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Blissful Ice

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29-020R – Astos

I’m liking this Astos. The only thing that would make it better is 8-bit Pixel art. C’mon Square-Enix, give us what we want! Or, at least what Kardboard Korner wants.

Astos a 2cost Forward that will Dull//Freeze one of your opponent’s Forwards.

So far, so good.

Astos will stay on the field, and once he blocks one of your opponent’s attacks and gets sent to the Break Zone, Astos will search for another Astos, and that Astos will be played on to the field dull, means that Astos will Dull//Freeze one of your opponent’s Forwards once again.

3 of these in any Ice deck will be good.

29-021R – Ultima Weapon Origin

Ok, we got a Weapon.

Ultima Weapon is more like a Shotgun. Double Barrel. You are able to deal 2000 damage to all of your opponent’s Forwards.

You can then Activate Ultima Weapon Origin and use that ability again. That’ll bring the total damage to 4000 per Forward. You’ll probably break a few of them, and the others will be on the verge of being broken, so your attacks will go through or you’ll break those Forward when they block.

And, with a 9K body, Ultima Weapon Origin will stick around long enough to be a thorn in your opponent’s side.

 

29-022R – Cray Claw

4CP for a Monster? Are there other Monsters that cost 4CP? Quite a few actually.

Cray Claw comes on in and deals one of your opponent’s Forwards 5000 damage, and depending on how many cards they have in their hand, that damage can go up to 8000. Which is good enough to break a Forward, depending on the Forward that is.

And, if you have 5 Backups on the field, Cray Claw will also become a Forward with 9000 power.

It’s not bad, It’s not great, it’s decent.

 

29-023C – Goblin

A 1 cost Monster.

Cheap.

Deals a dull Forward 3000 damage.

Draws you a card.

That’s about it.

 

29-024H – Shiva

For 5CP you can choose up to 3 abilities, and all of these are good as stand alone, but when you can combine, 3 of the 4 choices, you’re going to cause disruption.

1) Dull/Freeze 2 Forwards
2) Dull/Freeze a Backup
3) Your opponent discards a card
4) All your Ice Forwards gain +3000 power.

Mix and match, and then attack.

 

29-025R/26-029R – Shiva (XVI)

“Shiva is a great card to play all by herself. You don’t even need Jill to Prime into her. But, you probably should. It’s cheaper in the long run and you get a better ability.

When Shiva comes in you will Freeze all of your opponent’s Forwards. If you Primed into Shiva you will Freeze all of your opponent’s Characters instead.

Ice Age? Yes, let’s have your opponent discard 2 cards from their hand. This works even better if they only have 2 cards in their hand.

Let’s see what Jill does.”

 

29-026C – Cid Raines

This is where your discard deck will shine a bit more.

Cause every time your opponent discards a card, Cid Raines will Dull/Freeze one of their Characters.

The good thing is that Cid doesn’t need anyone else for this, he can take care of it all by himself as well.

When you have 3 points of damage and Cid enters the field, your opponent discards a card. And, let’s not forget about Seraphic Ray, where your opponent discard a card as well.

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29-027L – Shantotto

This Shantotto looks spicy. And, how does an Ice card have a Fire spell in the art?

Anyway, on to the card. Shantotto being Shantotto, as she comes in and casts Dull//Freeze on all the Characters except for Mages.

That’s a quick way to get the upper hand on your opponent, they won;t be able to block anything this turn, and you can come in swinging. All you need is a way to activate all of your Forwards that aren’t Mages and you can go to town.

Shantotto still has one more ability that Activates once per turn.

Break a dull Forward, Freeze 2 Backups, or have your opponent discard a card.

All of which are good.

Is this the card we need to get a Mage deck going?

29-028C – Jill

What is it with Jill and Freezing your opponent?

Think about it.

Jill and Jihl Nabaat, what do they have in common? They’re both Ice cards and they both Freeze.

But, Jill will also Dull 2 Forwards while Freezing them.

Plus a 7K body that can Prime into Shiva, I’ll take it.

 

29-029R – Xezat

I like this card.

Xezat is the ultimate protection against your opponent’s Summons and abilities. As long as you have a couple of Crystals.

