Hello everyone, a new set is on the horizon and that means Card of the Week is back!! This time around, we’ll be introducing cards from the upcoming booster pack, “Gunslinger in the Abyss,” releasing on August 8th. We’ll be highlighting many wonderful and appealing cards over the next 8(!) installments, so I hope you stay tuned!
With that, let’s get started. Our very first card comes from FINAL FANTASY XVI, with brand-new art from Kazuya Takahashi. I’d like to present: Jill [26-034L]! In “Gunslinger in the Abyss” will be three cards from FINAL FANTASY XVI with brand-new artwork, and this is one of them. It’s an incredible illustration with crystals floating in the background. The full art version of the card is also very beautiful.
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Jill [26-034L] is an Ice element Forward who has a cost of 3CP, 7000 power and Job Dominant. Forwards that have this job almost all have the keyword ability “prime,” and Jill [26-034L] can prime into any Card Name “Shiva (XVI).” As for what she can prime into, there’s already Shiva (XVI) [24-024R] from the Hidden Legends Booster Pack Set, but let’s first look at what Jill [26-034L] has in terms of her abilities.
Jill [26-034L] has an Auto-ability that activates when she enters the field, and an Auto-ability that activates when the Attack phase of Jill [26-034L]’s controller begins. The first reads, “When Jill enters the field, choose up to the same number of Characters as there are Job Eikon in your Break Zone and/or Job Eikon you own removed from the game. Dull them.” You should have no problems dulling two to three characters, plus you can count cards that were removed from the game, so even if the card was removed out of your Break Zone by, say, Mist Dragon [9-068H], there won’t be any issues. This could be quite powerful when your Forwards are neck and neck with the opponent’s. Further, since she can dull them in one fell swoop, you can pair her well with Nooj [25-029R], or just imagine how exciting it would be to use Setzer [11-035R]’s Special Ability, “Slots.”
However, the other ability, which activates at the beginning of the Attack Phase is even more powerful. Just by paying 1 Ice CP, you can choose one dull Forward and break it! You can choose to break a Forward you dulled when she entered the field, and because this ability is available every time your turn comes around, your opponent will surely hesitate to dull their precious Forwards as long as you have Jill [26-034L] on the field.
These alone make this 3CP Forward quite useful, but as mentioned earlier, she also has the ability of “Priming.” If Jill [26-034L] chooses to prime into Shiva [24-024R], you can break 2 Forwards that were dulled when Jill [26-034L] entered the field. Plus, if you were able to break 2 Forwards, you can make your opponent discard 1 card. I would say this is a handy and powerful synergy effect.
On top of that, there is a new Shiva (XVI) included in this Gunslinger of the Abyss set, which I’d like to show you here. This is Shiva (XIV) [26-029R].
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This Shiva (XVI) [26-029R] enhances Jill’s [26-034L] in a different way than the other combination. Let’s take a quick look at Shiva (XVI) [26-029R]’s abilities.
The ability reads, “When Shiva (XVI) [26-029R] enters the field, Freeze all the Forwards opponent controls.” You can freeze Forwards after they are dulled by Jill [26-034L]. That said, it is a bit costly to simply place both into the field, so if it isn’t a strain, then it would be better if Jill [26-034L] primes into Shiva (XVI) [26-029R]. Reason being, the card also says that “When Jill primes into Shiva (SVI), Freeze all the Characters opponent controls.” These encompass all characters, and not just Forwards, so those who have just entered into the field, or have been dulled to produce CP, could potentially get wrapped up into this.
It’s a rather domineering ability, but that’s just the beginning. She also has the Special Ability, “Ice Age,” which ensures she remains useful even after she has entered the field. It’s tough to choose between Shiva (SVI) [24-024R] and Shiva (XVI) [26-029R], because they each have their own advantages. So why not include both? It’s always good to have an option to choose which one Jill primes into, depending on your situation.
So, what did you think? Do you feel that Jill [26-034L] and Shiva (XVI) [26-029R] is a worthy motivator to build your deck? I would love for people to try their hand at it.
Next week, we’ll be introducing a formidable Dark element Forward from FINAL FANTASY XIV. I will see you next time… on the moon!