may have thought that you had seen the last of the small but mighty spellcaster. Well, for better or worse, that's not the case, and Vivi's returning with a vengeance thanks to the Final Fantasy scene boxes.
Just what are these "scene boxes"? Well, Final Fantasies I, VIII, IX, and XV have all gotten a new sealed product containing six, mechanically unique, cards along with three boosters.
The art of the cards in these "scene boxes" forms a panorama recreating an important moment from their game of origin. The Final Fantasy IX scene box, The Siege of Alexandria, contains the card Vivi's Persistence, which marks the return of the eponymous mage to the stage.
For two mana, Vivi's Persistence creates a 0/1 black Wizard creature token that deals one damage to each opponent whenever its controller casts a noncreature spell. While Vivi's Persistence is in the graveyard, it can be returned to its controller's hand by paying two mana whenever their commander enters play or attacks.
According to the prices listed on TCGplayer, Vivi's Persistence is currently the most valuable card contained within any of the scene boxes, with copies selling for an average of $32 (£24). None of the other cards from the Siege of Alexandria, or for that matter from any of the other three scene boxes, even come close to this price. Second place is held by The Destined Black Mage, from the Final Fantasy I scene box, at a distant $16(£12).
It's debatable just how much the value of Vivi's Persistence is upheld by the infamy and power of the character in its artwork, and how much it's based on the card's own merits. Ironically, Vivi's Persistence synergizes incredibly well with Kuja, Genome Sorcerer, Magic's version of the main antagonist of Final Fantasy IX, as both cards care about generating 0/1 Wizard tokens.
Are you glad to see Vivi back, or horrified that not even Commander is safe from them? Give us your takes in the Wargamer Discord.
For more information on MTG's Final Fantasy crossover, check out our overview article on the set.