Tag: lightning

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The Scions Return: Heavensward Starter Set Incoming

We’ve got some massive news to tack onto the Memories of Life hype train—a brand-new Custom Starter Set is officially headed our way!

Starter sets are always the perfect entry point for new players, but veteran deckbuilders know they also pack some serious heat. The cards inside are built to synergize perfectly right out of the box. Given how dominant Final Fantasy XIV decks have been in past metas, this new release might be exactly what the Scions need to climb right back to the top of the competitive ladder.

Here is the breakdown for the upcoming FINAL FANTASY XIV – Heavensward Custom Starter Set, along with a first look at what these new cards can actually do.

Key Details & Release Date

Mark your calendars—this pre-constructed deck is themed around the critically acclaimed Heavensward expansion and is locked in for release later this autumn:

  • Release Date: October 9, 2026

  • Elements: Ice & Lightning

  • Format: Ready-to-play right out of the box, featuring an intuitive learning curve for beginners alongside high-level strategic options for seasoned competitive players.

What’s in the Box?

This deck isn’t just a standard 50-card pile; it comes fully equipped with a modern setup, including a dedicated Limit Break deck:

  • 58 Cards Total

  • 1 Main Deck (50 cards)

  • 1 LB Deck (8 cards)

  • 2 Quick Start Guides

Newly Illustrated Cards & Card Text Breakdown

The Heavensward set introduces 12 brand-new cards. Collectors take note: 5 of these cards feature exclusive, newly drawn artwork capturing iconic heroes and villains from the expansion.

Even better, we now have a look at how these new cards operate on the field, and the FFXIV tribal synergy is off the charts:

Newly Illustrated Cards (5 Total)

  • [30-121S] Haurchefant (Includes 1 Full Art Premium version!)

    • He breaks an opponent’s Forward if you control 5 FFXIV Characters. Plus, you can send Haurchefant to the Break Zone to completely reduce the next damage dealt to a Forward of your choice to 0. A true protector!

  • [30-127S] Tataru

    •  A pure value engine. If you have at least 4 FFXIV Characters on the field, she draws you a card.

  • [30-128S] Ysayle

    •  Magnificent as always. If you have a full board of Scions or any FFXIV Characters established, she’s highly likely to freeze your opponent’s entire board. Talk about a lockdown piece.

  • [30-129S] Alphinaud

    •  When he enters, he reveals the top 2 cards of your deck and lets you add one to your hand, provided it’s an FFXIV Character. Great consistency tool.

  • [30-130S] Estinien

    • Just Estinien being Estinien. If your opponent controls a Forward with over 9000 power, he gains Haste. Even crazier: every time he attacks, if you control at least 4 FFXIV Characters, he instantly breaks one of your opponent’s Forwards.

Additional New Cards (7 Total)

  • [30-119S] Yeti

  • [30-120S] Emmanellain

  • [30-122S] Nidhogg

  • [30-123S] Count Edmont de Fortemps

  • [30-124S] Dragon-King Thordan

  • [30-126S] Cid Garlond

  • [30-125S] Coeurlregina

The Verdict

Whether you’re a collector chasing that gorgeous Full Art Haurchefant, an FFXIV fan loyal to the Ishgard crew, or a competitor looking to break the Ice/Lightning meta wide open with Estinien and Ysayle, Square Enix is delivering on their promise. This set elevates both visual appeal and on-board power beyond any starter deck we’ve seen to date.

We can’t wait to get these into the shop and onto your tables this October!

What do you think of these card effects? Does Ysayle look like a mandatory inclusion for Ice/Lightning, or are you more excited about Estinien’s Limit Break utility? Let us know in the comments!

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Dreamlike Limit Break

28-119R – Serah LB

Fire and Ice.

Serah comes on in and depending on how many Fire and Ice Characters you have on the field, will determine what she does.
IF you have 3 Fire Characters, Serah will deal a Forward 5000 damage.

If you have 3 Ice Characters, Serah will have your opponent discard a card.

And, if you have 3 and 3 then both of these abilities will go off.

Not bad, but I always feel like these Limit Breaks should be more like a Limit Break.

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28-120R – Ritz LB

How bad do you need that Crystal?

