Cactuar Correspondence - Weekly FFTCG Chat 9/20/18

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!

This week, we're joined by Joesephyr, one of the first dudes to write about FFTCG! Joesephyr is on Facebook and has videos on YouTube. Give him a Like and a Subscribe, as he always has something interesting to say about this game and many others.

What Opus do you think contributed the most to the meta?

JOESEPHYR: I think Opus V has added an awful lot to the game in recent months with cards like Diabolos 5-062, Thaumaturge 5-040, Wol 5-075, Kam'lanaut 5-148, and Star Sibyl 5-091, so if I were to pick one set, it'd be that one. But, I think every set has added something to the meta.

ADAM L: Man, this is actually tough because there are quite a few strong cards in each Opus. If I had to pick one, though, I think it would have to be Opus V. Cards like Wol are very strong as well as everyone's favorite card Gesper 5-034. This set also brought us powerhouses like Kam'lanaut, Illua 5-099, Cloud of Darkness 5-126, Star Sybil, Y'shtola 5-068 and Diabolos.

CHRIS: All the sets definitely have brought some staples to the table, but I’d have to say Opus 1 brought the big ones, the anthems, the classic 2 CP backups, Shantotto 1-107, Cid Raines 1-192S. You know, all the hits!

AUSTIN: It has to be Opus V. The game really broke open at that point. Not just in expected value of cards, but the lines of play and the cards you got to use. I feel like that was the first set that didn't have a solid theme that was getting pushed in it, and actually got people really creative until the meta settled. 

ADAM D: I think Opus 1 might have the most cards played across all meta decks, but Opus IV gave us Monsters and Category VI. Every Element gained extremely powerful cards from that set, many that are all-in build-around cards.

What has changed the most about the game since when you started playing FFTCG?

JOESEPHYR: When I started playing FFTCG, it was very new and a lot of people were unsure about what worked and what didn't, which was what inspired me to make a channel about the game in the first place. Nowadays, I think a lot more people are clued in on what cards are good, meta, etc. and there are a lot more resources out there for people to learn from, which is awesome.

ADAM L: Probably the prevalence of 3-5 element decks. When I first started playing, everything was mono color decks with a few two color decks. As each set gets printed, we see more people creating these 3-5 different element decks that are very powerful, and I think fun to play. Once Kam’lanaut was printed, I also think it helped a ton with the consistency of these decks by being able to search Chaos 1-184. 

CHRIS: The power of the cards have changed pretty tremendously since I’ve started playing, and that was only two sets ago! Cards like Wol and Zidane 6-044, and Summons like Hecatoncheir 4-093 and Ramuh 6-102.

AUSTIN: I would say that there has been a little more drive for competitive decks. While there has currently been say 4 or 5 decks that are the meta, I feel like there has been less chance to see interesting decks as people are vying for Nationals spots. I get that people want to prove they are great players and rep their country, I just miss playing random cards like back in Opus III. 

ADAM D: The community has grown very gracefully. It was always the best part of the game, but even with more people, higher levels of competition and higher stakes, there is still this “fan club” vibe where everybody is just happy that a game like this exists. I’m glad it has grown and glad it hasn’t lost the positivity.

Do you think FFCC will be a viable engine based off the spoilers from Opus VII that we have seen so far?

JOESEPHYR: I feel FFCC has been hyped up a little too hard, as is the case with many new cards, but Yuri/Chelinka are certainly interesting, to say the least. So, I think it remains to be seen if we get a larger number of FFCC cards!

ADAM L: Yuri is a very strong card in my opinion, but I'm not sure if it's strong enough to see more play that Kam’lanaut. As it stands right now, I would say no, since it seems to be pushing Fire/Wind or some kind of 5 color madness with Leo, but I am interested to see what other cards they give it.

CHRIS: It’s hard to say. They definitely have a lot going for them. I’ll have to see more before I can really give it a fair shake.

AUSTIN: I think it pushes people to try the Wind/Fire build again. I think we need another solid card or two to have it really get legs to be a solid playable deck.

