-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=- Final Fantasy IX -=- -=- Tetra Master FAQ -=- -=- Version 0.15 -=- -=- By: Trifthen -=- -=- trifthen@hotmail.com -=- -=- http://www.kildosphere.com -=- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=- Provision: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- (c.) 2000 Shaun M. Thomas, All Rights Reserved. This FAQ is protected by Copyright Law. All text copied from this FAQ can only be done with the consent of Shaun Thomas. An updated version of this FAQ can be obtained at gamefaqs.com, I do not keep a copy on my website at this time. -=-=-=-=-=- -=- Intro: -=-=-=-=-=- Most people I've talked to seem to think Tetra Master is incomprehensible. annoying, and fruitless. Well... it is, but that doesn't mean there isn't some rhyme to the horrible chaos that is Tetra Master. The fact is, it does have rhyme and reason, just a bit too random. Fortunately, all of this can be overcome, and eventually you'll reach the top collector level. -=-=-=-=-=-=- -=- Contents: -=-=-=-=-=-=- I. History II. Rules A. Requirements B. Getting Cards C. Getting Ready D. The Game E. Card Numbers F. Arrows G. Battles H. Combos I. Winning J. The Point System K. Collector Levels III. Card Types A. Card Power B. Card Defense C. Physical Cards D. Magic Cards E. Power Cards F. Advanced Cards IV. Strategies A. Blocks B. Picking Cards C. General Tips V. Card List VI. Credits VII. Contact -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=- I. History -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Version 0.15 : November 27, 2000 -- Second FAQ. Added "Getting Cards", "Advanced Cards", "The Point System". Revised text on "Power Cards". Corrected errors in "Collector Levels". Version 0.1 : November 24, 2000 -- First FAQ, contains layout, rules, card types, strategies and credits. A card list is the works. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=- II. Rules -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A. Requirements: ---------------- -- 2 players -- 5 cards for each player B. Getting Cards: ----------------- In order to get those five (or more) cards you'll need to play the game, you'll need cards. There are a few ways to get them: 1.) Find them hidden in the towns/dungeons. 2.) Get characters to give them to you. 3.) Win them in card battles. 4.) Get them at the end of a random encounter. As a note, the arrows and stats of these cards is not determined until you actually own it. So for cards you find in towns and dungeons, or obtain from other characters, you can reset the game until the card has the stats you desire. This works on all cards, even rare ones - so this can help you in getting that top collector level. C. Getting Ready: ----------------- Walk up to a character, and press [] (square) to initiate a card game. Not everyone plays, but quite a few do. Once the card game has been initiated, pick five cards and confirm them as you final pick. Once you've done this, the game begins. D. The Game: ------------ The game grid looks like this: ########################### #-------------------------# #| | | | |# #| | | | |# #| | | | |# #-------------------------# #| | | | |# #| | | | |# #| | | | |# #-------------------------# #| | | | |# #| | | | |# #| | | | |# #-------------------------# #| | | | |# #| | | | |# #| | | | |# #-------------------------# ########################### This game grid may have anywhere from 0-6 random spaces blocked off at the beginning of the game, restricting where cards can be placed. A coin is tossed to determine who starts the game. Whoever starts must place a card in one of the grid spaces, and the flow of the game turns to the second player. E. Card Numbers: ---------------- Cards, being collectible, are given numbers. There are 100 cards in the game, and you can only have 100 with you at any one time. So, if you really wanted to be a master player, you can only have one of each card. That is no easy task. F. Arrows: ---------- Each card will usually have a set of arrows in any of 8 directions. A sample card with all directions lies below: _______ |\ | /| |- -| |/ | \| ------- If a card is placed on the grid by itself, nothing happens. If the card is not adjacent to another card, nothing happens. If no cards placed in the grid have arrows facing each other, nothing happens. If a card is placed next to a card with arrows pointing to it, as shown, nothing happens. card 1 | card 2 _____________ |\ | /| /| |- -| -| |/ | \| \| ------------- Card two was placed second, so nothing happened. The fifth possibility is that the card placed in the grad has an arrow pointing to the adjacent card. card 1 | card 2 _____________ |\ | | /| |- |- -| |/ | | \| ------------- The player that placed card two now owns card one. These ownerships can change through the game, and whoever ends up owning the most cards at the end of the game wins. G. Battles: ----------- There is one final possibility remaining. If a card is placed next to another card, and they both have arrows pointing at each other, a battle ensues. card 1 | card 2 _____________ |\ | | | -|- -| |/ | | \| ------------- The above placement would result in a card battle. The power of each card is compared, and much like a fight in the game, a random number is rolled for each card based on this power. If the card has a defense, it will take less damage. In the end, one card will be overwhelmed, and lose the battle. The card that loses will now belong to the player controlling the winning card. H. Combos: ---------- Sometimes a card that loses a battle may also point to other cards. This is a very dangerous situation, and can lead to those cards being lost as well. For instance, let's assume player 1 owns cards one and two, player two puts down card three. 