Monthly Bushiroad Teases 0-Critical 1m Power Shooting Star Stride

July 4th, 2017. Monthly Bushiroad magazine's official Twitter account teased a page from the next chapter of Cardfight!! Vanguard: Shooting Star, an ongoing manga circulated in the magazine. Shooting Star's climax centers on the stride form of protagonist Matsumoto Asuka's key card, Millionaire. The Millionaire stride gains +1,000,000 power when she attacks, and prevents the opponent from calling perfect defense cards to the guardian circle, but in exchange reverts her own critical to 0. While functionally impossible to guard--300k accounts for the entirety of the shield contained in the average main deck, and only a handful of skills superior call perfect guards--an attack of this type would be entirely reliant on checking critical triggers just to deal normal damage.

"The VG Manga Award winner "Vanguard SS (Shooting Star) reaches its long-awaited completion!! 'Power +1,000,000'!!? But 'The critical is 0'??! An original unit's original skill explodes onto the scene!!! Don't miss the exciting conclusion!!"

While manga-original cards have been gradually introduced to the actual card game many times over the years, their skills are frequently adjusted to have appropriate costs attached. For example, "The Dark Dictator" in the manga gave +5000 power to all front-row Shadow Paladin rearguards continuously, while in the actual game this skill could only be used on-ride and cost soulblast 3.

As a whole Asuka's deck revolves around "star" units; in previous chapters she rode the 9000-power grade 2 "Star Saber, Canopus," and called the 7000-power grade 1 "Star Torch, Adhara," while her grade 3 was "Super-Star, Millionaire." Canopus and Adhara  are respectively named after the real-world stars Alpha Carinae and Epsilon Caenis Major. Each of these cards follow a particular naming convention of Japanese Vanguard, where the literal meaning of their written names is supplanted by a forced pronunciation. Millionaire's name is written "Number-One Star Heroine, Millionaire" (一番星の英雄ミリオネア Ichiban-sei no Eiyuu Mirionea) but is spoken aloud as "Super Star, Millionaire." (スーパースター ミリオネア  Suupaa Sutaa Mirionea) Asuka's clan has been the subject of much speculation up to now, but hasn't been addressed directly.

The Shooting Star manga follows Vanguard's first female protagonist, Matsumoto Asuka, a high schooler managing her missing father's titular card shop, "Shooting Star." After her assistant Togakushi Shuuya turns out to be one of the "Twelve Tyrants" of the card gang Crown, Asuka is drawn into a battle with him over the secret of her disappeared father's strength. Written and illustrated by Mitsukoshi Haruha, the manga was selected to receive the Vanguard Manga Award in commemoration of Monthly Bushiroad's third year of circulation, and is being serialized for three chapters alongside the Cardfight!! Vanguard, G, and MiniVan manga. The August issue of Monthly Bushiroad will mark the end of the series' planned run, though with eleven more Tyrants remaining, there's ample room for Shooting Star to be expanded on in additional installments.

News: Aichi Returns as PSY Qualia Zombie in Cardfight!! Vanguard Manga

Now, will you all fight? Against me...

A commercial for the next month's issue of Monthly Bushiroad magazine has starred Yonaga Tsubasa in the role of Sendou Aichi, awakened from his sleep in the ongoing chapters of Itou Akira's Cardfight!! Vanguard manga. The current story thread concerns Aichi having been turned into a PSY Qualia zombie after losing a fight against another zombified character in a previous issue. PSY Qualia zombies approximately equate to the Link Joker chapter of the anime's Яeverse cardfighters, but originate from Ibuki Kouji and a partner antagonist "Cold Walker" rather than Void. Unlike Яeversed fighters, zombies are endowed with the PSY Qualia ability to see the future of a fight. The original commercial, along with a transcript and translation of Aichi's lines, is provided below.

While the anime presented a hypothetical scenario of Aichi being Яeversed in episode 144, this was never realized during the course of the Link Joker chapter's run. Previously Itou stated through Twitter that he first proposed the Яeverse concept to the anime staff; it's likely that he took influence from the anime's unrealized scenario. The Monthly Bushiroad commercial below provides a quick view of the upcoming chapters of both Cardfight!! Vanguard and Cardfight!! Vanguard G, as well as the issue's PR♥ISM-Duo promotional cards.

月刊ブシロード。
Monthly Bushiroad.
さあ、ファイトしましょうよ。僕と…ふふ。
Now, will you all fight? Against me...Haha.
新世代の彼だって僕を止められない。
Even the new generation cannot stop me.
聞こえる、白と黒のハーモニー。もう限界などないのです。
I can hear it, the Harmony of white and black. Soon, there will be no more limits!
イメージしてください。その先に見える、新たな世界を。
Please picture it. That which you saw before, a new world.
月刊ブシロード七月号。六月四日発売！
Monthly Bushiroad, July issue. On sale June 8th!

