Hello everyone, it’s time for your weekly treat: “Card of the Week.” In this installment, we’ll showcase two cards from FINAL FANTASY XV: the protagonist Noctis [26-077R], which features a brand-new original illustration by Oreki Genya, and his archenemy Ardyn [26-122H] (note that this card does not feature an original illustration).
Now, let’s take a look at the cards. First up is Noctis [26-077R], which also comes in a full-art version, as it features an original illustration.
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Noctis [26-077R] is a 2CP Earth element Forward with 5000 power. He has an Auto Ability that triggers upon entering the field, and a second one that additionally triggers if the controller has received 3 or more damage. When played under those conditions, both abilities will activate.
The first Auto Ability reads: “When Noctis enters the field, choose 1 Category XV Character card in your Break Zone. Put it on top of your deck.” This ability alone doesn’t immediately provide an advantage, since the card doesn’t go directly into the player’s hand. However, his second Auto Ability, which triggers when the controller has taken 3 or more damage reads: “When Noctis enters the field, draw 1 card”. When these two abilities work together, you can effectively play Noctis at zero cost... That said, whether this move is really worth highlighting is debatable. After all, it does require you to have already taken a certain amount of damage.
In that case, how about placing a Character with EX Burst on top of your deck instead? Doing so can serve as a deterrent against your opponent’s attack on their next turn. If you want to stick to Category XV cards, options like Aranea [18-137S] and Noctis [21-130S], which can break an opponent’s Forward, are recommended. If you’ve already taken 3 or more damage, make sure to draw a card first before placing a card on top of your deck.
If you want to take it even further, you could also consider using him alongside Characters like Cindy [18-078R] or Sonitus [15-092C], which have abilities that deals you 1 point of damage. By playing Noctis [26-077R], putting an EX Burst card on top of your deck, and using Cindy [18-078R]’s ability, for example, you can proactively initiate the EX Burst instead of merely using it as a deterrent. Depending on how creative you get, Noctis has the potential to become a pivotal card in your deck.
Next up is Ardyn [26-122H].
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Ardyn [26-122H] is a 4CP Dark element Forward with 8000 power. He has an Action Ability that reads: “Put Ardyn into the Break Zone: Choose 1 Forward opponent controls. It loses 8000 power until the end of the turn.” He also has another Action Ability that can be used when you have received 5 or more damage: “《0》: Play Ardyn onto the field. When Ardyn enters the field, Ardyn deals you 1 point of damage. You can only use this ability during your Main Phase and if Ardyn is in the Break Zone.”
These abilities—removing a Forward at the cost of putting Ardyn into the Break Zone, and reviving Arden from the Break Zone—make it feel like Ardyn [26-122H] can complete a combo all on his own. While it may be hard to use his ability repeatedly because of the damage it deals, even using it just once can be extremely powerful. And even if you don’t use the ability, it’ll serve as a strong deterrent.
Speaking of taking damage... that’s right! This also brings to mind the potential synergy between him and Noctis [26-077R]. Whether this can be considered true to the original story might be up for debate, given their relationship in the game, but at least within FFTCG, these two cards complement each other well.
Finally, next week marks the last installment in the “Card of the Week” series for “Gunslinger in the Abyss.” We’ll conclude with the introduction of an entity created by those who fell into nihilism, seeking to bring about their own annihilation.
See you next week!