Fire

Auron 001H

4cp 8000
Forward-Guardian-X
The Category X Forwards you control gain Brave
Dull: Choose 1 blocking Forward. It gains +1000 power until the end of the turn
3
Without any support, Auron is a fine playable; 8k on offense, 9k on defense. His stock rises as the number of X forwards you have rises, but the bonus isn’t strong enough to really go out of your way for. His dull ability is one of those where it doesn’t feel like it’s doing anything until you play against it and you see how oppressive it can be.

Aigis 002R

4cp 8000
Forward-Warrior of Light-FFL
The Job Warrior of Light Forwards other than Aigis you control gain Brave.
When Aigis enters the field, you may play 1 Forward of cost 2 from your hand onto the field
4
Aigis is the truth. 8k for 4 is a great baseline, WoL synergy and the ability to play out another forward make this guy truly insane. I fully intend to play substandard 2s just to make Aigis that much better. Sure, playing Sol is the dream, but even something like Fritt or Chocobo will be backbreaking, and I don’t even like Fritt.

Red Mage 003C

2cp 4000
Forward-Standard Unit-V
When Red Mage enters the field, if the cost paid to play Red Mage included Ice CP, your opponent discards 1 card from his/her hand.
Dull: Choose 1 Forward. Deal it 1000 damage.
1.5
These forwards that want to be paid with 2 different elements are a lot better when they’re 3 CP or more, as at 2, you can’t meet the condition while discarding to pay, unless you overpay. In this way, Red Mage is a little restricted, asking you to have a Fire and an Ice backup. Even once you get there, you still need to have a use for her, since you’re going down 4 CP (the two you paid and the two you lose from not being able to discard her) to make your opponent lose 2 CP. Also can’t trigger off Aigis. Still, the 1k damage is a real threat, especially if you can combine it with other sources of direct damage.

Fritt 004C

2cp 4000
Forward-Ifrit-WOFF
Fritt is also a Monster in all situations.
When Fritt is put from the field into the Break Zone, you may search for 1 Card Name Ifrit and add it to your hand.
1.5
If you can’t get value out of the body, which you’ll probably have to party to do, Fritt leaves you down CP for no good reason. I would need something like Reynn or a couple Bahamutian Soldiers before I considered actually playing Fritt to the field, unless I was in desperate need of an Ifrit. Fritt’s most relevant line of text is probably “Discard Fritt to gain 2 Fire CP.”

Ifrit 005C

4cp
Summon-DFF
EX BURST Choose 1 Forward. Deal it 7000 damage. If Ifrit results from an EX Burst, deal it 8000 damage instead.
3
While not the best burn summon, the EX is great, and you want plenty of Sazh targets. Having removal is good even when it’s hard to get equal value out of it, as deleting a blocker can often swing the pace of the game dramatically. Try not to randomly use this on a 3cp just to make a play, as spending more cp than your opponent to come out with an even board state is how you lose games.

Varuna 006R

2cp *8000
Monster-Varuna-X
When a Forward you control deals damage to your opponent, Varuna also becomes a Forward with 8000 power and Brave. (This effect does not end at the end of the turn. This ability will not trigger if Varuna is a Forward.)
2.5
You need to be aggressive to enable this, but the reward is there. Varuna is a great way to snowball a good position into a great one, but he won’t help you at all if you’re on the back foot.

Black Mage 007C

2cp
Backup-Standard Unit-V
Fire Dull, put Black Mage into the Break Zone: Choose 1 Forward. Deal it 4000 damage.
2.5
With removal so scarce in Opus 7, chaining together multiple sources of damage will be necessary to pick off threatening forwards. Granted 4000 is a pretty medium amount of damage, and you’ll need more than the assorted 1ks or 2ks from things like Bomb or Dancer, but if you can combine this with a larger source like Yuri or Xezat then you’re golden.

Sazh 008C

4cp
Backup-Ravager-XIII
EX BURST When Sazh enters the field, you may search for 1 Fire Summon and add it to your hand.
3.5
A functionally 2cp backup that turns a substandard card from your hand into removal is exactly what I want in a backup. To have EX Burst on top of that is the savory gravy on my sweet potatoes. Keep in mind you probably want at least 2 fire summons, and the more the merrier. Obviously Sazh is wildly unplayable if you have no search targets.

Samurai 009C

2cp
Backup-Standard Unit-V
When Samurai enters the field, choose 1 Fire Forward. It gains +2000 power and Brave until the end of the turn.
Dull, put Samurai into the Break Zone: Choose 1 Fire Forward. It gains +2000 power and Brave until the end of the turn. You can only use this ability if you have recieved 5 points of damage or more.
2.5
Samurai’s ETF is respectable and will frequently relevant, though you’ll be happy to play him as a no-value 2 cost backup a lot of the time. His dull will help you turn the tide in the late game as well. As long as you’ve got a decent amount of fire forwards, Samurai is an excellent draw at any point in the game.

