Gilgamesh is a one-of-a-kind Triple Triad card in Final Fantasy VIII used to play the minigame and for turning into items with Quezacotl's Card Mod. Gilgamesh is the eightieth card in the inventory and the third Level 8 card. It depicts the pseudo-Guardian Force Gilgamesh obtained if the player recruited Odin before the boss battle atop the Lunatic Pandora that serves the as the point of no return to the endgame.
Gilgamesh has middling values for a Level 8 card, with only one high value. Its value placements may be useful for games that use Same and/or Plus. However, it is notable for its exceedingly good Card Mod item.
Obtain[]
Kadowaki mentions the CC King.
Gilgamesh is held by the CC King (Quistis) who challenges Squall Leonhart at the denouement of the Card Club sidequest and plays with Balamb region rules. The player can start the quest after defeating BGH251F2 in Fishermans Horizon as long as they have talked to Jack in the Balamb Garden lobby and won at least 15 Triple Triad games in the Garden (games played in the Cafeteria, Library and 2F Classroom do not count). The player can then find the secretive club members within the Garden by challenging them to a Triple Triad game, at which point they will identify themselves as members of the club. Winning against them in a game lets the player challenge the next rank of the club.
After winning against CC Heart, the player must talk with Dr. Kadowaki at the infirmary and then sleep in Squall's dorm room until the CC King appears and challenges him. The King's appearance is random, and it may take multiple tries. The CC King holds the Gilgamesh Card, but the player does not need to win this first encounter; after winning against the King, the player can go challenge them again at the Bridge at any time.
Card Mod[]
The Gilgamesh card refines into 10 Holy Wars with Quezacotl's Card Mod ability. This is one of the best items in the game, as Holy War renders the party invincible to all damage for a time, the same as Rinoa's Invincible Moon Limit Break with the difference that the player can precisely choose the time of generating the effect rather than the outcome being semi-random. With the chance of instant invincibility in the party's pocket, taking on superbosses and the final battles will be easy. Since the player completed the Card Club quest, the club members will also appear aboard the Ragnarok in the endgame, from whom the player can win all Level 8–10 cards they do not currently hold in their deck, even the cards they had modified before. This allows the player to modify the Gilgamesh card into Holy Wars, and then win it back and potentially modify it again, if desired, for an inexhaustible supply of Holy Wars.
Physical version[]
In 1999, following the release of Final Fantasy VIII in Japan, Bandai produced a full set of collectible Triple Triad cards in Final Fantasy VIII Carddass Masters Perfect Visuals. The set was made up of the 110 cards as seen in the game along with 72 artwork cards and a collector's edition playing mat. The cards have a blue side and a red side. The cards have become a rare collector's item.