Gakumas Skill Cards: Active, Mental, Trouble — Cost, Rarity, Upgrading
Skill cards (スキルカード) are the cards you play during exams. There are three types: Active (spend cost to score or apply statuses), Mental (usually buffs or recovery), and Trouble (junk cards forced into your deck). Each card has a cost, actions (its effect when played), conditions, effects (passive), and a limit. Rarity runs N → R → SR → SSR, and many cards have a stronger upgraded (+) version. Cards come from four sources: default, picked up during produce, P-idol signature cards, and cards from support/memory.
The Three Card Types
Every card is one of three types:
- Active — active cards: spend cost to score or apply statuses. These are your main scoring cards.
- Mental — mental cards: usually buffs or recovery, keeping your engine running.
- Trouble — trouble cards: junk forced into your deck that dilutes it and disrupts your rhythm. Dealing with them is part of the game.
A good deck balances scoring cards (Active), upkeep cards (Mental), and limits the impact of Trouble.
Anatomy of a Card: Cost, Actions, Effects
Each card has these parts:
- Cost — what you pay to play it (spending genki, for instance).
- Actions — the effect when played, such as adding score or building a status.
- Conditions — requirements for an effect to trigger (like being in Good Condition).
- Effects — accompanying passive effects.
- Limit — a cap on how many times it can be used.
Example basic N card: cost −4, score +9 — pay a little cost to score 9. Once you read these parts fluently, you can glance at a card and know whether it fits your engine.
Rarity and Upgraded Versions
Card rarity runs N → R → SR → SSR, with SSR the rarest and strongest among "produce" cards. Beyond rarity, many cards have an upgraded (+) version: the same card with stronger numbers or effects than the base. Within a produce run, upgrading a card to its + form is a real way to boost your deck — sometimes more valuable than adding a new card. Don't judge by rarity alone: a lower-rarity card that fits your engine and is upgraded can carry better than an off-plan SSR.
Where Cards Come From
By source (sourceType), cards split into:
- default — basic cards you already have.
- produce — cards picked up during the produce run itself.
- pIdol — signature cards tied to a specific P-idol.
- support — cards from support cards / memories.
A P-idol's signature cards usually define how that P-idol plays; on a P-idol's page you'll find their signature cards and p-items listed together. The skill-card library lets you filter to find cards quickly by plan and type.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
Can I remove Trouble cards from my deck?
Trouble cards are junk forced into your deck that dilute it. Exactly how you handle them depends on the effects and the run; broadly, minimising Trouble's impact is part of the skill of playing exams.
Is an SSR always better than an SR?
Higher rarity is usually stronger, but not always better for your deck. A card that fits your plan and is upgraded can beat a rarer but off-plan card. Choose by how well it fits your engine, not by rarity alone.
Is upgrading a card worth it?
Usually yes. The upgraded (+) version is the same card but stronger, and within a run it can raise your deck's power meaningfully — sometimes more than adding a new card would.
What are a P-idol's signature cards?
They're pIdol-source cards tied to a specific P-idol, usually shaping how that P-idol plays. Each P-idol's detail page lists their signature cards and p-items.