Ice

Emperor (FFL) 022H

2cp
Backup-Emperor-FFL
When Emperor (FFL) or a Category FFL Character enters your field, choose 1 Forward of cost 5 or more opponent controls. Dull it and Freeze it.
2.5
When his ability is relevant, oh boy will his ability be relevant. Emperor locks down your opponents biggest body while he develops your backline, and has the chance to continue to trigger in the future. There aren’t too many targets in the set for him, and there are decks he will miss completely, but he’s perfectly servicable as a 2cp backup.

Eduardo 023R

5cp 8000
Forward-Bard-FFL
When a Job Bard Forward you control attacks, your opponent discards 1 card from his/her hand.
3
Edward’s Spanish cousin is going to take a lot of people by surprise. I’ve seen a lot of talk writing him off due to how bad he is in constructed, but limited is a different beast. Sure you run the risk of getting hit with removal before he can attack, but if he pulls even one card then he’s effectively 3cp, and his song gets better with every listen. Getting him Alexandered is going to suuuuuuuck.

Bard 024C

3cp
Backup-Standard Unit-V
When Bard enters the field, choose up to 2 Forwards opponent controls. Freeze them.
Dull, put Bard into the Break Zone: Choose 1 Forward. Dull it and Freeze it.
2.5
You’ve got enough space in a typical limited deck to run 3-6 backups that aren’t 2cp, and Bard’s effect is definitely worth the extra 1. The threat of his activated ability is going to significantly restrict your opponent’s available lines of play, and most people will settle on either very defensive or very aggressive. Sadly doesn’t combo with Eduardo.

Cu Chaspel 025H

2cp
Backup-Masked Man-FFCC
The Card Name Galdes you control gains +1000 power.
When Cu Chaspel enters the field, your opponent selects 1 Forward he/she controls. Dull it and Freeze it.
3.5
A 2 drop backup that temporarily gets rid of your opponent’s worst forward at no additional cost is great value. If you manage to plus a Galdes, you are living the dream.

Gremlin 026R

2cp
Monster-Spook-XIII
When your opponent discards a card from his/her hand due to your Summons or abilities, Gremlin also becomes a Forward with 7000 power and “When Gremlin is put from the field into the Break Zone, choose 1 Forward opponent controls. Dull it and Freeze it”. (This effect does not end at the end of the turn. This ability will not trigger if Gremlin is a Forward.)
2.5
Requires some set up, but this set is flooded with discard effects. Allows you to trade up and get some tempo on top of that. With true removal so scarce, dull+freeze is en vogue.

Black Mage 027C

2cp 4000
Forward-Standard Unit-V
When Black Mage enters the field, if the cost paid to play Black Mage included Water CP, draw 2 cards. Then, discard 1 card from your hand.
2.5
Can be a little awkward to play, and you need some reason to have a random 4k (like Fire Black Mage) but comps you half the cost to play her and helps you filter out a situational or underwhelming card. Also good if you’re heavy Ice and plan to party up.

Black Mage 028C

2cp
Backup-Standard Unit-V
Ice Dull: Choose 1 dull Forward. Deal it 2000 damage.
2.5
A lot of ice’s C&R forwards are on the small size (Black Mage, Time Mage, Bablizz, Mystic Knight) and BM will help them to intimidate an opponent out of attacking. Unfortunately, with Snow in the mix, Ice decks are typically going to want to lean aggressive, but it’s good to have all your bases covered, and not every deck is going to have access to Snow.

Kefka 029H

5cp 8000
Forward-Mage-VI
When Kefka enters the field, if the cost to play Kefka was only paid with Ice CP, your opponent may discard 2 cards. If he/she doesn’t, Freeze all the Forwards opponent controls.
When Kefka enters the field, if the cost to play Kefka was paid with exactly 3 different Elements, choose up to 1 Forward, up to 1 Backup, and up to 1 Monster. Dull them and Freeze them.
3.5
The first ability is pretty situational, but when it comes up it’ll be quite strong. Most of the time you want to use it will be late game to punish an aggressive attack and win, and at that stage of the game it’s likely your opponent won’t have two cards to discard, allowing you to force the issue. It’s the second ability that will really shine, as most decks will have an easier time meeting the 3 element condition. Being able to ignore 2, maybe even 3 of your opponent’s characters for so long will give you a ton of space to work in, and I expect Mini-Ultimecia to decide a lot of games.

