Showing posts with label narukami. Show all posts
Showing posts with label narukami. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
News: Sixth Season "Cardfight!! Vanguard G GIAS Crisis" to Air, Comic Booster to Introduce "Docking Deletor, Graywon," Granblue to Receive Trial Deck
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
News: Cardfight Pro Editor Wins Origins Game Fair 2015
The following article was severely delayed due to corruption of the associated video files. At the time of this writing, the video of game 2 has still not been recovered; we apologize for this delay.
June 6th, 2015. This year's fortieth annual Origins Game Fair was also the third Cardfight!! Vanguard tournament organized by Bushiroad USA at the Fair, with 49 cardfighters participating in the competition. Cardfight Pro's editor-in-chief of four years, Alexander "Touya" Fisher, took first place with a Phantom Blaster “Abyss” deck. Unlike Bushiroad's ongoing Spring Festival tournaments, the Origins event was held in a best-of-three modified Swiss format. Double elimination rules were implemented so that only cardfighters who maintained a record of X-1 or better would be able to keep playing until the last round.
Second place went to an Oracle Think Tank cardfighter playing Susanoo with Sakuya, third place to a Narukami fighter playing Sweep Command Dragon, and fourth place to a Dimension Police fighter playing Sin Buster with Daikaiser. Top 8 at the tournament included two Thavas-Glory Maelstrom fighters and one Cat Butler; the eighth cardfighter was not reported. The tournament finals were recorded on video and are provided below.
Bushiroad USA sales manager Johnathan Lee (pictured above at right) attended the tournament as its organizer, with the assistance of local Ohio card shop The Soldiery. We were able to briefly ask Mr. Lee a few questions while on-site. According to Lee, the decision to use best-of-three at the Origins Fair was influenced by its popularity over best-of-one. A survey conducted by Bushiroad of over two thousand cardfighters showed a majority preference for best-of-three. The decision was also influenced by the Origins event not being incorporated into the world championship series or Team League 2015, as this gave the US branch greater creative freedom with running the tournament. However, when asked if the format used at Origins would be integrated into the 2015 world championships, Lee could not definitively answer in the affirmative. Doing so would require approval from Bushiroad of Japan, which has been running best-of-one tournaments for all of its card games since 2008.
By the time the finals began, it was the fourth set that the two finalists would play with one another. In the minor tournament on the previous day they had fought during round 5 of Swiss, in top 8 of that same competition, and in round 4 of the June 6th tournament. Each player was thus familiar with the other's deck composition. Game 1 of the finals ended quickly, primarily due to trigger checks. Touya checked critical triggers on his first two turns of the fight, putting his opponent at 5 damage, and on reaching grade 3 he legioned immediately to end the fight. The game left both the finalists and the spectators grateful that they were playing a best-of-three set; Touya remarked after the finals were over that had this game determined the overall winner, no one would have accepted him as the champion. His opponent remained calm in face of the poor opening to the set, stoically carrying on with game 2.
Game 2 has been lost due to the video file being corrupted, and we are attempting to recover it. One of the critical weaknesses of the “Abyss” deck was demonstrated during the game, as Touya was forced to sit on Mordred Phantom for the entire duration due to not drawing “Abyss.” Because the deck hinges around the abilities of a single card, failing to draw it negated the primary threat of the deck, and without Branwen in the format his stride options were limited entirely to additional copies of Mordred. Meanwhile Oracle Think Tank shined in this game; the reliable draw options and the constant threat of Silent Tom kept his opponent continually ahead. Although the game went long, it ended with all four copies of Phantom Blaster “Abyss” still remaining in the deck.
In game 3 Touya capitalized on early guard opportunities versus his opponent's unboosted center lane to avoid having to block Silent Tom while at high damage later on. As the fight progressed he stayed very close in card advantage despite facing draw skills that should have changed the tempo of the fight immensely. His opponent blocking Judgebau took a perfect defense card out of their hand early on, which led to the decisive blow for the fight at around the 04:40 mark. The threat of “Abyss'” high-power second attack forced his opponent to put down 20000 shield in four parts, as 5000 shield guardians. That net -4 kept them from taking the lead in cards controlled despite using both Susanoo's and Takemikazuchi's draw skills to catch up.
Dry trigger checks throughout the fight left the Oracle Think Tank cardfighter at a severe disadvantage, while Touya was able to better dictate the pace of their game with “Abyss'” self-standing skill. While his opponent seemingly had an opportunity to stave off that offensive at 6:22 by not attacking the vanguard, in reality both cardfighters had seen Dorint and Blaster Dark Revenger in his drive checks on the previous turn--hence avoiding sending him to that damage line would have only resulted in Dorint unflipping a damage to enable a restand regardless.
