Cactuar Correspondence - Weekly FFTCG Chat 8/16/18

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.

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!

Special guest this week is Jayson of FXBG Turks. Check out their Facebook page and their podcast on Soundcloud!

Overall, what was your experience with the Local Qualifiers and what do you expect or want to see change in the future?

AUSTIN: I really enjoyed the LQ I was able to go to. I ended up getting 3rd and it felt great to just be able to play with a great group of folks. As far as improvements though, I do think there should be a little more thought into the selection of stores in the future and probably better prize support directly from SE if they want to go with smaller stores to help grow the game. 

TREVOR: I enjoyed my LQ experience, and was able to attend 4 of them. I believe I echo the hivemind with this, but I think some fine tuning needs to happen with how the invites are handed out. I don't have the answer to how, but currently they leave much to be desired.

CHRIS: I think the qualifiers are a neat way to drive competition and make Nationals more of high level event, but with that being said, I think unless there are going to be more events, then more than just the winner need to be able to qualify. Maybe Top 4 if the event meets a certain attendance. 

JAYSON: After attending 3 different Qualifiers, I would have to say that I enjoyed each and every one of them. I played a different deck at each event, two homebrews and one Meta deck. Meeting new people, their communities, and seeing how their shop provides for said community was my main drive for going so being able to do that was a great accomplishment.
As far as changes I would like to see in the future for Local Qualifiers, my list is pretty short and to the point. First, I would like there to be a broader range of locations for these events. SquareEnix's method for selecting a store/location for these events is odd to me as it doesn't make any sense for the community as a whole. Many stores (but not all) selected for these events were smaller shops with a very small community and very little support. As an Organizer for FFTCG at my LGS, and the large community we have grown there, a lot of our players including myself were disgruntled that we were unable to obtain a Local Qualifier in Fredericksburg. One store in North Carolina obtained two, and both times those events were flooded with VA players from our respective communities. Of course, I am in no way looking down at these other communities, I just feel like the communities with the largest scenes should have an opportunity to show off why they are as big as they are to other communities out there so those other communities can adopt their methods and apply said methods to their own growing communities.

DANNY: My experience with the LQS has been a positive experience overall. I was fortunate to be able to attend 3 in the area. Our local scene is full of exceptional players and every event was highly competitive. I was able to secure a first place finish at one of these events and made it to top cuts at the other two. Very excited for Nats!
I think the tournaments were well organized and have no real complaints. I hope to see more support for these types of events going forward!

Where do you think the meta is right now, in terms of aggro / midrange / control, and do you see a shift coming in the future?

AUSTIN: I think the meta is in a very healthy place. The boogeyman that the whole community was in arms about recently hasn't been doing well and is even growing into a different style deck. I think there is far more experimentation going on as well since the card pool has increased. Ultimately though, I think that there will meta will end up being much more mid range in the long run. 

TREVOR: We are in a state of flux in the meta currently. The gut says aggro, but as people are quickly figuring out Turbo Discard, we are transitioning into a more mid-range.

CHRIS: The meta is in a very strange place. All the decks have a place, and there is no really dominant deck. I can see Turbo Discard and Viking decks being hate teched out of the meta, seeing as that many of the cards that counter one also counter the other.

JAYSON: The meta, in my opinion, seems to be at an aggro / midrange state. With Turbo Discard dominating a lot of events, and now Vikings coming out of the gates with large field presence, I feel like this is where the meta lies currently. I definitely see a shift coming though, with many of the multi color decks showing up at these events. Hunter's current build is doing really well with the pressure of these new types of decks and many different variants of his build have been popping up at locals across the US. The meta is no way near finished, as a lot of the cards being used are just engine cards. More unique decks will pop up as this Opus VI season continues and I look forward to what is on the horizon.

DANNY: The game's pace has sped up quite a bit with the release of Opus VI. Boards are getting flooded and some of these decks can get you to 7 damage in the blink of an eye. Aggro is still a sure bet, but we're starting to see more mid-range and control decks find their place. I think we'll continue to see mix of archetypes perform well, with a slight edge to aggressive decks that can recover from board wipes still coming out on top.

