3
FINAL FANTASY TRADING CARD GAME FINAL FANTASY TRADING CARD GAME ©SQUARE ENIX Co.,LTD.All Rights Reserved FINAL FANTASY,SQUARE ENIX logo are registrated trademarks or trademarks of Square Enix Holdings Co.,Ltd. FINAL FANTASY Trading Card game ● Maker: SQUARE ENIX ● Price: 1 Pack (12 cards) £3.70/ 4.5€ ● Official Website: http://www.fftradingcardgame.com “FF-TCG” is rising in popularity, with international tournaments being held overseas, as well as the MASTERS tournament in Japan. In this article we will be bringing you some insight into the two Starter Packs that went on sale in June, and the new “Opus III” booster packs releasing end of July. We'll also introduce some decks that have been made by the Editing team and that are optimised for the current state of play. Here's a review of some of the cards from “Opus III” , releasing on July the 21st! Sending out the latest information on “Opus III” and the new Starter Sets based on “Final Fantasy Type-0” and “Final Fantasy IX”! The cards from “Final Fantasy Type-0” are all-new, and all have their own uses, letting you create new types of deck. If you meet the requirements for 【3-002R】”Ifrit”, it will be very powerful. “Final Fantasy IX” cards may not appear to have as much synergy with other titles as the “Type-0” ones, but with the addition of cards such as 3-137R “Steiner” and 3-152S “Garnet”, you have great potential from a “Knight” Deck, and decks with clever combinations of Fire and Water or Water and Wind Summons. Also, it will be fun to find out what exactly the “World of Final Fantasy” character “Brandelis”, who is rumoured to be featured as an Earth card can do. The FF-TCG team are live streaming an official video once every month. These broadcasts will feature a wealth of unmissable content, from new card information from the development team to events that will be held in the future, discussions about overseas events and general news and chat. Why not check it out at the URL below. Past shows will be archived here as well. First Impressions of “OPUS III” Check out our Official FF-TCG Live Stream! FINAL FANTASY Trading Card game ● Maker: SQUARE ENIX ● Price: 1 Pack (12 cards) £3.70/ 4.5€ ● Official Website: http://www.fftradingcardgame.com COLUMN One card with immense flexibility An 8000 damage Fire Summon with great potential Ifrit can defeat 8000 power Forwards, which are usually difficult to beat with fire cards, so you would really want to use it together with a “Class Zero” Forward. By using 1-081R Bartz and 2-138L Yuna to increase the number of “Class Zero” forwards in play, your position can be made very stable indeed. A core attacker for Water decks How to best use this card still requires experiment The strength of this card depends on 3-093H “Brandelis”’s capabilities, but notice that it is a back-up with the “Knight” job. You can search for knights with 1-134R “Duke Goltana” to get a very solid deployment of back-up at the start of the game. Segwarides’ ability to cancel First Strike will also come in handy at some point. If you can add a little bit more damage… You cannot defeat anything with just the damage from this card’s auto-ability, but it pairs very well with 1-182L Cloud’s special ability after you bring him out with the same “VII” category card 1-204S “Jessie”, as well as with wind cards that inflict subtle damage. Use Angeal's “Zack” search efficiently When Angeal is broken after an attack, you can search for a “Zack” and use it to make a follow-up attack, which will defeat most Forwards. It goes without saying that this card is a good partner for Fire and Lightning decks, but you can also use it as a key element in generating the cost for “Bahamut” inside a Wind and Lightning deck. It all depends on the “Class Zero” characters you have, but Eight’s flexibility in being able to activate any combination of Forwards and Backups is very appealing. With this card, it won’t be difficult to raise the CP for special abilities. His power/ cost efficiency is also exceptional. Ceodore is a great attacker for Water deck players who are stuck because they couldn’t get 1-180R ”Wakka” and 1-216S ”Wakka” together on the field. It is potent in a Water only deck, but if combining Water and Earth cards, it is great fun to ready 1-111C “Tama”, and then enhance your cards or apply First Strike during the opponent’s turn. The “Final Fantasy” series has been going for 30 years now, and is loved around the world, and the “FF-TCG” is also taking the world by storm. As of right now, the card game is available in Japanese, English, German, Spanish, French and Italian, and it has gathered a massive following in Europe. There are national tournaments planned, and a world tournament will be held at the end of the year, so it will be fun to look into the expanding world of “FF-TCG” as it spreads across the globe. On the next page we show you how to use one of the new starter decks that went on sale June 9th, which is perfectly tailored for beginners. Name “Backup” is an important term in “FF-TCG” and it is spelled in various ways across other languages. The German word for it looks cooler than anything else! “Back-Up” for Each Language Japanese: バックアップ (bakku appu) 英語:Backup ドイツ語:Unterstūtzer スペイン語:Apoyo フランス語:Soutien イタリア語:Retroguardia Available around the world in 6 languages! Looking at the appeal of “FF-TCG” All streams are available here: http://sep.jp.square-enix.com/program/fftcglive.html FF-TCG Terminology Dictionary You cannot use it for Combat-Tricks, but Cinque’s self- sufficient pseudo-removal ability is very reliable. It's a 2 cost card, so there is great value to be gained from applying it, such as by retrieving it with2-049H “Asura” or bringing it to the field with 1-135L Golbez. You can now access cards such as 1-186L ”Sephiroth” that are hard to deploy in a large quantity. His ability takes effect when the card is placed in the Break Zone, so it is best to combine it with cards whose abilities also let them be put in the Break Zone such as 1-104H “Kefka” or 1-158H “Cloud of Darkness”. This card effectively creates 1 CP when you attack, so it can make manipulating the Wind Deck even more effective. The power level is only average, but by putting down cards like 1-013H "Sazh" and 2 - 0 9 2 C “Phantasmal Harlequin”, you can put together a strong offense. For the new cards, not only their individual capabilities, but the category they belong to is also important. It’s a good idea to pay attention to possible combinations with Backups that search for a particular category. The Golbez Deck has been seen on the frontline since “OPUS I”. There’s nothing at the moment, but it is fun to speculate if there will be any new cards with countermeasures to that deck. This is also a “Knight” Backup, just like “Segwarides”. It can cause a bit of damage if you can combine it effectively with a card that has First Strike. As of right now, you could possibly think about combining it with 1 -151R ”Agrias”. What is good about this card is how its First Strike attribute works well with its special ability that inflicts damage, making it easier to go on the attack. Looks like you could put together a “Dragoon” Deck with this card, 2-104R”Kain” and 1-147 ”Dragoon”. W h e n compared to 2-095R “Rydia”, this card has no EX Burst, but its advantages are that it can take back Summons regardless of their element, and because it is a standard unit so you can bring it out in numbers. You will be glad to be able to retrieve a 1 - 0 1 8 L “Bahamut” that you used earlier in the game. 76 77

