Cipher Merchandise Guide

Fundamental Merchandise

Booster Boxes

Booster boxes are the main product in Fire Emblem Cipher. Each booster box comes with sixteen packs of the respective series, with ten cards to a pack for a total of 160 cards per box. This is the best way to obtain a large quantity of cards for the cheapest price; though you're subjected to luck. When trying to obtain playsets of Normal or High Normal cards, booster boxes are recommended, because one box will give you a complete set of N and HN cards. However, if you are looking for specific cards, namely Rares or Super Rares, then buying singles is recommended. Most players start a series with a couple booster boxes, then purchase singles to complete playsets of 4. Click on the table below to see specific information about each series.

Things to Note

Each booster pack includes 6N and 3HN cards, and one R, R+, SR, SR+, +X, or HR depending on the series. For Series 1-4, it was 7N and 2HN. Boxes have set ratios: One box will give you a complete set of N and HN cards, plus 12R and 4SR cards. (With the exception of Series 17, which gave 5SR per box) There is a chance for one R+, SR+, +X, or HR which replaces one R; making it possible to get 5SR in a box depending on the series. For Series 1-4, the R+ or SR+ replaced one R or SR, respectively. From Series 5 onward, Secret Rares N+X and R+X cards were introduced to preview a specific card in that series or upcoming one with alternate art and a special gold border. These secret rares take up the R+ or SR+ slot in a box. Series 17 is a special booster series featuring all the Fire Emblem games up to that point (June 2019 - before Three Houses). From Series 18 onwards, there are no longer R+ cards (except Series 20 which had one), instead each box is guaranteed 11R and 4 SR as well as 1 Hero Rare with the off chance of a SR+ instead. Hero Rares replaced +X secret rares. They are of non-featured Main Characters (Lucina, Eirika, etc.) in that set and are MC-able cards with simpler skills.

Starter Decks

Starter decks offer a great introduction to the game. These 50-card decks come with 5-7 Starter Deck exclusive cards not found in the main series, a Main Character marker card, a rulebook, and a paper playmat (all in Japanese). You can start playing the game immediately with these and they give some insight about deck building. There are total of twelve starter decks that have been released. Click on the links below to find specific information on a particular starter deck.

Secondary Merchandise

Sleeves

Intelligent Systems sells packs of 65 standard-size sleeves with character art on them. They release a new set of 4 with each new series. From Series 2 onward, these sleeves have metallic effects added on to give off an extra shine. The inside of the sleeves are a bright metallic silver and they can fit a perfect-fit sleeve for double sleeving. They are a good thematic way to stylize your decks with your favorite art. Head over to the Card Sleeve Gallery to see the different ones.
Note: Some sleeves are now quite rare to find or very popular so they may be more expensive than newer ones.

Cipher Guidebooks

Up to Series 7, Intelligent Systems released a guidebook that contained a full series card catalog as well as introduced more advanced tactics for the game at the time. Most collectors are interested in the promotional cards included in every book. Each guidebook comes with two copies of a holographic promo card that are exclusive and boast specific tactical skills.
Note: Some of these cards are highly desirable and the guides are often sold out, making them expensive cards to obtain.

Recommended Shops: AmiAmi, Tokyo Otaku Mode or Amazon JP MSRP: 1380 yen

Cipher Guidebook List
Cipher Guidebook VII - Lyn: Daughter of the Lorca Tribe Cipher Guidebook VI - Eldigan: Young Lord of Nordion Cipher Guidebook V - Micaiah: Maiden of the Dawn Brigade Cipher Guidebook IV - Itsuki Aoi: Passionate Background Entertainer Cipher Guidebook III - Azura: Pure Songstress Cipher Guidebook II - Hinoka: Fierce Princess of Hoshido Cipher Guidebook I - Robin (Male): Tactician of Many Mysteries

Magazines

Dengeki Nintendo and Nintendo Dream are bi-monthly magazines that sometimes have Cipher related content and promo cards. There are two copies of the promo card and sometimes extra goodies inside (See Note below). Also, each magazine issue has a limited printing and will be hard to obtain after that, which can make the promo cards highly desirable and more expensive later on like the guidebooks. Check the Promotional Cards page to find out how to obtain a particular card.

Note: Aug 2016 & 2017 issues of Dengeki Nintendo also include, with the promo cards, a complete card catalog for Series 1-4 and 5-8, respectively.

Recommended Shops: Tokyo Otaku Mode, Amazon JP, or any bookstore in Japan (for the latest issues) MSRP: ~800 yen

Comiket & Events

Oh, Comiket, the wonderful event held in Japan twice a year, boasting overflowing amounts of doujin and otaku culture. The Cipher team sets up a booth at this event and offers limited products which aren't sold anywhere else. This makes their value on the aftermarket absurdly high, and hard to obtain. It is recommended to try attending the event in person or if you have a friend attending instead, have them pick you up what you want.
To the right here, is Cipher's promotional banner for C95 (December 2018).

