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Monday, May 26, 2014

Removal of Clan Restrictions

Hello everyone! I have finally decided to write on the removal of clan restrictions for the cards in the new season! Personally I welcome this change with open arms as I have always liked the idea of mixing clans. This could allow for some very interesting decks and some decks could use cards to help them do much better than usual.

Besides the worry of grade 1 due to forerunners, almost anything and everything can mix as the restriction for quintet wall was removed. Clan restriction for perfect guards seems to be removed as well, though it seems that only applies for Royal Paladins right now. Even then, with the Legion era, I can see quintet walls being a preferred sentinel compared to perfect guards.

From what I observed, one of the most popular mixing is using other clan cards that work when your vanguard is in legion to gain extra attack strength or ability to retire. Some examples are Frozen Ogre and Metalborg, Ur Buster. These cards allows clans to do what they normally would not be able to and gives different flavours to decks depending on which cards they use. I can't wait to see what Kagero has to offer as it could possibly provide decks with good retire abilities. There is Brawler Youjin but I would like to retire the back row.

Though mixing clans is much more possible now, with the card pool we have right now, mixing might just be the addition of one or two cards from a different clan. One of the reason is forerunner. You would need to ride a grade 1 of the same clan to be able to use forerunner. You could possibly start out with one clan and end up with a grade 3 from a different clan but the grade 1 setup is highly clan restricted. Another reason is because of the existence of archetypes. Archetype cards play well with other cards in the same archetype. If you choose to mix, you would have to lose out on some benefits the archetype could deliver.

One worry I have for the opening for clan mixing is that by the end of the season, some cards would be highly preferred and used in every deck. With the ability to mix even grade 3 bosses, the most powerful cards would be used and of course, their legion mates, which possibly have just as good of an ability. Unlike the Link Joker season, where Lord exists to separate the clans, everyone would have the same mix of cards for the best deck. I really hope this will not be true.

Ultimately I really like what is going on in Vanguard right now. With the very amazing Raizer support and news of upcoming Oracle Legion, I have nothing but high hopes for the future of the game. I wish everyone have a fun time mixing cards of other clans to see how each card will interact with their deck and possibly make it a better deck!

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CoCo 4 Lyf
Peace Out

Monday, May 12, 2014

Seek Mate! Legion!!

Woohoo Raizers!
Every new season, vanguard bring something new to the table. It is no different for this season. For the Legion Mate Arc, we are introduced "Legion". Today I will be writing on this certain new mechanic.

First and foremost, legion is a very cool new mechanic that allows you to have two units on your vanguard circle! This means you will have two vanguards! Amazing! (haha)

I think Legion is a very cool idea. It certainly beats Limit Break as you don't have to wait for four damage to actually do stuff. I never really liked the idea of Limit Break. As my main clan is Oracle Think Tank, I always felt that it was way too slow for what it did. You gain as much pluses from Limit Break abilities as you would from non-Limit Breaks.

The only restriction is that you can only Legion if your opponent has a grade 3 or greater vanguard, and you need at least four cards in your drop zone. That is not much of a downside. Legion allows you to recycle triggers! This could be very important especially if they are heal triggers that got into your hand during early of the game. Furthermore, when you are in Legion, your vanguard attacks for 20000 without boosts! Talk about going beyond the limits, Legion can do it better!

That is the problem. Legion does make Limit Breaks look bad, maybe bar some very good ones. Also since Legion is a lot faster than Limit Break, Break Rides could be too slow. It gets worse when your opponent tries to trap you at three damage.

However, like any decks, there are ways to play against Legion decks. It is not easy but you would have to be able to match up to their attack speed. One of the most powerful strategy using Legion is to get your opponent to high enough damage so that your Legion skill would have that much more pressure. As a Limit Break player, you would need to be able to do the same to your opponent while also defending. This eats up resources for both players as they use cards in their hand to attack and defend, and would make it more of a fair game for both players.

This means while Limit Break has more importance on damage managing, Legion focuses more on resource management. For Legion decks, you will need to get four cards into your drop zone as soon as possible. It would also be better if the cards are triggers. Though it might be easier for some clans, it is not always easy to get the right amount of cards, and the correct type of cards into your drop zone. Sometimes you might even have to sacrifice some rear-guards. This is where Quintet Wall shines best. It allows you to guard early game with ease while getting cards into your drop zone at the same time.