Available around the world in 6 languages! “Opus III” and ... · PDF fileSets) - Price: £11.99 / 14.99 € The “Final Fantasy Type-0” Deck’s Internal Synergy An incomparably

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Available around the world in 6 languages! “Opus III” and ... · PDF fileSets) - Price: £11.99 / 14.99 € The “Final Fantasy Type-0” Deck’s Internal Synergy An incomparably

FINAL FANTASY TRADING CARD GAMEFIN

AL FA

NTAS

Y TRA

DING

CARD

GAM

E

©SQUARE ENIX Co.,LTD.All Rights ReservedFINAL FANTASY,SQUARE ENIX logo are registrated trademarks or trademarks of Square Enix Holdings Co.,Ltd.

FINAL FANTASY Trading Card game● Maker: SQUARE ENIX ● Price: 1 Pack (12 cards) £3.70/ 4.5€● Official Website: http://www.fftradingcardgame.com

“FF-TCG” is rising in popularity, with international tournaments being held overseas, as well as the MASTERS tournament in Japan. In this article we will be bringing you some insight into the two Starter Packs that went on sale in June, and the new “Opus III” booster packs releasing end of July. We'll also introduce some decks that have been made by the Editing team and that are optimised for the current state of play.

Here's a review of some of the cards from “Opus III” , releasing on July the 21st!

Sending out the latest information on “Opus III” and the new Starter Sets based on“Final Fantasy Type-0” and “Final Fantasy IX”!

 The cards from “Final Fantasy Type-0” are all-new, and all have their own uses, letting you create new types of deck. If you meet the requirements for

【3-002R】”Ifrit”, it will be very powerful.“Final Fantasy IX” cards may not appear to have as much synergy with other titles as the “Type-0” ones, but with the addition of cards such as 3-137R

“Steiner” and 3-152S “Garnet”, you have great potential from a “Knight” Deck, and decks with clever combinations of Fire and Water or Water and Wind Summons.Also, it will be fun to find out what exactly the “World of Final Fantasy” character “Brandelis”, who is rumoured to be featured as an Earth card can do.