If you need it right away this is the Limit Break for you.

The cost for it is a bit high, when there are plenty of other cards that will get you a Crystal for much cheaper. The only difference is that Ritz is ready to go when you need her.

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28-121R – Gilgamesh LB

Gilgamesh is here.

Again. And, there’s nothing wrong with that, because we all like Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh is a your body ready to attack, ready to block, and he won’t take much damage for Gilgamesh has First Strike.

This is a usable Limit Break to have, just in case you need to throw in a big body.

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28-122R – Rufus LB

Rufus comes on in, and if you pay the extra cost of 1 Earth CP and 1 Lightning CP, you can play a Final Fantasy VII Forward from your Break Zone onto the field.

Yes, please and thank you.

Not much else to say. Sure, the cost is a bit high, 7CP total, but you also need to take into account that you can play Rufus, whenever you’d like. You don’t need to hope you’ll draw him during the turn that you need him, because he is sitting there in your Limit Break deck ready to go.

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28-123R – Ashe LB

Might as well just play Ashe from the very start.

You’ll pay 6CP up front, but after that, most of your MBM characters will cost 1CP, but only at the beginning of your Attack Phase.

Let’s not forget that Ashe will look at the top 5 cards of your deck when she enters the field, and then you will select a MBM Character and add it to your hand.

If all goes as planned, Ashe will have paid for herself in two turns.

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28-124R – Bahamut LB

I don’t know, 9CP is a lot.

And, what do you get in return, maybe a broken Forward and a Meat Shield.

Well you’ll get a body on the field, but other than that, I’d leave this one at home.

 

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Darklike Light?

28-115L – Lightning

We just talked about Mono-Mono-Lightning a few days back, and this Lightning is a perfect fit for it.

Why?

Well, because it’ll search for the other Lightning.

But, first things first, we’ll take a look at this card by itself.

2CP, for a 9K body. That’s it. That is cheap. People would be happy to pay that even if Lightning didn’t do anything else.

No enter the field abilities, just a couple of abilities for when she is removed from the game.

First, if Lightning is in your Break Zone you can remove her from the game and search for another Lightning that’s 6CP or less and play it onto the field.

And, when Lightning is removed from the game, you can pay 4CP and remove one of your opponent’s Forwards from the game.

Either way it’s a win.

Hoe much did that Lightning Lightning cost?

28-116H – Louise

From what it looks like, Louise will never see the field. She might if you need a body real quick.

Louise is the Crystal Generator for the Warriors of the Crystal.

Simply put, you discard her from your hand and put her into the Break Zone, and you will gain a Crystal.

After that you’ll play a Warrior of the Crystal, and when that Warrior of the Crystal enters the field, you’ll remove Louise from the Break Zone and gain one more Crystal.

2 Crystals, in one turn. All it cost you was Louise.

Sounds like an even trade.

28-117H – Vayne

2 cards per turn?

Talk about giving your opponent a restraining order. Especially if they’re trying to swarm the field.

Vayne will do good in decks that play high cost cards, as you won’t really be able to play too much of them. The faster you can get Vayne on the field the better your chances.

And when Vayne is sent to the Break Zone, your opponent won’t be able to play any cards this turn. That’s just a little cherry on top.

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28-118L – Golbez

Got Monsters?

Golbez will help you search and play. Any Monster with a cost of 3CP or less. Perfect for my Bombs. They’ll be getting an upgrade.

And as long as Golbez is on the field, whenever a Monster enters the field, you can either Dull or Activate a Character.

We shall rebuild the Bomb Squad! And, it will be better than ever!

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Dreamlike Lightning

28-077R – Wicked Thunder

Lightning in a bottle.

Wicked Thunder will break one of your opponent’s higher cost Forwards when she enters the field. Which one? Your opponent gets to choose.

You will also have to break one of your higher cost Forwards as well.

And at 3 points of damage, Wicked Thunder can not be broken by abilities that don’t deal damage. Meaning you get to keep this 9K body on the field just a little while longer.

 

28-078H – Ulmia

For 4CP you can search for a Character that costs 6CP or more.

And, that’s more cards than you can shake a stick at. Or a harp.