The Lilina promotional card is given out to anyone who purchased from the booth.

The Character Boxes are the most desirable products of Comiket, and come with a deck box with card divider, storage box, 2 exclusive packs of 65 sleeves, 4 unique marker cards, and a promotional card. After the event, these boxes can vary in price considerably, though being upward of 10,000 yen is very likely. The individual items broken down can cost a lot themselves, as the cards are what every collector is looking for the most. Be wary of your funds, Tacticians.

Cipher Festival and Summer Party are some other events exclusively dedicated to Fire Emblem Cipher which are held in early and mid year respectively. The latter is new starting 2018 and is a fun experience with mini games, duelist areas, and Fire Emblem related goods.

Starting May 2019, Intelligent Systems began hosting the Fire Emblem Expo. This event is dedicated to the entire Fire Emblem series (not just Cipher). There are various stages for events, voice actors, mini games, even a Cipher duel area you can bring your own cards to.

Ways to Obtain

We're breaking this section into three categories: 'Buying Outside Japan', ‘Buying In Japan', and ‘Trading and Buying Individually’. With things like this, it's always easier and cheaper to go in person, but not everyone can do that, so we'll try to list as many different options as we've found thus far.

Buying Outside Japan

As with any TCG, singles are the best way to complete decks for the cheapest price. The card market is a fickle thing, as prices fluctuate with changes in the demand. We suggest if you're searching for lots of common cards or collecting, booster boxes will give you at least one of every N & HN in that series and a set ratio for the R and SRs for less cost. However, if you are after certain cards, it's best to go for singles. The table below lists various options, though some do require a proxy to able to buy anything.

Outside Japan List

Overall Recommendation For purchasing boxes, booster packs, starter decks, sleeves (including pre-orders), the most popular option is Ami Ami: Click Here Their website is entirely in English and they ship all over the world. Their pricing on most FE Cipher products is competitive even with physical shops in Japan; you just have to add on the shipping fees. You can choose between various shipping options depending on your budget. Note: They restock Cipher products regularly, so check every so often if you can’t find it at first. Tip: Check the Serenes Forest forums or find us on Discord to find people doing group orders – it saves on shipping as they calculate the cost by weight. This is usually done for new series pre-orders. Singles Listed below are options we’ve found for buying singles. Just a bit of information: a proxy is the use of a 3rd party service based in Japan who receives your items, as that website selling what you want doesn’t ship internationally. Then the 3rd party will ship it to you, usually with extra fees for their services. Nin Nin This is a good alternative to Ami Ami. Listed below are some of the highlights for this vendor. + ships internationally + Can set shipping country and currency + Sealed products, starter decks, and sleeves o English - No singles - May have long waiting times after buying TCG Republic + Easy to navigate + Paypal + Great stock + Free shipping + Bonus, random assortment of N's and HN's, and booster packs added with certain orders (They aren't consistent) o English - Inflated pricing - Since each card is priced with their own shipping cost, buying bulk cards is highly not recommended, but the one off card is okay J Subculture + Easy to navigate + Good Stock + Great for rare items (promos, event only, etc.) + Acts as its’ own proxy o English - Auction-type website - More complex than other options Amenity Dream, Bigweb, Yuyu-tei, Card Labo & Ground Panda + Competitive prices + Great stock o Japanese only - Requires proxy shipping (More expensive / complicated) - Prices will be higher than visiting stores in person Note: These websites are used to determine individual card prices when trading and buying as they update frequently. Amazon JP + MSRP Prices (though some will go on sale periodically) + Sealed products, starter decks, and sleeves + Calculates shipping and import fees during checkout (Prepaid - will refund later if there is a difference) o English / Japanese - Requires proxy shipping on all singles as they are from 3rd party sellers (Very expensive / complicated) - Adds Japanese tax to the list pages (it's removed during checkout if shipping internationally) Big Orbit Cards + UK based TCG Company + Flat rate shipping for the UK, Europe or international + Sell cards to them for credit or cash o English only - Inflated Prices - Very Limited Stock; Singles only Ebay Ebay is not recommended, because of inflated prices, private sellers, and shipping prices. Too many variables. Rarely will a reasonable deal appear. Amazon US/EU Amazon US and EU are also not recommended, because of inflated prices. However, if you have Prime, then booster boxes and starter decks may be an option, but do compare prices.

Buying Inside Japan

For the ones visiting or living in Japan, there are more options than buying internationally. We’ve compiled a ton of information on the hidden gems and big chains, separated by city, as it depends on where you are located. Also, you may find the same shop in our list that has branches in other cities, but we didn’t list them because we haven’t found they carry Cipher. Hobby Station in Fukuoka is a good example of this.
Note: You will have to pay Japanese sales tax of 8% and not every shop includes the tax into its price tag (varies between shop). Keep an eye out for this!

