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From Magic to Final Fantasy Trading Card Game

Last Update: 23.09.2023

A Starter Guide

You play Magic: The Gathering and found your way to the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game?

 

Then welcome!

 

Both games have a lot in common, but sometimes the devil is in the details and certain things you are used to in Magic work differently in Final Fantasy. Likewise, many other terms are used. To help you get started, here is an overview of terms and important rule differences.

Important general rule differences

  • Mulligan: The entire starting hand can be placed under the deck once and 5 new cards can be drawn. This does not shuffle the deck.
  • Playing a character does not open a stack.
  • When paying cards, at least 1 CP must match the element of the card. For multi-element cards, at least 1 CP of the element must be paid per element.
  • FFTCG does not have "floating mana". CP are always generated in the context of paying for a card/ability and cannot be accumulated to pay with later. You may only pay a maximum of one CP per element more than the card requires, and only by discarding a hand card.
  • According to the rules, when cards are played, they are first presented and then paid. From then on, a card is considered to be used. In practice, however, the cost is often paid first and the card is shown afterwards. This is important for cards like [9-084H] Kain.
  • There is no priority change in the Active Phase and the Draw Phase. The opposing player gets the priority for the first time by a phase change when switching from Main Phase 1 to Attack Phase.
  • In the End Phase, players may no longer play any cards or use any action or special abilities; only auto abilities are triggered.
  • Card rarities in FFTCG are classified in ascending order as follows: Common (C), Rare (R), Hero (H), Legend (L). In addition, there are Starter cards (S), which can appear in boosters outside the Starter Decks only as Foil cards, and Promos (PR).
  • A playset in FFTCG includes 3 cards, not 4 as in Magic.

Terminology

Magic: The Gathering ⇒ Final Fantasy TCG

Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy TCG Notes / Differences
Activated Ability Action Ability  
Color Element  
Counter Counter  
Creature Forward  
Destroy Break  
to Exile Remove  
First Strike First Strike  
Flash Back Attack  
Graveyard Break Zone  
Haste Haste  
Hexproof Cannot be chosen by Summons or Abilities  
Indestructible Cannot be broken  
Instant Summon FFTCG does not have sorceries as its own card type.
Land Backup Any number of backups can be played in one turn. Players may control a maximum of five backups at a time. Backups enter the field dulled. If activated on the same turn they were played, they may be used to generate CP, but are not yet able to use action abilities that require dulling the Backup (require haste to do so).
Legacy Format Standard Format  
Legendary All cards without the "Generic"-Symbol
 
Cards with "Legendary" properties play a much larger role in FFTCG. Unlike MTG, players cannot play a second copy to the field and sacrifice one of them. If, via certain interactions, two identical cards with the same card name enter the field without having the "Generic Card" icon, both cards are placed on the Break Zone.
Library Deck A deck in FFTCG contains exactly 50 cards and no sideboard.
Mana Crystal Points / CP

Not to be confused with crystals, which are a resource in their own right.

Permanent Character Characters currently are Forwards, Backups and Monsters
Power Power FFTCG combines power and toughness into a single value.
Search  Search  Searching is its own keyword in FFTCG and includes showing the card you are looking for and shuffling the deck.
Effects similar to Sleep Freeze Own Keyword
Stack Stack  
Standard Format L3 / L6 Constructed Format While sets are removed from this format every year in Magic, FFTCG only has a similar format with L3 or L6 Constructed, where only the last 3 sets or 6 sets may be used.
Static Ability Field Ability Despite the perhaps misleading name, certain field abilities can function off the field and, for example, from the hand, analogous to static abilities.
Suspend Warp Characters don't get Haste when they enter the battlefield
Tap Dull   
Triggered Ability Auto Ability  
Toughness Power FFTCG combines power and toughness into a single value.
Untap Activate  
Vigilance Brave  
Energy Crystal  

Final Fantasy TCG ⇒ Magic: The Gathering

Final Fantasy TCG Magic: The Gathering Notes / Differences
Action Ability
Activated Ability  
Activate Untap  
Auto Ability Triggered Ability  
Back Attack Flash  
Backup Land Any number of backups can be played in one turn. Players may control a maximum of five backups at a time. Backups enter the field dulled. If activated on the same turn they were played, they may be used to generate CP, but are not yet able to use action abilities that require dulling the Backup (require haste to do so).

Brave

Vigilance

 

Break

Destroy

 

Break Zone

Graveyard

 

Cannot be broken

Indestructible

 

Cannot be chosen by summons or abilities

Hexproof

 

Character

Permanent

 Characters currently are Forwards, Monsters and Backups

Counter 

Counter

 
Crystal Points/CP Mana Not to be confused with crystals, which are a resource in their own right.
Deck Library A deck in FFTCG contains exactly 50 cards and no sideboard.
Dull  Tap  
Element Color  
Field Ability Static Ability Despite the perhaps misleading name, certain field abilities can function off the field and, for example, from the hand, analogous to static abilities.
First Strike First Strike

 

Forward Creature  

Freeze

Effects similar to Sleep Own Keyword

All cards without the "Generic"-Symbol

Legendary Cards with "Legendary" properties play a much larger role in FFTCG. Unlike MTG, players cannot play a second copy to the field and sacrifice one of them. If, via certain interactions, two identical cards with the same card name enter the field without having the "Generic Card" icon, both cards are placed on the Break Zone.
Haste Haste  
L3 / L6 Constructed Format Standard Format While sets are removed from this format every year in Magic, FFTCG only has a similar format with L3 or L6 Constructed, where only the last 3 sets or 6 sets may be used.
Power Power and Toughness FFTCG combines power and toughness into a single value.
Remove  to exile  
Search Search Searching is its own keyword in FFTCG and includes showing the card you are looking for and shuffling the deck.
Stack Stack  
Standard Format Legacy Format  
Summon Instant FFTCG does not have sorceries as its own card type.
Warp Suspend Characters don’t get Haste when they enter the battlefield
Crystal Energy  

 

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