Vantage Masters (ヴァンテージマスターズ) is a minigame introduced in Trails of Cold Steel III. It is also available in Trails of Cold Steel IV and Trails into Reverie.
Background[]
Vantage Masters is a turn-based collectible card game that has become increasingly popular around the continent, serving as a replacement for the formerly popular game Blade. A game of strategy, each player forms a deck from the many cards available and plays until one of them has their Master card defeated. New cards can be bought in shops or earned from defeating other opponents. Cards from missed opponents can also be bought from curio shops.
Trails of Cold Steel III[]
Rean Schwarzer is first introduced to the game in Leeves in the Carnegie Books & Games store. The owner and inhabitants of the town are fond of the game and give Rean a starter deck to practice some matches, comparing its popularity with that of Blade.
Rean, Claire Rieveldt and Sara Valestein play Vantage Masters against Rutger Claussell, Leonidas and Xeno on the top floor of Raquel's Casino Alisha as a wager to learn about the Palatinate Knight and the jaegers' objectives in Lamare. Following their instructor, New Class VII enter the casino, and seeing the state of the game, Musse Egret and Ash Carbide take over from Claire and Sara, with Rean restarting his game against Rutger.
After obtaining every card, either by defeating people or by buying them, Aurier Vander becomes available as the final opponent during Heimdallr's Summer Festival. Defeating her earns the Chevalier master quartz, or a Dragon Incense if it was already obtained.
Opponent | Availability | Reward |
---|---|---|
Zach | Chapter 1: "Reunion", 4/16 - Leeves | Magic Crystal ×3 |
Rachel | D-Arma ×3 | |
Sidney | Hepetus ×3 | |
Juna Crawford | Chapter 1: "Reunion", 4/21 - Derfflinger | Ranger |
Celestin | Chapter 1: "Reunion", 4/22 - Saint-Arkh | Guene-Foss ×3 |
Clover | Chapter 1: "Reunion", 4/22 - Parm | Zamilpen ×3 |
Michael Irving | Chapter 2: "Conflict in Crossbell", 5/13 - Leeves | Wall ×3 |
Louise | Chapter 2: "Conflict in Crossbell", 5/14 - Leeves | Dullmdalla ×3 |
Munk | Uptide ×3 | |
Kurt Vander | Chapter 2: "Conflict in Crossbell", 5/19 - Derfflinger | Knight |
Wendy | Chapter 2: "Conflict in Crossbell", 5/20 - Crossbell City | Da-Colm ×3 |
Xin | Chapter 2: "Conflict in Crossbell", 5/20 - Crossbell City After completing Do Me This Favor |
Kyria-Bell ×3 |
Maya | Chapter 3: "Pulse of Steel", 6/10 - Leeves | Ae-Ferrion ×3 |
Stark | Chapter 3: "Pulse of Steel", 6/11 - Leeves | Thief |
Randy Orlando | Oonvievle ×3 | |
Altina Orion | Chapter 3: "Pulse of Steel", 6/16 - Derfflinger | Vanish ×3 |
Mimika | Chapter 3: "Pulse of Steel", 6/17 - Raquel | Gia-Bro ×3 |
Setsuna | Chapter 3: "Pulse of Steel", 6/18 - Ordis | Amoltamis ×3 |
Musse Egret | Chapter 4: "Radiant Heimdallr", 7/8 - Leeves | Tarbyss ×3 |
Rosine | Chapter 4: "Radiant Heimdallr", 7/9 - Leeves | Fifenall ×3 |
Professor Schmidt | Witch | |
Ash Carbide | Chapter 4: "Radiant Heimdallr", 7/15 - Derfflinger | Greon ×3 |
Fred | Chapter 4: "Radiant Heimdallr", 7/15 - Heimdallr | Neptjuno ×3 |
Jingo | Chapter 4: "Radiant Heimdallr", 7/16 - Heimdallr | Swordsman |
Aurier Vander | Chapter 4: "Radiant Heimdallr", 7/17 - Heimdallr Must have collected all VM cards |
Chevalier |
Trails of Cold Steel IV[]
New Class VII can play Vantage Masters on Rean's behalf until his return, with him keeping all obtained cards until then. Rean also introduces Crow Armbrust to the game, after his long absence from card games during his time as Azure Siegfried. Even though he did not play during this time, it was revealed he picked up many of the strategies and tactics used by observing Zephyr and others play it in the Black Workshop. Expecting to hustle Rean after he offers to teach him the game, Crow did not anticipate Rean was in turn expecting it and was outplayed.