1 | 2 | 3 ___________________ |\ | | | | -|- -|- | |/ | | \| | ------------------- We'll assume card three is really powerful, and wipes out card two. Player 2 now owns all three cards, because the losing card had an arrow pointing to card one. Avoid this at all costs! A properly placed combo can flip up to eight other cards on a full board. Normally cards with a lot of arrows are good due to their great defense abilities, but the potential for combos is dire. We'll talk about how to fix this problem later. I. Winning: ----------- Whoever controls the most cards when all cards are on the board wins the game. After winning, the winner gets to pick a card from the loser's deck, but only a card that was flipped during the course of the game. If all of the cards are flipped to one player or another, the game is called "perfect", and they get to keep all of their opponent's cards. Good if you win, *really* bad if you lose. J. The Point System: -------------------- As you play through the game, you'll win points. How these points are awarded, however seems to be a bit of a complexity. Points are awarded not by your win/loss ratio as it would seem, but on the cards you own and how their arrows are arranged. Here's a quick explanation. - One Unique Card : 15 points - Unique card, non-unique arrows : 10 points - Extra cards : 5 points per card - X card : 1 bonus point - A card : 2 bonus points So, if you have one "A" card, and it has no arrows the same as any other card, you'll have 17 points for that card. Logic would dictate that in order to reach the top collector level, you'd need all 100 of your cards to fit this criteria for a maximum of 1700 points. Ouch. So far as arrow configurations are concerned, there are more than a hundred, here's how they're broken down: Arrows | combinations ----------------------------- 1 | 8 2 | 28 3 | 56 4 | 70 5 | 56 6 | 28 7 | 8 8 | 1 ----------------------------- Total | 257 So, you have a total of 257 total arrow combinations, and you only need 100. Also keep in mind that 163 of those have 4 arrows or more, so you don't need to feel defenseless. That still doesn't detract from the fact you'll have to have 100 "A" level cards, each with a different arrow configuration to reach the top collector level, but everything is worth effort, right? K. Collector Levels: -------------------- The game keeps track of all wins, losses, and draws, but they don't mean anything to your collector level. Your collector level is determined by the total value of all of your cards as explained above. This may seem unfair, but it's how things work. Collector level is awarded by point values, as shows in this table: Points | Level --------------------------- 0 - 299 : Beginner 300 - 399 : Novice 400 - 499 : Player 500 - 599 : Senior 600 - 699 : Fan 700 - 1699 : Leader 1700 : Master -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=- III. Card Types -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A. Card Power: -------------- Each card will have a set stats, arranged to look like: 0P00. The first number is the card's attack power in hexadecimal. Hexadecimal is just a number from 0-9 and A-F representing the numbers 0-15. The first number is the card's power. When the computer rolls the random attack, it uses this number as a basis for how strong the attack will be. Thus a card identified as 0P00 will almost always lose to a card that is 1P00. But remember, this is random, the weaker card can still win if it gets a better roll. One thing they never say in the game guide, or in the game itself is that the power of the card is also based on the picture on the card. Or more to the point, the monster the card represents. As in the game, if you pitted a fang against a skeleton, the fang would most likely have a stronger attack. This is taken into account by the computer when it calculates attack values. Be very wary of this. This is one of the reasons most people think the game is completely random. I believe the game was set up to reward those who pay attention when they fight monsters in the field, and know which are stronger. In essence, the game rewards you for memorizing the beastiary. For those who are wondering how item cards fit into this whole mess, I can only assume that they're ranked somehow, and have power/defense corresponding to that ranking. Since they have no attack power or hit-points as such. One final note. Cards that defeat other cards in many battles may eventually get stronger. So a 0P00 that wins a few battles may make it to a 1P00. B. Card Defense: ---------------- Cards have two types of defense, physical and magical. Like power, defense is listed in hexadecimal. If a card is classified as 0P12, 1 is the physical defense, and 2 is the magical defense. This is not the end of the story, however. Also akin to power, defense is based on the monster's actual defense in the game. The amount of damage a card can successfully withstand is also based on the monster's actual hit-points with a randomly generated modifier. So what does this mean? Monster 1: In the game, has 400 hit-points, card has 0P00. Monster 2: In the game, has 300 hit-points, card has 0P00. So who wins? Well, Monster 1 has 4 hit-points for every 3 of Monster 2's. So, say the computer generates the number 20 as the damage monster 1 deals, and 24 for what Monster 2 deals. Monster 1: Deals 20 damage to monster 2. Monster 2: Deals 24 damage to monster 1. For every 3 hit-points we take from monster 1, subtract 4 from Monster 2. Whoever reaches 0 first, loses. Monster 1: 24 21 18 15 12 9 6 3 0 Monster 2: 20 16 12 8 4 0 So even though monster 1 took more damage, it still won the battle. Defense