Your opponent must choose Xezat when they are targeting. Meaning that while Xezat will probably be broken, you can use his second ability that costs 2 Crystals, send him to the Break Zone, since he was already going there, and remove one of your opponent’s Forwards from the game.

You can choose the Forward that cast the ability, or choose another Forward cause that ability will fizzle out anyways.

Either way, you’re slowing your opponent down, and Xezat did what he came in to do.

Xezat is also an 8K body.

29-030H – Celes

Yes, put this in any Ice deck.

Celes comes in for 4CP and you can play an Ice Character from your hand onto the field. 3CP or less. That means that you’re only paying 1CP to play Celes.

And if you’ve been playing Ice like it should be played, your opponent will have at least a couple of dull Forwards on the field. That means that Celes can not be chosen by Summons or abilities.

You can also dull 2 of your Forwards, in order to dull one of your opponent’s Forwards, which will add to the total number of Forwards that your opponent has.

Celes also has a 7K body, so she will be sticking around for quite a bit.

29-031C – Onion Knight (FFTS)

I actually used this card at Midnight Prerelease. And, I got to say it won me a match.

Onion Knight, just like in the games, gets stronger later in the game.

Depending on how much damage you have taken. Let’s say at 3 points of damage, Onion Knight gains +2000 power. And at 5 points of Damage, Onion Knight gains +2000 power and First Strike.

This gives Onion Knight a total of 9000 power and First Strike at the end of the game. And, you can have 3 of them on the field at the same time.

Just throw a couple into your Ice decks.

29-032C – Chadley

I’m trying to figure this out. Chadley acts more like a Monster than a Forward. But then again, there are Monsters that act more like a Forward than a Monster.

Chadley has one job, and since he can’t attack or block, that’s all he gets to do.

Every other turn, Chadley will give one of your Forwards +3000 power.

You will be able to use that ability as long as Chadley has a Research Counter on him. If not, then you can just dull Chadley to give him a Research Counter.

 

29-033L – Terra

As much as I want to say that I like this card, I can’t.

I was never one for a Summon deck. I hardly have any Summons in any of my decks for that matter. And Terra here, looks like she needs to be in a Summon heavy deck.

Terra comes in and you an search for a Summon, chuck it into the Break Zone, and then you can choose 2 Characters. Dull/Freeze them.

And then you can put Terra into the Break Zone, and play a Summon that costs 5CP or less for free. Well, technically it’s not free. You’re paying 3CP to use that ability, and you’re getting rid of Terra in the process.

I’ll pass.

29-034C – Tyro EX

And, here I thought they were going to make up for banning Opus XI Tyro.

This time we get Tyro in Ice, and he doesn’t do a lot, but he can grab and Ice Character when he enters the field. And, that’s only if there is an Ice Character in the top 4 cards of your deck.

Other than that this Tyro is just a Backup. that will generate you 1CP per turn.

His ability also comes off of an EX Burst, so that might mean something.

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29-035H – Torgal

This isn’t a Wolf, it’s a sacrificial lamb. That both Clive and Jill will use. Now I haven’t played FFXVI yet, but I think this might be part of the story. Don’t tell me if I’m right or wrong.

Anyways, back to the point. Torgal is a .. you guessed it .. a Free Play! As long as you have Clive or Jill on the field.

All Summons and abilities must choose Torgal, and when he is sent to the Break Zone, your opponent will discard a card.

Plus, Torgal will also act as a Meat Shield. that’s why Torgal is a Forward.

 

29-036C/15-038C – Knight

“Knight comes in, hands you a Crystal

Next turn, Knight Dulls himself and puts himself into the Break Zone dulling a 3 cost Forward.

Thus concludes the story of Knight”

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29-037C – MAI

Where was this card when Relm was running on a rampage?

MAI is ready to get rid of those pesky Monsters. At least one of them.

And, at 2CP, this card is a definite yes in your deck, especially if you’re constantly running against Monster decks.

MAI, will break a Monster or return it to it’s owner’s hand.

All you need is a way to either break MAI, or find a way to bounce her off and on the field.