Touya has played Shadow Paladin off and on since its 2011 Japanese debut, and after struggling to find a deck for himself made it his clan of choice in April 2012. A devotee of Phantom Blaster Dragon, he had voiced his disdain for the Revenger subclan repeatedly since it first began receiving support in 2013. Originally intending to play a Witch deck during the current tournament season, as a result of that subclan's primary grade 3 being short printed in EB11: Requiem at Dusk, every triple rare in his boxes of the set were either Phantom Blaster “Abyss” or Blaster Dark Revenger “Abyss.” The difficulty of acquiring Fianna at the set's launch, as well as the generally overwhelming support for the Revenger deck from sets past and present, led Touya to reluctantly main “Abyss” since last November. Going into Origins Touya had a win ratio of 81% with the deck, 134 wins out of 165 tournament games. (Casual games were not included in this count.)
Touya had previously placed fourth in the Fair's minor tournament on the preceding day, while his opponent from the finals placed first. In the following tournament on the 7th, he captained Team Delta Attack in winning the team tournament; but due to poor promotion, very few cardfighters knew of the team tournament and only three teams competed. Following this, at the ARG state championship on June 20th, his teammate Alexander Wilson made top 8 playing a Megacolony Machining deck, and Touya himself placed in the top 16 with an “Abyss”-Phantom Blaster Dragon deck using legend deck support. Both fighters are currently qualified for the ARG national championships in August, as each of them has acquired the 20 points necessary to enter the nationals.
His Revenger deck listed below is primarily designed to optimize the number of triggers checked per game, rather than going for a single game-ending attack by breakriding over Mordred. From Touya's perspective, the primary value of Mordred was of baiting the opponent into leaving him at three damage, after which he would normal ride into “Abyss” and use his legion to stretch out a vast difference in damage between himself and his opponent. Being free to absorb attacks at that point in the fight while his opponent was forced to guard, this would cultivate a difference in available shield that would eventually leave them unable to guard. The more one attacks with “Abyss” in the deck, the deeper they can filter for its combo pieces to enable additional attacks later on. Readers should be aware that an ideal version of the deck would use four copies of Dark Revenger, not three--the deck's author dragged his heels in picking up Revenger perfect defense cards, both out of spite and in the knowledge that the upcoming Sovereign Star Dragon support nearly outmodes Dark Revenger.
First place: Alexander "Touya" Fisher
Deck name: Darkness Thunder Force
Grade 0
x1 Judgebau Revenger (FV)
x4 Healing Revenger HT
x4 Freezing Revenger DT
x4 Grim Revenger CT
x4 Revenger, Air Raid Dragon CT
Grade 1
x3 Dark Revenger, Mac Lir
x1 Dark Shield, Mac Lir
x2 Black-winged Swordbreaker
x3 Transient Revenger, Masquerade
x4 Barrier Troop Revenger, Dorint
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Dark Revenger
x4 Blaster Dark Revenger “Abyss”
x4 Fighting Spirit Revenger, Macart
Grade 3
x4 Illusionary Revenger, Mordred Phantom
x4 Revenger, Phantom Blaster “Abyss”
Grade 4
x4 Harmonics Messiah
x2 Heat Element, Magum
x2 Miracle Element, Atmos
Second place went to an Oracle Think Tank cardfighter playing Susanoo with Sakuya, third place to a Narukami fighter playing Sweep Command Dragon, and fourth place to a Dimension Police fighter playing Sin Buster with Daikaiser. Top 8 at the tournament included two Thavas-Glory Maelstrom fighters and one Cat Butler; the eighth cardfighter was not reported. The tournament finals were recorded on video and are provided below.
Bushiroad USA sales manager Johnathan Lee (pictured above at right) attended the tournament as its organizer, with the assistance of local Ohio card shop The Soldiery. We were able to briefly ask Mr. Lee a few questions while on-site. According to Lee, the decision to use best-of-three at the Origins Fair was influenced by its popularity over best-of-one. A survey conducted by Bushiroad of over two thousand cardfighters showed a majority preference for best-of-three. The decision was also influenced by the Origins event not being incorporated into the world championship series or Team League 2015, as this gave the US branch greater creative freedom with running the tournament. However, when asked if the format used at Origins would be integrated into the 2015 world championships, Lee could not definitively answer in the affirmative. Doing so would require approval from Bushiroad of Japan, which has been running best-of-one tournaments for all of its card games since 2008.
Dry trigger checks throughout the fight left the Oracle Think Tank cardfighter at a severe disadvantage, while Touya was able to better dictate the pace of their game with “Abyss'” self-standing skill. While his opponent seemingly had an opportunity to stave off that offensive at 6:22 by not attacking the vanguard, in reality both cardfighters had seen Dorint and Blaster Dark Revenger in his drive checks on the previous turn--hence avoiding sending him to that damage line would have only resulted in Dorint unflipping a damage to enable a restand regardless.