points on the card can alter how these results come out, but I haven't figured out how much things are changed. In essence, they only really help when comparing two cards of the same face. So two fang cards, one with 0P10 and one with 0P00, the first card will have a greater chance of winning. Like Power, defense can increase if a card defends attack often enough. So a 0P00 can become a 0P01 or a 0P10 depending on whether it defended many physical or magical attacks. C. Physical Cards: ------------------ You probably noticed that I've been listing my examples as 0P00 or some variation. What I was actually assuming is that the cards in my examples are physical cards. Hence they do physical damage in their attacks. A card with P in the middle of its stats is a physical card. Like mentioned above, physical abilities are not based on the number in the attack power alone. A 1P00 card can still lose to a 0P00 card if the 0P00 card is based on a stronger monster. Generally, cards with higher card numbers are stronger, but you can't count on that. For instance, a Fang will almost always beat a Skeleton, even though they're both 0p00 cards. Confused yet? D. Magic Cards: --------------- Cards with an M in their stats are magic cards. They deal their damage through some kind of magic. Unfortunately, most magic cards will be horribly slaughtered by a physical card. Hence it's essential to have a good balance of each in those chosen for the game. On the other hand, a strong magic card will liquefy a physical card with low magic resistance. Beware! As always, magic abilities are not only based on the stats you see on the card. If you have a Flan and a Bomb, the Bomb will usually crush the flan without incident, even though they can both be 0M00 cards. Again, a good knowledge of the beastiary is your best bet. E. Power Cards: --------------- Last and certainly not least, are power cards. These can exist in any of the card numbers, and are denoted by an X in the card stats. You can have an 0X00, but it isn't likely. Most often, you'll have a monster you have many multiples of, and maybe only one of them is a power card. These can be obtained in a couple of ways: 1.) Win them. 2.) Use a normal card until it turns into one. Power cards seem excessive at first. They appear to have an inordinate amount of arrows, and higher stats compared to the other cards you may have in your inventory. But how do they work? Defending card | Actual Defense ------------------------------------- 0P10 | 0 1M91 | 1 9M19 | 1 See a pattern here? If you play a power card, the lowest of the defender's defense powers will determine the type of attack your card uses. Strong physical defense? Use a magical attack. Strong magical defense? Use a physical attack. Keep in mind that the defender still gets an attack, so your power card will need to have a good defense from the type of card it's attacking. As you can imagine, taking a power card can be difficult. But there are a few ways to do so. 1.) Take the card on an unprotected corner. 2.) Use a powerful card that will overwhelm power card defenses. 3.) Use a card with high defense stats. Three may not make much sense, but it works. Remember, power cards only gain an upper hand when defense values of the other card are low. A card with 0P9A stats would most likely demolish a power card that was 2X32. At least at the beginning of the game, disks one and two perhaps, save them for the last card you play if at all possible. They can swiftly turn the tide of battle, and work wonders when used in combos. E. Advanced Cards: ------------------ This was brought to my attention, since I have yet to encounter such a beastie, but there is one more type of card that has a huge advantage over all other cards. This is one step above X cards, and instead identifies itself with an A. 1A12 for example. You can get them a couple of ways. 1.) Win them. 2.) Use an X card until it turns into one. So what are these wondrous cards, and how do they work? Like X cards, they take the lowest of the defense values, but to add a little spice to the mix, they also throw in the attack power. For example: Defending card | Actual Defense ------------------------------------- 0P12 | 0 9M09 | 0 3P9A | 3 Yes, that's right. The lowest number in all of the stats is used as the card's defense. I don't think I have to tell you how horrible this can be. These must be more rare than power cards, since I haven't seen one yet, but I'm assured they exist. Taking these cards can really only be done one of two ways. 1.) Take the card on an unprotected corner. 2.) Use a card with higher stats in all aspects. If you want to take a 2A33, you'll need at least a 3P33 for equal footing, probably higher to be on the safe side. If the computer plays one of these cards, take it! Do what ever you can to make that card yours. If you don't get it the first time, rematch until you do. These cards will most definitely complete your arsenal. