Let's Talk About Cards: Yuna (1-176H)

Hello, and welcome to Let’s Talk About Cards. The hope for these articles is to give players a concentrated insight into the usages of individual cards. This will include discussing a card’s synergies, a card’s role at different stages in the game, non-intuitive rulings or interactions, and counter-strategies.

Confession: I’m a combo player in TCG games. When you play a combo deck and the combo hits, you feel unstoppable. I like to chase that feeling, even knowing that most combo decks feel just plain bad when you don’t find the pieces you need.

The trap of a bad combo is when the deck does not have cards that really do anything by themselves. A great combo has pieces that will function on their own, and Final Fantasy TCG has many of these. Perhaps the biggest and best combo piece in the game is Yuna (1-176H). Not only is this card a cornerstone piece of the game’s oldest (but still relevant) combo, it also sees a lot of play for just being itself. Regardless of whether or not you’re playing Water cards, you definitely want to know about this one.

Rulings and Interactions

Yuna is an ideal 5 CP backup. She immediately realizes some value when played using her first ability: “When Yuna enters the field, choose 1 Forward. Return it to its owner's hand.” This is an ability that can really punish an aggressive player who has not established many backups. It is also a strong ability to play on a Light or Dark Forward, forcing an opponent to either immediately replay the card, or hold onto it until much later.

The fact that her first ability is tagged to an EX Burst is really important. Normally, a player may reconsider including three 5 CP backups in their deck, even if it was part of a combo that they wanted to guarantee they found in their game. Because of Yuna’s EX Burst, it is very easy to run three copies.

The second part of the card is where Yuna shines: “When a Character is put from the field into the Break Zone, you may remove it from the game instead.” There are so many Characters, and Forwards especially, that realize their full value when put into the Break Zone. Rinoa (2-047L) is a great example: when Yuna is on the field, and your opponent’s Rinoa breaks, your Forwards stay active. Emperor Xande (2-007L) does not deal any of your Forwards 9000 damage when he breaks, because he does not find the Break Zone. And all those frustrating early-game Golbez (1-135L)? Yuna shuts that deck down almost outright.

Synergy

The Opus I starter deck “Final Fantasy X” that featured Wind and Water led Final Fantasy TCG off with a mighty powerful combo between Yuna, Rikku, and Paine. If you hear someone talking about the “YRP Combo”, know that it all started here.

The starter Yuna (1-214S) does not see heavy play today, and neither does the starter Rikku (1-201S). The starter Paine (1-199S) will still pop up in decks, and for good reason. Other versions of Rikku see play, and our featured version of Yuna will still net players a free card draw from playing Paine.

Another key card for Yuna is Chaos, Walker of the Wheel (3-071H). In my humble opinion, this Summon is among the best removal options in the game. The EX Burst can be game-changing, yet the overall card is also tricky. Do you want to trade an opponent’s best Forward for one that is potentially better?

Yuna helps answer that question by erasing the question itself. Since Yuna will not let the opponent’s Forward hit the Break Zone, they do not get to play another Forward as a result. It turns Chaos, Walker of the Wheel into Odin (1-124R), which is a card so powerful that they gave it a 7 CP cost.

It is also worth mentioning the card Lenne (2-142R). This is another Character that wants to interact with Yuna, but not our particular Yuna since she is not a Forward. Lenne does not see many competitive matches, but it is a card with an ability that many hope finds a place in the competitive mix one day.

Other Yuna Cards

Yuna (1-176H) is a great card, but it is not always the Yuna that every deck chooses to play. Some decks that do not rely on Break Zone interactions may opt for the Yuna (1-177R) backup. At 2 CP, she is very appealing, and the reduced cost to cast Water summons is very powerful. For Forward Yunas, our options are starter Yuna (1-214S) and Yuna (2-138L). If you were looking for a partner for Lenne earlier, Yuna (2-138L) is a great place to start.

Dealing with an Opponent’s Yuna (1-176H)

There are almost no options available to specifically address the position you find yourself in when an opponent plays Yuna (1-176H). If you are playing an Earth deck, you’re in luck when you draw Hecatoncheir (1-117R). Otherwise, when it comes to removal, your choices are quite costly. There’s Heretical Knight Garland (5-073R). Maybe you’re one of the brave souls running Sephiroth (PR-001P) or Sephiroth (1-186L).

For Wind players, Ritz (4-072H) is an option to consider for protection from Yuna’s first ability.

Conclusion

If you are going to play a backup for 5 CP, you want that card to do a lot. Simply put, Yuna (1-176H) does a lot. She is a card that can make your opponent’s Forwards much worse, and whether you’re taking damage or drawing for turn, it’s a card you almost never regret seeing.

And, even if you’re not playing the YRP combo, you can feel pretty good with her in your 50.