• If the judgment card is black, the player can still play their own Escape card to avoid the attack.

• The judgment can be influenced by any characters with judgment-altering abilities.

• The Eight Trigrams armor is optional. The player is not obligated to perform a judgment, and if they choose not to, they are treated as though they do not have the armor equipped.

• Guo Jia:
  This armor is perfect for Guo Jia. Every time he is attacked, he performs a judgment and adds the card to his hand. Not only does he have a chance of getting a free Escape, but sometimes the judgment card is even a Peach. Even if the judgment fails, he still gains a card.

• Zhang Jiao:
  Zhang Jiao becomes a terrifying presence when equipped with the Eight Trigrams. The rest of the table will think twice before attacking him because now he can trigger "Lightning Strike" without using his own Escapes. This allows him to save his spades for more "Lightning Strikes".

• Judgment Manipulators:
  Characters who can influence judgments enjoy this armor’s presence. They can either protect their teammates or sabotage their enemies. When playing against these characters, it might be wise to forgo the judgment, as it could backfire. Key manipulators include Sima Yi, Zhang Jiao, Zhuge Liang, and Jiang Wei.

• Wang Yi:
  When Wang Yi equips this armor, she becomes nearly untouchable. Her ability to retry judgments increases her chances of avoiding an attack significantly.

• Xiao Qiao:
  Xiao Qiao becomes particularly hard to hit with this armor. Since all of her spades are considered hearts, she has around three-quarters of the deck available for red judgments.

• Unblockable Attackers:
  Characters with unblockable attacks can bypass the Eight Trigrams armor, as the armor only generates an Escape card, which cannot stop these attacks. Notable characters include Ma Chao and Huang Zhong.

• Lu Bu:
  When Lu Bu attacks a player with Eight Trigrams, he forces them to perform two judgments, but they do them one at a time. If the first judgment fails, they must use their own Escape before trying the second judgment. Players often let the first hit land to avoid discarding too many cards.

• Pang De:
  Pang De can quickly neutralize the Eight Trigrams. If the target successfully uses the armor’s judgment or plays an Escape, Pang De can discard any card they own, usually targeting the armor itself. This reduces the armor's effectiveness to that of a single Escape.

• Cao Cao and Wei Generals:
  When Cao Cao is the ruler, and a member of Wei has the Eight Trigrams equipped, they can perform a judgment to provide Cao Cao with an Escape. If the judgment fails, they do not have to use an Escape from their hand.

• Fire Zhuge Liang:
  Zhuge Liang has this armor by default, so equipping it offers no additional benefit.

• Yu Jin:
  Yu Jin has his own built-in defensive ability, "Heavy Resolve," which usually outweighs the benefits of equipping the Eight Trigrams. However, there are exceptions, such as when facing a character like Guan Yu, where the Eight Trigrams might offer better protection.

The Eight Trigrams armor is a valuable asset, offering significant protection against attacks. However, your opponents are well aware of its benefits and will likely target you to remove it as soon as possible. While it offers a chance to avoid attacks, remember that it relies on luck. There will be times when the judgment fails repeatedly, leaving you vulnerable. Although this armor can greatly extend your survivability, it makes no guarantees. Use it wisely, but don't over-rely on it.

The Eight Trigrams armor is based on a formation used by ancient soldiers. This formation was effective for those skilled in its use. One of the earliest references to the formation comes from when Xu Shu guided Zhao Yun through Cao Ren's array, shattering the formation. Later, both Zhuge Liang and Jiang Wei used a version of the Eight Trigrams formation during their northern expeditions. The most famous use of the formation is when Zhuge Liang created the Stone Sentinel Maze, which nearly trapped Lu Xun as it protected the retreating Liu Bei. Legend says that the stones still stand today, submerged in the waters of the Yangtze during the summer months.