Ulmia’s 2nd ability gives Haste to a Forward that costs 6CP or more.

I think I see a pattern here.

I won’t say no to this card.

 

28-079C – Elena (FFBE)

Need a Crystal?

Throw Elena on to the field, and block the first Attacker.

If you already have a Crystal, you can give a Brave Exvius Forward +2000 power and Haste.

And, that’s all you need to know.

Elena is just a Meat Shield that can generate a Crystal.

 

28-080C – Gurdy

This is a great card.

I did play MBM during our Midnight Prerelease, and it was great how easily this deck is played.

Gurdy comes right in and grabs a Moogle Bounty Mayhem Character from the Break Zone and you add it to your hand. That means you can grab another Gurdy from your Break Zone. And, you can keep recycling them.

Why would you need to recycle them?

If you look at Gurdy’s second ability, you will break a Forward. Which Forward? Well that will depend on how many MBM Characters you have on the field.

I have a feeling that Gurdy has a high chance of getting the ban hammer.

28-081L – Kain

Now this is a great card.

Kain will break a Forward whenever he enters the field through a Summon or an ability.

That being said, Kain can Warp on to the field. And, he will Break a Forward.

At 3 points of Damage Kain gains +1000 power, Haste and First Strike.

Now, let’s get to Jump. Kain’s S Ability. Kain will jump out of the field and Remove himself from the game, but then he will come back at the end of the turn. And, when Kain comes back, he will Break one of your opponent’s Forwards.

Kain Warps in, Breaks a Forward, then you play Rinoa (6-041L) which will bounce Kain. And when he comes back you will Break another Character. Then use Kain’s S ability, to Jump out and Jump back in to Break another Forward.

How many Kains can you fit in a deck?

28-082R – Cait Sith EX

Cait Sith is here ready to stall your opponent with his fortune telling.

And, what does your opponent’s fortune come out to?

One of their Forwards is dull.

And, then your fortune says, you can draw a card.

When are we getting the moogle as a card?

 

28-083C – Onion Knight (FFTS)

Onion Knight has one job, and that is to mine for Crystals. They’ll grab one when they enter the field, and another one when they are sent to the Break Zone.

Other than that, Onion Knight will produce 1CP per turn as that is what all Backups do.

Maybe they’ll finally retire the cards they’ve been reprinting since Crystal Dominion.

 

 

 

28-084R – Nono

This is a great card as well, and can be played for Free!

Nono’s cost is reduced by one for each Moogle Bounty Mayhem Character that you control. Meaning that if you already have 6 on the field, Nono is a Free Play!

And, what a Free Play! (Yes, we have to Capitalize Free Play, cause we’re excited.)

Nono comes right in and breaks one of your opponent’s Forwards.

And, after that, you have a Meat Shield on the field, that you will want to get rid of.

Why?

So, you can play another Nono.

And another.

Gurdy, will have his work cut out for him.

28-085C – Baknamy

Another Backup that has a good ability, but that ability is locked by the number of Backups that you control.

That was a mouthful.

Now, that ability breaks a Forward of 3CP or less.

If you can build your Backups fast, you can use this whenever you’d like.

If not then you’ll have to wait.

And, wait.

28-086R – Basch

This Moogle Bounty Mayhem deck just keeps getting better and better.

Basch comes in at 2CP with 5000 power.

If you have 5 MBM Characters on the field, Basch will gain +5000 power and Brave. Giving him a 10K body.

But that’s not all.

If you still need more power, you can discard a Moogle Bounty Mayhem Character and give Bach another 5000 power, for a grand total of 15,000 power.

And, I’m sure there are more ways to bring up his power even more.

28-087H Bahamut SIN

Really?!?

4CP to cast this Summon?

Never mind the extra cost of 2 Crystals, but this is great. I expect this one to be in almost every Lightning deck.

Bahamut SIN comes in and breaks 2 Forwards. Period.

Yeah, you have to pay 2 Crystals to break the second Forward. And, I would pay it with a smile on my face. Every single time.

This card might be the reason we have more Crystal generators in this set.

28-088H – Balthier

MBM.

What’s Moogle Mayhem Bounty? How come I’ve never heard of it?