 

29-038H – Mog (VI)

Mog (VI) is the perfect card to play with Celes. Mog will come right in and Break a dull Forward. And when that Forward hits the Break Zone, Mog will draw you a card.

And all this for a Free Play on Mog’s part.

Mog also comes in with a 8K body, meaning he’ll be a little bit of a problem for your opponent. But, you might actually want to send Mog to the Break Zone. That way you’ll be able to play him again, and break one of your opponent’s dull Forwards once again.

Cool Singles!

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Blissful Fire

29-001R/26-003R – Ifrit (XVI)

Really?

We’re starting off with reprint?

I’ll just give you what we said back when Gunslinger in the Abyss came out.

“Priming is back, and it looks like it’s better than ever.

That’s not saying much as this is the second set that we have that has Priming.

Either way, Ifrit needs to be Primed into, by Clive.

First off, when Ifrit is blocked or if he is chosen by an ability, Ifrit deal your opponent 1 point of damage. That means that your opponent will need to find a way to get rid of Ifrit A.S.A.P.

We’re not done yet.

If Clive has primed into Ifrit, Ifrit is nearly untouchable. Because, all damage dealt to Ifrit that is less than Ifrit’s power becomes a big fat 0. Zero! Zero!

Can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

29-002R – Wol

How many Wols are there in this set?

I’ve seen a couple already, and I’m sure I’ll see at least another 3.

But, this one is good. Especially with Samurais. You can just throw him in that deck alongside Tenzen.

Wol comes in with Brave and a 9K body, ready to take down your opponent’s Forwards and also block their attacks.

Let’s not forget about Wol’s Crystal ability which allows you to play a Fire Forward that costs 4CP or less from your hand on to the field. And, you can use that once per turn as long as you have Crystals to pay for it.

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29-003R – Chimera

Decent Monster that becomes a Forward.

And, that means that even if Chimera never becomes a Forward, you’ll still get to use it’s ability thatdeals 7000 damage to a Forward.

Turning Chimera into a Forward is great, as it has an 8K body.

But, if you don’t have 5 Backups on the board, well then, Chimera will just hang out.

And, from the looks of it, we have plenty of Monsters that will become forwards at 5 Backups in this set.

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29-004C – Clive

Well it’s not the Clive we all know.

Clive let’s you draw a card when he or any other Final Fantasy XVI Forward enters the field. And, yes this includes Prime, or at least I would think so. And, once you see what you got, you will put a card from your hand at the bottom of your deck.

Hey, at least it’s not discard a card.

Other than that, Clive has 7000 power and costs 3CP.

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29-005L – Cloud

Beautiful card.

I think I already have this artwork on another card from some old Final Fantasy Art cards. I can’t remember from where, but it’s somewhere, unless we sold it already.

Anyways, on to the card.

When cloud enters the field you can remove 3 Fire or FFVII cards from your Break Zone, and you get to play a weakling. Yes, a weakling. Up to 2CP, and up to 5000 power. I’m sure their are great cards for this, especially since Cloud is a Warrior, and Warrior decks are all that and stuff.

But, we’re not here to talk about that.

We’re here to talk about Power Cleave/Spell Blade.

One ability.
2 Forwards.
Broken.

That sounded better in my head.

29-006C – Samurai

This isn’t bad at all.

4CP to grab a Fire Character from your Break Zone? Sure, this way you can grab Cloud, and use that S ability a couple more times.

But, if you don’t want to grab CLoud, you can always grab a Samurai, and that Samurai will deal one of your opponent’s Forward 3000 damage.

Yep, sounds good.

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29-007C-15-007C – Samurai

Another reprint, but we should have been expecting this one. This Samurai, alongside the other 5 Standard Units, all do the same thing. They give you a Crystal.

And, since we’ve been talking about this card since Crystal Dominion came out, I’ll just leave it at that.

I’m just trying to fill this up with words, so it looks like we have something important to say.

 

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29-008L – Zidane

How many cards, can you cast per turn? Zidane here, will deal 5000 damage for everycard that you cast that was removed from the game. Makes sence?

For 2CP you get a 5k body. And a great ability.