Stark also later plays against him to show how far he has come along, and to wager the old deck of cards belonging to Crow's grandfather against Crow promising to have a meal with him and Rean in Jurai, following the Great War. Despite this being a seemingly impossible proposition, Stark nevertheless states that Crow would never settle for giving in to his fate, and eventually gets through to him and wins the game. Crow also goes up against Pablo, betting his favorite pin-up magazine featuring girls in swimsuits. He plays under the impression that Pablo is betting the same, not realizing that Pablo's "pin-up magazine" actually features pictures of trains.
After obtaining every card except the Tyrant master card, Victor S. Arseid becomes available as the final opponent on the first day of the Great War in the Courageous II. Defeating him earns Tyrant and the Woden master quartz.
Opponent | Availability | Reward |
---|---|---|
Pablo | Act 1: "The Trials of Class VII", 8/7 - Parm | Dullmdalla ×3 |
Elliot Craig | Act 1: "The Trials of Class VII", 8/9 - Eryn | Requ ×3 |
Sister Olfa | Act 1: "The Trials of Class VII", 8/10 - Raquel | D-Arma ×3 |
Tilia | Act 1: "The Trials of Class VII", 8/10 - Alster | Kyria-Bell ×3 |
Fie Claussell | Act 1: "The Trials of Class VII", 8/13 - Eryn | Blaze ×3 |
Shanshan | Act 1: "The Trials of Class VII", 8/15 - Crossbell City | Bard |
Mishy | Act 1: "The Trials of Class VII", 8/15 - Mishelam Wonderland | Uptide ×3 |
KeA | Fragments: "A Shattered Blade", 8/17 - Eryn | Fifenall ×3 |
Roselia | Act 2: "Guiding Starlight", 8/19 - Eryn | Reduce ×3 |
Laura S. Arseid | Knight | |
Juna Crawford | Act 2: "Guiding Starlight", 8/20 - Merkabah | All droplets ×3 |
Anton | Act 2: "Guiding Starlight", 8/20 - Parm | Gia-Bro ×3 |
Vincent Florald | Act 2: "Guiding Starlight", 8/21 - Ordis | Tarbyss ×3 |
Kurt Vander | Act 2: "Guiding Starlight", 8/22 - Merkabah | All droplets ×3 |
Angelica Rogner | Amoltamis ×3 | |
Alisa Reinford | Act 2: "Guiding Starlight", 8/24 - Merkabah | Oonvievle ×3 |
Marquis Ballad | Act 2: "Guiding Starlight", 8/24 - Saint-Arkh | Transmute ×3 |
Josette Capua | Act 2: "Guiding Starlight", 8/25 - Milsante | Shadow |
Ash Carbide | Act 2: "Guiding Starlight", 8/26 - Merkabah | All droplets ×3 |
Celine | Expel ×3 | |
Lloyd Bannings | Act 2: "Guiding Starlight", 8/26 - Pantagruel | Da-Colm ×3 |
Duvalie | Act 3: "Seekers of the Dawn", 8/27 - Courageous II | Paladin |
Jusis Albarea | Neptjuno ×3 | |
Kaela MacMillan | Act 3: "Seekers of the Dawn", 8/27 - Avon Hills | Regna-Croix ×3 |
Scherazard Harvey | Act 3: "Seekers of the Dawn", 8/27 - Leeves | Vanish ×3 |
Sara Valestein | Act 3: "Seekers of the Dawn", 8/28 - Courageous II | Beast |
Sharon Kreuger | Act 3: "Seekers of the Dawn", 8/29 - Courageous II | Ma-Gorb ×3 |
Cao Lee | Act 3: "Seekers of the Dawn", 8/29 - Crossbell City | Greon ×3 |
Crow Armbrust | Act 3: "Seekers of the Dawn", 8/30 - Courageous II | Disaster ×3 |
Altina Orion | All droplets ×3 | |
Toval Randonneur | Eventide: "Night of Promises", 8/31 - Mishelam Wonderland | Mishelam Ticket Quick Caliber V |
Millium Orion | Spirit | |
Cassius Bright | Tentarch ×3 | |
Musse Egret | Finale: "Scattered Petals, Dying Flames", 9/1 - Courageous II | All droplets ×3 |
Joshua Bright | Finale: "Scattered Petals, Dying Flames", 9/1 - Hamel Must complete Ghosts of Hamel first |
Xenofiend ×3 |
Victor S. Arseid | Finale: "Scattered Petals, Dying Flames", 9/1 - Courageous II Must have collected all VM cards |
Tyrant Woden |
Trails into Reverie[]
Vantage Masters can only be played in the True Reverie Corridor. While cards can be obtained from defeating characters, characters available from Gold Sealing Stones do not reward cards, making them optional to obtain a full deck. Additionally, the VM Dojo can be unlocked, adding Sonya Baelz, Michael Irving and Matteus Vander and others as new opponents.