Touya has played Shadow Paladin off and on since its 2011 Japanese debut, and after struggling to find a deck for himself made it his clan of choice in April 2012. A devotee of Phantom Blaster Dragon, he had voiced his disdain for the Revenger subclan repeatedly since it first began receiving support in 2013. Originally intending to play a Witch deck during the current tournament season, as a result of that subclan's primary grade 3 being short printed in EB11: Requiem at Dusk, every triple rare in his boxes of the set were either Phantom Blaster “Abyss” or Blaster Dark Revenger “Abyss.” The difficulty of acquiring Fianna at the set's launch, as well as the generally overwhelming support for the Revenger deck from sets past and present, led Touya to reluctantly main “Abyss” since last November. Going into Origins Touya had a win ratio of 81% with the deck, 134 wins out of 165 tournament games. (Casual games were not included in this count.)
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| The beginnings of Touya's Dictator deck, which would later become “Abyss” (February 7th, 2014) |
His Revenger deck listed below is primarily designed to optimize the number of triggers checked per game, rather than going for a single game-ending attack by breakriding over Mordred. From Touya's perspective, the primary value of Mordred was of baiting the opponent into leaving him at three damage, after which he would normal ride into “Abyss” and use his legion to stretch out a vast difference in damage between himself and his opponent. Being free to absorb attacks at that point in the fight while his opponent was forced to guard, this would cultivate a difference in available shield that would eventually leave them unable to guard. The more one attacks with “Abyss” in the deck, the deeper they can filter for its combo pieces to enable additional attacks later on. Readers should be aware that an ideal version of the deck would use four copies of Dark Revenger, not three--the deck's author dragged his heels in picking up Revenger perfect defense cards, both out of spite and in the knowledge that the upcoming Sovereign Star Dragon support nearly outmodes Dark Revenger.
First place: Alexander "Touya" Fisher
Deck name: Darkness Thunder Force
Grade 0
x1 Judgebau Revenger (FV)
x4 Healing Revenger HT
x4 Freezing Revenger DT
x4 Grim Revenger CT
x4 Revenger, Air Raid Dragon CT
Grade 1
x3 Dark Revenger, Mac Lir
x1 Dark Shield, Mac Lir
x2 Black-winged Swordbreaker
x3 Transient Revenger, Masquerade
x4 Barrier Troop Revenger, Dorint
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Dark Revenger
x4 Blaster Dark Revenger “Abyss”
x4 Fighting Spirit Revenger, Macart
Grade 3
x4 Illusionary Revenger, Mordred Phantom
x4 Revenger, Phantom Blaster “Abyss”
Grade 4
x4 Harmonics Messiah
x2 Heat Element, Magum
x2 Miracle Element, Atmos
Sunday, June 14, 2015
News: Narukami Fighter Wins Dolce Cup, Yamato CS Decklists
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| Original photo by @vg_dolce |
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| Original photo by @vg_dolce |
VG Dolce Cup Deck Breakdown (47 participants in total)Decklists from the Dolce Cup are not yet available, but the results of the Yamato CS have been made public through the tournament's organizational site. First-place team Suddenly Sussan was lead by Sanctuary Guard cardfighter Chris, and captained by Pitarui--organizer of the regular Pitarui VGCS tournaments--playing Phantom Blaster “Abyss,” with the team's eponymous fighter Sussan taking up Dragonic Overlord “The X” for the tournament. These three decks have emerged as some of the most prominent matchups of the Sovereign Star Dragon-on format, with Sanctuary Guard in particular being a breakout deck among Royal Paladin cardfighters due to how it can seamlessly integrate Jewel Knight and generation break support to overwhelming effect.
12 Shadow Paladin
7 Royal Paladin
4 Neo Nectar
3 Gold Paladin
3 Kagerou
3 Link Joker
2 Murakumo
2 Nova Grappler
2 Great Nature
2 Aqua Force
1 Genesis
1 Angel Feather
1 Narukami
1 Dimension Police
1 Dark Irregulars
1 Gear Chronicle
1 Bermuda Triangle
Although its contemporary contender Thing Saver Dragon will likely never disappear from the game entirely, for the time being Sanctuary Guard has against all odds come out as the dominant Royal Paladin deck. The addition of Sanctuary Guard Guarantee has given the deck stable grade 3 options for meeting the specific-heart criteria of Regalie; seeing as Guarantee is currently in circulation as part of Cardfight Pack Vol. 13 in the English-language format, his price internationally is likely to increase in face of these results.Pitarui's “Abyss” deck notably omits the original Blaster Dark Revenger that was once a staple of Shadow Paladin builds, in favor of running both Macart and Macha. This reflects developing the strategies surrounding Phantom Blaster “Diablo;” as cardfighters have become more conscientious of “Diablo's” skill, and are maintaining larger fields accordingly, it is proving increasingly impractical for Revenger cardfighters to focus on emptying their opponent's rearguard circles to make “Diablo's” attack unblockable.