 The FF-TCG team are live streaming an official video once every month. These broadcasts will feature a wealth of unmissable content, from new card information from the development team to

events that will be held in the future, discussions about overseas events and general news and chat. Why not check it out at the URL below. Past shows will be archived here as well.

First Impressions of “OPUS III” Check out our Official FF-TCG Live Stream!

FINAL FANTASY Trading Card game● Maker: SQUARE ENIX ● Price: 1 Pack (12 cards) £3.70/ 4.5€● Official Website: http://www.fftradingcardgame.com

COLUMN

One card with immense flexibility

An 8000 damage Fire Summon with great potential

Ifrit can defeat 8000 power Forwards, which are usually difficult to beat with fire cards, so you would really want to use it together with a “Class Zero” Forward. By using 1-081R Bartz and 2-138L Yuna to increase the number of “Class Zero” forwards in play, your position can be made very stable indeed.

A core attacker for Water decks

How to best use this card still requires experiment

The strength of this card depends on 3-093H“Brandelis”’s capabilities, but notice that it is a back-up with the “Knight” job. You can search for knights with 1-134R“Duke Goltana” to get a very solid deployment of back-up at the start of the game. Segwarides’ ability to cancel First Strike will also come in handy at some point.

If you can add a little bit more damage…

You cannot defeat anything with just the damage from this card’s auto-ability, but it pairs very well with 1-182L Cloud’s special ability after you bring him out with the same “VII” category card 1-204S “Jessie”, as well as with wind cards that inflict subtle damage.

Use Angeal's “Zack” search efficiently

When Angeal is broken after an attack, you can search for a “Zack” and use it to make a follow-up attack, which will defeat most Forwards. It goes without saying that this card is a good partner for Fire and Lightning decks, but you can also use it as a key element in generating the cost for “Bahamut” inside a Wind and Lightning deck.

It all depends on the “Class Zero” characters you have, but Eight’s flexibility in being able to activate any combination of Forwards and Backups is very appealing. With this card, it won’t be difficult to raise the CP for special abilities. His power/ cost efficiency is also exceptional.

Ceodore is a great attacker for Water deck players who are stuck because they couldn’t get 1-180R ”Wakka” and 1-216S ”Wakka” together on the field. It is potent in a Water only deck, but if combining Water and Earth cards, it is great fun to ready 1-111C “Tama”, and then enhance your cards or apply First Strike during the opponent’s turn.

 The “Final Fantasy” series has been going for 30 years now, and is loved around the world, and the “FF-TCG” is also taking the world by storm. As of right now, the card game is available in Japanese, English, German, Spanish, French and Italian, and it has gathered a massive following in Europe. There are national tournaments planned, and a world tournament will be held at the end of the year, so it will be fun to look into the expanding world of “FF-TCG” as it spreads across the globe. On the next page we show you how to use one of the new starter decks that went on sale June 9th, which is perfectly tailored for beginners.

Name“Backup” is an important term in “FF-TCG” and it is spelled in various ways across other languages. The German word for it looks cooler than anything else!

“Back-Up” for Each LanguageJapanese: バックアップ (bakku appu)英語:Backupドイツ語:Unterstūtzerスペイン語:Apoyoフランス語:Soutienイタリア語:Retroguardia

Available around the world in 6 languages!Looking at the appeal of “FF-TCG”

All streams are available here: http://sep.jp.square-enix.com/program/fftcglive.html

FF-TCG Terminology Dictionary

◀ You cannot u s e i t f o r Combat-Tricks, but Cinque’s self-s u f f i c i e n t pseudo-removal a b i l i t y i s v e r y reliable. It's a 2 c o s t c a r d , s o t h e r e i s g r e a t v a l u e t o b e g a i n e d f r o m applying it, such as by retrieving it w i t h 2 - 0 4 9 H“ A s u r a ” o r bringing it to the field with1-135L Golbez.

◀ You can now a c c e s s c a r d s such as 1-186L”Sephiroth” that a r e h a r d t o deploy in a large q u a n t i t y . H i s a b i l i t y t a k e s effect when the card is placed in the Break Zone, so it is best to combine it with c a r d s w h o s e abilities also let them be put in the Break Zone such as 1-104H“ K e f k a ” o r 1-158H “Cloud of Darkness”.