Goblin 030C

2cp
Monster-Goblin-Special
Put Goblin into the Break Zone: Search for 1 Monster and add it to your hand.
Discard Goblin: Choose 1 dull Forward. Deal it 3000 damage. You can only use this ability while Goblin is in your hand.
1
There are no monsters in this set worth an extra 2cp. Goblin’s discard effect is underwhelming, too small even to break the 4ks rampant in Opus 7. Even though Bomb deals less damage, the difference between 2 and 3 is not enough to make up for the dull restriction, as you will only be able to combo with first strike on defense, and you can’t attack into a forward and Goblin to finish it off.

Shiva 031C

3cp
Summon-DFF
EX BURST Choose up to 2 Forwards. Freeze them. If this effect was triggered off an EX Burst, dull them also.
1.5
Despite having almost the same text, this card is way worse than Bard. An insane EX but a mediocre cast. There will be times your opponent is too aggressive and you get to punish them hard, but they have to be pretty short on resources for Shiva to really put the screws to them. Probably fine to run as a way to get Ice CP and once in a while hit a lucky EX, but I don’t expect to be resolving too many of these. Does get much better if you have Snow, not that he needs the help.

Jihl Nabaat 032R

4cp
Backup-PSICOM-XIII
When Jihl Nabaat enters the field, select 1 of the 2 following actions.
“For each Job PSICOM you control, your opponent discards 1 card from his/her hand.”
“Deal 4000 damage to all the dull Forwards opponent controls.”
2.5
The discard effect is pretty mediocre, making her essentially 2cp, but restricting your opponent’s options is always a fine play. The 4k will be a good way to set up a damage combo to break something, but having half of that combo cost 4 is not a good start.

Wind

Aleria 043C

3cp
Backup-Mother-FFCC
EX BURST When Aleria enters the field, you may search for 1 Card Name Chelinka or Card Name Yuri and add it to your hand.
0.5/3.5
Pretty straightforward: if you have a target then Aleria fetches you your bomb, even off EX; If you don’t, then she’s even worse than a Hopeless Bartholomew.

Alhanalem 044H

2cp
Backup-Mage-FFCC
Dull: Choose 1 Forward. Deal it 2000 damage. You can only use this ability if you control Chelinka or Yuri.
Dull: Deal 2000 damage to all the Forwards your opponent controls. You can only use this ability if you control both Chelinka and Yuri.
2
Standard backup who, if you’re lucky, gets to chip in for some extra damage. 2k is a good number to pair with larger sources of damage, but it’s not often you’ll get the chance to use it, as even if you have Alhanalem and one of the compatriots in your deck, you still need to get both onto the field. Even with them, it’s awkward to use them in conjunction, as you can’t use Al to pay for Chelinka and combo with her ETF, and you can’t use Al to activate Yuri if you also want to deal 2k.

Alexander 045C

2cp
Summon-XIII
EX BURST Choose 1 Forward of cost 5 or more opponent controls. Return it to its owner’s hand. If Alexander results from an EX Burst, break it instead.
1.5
There are matchups where this does nothing, and matchups where this completely ruins your opponent’s day. Pretty situational, but the nature of discarding for CP gives decks some breathing room for 2 or 3 situational cards. Alex lends himself to a deck focused more on applying pressure than on outvaluing your opponent. Keep in mind the card you bounce effectively adds 2cp to your opponent’s hand, so you’re not gaining as much cp as you may think.

Vata 046R

4cp 8000
Forward-The Four Generals-FFL
When Vata enters the field, if the cost to play Vata was only paid with Wind CP, activate all the Wind Backups you control
3
Playing Vata off 2 wind backups is great, and 4 is the dream, but even if you miss out on the auto, Vata is an OK card. I will pretty much play as many 4 cost 8ks as I can. Don’t stress about getting maximum value out of this, but it’ll be sweet when it happens.

Dancer 047C

3cp
Backup-Standard Unit-V
Dull: Deal 1000 damage to all the Forwards opponent controls.
1.5
I feel like we’ve done this dance before… unfortunately it’s not well choreographed. 1k isn’t particularly much, and an extra cp paid up front makes it perhaps too expensive, but it will still be useful when you need a second source of damage to tango. I just fear it will line up as often as two left feet.

Ranger 048C

2cp 4000
Forward-Standard Unit-V
When Ranger enters the field, choose 1 Monster of cost 3 or less opponent controls. If the cost paid to play Ranger included Earth CP, break it.
When Ranger attacks, choose 1 Forward opponent controls. Deal it 2000 damage.
1.5
If you have access to Wind and Earth, Ranger is a safe add to the deck. You have room for a couple cards that have situational uses, since if your opponent isn’t running any good choices for Ranger to break, then you can just pitch for cp. Some decks will want access to the 2k damage, as combining that with something like Lasswell or Firion will give you that little extra reach you need.

