<font size=-2>Posting on other sites or forums is strictly prohibited.</font>
Questions? (http://forums.ffshrine.org/private.php?do=newpm&u=1625)

If you are thinking about posting a question about the Triple Triad card game, don�t! Look here first. You will find everything you ever wished for.

Questions have been raised about the Triple Triad game, as it�s a great feature and because there is a lack of guides in the FF8 section I have decided to explore the game, its benefits and the card side quests in detail.

Furthermore, basics are explained so people who are unfamiliar with Final Fantasy VIII can also relate to the info provided.

There are 3 sections:

1. Basics- If you haven�t played the card game before or find it difficult.
2. Strategies and Side Quests- For the more dedicated players.
3. Card Modification- Full list of cards and what they can be modified to


Before anything�..� Always save before challenging someone to a card game, especially when using the better (rare) cards because if you lose, it can waste a lot of your time getting these cards back. You can't go wrong if you save.

1. Now, just some basics to start with���

The different types of cards are Monster, Boss, GF or Character Cards (character cards being the strongest).

Each card has its own numeric details, these range from 1- 10 (10 is written as A) and represent one side of the card with four sides to each card. These details provide the strength of the card; 1 being weakest and A strongest.

The aim: You start with 5 cards in your deck. Each card you place on the 3x3 grid represents one point, if you capture an opponent�s card you can gain extra points and vice versa. To capture an opponent�s card you have to best one of the sides on his/her card with a parallel side on one of your cards. The cards that represent your points on the grid have a blue shade whereas the ones that represent your opponent�s points have a red shade. End the game with the most points and you�ve won. The person who goes first is decided randomly. I have noticed it is better going second.

Here is an example of how the strength details of a card would look:

.......................6....................
.....................2..7..................
.......................5...................


This is displayed in the top left hand corner of the card.

If the card holds an elemental value (e.g. ice) it will be displayed in the top right hand corner of the card. The elemental value on a card works with the elemental icons randomly placed on the board in a game when the elemental rule is on, not directly against other cards.
If you place an elemental card on the right icon (e.g Ifrit on Fire), all the number values of the card increase by one. So instead of having the values 9628 (going clockwise from the top), it'll have the values A739. Same thing basically happens if you put a card on the wrong icon (e.g Ifrit on Thunder or Ice), only difference is that the numbers all decrease by one instead (-> 8517 for Ifrit).

You get your first 7 playing cards at the beginning of the game from a man in Balamb Garden on the 2nd floor right next to the elevator; you have to talk to him. From then on you can challenge people to play triple triad with you (press the square button when next to someone- just in case you didn�t know). Not everyone is a card player.

2. Strategy and Rules:

The basic rules are Same, Open, Sudden Death and Elemental. When only these rules are active the game is easy, all you need to do is overcome your opponents with strong cards. When the rules start to change as you progress through the game and rules such as Plus, Same Wall, and Random come into the picture, it�s a good idea to think about your strategy and the cards you are going to use when challenging people, as the opponents are going to be harder and the new rules don�t help either. When you start noticing that just overpowering your opponents with strong cards isn�t as reliable as it was before, its strategy time:

 Patience and defence are the key words. Before capturing an opponent�s card, think! Making a defensive move is usually the better option.
 When making a defensive move it is good to put strong cards in the corners with their strong sides open. The Brothers cards are a good example of this.
 Just wait, let your opponent trap his own cards, then force him to move where you want by placing you cards strategically.

If you do this successfully you will conquer all.

Tip! Try you�re hardest not to spread the Random rule as it can�t be very irritating and difficult when you can�t chose the cards you play with.

On to the side quests����.

CC Group Side Quest:

This is a quest based in Balamb Garden and is not very hard.

7 CC Members: - Jack, Club, Diamond, Spade, Heart, Joker and King (Heart has the Carbuncle Card, Joker has the Leviathan Card and King has the Gilgamesh Card).

Here are the locations of the CC members:

Jack- In the hallway near the directory. No rare cards.
Club- In the hallway, near the entrance to the cafeteria. Appears randomly. No rare cards.
Diamond- In front of directory. Diamond- two female SeeD cadets. No rare cards.
Spade- On floor 2F next to elevator. Spade is one of the two people that regularly walk around on this floor. No rare cards.
Heart- On the bridge. It�s Xu! Carbuncle card.
Joker- Inside the Training Centre. Appears randomly, quiet hard to find. Leviathan card.
King- In order to play the King you must first beat Dr. Kadowaki (you have to beat the 6 CC Members before playing her for this to work). When you defeat her go to the dorms and go to sleep, when you awake a surprise awaits. Gilgamesh card.