In conclusion, Legion is very powerful. Constant 20k attack makes a lot of 10k vanguard based build to be very weak. Aside from Legion skills which are on par with Limit Break, some units even have very powerful alternate skills. Legions also brought notice to some older cards like Cat Butler and Weather Forecaster, Miss Mist. There is so much more to write on Legion but this is my take on the subject for now.

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CoCo 4 Lyf
Peace Out

Monday, May 5, 2014

BT16: Legion of Dragons & Blades *UPDATE*

Nova Grappler

Ultimate Raizer Mega Flare
アルティメットライザー・MF

ACT [V]: Legion 20000 "Ultimate Raizer Dual Flare" (If your opponent has a grade 3 or greater vanguard, up to one time for this unit, by returning four cards from your drop zone to your deck, search your deck for the specified card, and perform legion)

AUTO [V]: When this unit attacks a vanguard, if this unit is in [LEGION] and you have four or more units as [REST], this unit gets [CRITICAL] +1 until end of the battle.

AUTO [V]: When this unit's attack hits a vanguard, if you have another unit with "Raizer" in its card name in your center column, choose one of your rear-guards, and [STAND] it.

Ultimate Raizer Dual Flare
アルティメットライザー・DF

AUTO [R]: During the turn that your vanguard performed [LEGION], when your vanguard attacks, [STAND] this unit, and this unit gets [POWER] +5000 until end of turn. This ability cannot be used for the rest of that turn.

Phoenix Raizer Drill Wing
フェニックスライザー・DW

ACT [V]: Legion 20000 "Phoenix Raizer Flare Wing" (If your opponent has a grade 3 or greater vanguard, up to one time for this unit, by returning four cards from your drop zone to your deck, search your deck for the specified card, and perform legion)

AUTO [V]: [Counter Blast (2)] When this unit attacks a vanguard, if this unit is in [LEGION], you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to two of your rear-guards in the front row that has another unit in the same column as that unit, and [STAND] them.

AUTO [V]: When this unit attacks a vanguard, if you have another unit in your center column, this unit gets [POWER] +3000 until end of that battle.

Phoenix Raizer Flare Wing
フェニックスライザー・FW

AUTO [R]: When this unit attacks, if you have a vanguard with "Raizer" in its card name, this unit gets [POWER] +3000 until end of that battle.

Wingraizer
ウィングライザー

CONT [V/R]: During your turn, if you have another unit with "Raizer" in its card name in the same column as this unit, this unit gets [POWER] +2000.

Tankraizer
タンクライザー

CONT [R]: If you have another unit with "Raizer" in its card name on the same column as this unit, this unit cannot be retired by effects from cards.

Cannonraizer
キャノンライザー

AUTO [R]: When this unit attacks, if you have a vanguard with "Raizer" in its card name, this unit gets [POWER] +3000 until end of that battle.

Carvingraizer
カービングライザー

CONT [R]: During your turn, all of your other units with "Raizer" in their card names in the same column as this unit gets [POWER] +2000.

Energyraizer
エナジーライザー

AUTO: Forerunner (When a unit of the same clan rides this unit, you may call this unit to a rear-guard circle)

AUTO [R]: [Counter Blast (1) & Put this unit into your soul] During the battle that this unit boosted, if the attack hits a vanguard, and your vanguard is in [LEGION], you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to two of your rear-guards with "Raizer" in their card names, and [STAND] them.



Royal Paladin

Seeker, Sing Saver Dragon
探索者 シングセイバー・ドラゴン

ACT [V]: Legion 20000 "Blaster Blade Seeker" (If your opponent has a grade 3 or greater vanguard, up to one time for this unit, by returning four cards from your drop zone to your deck, search your deck for the specified card, and perform legion)

AUTO [V]: [Counter Blast (2) & Soul Blast (3) & Choose two cards from your hand, and discard them] At the end of the battle that this unit attacked a vanguard, if this unit is in [LEGION], you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one card named "Seeker, Sing Saver Dragon", ride it as [STAND], shuffle your deck, search your soul for a card named "Blaster Blade Seeker", and perform [LEGION].