Kelger 049H

6cp 8000
When Kelger enters the field, reveal the top 5 cards of your deck. Play 1 Job Dawn Warrior among them onto the field, and return the other cards to the bottom of your deck in any order.
1
A six drop 8k sucks, but sometimes you have to play the forwards you have access to. Can combo with Yeul if you actually manage to get another Dawn Warrior. Pretty awful otherwise. Save it for Title. Sick art tho!

Condor 050R

4cp *8000
Monster-Bird-X
When a Backup enters your field, if you control 5 or more Backups, Condor also becomes a Forward with 8000 power and “When Condor attacks, activate all the Wind Characters other than Condor you control”. (This effect does not end at the end of the turn. This ability will not trigger if Condor is a Forward.)
2.5
5 backups is more of a quest in limited than in constructed, as it’s not uncommon to only play 2 or 3 in one game. Still, if you’re heavy in wind, Condor has some serious rewards, giving you lots of extra CP and functionally giving other forwards brave. As there is some set up involved, Condor does not help much if you are being pressured, so make sure you can defend yourself/pressure your opponent while this bird takes flight.

Cactuar Conductor 051C

2cp
Backup-Cactuar-WOFF
When Cactuar Conductor enters the field, choose 1 Forward. During this turn, the next damage dealt to it becomes 0 instead.
Wind Wind Dull, put Cactuar Conductor into the Break Zone: Choose 1 Forward. During this turn, the next damage dealt to it becomes 0 instead.
3 for playability; 5 for adorableness
An on-cost backup that lets you get aggressive when you’re equally matched. The threat of his second ability is a serious one that your opponent will have to respect whenever you leave him active, even if you have no wind in hand and are bluffing.

Thief 052C

2cp
Backup-Standard Unit-V
Wind Wind Dull, put Thief into the Break Zone: Your opponent puts the top 2 cards of his/her deck into the Break Zone. if both cards are of the same Element, draw 1 card.
2
Though her ability will rarely be relevant, she is an aptly costed backup. You can stuff a Yeul activation, although you are spending more CP to do it than they did. Good to know, though, if whatever they grab is something you can’t deal with, or if Yuna reveals something really scary.

Zu 053C

2cp
Monster-Zu-Special
Put Zu into the Break Zone: Activate all Backups you control.
Discard Zu from your hand: Activate up to 2 Backups you control. You can only use this effect when Zu is in your hand.
2.5
Zu either lets you bank some CP for use in a major turn later, or lets you surprise activate a backup like Cactuar Conductor. Both are ok options, though situational, and the flexibility to do either is a major reason why Zu is good. Its value drastically decreases in multiples though.

Earth

Asmodai 064R

5cp 8000
Forward-The Four Generals-FFL
When Asmodai enters the field, choose 1 dull Forward opponent controls. If the cost to play Asmodai was only paid with Earth CP, break it.
3
An excellent way to rebuy into the game once you start losing, Asmodai is best in a slower deck that wants to play out 5 backups and take the game long. He does require a heavy investment in Earth, but he’s certainly worth it.

Vanille 065H

4cp 7000
Forward-Saboteur-XIII
When Vanille enters the field, choose 1 dull Forward. Select 1 number and reveal the top card of your deck. If the revealed card is of the same cost as the selected number, break it.
Poisonga S Earth Dull: At the end of this turn, dull all the Forwards opponent controls.
2.5
The best choice will probably be 2, between backups, some forwards, and most monsters. If you have a way to draw a card, you can set up with Yeul for a guaranteed break. Also works well with Yuna. Do note that the ability isn’t optional, so if the only dull Forward is yours, make sure to pick a ludicrous number. I’ll probably be choosing the square root of negative one. Poisonga.

Carbuncle 066C

2cp
Backup-Carbuncle-FFCC
Back Attack
2.5
Lowkey, Carbuncle is the card I’m most excited for this set. If your opponent has the first turn, Carb allows you to start your turn 1 with a backup already in play, which will be nice once in a while, but the real power is in the flexibility he allows in terms of instant speed interaction, and in the bluffing potential he provides. You’re able to leave CP up for a summon or an ability, and if you don’t encounter a situation where it’s useful you can sink it into Carbuncle instead. What you can also do is leave CP up to bluff a summon without losing out on that CP. His effects are subtle but will seriously reward skilled players.

Galuf 067L

5cp 9000
Forward-Dawn Warrior-V
Galuf cannot be broken this turn.
When Galuf attacks, choose 1 forward. You may pay Earth Earth. If you do so, it must block Galuf this turn if possible.
Stop S: Choose up to 2 Forwards. They cannot attack this turn.
4
If you’re in a position to be attacking, you couldn’t ask for a better forward than Galuf. Completely invincible, and for a small investment he will eat any active forward giving you grief. At a huge 9k, Galuf is also decent on defense if you really need to bunker down. Galuf is a great top end for a heavy earth deck, and still a decent splash if you can’t reliably pay for his auto.

