Tag: martial artist

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Gunslinger in the Earth

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20-061H – Ajido-Marujido

I don’t know how playable this card is.

You need at least 3 elements to get the first ability to go off, and 5 elements for the second ability. Granted if you do pay with 5 elements, both of Ajido-Marujidos abilities will go off.
Now, what do these abilities do?

The first one breaks one of your opponent’s Forwards, while the second one removes one of your opponent’s Forwards from the game.

You likely won’t be able to get the full effect of this card until late in the game, but if you do, you’ll be getting rid of 2 of your opponent’s Forwards leaving a whole in their front line.

Hopefully this will be the card that hands you the game.

If not, then there are plenty of other cards available to use.

20-062R – Apururu

Does anyone actually play a Final Fantasy XI themed deck?

If so what is it? Apururu here might be able to help you out as Apururu will produce CP of any element when paying for a Final Fantasy XI card.

And, at 2CP it’s worth throwing it in your deck.

Why is it that Earth has the most cards that can produce CP of any Element?

I don’t know if Apururu knows the answer, but he might be a decent play.

20-063R -Althyk EX

Why does Althyk look like Odin?

“Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental”

Althyk enters the field, and if you have at least 4 of “The Twelve” on the field, Althyk will deal one of your opponent’s Forwards 9000 damage, giving you a good chance at breaking that Forward.

And, what does Odin do? Odin breaks them. Well most of the time.

Did we mention this also comes off of an EX Burst?

20-064R – Ignis

Ignis is a Wild Card.

His ability is only as good as the Forwards that you already have on the field.

Once Ignis enters the field, you’ll dull 2 Forwards and deal another Forward damage equal to the power of the other 2 Forwards that you dulled.

It’s a mix and match game.

Do you have enough power to take down that 9000 power body that your opponent has on the field? Have Ignis take him down. If not just hold on to Ignis until you do.

Ignis also gains +2000 power when you have 3 points of damage.

20-065L – Vanille

At 1CP what’s not to like about Vanille.

The art? It’s great. The 4000 power? That’s perfect for her ability.

Vanille works great as a defender. She will block any attack, and if she is sent to the Break Zone, you can then remove her from the game, and Vanille will allow you to grab a Final Fantasy XIII Forward from your Break Zone.

And, if that’s not enough. Once per turn Vanille will look at the top card of your deck, and if it is a Final Fantasy XIII card, you will add that card to your hand.

Like I said, what’s not to like?

20-066L – Vincent

The Gunslinger, Vincent, ready to wreak havoc on you opponent.

Vincent comes in and right from the get go, he will destroy all of your opponent’s Forwards that cost 3CP or less. 99.99% of the time, those Forwards will be sent to the Break Zone. And, I only said 99.99% because we might get a 3 cost Forward with more then 10K. There are plenty of 9K Forwards, and those might make it out alive if you have a card like Maria (1-083H) on the field, who will give all your Forwards +1000 power.

Vincent will also deal 9000 damage to a Forward that targets him with it’s ability.
And, when Vincent is chosen by your opponent’s Summon, Vincent will choose one of your opponent’s Forwards and deal them 9000 damage as well.

If you get this at Prerelease or in draft, you better come out the winner.

Let’s not forget, Vincent also has First Strike!

20-067H – Eiko

If you’ve been wondering why we’ve been getting all these Summons with Eiko on them, we now have your answer.

Not really, but it sounded good.

Eiko will come in and you can grab 4 Summons from your Break Zone and put them on top of your deck. You may now shuffle your deck and reveal the top 4 cards. If you find a Summon, you can cast it without paying the cost.

The rest of the cards are sent into the Break Zone.

You might get a great play, but then again you might lose 3 of the cards that you need. It’s risk vs. reward here.

Eiko then sticks around as a Forward with 5000 power.

20-068C – Gladiator

I think they’re running out of Standard Units. I’ll have to check to make sure, but they introduced an old game, just to use the Jobs.

I don’t mind it, I’m just saying what it looks like to me. I think it’s time to bring the 8bit sprites for cards.

Oh wait. We’re supposed to be talking about Gladiator.

Gladiator is a Backup, that can give one of your Forwards +1000 power until the end of the turn. You’ll need to discard a card for this ability.

And, if the card you discard is a Fire card, then that Forward gains +3000 power.

And, that’s about it.

Now, where are those 8bit cards?

20-069C – BeastMaster

Do you feel lucky?

Play Beastmaster, and when you reveal the top 3 cards of your deck, and if you find a Monster that costs 2CP or less, you can play it on to the field. If not all 3 cards go to the bottom of your deck.

You can also put Beastmaster in the Break Zone and give one of your Monster Forwards +4000 power.

It’s a gamble that will cost you 3CP.

20-070H – Zangan

Zangan makes an appearance after being on hiatus since Opus I. Maybe that’s why he looks angry.

And this one is worth playing.

First off, Zangan will allow you to play a Tifa from your hand onto the field. Tifa’s cost can be no more than 5CP. This allows you to play any TIfa so far, except for the Rebellion’s Call Tifa which costs 6CP.

This would make Zangan a good play all in itself, as you will get 2 cards for the price of one.

But, that is definitely not all that Zangan can do. Zangan allows himself and Tifa to use abilities that dull in the same turn as they come in.

And, Zangan does have an ability as such, when you use it, you will deal 5000 damage to a Forward for each Martial Artist that you have. It will usually be Zangan and Tifa on the field. But, there is also Dadaluma and a Snow card that is a Martial Artist as well. Not to mention Opus I Bartz, who has all the jobs.

A new tribal deck has emerged, and is in the process of being complete.

20-071C – Sheiran

What am I missing?