The VGCS tournaments are a series of unofficial tournaments organized by fans and cardshops. Unlike Bushiroad's official tournaments, most VGCS events are done using a best-of-three, Swiss tournament model. Turnout is typically 70-80 persons, but some events see 100 or more participants, all of whom compete using pseudonyms and internet handles rather than their real names as in official events.
The VGCS model of fan-organized play has begun to gain popularity internationally, with the bi-monthly BeNeLux tournaments serving as their European equivalent, and there are now similar grassroots organizations emerging in the United States like the ARG Circuit series tournaments.
Today's article was made possible by the donations of our patrons at Patreon. Cardfight Pro is funded by public contributions from readers like you.
Yamato CS First Place Team: Suddenly Sussan/突然のすっさん (Totsuzen no Sussan)
Foreward: Chris/クリス
Grade 0
x1 Shining Knight, Millius (FV)
x4 Jewel Knight, Hilmy HT
x2 Devoting Jewel Knight, Tabitha DT
x4 Jewel Knight, Noble Stinger CT
x4 Blazing Jewel Knight, Rachelle CT
x2 Bringer of Dreams, Belenus CT
Grade 1
x4 Holy Knight Guardian
x4 Heat Wind Jewel Knight, Cymbeline
x4 Laurel Knight, Sicilus
x1 Jewel Knight, Sabremy
x1 Hidden Sage, Miron
Grade 2
x4 Jewel Knight, Swordmy
x3 Knight of Twin Sword
x2 Starlight Violinist
x2 Transmigration Knight, Brede
x1 Earth Elemental, Pokkle
Grade 3
x4 Sanctuary Guard Dragon
x3 Sanctuary Guard Guarantee
Grade 4 (Generation Zone)
x1 Shrouded Divine Knight, Gablade
x3 Holy Dragon, Sanctuary Guard Regalie
x2 Holy Dragon, Saint Blow Dragon
x1 Miracle Element, Atmos
x1 Great Sage of Contradiction, Jirron
Midfighter: Sussan/すっさん
Grade 0
x1 Red Pulse Dracokid (FV)
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x4 Gattling Claw Dragon DT
x3 Magnum Shot Dracokid CT
x1 Lizard Soldier, Goraha CT
x4 Dragon Knight, Janat CT
Grade 1
x4 Protect Orb Dragon
x4 Lava Flow Dragon
x3 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x2 Calamity Tower Wyvern
Grade 2
x4 Burning Horn Dragon
x4 Dragonic Burnout
x2 Dragon Knight, Jabad
x1 Perdition Dragon Knight, Sabha
Grade 3
x4 Dragonic Overlord “The X”
x4 Dragonic Overlord the End
x1 Dragonic Blademaster
Grade 4 (Generation zone)
x1 Divine Dragon Knight, Mahmud
x1 Divine Dragon Knight, Mustafa
x2 Imperial Flame Dragon King, Root Flare Dragon
x4 Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord “The Ace”
Captain: Pitarui/ぴたるい
Grade 0
x1 Cutting Edge Knight, David (FV)
x4 Healing Revenger HT
x2 Freezing Revenger DT
x4 Grim Revenger CT
x4 Revenger, Air Raid Dragon CT
x2 Revenger, Wounded Angel CT
Grade 1
x4 Karma Collector
x4 Transient Revenger, Masquerade
x3 Pitch Black Sage, Charon
x2 Knight of Yearning, Branwen
x1 Dark Heart Trumpeter
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Dark Revenger “Abyss”
x4 Fighting Spirit Revenger, Macart
x3 Dark Night Maiden, Macha
Grade 3
x3 Blaster Dark “Diablo”
x1 Supremacy Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon
x4 Revenger, Phantom Blaster “Abyss”
(Generation zone unlisted)
Saturday, May 16, 2015
News: Cardfight!! Vanguard Manga Volume 6 on Sale May 26th
of Itou Akira's Cardfight!! Vanguard manga will go on sale on the 26th of this month, marking the beginning of the Link Joker arc of the English manga. This is a unique time for fans of the manga, as the international scanlation efforts of years past stopped at volume 4, and raw scans of the manga dropped off with the previous volume. The end of May is the first time that even many veterans will be experiencing these chapters of the manga in any language. Readers can purchase the volume at Amazon; it's currently priced at just under $10.Advanced copies of the sixth volume are currently being sold at a discount at the Anime Central convention in Chicago, alongside Attack on Titan, Dream Fossil and Ajin: Demi-human. Like past Vertical releases, this volume includes a promo card packaged on the interior cover. The previous volume included the Chapter 0 of the series, which was only published as part of a special release in Japan.