Krile 068H

4cp 8000
Forward-Warrior of Light-DFF V
The cost required to cast your Summons can be paid with CP of any Element.
When you cast a Summon, choose 1 Forward. It gains +1000 power until the end of the turn.
Discard 1 Summon: Until the end of the turn, Krile cannot be chosen by your opponent’s abilities.
3.5
Krile helps to enable splashing removal like Ifrit and Ramuh, and occasionally her +1k will completely bop your opponent. Bluffing the discard effect will be a fun minigame as well. Don’t be that guy who goes “oh I forgot she had that ability, is it OK if I take that back?” in an attempt to gain information about your opponent’s hand.

Kolka 069C

4cp
Backup-King-FFCC
2.5
If your bomb is an Earth forward, Kolka is crazy good, but he’ll be regular good for everyone. Functionally a 2cp backup, Kolka also lets you exchange a card in hand for an Earthy boi, making him a good way to get rid of awkward splash cards or situational effects. I fully intend to refer to him exclusively as “Cold Cuts.”

Zaghnal 070R

2cp
Monster-Behemoth-XIII
When a Character of cost 6 or more enters your field, Zaghnal also becomes a Forward with 9000 power. (This effect does not end at the end of the turn. This ability will not trigger if Zaghnal is a Forward.)
1.5
Zaghnal promises a huge boardstate swing if you can meet his condition, but there will be many limited pools that simply can’t trigger him reliably, if at all. This doesn’t make bad 6s playable, so leave Kelger at home.

Shantotto 071R

2cp
Backup-Mage-DFF XI
1: Choose 1 Element other than Light or Dark. Shantotto becomes that Element until the end of the turn. You can only use this ability once per turn.
3
While her ability does hurt your economy somewhat, the ability to splash whatever you want is strong. The flexibility Shantotto adds to your deckbuilding is incredible. Pairs well with Xezat.

Summoner 072C

3cp 7000
Forward-Standard Unit-V
When Summoner enters the field, choose 1 Forward. If the cost paid to play Summoner included Ice CP, Freeze it.
2
Nice on curve boi with a decent ETF and enough sick unicorn horn to make Kimahri feel inadequate. Stalling out your opponent’s best forward will be a good bonus. Great with Snow. Man am I sick of saying that.

Lightning

Red Mage 085C

3cp 5000
Forward-Standard Unit-V
When Red Mage enters the field, choose 1 Forward of cost 3 or less opponent controls. If the cost paid to play Red Mage included Water CP, return it to its owner’s hand.
Lightning Lightning Dull, put Red Mage into the Break Zone: Choose 1 Forward of cost 4 or less opponent controls. Break it.
1/4
Red Mage’s viability hinges so dramatically on whether or not you can get her ETF ability, changing her from unplayably below curve to an incredible tempo swing. Her activation is very strong, but not worth the initial investment of a 5k 3cp, so make sure you have access to Water.

Argy 086C

2cp
Backup-Memorist-FFL
When Argy is put from the field into the Break Zone, select 1 of the 3 following actions.
“Choose 1 Forward. It gains Haste until the end of the turn.”
“Choose 1 Forward. Activate it.”
“Choose 1 Backup of cost 1 in your Break Zone. Play it onto the field.”
2
Even with Lulu, his abilities just aren’t very good. You can pick up a little extra value here and there, but Argy should just be treated as a vanilla 2cp backup. If you ever manage to break Argy with Lulu and return Yaag Rosch to bounce Lulu, you are my hero.

Exdeath 087R

6cp
Backup-Wizard-DFF V
When Exdeath enters the field, choose 1 Forward from either player’s Break Zone. If its cost is equal to or less than the number of Backups you control, play it onto your field.
5
Compared to playing a card from your hand, playing a card from Break saves you 2cp, as your hand size remains the same, making effects like this even stronger than those like Shelke or Al-Cid. Almost all effects like this are on forwards, so getting this and Bartholomew in the same set will be interesting. Building both your backup line and your forwards at the same time is a strong play. Exdeath also essentially gives you a second copy of whatever your best forward was, or lets you steal your opponent’s bomb once you break it. Excellent as your 3rd or 4th backup, and spectacular as your 5th. Note that you can choose a forward that was discarded to pay for Exdeath, like Miner or Minfilia. Creates a loop with Tidus C, where you reanimate Tidus, then bounce Exdeath and wait for Tidus to die again. There is no card in o7 I would draft over Exdeath (ok you got me maybe I might take that expensive foil L over it shh don’t tell anyone its our secret just you and me)

