FFWorld Triple Triad - Balamb - Triple Triad rules

Triple Triad rules

This page explains the rules available on this server, with an example for each one. In the diagrams, our cards are blue and the opponent's are red; the four numbers on a card are its values at the top, right, bottom and left (A means 10). Every “After” board is computed by the server's rules engine: it is exactly what will happen in a game. To practise without risk, challenge Mog-Facile (or another robot) with the “Training” winner rule.

The basic rule

Players take turns placing one of their five cards on a nine-square board. When the card you place touches an opponent's card, the two facing values are compared: if yours is strictly higher, the opponent's card is captured and takes your colour. When the board is full, whoever owns the most cards wins — the card left in hand counts, so a 5 to 4 board is a draw.

Here the opponent's Tomberry waits in the centre. We place Ifrit to its left: Ifrit's right 6 faces Tomberry's left 4. 6 is higher than 4: Tomberry turns blue.

	3
4	Tomberry	6
	4

Before (yellow: the target square)

	9
8	Ifrit	6
	2

the card played

	9
8	Ifrit	6
	2

	3
4	Tomberry	6
	4

After

Open

Both hands are visible: you see your opponent's cards, and they see yours. Without this rule, the opponent's cards stay face down until they are played.

Random

Nobody chooses their hand: the server draws five random cards from each player's collection. Without this rule, a window asks you to pick your five cards before the game starts. Beware of winner rules that make you lose cards: with Random, any of your cards can be put at stake.

Elemental

Some squares carry an element (Fire, Ice, Water, Thunder…). A card placed on a square of its own element gains 1 on all four values; a card of another element, or with no element, loses 1 there. A square without an element changes nothing. This bonus counts for the basic rule, and so for the combos that follow it; Same, Plus and Battle always read the numbers printed on the card.

Bahamut shows a 6 on its left. Ifrit's right 6 would not be enough (it must be strictly higher)… but Ifrit is a Fire card on a Fire square: its 6 counts as 7, and Bahamut is captured.

Ice

Fire

	A
6	Bahamut	8
	2

Before (yellow: the target square)

	9
8	Ifrit	6
	2

the card played

Ice

	9
8	Ifrit	6
	2

	A
6	Bahamut	8
	2

After

The same move on an Ice square: Ifrit loses 1 there, its 6 is only worth 5 and Bahamut stays red.

Ice

	A
6	Bahamut	8
	2

Before (yellow: the target square)

	9
8	Ifrit	6
	2

the card played

	9
8	Ifrit	6
	2

	A
6	Bahamut	8
	2

After

Battle

When the two facing values are equal, there is a battle: the four values of each card are added up, and the higher total captures the other card. Seifer (6 + 9 + A + 4 = 29) meets Shiva (26) with a 9 against a 9: Shiva is captured.

	6
9	Shiva	7
	4

Before (yellow: the target square)

	6
4	Seifer	9
	A

the card played

	6
4	Seifer	9
	A

	6
9	Shiva	7
	4

After

Battle works both ways: it is the only rule where the card you place can be lost immediately. If we are the ones placing Shiva against Seifer's 9, it is Shiva that turns red.

	6
4	Seifer	9
	A

Before (yellow: the target square)

	6
9	Shiva	7
	4

the card played

	6
4	Seifer	9
	A

	6
9	Shiva	7
	4

After

Broken wall

The board has no edges any more: the left column touches the right one, the top row touches the bottom one. Placed in the top-left corner, Ifrit therefore also attacks, with its left 8, the card in the top-right corner (Pampa, 2 on its right), and with its top 9 the card in the bottom-left corner (Larva, 4 at the bottom). Kiros, in the opposite corner, is neither on its row nor on its column: it is safe.

	6
3	Pampa	2
	6

	4
3	Larva	2
	4

	6
A	Kiros	7
	6

Before (yellow: the target square)

	9
8	Ifrit	6
	2

the card played

	9
8	Ifrit	6
	2

	6
3	Pampa	2
	6

	4
3	Larva	2
	4

	6
A	Kiros	7
	6

After

Same

If the card you place shows, on at least two sides, exactly the same value as the neighbouring card, all the opponent's cards involved are captured — even where the basic rule would not have done anything. Seifer placed in the centre shows a 6 at the top against Kiros's 6, and a 4 on the left against Squall's 4: two matches, Kiros and Squall are taken. (Zell, on the right, simply falls to the basic rule: 9 against 6.)

