Gakumas Support Cards: What They Are, How to Build a Support Deck, How Far to Level
A support card (サポートカード) is a card you bring with you before a produce run starts. It is NOT a card you play during an exam — those are skill cards. Support cards live one layer up, in the preparation phase: each one carries a stat type (Vocal / Dance / Visual), a plan, a rarity (R, SR, SSR) and a package of passive effects that apply while you raise the idol — bigger stat gains, a higher chance of special (SP) lessons, extra cards, stamina recovery. Getting the support line-up right is the decision you make before you ever press "produce".
Support Card vs Skill Card
The names are easy to mix up, but the two live on different layers:
- Support card — chosen BEFORE the run, never appears in your hand. It works indirectly: stat bonuses, higher SP lesson rate, extra cards, stamina recovery.
- Skill card — sits in your deck; you draw and play it turn by turn during an exam to score points or apply effects.
One link between the layers: support cards are themselves a source of skill cards — plenty of skill cards only enter your deck through the support cards or memories you brought in with you.
Reading a Support Card: Type, Plan, Rarity, Source
Every support card carries four labels worth checking first:
- Type — Vocal, Dance or Visual: which stat the card pushes.
- Plan — Sense, Logic, Anomaly or Free. Free cards work with any plan.
- Rarity — R → SR → SSR. Rarer cards carry denser effects and a higher level ceiling.
- Source — permanent pool, limited banner, free distribution, contest reward, coin gacha, and so on.
The effects that matter most during a run are usually SP lesson rate up and percentage stat bonuses. An SP lesson is the single most rewarding lesson of a season, so every point of extra chance to trigger one pays for itself.
Building the Line-up: the 3:3:0 and 3:2:1 Patterns
Every P-idol has its own stat requirements, and you rarely want to pull all three up evenly. The standard approach is to load up on the idol's two main stats, in one of two patterns:
- 3:3:0 — three cards for the first main stat, three for the second, nothing for the third.
- 3:2:1 — 3 / 2 / 1, leaving one slot for the off-stat.
An idol built around Visual and Dance, for instance, runs Visual 3 : Dance 3, or Visual 3 : Dance 2 : Vocal 1. Check the idol's required stats first, then pick the cards — doing it the other way round is the fastest way to waste a run.
Levelling Up: the Lv25 Milestone
Support cards level up, and levels do more than inflate numbers — they unlock extra effects. The milestone Japanese players aim for is Lv25, where the card's bonus effect opens up. An SSR left at level 1 is a much weaker card than the same SSR at Lv25, so don't chase new cards while the set you actually use is still unfed.
Alongside that, push the early mission line until support enhancement is unlocked — until it is, you are stuck producing with level 1 support cards forever. On the idol side, the matching milestone is training up to Lv3, where the idol's signature skill card gets upgraded.
Looking Support Cards Up on GameVika: What We Have Today
GameVika now has a support card list page: all 193 support cards (104 SSR · 76 SR · 13 R), filterable by type (Vocal/Dance/Visual/Assist), rarity and plan, searchable by name. Every card has its own page: max level, skill-card upgrade chance, which lesson stat it upgrades, and the idols it fits — all pulled straight from the game master data.
Alongside it you can still look up the 110 skill cards whose source is Support in our skill card dex: exactly the cards that support cards (and memories) feed into your deck during an exam.
We still do NOT publish a support card tier list — a trustworthy ranking needs sourced evaluation, not just raw data. When it opens, the page will carry a dated update.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a support card and a skill card?
Support cards are set BEFORE a produce run and never reach your hand; they add stats, raise the SP lesson rate and hand you extra cards. Skill cards sit in your deck and get played turn by turn in an exam. A share of skill cards only enter the deck via support cards or memories.
How far should I level my support cards?
The milestone to aim for is Lv25, where the card's bonus effect unlocks. Finish feeding the six cards you actually run before you go hunting for new ones. And unlock support enhancement through the early mission line, or you will be stuck at level 1.
How many cards per stat should I run?
The two standard patterns are 3:3:0 and 3:2:1, loaded onto the idol's two main stats. For a Visual + Dance idol, that means Visual 3 : Dance 3, or Visual 3 : Dance 2 : Vocal 1.
Does GameVika have a support card list?
Yes. The support card list covers all 193 support cards (104 SSR · 76 SR · 13 R) with filters for type, rarity and plan plus name search, and every card has its own page with max level and skill-card upgrade chance. You can also still look up the 110 skill cards whose source is Support in the skill card dex.