Gilgamesh 088L

2cp 4000
Forward-Praetorian-V
For each Card Name Gilgamesh in your Break Zone, Gilgamesh gains +1000 power.
If Gilgamesh has 10000 power or more, Gilgamesh gains Brave and can attack twice in the same turn.
When Gilgamesh is put from the field into the Break Zone, you may pay X. If you do so, search for 1 Card Name Gilgamesh of cost X and play it onto the field dull.
0.5
Sadly, at L rarity, Gilgamesh will almost assuredly be worse than Fritt, Bablizz, and Zapt. That’s not an enviable position to be in. If you can manage to get his power to 10k your opponent is in for quite the surprise, but that seems next to impossible. Even if you manage to get a second copy to search up, paying 2 for a 4k and then 2 for a 5k is still awful.

Coeurl 089C

2cp
Monster-Coeurl-Special
Put Coeurl into the Break Zone: Choose 1 Forward. Until the end of turn it gains +3000 power, Haste, First Strike and Brave.
Discard Coeurl: Choose 1 Monster of cost 1. Break it. You can only use this ability if Coeurl is in your hand.
1.5
The reverse of Flan, Coeurl has a good break ability and an awful discard. There’s no leyak/cactuar level card in o7 to break, so you’re running her for the buffs. Since you can only play her Main Phase, you’re telegraphing her activation a lot, which isn’t necessarily worse than having it as a surprise, as you can force your opponent to make suboptimal plays to circumnavigate her. Definitely a strong boost for only 2k, I wouldn’t shy away from running 1 or 2 of these.

Gladiator 090C

4cp 8000
Forward-Standard Unit-V
When your opponent casts a Summon, Gladiator gains +2000 power until the end of the turn.
2.5
Effects like this where you have no control over when or how they trigger typically need to be strong to make the punishment worth it (see op5 The Emperor) but you can try to initiate combat with other cards and, should a summon be forthcoming, make use of her buff afterwards. I feel like if she were a 3cp 7k she would be more relevant, since she already doesn’t outright die to Ifrit & Ramuh. She is resistant to Yojimbo, at least. If these are EX effects, though, they aren’t “cast” so you will get no trigger. Not that the trigger would resolve until after the EX anyway.

Water

Agrias 106L

6cp 7000
Forward-Knight-LOV FFT
If you control 7 or more Characters, Agrias gains +2000 power.
When Agrias enters the field, turn over one card at a time from the top of your deck until a Character of cost 3 or less is revealed. Play it onto the field. Then, shuffle the other cards revealed and return them to the bottom of your deck.
4
Agrias has the potential to put you up a lot of resources, since playing a card from your deck essentially saves you 2cp on its cost. During deck construction, you’ll want to avoid 1s, and you can only avoid 2s so much before your backline suffers, making it tought to guarantee a 3, but still even a 2 is good value. Keep in mind, if the revealed character is an illegal play (you already have a copy of a named character; it is Yuna/Galdes and you already have a light/dark character; you already have 5 backups) then it is shuffled back in, so try to minimize potential misses so you’re not paying out the nose for a 7k (not that Agrias has a nose to pay out of…) 7 characters is tough in limited, especially when you don’t want to play her off 5 backups, but she certainly helps you get there, and hitting 9k is an important breakpoint in o7.

Gawain 107R

3cp 7000
Forward-Knight-FFL
Gawain doesn’t recieve damage from Forwards’ abilities.
2
A lower end on-curve forward that is somewhat resistant to your opponent’s shenanigans. He’ll do his job, but he’s not particularly good at it.

Kimahri 108H

6cp 9000
Forward-Guardian-X
The cost required to play Kimahri onto the field is reduced by 1 for each Job Guardian you control.
The Job Guardian other than Kimahri you control cannot be chosen by your opponent’s abilities.
The Category X Characters other than Kimahri you control cannot be chosen by your opponent’s Summons.
2.5
Protecting Auron, Jecht, or Tidus with this will put your opponent in a tough spot. Not too difficult to make on curve, especially with Tidus, Wakka, and Braska at common in the same element. Unfortunately, since most of the Forwards he’ll protect are H or L the best you can reasonably hope for is a 4cp 9k, which is still pretty solid.

Chemist 109C

2cp
Backup-Standard Unit-V
Water Water Dull: Choose 1 Forward. Activate it.
3
Even better than o2 Astrologian, as V is a more relevant category (what a crazy world.) Being able to both apply pressure and block with a 9k will completely outclass some decks, forcing party attacks or a damage combo for your opponent to break through. Lets you double up on a forward’s dull ability, but Chocobo is the only one really worth losing 3cp over.