News: Monthly Bushiroad Leaks Subclan Support for Glendios, Deletors, Seal Dragons

The latest issue of Monthly Bushiroad magazine has had its street date broken by an unspecified retailer, spoiling upcoming support in G-BT03: Sovereign Star Dragon for Link Joker's Deletor and Kagerou's Seal Dragon subclans. Only two new card skills were revealed from the set, Light Speed Cheetah and Immersion Star-vader Bohrium. These two cards are respective support for genericized Link Joker decks and Star-vader “Яeverse” decks.

Mixed Deletor Chwawos and Amon's Follower, Barmaid Grace.

The magazine provided the artwork and names of several upcoming units; Taciturn Liberator Brennius and Seal Dragon Gari Serge. Like past Seal Dragon cards Weathercloth, Rhinocloth and Brocade, Gari Serge is named for a particular fabric. "Gari" Serge is a specific variety of Serge fabric often used in children's clothes. The skills of these units have not yet been unveiled. Over the past few months Monthly Bushiroad has scaled back card reveals in favor of Bushiroad's regularly-scheduled Tuesday information bulletins. Fan reactions to the decreased importance of magazine reveals has been mixed. In the past entire clans would be revealed in the 2011-2012 issues of KeroKero Ace, but the last Monthly Bushiroad issue to reveal a multitude of cards at once was the August 2014 volume for MBT01: Neon Messiah.

Of the units teased but not unveiled, Mixed Deletor Chwawos' name is a deliberately garbled rendition of "Chaos" which is normally written is katakana as カオス Kaosu but is here written with the archaic katakana ケヰヲス Kewiwosu. For comparison, Acquire Deletor Igor's name is rendered ヰゴール Wigooru in Japanese rather than the standard イゴール  Igooru.

Light Speed Cheetah is a base 8000 power grade 2 whose skill activates when it intercepts; by locking one of its own fighters' rearguards that is not currently being attacked, Cheetah gains +10000 shield for that battle. Cheetah follows the trend of those of other special interceptors like Outlaw Shield Mac Lir from LD01: The Dark “Ren Suzugamori,” and Pure Wind Jewel Knight Kymbelinus from G-BT02: Soaring Ascent of Gale & Blossom. As with those units, Cheetah's skill is not a generation break, and so can be used as early in the fight as it can be put on the table. The self-locking aspect of the cost synergizes with the new Messiah Link Jokers most of all, as the Messiah subclan relies on unlocking units to trigger card effects.

Meanwhile Immersion Star-vader Bohrium is a support card for “Ω” Glendios and Edict Star-vader Halcion. When an attack hits that Bohrium boosted, if her cardfighter has a Star-vader vanguard, her skill will allow them to check the top five cards of the deck for a “Яeverse” unit and add it to hand. By using this early game with the grade 2 Magnet Hollow, an “Ω” cardfighter can quickly add two “Яeverse” cards to hand and set up their turn 3 plays. Bohrium also helps support Glendios' new stride from Fighter's Collection 2015, Death Star-vader  “∞” Glendios.  “∞” places a card from the opponent's deck into a locked state for every “Яeverse” unit his fighter has in play; through a combination of World Line Dragon on the initial two turns with Ruin Magician on the third, and Magnet Hollow and Bohrium used in conjunction on the second, it's possible to have four “Яeverse” units prepared on the third turn. However, grade 1 space in Glendios decks is tight due to already being split between perfect defense cards, Ruin Magician and the unflipping grade 1 Praseodymium. The advent of a G-perfect defense for Link Joker in G-BT03: Sovereign Star Dragon may alleviate this, as being able to unflip damage through a G-perfect defense would take the weight of unflipping off of Praseodymium.

Next month's issue of Monthly Bushiroad magazine will include with it both black and white versions of a PR♥ISM-Duo limit break enabler for the Bermuda Triangle clan.

Images of the issue's card lore section have also revealed another card for Deletors and one for Shadow Paladin's witch subclan; Delighting Deletor Awiin and Witch of Black Pigeons Goewin.

News: KeroKero Ace's Final Issue, Extra Booster 7 and BT13 Spoilers, Magus Cards, Nubatama and Dimension Police

The latest and final issue of KeroKero Ace magazine is now out, bringing with it our monthly spoilers for Cardfight!! Vanguard, this time focusing on VG-EB07: Mystical Magus and VG-BT13: Catastrophic Outbreak. It was revealed just yesterday morning that KKA will be ceasing publication following this issue, and to cope with that Bushiroad Inc. will be publishing its own monthly magazine starting in September, Monthly Bushiroad. To commemorate the return of the long-awaited Nubatama ninja clan that will be finally completed after a twelve-set hiatus spread out over two years, this issue is being released with a promo print of Stealth Dragon, Voidmaster, Nubatama's first boss card.