I don’t remember Sheiran in Final Fantasy VII, unless they just named him in the Remake.
Sheiran enters the field and grabs a Final Fantasy VII Character from the Break Zone. And, if it’s Tifa, her cost is reduced by 3CP.

Was he the doctor that helped Cloud, or was that just nurses? I can’t remember. I just remember Cloud in a wheel chair.

It took me a second to realize that yes, Sheiran grabs a Final Fantasy VII Character from the Break Zone. And, grabbing cards from the Break Zone is always great.

This is why first opinions should always be double checked.

20-072R – Titan

Big Boss Man Titan.

He’s more like a manager.

When you cast Titan, you’ll give one of your Forwards +2000 power, and that Forward will deal damage to one of your opponent’s Forwards that you will choose.

We’ve seen this before, plenty of times. The only difference with this Titan is that you can dull 2 Earth Forwards instead of paying 3CP.

 

20-073C – Dyne

The other man with a machine gun hand.

Dyne comes in for 6CP, and you’re going to want to pay for him with cards from your hand.

Why?

Because the more cards you discard to pay for Dyne, the stronger his attack is.
4000 for each card you discard, bringing it up to a total of 12,000 damage to a Forward.

And, after that attack is done, you have a 9K body on the field. Ready to attack or block.

20-074C – Tama

Tama comes in and you have a decision to make.

Would you like to gain a Crystal?

Or would you like to grab a World of Final Fantasy Character from the Break Zone?
Either way you’re getting something.

Luckily we got Geomancer in this set, and you’ll be ready to use that second ability to grab from your Break Zone.

 

20-075C – Dio

Here’s your “Rainbow in the Park”

Sort of looks like Dio too, if you take away the mustache, and make him shorter. And less buff.

The Park Director is ready to manhandle your opponent, one Forward at a time. Cause when Dio blocks, or gets blocked he gains +3000 power, add in Enna Kros and that’s another +1000 power, and Maria as we mentioned earlier with Vincent, that brings Dio up to +5000 power.

That’s a lot of power.

And, when you have that 12,000 power on Dio, you can choose which Forward will block Dio. Allowing you to slowly take apart your opponent’s front line.

I think Dio along with Vincent will be fun to play with. Not against.

20-076H – Tifa

Are you ready for another 3 Card Trick?

Tifa, Zangan and Cloud, is all you’ll need. Doesn’t matter which Cloud as long as you have Zangan. The only Zangan that we have as of now. Maybe we’ll get another one this set, but I haven’t seen any yet. (Edit : I did, but I already wrote this one)

Zangan will come in and he will search for Tifa. Tifa will get Haste because Zangan is on the field. Since Tifa has Haste, you can go ahead and use her S ability. You can discard any card, because Zangan is on the field. Deal 8000 damage to one of your opponent’s Forwards, and since Cloud is on the field you will Activate Tifa. Rinse and Repeat, until you run out of cards in your hand, or Forwards to target.

Final Fantasy VII will be fun to play once again.

20-077R – Noctis

Noctis is thinking of a plan. How do I get back our fallen comrades?

And, he has figured it out.

When Noctis comes on to the field, he will search for a Final Fantasy XV Character and he will place it on top of your deck.

Now, that doesn’t help much, but if you have received 3 points of damage, Noctis’s second ability comes into play, which states When Noctis enters the field, draw a card. Technically speaking, Noctis grabs a Final Fantasy XV Character from the Break Zone and adds it to your hand.

After that, Noctis is a Meat Shield that will block an attack, and once he enters the Break Zone, you can play him once again.
Extra points if you grab Noctis and repeat, over and over for a blocker that can never be stopped.

It’s like casting Reraise.

20-078C – Nophica

Here we go!

Nophica is able to grab a couple of “The Twelve” from the Break Zone. One on her way in, and one on her way out.

At 4CP this can potentially be a Free Play, and if you play your cards right, it will be a Free Play.

With 8000 power, your opponent will have a little bit of a struggle trying to deal with her, and when they finally do, you can just put Nophica into the Break Zone, to grab the other “The Twelve” member.

The only thing that would make this card better is, if Nophica was able to grab herself from the Break Zone. But, then Nophica would have been more than a Rare.

20-079C-15-080C – Geomancer

Here’s a reprint, of a reprint, of a reprint.

So, we’re just going to, you guessed it, Copy/Paste from Opus XV Crystal Dominion.

“Geomancer here comes in gives you a Crystal, that you can use to play Cecil. After that, Geomancer dulls and heads over to the Break Zone, and gives Cecil Brave on the way out.”

What was Cecil doing?

At least you can use Geomancer for Tama.

20-080C – Mandragora

Didn’t we already get this card last set? Let me check.

Nope we got a similar card, which combined with this one will leave your opponent hurting.

Mandragora becomes a Forward during your turn and whenever it deals damage to a Forward that Forward breaks. Like the Wind.

And if Mandragora deals damage to your opponent, Mandragora gets sent to the Break Zone, and you can grab a card from your Break Zone and add it to your hand. You can always pick another Mandragora from your Break Zone, rinse and repeat.

We currently have 3 Mandragora type cards. I’ll be keeping an eye on these, maybe someday we’ll be able to make a Madragora deck.

Singles from under the Earth! 

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Hidden Trials – By Fire

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3-001C – Garland

What a way to start off the set.

A 2 cost Backup that when Garland enters the field, you gain control of one of your opponents Forwards.

Sure, you’ll only have control of that Forward until the end of the turn, but, it is a good way to spoil your opponent’s plans and attack with that Forward, where they’ll either block it and send it to the Break Zone, or you’ll break the blocking Forward, or you’ll deal them a point of Damage.

I’ll take 3 of these.

Now, where did I put that card that recycles Backups? I can’t even remember which one it was.

