Tag: tataru

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Memories of Heavensward Starters

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30-119S – Yeti

What a dirt cheap Monster/Forward.

For 1CP. you can get a 9K body on the field. This is your absolute definition of a Meat Shield.

And the best part?

You can have 3 of them on the field at all times.

The only drawback, isn’t really a drawback.

You just need to have your opponent discard a card in order for Yeti to become a Forward.

But, you’re playing Ice, there’s plenty of ways to have that happen.

Especially with this deck.

30-120S – Emmanellain

Emmanellain comes in and Freezes a Character.

And, when Emmanellain attacks he will Dull/Freeze a Character, but that’s only if Emmanellain has 7000 power. or more.

How are we going to give hime 7000 power when he only has 5000?

That’s simple.

When you have received 3 points of damage, Emmanellain will gain +2000 power putting him at the 7000 needed to activate his ability everytime he attacks.

30-121S – Haurchefant EX

4CP, and 5 Final Fantasy XIV Characters. Actually 4.

That’s all you need to play Haurchefant and Break one of your opponent’s Forwards. The Best part, is that this also comes off of an EX Burst.

After that Haurchefant stays on the field as an 8K body. Ready to attack, and block your opponent’s Forwards. Normally we would call him a Meat Shield, but Haurchefant is not done yet.

Haurchefant can be put into the Break Zone, and the next damage dealt to one of your Forwards turns into 0, thus making them invinsible, for one attack.

All in all, I like it.

30-122S – Nidhogg

Coming in with Brave and 9000 Power.

Nidhogg is exactly what you expect him to be.

He reduces your opponent’s firepower as soon as he comes in. Forcing your opponent to randomly discard a card from their hand.

But, what we really want to take a look at is Akh Morn. Read it.

Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Choose 3 Forwards. Break them.

And, look at the cost. (S)(I)(I)(D). A Nidhogg card, 2 Ice CP and Dull Nidhogg.

That is asolutely nothing. You can have Nidhogg setup from the very beginning. And don’t forget about Opus VI Nidhogg, if you want some extra cards in hand to use Akh Morn, over and over, and over, and over … 1,2,3,4 .. and over again.

5 times in one game, that’s 15 Forwards broken by Nidhogg.

30-123S – Count Fortemps

Run of the mill Backup that searches for a Final Fantasy XIV Forward.

*cough Nidhogg cough cough.

And, that is all we have to say about this.

 

 

 

30-124S – King Thordan

Also, Archbishop of Ishgard. Since we don’t have one yet, and since we haven’t seen the cards in this set, we’re getting a card named Archbishop of Ishgard in this set. Or later sets.

King Thordan deals a Forward 8000 damage at the start of your attack phase. Meaningm you will probably break one of your opponent’s Forwards before you even start attacking.

And let’s not forget about King Thordan’s ability. It deals 9000 damage to all of your opponent’s Forwards. That means everyone, even the Forwards that cannot be chosen.

Pair this with Nidhogg’s Akh Morn, and you have a board wipe on your hands.

 

30-125S – Coeurl Regina

A Coeurl that will search for a coeurl.

This Monster does not turn into a Forward, nut it will deal 3000 damage to one of your opponent’s Forwards when it heads to the Break Zone. Of course, you’ll have to put Coeurl Regina into the Break Zone yourself for this to happen.

If you can find better Coeurls to search for, you might have something with this card.

 

 

 

30-126S – Cid Garlond

Not bad, grabbing a Final Fantasy XIV Forward from your Break Zone will always be a good play.

And, that is what Cid Garlond does.

After that you’ll want to find a way to get rid of Cid Garlond, just so you can grab another FFXIV Forward from your Break Zone.

And, if your opponent isn’t attacking, you can always use Cid’s ability to give one of your Forwards +3000, and Cid will be sent to the Break Zone.

Meaning you can play another Cid Garlond.

30-127S – Tataru EX

Tataru is a simple Backup that will draw you one card, as long as there are 4 Final Fantasy XIV Characters on the field when she enters the field.

This is a Free Play, boosting your Backup line.

You can also draw a card off of an EX Burst.

And, that is all for Tataru.

 

 

30-128S – Ysayle LB

Ysayle comes in and Freezes as your opponent’s Characters. How many? That depends on how many Final Fantasy XIV Charactars that you have on the field.

And since you’re playing Ysayle, you are most likely playing a FFXIV themed deck.

This is a great play, when your opponent went on an all out attack, but just fell short of the win. You can play Ysayle, Freeze all of your opponent’s Characters, and you will most likely get a free turn.

Meaning you can go all out on an attack, and not have to worry about your opponent responding during their next turn, because, well, all of their Characters will be frozen.

Just hope that they don’t have a card that will activate all of their Forwards.

30-129S – Alphinaud LB

Well this does help a little.