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| Itou's production drawings for Raven Haired Ezel and Pentagonal Magus. Original image uploaded by Itou Akira. |
Monday, December 1, 2014
Today's Card Analysis: Jaggy Shot Dragoon
Today's Japanese card of the day is Jaggy Shot Dragoon, one of the first cards revealed from G-BT02: Flying Flowers. (風華天翔 Fuuga Tenshou "Flowers Soaring on the Wind") Dragoon's generation break is ideal for cheaply retiring the opponent's frontrow rearguards, as by meeting the conditions of an on-hit he also also undercosts his own skill in the process. When his attack hits and you have at least one G-unit on either your vanguard circle or in your generation zone, you can counterblast 1 to retire an opponent's frontrow rearguard; since this skill works in both the vanguard and rearguard circles, Jaggy's an effective pressure unit that can either take away an attacker that would cause you to drop 5~10000 shield next turn, or take away equivalent shield from the opponent this turn by forcing them to guard his attack.His value as a pressure unit is potentially better than his value as a retire unit, and as you can expect to spend a significant portion of your endgame on your eight G-units rather than on Jaggy himself, he's not necessarily a bad grade 3 choice. This holds true for most decks of the current format, as the role of grade 3s from G-onwards is shifting away from heavy swings from limit break and legion grade 3s, and more towards smaller generation break skills that support your strategy in-between turns of stride. Grade 4s are now the primary offensive unit, so 3s are more effective at poking the opponent into situations where they'll be more vulnerable to grade 4 attacks.
You can see a similar idea echoed in the previous two trial decks and G-BT01's card pool. Chrono Jet, Altomile, Susanoo, Victor, Blademaster and Fatewheel Dragon all have relatively passive skills on their own, with minor boosts of +5000 power and smaller-scale supporting effects like getting a second critical, changing what the opponent can guard with and standing a single rearguard. These grade 3s do the most work for you when they use their on-stride skills rather than when they attack unstridden. In past formats the grade 3s of a set would do things like strike for upwards of 50000+ power, draw six cards, stand the entire field or retire all of the opponent's rearguards. These kinds of roles have been relegated to stride units, so 3s now straddle the line between support and offense roles. Jaggy Shot is both a common and an extreme example of this, but having such a small effect also makes him more versatile since his skills are live on both vanguard and rearguard circles. While he's unlikely to be a primary first choice for your deck, if Narukami ends up in a similar situation as Kagerou with disappointing secondary grade 3s in the higher double and triple rarities, Jaggy Shot will fill in the gaps.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
News: Neo Nectar, Dimension Police and Nova Grappler Cut from BT16 ver. E, Alfred XIV and Knuckle Buster to Join Legion of Dragons & Blades
The removal of these three clans was made to accommodate the introduction of BT17, MBT01 and MTD01's Gold Paladin, Link Joker, Aqua Force and Royal Paladin cards as well as additional Narukami units from TD16 and BT17. By removing these clans from the set, room was made for 56 cards in addition to the 42 added into the set size. This brings the total count of cards from other sets to at least 108, making room for almost the entire combined card pool of Malefic Deleter, Neon Messiah, as well as the Gold Paladin, Narukami and Aqua Force units of Blazing Perdition. However, it is unknown which cards from each set will be cut to make room for the accompanying Brawler of Friendship unit.
Additional reasons can be inferred from the clans targeted; Nova Grappler has been singled out in the professional community for its infamous Cat Butler Raizer deck, a once-dominant deck from Japanese play that uses the grade 0 Cat Butler to restand its Legioned vanguard. Within the past few months the build was subject to restriction in the Japanese Fighter's Rules. While fears regarding Cat Butler lack foundation compared to the raw unparalleled dominance of Thing Saver Dragon in Japanese play, delaying the hit of Raizers to the English-language format can be seen as a preemptive response to player outcry.
Neo Nectar and Dimension Police may have been switched out due to their lack of popularity overseas, as western competition has generally favored Aqua Force's extremely consistent aggressive play style and Link Joker's perceived ability to shut down the game, in comparison to Neo Nectar's demanding strategic buildup and Dimension Police's tendency towards all-or-nothing plays.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
News: Cat Butler to be Restricted on the 18th, Dragonic Descendant Removed from List
Cat Butler has gained infamy internationally for making every Raizer Legion a restanding vanguard with a positive exchange in card advantage, retiring Butler to drive check an additional two cards. This has proven deadly in combination with their core grade 3, Ultimate Raizer Mega Flare. MF's extra critical encourages the opponent to guard it at all costs, and Cat Butler's skill only activates when the vanguard's attack does not hit, creating a consistent combo wherein the opponent is forced to accept multiple vanguard attacks rather than risk potentially game-ending damage.