AUTO [V]: When this unit attacks a vanguard, this unit gets [POWER] +2000 until end of the battle.

Honest Seeker, Egbert
実直の探索者 エグバート

ACT [V]: Legion 20000 "Full Bloom Seeker, Cerdic" (If your opponent has a grade 3 or greater vanguard, up to one time for this unit, by returning four cards from your drop zone to your deck, search your deck for the specified card, and perform legion)

ACT [V]: [Counter Blast (2) - Card with "Seeker" in its card name] If this unit is in [LEGION] and you have four or more other units with "Seeker" in their card names, this unit gets [POWER] +5000/[CRITICAL] +1 until end of turn.

AUTO [V]: When this unit attacks a vanguard, this unit gets [POWER] +2000 until end of the battle.

Crossbow Seeker, Gildas
弩弓の探索者 キルダス

AUTO [R]: [Counter Blast (1)] When your vanguard performs [LEGION], you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one card with "Seeker" in its card name, call it to a rear-guard circle, and shuffle your deck.

Glynngal Seeker
ぐりんがる・探索者

AUTO [R]: [Choose a card from your hand, and put it at the bottom of your deck] During the battle that this unit boosts, if the attack hits a vanguard and you have a unit named "Blaster Blade Seeker" in the same column as this unit, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw a card, choose a card in your damage zone, and turn it face up.

Advance Party Seeker, File
先陣の探索者 ファイル

AUTO: Forerunner (When a unit of the same clan rides this unit, you may call this unit to a rear-guard circle)

AUTO [R]: [Put this unit into your soul] When your vanguard performs [LEGION], you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one card named "Blaster Blade Seeker", call it to a rear-guard circle, and shuffle your deck.

Seeker, Buchephalos
探索者 ブーケパロス

AUTO [R]: [Retire this unit] During the battle that this unit boosted, if the attack hits a vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one grade 1 or below card, call it to a rear-guard circle as [REST], and shuffle your deck.

Narukami

Brawler, Wild Rush Dragon
喧嘩屋 ワイルドラッシュ・ドラゴン

ACT [V]: Legion 20000 "Brawler, Wild Fist Dragon" (If your opponent has a grade 3 or greater vanguard, up to one time for this unit, by returning four cards from your drop zone to your deck, search your deck for the specified card, and perform legion)

AUTO [V]: [Counter Blast (1)] When this unit's drive check reveals a unit with the same card name as the units in your vanguard circle, if this unit is in [LEGION], you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gets [POWER] +10000/[CRITICAL] +1 until end of the battle.

AUTO [V]: [Choose one of your rear-guards, and retire it] When this unit's attack hits a vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, your opponent chooses one of their rear-guards, and retire it.

Brawler Youjin
喧嘩屋 ヨウジン

AUTO [R]: When your vanguard performs [LEGION], choose up to one of your opponent's rear-guard in the front row, and retire it.

Violent Brawler, Shuugi
粗暴の喧嘩屋 シュウギ

AUTO: When this unit is placed on a rear-guard circle, if your vanguard is in [LEGION], choose up to two of your opponent's rear-guards, and those units cannot intercept until end of turn.

Tonfa Weilding Brawler, Arke
旋棍の喧嘩屋 アーク

AUTO [R]: During your turn, when your opponent's rear-guard is placed into the drop zone, if your vanguard is in [LEGION], this unit gets [POWER] +3000 until end of turn.

Battle Drum Brawler, Haoka
戦鼓の喧嘩屋 ハオカー

AUTO [R]: [Retire this unit] During your turn, when an opponent's rear-guard in the front row is put into the drop zone, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear-guards in the same column as the rear-guard circle that card was on, and retire it.

Brawler, Fighting Dracokid
喧嘩屋 ファイティング・ドラコキッド

AUTO: Forerunner (When a unit of the same clan rides this unit, you may call this unit to a rear-guard circle)

ACT [R]: [Put this unit into your soul] Choose one of your vanguards, that unit gets "AUTO [V]: [Counter Blast (1)] During your turn, when your opponent's rear-guard in the front row is placed into the drop zone, if this unit is in [LEGION], you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear-guard in the same column as the rear-guard circle that card was on, and retire it." until and of that turn.

