FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH: Tips and tricks for playing Queen’s Blood

Want to dominate the board in FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH’s incredible card game? We offer up some tips and tricks and share our own personal strategies.

By Duncan Heaney

Tags: Final Fantasy,FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH

FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH’s card game is fast, fun, challenging and compelling in equal measure. It’s possible to lose countless hours within the game’s impressive world just challenging its eccentric residents to match after match.

Of course, it’s not always easy. The game is strategically deep and climbing the ranks requires thought, strategy and a deck full of great cards. Don’t worry though - we’re here to help.

We’ve put together some tips and tricks to help you conquer this most compelling of card games. Hopefully these suggestions will give you the edge you need to ascend all the way to Blood Champion!

There is no ‘correct’ deck

Not so much a tip, as just a disclaimer I want to make upfront. While simple to learn, Queen’s Blood is a game of enormous strategic depth. There are so many tactics and strategies you can consider. This means that there is no single viable deck, and no one set of cards that is categorically the right one to use.

For example, when compiling this guide, I asked numerous people across Square Enix HQ for their own tips, and quickly discovered that no two players used the same deck. Few even shared the same strategies.

For example, one of my favorite things to do is buff cards to absurd levels of strength and dominate the game with sheer power. But someone else on the team favored a more elegant approach based on dominating and maintaining board territory, while another plays a very aggressive game based on destroying and debuffing opponent cards.

All approaches are ‘correct’, and part of the fun is finding your own way. So, when you read on, bear in mind that the following tips are advice and suggestions, not hard and fast rules you must follow.

Buy every card you come across

Be sure to visit item shops in every town - they usually sell Queen’s Blood Booster Packs, which contain new cards to add to your deck. The more cards you have, the more options you have, so it’s well worth the investment.

You can buy cards in other places too, such as certain vending machines, Thorin’s Card Shop in the Grasslands and various stalls in the Gold Saucer. Don’t be picky - splash the cash (or GP) and get everything!

Visit Thorin’s shop each time you reach a new region

The card shop in the Grasslands only has a couple of cards to start with (though they’re very good ones!). However, the stock will increase as you progress through the game and reach other regions. These cards are themed around the Summons you’ll earn in the game, such as Phoenix and Alexander - powerful and very cool.

You’ll have to travel back to the Grasslands to get them, but with the game’s ample fast travel options and super-fast load times, that’s not exactly a problem.

Play everyone you come across

The world of FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH is full of people eager to play Queen’s Blood with a passing merc, so you should take them up on it as often as you can. If you beat them, you’ll earn a new card - this is key to strengthen your deck and prepare you for the challenges ahead.

If you’re struggling to beat someone, you can go away and come back later - the game doesn’t lock out any content through story progression. But make sure you do come back and face them again.

It’s okay to lose a match

There are no penalties for losing a match - your opponent won’t take any of your cards and you can just restart or play them again. In fact, paying attention to your opponent’s strategies can teach you how to use certain cards or even inspire strategies of your own.

‘Failure is the best teacher’ may be a cliché, but it’s no less true when it comes to Queen’s Blood.

Build a balanced deck

When building your deck, you’ll want to make sure that you have a good balance of 1-rank, 2-rank and 3-rank cards (and maybe a few special cards later in the game - we’ll come onto them).

Rank 1 cards (1 pawn): You’ll likely want (more) of these than any other. (to be successful you will probably need more these cards than any other rank carrds)These may not always score very highly, but they’re essential for building your control of the board, taking control away from your opponent and strengthening other squares for more impactful cards. You’ll want enough that you always have a few during the initial draw of the game.
Rank 2 cards (2 pawns): These offer a range of benefits including increased strength, more flexible capture patterns and many more. Try to have a good number of them, as they’ll likely become the difference between victory and defeat.
Rank 3 cards (3 pawns): These are extraordinarily powerful cards that can change the game entirely when used well. They’re also quite tricky to deploy, as you need a board square with three pawns on to use them. As a result, you shouldn’t carry too many - I found one or two at most was enough.

Finally, later in the game, you’ll get access to options that don’t fall into these three categories - for example, cards that replace other cards. These in particular can be useful against the harder opponents, so it’s worth adding a couple to your deck.

Choose cards that synergize with each other

When it comes to the cards you should fill your deck with… well, that’s up to you. However, try to choose cards that can support each other’s strengths.