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=- IV. Strategies -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Winning Tetra Master is usually easy at the beginning of the game, but as it goes on, you'll find yourself frequently outclassed by players with more powerful cards and more opportune arrow placement. Be careful! A. Blocks: ---------- Remember that the game can start with anywhere from 0-6 squares blocked from play. These sometimes create spots where one or two cards can be placed in complete immunity. Use these first! The less cards you leave open to combos, the better. Try to use your weakest cards in these spaces, or cards that have arrows that wouldn't work well in the board layout. These cards you would have lost have suddenly turned into cards you'll keep. Blocks can also be used as strongholds. Sometimes there is only one way to attack cards behind certain blocks. You can block combos and other nefarious attacks by putting a card here that has no arrows in the area that can be attacked. If you stack two or three more cards behind this defender, you may lose the defender, but the other two are 100% safe. For example. #------------------- #|#####|#####|#####| #|#####|#####|#####| #|#####|#####|#####| #------------------------- #|\ /| | |#####| #| -|- | -|#####| #| | | \| | \|#####| #------------------------- ########################### Though this doesn't happen often, there are similar opportunities of which you can take advantage. B. Picking Cards: ----------------- Try to play four-corners as much as you can. By that, I mean pick cars that have arrows in one of the following patterns. ------- ------- ------- ------- | | | | | | /| |\ | | | -| |- | | -| |- | | | \| |/ | | | | | | ------- ------- ------- ------- Why? Because if the cards are strong enough, they'll hold the corner you put them in. You don't want to place a card that'll be taken without a fight unless you're setting up combos. These cards make great first moves. I suggest at least two of these, in case a block ruins one of your corners. Next you'll want at least one card that can clear the board in your favor. This is fairly simple, just pick a card with as many arrows and high stats as you can manage. In most cases, this will be your last card, and will activate as many combos as possible. Power cards work very will here. You should only need one of these. Finally, you'll want two wall cards. Any of these patterns are usable: ------- ------- ------- ------- | | |\ | |\ | /| | /| | | |- | | | | -| |/ | \| |/ | | | | \| ------- ------- ------- ------- These are mostly good at protecting other cards from combos. They'll be the cards you play in the middle of the game to set up combos or protect cards you've just won from being taken away. Remember, you can add as many arrows as you wish to these examples, but I strongly advise against taking arrows away unless you have a good combo in mind. Cards with less than three continuous arrows are almost defenseless unless protected by blocks, and you can't count on whether or not the computer will even use blocks. Cards that only protect one side are perfect for combos, and they can block access to other cards. Use them in the right place, and the best the computer can do is take the card you used, leaving the rest under your control. C. General Tips: ---------------- At all costs, avoid capturing cards in corners with a card containing a lot of arrows until the end of the game. Take the following example, you just took all of your opponent's cards with the card marked with a *. Four cards are suddenly yours, and the card that battled was very powerful, and not likely to cause a combo later. But your opponent had a power card (marked by an X) and even though it only had one arrow, it turned your card into instant puree. ########################### #-------------------------# #| | | | |# #| | | | |# #| | | | |# #-------------------------# #| |#####| |#####|# #| |#####| X |#####|# #| |#####| | |#####|# #-------------------------# #|\ |#####| | |\ |# #| -|#####|- * -|- |# #|/ |#####|/ | \| | |# #-------------------------# #| | /|\ | | |\ | |# #| -|- |- -|- |# #| | | | | |# #-------------------------# ########################### Would you look at that? You've now lost four cards, and there is no way you can get them back. Even if you flip the card the computer used to cause the combo, you'll still probably lose. When not paying attention, I've lost up to six cards this way, with no way to get any of them back. In a worst case scenario, up to eight cards can be lost in a combo, and with that many cards on the board, openings are slim, and those cards may be lost forever. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=- V. Card List -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- As of yet, I have not compiled a card list. I'm working on it. There will probably be something in the next version of this FAQ. I didn't want to steal a list from someone else's FAQ. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=- VI. Credits -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -- I'd like to thank Drew Cosner of thegia.com for this anecdote: "Anyway, here it is: how the hell are you supposed to play Tetra Masters in FFIX? As far as I can tell, you place your cards on the board at random and your opponent randomly puts his cards down causing random cards to flip over at random, leading to the random card battle which is apparently won completely at random. In the end, one of you wins. At random." -- Drew Cosner. -- Big thanks to Ferdinand Pelayo for setting me straight on the point system and pointing out I needed a section on obtaining cards. -- A big hand to Templeton for telling me about "A" cards, of which I have yet to encounter, and the note about beating "X" cards. -- Thanks to the entire Internet for telling me that cards can upgrade into "X" or "A" cards. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=- VI. Contact -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- If you want to add anything to this FAQ, either to change something I got wrong, or help me with the card list, feel free to use the contact information below. Trifthen ----------------------------------------- Public Email : trifthen@hotmail.com AIM : trifthen ICQ ID : 13671332 ICQ Nick : trifthen Website : http://www.kildosphere.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=- The End -=- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-