Getting to 30 - Getting Over the Triple Triad Beginner's Hurdle

[Griffster]

Tonberry dropped for me in WP normal.

[Talia_Hailwind]

Proud to say, I got my squall card before even hitting 30 cards.

xD

[Synestr]

Hi, again great write up. I used this as a starting point and kind of ventured off on my own. Running some duties and getting a couple cards to drop. Currently I am at 27/30. Getting the unlock at 30 cards has been my goal so I have been going after NPC's that drop at least 2 cards. Others that dropped one were easy wins so I beat feet once I got it from them. Some of the folks that drop 2 can be tough and most times drop the less rare card first, but not in all occasions. For the most part I use the recommended deck, but have a few built differently for situations that call for it. Currently the recommended deck I get when selecting the option is Terra, Moogle, Amal'Ja, Ixal, and Sylph or Courel.

I am mainly writing in reference to the order rule that I have read some folks have trouble with. The NPC AI is, for lack of a better word, scripted. They have a certain pool of cards, and mostly use the same methods of card placement. After about five or six matches with order in effect you should start to recognize a pattern of placement and that, normally, the NPC has the same cards in the same order pretty much every time. What the NPC cannot do that we can is, RE-ORDER the deck. After you have recognized the pattern placement and order of their cards, document if need be, and adjust to flip their cards as necessary. With this rule in effect they are likely to place their cards in a position that, if planned for correctly, will allow you to take them.

This adjustment has secured many a victory against NPC's with this rule active. This may be common knowledge to most but, I thought I'd put it out there just in case.

Happy flipping!

[Aeyis]

A very good pointer. Its worth noting that NPCs deck order never changes. They might have their cards at different places depending on which of their cards they have in use; however their total deck order (order of all their cards, including the ones they dont use) is always the same.
For example Hab's first card is always Hildibrand, and his second card is always Godbert, as those are number 1 and 2 in his full deck order. (and he always has then in his active deck)
Based on that knowledge its often possible to make a quess as to which cards they have left to use.

[Archadius]

Anyone know if it's a requirement to beat all the TT "trial" NPCs in the Gold Saucer before King Elmer will grant you any cards upon victory?

I've beaten Elmer many times already and he hasn't dropped a single card. I'm starting to wonder if it's because I ignored the stupid NPC in the trial area that uses the random rule. Can anyone confirm whether beating all the King's "minions" first is necessary to unlock card drops from him, or if I am just getting really unlucky in his matches?

On the positive... I bought a few gold packs yesterday and now my lowly 11-card deck is now +1 and has a Warrior of Light in it lol

[NaliaBrown]

It is not necessary to beat the other Gold Saucer NPCs to get a card from Elmer. It took me a really long time to get anything from him, too, but I couldn't beat Aurifort or the Roe lady without stronger cards. I got the Bahamut card from Elmer after farming him for 4 days. After that I was able to beat the last 2 GS NPCs.

[JayCommon]

Anyone know if doing the EX primals has a better drop rate on their cards than HM Primals? Prolly not enough data for that.

Well I have one "for instance" with this. Probably not enough to totally discount RNG, but do with it what you will. I farmed Shiva HM for Zeta light for 4-5 hrs yesterday because the bonus window hit twice. No Shiva cards. My buddy got into a Shiva EX farm party around the same time and he got 2 Shiva cards in 3 wins....

Is the droprate for HM and NM the same? Anyone got it or any other card from the NM? It's making me crazy

I have a theory on this. Initially when I saw you could get "Sahagin" from Sastasha NM or HM, I thought to myself...."Yeah the HM probably has a better drop rate." Ran Sastasha HM and didn't get the drop. Ran AK HM and didn't get a Demon Wall.

Then I thought..."Hmm, these are 1 and 2 star cards maybe SE wants to give more reasons to people to queue into the lower dungeons again"

Queued into Sastasha NM and got Sahagin after 1st dungeon. WP NM, got Tonberry after 1st run. AK NM, Demon Wall after first run.

Could just be RNG, but I will start basing my dungeon queues on the rank of the card. Garuda HM seems to drop the Garuda (3*) all the time for me. I literally got 7 Gilga/Enkidu cards IN A ROW yday during bonus zeta light. Ramuh (4*) Shiva (4*), I haven't seen either of those ever drop in the HM, but the one and only EX Ramuh I have done since patch dropped the Ramuh card.

Idk, to me its all just a bit much to be coincidence

[Archadius]

It is not necessary to beat the other Gold Saucer NPCs to get a card from Elmer. It took me a really long time to get anything from him, too, but I couldn't beat Aurifort or the Roe lady without stronger cards. I got the Bahamut card from Elmer after farming him for 4 days. After that I was able to beat the last 2 GS NPCs.

Thanks for the heads-up!

I've beaten all those NPCs except Cpt Random BS, so it's nice to know my efforts are not in vain, just poor luck.

[Aeyis]

Could just be RNG, but I will start basing my dungeon queues on the rank of the card. Garuda HM seems to drop the Garuda (3*) all the time for me.
Idk, to me its all just a bit much to be coincidence

Im afraid it is, as I ran Garuda HM 30 times without seeing a card drop. :P

[Garlyle]

Anyone know if it's a requirement to beat all the TT "trial" NPCs in the Gold Saucer before King Elmer will grant you any cards upon victory?

It's absolutely not a requirement. Elmer just only has 3*+ cards to drop so it can be sort of rare.

I have a theory on this. (Drop rate stuff)

RNG gonna RNG is all I have to say. I would reasonably expect EX Primals to have a higher drop rate on the cards than the Hard versions, but I seriously doubt we'll know any time soon unless someone starts working to collect a massive data set.