After collecting every card except Regna-Croix, Tyrant, and the VM Dojo cards, Lloyd Bannings can face off against C as payback for the latter's actions.
Opponent | Availability | Reward |
---|---|---|
True Reverie Corridor | ||
Elie MacDowell | Initial | Tarbyss ×3 |
Ash Carbide | Shadow | |
Claire Rieveldt | Uptide ×3 | |
Alfin Reise Arnor | After joining the corridor | Spiritual Divine Water |
Agate Crosner | After unlocking 2F | Oonvievle ×3 |
Musse Egret | Amoltamis ×3 | |
Rixia Mao | High Ranger | |
George Nome | After joining the corridor after unlocking 2F | Fortuitous Divine Water |
Wazy Hemisphere | After unlocking 3F | Ma-Gorb ×3 |
Elise Schwarzer | Holy Sister | |
Lechter Arundel | Xenofiend ×3 | |
Nadia Rayne | Reduce ×3 | |
Aurelia Le Guin | After joining the corridor after unlocking 3F | Powerful Divine Water |
Noel Seeker | After unlocking 4F | Disaster ×3 |
Estelle Bright | Tentarch ×3 | |
Crow Armbrust | Crown Thief | |
Zeit | Greon ×3 | |
Vita Clotilde | After joining the corridor after unlocking 4F | Magical Divine Water |
C | Must have obtained all VM cards except from the opponents below Must be controlling Lloyd |
Regna-Croix ×3 Zeram Capsule |
McBurn | After joining the corridor | Tyrant |
Flaming VM Dojo | ||
Wald Wales | After unlocking the dojo | Powerful Divine Water ×3 |
Fran Seeker | Spiritual Divine Water ×3 | |
Michael Irving | Soul Fighter True Steel Bell | |
Shizuku MacLaine | Buy with fragments, clear 5F, and defeat previous opponents | Magical Divine Water ×3 |
Alex Dudley | Fortuitous Divine Water ×3 | |
Sonya Baelz | Elder Spirit True Enchantment | |
Sergei Lou | Buy with fragments, clear 6F, and defeat previous opponents | Vital Divine Water ×3 |
Erika Russell | Master Swordsman | |
Matteus Vander | Arc Paladin True Solar Gyre |
Gameplay[]
Vantage Masters is a turn-based game of strategy. There are three types of cards, Master, Magic and Natial. The information, skills, abilities and attributes of a card are all listed on it during play.
- Master cards are the focus of the game. Each player has one Master which may have an ability and/or skill it can use at a cost of mana. Each Master has a fixed mana starting value which will increase by one each turn. The objective of the game is to reduce your opponents' Master's HP to zero.
- Natial cards can be summoned to the board at a mana cost. They come in four elemental attributes and can be used to attack other Natials or Masters. Each Natial has a ATK and HP score of their own. Natials can have an active skill they can use at no cost but only once for each Natial, though their skill can be refreshed with other cards' effects. If their HP is reduced to zero, they are removed from play.
- Magic cards can be used at a mana cost to produce a certain effect, after which they are used up and cannot be used again. Magic cards may have different effects depending on the deck's Master or the target's attribute.
Starting a Game[]
Vantage Masters can be played by pressing a specific button near an eligible NPC, which brings up the deck choosing menu. A deck is made up from up to 20 cards, including one Master. Decks can also be managed from the Notebook, with up to three saved decks.
On the first turn, a coin is flipped. Getting heads (Mishy) grants the first move, but the opponent will have a Magic Crystal card appear on a random space on their field, and viceversa. A starting hand of three cards will be shown, which can be discarded to get up to three other cards to begin the game with.
Actions and Summoning[]
At the start of your turn, your mana will be completely refreshed, and after the first turn, one more mana will be added until a maximum of 10 and one card will be drawn from the remaining deck. When summoning a Natial, you can choose any open space on your side of the field. If there are no open spaces, you cannot summon. Most cards cannot perform actions in the same turn they are summoned. However, Natials with the Flying trait are able to ignore this rule.
Each of your cards already on the field can perform Move, Skill (if available) and Attack actions during your turn. You can only move to spaces in your side of the field. If you choose a spot that already has a card in it, the two cards will swap places. After using an attack or skill, that card cannot move for the rest of the turn. There are three types of attacks, all of which have different areas of effect and damage:
- Normal attacks can only be performed from the front row and target a single enemy. The enemy will then counterattack for damage equal to their ATK -1.