Neo Nectar

Peony Musketeer, Martina
牡丹の銃士 マルティナ

ACT [V]: Legion 20000 "Peony Musketeer, Thule" (If your opponent has a grade 3 or greater vanguard, up to one time for this unit, by returning four cards from your drop zone to your deck, search your deck for the specified card, and perform legion)

ACT [V]: [Counter Blast (1) & Choose five normal units with "Musketeer" in their card names from your drop zone, and put them at the bottom of your deck in any order] If this unit is in [LEGION], look at four cards from the top if your deck, search for up to two cards with "Musketeer" in their card names from among them, call them to separate rear-guard circles, and shuffle your deck. This ability cannot be used for the rest of that turn.

AUTO [V]: When this unit attacks a vanguard, if you have another unit in your center column, this unit gets [POWER] +3000 until end of the battle.

Peony Musketeer, Thule
牡丹の銃士 
トゥーレ

AUTO: [Choose another one of your rear-guards with "Musketeer" in its card name, and retire it] When this unit is placed on a rear-guard circle, if your vanguard is in [LEGION], you may pay the cost. If you do, look at four cards from the top of your deck, search for up to one card with "Musketeer" in its card name from among them, call it to a rear-guard circle, and shuffle your deck.

Licorice Musketeer, Vera
リコリスの銃士 ヴェラ

ACT [V]: Legion 20000 "Licorise Musketeer, Saul" (If your opponent has a grade 3 or greater vanguard, up to one time for this unit, by returning four cards from your drop zone to your deck, search your deck for the specified card, and perform legion)

CONT [V]: During the turn this unit performed [LEGION], all of your units with "Musketeer" in their card name gets [POWER] +3000.

ACT [V]: [Choose one of your rear-guards with "Musketeer" in its card name, and retire it] Look at five cards from the top of your deck, search for one card with "Musketeer" in its card name from among them, call it to a rear-guard circle, and shuffle your deck. This ability cannot be used for the rest of that turn.

Licorice Musketeer, Saul
リコリスの銃士 サウル

AUTO [R]: [Choose three normal units with "Musketeer" in their card names from your drop zone, and put them at the bottom of the deck in any order] During the turn your vanguard performed [LEGION], when this unit attacks a vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw a card.

Carmelia Musketeer, Tamara
椿の銃士 タマラ

AUTO: [Counter Blast (1) - card with "Musketeer" in its card name] When this unit is placed on a rear-guard circle, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your rear-guards, look at four cards from the top of your deck, search for up to one card with the same card name as that unit from among them, call it to a rear-guard circle, and shuffle your deck.

Anemone Musketeer, Suzanna
アネモネの銃士 スザンナ

AUTO: [Soul Blast (2)] When this unit is placed on a rear-guard circle, you may pay the cost. if you do, choose up to two cards from your damage zone, and turn them face up.

Hazy Grass Musketeer, Risa
かすみ草の銃士 ライサ

AUTO: Forerunner (When a unit of the same clan rides this unit, you may call this unit to a rear-guard circle)

AUTO: [Counter Blast (1)] When this unit is put in the drop zone from a rear-guard circle, if your vanguard is in [LEGION], you may pay the cost. If you do, look at four cards from the top of your deck, search for up to one card with "Musketeer" in its card name from among them, call it to a rear-guard circle, and shuffle your deck.

Dimension Police

Metalborg Sin Buster
鋼闘機 シンバスター

ACT [V]: Legion 20000 "Metalborg, Uru Buster" (If your opponent has a grade 3 or greater vanguard, up to one time for this unit, by returning four cards from your drop zone to your deck, search your deck for the specified card, and perform legion)

AUTO [V]: When this unit attacks a vanguard, if this unit is in [LEGION], and this unit's [POWER] is 30000 or greater, your opponent cannot call grade 1 or greater units from their hand to the guardian circle until end of the battle.

AUTO [V]: When this unit attacks a vanguard, if this unit's [POWER] is 20000 or greater, this unit gets "AUTO [V]: When this unit's attack hits, draw a card." until end of the battle.