Alphinaud comes in, looks at the top 2 cards of your deck and adds a Final Fantasy XIV Character to your hand, then the rest go to the bottom of your deck.

Just like Ysayle this card will work great if you are playing a Final Fantasy XIV themed deck.

Other than that, Alphinaud cost 5CP, 3 if you find a FFXIV Character in the top 2 cards.

After that, Alphinaud will stick around as a Meat Shield.

I never thought that I would use Alphinaud and Meat Shield in the same sentence.

30-130S – Estinien LB

Everyone’s favorite FFXIV Dragoon.

And, Estinien does not dissapoint once again.

If your opponent has a Forward with over 9000 power Estinien gains Haste.

And, if you have 4 Final Fantasy XIV Characters on the field, Estinien will break one of your opponent’s Forwards everytime that he attacks.

Yes, Estinien does cost 7CP, but so did Opus I Odin, which breaks a Forward for 7CP. This is clearly a better play in my book. I wouldn’t mind paying more CP for this card, since you will be able to Break a Forward once per turn.

And, from the looks of it, it seems like this one will be getting the Full Art treatment.

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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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Hidden Trial – By Water

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23-096C – Akpallu

Pay 1CP to draw a card.

Not bad, at all. If you don’t have anything going on in your hand, might as well play Akpallu to draw another card.

And after Akpallu is on the field, not doing anything, just sitting there, you can then use Akpallu to pay the cost for Fencer (XIII)’s ability and Break one of your opponent’s Forwards.

There are more cards that need another Monster to pay for the cost to use their ability.

I’d say Akpallu is a decent card.

23-097C – Altennia

A simple add-on to your Knight deck.

When a Knight attacks, Altennia gives a Forward +2000 power. Now what will happen when all of your Knights attack? You’ll be handing out +2000 power like candy on Halloween.

It’s like adding 200 horse power to your Knight engine.

 

 

 

23-098C – Alphinaud

Alphinaud is Alisae’s Backup, who will save her from the Break Zone in order to do whatever Alisaie has to do.

If we take Alisaie from Hidden Trials, it’s a pretty decent combo.

Once you have an Alisaie in your Break Zone, you’ll use Alphianaud’s ability and play Alisaie onto the field. Once Alisaie is on the field you can search for a card that has the same name as one of the cards in your Break Zone, and add it to your hand.

Yeah, that’s pretty much it.

Not bad.

23-099C – Urianger

Urianger is already flipping the cards to see what Scions he can find.

I mean yes, .. maybe . . not really.

Depends on what you’re playing.

You can pull this out if you’re drafting Hidden Trials and you’re trying to run Scions.

Other than that, there are far better Uriangers out there.

 

 

23-100L – Young Excenmille

Coming in with 5000 power, Young Excenmille surely loves his Crystals.

You’ll need a constant supply of Crystals to keep Young Excenmille well fed.

Feed him once and he cannot be chosen by your opponents abilities, and his Power will become 9000 until he is sent to the Break Zone.

Feed him once more along with a Water CP, and you can search for a Water Forward of cost 3 or less, and play them straight to the field.

I like it.

23-101C – Dancer

Last Chance to Dance.

Dancer, just like the rest of the Elemental, Class Action, 5 Backup plan, Backups is better played when Dancer is the 5th Backup that enters your field.

When he does, as the 5th Backup on your field, all of your opponent’s Forwards lose 4000 power.

You might break a couple if you’re lucky.

If not, Dancer just chooses one of your opponent’s Forwards, and they lose 2000 power.

23-102R – Gizamaluke

A Monster, the sort of searches for a Monster.

Gizamaluke, comes in and you reveal the top 3 cards of your deck, and grab a Monster, if you find one there. If you do, you just got a Gizamaluke for Free.

Gizamaluke also turns into a Forward if you have another Monster on the field. Technically you can get a 0CP Forward with an 8K body.

 

 

 

23-103C – Quina

My Bombs will get that much stronger.

Because once per turn, whenever a Monster enters the field, I get to draw a card. Doesn’t matter whose turn it is. If a Monster enters the field you get to draw 1 card.

And let’s not forget about the Frog Drop. (Just don’t catch them all, cause then they can’t reproduce and you won’t be able to get 99 frogs.) Once Frog Drop goes off, 1 Forward will lose 3000 power for each Monster that is on the board.

How many Quina’s can you fit in your deck?

23-104H – Witch of the Fens

Here’s a decent card for your Monster deck.

Witch of the Fens comes in, and if you already have a Monster on the field, you can draw a card.

And, let’s not forget about that ability.

Put a Monster in the Break Zone, and one of your opponent’s Forwards will lose 7000 power until the end of the turn.

How many Monsters do you have in that hand of yours?

23-105C – Defender

What there’s no Water SOLDIER Candidate? All we get is a cheap knockoff? And, I was looking forward to making a 6 elemental SOLDIER Candidate deck. Guess I can’t do that now.