Sahagin 110C

2cp
Monster-Sahagin-Special
Put Sahagin into the Break Zone: Choose up to 2 Forwards you control. Activate them. They gain +1000 power until the end of the turn.
Discard Sahagin: Choose 1 Forward of cost 1. Return it to it’s owner’s hand. You can only use this ability if Sahagin is in your hand.
1
Sahagin is an acceptable combat trick, but having to tip your hand so early really weakens it. The discard is factually useless, as there are no valid choices in o7, like Couerl. Sahagin’s saving grace is that it is somewhat strong against Snow. Somewhat.

Geosgaeno 111R

2cp *7000
Monster-Geosgaeno-X
When a Forward opponent controls returns to its owner’s hand from the field, Geosgaeno also becomes a Forward with 7000 power and “If Geosgaeno receives damage, the damage is reduced by 1000 instead”. (This effect does not end at the end of the turn. This ability will not trigger if Geosgaeno is a Forward.)
1.5
Geosgaeno simply requires too many hoops to jump through to be good. Very few effects will trigger him: Leviathan; Red Mage, which requires Lightning; and Styx, which requires a heavy dedication to Water. OK, once in a blue moon a Sahagin will bounce a Ramza… After you manage to convert him, all he does is eat 7ks. He can only threaten 8s in conjunction with Wakka, and can’t reasonably interact with 9s at all. If you do get 4+ sources of bounce and 2 Wakkas, he does wind up pretty decent, though I would still only rate him 2.5 then.

White Mage 112C

3cp 6000
Forward-Standard Unit-V
When White Mage enters the field, choose up to 2 Forwards you control. Activate them.
1.5
Lets you “brave” two fellas for one turn, and then leaves you with a substandard body. The ability’s not bad, but it’s not good either, and I have a feeling White Mage is going to be discarded most of the time she’s in my hand. If there were more forwards like Serah with abilities requiring dull then White Mage would at least have some more versatility, but even Auron can only be used on your opponent’s turn.

Light/Dark

Yuna 127L

2cp 6000
Forward-Summoner-DFF X
0: Reveal the top card of your deck. If it is a Summon, you may pay the cost and cast it. You can only use this ability once per turn.
1, remove 3 Summons in the Break Zone from the game: Add Yuna to your hand. You can only use this ability during your Main Phase and if Yuna is in the Break Zone.
1.5
Even in a low summon deck, Yuna can give you valuable information regarding the top of your deck, for instance when deciding blocks, you can take a peek to see if you’ll trigger an EX Burst. Of course her value goes up the more summons you have access to, although with how small she is I would be hesitant to play her if I weren’t confident I could activate her zombie mode. You can peek on your turn, use a search effect or card draw, and peek again on your opponent’s turn to maximize her usefulness.

Yuri 128H

4cp 8000
Forward-Lay Crystal User-FFCC
Yuri has all the Elements except Dark.
Dull a total of 3 active Backups of the same Element or 2 active Backups of the same Element and Yuri: Select 1 of the 4 following actions. “Draw 1 card.” “Choose 1 Forward. Deal it 4000 damage.” “Choose 1 Forward. Dull it and Freeze it.” “Choose 1 Forward. It loses all its abilities until the end of the turn.”
5
Playable in any deck, but absolutely insane if you can get 2 backups of one element and 3 of another to double activate in one turn. Yuri will completely swing the game by himself as soon as you get two matching backups, as his options cover so many situations.

Galdes 129H

3cp 8000
Forward-Archbishop-FFCC
When Galdes is put from the field into the Break Zone, select 1 of the 3 following actions.
“Your opponent randomly discards 1 card from his/her hand.”
“Choose 1 Monster in your Break Zone. Add it to your hand.”
“Choose 1 Forward. It loses 5000 power until the end of the turn.”
4
If Galdes had no text I would be thrilled for a 3cp 8k that I can play in any deck. With his ability acting as a strong deterrent to breaking him, Galdes is a threat that your opponent must respect. He makes it trivially easy to go up CP, and your opponent will have to work very hard to deal with him profitably.

Sin 130L

9cp 9000
Forward-Final Aeon-X
When Sin enters the field, break all the Forwards and Monsters other than Sin. Sin deals you 1 point of damage.
Giga-Graviton S9: At the end of your next turn, if Sin is on the field, your opponent loses the game. You can only use this ability during your turn.
3.5
It can be a little difficult to navigate the board into a place where Sin is profitable, but there are also times where he is going to crush 10+ cp of your opponent’s cards. Try not to go to five damage if you have a Sin in your deck as it makes him unplayable. Combos well with Galuf.

Starters

Warrior of Light 131S

2cp 5000 Fire
Forward-Warrior of Light-DFF I
If you control 4 or more Forwards, Warrior of Light gains Haste.
When Warrior of Light enters the field, all the Forwards you control gain +2000 power until the end of the turn.
2
4 forwards is a lot to ask, but being playable off Aigis mitigates that somewhat. His ETF is a nice little power boost for a wide board, leading Warrior to want a very aggressive style of deck. You really need to be pressuring the opponent hard, though, as a 5k just is not scary in the slightest.