◀ T h i s c a r d e f f e c t i v e l y c r e a t e s 1 C P when you attack, so it can make m a n i p u l a t i n g the Wind Deck e v e n m o r e e f f e c t i v e . T h e power level i s only average, but by putting down cards like 1-013H " S a z h " a n d 2 - 0 9 2 C “ P h a n t a s m a l Harlequin”, you can put together a strong offense.

◀ For the new cards, not only their individual capabilities, but the category they belong to is also important. It’s a good idea to pay attention t o p o s s i b l e c o m b i n a t i o n s w i t h B a c k u p s that search for a p a r t i c u l a r category.

◀ The Golbez Deck has been s e e n o n t h e frontl ine s ince “OPUS I”. There’s nothing at the moment, but it is fun to speculate if there will be any new cards with countermeasures to that deck.

◀ This is also a “Knight” Backup, j u s t l i k e “Segwarides”. It can cause a bit of damage if you can combine it effectively with a c a r d t h a t h a s First Strike. As of right now, you could possibly t h i n k a b o u t c o m b i n i n g i t with 1 -151R”Agrias”.

◀ What is good about this card is h o w i t s F i r s t Strike attribute works well with its special ability t h a t i n f l i c t s damage, making it easier to go on the attack. Looks l ike you could put together a “Dragoon” Deck with this card, 2 - 1 0 4 R ” K a i n ” and 1-147”Dragoon”.

◀ W h e n c o m p a r e d t o 2-095R “Rydia”, this card has no EX Burst, but its advantages are that it can take back Summons r e g a r d l e s s o f their e lement, and because it is a standard unit so you can bring i t o u t i n n u m b e r s . Yo u will be glad to be able to retrieve a 1 - 0 1 8 L “Bahamut” that you used earlier in the game.

76 77

Page 2: Available around the world in 6 languages! “Opus III” and ... · PDF fileSets) - Price: £11.99 / 14.99 € The “Final Fantasy Type-0” Deck’s Internal Synergy An incomparably

FINAL FANTASY TRADING CARD GAMEFIN

AL FA

NTAS

Y TRA

DING

CARD

GAM

E

S t a r t e r D e c k “ F i n a l F a n t a s y Ty p e - 0 ” S t a r t e r D e c k : “ F i n a l F a n t a s y I X ”

Introduction to play with the “Final Fantasy Type-0” and “Final Fantasy IX” starter decks, released on June the 9th! “Final Fantasy Type-0” “Final Fantasy IX”50 cards in each deck (contains 3 each of the 2 types of cards unique to the Starter Sets) - Price: £11.99 / 14.99 €

The “Final Fantasy Type-0” Deck’s Internal Synergy

An incomparably powerful special ability!A capable card that can replenish your strength and change the course of the match

Sice’s removal abilities will dominate the board

 The “Final Fantasy Type-0” Deck is comprised of two elements, Wind and Lightning. It is a deck where you build up a tempo by activating characters through Wind ability effects, and offset the inherent weakness of low power by using Lightning cards' removal abilities, making it easier to attack the opponent.Since there are a lot of cards that can gain bonuses when there are “Class Zero” Forwards on the field, you have to

be careful not to put yourself in a situation where you have no Forwards down. Provide a constant supply of these Forwards by using cards such as 3-097R Alecia Al-rashia, who can search out the category “Type-0”, or 3-153S Ace and 3-072R Rem who can retrieve “Class Zero” Forwards from the Break Zone. When you have the numbers, use 3-113R Nine’s special ability and destroy the opponent in one go.

 3-062C “Deuce” and 3-109C “Sice” have special abilities that can defeat big Forwards, and 3-057R “Seven” has a special ability that can make an opponent’s special ability or auto ability invalid without using extra CP, so against cards such as 1-135L ”Golbez”, 1-107L “Shantotto” (who removes your Forwards from the game which can be fatal for this deck), or 2-077L “Vincent”, these can be really useful.

When searching for cards or collecting from the Break Zone, it is important to consolidate your numerical strength on the field, but if you find some respite then you will also want to replenish your special abilities so you can deal with the strong Forwards and actions from your opponent.

