Chain Chronicle V guide

Background
Chain Chronicle V is based on Chain Chronicle game on mobile phone from Sega. Vita version has some additional (nice) functions.

Story (including spoilers)

• You wake up to see your fairy partner, Pirika, who reminds you that you're assigned to guard the village.
• Your kingdom is at war against the demons, and you're among the frontline defenses.
• You save a girl named Feena from the monsters.
• Feena has no memory before she was attacked.
• Feena possesses a mysterious book that summons demons against her will. The demons attack everyone.
• Demon lords try to capture Feena for unknown reason.
• You try to solve the mysteries.

Combat and Control

• There're 165 cards in the game. Each character has its own 3D model.
• Input is all done using touchscreen.
• Combat is a little bit similar to Plants vs. Zombies.
• The fight is over when 1) you kill all enemies, 2) the whole party is killed, or 3) an enemy reaches the goal.
• Warrior is strong against Knight. Knight is strong against Archer and Mage. Archer and Mage are strong against Warrior.
• There're several types of attack: slashing, piercing, magic, bow. These should affect damage, but I don't know how yet. (Sword has advantage over some type of enemies?)
• Targeting and using special moves are the key to success.
• A special move consumes Mana(s). Manas come in various colors.
• Manas can be obtained via the slot machine during a combat.
• Warrior's special moves require red Mana(s). Knight's require blue. Healer's require green.
• +30% Gold if you can win a fight fast enough.
• +30% Gold if no one in your party dies.
• +30% Gold if you finish the last enemy with a damage dealing special move.
• +100% Gold if you win a fight completing 3 conditions above.

Helper

• You can add a Helper which is a character from other players to your party before the fight. (Similar to Destiny of Spirits)
• Your party leader is the one who will be sent out to help other players. (Similar to DoS)
• Using a Helper costs you nothing. (Unlike DoS)
• After a fight, you have the option to choose to befriend with that player.
• You receive 10 Arcana Coins for a help you provide for strangers.
• You receive 25 Arcana Coins for a help you provide for friends.
• Having strong leader will earn you good income.
• You start with 10 friends limit. At Rank 20, the limit becomes 20.

Progression

• Playing through Main Quest is important, due to its rewards.
• A combat occurs after talking a quest.
• Main Quest gives better rewards, including Spirit Stone.
• Spirit Stone is in-game premium currency.
• You can buy Spirit Stone using real money, 100 yen for 1 Spirit Stone.
• Repeatable quests give Arcana Coin, Gold, and card(s).
• AP is required to accept a quest, starting from 4.
• AP is very important, you cannot obtain anything at all if you can't accept a quest.
• AP is replenished at the rate of 1 AP every 8 minutes. (That means you can do one quest every half an hour.)
• EXP from combat also increases your Rank.
• Additionally, your AP is fully restored when Rank up.
• You can spend 1 Spirit Stone to restore all of your AP.
• Cards can be obtained by spending Arcana Coin, for Normal Gacha, at the Pub. (200AC for 1card)
• Premium cards can be obtained by spending Spirit Stone or Premium Ticket, for Premium Gacha, at the Pub. (1SS or 1PT for 1 card)
• Rarity: Normal (1 star), High Normal (2 stars), Rare (3 stars), Super Rare (4 stars), Super Super Rare (5 stars).
• Premium Gacha has  87.30% chance for R, 11% chance for SR, and 1.7% chance for SSR.
• Obtaining a new character card will unlock its character quest, which also unlocks its hidden ability. 
• Obtaining a right combination of characters will unlock "Chain" quest. 

Fortune Ring

• By collecting all the standard rewards in some quests, you earn a Fortune Ring.
• You can trade Fortune Rings to the items below.
• 10,000 Gold = 5 FRs
• 2,000 Arcana Coins = 5 FRs
• 2 Stamina Fruits (fully restore AP) = 10 FRs
• 2 Revival Fruits (Continue after Game Over and fully restore HP) = 10 FRs
• Premium Ticket = 25 FRs
• SSR card = 70 FRs

Event Quests

• You can find Event Quests at the starting village.
• Some Event Quests change daily.
• Some give Fortune Ring.
• Some give around 20,000-30,000+ Gold.
• Some give Rare weapon.
• Some give synthesis fairy card.

Card Synthesis

• It's easy to understand if you played Million Arthurs or Destiny of Spirits before.
• Absorbing junk cards is a way to level up key cards.
• Absorbing cards of the same job gives extra boost.
• Fairy cards are used specifically for synthesis, giving extra boost.
• A character's weapon can be upgraded by absorbing blacksmith card.
• A character's weapon can be changed by absorbing weapon card.
• A character's max level can be raised by absorbing card of the same name.
• Gold is used to pay synthesis fee. 
• You can sell junk cards for Gold.

First Impression
If you like Destiny of Spirits, you'll probably complain about AP. But that's not new thing. Million Arthurs lets you play around 10 minutes until you run out either AP or BC. But there's some important aspect that makes MA better than DoS. In MA, it's much easier to obtain a good card and upgrade it. In DoS, cards with a good ability is difficult to obtain and upgrade; so even you can play all day nonstop, you're not going too far.

Card synthesis in Chain Chronicle V is similar to MA, which is good, but it's also deeper. The combat also offers variety of gameplay. So this's something to consider.

For me, waiting for regeneration doesn't matter, because I can rotate between 3 games. And soon to be 4 (Sekai Seifuku: Costume Fes.).

One last important thing I should mention is Chain Chronicle V is a full RPG. The Main Quests, Chain quest, Character Quest all have real stories–not just a few lines of text or something you can just skip entirely like MA. This's very nice.

Good and Bad

Good

• R, SR and SSR cards don't need max level raised to become strong
• Cards can level up by both using it in combat or synthesis 
• Combat is deep and fun.
• Have more freedom choosing party member
• Don't really have to worry about party cost
• Cards can be customized (weapon upgrade and weapon change)
• Story driven
• Transition is fast (the loading time)
• Made by big company (Sega)

Bad

• AP regeneration is rather slow
• Only touchscreen input