23-002L – Caius

Caius is making a comeback, and he’s forming a Tag Team with Bahamut. Any Bahamut will do, as Caius will enter the field, you’ll search for Bahamut, and cast Bahamut right away. Most Likely that Bahamut will be a Free Play. As all Bahamuts cost 5CP or less with the exception of the Opus I Bahamut which costs 9CP.

You can play that one for 2CP, if you have Fang on the field, 19-131S or 19-020R, as both of these reduce the cost to cast Bahamut by 2.

Other than that you can cast Raise on Caius as he enters the Break Zone, for the small price of discarding 3 cards from your hand, Caius can came back to the field.

Even Yeul couldn’t see that one coming.

23-003C – Kain

Haste, and First Strike?

Kain is ready to strike!

Remember when we were talking about an all Haste deck? Well, Kain here is the perfect fir for it. Cause, every time he attacks, all of the Forwards with Haste or First Strike gain +2000 power.

Your opponent won’t know what to block, when to block, who to block, where to block, and most importantly, how to block.

Double Jump, is just a regular Jump attack, if it was double, Kain would be dealing damage to 2 Forwards.

23-004R – Kefka

First off, this is a great looking card. Almost reminds you of some Amano art.

Second off, Kefka is here to wreak Havoc on your opponent. Every time he attacks, Kefka deals 4000 damage to one of your opponent’s Forwards.

But, you’ll want to wait until you have 5 points of damage to play Kefka. Cause when you do, Kefka comes in with Haste, +2000 power, and whenever Kefka deals damage to your opponent, or to a Forward they control, you will double the damage Kefka deals to them.

That means 2 cards in the Damage Zone. And, when he attacks, it’s 8000 damage to that Forward that you choose and at least 14,000 damage to the Forward that will block Kefka.

When your back is against the wall, Kefka will do what Kefka does best.

I’ll take 3 Full Arts, Por Favor.

23-005R – Golbez

I don’t know how Golbez is just a Rare.

Golbez has 3 abilities to choose from, each one is better than the other.

Deal 5000 damage to all of your opponent’s Forwards. Break a Forward. And, the one I like the most, Grab a Forward from your Break Zone.

You can start building decks with all different cards, EDH style, and if a Forward ends up in the Break Zone, just use Golbez to grab it back.

All you need to do is protect Golbez, and you’ll never miss a card. Unless it ends up in the Damage Zone, but we have a way to grab cards from there as well.

23-006R – Soulcage

For 2CP you get a Forward with 9000 power. Is there a sale on Soulcage, cause that is dirt cheap. You can’t even get a deal like that at the Goodwill anymore!

Yes, Soulcage is a Monster, and yes, you need another Monster on the field for Soulcage to become a Forward, but that’s not a hard thing to do. Especially with all of these Monster decks that are going around.

And, when you put Soulcage into the Break Zone, you can remove it from the game, and grab a Monster from your Break Zone and add that one to your hand. It’s a win-win.

 

23-007C/15-007C – Samurai

Just Copy/Paste from what we wrote for Dawn of Heroes.

“What? A reprint? I wasn’t expecting that. Let’s see what we wrote when Crystal Dominion came out.

“Exchanging 2CP for a Crystal.

Seems like an even trade. Now to find what we’re going to use these Crystals for?

Samurai has no abilities, that consume Crystals, but there are plenty other cards that do. Samurai’s job is to give you a Crystal and then hopefully you’ll find a way to Break Samurai so you can play your real Backups. ”

Huh? What was I even writing, I had to edit it to make sense. In my defense, we didn’t know what Crystals would be doing back then. … Half the time I still don’t know.

Because apparently, if you actually read the card Samurai can put itself in the Break Zone.”

23-008H – Zidane

Free Zidane!

You play Zidane, and once he enters the field you get to search for 2 FFIX Forwards and, add them to your hand. And, that’s great, you can get rid of him right after, because he only has 5000 power, but that’s still enough to block one of your opponents attacks.

If we get some decent FFIX cards, Zidane would be one of the first cards you would throw into a IX deck.

 

 

23-009H – Zorn & Thorn

Zorn & Thorn, we have a Tag Team right here, going for the World Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Belts.

And how are they going to do that?

It’s simple, they pick their own opponents. Zorn & Thorn attack and they get to pick the Forward that will block them. Over and over. All you need is to give them a buff, and they’ll be that much better.

And, if they are finally sent to the Break Zone, they turn into a Monster. Not a giant monster, just a Monster that costs 2CP or less.

I like it.

It’s kind of like Zorn & Thorn transform into Meltigemini.

Who would have thought?

23-010C – SOLDIER Candidate

First Strike.

I know I’ve seen a SOLDIER Candidates in another element, now I’m wondering if there is one in every element, and if they are all the same. Only one way to find out.

If you have a couple of Standard Unit Forwards in your Break Zone, SOLDIER Candidate gains +3000 power.

Now, the real question is, if it’s only for this SOLDIER Candidate, or all of the SOLDIER Candidates.

I wonder if they met Zack?

23-011L – Terra EX

One of my playmats has the same artwork. If you haven’t seen it, it is a beautiful sight. Terra riding the Magitek Armor ready to … well you should know. I won’t spoil it.

Terra comes in and you can grab a Summon from your Break Zone. then you can cast this Summon for 2CP less than what it costs to normally cast it. You also grab a Summon from your Break Zone when Terra is put into the Break Zone. Making Terra’s final cost a whopping 1CP.

Terra only has 5000 power, but the reason you’ll play her is solely for the reason that, when she is on the field, your opponent cannot remove the Summons in your Break Zone from the game.

And, that is it.

Protect the Summons! Protect the Espers!

23-012C – Tifa

What are those? Maracas?