Anyways, Balthier is here to make MBM a threat. First off, he comes in with Haste.

Second if you have 5 MBM Characters on the field, Balthier will give a Forward Haste every time he attacks.

And, lastly, Whenever a MBM Forward attacks, you will dull a Forward.

That last one by itself is great. I’d pay 5CP just for that ability.

Now, I want to go back and check out all the other MBM cards.

28-089C – Palom

Palom is here to deal some damage.

All you need is a Crystal for when he enters the field.

At only 2CP this might be a steal, cause most of the time, you will be breaking that Forward.

Wait a second.

Since when was Palom in Crystal Chronicles?

I’m going to have to look into this.

28-090C – Fran

And right next to Balthier is Fran who is the perfect card for him. As always.

Fran comes in and grabs a MBM Forward from your Break Zone.

More than likely you will grab Balthier. You will then use Fran’s second ability to play Balthier. Balthier comes in with Haste and attacks. And since you already have 5 MBM cards on the field, Baltheir will give Fran Haste. Balthier will also dull one of your opponent’s Forwards. Fran will now attack. And since Balthier is still on the field, she will dull a Forward as well.

You get all this for a grand total of 5CP, minus the 2CP of grabbing a card from your Break Zone. Actual cost is 3CP.

Not bad.

28-091R – Vorpal Bunny

More MBM.

Vorpal Bunny is a crap shot.

Vorpal Bunny comes in, you choose a Forward of 3CP or less, and you put the top card of your deck into the Break Zone. If it’s a Forward you get to Break that Forward. If it’s not you just picked a Forward for no reason.

Vorpal Bunny also turns into a Forward, giving Balthier an extra shot to dull one of your opponent’s Forwards.

 

28-092C – Montblanc

Montblanc is here to help you play your MBM Monsters on to the field. Or any MBM Character, as long as their cost is 3CP or less.

I mean this is a great card to play early on. And if you play let’s say Gurdy, you’ll grab another card from your Break Zone, and Montblanc will have become a Free Play as well.

He also has this small ability that deals 4000 damage to a Forward of your choosing.

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28-093H – Lightning

This card is amazing as well. Lots of great cards in this set, and Lightning is no exception.

For 6CP you play Lightning, once she is on the field, you’ll reveal the top 5 cards of your deck. All Odins and Lightnings will be added to your hand. The rest go to the bottom of your deck.

Meaning that if for some reason there are 5 Odins and/or Lightnings, you’ll be up 4CP from the play.

And when Lightning enters the field you may discard a card to break one of your opponent’s Forwards. If that card is named Lightning, then you will also draw a card.

Now picture this.

Mono-Mono-Lightning. Fill your deck up with 30 Lightnings and 20 Odins, and see if that works.

It doesn’t even matter which Lightning cards you grab, cause they’re just fodder for Lightnings ability whenever she attacks.

28-094C – Dragoon

4CP and a Crystal to Break a Forward?

I’ll take it.

And, since we have a bunch of Dragoons that generate Crystals, you’re good to go.

After that you got an 8k body on the field, and you should be good to go.

 

 

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28-095L – Lumina

Ok, Ok.

This is a wonderful card.

It’s a great card.

It’s Lumina, she can’t get a bad card, can she?

Lumina comes in for 2CP and amd she will break a Forward. Which Forward? Depends on how many Final Fantasy XIII Characters you already have on the field.

This one also comes off of an EX Burst.

And, you can discard a Final Fantasy XIII card, and exchange it with another Final Fantasy XIII card that is in your Break Zone.

What’s not to like?

I’ll take 3. Full Arts.

Electrifying Singles!

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Journey of Limit Breaks

27-113R – Firion LB

Yes, and no.

Firion comes on in and he activates 3 of your Backups. Then you’ll look at the top 3 cards of your deck and add one of them to your hand.

What do I like?

That you will reduce the cost to play Firion down to 2CP.

You’ll need 7CP to play him, but you’ll get most of that CP back.

I mean, you can throw it in your Limit Break deck, and maybe you’ll have a use for it.

I believe there are better cards to play.

27-114R – Robel Akbel LB

We’re getting plenty of ways to break Forwards … wait a minute .. a Character? Not just a Forward, but a Backup or a Monster as well?

