Top 5 Combat Card Users – Draw Your Card

Card games are an ancient ritual, a pastime of unlimited variety, chance and glory. Naturally, since they well and truly predate video games, there are many games in which cards are a major feature – of these, one niche really jumps out of the pack: the ones whose heroes and/or villains use cards as their weapons. Today, we’ll take a look at five such combatants (i.e. combat card users) and how they’ve managed to turn a humble piece of paper into a deadly weapon.

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Loki — Bayonetta 2

Bayonetta fans grew to love this pint-sized version of the God of Chaos, who’s well known for throwing as many quips as he does cards throughout the Umbran quest. We’re introduced to the Little One as he fights off a horde of grotesque angels with his signature magically-charged – and really stylish – blue and gold throwing cards, and it’s easy to get excited for what he might bring to the table in terms of gameplay. Unfortunately, we only get to experience Loki’s power first-hand during a single chase scene, running away from a rabid angel.

Obviously, playing as Loki instead of Bayonetta would feel a little awkward given the game’s focus is on its title character, but I would have loved to see him added to the list of unlockable characters in the Tag Climax mode. Although he does make the list for his character and gusto, I couldn’t rationally place him any higher on the list due to his limited playability. Hopefully, Bayonetta 3 will bring us Loki in spades.

Patty – Tales of Vesperia

Tales of Vesperia’s cast comes from all walks of life, including a young pirate lass whose heart belongs to the game’s protagonist, Yuri. Patty joins your party as a jack-of-all-trades treasure hunter, wielding flintlock pistols, daggers and bombs, but it’s her spellcasting that’s earned her a place on this list: it relies on her trusty themed playing cards and the luck of the draw. Patty’s a gambler at heart, so her spells have a multitude of positive and negative outcomes, which is… always interesting.

Whether her cards fold or hold up, playing the field in the way of your choosing really makes unlocking Patty’s new moves and forgotten past all the more entertaining. However you tackle monsters, either scraping every last buccaneer from their pockets or casting them overboard – Patty’s fighting style provides a risk that’s always fun and unique.

Twisted Fate — League of Legends

Like the majority of Runeterra’s champions, the man once known as Tobias Felix was dealt a rough hand in life before turning himself into Twisted Fate. He’s spent more than a decade stirring up trouble in Summoner’s Rift as a wildcard, always hiding a trick up his sleeve.

This cool jailbird is a master gambler who uses his cards to survive both on and off the table, and he’s always ready to use them to deal damage. Although his Wild Cards are the most reliable source of damage, it’s his signature ability that provides the biggest challenge, forcing players to monitor the shuffle of three different cards in real time as they hope to pick the right one — which allows their next basic attack either to sustain their mana supply, deal major area-of-effect damage, or stun an opponent so they can get away. Twisted Fate can really turn the tables… if you play your cards right!

On top of his engaging gameplay, our back-alley fiend is such an interesting character both in design and backstory that it’s a real shame he didn’t make the cut for Netflix’s new League of Legends story, Arcane… I suppose luck wasn’t on his side this time.

Gambit — Various Marvel Comics Games

First appearing in Marvel’s Uncanny X-Men comics in 1990 and very quickly cementing himself as a fan favourite, Remy LeBeau has also become a fan favourite in the plethora of video games he’s appeared in.

Gambit has always been a bit of a “tweener”, appearing as both hero and villain depending on which part of his expansive backstory the game is set in, but whether he’s good or bad, he’s always got his trusty cards with him. The interesting thing about them, though, is that the cards themselves aren’t anything special; Gambit just uses his mutant abilities to charge them with kinetic energy and turn them into deadly explosive projectiles. He’s also got a long, metal staff for hand-to-hand engagements, keeping him safe from any friendly fire.

With three decades of dealing out destruction under his belt, all while sporting his stylish signature trench coat, this writer strongly believes that Gambit deserves his own video game – or at least a more prominent role in one. He’s easily the most famous and recognisable card-fighter to date; let’s just hope he doesn’t fold his hand.

Sheena — Tales of Symphonia

The clumsy Tethe’allan ninja is a diamond in the rough, fearlessly demonstrating just how powerful paper cards can be. She first confronts the group as a strangely-dressed assassin with guardian spirits by her side and attacks that’ll send you flying, but soon becomes an invaluable member of your playable roster. She also plays a major role in bringing Tales of Symphonia’s incredible story (one of my favourite stories in all of gaming) together as it’s only with the main cast’s help that she overcomes her personal trauma and unlocks her pact-making/summoning skills.

In combat, the kind-hearted Guardian User eschews the traditional ninja arsenal of throwing stars, ninjatōs and katanas, instead using cards imbued with different elements. Don’t let the fact that she throws little bits of paper around fool you, though; not only can she deal pretty incredible damage with her physical attacks, but she can also apply debuffs and use summoning spells to further turn the tide in her favour.

With her personal relationships, determination and skill, Sheena’s character brings that special something that really makes Tales of Symphonia great; it’s that fact, rather than her card-based combat, that pushes her onto the top of the list of gaming’s best cartomancers.

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