3CP, 7Kpower and the ability to deal 2000 damage to a Forward every time Tifa attacks.

Let’s not forget about the Crystal you gain whenever Tifa damages a Forward that is sent to the Break Zone.

And, with that Crystal, Tifa gains +2000 power and Haste, giving her a total of 9000 power.

For 3CP, that’s not bad at all. Sure there are better Tifas, but this one also has it’s uses.

23-013C – Morrow

Morrow is a Backup now?

You won’t be playing Morrow, if you have received anything less than 5 points of Damage.

This is a card that you’ll most likely play alongside Kefka (23-004R) As they both shine once you have received 5 points of Damage.

Morrow comes in and deals a Forward 9000 damage.

He’s like a Mini-Summon. Plus, Morrow only costs 1CP.

If this would have been a Forward it would have been twice as better.

23-014H – Nelapa

What?

This is your Summon control.

Your opponent will think twice about casting a Summon, when Nelapa is on the field.

Cause if they do, Nelapa will deal 10,000 damage to a Forward of your choosing, and also deal your opponent 1 point of damage.

With that being said, I can see Nelapa thrown into any deck that deals with Fire. I mean why wouldn’t you. There should be a card that hardly sees any play in that deck anyway.

I’ll take 3 Foil copies.

23-015C – Notsugo

Is it Not-sugo or No-tsugo?

A 1 cost Monster that sacrifices itself and another Monster to deal 9000 damage to one of your opponents Forwards.

Simple and straight to the point.

It might be worth playing in certain situations.

 

23-016R – Bahamut

This is the Bahamut you’re supposed to play with Caius.

You can play this Bahamut, and many other Bahamuts free of charge if you grab him when Caius enters the field.
Removal at it’s finest.

Not just 1 but 2 Forwards are to be removed from the game.

The first one just needs to have 9000 power or less, and the second one should already be in your opponent’s Break Zone.

For a Free card this is great.

23-017C – Parai

Parai searches for a Final Fantasy Legends Character. And, he only costs 2CP.

But, there’s always a but, Parai will deal you one point of damage.

Is it worth it?

Depends on if you have Kefka and Morrow ready to go once you reach 5 points of Damage.

Maybe yes, Maybe no.

23-018R – Palom

Palom, one half of the twin mages.

Palom is a free play, if Porom is already on the field.

If not he’ll only cost 2CP. Palom comes in with 5000 power and allows you to place 2 EXP Counters on a Forward. That Forward will gain +2000 power.

And, if the twins work together, I think Porom will be something like this as well.

 

23-019C – Monk

A one hit wonder.

How big is that one hit?

Depends on how many Backups you control one Monk enters the field.

If you have 5 Backups, that hit will be a whopping 8000 damage dealt to one of your opponent’s Forwards.

If not then it’ll be a measly 4000.

That’s not that bad. There are plenty of Forwards that will go down with a 4K shot.

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Beyond Destiny – Ice Sculptures

21-021C – Red Mage

For 2CP and a Common, I’d like to say that this is a pretty good card.

Red Mage comes in and dull/freezes a Character. Same thing whenever Red Mage forms a party and attacks.

Now you can also play 3 Red Mages, have them all form a party and attack, and then you’ll be Dull/Freezing 3 Characters every turn.

Red Mage might not have a lot of Power, clocking in at 5000, but her ability to Dull/Freeze sure makes up for it.

21-022H – Astos EX

The Dark Elf. I haven’t seen how Astos looks in Strangers of Paradise, and after looking at this card, I have got to say they did a great job. That is very close to what I pictured Astos looking like. I don’t know why, but the art for the Character is spot on.
Anyway, on to the card.

Astos comes in with Brave, and whenever he enters the field of leaves the field you gain a Crystal.

And, if you have 3 Crystals, you can Dull all of your opponent’s Forwards and then deal 9000 damage to all of your opponent’s Forwards.

Astos is a ticking time-bomb.

Play Astos, Play Rinoa (6-041L), Bounce Astos, and you have 3 Crystals. Next turn you use his ability and hopefully you get a board wipe.

21-023L – Ultimecia

There’s a lot of text here. And there isn’t really a way to summarize it, but we’ll try.

Ultimecia comes in, you remove up to 5 Characters from your Break Zone with a cost of 5CP or more. Once they are removed you can Dull/Freeze up to 5 Characters. Your opponent also discards one card.

If you’re playing a deck with a lot of high cost Characters, Ultimecia can do some damage, if not then she isn’t really worth the price of admission.

 

21-024C – Scholar

The 3CP Backup that gives you a Crystal when she enters the field.

Also, if you have 3 Backups or less you’ll also draw a card.

Not Bad. Not Great either, just something to play when you don’t know what else to play.

 

 

21-025R – Kiros

If Ward is here, you know that Kiros is just around the Korner. And Laguna shouldn’t be too far behind.

But, we’re here to talk about Kiros.

All you want to do is warp. Over and over and over.

Not only is the cost cheaper, but when Kiros Warps in you can Dull and Freeze one of your opponents Characters. And, that’s not all. When any Forward Warps in you can Dull and Freeze a Character.

So, keep Kiros safe, and Warp.

21-026C – Bard

I mean, who doesn’t like that ability.

Best part it doesn’t cost anything, so I don’t see a reason not to have Bard on the field. Or at least in your deck.

Bard is a 4 cost Forward with 8000 power. And, once per turn you can use his ability for a total of 0CP. And have a Forward lose all of it’s abilities until the end of the turn.

That Forward that has protection from Summons, or abilities, or damage, well Bard is here to take care of that Forward, and allow your attacks to go through.

21-027L – Griever

That’s one way to search for a Witch. Plus side to this one is that you”ll play the Witch straight to the field.