Take your pick! Robel-Akbel can and will take care of anything that your opponent has placed on the field.

And, the cost isntt that high for what you are getting. If we take into account Opus I Odin that breaks any Forward, which costs 7CP. Robel-Akbel also costs 7CP, and he will send any Character to the Break Zone, plus you’ll have a Meat Shield on the field for after wards.

Yes, you do need a total of 5 Backups on the field, but you should be aiming for that anyway.

27-115R – Shadow Lord LB

If your playing Iced Earth, you’ll be having some fun with Shadow Lord.

You’ll need 4 Ice Characters and 4 Earth Characters on the field to get the full effect of Shadow Lord’s enter the field abilities. And that should be the only time you play him, because if not, well then you’ll be wasting CP.

If you have 4 Ice Characters on the field, Shadow Lord will dull and Freeze 2 of your opponent’s Characters.

If you have 4 Earth Characters on the field, Shadow Lord will grab a Character from your Break Zone, bringing his cost down to 4CP.

There will be moments when Shadow Lord shines, but there will also be plenty of times that he will be useless. Especially in the early game.

27-116R – The Emperor LB

Weren’t we just talking about the Emperor just the other day?

Well, here’s to starting off the recycling of The Emperor with this card right here. Ice/Lightning ready to roll.

Every time the Emperor attacks, you will dull one of your opponent’s Forwards. The Emperor will be able to sneak in attacks from this early on. And, when your opponent has had enough of The Emperor’s shenanigans, and decides to get rid of him, you will search for another Emperor when this Emperor leaves the field.

I shall get to work on this deck.
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27-117R – Onion Knight LB

What do we have here?

Onion Knight acting like a ninja, that comes with a warranty of sorts. Onion Knight works his magic on the way out, rather than when he enters the field.

When Onion Knight does leave the field, you can play a Dissidia Forward from your hand that costs 4CP. And, you can put Onion Knight into the Break Zone whenever you’d like to Break a Forward of 4CP or less.

Once that happens, you play a Dissidia Forward from your hand.

And there are a lot of Dissidia Forwards to choose from.

27-118R – Vaan LB

Sky Pirates or not, Vaan is a decent Limit Break in all of your Wind/Water decks.

If you have 4 Wind Characters on the field, Vaan will Activate all of your Backups.

If you have 4 Water Characters on the field, Vaan will cause a Forward to lose 8000 power.

Both are good abilities, but I prefer the Wind one Activating all of your Backups, meaning that Vaan’s cost can come down to 2CP and if you have an Opus VIII White Mage on the field. You can then go ahead and Activate all of your Forwards.

This might be a good play for your Main Phase 2, if things didn’t go as planned.

27-119R – Warrior of Light LB

Warrior of Light is ready to bulk up your front line.

When he enters the field, you can search for either a Earth Standard Unit or a Water Standard Unit and play it onto the field.
And, when that Standard Unit enters the field you will draw a card. Only draw back is that you will have to discard a card as well.

You can always play Opus IV Viking and get and additional card when it enters the field. Bringing Warrior of Light’s cost down to 2CP, and you’ll get that 2CP when Viking leaves the field. It’s not a bad play, but there are better ones.

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27-120R – Terra LB

5CP, plus the extra cost if you want to use her abilities, for a maximum of 7CP.

The first one with the additional cost of 1 Lightning CP will break one of your opponents Forwards.

The second one with the additional cost of 1 Fire CP, will remove all of the cards in your opponent’s Break Zone.
The first one is worth paying for, every single time.

The second one, is worth it if your opponent keeps going into their Break Zone to grab a card that was lost earlier.
Either way, Terra is a good play.
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27-121R – Locke LB

Locke is ready to roll, and take away your opponent’s resources.

When Locke enters the field, you’ll choose one of your opponent’s Forwards and send them back to their hand. When it is returned to their hand, they will discard a card.

The second ability triggers once per turn, so you can look for different ways to send cards back to their hand. There’s plenty of cards that return cards to your opponent’s hand, you just have to find the right ones.

Other than that, Locke has 8000 power, and should be able to stick around long enough for him to use his ability plenty of times.

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