- Ranged normal attacks can target any space on the opponent's side of the field. If your attacker is more than 1 row away from their target, the target can't counterattack.
- Skill attacks are offensive skills. They can target any space and cannot be counterattacked.
Skills and Abilities[]
Some cards have skills. Natial card skills can only be used once per card. However, they cost no mana and can be restored with a Magic Crystal. Master card skills have unlimited uses but each use costs mana.
Abilities are different from skills in that they activate automatically. There are many different types of abilities. For example, some cards automatically protect the two cards adjacent to them from enemy attacks (this does not work on cards that grant a similar effect), whereas others allow you to draw an additional card upon their leaving the field.
Attributes[]
There are four different attributes: Earth, Water, Fire and Heaven. Damage dealt will differ depending on the matchup. An attack against a weaker elements deals +1 damage. An attack against a stronger element deals -2 damage. Master cards have no attribute.
Earth -> Water -> Fire -> Heaven -> Earth
Magic Crystals[]
The player who goes second will have a Magic Crystal appear on their side of the field on the first turn. Additionally, a Magic Crystal will appear on a random open space for each player every three rounds. (if there are no open spaces, it will not appear.) These Magic Crystals have the same effect as the Magic Crystal card. Moving a summoned card on top of them grants this effect.
Icons[]
Icon | Meaning | Icon | Meaning |
---|---|---|---|
Mana: Available mana (greyed out if spent) | Earth: The card has the Earth attribute | ||
ATK: The card's attack damage | Water: The card has the Water attribute | ||
HP: The card's remaining HP | Fire: The card has the Fire attribute | ||
Flying: The card may act immediately after being summoned | Heaven: The card has the Heaven attribute | ||
Ranged: The card can attack from afar | Skill: The card has a skill that may be activated (greyed out if used) |
List of Cards[]
Masters[]
Natials[]
Earth[]
Water[]
Fire[]
Heaven[]
Magic[]
Magic Crystal | Medic | ||
---|---|---|---|
0 | 1 | ||
Description | Description | ||
A brilliant crystal brimming with magical power. It is said battles are won by the Master who can claim the most magic crystals. | Healing magic that contains the power of the heavens. Said to be the byproduct of alchemical research into reanimation. | ||
Effect | Effect | ||
Target gains HP/ATK+1 and you receive Mana +1. if the target is a Natial, its Skill can be used again. | Restores 2 HP to the target and removes Seal. If the target is a Heaven attribute card, it also gains ATK+1. | ||
Transmute | Vanish | ||
4 | 4 | ||
Description | Description | ||
Support magic that transforms enemies into pure gold. Said to contain the essence of a Natial that posesses humans and brings misfortune. | Offensive magic that cuts through enemies like a deadly blade. Contains the essence of a savage Natial. Used primarily by medieval assassins. | ||
Effect | Effect | ||
Seals an enemy's actions for 2 turns. If your master is the Witch, the enemy is sealed for 3 turns instead. | Deals 6 damage to the target. If your Master is the Paladin, deal 7 damage instead. | ||
Uptide | Blaze | ||
3 | 2 | ||
Description | Description | ||
Support magic with the power of water. Said to contain the essence of a Natial that could manipulate gravity. | Support magic with the power of fire. Contains the essence of a Natial that could manipulate flames, and grant fire's protection to a target. | ||
Effect | Effect | ||
All Water attribute cards gain HP/ATK+1, and the enemy's Earth, Fire and Heaven attribute cards each take 1 damage. | Target gains ATK+2. if the target is a Fire attribute card, it gains ATK+3 instead. | ||
Wall | Expel | ||
2 | 3 | ||
Description | Description | ||
Support magic with the power of earth. uses the essence of a Natial who controls the soil to raise the earth into a defensive barrier. | Support magic that uses the power of a Natial that can control time and space to revert an enemy Natial to its state before being summoned. | ||
Effect | Effect | ||
Puts a barrier on the target that negates damage once. if the target is an Earth attribute card, it also gains +2 HP. | Returns an opponent's Natial to their hand. | ||
Reduce | Disaster | ||
1 | 5 | ||
Description | Description | ||
Support magic that grants heavenly blessings. Calls upon the power of a fiery angel who fills the user with miraculous power. | Offensive magic that calls down a ruinous storm using the power of a weather-controlling Natial. Tears through all in its path without mercy. | ||
Effect | Effect | ||
Halves the mana cost of one card in your hand. | Deals 4 damage to a row of enemies. |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This game is based upon an older property of Falcom by the same name.