Considering the cost, you’d probably want to search for a high cost Witch to play straight to the field. Like Edea (2-099L) or Ultimecia (7-133S), or like the one that is probably in this set that I just haven’t seen yet.

If you decide to keep Griever on the field, his ability let’s you break a dull Forward, or have your opponent discard a card.
There’s a tag team here. Griever and Amon (2-098L) Amon dulls and Griever Breaks.

Ice and Lightning do work well together.

21-028H – Shiva

This Shiva is like a reusable Ice Cube.

Once Shiva has been cast, You can remove 4 Ice Cards from your Break Zone, and put Shiva back in the Freezer … I mean your hand.

After that you can just cast Shiva over and over again, until you run out of Ice cards in your Break Zone. But by then you should have Dull/Freezed? all of your opponents Characters. If not proceed to a triple party attack from the 3 Red Mages.

 

21-029R – Squall

Mini-Squall.

Did I mention I have yet to play World of Fina Fantasy?

At first I thought this was a decent card. Then I took a closer look and actually read the card from top to bottom. And for a rare, it’s a great card.

First of all, Clo … I mean Squall comes in and has First Strike. And when he attacks, if you have at least 2 WoFF Characters, your opponent discards a card.

See like I said decent.

But, here’s where it gets good.

Squall attacks, and he gets blocked. You can use his ability to deal 3000 damage to the Forward that is blocking. And with First Strike already on hand, you’re 95% going to come out on top.

21-030C – Snow

Since when is Snow a Martial Artist?

To me he’s always been a Meat Shield that can punch.

Any ho, Snow will turn into a Meat Shield after you get 3 points of damage.

Up until then every time Snow attacks you can, you guessed it, Dull/Freeze a Character. You can just go ahead and party attack with Red Mage.

Plus Snow gets Haste, if you have another WoFF Character on the field.

21-031H – Setzer

“Are you a gambling man, Sandy Claws?”

I like this card, I actually played Ice just to play Setzer. Well not all Ice, it was Fire-Lightning while I splashed 6 Ice cards. I think.

Setzer comes in and you remove 2 Forwards from your Break Zone, from the game. After that you can play those 2 Forwards whenever you’d like.

Sure, if Setzer gets sent to the Break Zone you lose those 2 Forwards but they were already broken to begin with.
I’ll take it, and I’ll figure out how to make it work.

21-032R – Terra

Trying to figure out if this Terra is better than that Terra or the other Terra.

At 5CP, Terra comes in and allows you to search for 2 Ice Summons. And, that brings her cost down to 1CP.

For 1CP this is a great card. 8000 power and Magitek Laser.

What’s Magitek Laser?

Terra’s S Ability, where the cost is another Terra card and a Summon. Any Summon. You can play those 2 cards and deal 9000 damage to a Forward. Which has a decent chance of Breaking that Forward.

Or you can just cast the Summons you searched for.

21-033R – The Girl Who Forgot Her Name

The Searcher you didn’t know you needed. Well now you got it.

The Girl Who Forgot Her Name will search for Squall, and that will give Squall the 2 WoFF Characters he needs to have your opponent discard a card whenever he attacks.

Or if you want to go another route. I still haven’t seen Reynn or Lann so, we’ll have to wait on that.

 

21-034C – Fomor

Don’t F.O.M.O. on Fomor.

???

Never mind.

Fomor is a pretty decent Monster.

Fomor comes in and deals damage. Fomor leaves and deals Damage.

4k here, 4k there. You’d think we’re talking about televisions.

21-035C – Minwu

Minwu looks mad.

I always thought that Minwu was an older White Mage. this card clearly depicts him as a teenager. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just that I always thought that he was older.

Anyway, let’s get to the card.

Minwu comes in and Freezes a Character.

And then you can pay a CP and dull Minwu and send him to the Break Zone to Dull/Freeze a Character.

For a Common this isn’t bad at all, but unless you’re playing a Rebel deck, I don’t see you playing this Minwu, not when you have the Opus I Minwu which suits my play style a little bit more. And, I don’t even have that Minwu in the deck right now.
At least I don’t think so.

21-036H – Y’shtola

We got a new element for Y’shtola. Not only does this card look good, but I believe the Ice Blue suits her well.

Y’shtola here, is perfect for discard decks. The fewer cards your opponent has in their hand the more powerful Y’shtola becomes. 0 being the perfect number of cards that you want in your opponents hand. because each time Y’shtola attacks she’ll deal damage to one of your opponent’s Forwards, for a max of 9000. The damage will decrease by 1000 for each card that your opponent has in their hand.

I’d like to see how this will fit in the Scions deck.

21-037C – Reaper

Here’s a card you can play, right before you have Y’shtola attack.

Reaper comes in and forces your opponent to discard a card. Or you can go ahead and send a dull Forward to the Break Zone. Sure, it’s cost needs to be 3CP or less, but you’re still breaking a card, or forcing your opponent to spend CP in order to counter it.

 

 

21-038R – Rinoa

A decent Backup if you’re plan on using Summons, or if you plan on saving your Summons in the Break Zone, from the chance of your opponent removing your whole Break Zone from the game.

Rinoa comes in removes a Summon from your Break Zone, and then you can use that Summon whenever you’d like.
It’s like an Ace up your sleeve.

 

21-039C – Lufenian

With a Job Title of Lufenian, Lufenian, is a the perfect card to play to start your game.

For 2CP, you play Lufenian, and if Lufenian is the only Backup you control, you’re opponent will discard a card, from their hand. Leaving them with one less card than the number of cards they had in their hand before you decided to play Lufenian.
Thank you, Captain Obvious.

I’m just surprised this isn’t a Standard Unit.