Zidane removes cards from the game. The top 2 cards of your deck to be exact, when he enters the field, and whenever Zidane attacks. You can then play those cards during your turn and deal 5K damage.

You can also pair this with a little Summon called Mind Flayer, which will help with removing your opponent’s cards from the game. And, you still will get the damage Zidane will deal when they come into the field.

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29-009H – Cid Highwind

Cid can Pilot your deck for you. Or at least he can start you off to where you want to go.

Cid comes in and you can play a Final Fantasy VII Forward that costs 4CP or less (*cough Cloud *cough cough) from your hand and play it to the field.

And, whenever another Final Fantasy VII Character enters the field you draw a card. So, 7CP – 4CP = 3CP + 2CP from the card you just drew, Cid’s total cost came down to 1CP. You’ll be positive CP once you play another Final Fantasy VII Forward.

And, a 9K body, Cid will stick around for a while.

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29-010C – Joshua

We already know that Joshua will Prime into Phoenix. But is he playable by himself?

Actually, yes.

For 2CP you can play Joshua and then you can discard a card. Then you get to deal 7000 damage to a Forward. Possible breaking it.

Once that is done, you can them Prime into Phoenix.

We’ll see what Phoenix does when we get to it.

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29-011H – Tifa

Cloud makes a lot more sense now.

Tifa comes in with Haste, and every time she attacks, you can deal a Forward 1000 damage for every Final Fantasy VII Character that is on your field.

Rise and Fall, deals a Forward 3000 damage, and you get to draw a card. You can use this ability up to 3 times this turn. For a total of 9000 damage. This will be used mostly for a bit of ping damage here and there.

But, you won’t be using that, you’ll be using Tifa for Cloud’s S ability.

Cid Highwind >> Cloud >> Tifa >> Cloud’s S ability

29-012H – Neon

Neon is trying to take the place of Amaterasu, and if this card comes in a Full Art as well, which I think it will, you’ll be seeing a big spike in that card.

Neon comes right in for 3CP, and if you have another Strangers of Paradise Character on the field, she will deal a Forward 9000 damage.

But, Amaterasu is a Summon.

Yes, you are correct, but take a look at Neon’s Signature ability.

It’s not cancelling an ability, it’s just changing the damage dealt to your Forward to 0. A big fat 0. Neon is trying but she isn’t taking Amaterasu’s place. And that just means that they can both work together, and Fire’s aggro will be unstoppable.

29-013H – Bahamut

This is a pretty decent Summon, although you can’t cast it as a counter attack, on one of your opponent’s attacks, you can still cause some damage here.

Bahamut deals one of your opponent’s Forwards 10,0000 damage. And, when that Forward is put into the Break Zone, during this turn. You’ll deal your opponent a point of damage as well. As long as they have 5 points of damage or less.

Now you might say that Bahamut costs 6CP and that, that might be a lot to pay, but look at what you’re getting.

Plus let’s not forget about Fang and Caius. Fang can reduce the cost to cast Bahamut by 2CP, and Caius will reduce the cost by 5CP. Caius also searches for Bahamut.

Just throwing that out there.

29-014R – Palom

We have the twins back doing what the twins do best. Twincast.

Well that’s the one option. If you have both Palom and Porom on the field, you can use Palom’s ability and deal one of your opponent’s Forwards 20,000 damage.

If not then you can just use Palom’s first ability and deal 5000, which is still good, depending on what you’re targeting.

Plus, you get a 2 cost Backup that will stick around until you need to use his abilities.

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29-015C – Faris

Oh, wow.

Look at that artwork! It looks like modern day Amano art.

Faris comes in and grabs a Fire or a Water Forward from your Break Zone and plays it straight to the field.

This is not bad at all, you can even throw Faris in your new Final Fantasy VII deck so she can grab Tifa, when your opponent breaks her.

And, after you grabbed that card from the Break Zone, Faris stays on the field as a 8K body. Attacking and Blocking until she is sent to the Break Zone.

You can then replay Faris.

29-016R/26-018H – Phoenix (XVI)

26-018H – Phoenix (XVI)\par

“Phoenix is ready to raise the dead … err the Knocked Out?