	6
A	Kiros	7
	6

	A
9	Squall	4
	6

	8
6	Zell	5
	A

Before (yellow: the target square)

	6
4	Seifer	9
	A

the card played

	6
A	Kiros	7
	6

	A
9	Squall	4
	6

	6
4	Seifer	9
	A

	8
6	Zell	5
	A

After

Plus

Side by side, the value of the card you place is added to the neighbour's. If two sums are equal, the opponent's cards involved are captured. Tomberry is a small card, but: on the left 4 + 9 (Seifer) = 13, at the top 3 + A (Quistis) = 13. Twice 13: Seifer and Quistis change sides.

	9
2	Quistis	6
	A

	6
4	Seifer	9
	A

Before (yellow: the target square)

	3
4	Tomberry	6
	4

the card played

	9
2	Quistis	6
	A

	6
4	Seifer	9
	A

	3
4	Tomberry	6
	4

After

Same wall

Extends Same: the edge of the board counts as a card whose value is A. Squall, placed in the top middle, turns its A towards the wall (first match) and its bottom 6 towards Shiva's 6 (second match): Same is triggered and Shiva is captured.

	6
9	Shiva	7
	4

Before (yellow: the target square)

	A
9	Squall	4
	6

the card played

	A
9	Squall	4
	6

	6
9	Shiva	7
	4

After

Plus wall

Extends Plus in the same way: the wall is worth A in the sums. Tomberry placed against the left edge: 4 + A (the wall) = 14, and on the right 6 + 8 (Ifrit) = 14. The two sums are equal, Ifrit is captured.

	9
8	Ifrit	6
	2

Before (yellow: the target square)

	3
4	Tomberry	6
	4

the card played

	3
4	Tomberry	6
	4

	9
8	Ifrit	6
	2

After

Combo

A card captured by Same or Plus behaves as if it had just been placed: it attacks its own neighbours with the basic rule, and so on. Back to Tomberry's Plus: Quistis, now blue, captures Pampa (6 against 3); Seifer, now blue, captures Larva (A against 4). Four cards taken in a single move.

	9
2	Quistis	6
	A

	6
3	Pampa	2
	6

	6
4	Seifer	9
	A

	4
3	Larva	2
	4

Before (yellow: the target square)

	3
4	Tomberry	6
	4

the card played

	9
2	Quistis	6
	A

	6
3	Pampa	2
	6

	6
4	Seifer	9
	A

	3
4	Tomberry	6
	4

	4
3	Larva	2
	4

After

Power wall

Some edge squares carry a label: a sign and a number, compared with the power of the card you place there (a card's power is its value in powers, shown during the game). “+5” triggers with a power above 5, “-15” with a power below 15, “=8” with a power equal to 8. A triggered wall pushes the whole row or column by one square away from the wall; a card that would leave the board comes back on the other side. Captures are then played from the new position.

Ifrit (power 13) is placed on the “+5” square: 13 is above 5, so the row slides to the right. Ifrit ends up in the centre and Larva is pushed to the right. From there, Ifrit captures Larva (6 against 3) and Pampa above it (9 against 6).

	6
3	Pampa	2
	6

wall +5

	4
3	Larva	2
	4

wall -15

Before (yellow: the target square)

	9
8	Ifrit	6
	2

the card played

	6
3	Pampa	2
	6

wall +5

	9
8	Ifrit	6
	2

	4
3	Larva	2
	4

wall -15

After

Winner rules

They decide what the winner takes. Training: nothing at all, neither gils nor experience — ideal for learning. None: gils and experience, but no cards. One, Two, Three, Four: the winner picks one to four cards from the loser's hand. Total: all five (you must own more than ten cards). Direct: each player keeps the opponent's cards they flipped. Change: as many cards as the score difference. Random: a single card of the loser, drawn at random (the winner does not choose). Every rule with cards at stake requires experience from both players: 1000 for One, Direct, Change and Random, 2000 for Two, 3000 for Three, 4000 for Four, 5000 for Total. A gil bet can be added to any game; against the robots, cards and gils are never at stake.

Time

The player who sends the challenge chooses the time per move, from 15 seconds to 5 minutes. When it runs out, the server plays a card for you. In the game, type !aide in the chat to see this server's own commands (quiz, etc.).