Decent card, Y’shtola will love working with Lufenian.

But, then again, Lufenian only has one job. And, if she doesn’t get it done right away, she’s worthless.

21-040R – Rursan Arbiter

All Ice cards look like they’re working well together.

Lots of discard, and abilities that go off when your opponent has no cards in their hand.

Y’shtola deals a Forward damage, and Cid here, I mean Rursan Arbitar, Breaks one of your opponent’s Forwards.

Now I”m looking at all these cards, and I’m wondering why I didn’t use more Ice at Prerelease.

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From Nightmares : Twisted Fire Starters

19-001R – Ifrit

What a way to start off the set. Coming in at number 1 is a Free Summon.

And everyone likes Free Summons. I know I do.

Once you play a Fire Forward onto the field, Ifrit comes in for free and deals 7000 damage to 1 Forward. Pretty simple. And, it’s even better because it’s free. Add Ifrita to the mix and things can get hot very quickly.

 

19-002L – Ace

Cadets getting back into it with this “Ace”

Ace comes in for 1CP, sure you’ll remove 5 fire cards from your Break Zone when he enters the field, but half the time you’re not going into your Break Zone to grab something.

When Ace attacks you deal 1 Forward 10K damage.

And, with Spiral Gambit, Ace can attack twice and deal 2 Forwards 10K damage. Plus he’ll probably be able to Break another 1 or 2 as well.

Talk about an “Ace” up your sleeve.

OK, I’ll stop now

19-003R – Edgar

Cheap Backup to play. For 2CP Edgar will come in bring his Auto Crossbow, if you need to deal damage to a few of your opponents Forwards.

Edgar is also carrying a Phoenix Down just for Sabin. If by any chance Sabin is sent to the Break Zone, Edgar will just bring him on back, and it’ll be like he never left.

Always good to have a “backup” plan.

 

19-004R – Kukki-Chebukki

Other than the art, this card seems like it’s just a basic card. 3 cost Forward with a 6K body.

Ability is just dealing 2000 points of damage to a Forward.

If it’s broken in the same turn, you can remove it from the game instead.

 

19-005C – Sazh

Haven’t seen Sazh in a while now.

But he comes in, searches for Dajh and has a 5k body.

Cheap searcher, even though Dajh usually only protects Sazh. But, do you really want to play Sazh if you’re now counting Category XIII cards for other abilities?

 

 

19-006C – Tifa

Tifa costs 5CP, but can Warp for 2CP. You just have to wait 3 turns.

And when she finally comes in, Tifa has 9000 power, Brave and can attack twice in the same turn.

Looks like we’re getting more and more cards with the ability to attack twice. Fire is getting most of them.

 

19-007C – Dajh EX

Discard a card draw a card.

Cheap Backup, that buffs Sazh.

Just like we mentioned earlier. Probably not worth playing.

 

 

19-008R – Buffasaur

This monster is waiting to pull the trigger on one of your opponents Forwards. You can deal damage to a Forward that just enters the field, but it comes at a cost.

All you need to do is figure out, if that 8000 damage that you’re going to deal to your opponents Forward, is worth a point of damage for you?

 

 

19-009C – Bomb

Bomb, acting more like a Bomb.

When he takes enough damage, instead of going peacefully, Bomb will Explode and deal damage to 1 Forward. It should have been “all Forwards”, but what do I know.

Any how, When Bomb enters the field you can dull 2 Fire Backups and search for another Bomb (2CP or less) and play it onto the field.

Technically, you can swarm the field with Bombs in no time.

Is there a Bomb deck out there? How many Bomb cards do we already have?

19-010H – Sabin

I mean, this could have been more than just a Hero.

Sabin comes in and if you’re playing a VI themed deck, he will do some Damage. Yes, capitol D. Depending on how many VI characters are in the Break Zone, Sabin will deal that many Forwards, 8000 damage. if there’s 4, then 4 of your opponents Forwards will be dealt damage.

It’s Suplex City here.

Let’s not forget about Sabin’s twin brother. This whole time we didn’t know how strong Sabin’s Enter the Field ability is. But, now that we know. We know that the 2 brothers will be a staple.

19-011C – Miyu

A backup that searches for an Agito Cadet.

Searchers are always welcome, as they allow you to search for a card. IF you don’t want to search for a card then, this isn’t the card for you.

During Pre-Release, I noticed 2 other Agito cadets in Ice and Lightning, all of which are Backups.

Might be useful if you want to run the FFXIII Custom Starter Set with all 3 colors.

19-012C – Monk

Cheap Backup to play.

I also like the fact that you can get rid of him by using his ability. Even if you are just using it to get rid of Monk in order to play the Backup you really need to play.

And that really isn’t a problem, unless you already have 5 Backups on the field.

Who cant use a +4K buff, when your Attacking Forward is Blocked.

19-013C – Lilty

I’ve seen a couple of these types of Forwards in this set. Where if the cost is paid with more than 3 elements, the Forward gains an enter the field ability.

Lilty’s ability is to deal 8000 damage to a Forward.

Lilty also comes in with Brave.

 

 

19-014C – Luneth

A simple 4 cost Backup that deals 5000 damage to all of your opponents Forwards.

I believe with the new Warrior of Light, and all the Warrior of Light Jobs we have this set we’ll see some synergy between all of them.

By itself it’s a decent Backup that can break down your opponents defenses.

 

19-015R – Ruby Weapon

If you remember anything about Final Fantasy VII, it’s that 99% of the people that played it, haven’t beaten Ruby Weapon. Including me.

Ruby Weapon was a pain to deal with because he would remove 2 of the party members and you would have to fight him with 1 Character. Hopefully that Character had Knights of the Round and Phoenix Materia equipped. After that you might have had a chance.

Why am I bringing this up?

