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 four cards from the newest FFTCG booster packs, Hidden Trials, which will be released on August 2!
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 Hidden Trials
Hello, everyone! This is FFTCG producer Taro Kageyama. Every four months, I have the pleasure of introducing new cards from the latest upcoming set.
Today I’d like to present four cards—three by Sara Shimokobe and one by Gen Kobayashi—from the Hidden Trials booster pack, slated for release on August 2.
I hope you enjoy all of their wonderful illustrations.
[23-018R] Palom, [23-110R] Porom, [23-039R] Asura
Let’s start with Ms. Shimokobe’s three cards. From FINAL FANTASY IV, we have [23-018R] Palom, [23-110R] Porom, and [23-039R] Asura.
[23-018R] Palom and [23-110R] Porom’s illustrations highlight their innocent and adorable nature and look as though they belong in a picture book. And [23-039R] Asura has the mystical air of a summon with an imposing—almost awe-inspiring—spirit. I urge you to take them in your hand and see for yourself.
Now let’s see what these cards can do. First, I’d like to talk about [23-018R] Palom and [23-110R] Porom as a set. In the case of both cards, when a card of either character is on the field, the cost of the other is reduced by 2. For example, if [23-018R] Palom is on the field, [23-110R] Porom can be played at no cost.
Additionally, when either card enters the field, 2 EXP Counters are placed on a Forward—an action that can also be used on themselves. Furthermore, with [23-018R] Palom, Forwards with 2 or more EXP Counters gain +2000 power, and with [23-110R] Porom, damage dealt to Forwards with 2 or more EXP Counters is reduced by 2000. With their low cost and practical use, these cards are a force to be reckoned with.
The third card, [23-039R] Asura, despite being a Summon with a cost of 1, can activate all the Forwards you control, and can even keep them from being returned to your hand and their power from being decreased by your opponent’s Summons or abilities. While it may not be effective against Summons or abilities that deal damage or break cards directly, a cost of 1 for these effects is a steal. This could very well become a popular card in the tournament scene.
【Comments from the Illustrator: Sara Shimokobe】
I was very excited to learn that I’d be drawing characters from one of my favorite titles, FINAL FANTASY IV. Thank you for this opportunity.
The queen of summons, Asura, is a unique character. I depicted the moment when the heroes face her at the beginning of battle. Her eyes bespeak a motherly love as well as a tough ruthlessness. I hope you also note the powerful and graceful manner in which she wields her many blades.
As for Palom and Porom, they may be young, but they’re extremely brave and dependable allies. The illustrations present a moment filled with hope and happiness that I imagined for them during a pivotal point in their journey. I incorporated elements of all kinds to create a relaxing and calming space for them to rest. The pieces are meant to convey a sense of gentle comfort, much like a cherished trinket, so please, take your time and enjoy them to your heart’s content.
[23-060L] Vincent
Next, I’d like to introduce Gen Kobayashi’s [23-060L] Vincent. First, let’s take a look at the illustration.
You can almost feel Vincent in motion, racing from left to right, can’t you? This is yet another incredible piece.
As a Legend card, his abilities are unique and powerful. When he enters the field, he can break up to one Forward, and if he enters the field due to Warp, he can also break up to one Backup. But as a card with Warp 6, he can only enter the field after six turns, so it may be worth forgoing the Backup and paying the standard cost to break just a Forward.
That being said, [23-060L] Vincent’s other ability may help mitigate the issue: for every Category VII Forward that enters the field, a Warp Counter is removed. This ability pairs well with cards like [11-140S] Kadaj, who can enter the field multiple times, or [11-136S] Cloud, who can repeatedly play Forwards. There are several non-Category VII cards that also work well with the ability (though they don’t directly remove Warp Counters), so I encourage you to seek them out.
【Comments from the Illustrator: Gen Kobayashi】
I was given the opportunity to draw Vincent from DIRGE of CERBERUS –FINAL FANTASY VII–. He looked so cool and impressive moving around as quickly as he did in the event scenes, so I decided to integrate that sense of speed and movement into the illustration.
I hope you enjoyed learning about the four cards from the upcoming booster pack. Please look forward to Hidden Trials, which goes on sale August 2!
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