What deck archetpye do you think will win US Nationals, and why?

AUSTIN: I really hope folks realize soon how good Fire / Lightning can be. That being said though, it will most likely end up being a 5 color control style deck that folks just haven't figured out. Maybe Wind / Earth (with Ice splash variant). 

TREVOR: Viking/X or Cid II/X. I don't feel like either of those support packages have truly reached their prime yet, but hopefully someone will break them for Nats.

CHRIS: It's tough to say what will win Nationals. There is so much more time to explore Opus VI and really find the best synergies. But if I had to pick something, it would be some sort of Viking list. The card advantage that is generated is just really strong.

JAYSON: I'm not too sure. I feel like there is a deck out there that we have not seen yet that is going to take Nationals by surprise. If I were to guess based off of what I've witnessed first hand, I'd say a variation of Vikings will take Nationals.

DANNY: Hard to say what will win at nationals. I think Ice and Lightning still hold a solid footing over other elements, but as GenCon showed us, there may be surprises in store for the meta.

What is one Legendary card that you always end up brewing around with, even if it might not really be that good?

AUSTIN: I've always built around Squall 1-041L and Laguna 1-058L. I've always had such a huge connection to FFVIII and I just love the art on the cards and still think they could be good in the right deck. Plus, I always want to make Vince sad we he sees them in my deck lists.

TREVOR: Cauis 4-006L - it's almost there!

CHRIS: I always find myself looking at Vaan 5-145L. I think that card is just such a beater once he gets going and he can find a home at the top of the curve in a lot of aggressive shells.

JAYSON: I haven't been really stuck on so much a single legendary than I have more so an element. When I started playing FFTCG during Opus I, I built around Jecht 1-015L. I was drawn to fire because of its heavy removal options, and Jecht's ability called to me. When Opus II came around, I stuck with fire and built around Emperor Xande 2-007L, further improving my Mono Fire build and continuing my win streak for locals. When Opus III dropped, yet again my Mono Fire build was buffed by Vivi 3-017L entering the fray. Opus IV wound up taking me out of Fire due to the huge buff Water received, so I began to gravitate toward Earth, Wind, and Water with Cecil 2-129L at the helm. Opus V took me to a dark place... (lol) and I found myself backtracking a lot to my older decks, trying to improve off of them. In the end, the Legend I found myself building around was Wol 5-075L. Now with Opus VI out, I have shifted all of my homebrew focus toward Nidhogg 6-130L and Rinoa 6-041L. I've always been a fan of anything "dark" or "evil" in any game that I play so I am currently working on a build that is unexpected but is proving to be very effective in deck tests. Maybe you'll see it pop up on FFDecks in an event page?

DANNY: Eald'narche 5-147. Paradise is a dream on paper and a feel-good win condition. He isn't a bad card, but if you can't make him stick, he's just clogging up your game plan. So happy to see Kageyama-san putting him to good work.
Also, Jecht.

What Title deck do you wish had more support?

AUSTIN: I know this is probably against the grain, but I really don't enjoy Title format. I'd rather we start to get some of the other lore support within the games itself. Maybe see the Turks from VII, the Shrine Knights from Tactics, or more boss monsters in general. Omega and Ultima weapon anyone? Can we get an Eden or Knights of the Round summon?

TREVOR: Final Fantasy Mystic Quest

CHRIS: Currently, I'd like to see more Title support for Categories V and VI. I think they have amazing Forwards but little-to-no Backup or Summon support. But V does have access to Turn 1 double Bartz, so maybe they don't need anything...

JAYSON: I feel like Final Fantasy IX could use more options. There are a lot of characters from the game that have not been revealed yet in any sets and I think if they were to bring these other characters in in different elements, it would make for a more exciting build. I am the worst person to ask about this though as I do not play Title often.

DANNY: Would like to see more support for X... Don't think Gullwings is the best, and gosh darnit, we need more Jecht cards!