Of course your going to prime into Phoenix, cause if you don’t, well, there’s no point in playing this card.

Once Joshua primes into Phoenix, you’ll reveal the top 4 cards of your deck and add a couple of Fire cards or Final Fantasy XVI cards to your hand. Any cards, doesn’t have to be a Character, a Forward, a Summon, or a Monster or anything. just pick the two that you prefer.

Joshua and Phoenix will do well in any Mono-Fire deck. Or a FFXVI deck.

We still have Flames of Rebirth. Simply grab any Final Fantasy XVI Forward in your Break Zone and play it on to the field.

We’ll be seeing plenty of Phoenix.”

29-017C – Braska’s Final Aeon EX

I’m trying to see if it’s worth paying 9CP for Jecht … I mean Braska’s final Aeon.

When Jecht enters the field or leaves the field you will deal one of your opponent’s Forwards 8000 damage. That’s double dipping here.

I would say this is the Prime example of a Meat Shield. 9000 power, and when Braska’s Final Aeon is sent to the Break Zone, he’ll probably take another Forward with him.

If only Braska Could Prime into his Final Aeon.

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29-018C – Bomb

We got a new Bomb!

And this one is pretty Bombesque. If that makes any sense.

Bomb comes in and does nothing. For now.

Bomb is actually a ticking time bomb, waiting for the moment that you will trigger it. And when you do, Bomb will deal a Forward 4000 damage and it will also draw a card for you.

You can’t go wrong with this one.

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29-019C – Lann

I like this.

+1000 power to all the WoFF Forwards. You can’t go wrong with that.

Plus, Lann gives Reynn Haste.

If you’re playing WoFF, it’ll be a good idea to add Lann to your deck.

Hot Singles!

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17 Days to Go: The Blissful Eternity Midnight Prerelease Is Coming!

We are officially 17 days away from the Blissful Eternity Midnight Prerelease! It’s time to stop wondering and start preparing. Are you ready to try your luck and chase that ultra-rare, Tetsuya Nomura-illustrated Sephiroth Gold Stamped Signature card?

Here is everything you need to know to join the Kardboard Korner crew for our favorite community tradition.

📍 Where Are We Meeting?

While we primarily operate as an online shop, we love bringing the local community together. We’ll be hosting after-hours at our usual haunt:

🏠 Mr. Gyros 📌 9229 S. Cicero Ave, Oak Lawn, IL 60453

⏰ When is the Kickoff?

🗓️ Friday, July 31st, 2026 The main tournament event starts exactly at Midnight, but the doors open early at 9:00 PM.

  • Early Birds: Come hang out for some casual play, trading, or just grabbing some food.

  • New Players: If you’ve never played FFTCG, show up early! We’ll be running demos and teaching the basics before the tournament officially kicks off.

🏆 How Do I Win?

We’ve been hosting these since Opus XIV, and we like to make sure everyone leaves happy:

  • The Grand Prize: Secure 1st place and you’ll walk away with an extra Blissful Eternity Prerelease Kit!

  • Top 4: We’ve got dedicated prize support locked in for our top finishers.

  • The “Everyone Wins” Rule: Even if the packs aren’t in your favor, everyone who participates walks away with at least one free booster pack.

💰 Entry & Kits

  • Tournament Entry: $50.00 (Includes your first Prerelease Kit containing 9 booster packs, an exclusive promo, and sleeves).

  • Additional Kits: $45.00 each for those looking to stock up on the night.

Why Attend?

Aside from being among the absolute first to crack open Blissful Eternity and hunt for those stunning new Noir cards like Cloud, it’s all about the atmosphere. There’s something genuinely special about grinding through a tournament until 3:00 AM with a group of people who love this game just as much as you do.

Are you planning on coming out? Drop a comment below so we can get an accurate head count, or let us know which card you’re hunting for most in this set!

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Terra Luck, Cleat Fails, & Windows 11 Breakthroughs

What a week! I finally found a sliver of free time to actually play some Final Fantasy TCG instead of just sorting it. I packed up my Moogle Bounty Mayhem deck and headed over to Game Knight in Summit to check out the setup my buddy Leo has going on.

