FINAL FANTASY TRADING CARD GAME, abbreviated FFTCG, is played all around the world.
We’re excited to bring you an FF Portal-exclusive sneak peek of three cards from the newest FFTCG set, Dawn of Heroes, which will be released on July 28!
Once again, we bring you new card introductions from FFTCG producer Taro Kageyama and comments on their art from the illustrators who drew them!
A Sneak Peek at Dawn of Heroes
Hello, everyone! This is FFTCG producer Taro Kageyama. I’m back to talk about a few cards as I do every four months before the release of a new set. Today I’d like to present three cards─one drawn by Daigo Tsukada, two by Fumio Minagawa─from Dawn of Heroes, a brand-new booster pack slated for release on July 28. I hope you enjoy the illustrations! Let’s first take a look at Mr. Tsukada’s work.
Auron [20-002H]
Mr. Tsukada’s artwork depicts Auron [20-002H], the legendary guardian from FINAL FANTASY X. Though you may know him as a stoic warrior of few words, that cold smirk suits him well. The contrast of the fire and water in the background can be seen more clearly in the full-art version, so if you have the chance, please pick up the card and see the stunning juxtaposition for yourself.
As an FFTCG card, Auron is top-class. While a cost of 5 and power of 9000 isn’t uncommon, if you control two or more Forwards, the cost is reduced by 2, transforming it into a high-spec card with a cost of 3 and power of 9000. He also has an auto-ability and action ability, both which are fairly uncommon.
His auto-ability allows you to draw a card at the end of the turn─even if it’s your opponent’s─if Auron has taken at least 4000 damage, which can give you a huge advantage. His action ability nulls damage to you, the player, and instead he takes 8000 damage. It can only be used once per turn, but as long as you have Auron, your opponent will have a hard time dealing damage to you. Talk about a legendary guardian. And if he manages to survive the damage taken due to this ability, you’ll get to draw a card at the end of the turn with his auto-ability! His card isn’t flashy, but is strong and reliable, just like Auron himself.
【Comments from the Illustrator: Daigo Tsukada】
For the rugged Auron, I strived for a kabuki-style mie [a powerful and emotional pose], while also adding an element that pops─an effect surrounding him with fire and water (alcohol?). I’m happy that by giving him a slightly wicked smirk, I was able to depict a rarely-seen side of him.
Celes [20-031R]
Locke [20-042L]
Next are two of Ms. Minagawa’s cards, Celes [20-031R] and Locke [20-042L] from FINAL FANTASY VI. As she herself comments, she drew the two characters as a set with Celes positioned on the left and Locke on the right, though it’s a little more apparent in the full-art versions. These kinds of concepts are great, don’t you think?
These two cards (characters) have great synergy. If Locke is present, Celes [20-031R] applies Haste to him as well as to herself. So if these two cards are together when entering the field, they can attack in that same turn. Furthermore, when Celes [20-031R] enters the field, you can dull the same number of your opponent’s Forwards as the Category VI Characters you control, so playing Celes [20-031R] when Locke is present allows you to dull at least two. Just remember that if you’re planning to place both Celes and Locke on the field in the same turn, you must play Locke first to dull two Forwards.
Locke’s [20-042L] ability gives you a further advantage in this situation. If two or more Category VI Forwards form a party and attack, you can deal 1 point of damage to your opponent. Of course, you can also deal damage with a standard attack, so if your attack isn’t blocked, you can deal a total of 2 points of damage. This is where Celes’s [20-031R] ability to dull your opponent’s Forwards shines. Locke [20-042L] has a powerful ability that can break all of the Forwards controlled by your opponent if four or more Category VI Forwards form a party, but even if you don’t choose to use it, you can still hurt your opponent by dealing 1 point of damage. The party doesn’t need to include Locke [20-042L], and you can even form two parties of two to deal 4 points of damage.
【Comments from the Illustrator: Fumio Minagawa】
When I received the request, I knew I wanted to make them a set, so I drew a rough design with Locke and Celes touching hands. But as I was completing the pieces, I became more and more embarrassed...and here we are.
Today I introduced cards illustrated by Mr. Tsukada and Ms. Minagawa for Dawn of Heroes, which goes on sale July 28. The set has many more illustrations, so please look forward to them all!
What is FFTCG?
FFTCG is a one-on-one tactical card game featuring FINAL FANTASY characters and summons. Not only is there fun in collecting cards featuring familiar faces, the main draw of the game is the simplicity of the rules combined with the complexity of the gameplay. The art drawn for the game by famed illustrators is also a popular aspect of FFTCG!
Play the FFTCG tutorial:
https://sqex.to/FinalFantasyTCG
