Final Fantasy Trading Cards Games
Card of the week 2020-06-25 12:28:48

Opus XII Card of the Week - Emet-Selch


COTW OPUS XII/EMET SELCH/emet selch banner desktop

Hey everyone, Tim here! Are you ready for the next Card of the Week article?

This week we are looking at my favorite Character from FFXIV Shadowbringers. Many people have been waiting for this reveal since we have shown the artwork for this card already. So, let us take a look at  the Ascian, Emet-Selch.


Emet-Selch [12-024H] is a 4CP Ice Forward with the Job Ascian, Category XIV and 9000 Power. He reads “When Emet-Selch is chosen by your opponent’s Summons or abilities, remove Emet-Selch from the game. If you do so, play Emet-Selch onto the field at the end of the turn”. On Damage 5 he also receives “When Emet-Selch enters the field, you may pay 1 Ice CP. When you do so, select 1 of the 2 following actions. “Choose 1 dull Forward. Break it.” “Choose 1 Forward of cost 2 or less in your Break Zone. Play it onto the field.”

Just by looking at his base stats, 4CP and 9000 Power, we can see that he is stronger than the average 4 CP Forwards with only 8000 Power, so where is the downside?
Whenever the Ascian is chosen by your opponent’s Summon or abilities, he will enter the shadows and leave the field, to return at the end of the turn. So even a [4-058C] Cactuar with its 1000 damage ability can stop Emet-Selch from attacking.
But this is not only a downside - This ability will make him dodge every Summon or ability that would normally choose and break him, and he will always return at the end of the turn.


On Damage 5 Emet-Selch becomes a real threat for your opponent. Whenever he enters or re-enters the field, he can break any dull Forward or play any Forward of cost or 2 from your Break Zone.

Important to mention is that Emet-Selch can bring back any Forward of cost 2 or less, not only Ice Forwards. For example this could give him the opportunity to team up with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, as they have lots of 2 CP Forwards such as [5-158S] Yda, [5-163S] Urianger, [8-092C] Alphinaud or [1-084H] Y’shtola if you can manage all the different Elements. Another use would be other strong 2 CP Forwards like [9-115R] Porom inWater/Ice and [11-136S] Cloud in Earth/Ice FF7.


Even though Emet-Selch is the first Job Ascian in the game, there are already plenty of synergies available for him. For example, the Garlean Emperor [9-021R] Varis zos Galvus can add him back from your Break Zone to your hand to allow you to discard Emet-Selch early in the game and bring him back once the Damage 5 ability is available. [9-067C] Cid Garlond has a similar ability, but is not in the same color as Varis but still useful in Earth/Ice.


As Emet-Selch can only protect himself from Summons and abilities, [8-146S] Thancred could also turn him into a 9000 Power Forward with First Strike while attacking.

As soon as you hit Damage 5 with Emet-Selch on the field, your opponent will most likely not choose him with any Summons or abilities anymore. [11-109R] Aemo could be very useful to redirect some abilities onto Emet-Selch to shield your other Forwards and in order to trigger his ability and make him re-enter to do the Damage 5 ability once more.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that, if Emet-Selch re-enters the field from his Damage 5 ability, he will enter at the end of the turn and therefore your opponent will not be able to respond to this ability (e.g with re-activating the dull Forward to protect him).


What are your first thoughts on the card? Which decks would run it and what would you like to try out? Let us know at facebook.com/FFTCGEurope.

Next week, Kageyama-san will bring you a new take on a Character who appeared two times in FFTCG already, who could it be?

Stay tuned!

~Tim