Ruby Weapon will remove one of your opponents Forwards with his ability. But, only if they have 2 or more Forwards on the field.

Other than that Ruby Weapon is a 6 cost Forward that has high defense. Considering that any damage dealt to Ruby Weapon is only 1000.

Might be worth a shot, if you need an extra Fire card in your deck.

19-016H – Laragorn

One of the three Dream Stooges. Taking his name from one of the original Stooges Larry. And that’s why I like this card before I even read it. Plus, the Amano art is great as always.

When Laragorn enters the field you can search for a Dream Stooge. Either one of the two, and play it straight to the field. You’re pretty much getting a Buy One Get One Free here.

Laragorn can also grab a Dream Stooge from the Break Zone, and the best part is you don’t have to send Laragorn to the Break Zone to do it.

Maybe, just Maybe the Dream Stooges can become a thing.

19-017R – Leon

I’ve seen plenty of Rebel cards this set.

Leon searches for his sister, Maria, and depending on how many Rebels are on the field, Leon does gain some buffs.
If you have 4 or more Rebels, Leon gains +4000 power and Haste.

You’ll most likely be caught between the choice of playing Leon early to find Maria, or waiting until you have 4 Rebels on the field to play him.

Sure you can also play Leon early on, and then allow him to get broken to play him again, but if he’s already on the field, I don’t see a reason to sacrifice him, unless you need to.

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Resurgence of Power – Mixing Elements

18-107L – Akstar

A is for Akstar, and he learned the 3-step. I was surprised myself but it’s true. Akstar can dance the Waltz. Just look at all those 3s.

First off Akstar comes in and Dull/Freezes all the Forwards, including your own, that don’t cost 3CP.

When he comes in you can also play a 3 cost Ice or Fire Forward onto the field.

And when he attacks or enters the field you deal 1 Forward 3000 damage for all the 3 cost Forwards that you control.
That’s a whole lot of 3s. Even Akstar himself costs 3CP.

Are we getting new deck ideas, where every card in your hand costs 3CP? Can it work? Someone make this happen.

18-108H – Caius

It seems like Caius cards always have a drawback to them.

Sure, you can get a 2 cost 9K body, but you’ll have to discard your hand when he enters the field.

What can we do then?

Just play your whole hand, and then play Caius last.

Let’s look at his abilities. Whenever Caius attacks, you can either have your opponent discard a card, or double the damage Caius deals either to a Forward or your opponent.

He also comes in with Brave. I might have to try this card out and see how it works.

18-109C – Snow

Snow allows you to possibly cast an extra XIII card, when he enters the field and each time he attacks. Though, you’re not drawing the card, you’re actually removing it from the game, and if you don’t cast it this turn, you will lose it.

You basically have a 50/50 chance of casting or removing.

And, at 3 points of damage, Snow gains Haste and +3000 power.

 

 

18-110H – Xande

Ok, so, we’ll be playing Xande towards the end of our turn. Trying to get as many cards in the Break Zone so we can deal 9000 damage to as many Forwards as we possibly can. 4CP will already be 2 Characters. And if you play any other cards before hand, count those Characters as well.

You can also play Xande from the Break Zone, for the cost of 2CP and 5 Backups. Is it worth it? or are you better off just playing Xande from your hand?

Those 5 Backups are 5 Forwards that you can deal damage to.

 

18-111L – Basch

The question is, Is it worth 1 point of damage to search for a Fire or Earth Character?

I’m sure there are plenty of other cards that will search for the card that you’re looking for, without getting a point of damage.

3 points of damage, Basch gains +1000 power and Brave.

5 points of damage, when Basch attacks you deal 8000 damage to 1 Forward.

You do have an incentive to receive that 1 point of damage. Early on it might be a good idea to use it, but later on I would pass.

Or you can just not pay the extra cost, and play Basch as is.

18-112C – Leon

It looks like more and more cards are dealing you a point of damage.

Just how backed up to the wall do you want to be?

Sure, some cards excel when you’re fighting everything off at 6 points of damage, but why would you need to get there in order to hope that you win.

Anyways, Leon here comes in with Brave.

 

18-113H – Cid Haze

Cid comes in and gives you the ammunition to use his ability on the same turn that he comes in. Reducing the cost of casting your next card by 2. It doesn’t say it cannot become 0, so your next card could be free. After that you play 1 more card.

Once you’ve played your third card, and enter your Attack Phase, you choose 2 of your opponents Characters and you dull and Freeze them.

Farewell to the Blockers that your opponent has set up. At least for this turn.

 

18-114C – Maria

I would be trying to get Maria onto the field as soon as possible. And then just trying to find a way to send her to the Break Zone.

Worst thing that could happen is you block a Forward and your opponent discards a card.

Or, you block a Forward and activate all your Characters. Win/Win

 

 

18-115L – Melvien

I would put Melvien in the same category as Opus XVI Tidus. Even if she is put in the Break Zone, your opponent will never really be able to truly get rid of her.

Every time Melvien is put into the Break Zone, you can simply remove her from the game and put 2 Warp Counters on her. 2 turns later she comes back into the field.

And, every time she enters the field, you can Activate 2 of your Backups and Freeze up to 2 of your opponents Backups.
Not much else to say, but I like this card.

 

18-116L – Sephiroth

Kingdom Hearts Sephiroth is back. And, once again with Back Attack.

No, I didn’t plan that.

Sephiroth is coming, and he has entered Attack Mode. One Winged Angel, Demi-God, and whatever else you’d like to add.
When Sephiroth enters the field he Breaks 1 dull Forward.

And every time he attacks, your opponent will either discard 1 card, or you can Break a Forward of cost 2 or less.
Sephiroth will be leaving bodies left and right.