It is most important to secure the "Class Zero" Forwards

Master the use of powerful special abilities

Card ListCard No. Card Name Qty EX Burst

Forwards (27 cards)3-051R Eight 23-057R Seven 21-075C Chocobo 21-076C Chocobo 21-078C Ninja 23-151S Queen 3 ★3-113R Nine 33-109C Sice 21-148C Dragoon 22-115C Ninja 22-120C Dragoon 23-153S Ace 3

Backups (17 cards)3-150S Moogle (Clas Zero) 33-072R Rem 3 ★3-062C Deuce 21-068C Evoker 23-097R Arecia Al-Rashia 31-130C Black Mage 21-138C Summoner 2

Summons (6 cards)3-061R Diablos 2 ★1-143C Ramuh 2 ★2-107C Cyclops 2 ★

Card No. Card Name Qty EX BurstForwards (28 cards)

3-149S Vivi 33-013R Amarant 33-015R Black Waltz 2 21-014C Samurai 22-010C Warrior 22-013C Ninja 23-152S Garnet 33-133C Quina 33-137R Steiner 3 ★2-131C Knight 23-154S Zidane 3

Backups (16 cards)1-008C Ranger 21-011C Evoker 22-005C Sage 22-018C Summoner 23-122C Artemicion 23-127R Eiko 23-141C Mog (IX) 21-159C Evoker 2

Summons (6 cards)2-002C Ifrit 2 ★1-170C Fairy 2 ★1-172C Moogle 2 ★

D e c k K e y C a r d s

 Make sure you do not waste 3-113R Nine or 3-109C Sice’s abilities that can control power when attacking, keep on attacking and force the opponent to react to your moves. The theory is to use 1 + a discard or 3 Backup cards to bring out “Arecia Al-Rashia” and then line up 3-153S “Ace” with other Forwards deployed using his ability and getting your firepower down on the field. Also, when you have to pay a cost, it is better that you discard the “standard unit” cards first, as far as is possible.

 It all depends on how many “Class Zero” cards there are in “OPUS III”, but if you do not have the numbers then consider bringing on 1-081R ”Bartz”as he has every Job there is available. Also, Bartz’ power is 8000, so he is a useful addition for a “Type-0” Deck that tends to have low power cards.If you want to use the special abilities of 3-109C“Sice” and 3-062C “Deuce”, then maybe add in 2-049H “Asura” , who can recover certain Characters.

Point of adviceAlways be aware of taking the offensive

Point of adviceCustomisation Guide

The “Final Fantasy IX” Deck’s Internal Synergy

Choose freely between offense and defence

 The Forwards in the “Final Fantasy IX” deck are good at gaining advantages by various means, such as removing enemy cards through auto-abilities when they are played or searching out Characters or Summons. Each individual card does not boast big abilities or effects, but by combining them together to counter the opponent’s strategies, it can lead to victory, making this a more technical deck.

Therefore, instead of attacking and trying to cause damage at the start of the game, it’s better to put down Backups early so you do not have to discard from your hand to pay costs and can set up a good environment in which to play further cards. When that's done, it will not be difficult to use multiple cards in a single turn, so use plenty of draws and hit back against the opponent slowly but surely.

 Most of the Forwards in this deck either have an auto-ability that activates when it comes onto the field, or have rules that let them be placed into the Break Zone. Also, there aren’t that many cards that have special abilities, so it is a good idea to use the Forwards that are already on the field to force stalemates or block powerful enemies before bringing on the next card. If you aim to keep pressuring your opponent, they will eventually run

out of cards in hand and you will have them on the ropes.It might be tricky to enforce this against ice cards that tend to dull opponents instead of breaking them, making it harder to bring out the next card. When playing against ice decks, keep 1-170C “Fairy” in reserve so that your opponent doesn’t gain the upper hand.

Pursue the card advantages to win

How to deal with an attacking opponent

Card List

D e c k K e y C a r d s

 This deck does not have any fixed removal type abilities that rely on the opponent’s power, so to deal with big Forwards you need to use combinations such as blocking and then summoning. Always be mindful of what level of enemy you can defeat with the resources to hand and how many of those resources will be used up in doing so. When you go on the attack, there aren’t that many cards that can attack by themselves, so cleverly use party attacks to overcome each individual card’s low power level.

 One good Forward that has no problem in pressuring the opponent is 2-007L “Emperor Xande”. His damage ability when he attacks is good with cards such as 3-015R “Black Waltz No. 2”. To make up for the deck’s low power,1-216S Wakka is a recommended. He is a strong attacker on his own, but because this deck provides ample chances to draw, his special abilities are made easier to use. If you want a deck composition closer to Water, then one candidate would be 2-140C “Leviathan” that makes 3-152S “Garnet” work similarly to 1-101R “Gippal”.

