Cactuar Correspondence - Weekly FFTCG Chat 1/17/19

let's talk fftcg!

Every week, there is something new to discuss and analyze in this game. In this feature, we answer your questions and respond to recent developments, new meta decks, specific cards we like or don't like -- you call it, we'll answer.

Hailing from land north of the wall and creating more devastating ice monsters than the white walkers themselves, we’re joined this week by Jordan Denks!

If you want to join the conversation, send us your thoughts! We would also love to hear the questions you have next week, so please shoot us a message at Facebook or on Twitter. Thanks for reading!

How did you experience the Reunion this weekend, and what did you think?

JORDAN: Unfortunately wasn’t able to attend. Thankfully I have max Williams on Snapchat and his snaps were enough to get me through the weekend. Event looked great, I’m excited for the 2019 season.

CHRIS: The reunion was pretty perfect. It was the best way to start the competitive season. And doing 10 hours of commentary was legit.

AMANDA: I experienced the reunion through the stream this weekend hosted by the wonderful Chris Adams (woo Virginia Crew) and Matt Rice. I thought it was one of the better streams I’ve watched just due to the pure interaction of the hosts with not only the people at the event itself, but also the interaction with the chat. It was a very nice change of pace to not have breaks just filled with music and have actual talking and entertainment. I feel like it was a HUGE step up from the average stream.

TREVOR: With sadness, I had to bail last minute for IRL, and I was slightly heartbroken. I did tune in to see the handsome faces on the stream. Shout out to Cards of Ivalice, they set one hell of a standard for community events.

Are there any decks in the meta right now that you think are overrated?

JORDAN: Don’t know that much is overrated. I think there’s a fairly clear hierarchy that’s established with water/wind firmly at the top. If anything, I would say earth/wind is overrated, but it’s actually still quite good.

CHRIS: That's rough because with even with wind being very powerful there are a lot of decks that are playable. It's real hard. I think everything is right where it belongs.

AMANDA: Uh… Did you say Dadaluma? If I’m being completely honest, I think that the Dadaluma Cactuar meta is the most annoying deck in meta today. Yes, its counterable and not too entirely difficult to deal with, but I don’t like to constantly see it in meta when there are so many other good cards and card combinations in the game. Yes, I understand there are things the Dadaluma player needs to look out for, and many card interactions to watch, but I’m just bored of seeing it.

TREVOR: I don't think any of the major decks are truly overrated right now. They are doing well, and are consistent for a reason. If I had to pick one, I'd probably say Mono-Water Fusoya, a lot of people tend to play it with out understanding it's position in the Meta.

Do you think Opus I Starter Tifa + Zangan returns to competitive play with the next Starter set offering another Tifa?

JORDAN: Nah .

CHRIS: I sure hope so!

AMANDA: Seeing another FF VII Starter Deck gives me hope that maybe we can get a non-Cloud based VII deck. Having Tifa as the main card definitely gives me hope and I think that depending on what the new Tifa card does, it could definitely resurge the original Tifa and Zangan starter cards. At the very least I can see a Zangan resurgence.

TREVOR: Stop trying to make Water Kick happen, it's not going to happen. (Someone please prove me wrong)

Are S abilities a trap, or are there any that are worth building around?

JORDAN: Only one that’s worthy to build around (that comes to mind) is lulu H. That said she’s super weak/expensive otherwise. I think S abilities just add extra utility to already good cards and aren’t things we should be building a deck around.

CHRIS: Hmm. That's a loaded question. But there are some that are worth building around, like Krile.

AMANDA: I think that S abilities are very situationally useful. I built my FF VII Title deck based off S abilities with Vincent and Cloud and definitely don’t regret it. I think they’re an overall fun gimmick in the game that adds a layer of challenge, does you opponent have that other Gilgamesh to strongest sword the heck out of your forwards? Can your opponent reactivate and protect all their forwards just as you think you have a board wipe? Specials also have a wide variety that can fit into many deck types. Mil tricks, pure damage, forward breaks, activations, etc. I wouldn’t say I would personally build an entire normal tournament deck around them, but I would keep them in mind to make a deck better.

TREVOR: Speaking of Water Kick...While not necessarily a trap, the handful we have that provide value over their net CP usage is typically very low. Good “S” usage is what separates great players from good players.

Do you see yourself playing Final Fantasy Digital Card Game?

JORDAN: F2P games are such a trap/slippery slope. As cool as it looks, I’m probably going to avoid it out of fear of getting in too deep.

CHRIS: Absolutely, I need a new game to play on the toilet.

AMANDA: If they were to make a FF Digital Card game that was accessible on mobile I would absolutely play it. Having a FFTCG equivalent to a game like Hearthstone would be great and would most likely broaden the player base. I would like to see them do something like the Pokémon card game and put a digital code for packs in physical packs so we’re not forced to pay for all the packs through the app, but honestly I’m just looking forward to a mobile version of the FFTCG. Based on the hype for the fake out Digital FFTCG I think my opinion is with the majority!

TREVOR: My life is a whirlwind of disappointment. So sure, whats a bit more?