Note! This becomes accessible on Disc 2 when Balamb Garden becomes mobile. To start challenging the CC Group, you must first win about 15 games around Balamb Garden.

Queen of Cards Side Quest:

This is complicated, long and boring, but if you are a triple triad fan, it�s definitely your thing. Very rare cards that can be modified into very useful items can be won here.

The Queen bums around near the station in the town of Balamb. Play the Queen at Balamb town, either win or lose a level 8 or higher card. Then, speak to her again and she leaves a clue to where she will go. Dollet is the first place she goes to (this is definite) go there and when you approach her, don�t challenge her to a game of cards but speak normally, chose the 4th option and she will ask for a card. I think the first card she wants is MiniMog. So lose that card to her in a card game, doing this will unlock a new card that can be won somewhere else (shown below). Now after this has been done the queen will move to a different place and your aim is to find her continually around the world until she is back in Dollet so that you can repeat the process and gain new cards.

Here is some info to help you find her without randomly running around the ff8 world like a fool:

Card Queen hint Card Queen next location

Balamb Balamb Station
Dollet The Pub in Dollet
FH Train tracks at Fisherman's Horizon.
Galbadia Galbadia Hotel in Deling City
Esthar The Presidential Palace in Esthar
Trabia The Hotel in Shumi Village
Centra The Hotel in Winhill
Far Away Concourse Area in Lunar Gate

Now, as I said, when you lose a card to the Queen another one is created, so here are the new cards that can be acquired after the quest:

MiniMog= Kiros; in Deling City, play the man wearing white, across from the Junk Shop.
Sacred= Irvine, play Flo who is Mayor Dobe's wife, in FH.
Doomtrain= Phoenix; play the Presidential Assistant (the blue one) in the Presidential Palace.
Chicobo= Chubby Chocobo; play the student sitting on the bench outside the library in Balamb Garden.
Alexander= Doomtrain; play the Pub owner in Timber.

Oh, and the cards that you lost to the Queen can be won again by playing her brother in Dollet.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When you complete your deck by obtaining every card, a star appears by the card option in the Menu.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Card Modification:

Cards can be modified into items. Sometimes more than one card is needed to carry out the modification. This can be very useful and is encouraged when near the end of the game as the better cards (e.g. character cards) can be modified into very handy items. Example:
Laguna card = 100 x Hero - Makes character invincible

Here is a full list of the cards and what they can be modified to:

Level 1 Monster Cards

 GEEZARD = 5 screws
 FUNGUAR = 1 M-Stone Piece
 BITE BUG = 1 M-Stone Piece
 RED BAT = 1 Vampire Fang
 BLOBRA = 1 Rune Armlet
 GAYLA (Elemental: Thunder) = I Mystery Fluid
 GESPER = 1 Black Hole
 FASTITOCHALON-F (Elemental: Earth) x 5 = 1 Water Crystal
 BLOOD SOUL = 1 Zombie Powder
 CATERCHIPILLAR = 1 Spider Web
 COCKATRICE (Elemental: Thunder) = 1 Cockatrice Pinion

Level 2 Monster Cards

 GRAT = 1 Magic Stone
 BUEL = 1 Magic Stone
 MESMERIZE = 1 Mesmerize Blade
 GLACIAL EYE (Elemental: Ice) = 1 Arctic Wind
 BELHELMEL = 1 Saw Blade
 THRUSTAEVIS (Elemental: Wind) = 1 Shear Feather
 ANACONDAUR (Elemental: Poison) = 1 Venom Fang
 CREEPS (Elemental: Thunder) = 1 Coral Fragment
 GRENDEL (Elemental: Thunder) = 1 Dragon Fin
 JELLEYE = 1 Magic Stone
 GRAND MANTIS = 1 Sharp Spike

Level 3 Monster Cards

 FORBIDDEN = 1 Betrayal Sword
 ARMADODO (Elemental: Earth) = 1 Dino Bone
 TRI-FACE (Elemental: Poison) = 1 Curse Spike
 FASTITOCALON (Elemental: Earth) = 1 Water Crystal
 SNOW LION (Elemental: Ice) = 1 North Wind
 OCHU = 1 Ochu Tentacle
 SAM08G (Elemental: Fire) = 1 Running Fire
 DEATH CLAW (Elemental: Fire) = 1 Sharp Spike
 CACTAUR = 1 Cactus Thorn
 TONBERRY = 1 Chef's Knife
 ABYSS WORM (Elemental: Thunder) = 1 Windmill

