Today Bushiroad's official website has announced the restriction of Barcgal, the main Royal Paladin FVG introduced in the first booster set, Descent of the King of Knights. As of August 1st, 2012 Barcgal will not be placed as the first vanguard in an official match. Up to four Barcgal may still be included in any given deck as per the official rules.
The restriction, while anticipated by many, still comes as a surprise as Barcgal has been otherwise given free reign in the English game up until this point. This announcement has been officially explained as being the result of observing Barcgal's skills as being unbalanced; as Shitakawachi Kouta and his contemporaries established in the 2011 Japanese tournament cycle, Barcgal's superior ride chain combined with Soul Saver Dragon and her support cards unbalances gameplay in the Royal Paladins' favor.
Furthermore, the next booster set "Demonic Lord Invasion," is to be released globally on August 11th and will introduce a new first vanguard for Royal Paladin cardfighters to default to, while also introducing additional support, primarily in the form of the Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes. This additional support is believed to interact with Barcgal and corresponding combo cards in ways that were not intended, further swaying the game in favor of the Royal Paladins.