Butler's restriction coincides with recent modifications made to the list for the English-language format, bringing changes instituted in Japan back during the height of Dragonic Nouvelle Vague's popularity.
Although the modification has answered the general dominance of Cat Butler Raizers, observant fighters have noted that the new restricted list does not address the rise of Thing Saver-Phantom Blaster “Abyss,” which has just recently come to prominence in the Japanese pro scene as a powerful hybrid deck.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Feature: A General Discourse on the State of Professional Play on the Japanese Side of 2014
Dragonic Nouvelle Vague is dead and Thing Saver Dragon has killed him. This is the general situation faced by pro cardfighters in Japan; after six months of near-uninterrupted dominance, the competitive favorite evaporated and gave way to a new era of Legion decks. And while Nouvelle's reign had several upsets from the Dragruler-Raging Form cardfighters along with the occasional offbeat build like pre-BT16 Musketeers, it's no understatement to say that the deckbuild was previously one of the most successful in Cardfight!! Vanguard's existing history.
The exact mechanics of Nouvelle's defeat are best summarized as speed, cost and consistency. DNV can create a devastating, game-defining turn which involves two vanguard attacks each exceeding 23~28000 power in which the opponent cannot guard with grade 0 units while their defensive trigger checks are canceled out, meaning that if even a single hit from any unit is taken once the defending player is at five damage, they automatically lose with no chance to pull a heal trigger. Due to his high power and Silent Tom-like skill, it is not uncommon to see a player with seven cards in hand be unable to guard because their primary shield comes from 10000-power units. DNV's persona blast can also be a game-winning maneuver in the rare case that playing multiple Calamity Tower Wyverns is not the superior play, and if the opponent somehow survives the initial strike then DNV still has a base 13000 crossride-level defense to fall back on and retains its grade 0-stopping, trigger-cancelling skills for following turns. However, while these skills are some of the most devastating the game has seen, and can be understood as removing the chance aspects of the game without reintroducing an equal level of skill to compensate, they fall short of the bar set by the decks of BT16-on by needing extensive setup.
In order to have a properly setup restanding DNV that can win the game when it is put into play, Kagerou cardfighters need to first have Dauntless Drive Dragon ready on the vanguard circle at limit break, a copy of DNV in hand, the opponent needs to be at four or more damage so that the initial DNV attack will be relevant, and because savvy opponents will try to stay at three damage in order to take the first of Nouvelle's attacks this can all take four to six turns to arrange. Meanwhile, the Legion decks of the new format are active on turn three by drawing a single card. Through the normal process of guarding attacks to avoid going to higher damage earlier and card changing out less useful cards, the various builds introduced by BT16 are able to naturally achieve their setup without dedicating to a limit break of any kind. The competition between DNV and these new decks illustrates the unnatural nature of limit break as an artificial and redundant limitation placed on the game in an effort to rebalance it in BT06-on, and it's no surprise that two years after its introduction the first decks to abandon limit break are also the most successful. DNV needs Dauntless, needs limit break, needs to meet sensitive timing conditions and have the opponent in the right position, but the best Legion builds need only draw their intended grade 3 and immediately Seek Mate to trigger their abilities. The whole process is expedited by the presence of Quintet Walls and Luck Bird clones to quickly build up the drop zone for Legion.
So while Nouvelle Vague has fallen, why has Thing Saver Dragon risen in its place and not Cat Butler Raizers? To recap a bit, Cat Butler was forecast to be a primary feature of the new format after Bushiroad's celebrity personality Doctor O confirmed over Twitter that its vanguard-standing skill is compatible with a vanguard that is in Legion. Ordinarily Butler only retires itself to stand a grade 2 vanguard whose attack has not hit, but because a vanguard in Legion is considered to be both its grade 2 and grade 3 units, it's valid for Butler's skill. This has built up the new Nova Grappler Legion deck, Ultimate Raizer Mega Flare, into a considerable force to be reckoned with because its Legion skill already gives it an extra critical, and it can restand as many times as there are Cat Butlers to retire while also getting +1 card advantage off of each restand. A Legioned MF can only reach 20000 power unboosted, which in a format of primarily base 11000 vanguards means that its power is not quite on par with DNV's, but its restands come several turns in a row instead of being once per game. The Cat Butler deck has consequently been set up by the western playerbase as a potential best deck in format, with some even rallying around the idea of it being put onto the restricted list or receiving an errata to prevent it from being used with Legion vanguards, but Bushiroad Inc. has shown no signs of supporting these efforts and with the encouragement of Doctor O it appears that their full intention is to celebrate this deckbuilding option rather than try to limit it. Cynically, one could argue that Cat Butler is in fact driving both BT16's sales and clearing out old stocks of EB01: Comic Style Vol. 1, but the tournament results tell a different story.