Level 4 Monster Cards

 TURTAPOD x 5 = 1 Healing Mail
 VYSAGE = 1 Wizard Stone
 T-REXAUR x 2 = 1 Dino Bone
 BOMB (Elemental: Fire) = 1 Bomb Fragment
 BLITZ (Elemental: Thunder) = 1 Dynamo Stone
 WENDIGO = 1 Steel Orb
 TORAMA x 5 = 1 Life Ring
 IMP = 1 Wizard Stone
 BLUE DRAGON (Elemental: Poison) x 4 = 1 Fury Fragment
 ADAMANTOISE (Elemental: Earth) x 3 = 1 Turtle Shell
 HEXADRAGON = 1 Sharp Spike

Level 5 Monster Cards

 IRON GIANT x 3 = 1 Star Fragment
 BEHEMOTH (Elemental: Earth) x 10 = 1 Barrier
 CHIMERA x (Elemental: Water) x 10 = 1 Regen Ring
 PUPU = 1 Hungry Cookpot
 ELASTOID = 1 Steel Pipe
 GIM47N = 10 Fast Ammo
 MALBORO (Elemental: Poison) x 4 = 1 Malboro Tentacle
 RUBY DRAGON (Elemental: Fire) x 10 = 1 Inferno Fang
 ELNOYLE x 10 = 1 Energy Crystal
 TONBERRY KING = 1 Chef's Knife
 WEDGE, BIGGS = 1 X-Potion

Level 6 Boss Cards

 FUJIN, RAIJIN = 1 X-Potion
 ELVORET (Elemental: Wind) = 10 Death Stones
 X-ATM092 x 2 = 1 Turtle Shell
 GRENALDO = 1 G-Returner
 GEROGERO (Elemental: Poison) x 10 = 1 Circlet
 IGUION = 1 Cockatrice Pinion
 ABADON = 30 Dark Ammo
 TRAUMA = 30 Demolition Ammo
 OILBOYLE = 30 Fire Ammo
 SHUMI TRIBE x 5 = 1 Gambler Spirit
 KRYSTA = 10 Holy Stones

Level 7 Boss Cards

 PROPAGATOR = 1 G-Mega-Potion
 JUMBO CACTAUR = 1 Cactus Thorn
 TRI-POINT (Elemental: Thunder) x 40 = 1 Jet Engine
 GARGANTUA x 10 = 1 Strength Love
 MOBILE TYPE 8 = 10 Shell Stones
 SPHINXARA = 1 G-Mega-Potion
 TIAMAT = 10 Flare Stones
 BGH251F2 = 10 Protect Stones
 RED GIANT = 5 Meteor Stones
 CATOBLEPAS = 1 Rename Card
 ULTIMA WEAPON = 1 Ultima Stone

Level 8 Guardian Force Cards

 CHUBBY CHOCOBO = 100 LuvLuvGs
 ANGELO (Elemental: Wind) = 100 Elixirs
 GILGAMESH = 10 Holy Wars
 MINIMOG (Elemental: Ice) = 100 Pet Houses
 CHICOBO (Elemental: Poison) = 100 Gysahl Greens
 QUEZACOTL (Elemental: Thunder) = 100 Dynamo Stones
 SHIVA = 100 North Winds
 IFRIT = 3 Elem Atks
 SIREN = 3 Status Atks
 SACRED = 100 Dino Bones
 MINOTAUR = 10 Adamantines

Level 9 Guardian Force Cards

 CARBUNCLE = 3 Glow Curtains
 DIABLOS = 100 Black Holes
 LEVIATHAN (Elemental: Water) = 100 Megalixers
 ODIN = 100 Dead Spirits
 PANDEMONA (Elemental: Wind) = 100 Windmills
 CERBERUS = 100 Lightweights
 ALEXANDER (Elemental: Holy) = 3 Moon Curtains
 PHOENIX (Elemental: Fire) = 3 Phoenix Spirits
 BAHAMUT = 100 Megalixirs
 DOOMTRAIN (Elemental: Poison) = 3 Status Guards
 EDEN = 3 Monk's Codes

Level 10 Character Cards

 WARD = 3 Gaea's Rings
 KIROS = 3 Accelerators
 LAGUNA = 100 Heroes
 SELPHIE = 3 Elem Guards
 QUISTIS = 3 Samantha Souls
 IRVINE = 3 Rocket Engines
 ZELL = 3 Hyper Wrists
 RINOA = 3 Magic Armlets
 EDEA = 3 Royal Crowns
 SEIFER = 3 Diamond Armours
 SQUALL = 3 Stars

That�s all folks, it took quite long but hell, now no one has an excuse to post a question about the card game.