18-117H – Lightning

The Savior is here. For your deck, not your opponents.

Lightning comes in with Haste and starts attacking left and right, dulling, Breaking and dealing damage across the board leaving no Forward unscathed.

Well, that’s what we’re hoping for.

Every time Lightning attacks, you can pay 1CP to dull a Forward, and then pay 2CP to Break a dull Forward. Which in itself is a good reason to play this card.

I shall be trying out this card. At some point.

And if you don’t want to attack, you can use Lightning’s 3rd ability and have your opponent discard a card.

18-118C – Laguna

High cost to play Laguna, but he might be worth it.

When Laguna enters the field or attacks you can a) Deal an active Forward 5000 damage. or b) Dull a Forward.

I’m thinking there are plenty of cards that can chip away at multiple Forwards, chip damage is making a comeback. Or, maybe I’m just beginning to notice it. I can see FFVIII decks becoming stronger. Ever since Opus XVI. And now with Seifer, Fujin and Raijin, there should be plenty to play with.

Let’s not forget Satellite Laser. Well nothing to crazy, but you can deal 9000 damage to a Forward.

18-119C – Chelinka

Need to break some of these new Monsters that came out this set? Look no further than Chelinka. Chelinka Breaks a Monster when she enters the field.

You can throw her in the new Noctis deck and you’re set.

 

 

 

18-120H – Tifa

Tifa comes in a has Protect already cast on her, reducing the damage dealt to her by 2000. And, that’s a good thing. For when Tifa enters the field she goes 1-on-1 with another Forward. You can choose any Forward you would like.

Meteor Strike, is also pretty good in itself. You are able to deal 8000 damage to 3 Forwards. Cost might be a little high, but it can be worth it.

 

 

18-121L – Fran

I think I said earlier that Sky Pirates will be making a comeback. (Not in this post, probably in Wind.) And, Fran here proves it. Whenever Fran attacks, or enters the field, you can play a FF XII Character of cost 4 or less from your hand onto the field. And, Fran only costs 3CP!

Think about it, you’ll be able to build your offense faster than what you would have. A free card once per turn.

And if Balthier is on the field, Fran gains +1000 power and Brave.

Yes, I shall try out a Sky Pirate deck, all thanks to Fran.

Thank you, Fran.

18-122H – Vanille

2 cost Forward that can cancel an auto-ability. We can never have to many cards like this. Vanille is more of an insurance card. I don’t think you’d be attacking with Vanille unless you knew the attack will go through. But, you’re better off just keeping her active, in order to dull her, when an auto-ability goes off.

Sure, it won’t out right cancel it, your opponent will need to pay an extra 2CP for it to go through.

And when you’re done with Vanille, you can just chuck her to the Break Zone to grab a Backup.

18-123L – Sonon EX

Getting rid of your own Backups is always a plus. Especially when they come in do their on entry ability and then do nothing, but sit around.

Sonon comes in and allows you to remove 2 Backups instead of paying the cost. After that you can replay 2 new Backups and hopefully get another on entry ability.

He can also come in with Back Attack, although I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody actually use Back Attack, but you can. You can even remove the 2 Backups during your opponents turn.

Sonon also comes in with an EX Burst, hopefully helping your Forward that is blocking or attacking overcome the other Forward.

I can see some use with Sonon.

18-124C – Billy Bob

Billy Bob comes in and let’s you grab a Forward from the Break Zone. Any Forward. Doesn’t have to be a certain Job, Element, or Category. A little different than Search your deck, but will still see plenty of use.

Best part is that Billy Bob is a Common.

After that Billy Bob just hangs out on the field with an 8K body.

 

 

18-125H – Onion Knight

Onion Knight has a lot going on for him.

First off he enters the field and either Breaks a damaged Forward, or return’s a Forward to your opponents hand. Either way your getting rid of one of your opponent’s Forwards.

The best thing though, when Onion Knight is put into the Break Zone, you can pay 1CP and search for another Onion Knight and play it onto the field.

Very Ultros if you ask me.

 

18-126L – Lightning

Another card that doesn’t want to go away.

After Lightning is sent to the Break Zone, you can pay the 2CP, remove a Lightning and an Odin from the Break Zone and then you can play Lightning onto the field.

Sure, it’s the same cost as paying Lightning on to the field, but what if you don’t have a Lightning in your hand. This way you can just simply play her, straight from the Break Zone.

She also comes in with Haste, dulls a Forward when she enters and you draw 1 card.

What’s not to like?

18-127C – Lilisette

Some of these Commons are actually really good.

Take Lilisette her, she Breaks a low cost Forward when she enters the field.

After that she can dance. And, boy does she dance. Once she’s done with her Sensual Dance, your opponents Forwards will all be week at the knees, and will have lost some of there power. Some will have lost it all.

 

 

18-128H – Arciela

How many of your cards do you want to show your opponent?

Depending on the answer, you can either deal 7000 damage to a Forward, draw a card, or both.

But do you really want to show your opponent your hand just to cast the abilities?

I think I’ll take a pass on this one.

 

18-129C – Jecht

Jecht is just a Common, but we already said we have some good Commons this set. This is another one. Once he enters the field you can pay the extra cost and give Jecht Haste, Brave and First Strike. With the 9000 body he can lay waste to a Forward, or deal your opponent a point of damage.

We also have Jecht Beam, that deals a Forward 8000 damage.

Decent card.

 

18-130L – Firion

Low cost, low power. But, if you have at least 5 Characters on the field Firion, gains Haste and whenever he attacks you draw a card.

I don’t know if you’ll be attacking much with Firion, but you can discard a card and give him +2000 power. Depending on what element the card is you can either give Firion First Strike, or activate him.

Not the greatest Legend, but could see some use.