While Cat Butler Raizers has been a major player of the format, as at the Second Beast Deity Cup, Fourth Tachikawa VGCS, Fourth Laketown CS and at the recent YVGCS team tournament where victorious team midcaptain Yuuhi immitated Tatarimetype2's Cat Butler decklist from Tachikawa, it has not been the most dominant or most used deck of the format. Not only have Thing Saver Dragon decks been close at the heels of Cat Butler builds at each of the aforementioned tournaments, but the build has dominated in competition with Narukami's Shotgun Blow Dragon at FR2014 Tokyo, placed first at FR2014 Sapporo and turned up on the first place team of the second Hokusetsu VGCS. Usage numbers from these VGCS tournaments slant towards Seekers, as in the case of Tachikawa's 33 Seeker to 21 Raizer tally, and Cat Butler can hardly be called Thing Saver's lone rival either. Dimension Police's Metalborgs have also accounted for a significant portion of pro play in the new format, drawing their strengths from preventing the opponent from using grade 1 or greater units--including perfect defense cards and Quintet Walls--against the deck's high-power grade 3 Sin Buster. Second place in the Tokyo Victory Cup went to Shibata Takuma with a Sin Buster-Draion deck, while Metalborgs were the third most represented deckbuild at Tachikawa, accounting for 16 players, and making top 8 at FR2014 Sapporo, Tokyo and Fukuoka's open class tournaments. Despite still operating in the constraints of limit break, Bermuda Triangle's PRISM-Duo series from EB10 has been the dark horse deck of the professional season, with the break ride True Sister Mare and self-standing vanguard Duo Temptation Reite as the preferred combination of the year. PRISM-Duo made an early debut in the season prior to Legion of Dragons and Blades' release, placing third at the Second Kansai VGCS and more recently taking first place under the command of Fukuoka regional champion Yamazaki Tatsuya (山崎竜矢) at FR2014 Fukuoka. Further complicating TSD's dominance and Cat Butler's high status, Shotgun Blow Dragon was shaping up as the dominant build of the season prior to BT16 hitting and has continued to prosper in wake of Wild Rush Dragon emerging as a complementary high-power, high-critical vanguard, with Brawlers making top 8 at four of the five Fighter's Road tournaments and accounting for a small portion of each VGCS. So while there is evidence in favor of Thing Saver and Cat Butler Raizers as the dominant decks within Japan, the fragmentation of professional play in light of Nouvelle's perceived lack of viability has caused the lower ranks to be filled with potential competitors, such that the Brawlers, Spike Brothers, Metalborgs, PRISM-Duo and other builds that have received less attention are potentially more dangerous to the most played decks than they are to each other. While some doomsayers are fond of ominously commenting about Legion being "dangerous" for the game, describing it as a "pure plus" or "broken," the reality is that the stark modifications to the pace of individuals games have not changed how professional play behaves on a large scale. The decks with the most potential continue to be those that break the mold and are understood the least.
In comparing Thing Saver Dragon and Mega Flare-Cat Butler's value as restanding builds, we need to be mindful of the same characteristics that caused Majesty Lord Blaster to prevail over Perfect Raizer back during Japan's pre-BT06 format. Royal Paladin is a clan which emphasizes conservation through superior calls, needing to put less cards down on average to fill the field than other clans, and in that way preserving the resources in the hand for allocation elsewhere. In TSD this is expressed through File and Gildas; File trades himself into the soul for a Blaster Blade Seeker when the vanguard Seeks Mate, while Gildas performs a flat superior call with the same timing. Since Legion vanguards can generally be flexible with their booster once Legion is activated, File allows easier setup of a rearguard column in exchange for giving up his boost. Gildas helps to complete that column, and the easy access to Blaster Blade Seeker gives Royal Paladin a cheap form of frontrow field control that Raizers lack. Seeker decks also need to draw only a single card to have their self-standing skill active, while Raizers need to draw two, making TSD immediately more consistent than Cat Butler decks. The only time that Royal Paladin will be in-Legion yet unable to use its self-stand is when there are no Thing Saver Dragons remaining in the deck, not enough counterblast or not enough soul, and each of these scenarios is less likely to become reality than not drawing a Cat Butler while in Legion. Cat Butler is also predictable, as the opponent can tell when it can and cannot be used because it must be on the field in order for its skill to be active, whereas they can't always guarantee that you'll play TSD's superior ride when you are able to do so. The card advantage game is an important part in comparing the two decks, because it's clear from how Cat Butler cardfighters are building their decks that keeping up with TSD is a necessary part of the format; the favoritism towards Energy Charger and Street Bouncer in Raizer decks highlights that importance. CBR relies on less stable rearguards with lower base powers and less efficient ways of building the field and advantage over time compared to TSD.