Translations of the issue's key cards are below. Most of these were translated by NeoArkadia and FelGrand. Pentagonal Magus was translated by winterhurtz.

7/25/2013 Edit: Nubatama translations revised. Kujikirikongou has the opponent choose the cards to discard and bind.

Oracle Think Tank units
Hexagonal Magus
11000 Power/Oracle Think Tank/Human
AUTO: [Limit Break 4] When another <<Oracle Think Tank>> rides on this unit, look at the top 3 cards of your deck, select one of the cards within and add it to your hand, then return the remaining card(s) to the top of your deck. During this turn, your Vanguard gains Power +10000.
CONT [V]: During your turn, if you have 4 or more cards in your hand, this unit gets [Power]+2000.
CONT [V/R]: Lord.

Pentagonal Magus
Grade 3/11000 Power/Oracle Think Tank/Human
AUTO: [Limit Break 4] When this unit attacks the Vanguard, you can declare the name of 1 "Oracle Think Tank" unit and reveal the Top Card of your Deck. If the name of the revealed card matches the name you declared, during this battle, this unit gets Power +5000/Critical +1.
ACT [V]: [Counterblast 1 "Magus"] Until the end of the turn, this unit gets Power +5000.
CONT [V/R]: Lord.

Note: Pentagonal Magus will be a promo card released with volume 6 of the Cardfight!! Vanguard manga, and an RR print in VG-EB07: Mystical Magus.

Crescent Magus
Grade 1/Oracle Think Tank/6000 Power/5000 Shield
AUTO [R]: When this unit boosts an <<Oracle Think Tank>>, you may declare a name of an <<Oracle Think Tank>>. Reveal the top card of your deck, and if it's the card that you have declared, during this battle, the boosted unit gains +3000.

Stella Magus
Grade 2/Oracle Think Tank/9000 Power/5000 Shield
AUTO [V/R]: [Counterblast 1] When this unit attacks, and you have a <<Oracle Think Tank>> Vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, declare a name of an <<Oracle Think Tank>>, and reveal the top card of your deck. If the card revealed is the declared card, you may add it to your hand, if not, return that card to the top of your deck and choose one card in your damage zone and turn it face-up.








Briolette Magus
Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield/Oracle Think Tank/Human
ACT [R]: [Soulblast 1] If you have an Oracle Think Tank vanguard, draw one card, and put this unit on the top of your deck.

Nubatama units
Ashura Stealth Dragon, Kujikirikongou
Grade 3/Nubatama/11000 Power
AUTO [Limit Break 4]: When a <<Nubatama>> Rides this Unit, choose 1 of your Vanguards, it gains 10000 Power, then your opponent chooses 1 card in their hand, discards it, then your opponent selects 1 card in their hand, they Bind it face-down, then when at the beginning of the End of this turn, your opponent adds the Bound card to their hand.
AUTO [V]: When this Unit attacks, if your opponent has 3 or less cards in their hand, this Unit gains 2000 Power during this battle.
CONT [V/R]: Lord

Ashura Stealth Dragon, Kabukikongou
Grade 3/Nubatama/11000 Power
AUTO [V] [Limit Break 4]: [Counterblast 1] When this unit attacks the opponent's Vanguard, you may  pay the cost. If you do, Bind all your opponent's Rearguards face-down. If you bind 3 or more Units, this Unit gets Power +10000 during this battle. During the end of that turn, your opponent returns all the Bound Units to their hand.
ACT [V]: [Counterblast 1] This Unit gains Power +2000 during this turn.
CONT [V/R]: Lord.

Stealth Beast, Kuroko
Grade 0/Nubatama/5000 Power/10000 Shield
AUTO: Forerunner
AUTO [R]: [Soul Blast 1] When an attack hits the Vanguard that this Unit boosted, you can select 2 cards in your opponent's Bind Zone and discard them.

Storm Stealth Rogue, Fuuki
Grade 1/Nubatama/7000 Power/5000 Shield
AUTO [R]: [Counterblast 1, Place this Unit in the Soul] If your opponent has 3 or more cards in their hand, you can choose one of them at random and Bind it face-down. During the End of this turn, return the Bound Card to the opponent's hand.

Stealth Beast, Tamahagane
Grade 2/Nubatama/9000 Power/5000 Shield
AUTO: When this Unit appears in a Vanguard/Rearguard Circle, you can choose 1 of your opponent's Rearguards, Bind it. During the end of the turn, the Bound Card is returned to the opponent's hand.