For example, the Chocobo & Moogle card raises power for every other enhanced allied card on the board. That combines well with things like the Cactuar and Crystalline Crab in the early game. Add Ifrit as a Rank 3 card, which increases in power for each of your enhanced cards and you can win matches through sheer power. (Ifrit gains power for each enhanced cards)

That’s just an example, of course - there are plenty of strategies as previously mentioned. So, try to use cards that work together in interesting ways.

Use a prebuilt deck if preferred

Perhaps you’re not really into deckbuilding games, but you still want to see where the Queen’s Blood story goes. Or maybe you just want to choose a viable selection of cards very quickly. If so, FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH lets you choose from a selection of pre-built decks so you can get into the action right away.

You’ll need to own the right cards, of course, and the number of decks increases as the game progresses, so if you’re playing regularly and buying new cards, you should always be ready to compete.

Tread carefully around the middle of the board

If you’re like me, when you first start Queen’s Blood your first instinct is to probably try to rush and capture as much territory as quickly as possible. Resist those urges because that approach can be fatal.

Success in Queen’s Blood is about tactically controlling the board, and you want to limit your opponent’s opportunities to play cards. If you create an opening in the middle, they will likely drop a card that turns all your lovely green pawns into their nasty red ones.

Play it slow and think ahead. If you have a single green pawn next to a red after your turn, there’s a good chance you’re about to lose it. Instead focus on the edges. Try to let the computer take the first move into the middle squares - then you can be the one to swoop in and convert their pawns.

Sometimes it’s best to let your opponent play first

If you’re nervous about the implications of playing a card - for example, it gives your opponent an opening to steal your territory - remember that you can pass your turn. Your AI opponents don’t tend to do this to you, so you can force them into the less favorable position as a result.

A word of warning though - only do this if you’re currently winning or drawing across the lanes. If the computer has more points lit up than you, it will also pass and bring the game to a close.

A single lane can be enough to win

Even though you’re competing for control of three lanes, that doesn’t mean you necessarily have to win them all.

Victory is determined by your total score across all the lanes your control. That means that a really high number from a single lane can be enough to beat your opponent, even if they win the other two.

Something to bear in mind against certain opponents…

A quick tip for the final part

No spoilers here, but the finale of the Queen’s Blood story will test everything you’ve learned about the game so far, and possibly even force you to change up your strategy. It certainly took me more than a few tries to beat it.

As with all Queen’s Blood, there are different ways to win, but for me one card was the MVP here: the Chocobo Jockey (purchasable with GP at the Gold Saucer). It adds 10 points to any winning row, which may give you the edge on points against this very tricky opponent.

We’ll say no more for spoilers, but if you’re struggling, then consider adding it to your deck. It’s not an auto-win by any means, but it may help you as it did me.

Experiment!

As I said at the start, these are all merely suggestions. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different decks and strategies and try things out. You can replay opponents, even when beaten, and the Gold Saucer in particular offers a range of matches that are great for trying out new cards and ideas.

The more you dig into Queen’s Blood, the more you get out of it, so play around, try things out, and generally have fun.

Some deck and card suggestions from the team

To round things off, here are some examples of some decks we used in the game, so you can see how the above can be applied. These worked for us, so perhaps they’ll work for you too.

Make it big, buffed and burly

This one is mine - it’s all about controlling space while making cards as strong as possible.

Typical Strategy:

Focus on using cards that enhance others
Use Titan to build a three-pawn square quickly
Play Ifrit and watch his strength skyrocket as more cards are enhanced
Use Insectoid Chimera and Griffin to replace cards next to enemy pawns and capture those squares for yourself
Use Chocobo Jockey to add a massive 10 points to a row you win. That extra score is often enough to win the game!

Build up and destroy

Community Manager Madelyn suggests this deck, which is based boosting her cards by destroying her own or enemy cards.

Mulligan to ensure you start with a rank 1 card, but keep Tonberry King, Midgardsormr, Chocobo & Moogle, and/or Sea Devil if in starting hand
Try to get Sea Devil, Midgardsormr, and Tonberry King out before you replace other cards with Insectoid Chimera, Gigantoad, Grandhorn, or Griffon
Try to fill as much area as possible to corner your opponent before placing Rank 3 cards in Rows 1 and 2
Start to replace and destroy cards after Midgardsormr and /or Tonberry King have been placed. Remember, you can also take back spots or increase the rank of spots using replacement cards.

We hope these tips help you in your quest to become Blood Champion. If you’re yet to experience the glory of Queen’s Blood for yourself, FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH is out now for PS5:

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