Inside Japan List

Across Japan These shops are the big chains that often carry other items than just Cipher. Since they are so wide-spread, it's pretty easy to do a internet or Maps search to find a branch. Note: Unless otherwise mentioned, all shops listed below and for each city will only have service in Japanese. Yodobashi Camera & Bic Camera – Similar, but separate electronics companies with branches all over. + Easy access and great with tourists + Good stock on main products (booster packs/boxes, starter decks, etc.) + Reasonable prices (occasional sales) o Japanese, English, Chinese, & Korean support (online or in-person; varies by store) - No Singles - Usually full MRP on sealed products compared to ones below - Stock varies by store - Can become crowded Amenity Dream + Sells opened booster boxes - just N & HN cards ~¥250 total + Easy access and wide spread across the country + Singles and main products available + 10% points back in shop for buying singles (ex: ¥2000 worth of singles = 20pts (1pt=¥1) - Prices vary between shops and online (as do their sales) - Can be very crowded Dragon Star + Occasional sales depending on stock + Main products available + Singles displayed in cases for viewing - Usually quite crowded - Slightly disorganized Yellow Submarine + Easy access and wide spread across the country + Stocks board games and figurines as well + Singles and main products available - Not every shop will stock Cipher - Higher prices than others (varies by shop) Tokyo You can find just about anything you’re looking for here and even more still. Akihabara (Akiba for short), a district within Tokyo, is the place to go for all things anime, manga, and otaku-related. All options listed above are available in Tokyo and there are a few hidden gems we’ve found as well. Ground Panda Canyon + Dedicated to Cipher + Great prices + Easy navigation – the store has printed binders listing every card + Singles and main products available - Small, single shop - Hard to find Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture About one hour train ride from Nagoya is the small city of Matsumoto. The city is famous for it's incredibly tourist-friendly support and the Matsumoto Castle (east side of the main station). However, on the west side of the station (~5min walk) is a relatively new TCG dedicated game shop. Touch Matsumoto + Singles and main products available + Singles displayed in cases for viewing + All Official Cipher events for the area held here - Slightly higher Prices - Mostly focused on other TCGs Kyoto Located in the heart of the city, Shijo Kawaramachi and Sanjo Teramachi are the two main shops for Cipher: Amentiy Dream and Dragon Star. Check above for general info about both of these companies. Amenity Dream has two full cases dedicated to Cipher as well as a section for all N, HN, and cheap R that aren't displayed. Dragon Star is similar with a whole case, and depending on their stock, you can find the Starter Decks for much cheaper than retail. Osaka Just like Tokyo, Osaka is a major player in the TCG world. All of these shops are located near Namba Station spreading into Denden Town which is Osaka's Akihabara. Full of all things anime, manga, and cards; you'll be able to find what you're looking for if you can't make it to Tokyo. Big Magic + Singles and main products available + Singles displayed in cases for viewing + Occasional Rare Comiket Merchandise - Slightly higher Prices - Can be busy at times - Focuses on other major TCGs Toreka Pack + Main products available + Singles displayed in cases for viewing + Very Discounted Old Series Boxes - Focuses on other major TCGs Hurricane + Main products available + Singles inside opened booster boxes for sifting through - Focuses on other major TCGs - Not organized Kobe Most of options in Kobe are located just outside the Sannomiya Station within the Shopping Plaza. They're a bit tucked away on the 2nd and 3rd floors, but you should be able to find what you need. Located near Kobe's Animate as well. Card Square + Main products available + Singles displayed in cases for viewing - Limited stock - Focuses on other TCGs Card Cult + Main products available + TCG supplies available - Limited stock; no singles - Focuses on other TCGs Pre:yz + Main products available + Large selection of singles showcased + Has nearly all sets sorted by rarity in binders to easily - Aside from maybe sleeves, won't find many exclusive goods - Focuses on other TCGs as well Fukuoka Traveling all the way down to Kyushu, Fukuoka has it's own nice little otaku culture, but the shops can be quite spaced out from each other. The shop we have listed below is located on the 2nd floor of a book shop. Hobby Station + Good Prices + Singles and main products available + Singles displayed in cases for viewing - Limited stock - Crowded during other TCG tournaments and weekends

Trading and Buying Individually

Lastly, there are options for trading and buying between individuals. The two most common ways to do this are via the Serenes Forest Forums or joining the server on Discord.

Trading and Buying List

Serenes Forest Forums This sub forum was set up back in 2015 as Fire Emblem Cipher was just starting out and it is still active today. The trading thread has a point-based ranking system to establish reliable sellers/traders and to show appreciation. Discord This is an international server dedicated to Fire Emblem Cipher. There are separate channels for cipher discussion, trading and even voice chat areas for playing against one another online. It’s very active as there is always someone looking to play, trade, or just chat from all across the world.