The Gensosuikoden Card Stories Trading Card Game (幻想水滸伝カードストーリーズ TCG) was a collectible card game produced and released by Konami. It made its first appearance in the fall of 2001, in tandem with the GBA game. It was released in two versions - the original, which included a starter pack and five volumes of booster cards, and part II, including a starter and four volumes of boosters. Konami discontinued the game in 2004.
Card Stories
The first version of the game contained a total of 556 cards, released in five volumes of booster packs. The cards featured characters and missions from the first three Suikoden games.
Each volume of boosters contained seven types of cards - Masterminds, Leaders, Commoners, Free, Craftsman, Mission and Facilities. Along with normal cards, each set had a collection of Star Parallel (SP) cards - shiny versions of the character cards - and Radiance Star Parallel (RSP) cards, mostly for key characters. RSP cards were shiny with a cross pattern in the sheen in boosters 1 and 2, and shiny with large flecks in the later sets.
The boosters were sold in packs of 10, with 9 normal cards and one SP or RSP card. RSP cards were considerably more rare. Each booster pack sold for 300 yen.
The Starter Box and the first two booster sets contained artwork from several contributing artists. They were as follows:
- Ishikawa Fumi (石川史)
- Ohtsuki Beruno (おおつきべるの)
- Ogata Koji (緒方剛志)
- Otokita Takao (おときたたかお)
- Kaneda Eiji (金田榮路)
- Kawano Junko (河野純子)
- Kinoshita Sakura (木下さくら)
- Kedo Mitsuharu (外戸光晴)
- Takamichi (たかみち)
- Taguchi Junko (田口順子)
- Hasumi Miyako (羽住都)
- Hirotake (洋武)
- Fujita Kaori (藤田香)
- Futaba Jun (双羽純)
- Masaki (正輝)
- Mikisato (みきさと)
- Yashioka Sho (八至丘翔)
- Kyoto Animation (京都アニメーション)
Starter Box
The first starter box contained 50 cards, instructions and a paper playing field. Each starter box was sold for 1280 yen. The box contained images of the hero of Suikoden II and Luca Blight on the front, and Nash Latkje, Nanami and Zamza on the back.
For specific card details, see Starter Box
Booster Volume 1 (#1 - #191)
The first volume of the CCG contained cards and missions from Suikoden II. Volume 1 had a total of 191 normal cards, 148 Star Parallel (SP) cards, and 26 Radiance Star Parallel (RSP) cards.
For specific card details, see Booster Pack Vol.1
Booster Volume 2 (#192 - #257)
The second volume featured characters and missions from the first Suikoden game. It contained 66 normal cards, 61 SP cards and 19 RSPs. Volume 2 also had several special character cards featuring characters from Suikoden 3 depicted at the age they would have been during Suikoden 1. Several of these cards were rare. Volume 2 also had three character cards for Gensosuikogaiden Volume 2 - Julie Latkje, Lena Suphina and Zaj Quiroz.
For specific card details, see Booster Pack Vol.2
Premium Pack (#258 - #397)
The Premium pack was a re-printing of the first booster set with the original character designs by Ishikawa Fumi. It contained 134 normal cards, five special illustration cards, 134 SP cards and 27 RSP cards. It contained no mission or location cards.
There was a printing error in the first run of the cards. Number 276, Han Cunningham, had a picture of Alex. Konami offered replacements with the picture corrected by mailing in a defective card.
For specific card details, see Premium Pack
Booster Volume 3 (#398 - #477)
Volume 3 contains some characters and missions from Suikoden III with the official character artwork by Ishikawa Fumi. It contained 78 normal cards, 58 SP cards, and 12 RSP cards. 477 was a special RSP-only card of the Masked Harmonian Bishop. This volume did not have every character from Suikoden III included.
For specific card details, see Booster Pack Vol.3
Booster Volume 4 (#478 - #556)
Volume 4 contains the remaining characters from Suikoden III with the official character artwork by Ishikawa Fumi. It contained 76 normal cards, 56 SP cards and 12 RSP cards. Two additional RSP cards - 555 and 556 - were released with no normal or SP versions. They were special prizes given out at events and are exceptionally rare. 555 depicts Luc and 556 is of Sasarai.
For specific card details, see Booster Pack Vol.4
Card Stories II
The second version of the game was released with a starter box and in four sets of booster packs. The cards contain characters and missions from Suikoden II, Suikoden III and Suikoden IV.
As with the first version of the game, there were seven types of cards - Masterminds, Leaders, Commoners, Free, Craftsman, Mission and Facilities, along with Star Parallel and Radiance Star Parallel versions. Some volumes also had special signed cards.
Part 2 had revised rules that tightened up the game play. The numbering system was also changed - each card number was prefaced by "CS2".
Starter Deck
The second starter box contained 50 cards, instructions and a paper playing field. Each starter box was sold for 1280 yen. The box contained images of Hugo, Sgt. Joe, Aila, Lucia, Dupa, the Fire Hero on the front and Yumi, Yuiri and Yun on the back.
For specific card details, see CS2 Starter Deck
Booster Volume 1 (CS-1 - CS-132)
Volume 1 features characters and missions from Suikoden III, with new artwork from several different artists. It contained 132 normal cards, 117 SP cards, 24 RSP, and 18 special signed cards.
For specific card details, see CS2 Booster Pack Vol.1
Booster Volume 2 (CS-133 - CS-266)
Volume 2 featured characters and missions from Suikoden II, with new artwork from several different artists. It contained 133 normal cards, 118 SP, 24 RSP and 21 special signed cards.
For specific card details, see CS2 Booster Pack Vol.2
Booster Volume 3 (CS-267 - CS-374)
Volume 3 featured characters from both Suikoden I and II, including characters who never appears in previous sets, along with characters from Gensosuikogaiden. It contained 107 cards.
For specific card details, see CS2 Booster Pack Vol.3
To The Promised Land, Remake Booster (CS-375 - CS-644)
The Remake Booster was a re-issue of the original Starter Box and Booster Pack Vol.1 from the first Card Stories, along with some new cards for characters from Suikoden III and Suikoden IV. It contained 269 cards.
For specific card details, see To the Promised Land
Booster Volume 4 (CS-645 - CS-789)
Volume 2 features characters from Suikoden IV, with the original character designs. It contained 144 cards.
For specific card details, see CS2 Booster Pack Vol.4
Related Publications
The Gensosuikoden Card Stories Visual Book contains some artwork from the first two booster sets, and information on game play. It has a list and commentary from the artists who contributed to the first two booster sets. It comes with a bonus RSP card of Zaj Quilos from booster set 2.
The Gensosuikoden Card Stories Card Complete Book is a complete picture guide for the first Card Stories up to Card Stories II, Booster 2. It does not contain information on the last two booster sets.