*shrugs

Defender can probably be played on his own. No need for the other SOLDIER Candidates. (But, the other ones could be played in their respective element as well.) As before, if you have at least 2 Standard Units in your Break Zone, SOLDI.. . I mean Defender gains +3000 power.

2CP/8K, the true definition of a cheap Meat Shield. And, we mean that in a good way.

Meat Shield here, also does not receive any damage that is less than it’s power. He’ll take a beating and you still won’t be able to get rid of him.

23-106H – Tataru

Tataru pays for Tataru during your next turn.

As long as you have another 3 Scions of the Seventh Dawn on the field, you’ll be able to dull Tataru for an extra card.

And, that is pretty much it. Don’t like your hand? Dull Tataru and hope for the best.

 

 

 

 

23-107L – Frimelda

Frimelda should just get thrown in your Warrior of Light deck.

It’s as simple as that, and if I needed to tell you that, well … You’re Welcome.

This card is pretty straight “Forward”. (No, that just came out, i didn’t think of that.)

You’ll need at least 4 different elements on the field in order to make use of Frimelda. Water can be the 4th element you play when she comes in, and her ability will go off as soon as you enter your Attack Phase. It will also trigger when your opponent goes into their Attack Phase as well.

Double Trouble.

You can either play a Forward that costs 4CP or less onto the field, or you can have one of your opponent’s Forwards lose 2000 power for each element that is on your board.

Choice is yours, bulk up your defenses, or get rid of theirs.

23-108R – Fourchenault

Who would have thunk that Fourchenault would cost Four CP? And, if you have Alisaie and Alphinaud on the field Fourchenault is a Free Play!

Fourchenault’s Enter the Field abilities are great and decent. One is better than the other, but the other has it’s use as well.

First one, return one of your opponent’s Forwards to their hand. Which is good, getting rid of a Forward, even if temporarily is always good. As long as they don’t have an enter the field ability.

The other is Activate a Scion of the Seventh Dawn.

And, when all is said and done, you’ll have an 8K body on the board.

23-109C – Portia

The more I see new Dancers the more I ponder the idea of making a deck. Yes, let’s add one more to the list of decks that I will never make.

For a Common, Portia is a great card. First of all she pays for herself, as if you already have a couple Dancers on the field, you will draw a card. You’ll have a no cost 5K body on the field ready to go to work.

And if you have 4 Dancers on the field, You’ll be able to send one of your opponent’s Forward to the bottom of their deck.

Let’s make Mayakov proud.

23-110R – Porom

Porom, the other half of the twin mages.

Same thing here, Porom is a free play if you have Palom already on the field.

And, just like Porom she comes in with 5000 power.

When Porom comes in you can place 2 EXP Counters on a Forward, and that Forward gains a shield of sorts. Damage dealt to that Forward will be reduced by 2000.

You’ll be able to splash one or the other of these twins, as there is no cost to pay, if the other is on the field.

2-111C/15-123C – Oracle

It’s straight from the (Re)printers!

And, a Copy/Paste from Dawn of Heroes.

“Didn’t we say recycling center earlier? Maybe we meant the Printers, reprinting cards and such.

Not that I have anything against reprints, I just would rather have a new card that does something similar instead of having reprints.

Anyways, Oracle gives you a Crystal when she comes in, and reduces the next damage dealt to a Forward by 1000.”

2-112H – Young Rahal

Rahal! Where are those Crystals!? Young Excenmille is hungry for those Crystals.

And, that is his job. Feed Yound Excenmille to bring out more Water Forwards onto the field.

How is Younf Rahal going to feed Young Exenmille? You gain 2 Crystals when he enters the field.

And that’s not all. When Young Rahal enters the field or attacks, all your Water Forwards gain +2000 power.

Combine this with Palom and Porom, and you have a decent front line, for almost half the cost.

23-113R – Leviathan

Finally, there is a way to get the one card you needed that ended up in the Damage Zone.

Not only that, but Leviathan let’s you draw a card as well. Only downside would be that you have to return another card back to the Damage Zone, but you probably have a card you don’t need in your hand.

This is one of the better cards in this set.

Leviathan is your insurance policy.

 

23-114R – Lilisette

“A live wire, barely a beginner
But just watch that lady go
She’s on fire, ’cause dancin’ gets her higher
Than anything else she knows”

David Lee Roth, might have been singing about Lilisette, and I wouldn’t blame him.

Lilisette comes in and searches for a Dancer, cause well, it takes 2 to Tango. And, that also comes off as an EX Burst.

Other than that, you have Rousing Samba. An ability that gives all of your Forwards +2000 power, and all of your opponent’s Forwards lose 2000 power, tilting the dance floor in your favor. At least until the end of the turn.

But, that turn can be a Break or Make moment.

The only thing that I would change with this card is the art.

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