Point of adviceConsider the size of the opponent you need to bring down

Point of adviceCustomisation guide

Gain an advantage just by entering the Field!You are stronger with friends! Forward with a removal ability

Easy summons

Increases yourhand

Strong against Ice

Throw your allies!

Search & summon Numerous ways to gain

an advantageBackup Girls

Mother watches over the students

Enhances all cardsSearch

Line up your allies

◀When you use 3 - 1 5 3 S A c e ’ s ability to bring o u t 3 - 0 5 1 R“Eight”, you can m a k e a n o t h e r C l a s s Z e r o Character active and reclaim the cost paid for Ace. When the enemy is reluctant to b r e a k A c e because of his a b i l i t y , t h e synergy between “ C l a s s Z e r o ” F o r w a r d s w i l l also surely come in handy.

◀Her 2 removal abilities are both o f t h e p o w e r minus type, so even if cards like 1-171H “Minwu” are on the field, t h e y w i l l s t i l l have an effect. S h e a l s o h a s enough power t o o v e r c o m e o t h e r c o s t 2 c a r d s w i t h removal abilities, such as 1-211S“ R y g d e a ” a n d 1 - 1 9 2 S “ C i d Raines”.

◀ 3-113R Nine’s a b i l i t y t h a t makes it easier to go on the attack i s r e a l l y reassur ing for “ C l a s s Z e r o ” Forwards that tend to have less p o w e r t h a n o t h e r s . H i s special ability is really strong as well, making this card useful even when it is not in a “ T y p e - 0 ” focussed deck.

Progress

Retrieve

An enabler that supplies cards Throw an ally who has already done their job

◀ The basic use for Garnet is to summon 1-172C “Moogle” a n d g e t m o r e cards into your h a n d . A l s o remember that if 3 - 0 1 3 R“Amarant” is on the field, Garnet c a n a l s o summon 1-170C “Fairy” to make his “dulling a b i l i t y ” e v e n more useful.

◀ In addition to being a useful card to pressure your opponent e a r l y i n t h e match without reducing your h a n d , 3 - 1 5 4 S Z idane i s a l so s t r o n g f o r b r e a k i n g a n opponent’s hand when they are already reeling. T h e a b i l i t y t o act ivate a l l IX C h a r a c t e r s i s effective against L ightning and Ice, making this one of the best c a r d s i n t h e D e c k , e v e n though it doesn't seem at first.

◀ Amarant can use a Forward t h a t h a s j u s t u s e d i t s a u t o ability to gain an advantage as a burn and remove an enemy. This l e t s y o u efficiently handle the flow of the g a m e , e v e n when the same named card is already in your h a n d a n d o n your f ie ld. His high power also m a k e s h i m proficient as an attacker.

78 79

Page 3: Available around the world in 6 languages! “Opus III” and ... · PDF fileSets) - Price: £11.99 / 14.99 € The “Final Fantasy Type-0” Deck’s Internal Synergy An incomparably

FINAL FANTASY TRADING CARD GAMEFIN

AL FA

NTAS

Y TRA

DING

CARD

GAM

E

The Forwards that will be your main fighting force Protect the Forwards!

Summons with removal or power decrease abilities

Support

Support

Power Burn

Secret Trick

Batter your opponent in the first turn

Use combos to rapidly progress

Attackers with removal abilities

Follow up

Obstruct by destroying his hand

Imitation forwards

Let’s move on to the National Tournament; the MASTERS! Introducing some decks recommended in the current meta!

W a t e r / W i n d “ P l a n e t P r o t e c t o r " B e a t D o w n D e c k

This deck is designed to use 1-064R ”Aerith” and 1-171H“Minwu” to counteract the opponent’s removal abilities while holding its own in combat with 1-216S ”Wakka” and 2-121H “Ashe”, then finish off the opponent with 1-163L ”Tidus”.You will find it hard to defeat the opponent’s Forwards directly, but the deck is designed to give you an advantage in fights by intervening with a fully invested 2-133R“ Cuchulainn, the impure” and 1-074R “Sylph”. Water and Wind are usually good for producing a large number of attacks, so once you have finished laying out your Backups that are key to a good defence, you can expect a great deal of support and will be set to hammer the foe into submission.

