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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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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!

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Post-Storm Update: We Are Back & The Restock Quest Continues!

What a week we just had! Storm season finally caught up with us, and it did a real number on our operations. Usually, a blackout around here only lasts a couple of hours, but this storm was a completely different beast.

We were left entirely in the dark for a few days. To make things even more interesting, when the power finally did kick back on, only half of our electricity worked—which meant our internet was dead for another full day.

While my wife and kids managed to escape the outage and head out of town to a nice resort, I stayed behind to hold down the fort and keep things moving as best I could. Of course, the exact day we would have been leaving was the day the power finally clicked back on at the restaurant. That meant an immediate mountain of work: inspecting the inventory, throwing out what didn’t survive, and grinding hard to get everything prepped and ready to open the doors again.

Back on the Restock Quest 🃏

Before the weather decided to interfere, we were absolutely flying through our card inventory. We officially wrapped up Opus V and are sitting right at the finish line for Opus VI. We honestly would have been completely done with Opus VI by now, but that’s right when the storm struck and pulled the plug!

Shipping Update 📦

If you currently have a pending order with us, thank you so much for your patience. Now that our lights, internet, and computers are fully operational again, we are working around the clock to pack, tag, and ship every single order out A.S.A.P.