Feel free to post anything that you think should be added to this guide or point out any mistakes that I might have made. Hope you find it useful. =)

Thanks to FF1WithAllThieves, Tidus 66, Agent0042 and Lionheart~ for help!

���������::::::::::::::::::::::RObSKi::::::::::::: :::::::����������.

Very well done! I just have one little correction to make:

The CC Club Quest is actually available on disc 2, basically as soon as Balamb Garden is mobile. That you have to wait until disk three is a very common mistaken rumor because the official strategy guide itself says so, but I have, on both PSX and PC, played through that quest on the second disk.

Really!? I always thought you could only start on disc 3. Ok I will change it. Thanks. =)

I always thought you could only start on disc 3. Ok I will change it. Thanks.
:) You should credit FF1WithAllThieves on your guide then.

Anyway, this looks very nice. I will definitely pin it.

One thing you might want to add --- I believe that if you complete your deck, a star appears by the card option in the Menu. You might also wanna add a bit of info on Quezacotl's Card Mod ability. One other minor thing --- you misspelled IFRIT as INFRIT.


Other than that, I can't think of anything else at the moment that you could add, other than perhaps a list of players that have specific rare cards.

He's going to add the PuPu Card quest

Okay, but I was thinking more like --- that you get Laguna's card by playing Ellone, Laguna carries Squall's card, etc. Who has what cards and where to find them.

I was thinking of that too, also in the GF guide i am doing i added the GF card location, is that good or you think i should cut it out?

That's sounds quite all right, I don't think you'd be encroaching by doing that or anything. A little crossover information is okay.

OK, thanks to all. I will be sure to credit everyone who helped. Should I just put a note at the bottom of the guide naming the people who helped??

I hope to add the PuPu side quest very soon and then I will work on Quezacotl's Card Mod ability and how to gain rare cards that I haven't mentioned. =]

IM NOT READING THAT EITHER!!!!!
FOOL

I have credited those who helped (If I left any one out, tell me), I should have the PuPu side quest up soon.

I am also very happy for this guide to be an FFShrine exclusive!

:) And that's all we'll say on that subject, thanks everyone! Anything else on it can be taken to PM. Further posts on it will be deleted.

Hi, I'm a loser who tries to keep an argument going after it's already been said that it's done. Please feel free to ignore what I say.

Kay.

On another topic, i think i made a card guide a while back *ruffles through old geocities site* Ah here it is. It's long cause i was gonna submit it to gamefaqs and then got lazy :P Maybe if i have time i can upgrade it.

Kie's Oldish Card Guide (http://www.geocities.com/kiestrife/FF8_Card_FAQ.TXT)

Sorry Agent, it doesn't have the star thing either :P

If the card holds an elemental value (e.g. ice) it will be displayed in the top right hand corner of the card. This can be used to your advantage when used against a card that is weak to a certain element, e.g. if you hold a card that has an elemental value of Thunder, you can use this on a Water based card and as a result increase the strength of your card.


Nice guide in general, but the quoted part is wrong. The elemental value on a card works with the elemental icons randomly placed on the board in a game with the elemental rule on, not directly against other cards.
If you place an elemental card on the right icon (e.g Ifrit on Fire), all the number values of the card increase with one. So instead of having the values 9628 (going clockwise from the top), it'll have the values A739. Same thing basically happens if you put a card on the wrong icon (e.g Ifrit on Thunder or Ice), only difference is that the numbers all decrease with one instead (-> 8517 for Ifrit).

Ohh yeahh. Thanks for that. Stupid me. I'll change it and I'll credit you on the guide for the help. =)

EDIT: I changed it, I just copied your explanation cuz it was neat, I hope you don't mind, if you do tell me.

I have a question. When you modified high level cards (summon/characters) into items. Can you get the card back perhaps win them back from queen of cards??

That guide is very well done. Gj.

hey nice guide =)

card collecting is pretty fun and easy if your patient, and once some of the harder rules come in same and plus are huge to focus on.

also i would like to add a small tip if i can ^^, when playing for other rare cards or playing people with lvl 7 or over cards with multiple frustrating rules its smart not to play any rare cards at all! so if shyt goes bad and you wernt paying attetnion and the person you challenged pulls off a huge plus at the end, you wouldnt need to reset, also learning to win with lower cards builds a higher technique and better strategies on how to beat your opponents.