Dimension Police units
Dimensional Robo, Daimagnum
Grade 0/Dimension Police/5000 Power/10000 Shield
AUTO: Forerunner
ACT [R]: [Place this Unit in your Soul] Select 1 of your <<Dimension Police>> Vanguards, it gains 4000 Power during this turn.

Dimensional Robo, Daicannon
Grade 1/6000 Power/5000 Shield/Dimension Police
ACT: (Rearguard Circle) [Put this card into your soul, and choose one of your "Dimensional Robo" rearguards and put it into your soul] Choose your vanguard with "Daiyuusha" in its name, and it gets Critical +1 until the end of the turn.

Dimensional Robo, Daiheart
Grade 2/Dimension Police/9000 Power/5000 Shield
AUTO [V]: At the start of the attack step when this unit attacks, if it has 13000 Power or more, this unit gets: "AUTO [V]: [Select 2 Grade 3 "Dimensional Robo" units from your hand, and place them into the Soul] When this unit's attack hits the Vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for a Grade 3 "Dimensional Robo" unit, and ride it in <<Rest>> Position. Then, shuffle your deck." until the end of the battle.

News: Bushiroad to Launch New Vanguard Manga, KeroKero Ace to Cease Publication, Monthly Bushiroad to Launch in September

Hosted by CEO Kidani Takaaki, Bushiroad's monthly broadcast on NicoNico Douga revealed today that the company will be circulating their own magazine starting on September 6th, Monthly Bushiroad. Following the July 26th issue, KeroKero Ace magazine will cease publication of the official Cardfight!! Vanguard manga authored by franchise creator Itou Akira that has run parallel to the anime from the beginning, and new chapters will instead be serialized in Monthly Bushiroad.

Furthermore, with the launch of the new magazine will come a sidestory manga focused on the units of the trading card game, Cardfight!! Vanguard Gaiden: Shining Swordsman (カードファイト！！ヴァンガード外伝　光の剣士 Kaadofaito!! Vangaado Gaiden Hikari no Kenshi) which will be overseen by Itou Akira, and illustrated by Koshimizu Makoto. Focusing on the lore of the Cardfight!! Vanguard TCG, the protagonist was stated in the broadcast to be Blaster Blade.

The early promotional benefits of buying Monthly Bushiroad's first issue include three Cardfight!! Vanguard promo cards, one copy of Storm Bring Dragon and two cards from the upcoming thirteenth booster set, VG-BT13: Catastrophic Outbreak.

The end of KeroKero Ace is a sudden and alarming shift, as it was in this magazine that the first Cardfight!! Vanguard cards ever were distributed, and their exclusive previews of upcoming booster sets have become endeared to fans. KKA was started up six years ago by Kadokawa Shoten, having built up a sizable readership in that timeframe, with many international readers importing the magazine in addition to fans in Japan. Starting in September, the Cardfight!! Vanguard and MiniVan manga will both be transferred to Monthly Bushiroad. The monthly strategy articles that KeroKero Ace once provided will also be handled by Monthly, but with Bushiroad itself handling the writing and publication of those articles instead of providing material for an outside party to write around, it cannot be anticipated what kind of format Monthly will adopt for these. Bushiroad Monthly is tentatively slated for a 600 yen price after tax, approximately $6 US, and will be printed on B5 size paper.

Cardfight!! Vanguard Appears in Otomedia

Otomedia, a Japanese magazine primarily directed at women 18-40, is bringing its readers a surprise in its June issue. A poster insert features Vanguard's three leading men dolled up in tuxedos and holding the series' trademark lilies. The artwork has drawn much attention on tumblr, where the fanservice is driving the magazine's audience wild.

The inclusion may seem unusual for a girl's anime magazine--Otomedia is not the type to normally showcase hobby anime. However, other information suggests that this can be seen as a response to Vanguard's actual viewership.

At the Big Vanguard Fest this May, bracelets, hair scrunchies and T-shirts designed for women were sold; Yonaga Tsubasa and Satou Takuya featured them on their night-time radio program, Tachigare! Bokura no Vanguard, a general-audiences Vanguard talk show.

Yonaga and Satou are Aichi and Kai's voice actors respectively, and are known to go out of their way for their female fanbase, breaking out during certain parts of the program with in-character lines like "You're the one I want!" and "I'll protect you!" (They also designed the joke cards, Takugal and Eternal Wing, based off of themselves. Takugal gains a special power boost from being boosted by EW.)

Supporting these recent developments, several women's-only double-elimination tournaments are being launched in Japan, with the most recent one currently reaching across 14 of Japan's 47 prefectures. As this is coming about in the wake of female pros like Kakuhara Misaki and Asano Ami rising to prominence in regional events, the push to expand Vanguard's target demographics is likely no coincidence.