Fight on while evading enemy removal abilities

Card List

D e c k K e y C a r d s

 For decks that rely on searching a lot like the “Golbez” Deck or that are really slow, it could be a possibility to aim for a deck exhaustion victory by using 1-089H Rikku. If the battle is stagnating, try to aim for this outcome.

Point of adviceA deck exhaustion win could be a possibility

 Bring out a cost 2 backup on your first turn and then use either 1-197S “Brother” or 2-066R ”Balthier” in your second turn to secure further cards and develop your strategy. It is better to use Summons to pay costs, as you won’t use them much at the start of the game.

Point of advicePurpose of the first move

 This deck contains 18 Backup cards, which is quite a lot, but there aren’t that many cards that can be placed in the Break Zone under their own power, so you have to think which one to deploy at what time, with the exception of 1-064R ”Aerith”. There are cards that work really well against different opponents, such as 2-062C “Nono” against ice decks. Furthermore, except for1-080H ”Bartz” and 2-126R “Ghis”, there aren’t any cards that require 5 CP to deploy, so don’t put down the 5th Backup if you have the bandwidth.

Think of which Backup to bring out, depending on the opponent

 1-199S ”Paine” and1-064R ”Aerith” have abilities that can activate up to 3 Backups. It is best to put down 3 Backups as soon as possible to avoid wasting this great opportunity. 1-064R ”Aerith” let’s you get off a 3 cost Forward in one turn and then a 4 cost one in the next, which is a tremendously efficient move and reduces any unnecessary thinning of your hand. Depending on how the situation plays out, you can overwhelm your opponent.

Quickly line up 3 Backups at the start of the game

I c e / T h u n d e r M a n i k i n A g g r e s s i o n D e c k

 Little to no Backups exist in this deck, as it is tailored to be very aggressive so you can use your hand to generate cost and attack right from the get go. Aim to use the abilities of 1-141L ”Lightning” (effectively uses 4 cost but cannot be dealt with easily early on in the game) or 2-101H ”Exdeath” to bring out 2-039C“Capricious Reaper”, and defeat the opponent before they can get their forces set up properly.If you start with a Forward out on the field from the 1st turn, use 1-142R ”Lightning” and 2-098L “Amon” to get rid of enemy blockers and add more attackers. If there are resilient Forwards such as 1-097H “Guy” or 2-121H“Ashe” deployed against you, deal with them using 1-123R ”Odin”.

Attack relentlessly from the get go and push the opponent to defeat!!

Card List

D e c k K e y C a r d s

 This deck will struggle with 1-135L ”Golbez” and the horde of forwards that will accompany him. So against the “Golbez” deck, it is better to focus on destroying the opponent’s hand and obstruct him as much as you can to make sure 1-104H “Kefka” and “Golbez” do not get together.

Point of adviceBe careful against the “Golbez” Deck

Against an opponent who is likely to have 1-107L “Shantotto” or 1-018L “Bahamut”, it is better to keep Forwards with the Haste attribute, such as 1-112C “Fleeting Flash” in your hand. By inflicting damage to the opponent after the wipe, you can reverse the situation and push your opponent into a corner.

Point of adviceConsider the possibility of resetting once

When you use this deck, always choose to take the second turn. By drawing one more card, not only can you bring out a big forward on the first turn, you can also break out of the standard practice of playing 2 Backups on your first turn and use a 4 cost Forward along with 1-044R ”Sephiroth” to kill the opponent’s hand. You can then pull the opponent into a topdeck game and hope for 2 points of recurring damage.

This is a deck you can attack aggressively with but it is important to go second

It is important to move quickly at the start of the match, so in the beginning, it will be best to go for either 1-144L ”Lightning” or 2-101H ”Exdeath” and a Manikin, or the previously mentioned cost 4 Forward paired with 1-044R ”Sephiroth”. Next up you should go for “Capricious Reaper” and 1-129C ”Gilgamesh”. If you have 1-123R ”Odin” in your hand on the first turn, check if your hand will allow you to move without discarding it for cost.。

Understand the cards that you should keep from the first move

Card No. Card Name Qty EX BurstForwards (24 cards)

1-080H Bartz 3 ★2-066R Balthier 22-069C Fallacious Wanderer 21-199S Paine 31-163L Tidus 31-213S Tidus 11-216S Wakka 32-121H Ashe 32-126R Ghis 22-147L The Emperor 2

