We’re jumping straight into the big news today—Opus XXX : Memories of Life has been officially revealed! This set is breaking tradition in a few ways and looks like a massive love letter to Final Fantasy IX.
Here is the breakdown of what we know so far:
Pack Art & Themes
For the first time in FFTCG history, we are getting three different pack designs in a single set! All three feature characters from Final Fantasy IX, confirming that this legendary title is the centerpiece of the set. Personally, I’m crossing my fingers that we finally get some Tantalus cards to round out the FFIX roster.
The Gold Signature: Shantotto
Our Gold Stamped Signature card for this set is the legendary Shantotto.
I’ll be honest—at first glance, I didn’t recognize her! I thought it was one of the Tarutarus from Opus XIX: From Nightmares, and I was genuinely confused why they’d give a Tarutaru the Full Art Signature treatment. But now that the dust has settled, I can say it is an absolutely gorgeous card.
The Return of Noir & Legacy Cards
The Noir collection continues to grow! This time, Sephiroth is getting the black-and-white treatment. Since both Noir cards so far are Final Fantasy VII characters, I’m starting to wonder if they are slowly reprinting the cards from the exclusive Noir art book.
We also have a killer lineup of Legacy cards:
Multi-Element Comeback
Multi-Element cards (the non-Limit Break versions) are officially back! It’s been 11 Opuses since we last saw these in From Nightmares, so it’s about time they made a return to the meta.
Card Spotlight: Shantotto (30-080L)
Let’s look at the math on this new Shantotto, because it is potentially terrifying.
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Cost/Power: 8 CP / 9000 Power
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Element: Lightning
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The “Free Play” Potential: Shantotto’s cost is reduced for each Lightning Character you control. If you’ve built your board right, she can effectively be a Free Play.
The Board Wipe: When she enters the field, she deals 1000 damage to all Forwards (excluding herself) for every Lightning Character you control.
The Math: If you have 8 characters out to make her free, she enters and deals 8000 damage + 1000 for herself = 9000 damage to the entire board.
The Value Engine: As if a board wipe wasn’t enough, every time she attacks, you reveal the top card of your deck. If it’s Lightning, it goes straight to your hand. She clears the path and then refills your resources.
Refia or Sephiroth?
Aside from Shantotto, the other card art revealed so far is top-tier. I’m currently torn between the new Sephiroth and Refia for my favorite art in the set—both look incredible.
What do you think of the new Shantotto? Is she a guaranteed inclusion in your Lightning decks, or is 8 CP too much of a gamble?
If you haven’t noticed yet, the Heavensward Starter Sets have been delayed. We’re currently waiting on news as to when we’ll be getting them in stock—hopefully they arrive in time for our next Win-a-Box tournament, which is right around the Korner on Friday, October 23rd!