ADAM D: Yes. Type-0 kind of was in Opus III, Category VI was in Opus IV, Category II was in Opus V, and I see the trend continuing with FFCC in Opus VII.

Kageyama told us once that his favorite card was The Emperor 1-185. Do you ENVISION that card seeing competitive play anytime soon, now that we have so many different versions of The Emperor?

JOESEPHYR: That Emperor is an odd one. Simply by being Dark, you could theoretically run him with the new Lightning Emperor as a pretty cool value play, but running multiple copies of any Light/Dark card can turn out very cloggy, so I think it will be difficult to fit him in.

ADAM L: People will try it, for sure, but I still don't think its worth a slot in a competitive deck. You can do a lot of fun things with the card but paying 5 CP and then having to let it Break to go get another Emperor is kind of slow. Maybe if you can play it with some sort of deck that runs Famfrit, the Darkening Cloud 3-123 or something like that, but that also means you are sacrificing your own 5 CP Forward in a meta filled with Vikings. Also, if it does become good, cards like Vayne 2-026 and Ice in general will keep it in check.

CHRIS: Again, it’s hard to say. If you can make it work, then go for it! I personally just think if you’re running Dark cards there are just better cards that can take up those slots these days.

AUSTIN: Not unless Kam’lanaut goes away as a card. I get the utility in The Emperor, and having an extra Forward for nothing is never a bad thing, but Kam’lanaut does more and also gets you a backup that can resource fix. Maybe we start seeing a 5 color Emperor deck who knows. Actually, forget that, it's a bad deck idea. Don't try it. 

ADAM D: Since nothing has happened to suggest we will move away from best-of-1 Swiss in tournaments, options will always be good. The Emperor 2-147 is no longer the shutdown, turn the game off entirely card that it was before, but it still can stall an opponent out when played correctly. Fetching it and playing it for free, or playing an anti-draw The Emperor 5-036 for free, or playing Lightning’s version of Orphan 5-029 (the new Emperor) for free all sounds viable to me. You might not get your best option every game, but you probably get decent value anytime you play him.

What is the worst deck you’ve ever tried to seriously play?

JOESEPHYR: I reckon it's got to be Warrior of Light, as much as I adore the 4 FFIII Warriors of Light, and Wol 5-146, it's so difficult to get the deck to have the consistency it needs to compete. But, the power level is there, so hopefully some others can succeed where I failed!

ADAM L: Fire/Earth in Opus V for sure. I really wanted to make it work after playing it in Opus IV, and having fun and success with it. I ended up going too far away from what made the deck good in Opus IV. Also, Opus V had just printed so many good Earth card that just playing mono Earth was by far the better call. I do think that Fire/Earth is a fine archetype, but the deck that I made was pretty garbage.

CHRIS: Hmm, I’ve tried a lot of duds, but if I had to zero in on one terrible deck I tried, it has to be a non-Title Water/Wind Sky Pirates deck at the beginning of Opus V. It was absolutely awful, but I was so hellbent on making them work that I had to play it out of principle. But man, it was awful. Now the FFXII Title version of the deck is a completely different story! 

AUSTIN: I tried to make Category VIII happen so bad prior to Opus VI (which I still don't think is a playable Standard deck at the current time). I was running Kiros 2-105, Laguna 1-058, Squall 1-041, Rinoa 2-047, Hildibrand 4-109, Al-Cid 2-097 and Edea 2-100. It was a fun deck and it got a surprise top at a Cup we ran, but it was a bad deck and I sadly don't think Category VIII will be good in Standard until we get another searcher that isn't as limited as Selphie 6-013 and isn't named Rinoa. In Title though, perhaps.

ADAM D: After some really successful experiences with Monster decks in Opus V, the few times I’ve tried them since Opus VI has felt really bad. My real answer is one of many Mono Wind decks, including one that ran three Onion Knight 1-125 just to enable the Onion Knight 4-054 Special. I have tried to make Mono Wind a thing so many times, often ending in cringe.