Metalborg Uru Buster
鋼闘機 ウルバスター

AUTO [R]: When your vanguard performs [LEGION], choose one of your vanguards, that unit gets [POWER] +4000, and "AUTO [V]: When this unit's attack hits a vanguard, choose one of your opponent's rear-guards, and retire it." until end of turn.

Metalborg Yunbot
鋼闘機 ユンボット

AUTO: [Counter Blast (1)] When this unit is placed on a rear-guard circle, you may pay the cost. if you do, choose one of your vanguards, and that unit get "AUTO [V]: When this unit's attack hits a vanguard, draw a card, if this unit is in [LEGION], choose a card in your damage zone, and turn it face up." until end of turn.

Metalborg Mist Ghost
鋼闘機 ミストゴースト

AUTO: [Counter Blast (1)] When this unit is placed on a rear-guard circle, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to two units in your vanguard circle, and those units get [POWER] +4000 until end of turn.

Metalborg Black Boy
鋼闘機 ブラックボーイ

AUTO: Forerunner (When a unit of the same clan rides this unit, you may call this unit to a rear-guard circle)

ACT [R]: [Counter Blast (2) & Choose four of your rear-guards with "Metalborg" in their card names, and put them into your soul] Search your deck for up to one card that can [LEGION] with your grade 2 unit in your vanguard circle, ride it in [STAND], shuffle your deck, choose a unit that can [LEGION] with your vanguard from your soul, and perform [LEGION].

Spike Brothers

Bloody Ogre
ブラッディ・オーグル

ACT [V]: Legion 20000 "Frozen Ogre" (If your opponent has a grade 3 or greater vanguard, up to one time for this unit, by returning four cards from your drop zone to your deck, search your deck for the specified card, and perform legion)


AUTO [V]: During the turn this unit performed [LEGION], when your rear-guard attacks, that unit gets [POWER] +5000 until end of the battle, at the end of the battle, put that unit at the bottom of your deck.

AUTO [V]: [Counter Blast (2) & Choose a card from your hand, and put it into your soul] When this unit attacks a vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for a card, call it to an open rear-guard circle, and shuffle your deck.

Frozen Ogre
フローズン・オーグル

AUTO [R]: [Counter Blast (1) & Put this unit into your soul] During the turn your vanguard performed [LEGION], at the end of the battle that this unit attacked a vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for a card, call it to an open rear-guard circle, and shuffle your deck.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Card Review: Seeker of Bravery, Ars

Hello everyone! Today I am going to write another card review! I will be writing on a card that is not released yet as it is a promo card for pre-ordering the Vanguard Movie tickets, I believe. This card is Seeker of Bravery, Ars.

Seeker of Bravery, Ars is a very unique card and would prove to be very useful in many different decks in the future. This is because vanguard cards is currently moving towards less clan restrictions and Ars is just one of the cards to prove so.

Ars has a very generic ability which is already in many different clans. His ability is that you can turn one of your damage face up when his attack hits a vanguard. The only difference he has to the other cards similar to him released so far is that Ars does not require you to have a specific vanguard. Having no vanguard restriction, Ars can fit into any decks that uses a lot of counter blasts, provided that there are no cards with lord in the deck.

One good example of an upcoming card to be released on the next set that would function very well with this unit is Emerald Blaze. Emerald Blaze has a high counter blast cost of 3 for his Legion ability. With Ars, you make it quite much more possible to use Emerald Blaze's ability twice or more per game. Not only that, Ars also opens up more option for your deck as you can spare some extra counter blast for other units. Furthermore, Emerald's Legion ability can call Ars to the field from your deck!

Ars also plays in important role in his own clan. Royal Paladin is a very counter blast heavy clan, mostly to call units from the deck. They can even retire opposing rear-guards with Blaster Blade. Ars is the only unit to allow the clan to unflip the used damage so you can do much more.

All that is good but, Ars is a very rare card and would be difficult to obtain. My only wish is that he would be easy to find in the English games. Getting a few playsets of him would be good as he would be useful in clans that does not have an unflipper yet.

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CoCo 4 Lyf
Peace Out