Most of the usual FFTCG crew was there, and honestly, it was an absolute blast. As for how I actually did? Let’s just say my Moogle Bounty Mayhem didn’t quite break the meta this time, and I walked away with a few losses. But hey, I’ve never claimed to be a world-champion player, and I don’t get to play nearly as much as I’d like to—so I’m strictly blaming it on rust!

The Golden Touch 🃏✨

The real highlight of the night came after the games. I grabbed my Journey of Discovery consolation pack and handed it right over to my daughter, who came along for the ride. She has notorious good luck, so I told Leo right then and there: “She’s pulling the Terra.”

Sure enough, she rips open the pack, and right there on top is Terra! It wasn’t the massive Gold Signature version, but pulling the clean Foil version right on cue gave us a great laugh. We jammed one more casual game and headed home happy.

🚨 Countdown to Midnight: Blissful Eternity Prerelease!

The countdown is officially on! We are just 25 days away from the Blissful Eternity Midnight Prerelease on Friday, July 31st.

We will be dropping a dedicated blog post with every single detail tomorrow, but here is the quick rundown of what you need to know:

  • 9:00 PM: Doors open for casual games, trading, or just hanging out.

  • Midnight (12:00 AM): Pre-release kits hit the tables and the tournament kicks off!

  • The Prizing: Winner takes home a full kit, and absolutely nobody walks away empty-handed.

Hanging Up the Cleats (That I Never Had) ⚽🤕

Outside of the card shop, soccer season is officially spinning up—and I’m coaching the little ones this year!

I took the kids down to the local field down the street for practice, and in a momentary lapse of reason, I decided to show off a bit. I tried to pull off a slick Rabona kick, completely miscalculated, kicked the heel of my own standing foot, and went down hard. Naturally, because I never learn my lesson, I got right back up to try it one more time and promptly tripped right over the ball.

I guess it’s finally time to admit I’m not young anymore and hang up my cleats… which is easy, considering I never actually owned soccer cleats in the first place. And, that means that I can’t hang them up. I’ll be still out there playing.

In Other News… 🖥️

I am slowly but surely making peace with Windows 11. There are definitely still some features that drive me crazy, but I’ve managed to find a few solid workarounds for my documents and layouts. If you’re struggling with the update too, hang in there—there is light at the end of the tunnel!

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What a weekend we just had!

While everyone else was out enjoying the 4th of July, we were dealing with a different kind of fireworks—tech problems. Once again, an SSL malfunction reared its ugly head, and we spent the holiday weekend trying to get it sorted out. From the looks of it, everything is finally back to normal and the site is stable. It is always incredibly frustrating when your website goes down out of the blue, especially when you are actively trying to prep the shop for a major set release.

Speaking of which, the Blissful Eternity Midnight Prerelease is right around the Korner! We are officially 25 days away from Friday, July 31st. We will be dropping more specific venue details later this week, but if you’ve already been to one of our midnight events, you already know what kind of hype is in store.

The Great Windows 11 Document Headache 🖥️

In other tech news, I finally got a new work computer, and I’ve gotta say: I am absolutely not liking Windows 11 right now.

The biggest issue? They completely stripped away native support for Rich Text Documents (.rtf). Since the vast majority of our operational files, lists, and templates were built using Rich Text, it’s created a massive headache. Now, I have to go through the painstaking process of converting all those old files into simple text documents or finding a workaround just to access our data. If you’ve got a smooth trick for handling this transition, my inbox is wide open.

Lorcana Flash Sale (And How We Got It) 🧚

If you’ve been keeping an eye on our TCGPlayer store over the last few days, you might have noticed some Disney Lorcana singles hitting the shelves. Well, blink and you missed them, because they have been absolutely flying out the door. We had one massive batch of listings that completely sold out before morning!

Does this mean Kardboard Korner is officially breaking into Lorcana? Probably not. We aren’t planning to stock it regularly, but I definitely won’t second-guess buying a collection next time someone brings one to the table. We actually almost turned this specific batch down entirely, but it was bundled into a much larger, high-value Final Fantasy TCG collection that we just couldn’t pass up. Our loss is your gain, and the local Lorcana community wasted no time clearing it out!