Backups (18 cards)1-064R Aerith 31-088C Archer 11-089H Rikku 31-197S Brother 12-062C Nono 12-068R Fran 11-157C Scholar 11-171H Minwu 31-177R Yuna 32-137H Merlwyb 1 ★

Summons (8 cards)1-178R Leviathan 2 ★2-133R Cuchulainn, the Impure 3 ★1-074R Sylph 3 ★

Card No. Card Name Qty EX BurstForwards (44 cards)

1-033C Argath 31-044R Sephiroth 32-026L Vayne 32-028C Semblance of a Lion 32-039C Capricious Reaper 32-047L Rinoa 31-128R Gilgamesh 21-129C Gilgamesh 31-132C Cait Sith 3 ★1-141L Lightning 31-142R Lightning 31-207S Gilgamesh 32-098L Amon 32-101H Exdeath 32-112C Fleeting FLash 3

Backups (3 cards)1-193S Jihl Nabaat 3 ★

Summons (3 cards)1-123R Odin 3

◀Using1-199S ”Paine” a n d 2 - 1 2 6 R“Ghis”, you can p u t d o w n f o r w a r d s a t a g o o d t e m p o , making it easy to get their power up effects into p l a y . T h e opponent wi l l certainly mark W a k k a f o r r e m o v a l , s o protect him with 1-064R ”Aerith”.

◀ Ashe has a r e s i s t a n c e t o being removed b y t a k i n g damage, and can s u b s e q u e n t l y become active, so it is a strong c a r d a g a i n s t aggressive Fire and Ice decks. This is a card that works both in o f f e n s e a n d defence, as its specia l abi l i ty can defeat the opponent’s big Forwards with relative ease.

◀ Use this card during a battle and defeat the o p p o n e n t ’ s Forwards. If you have1-177R”Yuna”, you can use this summon for a cost of only 3 , a n d w i t h a d r a w , i t e f f e c t i v e l y becomes 1 cost, so it is really a good bargain. Even when you use the EX Burst, at the very least you wi l l draw, m a k i n g t h i s a card that is never wasted.

◀ You can turn the tables with this card, even when you have s u s t a i n e d damage at the s t a r t o f t h e g a m e . 1 - 1 6 3 L T i d u s ' p o w e r g o e s u p depending on the number of other Forwards you have on your f ie ld, so when you have 1-171H“Minwu”, use his special ability to a t t a c k i n s u c c e s s i o n w i t h o u t worrying about taking damage.

◀ B a l t h i e r ’ s power is low, but h e a i d s i n establishing your combat power a n d c a n u s e s e a r c h t o g e t further backups, m a k i n g h i m a very useful card from the start of the game.

◀ Support Rikku with 1 -199S”Paine”, and chip a w a y a t t h e opponent’s deck bit by bit. This is a very useful card f o r a 2 c o s t Backup.

◀ Lightning is effectively a 4 cost card with 9000 power, so she is difficult to defeat in battle or be removed b y S u m m o n s . “ O d i n” s e a r c h c a n d e a l w i t h enemy blockers, and can provide b a c k u p f o r 1-129C”Gilgamesh”.

◀ This card has t h e p o w e r t o match its cost, a n d c a n t a k e away one extra card even when removed, so it w i l l b e v e r y useful. If 2 -101H ”Exdeath” is out, its power will rise e v e n f u r t h e r , making it hard to beat with cards of the same cost and thus easier t o g o o n t h e attack.

◀ An Attacker w i t h p a s s a b l e p o w e r . G i l g a m e s h ’ s special ability is a big gamble, but in this deck it can b e a r e l i a b l e removal ability. Bring it out in the f i r s t t u r n a n d r e m o v e t h e enemy blockers while proactively attacking with this card.

◀ This card is best played to go for an opponent w h o h a s t e m p o r a r i l y reduced his hand size by deploying Forwards, such as in the first turn w h e n m o v i n g second. Can be e m p l o y e d w i t h o u t a n y disadvantages if you play to use up your entire hand.

◀ If you can get 2 “Fleeting Flash” cards, both will c h a n g e i n t o 8 0 0 0 p o w e r Forwards with t h e H a s t e attribute. These c a n b e u s e d ef fect ively for surprise attacks.

◀The opponent will try to bring 2 B a c k u p s f r o m t h e f i r s t t u r n including 1-104H "Kefka", so use 3 - 0 3 9 R “Sephiroth” to d e s t r o y t h e i r h a n d a n d o b s t r u c t t h i s combo as much as you can.

80 81