Firion 132S

2cp 2000 Fire
Forward-Warrior-DFF II
EX BURST When Firion enters the field, choose 1 Forward opponent controls. Deal it 2000 damage for each Forward you control (up to 3 Forwards).
3
A nice cheap burn effect that even leaves you a tiny body afterwards. This is exactly what small forwards want, to be paired with efficient removal so they can just hit for player damage. Unfortunately there’s a lot that 6k doesn’t kill, so look to pair this with cards like Bomb to give our no-longer-rebel the boost he needs to really trade up CP.

Ultimecia 133S

6cp 7000 Ice
Forward-Witch-DFF VIII
When Ultimecia enters the field, select 1 of the 3 following actions. If you have received 6 points of damage, select up to 2 of the 3 following instead.
4.5
“Choose up to 2 Characters opponent controls. Dull them.”
“Freeze all the Forwards opponent controls.”
“Freeze all the Backups opponent controls.”
If you’re getting beat down, Ultimecia will give you a ton of room to breathe, and if you’re in a good board state already she will very likely win you the game on the spot. Shame you’ll never get to select 2, but she hardly needs the help.

The Emperor 134S

2cp Ice
Backup-Emperor-DFF II
EX BURST When The Emperor enters the field, choose 1 Forward opponent controls. If you have received 4 points of damage or more, dull it and Freeze it.
Ice Dull, discard 2 cards: Choose 1 dull Forward. Break it. You can only use this ability during your turn.
3
A cheap backup early game if you need it, with a solid ETF for late game, a good EX that will trigger half the time, and an expensive but not quite overcosted removal option. That’s a lot of positives, and even if he’s not doing any one thing super great he does a whole lot pretty damn well. Also gives you an out for your Sin if you’re on 5 damage or can’t afford 9 CP.

Cecil 135S

5cp 8000 Wind
Forward-Paladin-DFF IV
EX BURST When Cecil enters the field, choose up to 2 Characters. Activate them.
If you have received 5 points of damage or more, Cecil gains +2000 power and “Cecil cannot be chosen by your opponent’s abilities”.
3.5
Cecil is an undercosted 8k that gives you the option of activating some forwards if you need, which is great flexibility. Getting a cheap thick body is great to help stabilize or apply pressure, and the forward activation will be better if your closer to tied on board presence, letting you make some attacks you wouldn’t have the luxury of making otherwise. Once you’re on your last point of damage, Cecil goes from great to stellar at no extra cost. Slap a situational EX on top of all that and you have a great package.

Y’shtola 136S

2cp Wind
Backup-Scion of the Seventh Dawn-DFF XIV
When Y’shtola enters the field, choose 1 Forward opponent controls. Deal it 2000 damage.
Wind Dull, put Y’shtola into the Break Zone: Choose 1 Forward. Deal it 7000 damage. You can only use this ability if you control 7 or more characters.
2.5
Sometimes Y’shtola will top off an opposing Forward, but most of the time she’ll just be a normal backup. She’ll combo well with medium sources of damage like Firion or Yuri. Her activation will be pretty decent later in the game too.

Garland 137S

3cp 7000 Lightning
Forward-Knight-DFF I
When Garland blocks, Garland gains +2000 power until the end of the turn.
When Garland is put from the field into the Break Zone, choose 1 Forward. It gains +4000 power until the end of the turn.
2.5
Good on defense, which is not normally in Lightning’s wheelhouse. If he blocks multiple times in a turn, he triggers every time, so running two 5ks into him won’t end well. His break ability is awkwardly timed, but it will be a decent threat on attack, telling your opponent “If you kill me, that other forward is coming in.” Garland reminds me a lot of Ark Angel EV, in that he’s certainly above curve, just not by very much. He gets a little extra here and there, but not enough to really get hyped about.

Golbez 138S

8cp 9000 Lightning
Forward-Warlock-DFF IV
The cost required to play Golbez onto the field is reduced by 1 for every 5 cards in your Break Zone.
When Golbez enters the field, choose 1 Forward of cost 5 or less in your Break Zone. Add it to your hand.
4
At a discount of 1, Golbez is on curve, as he repays you with 2cp worth of card. The further into the game you go, the nuttier he gets. 9ks are already hard to deal with, playing one out for functionally 3cp will be impossible for your opponent to deal with profitably. Then on top of all that, Golbez gives you an extra shot at one of your best forwards. This kind of efficiency is exactly what you are looking for to turn the corner late game, either to stanch the bleeding or to turn an advantage into victory.