However, in establishing this binary dominance of TSD and Cat Butler, pro play has arguably fallen into a creative rut. The release of EB12: Waltz of the Goddess in Japan today is expected to bring at least one major change to the format, with the new Regalia series introducing CEO Yggdrasil, a Legion vanguard who combines high base power (23000 power unboosted) with an additional critical and not being guardable using grade 1 or greater cards. But by contrast, where Yggdrasil forces the opponent to put down a large amount of cards to stop her from almost certainly sending them from four to six damage, or from three to six with a stray trigger, the new Revengers from EB11: Requiem at Dusk have disappointed many. Monthly Bushiroad magazine's revelation that Phantom Blaster "Abyss" can only use its self-standing skill on the turn that it Legions has severely restricted the Revengers' potential in the current format, with many eyes now being on the new Witch cards introduced by EB11. While lacking a restanding vanguard, the Witch series is able to cripple the opponent's field with an entirely new mechanic, calling their triggers from their deck and drop zone over their existing units and then activating supplementary skills based on those triggers being on the field, doing such things as reducing the opposing vanguard's power by -5000 for a turn to effectively power up in the entire field in a “Яeverse” Daiyusha-like fashion, or simply drawing extra cards to build up advantage. Concern should be addressed at the effectiveness of the Regalia units and Witch cards in competitive play; if neither can sufficiently shake up the top brackets, then in absence of a breakout deck from among the aforementioned underdogs the format is likely to remain stale until the rise of VG-BT17: Blazing Perdition in early August.
With regards to BT17, the primary concern for the time being is focused on the announcement of a new type of grade 1 in Bushiroad's latest NicoNico Douga live broadcast. Described as a supporting grade 1 that allows the use of limit break while at three or less damage, the unit is expected to revitalize many decks that were outmoded in the emergent Legion format by allowing them to situationally ignore damage limits, as if every grade 3 were designed with a 2011-type format in mind. While the possibilities unleashed by this are numerous, it can be reasonably inferred that this new type of card will be distributed similarly to Quintet Walls during their original debut, and that only clans receiving support in BT17 will initially receive a copy of the new card. Currently this includes Gold Paladin, Link Joker, Kagerou, Royal Paladin, Aqua Force, Granblue, Tachikaze and Narukami as potential targets for the new limit break support. As this only extends to limit break 4 units, ultimate break skills like those of "Ω" Glendios and Platina Ezel are exempt from the support. The implications of these clans receiving this form of support are nevertheless severe; at present the most prominent decks of each clan to benefit from it would be Grand Ezel Scissors, Chaos Breaker Dragon, Dragonic Overlord “The Яe-birth,” Ashlei “Яeverse,” Tetra Drive Dragon and Maelsrom “Яeverse,” Nightsnow and Nightmist, Tyrannolegend and Tempest Bolt Dragon. The last of these is particularly notable because with the new grade 1 available, it becomes possible to retaliate effectively against an opponent who is filling the field quickly, calling few rearguards and using Tempest Bolt's counterblast 3 limit break on turn 3 to wipe out the opponent's field, punishing them for reckless attacks. And among the Aqua Force units mentioned, both Maelstrom variations can benefit from the new limit break support because benefits from being able to hit the opponent. Blue Storm Maelstrom's on-hit gives it an overall increase in advantage by two when its attack hits, retiring an opponent's rearguard and drawing a card, while Maelstrom “Яeverse” can reasonably land its extra critical when the opponent is at lower damage before moving in for a similar effect to its predecessor when the opponent begins to guard. While for many decks of 2012-on the new limit break support comes too little too late, those that were already powerful in the first place now have a chance at keeping up with the modern pace of the game. Even the possibility of DNV making a comeback is present, but unlikely because the card is still a grade 4 unit in need of a grade 3 to precede its debut and removing the sensitive timing would not make it any less slow compared to the benefits of running a self-standing Legion or opting for the much simpler “The Яe-birth.” Each clan represented by the setting receiving limit break support is not necessarily guaranteed; in the case of Link Joker this would make it much easier for Chaos Breaker and Glendios' Omega Lock to bring games to a screeching halt until one player decks out first, and depending on how the new Perdition Dragons are designed the limit break support enabling “The Яe-birth” could stand to undermine the reception of the new units.
Exactly where professional play is headed in EB12-on is fairy easy to predict. The existing BT16 decks are here to stay, while Yggdrassil and perhaps Fianna are to join them. The bigger overarching question is how much one card can redeem two years of limit breaks and how relevant the old material will be in the present format. None of the most played decks of the format shut down the opponent in the same way that Nouvelle Vague did, which leaves more room for a response and gives more of a role to the less played builds. The relative stability of the competition at the moment is liable to break down into a more of a free-for-all as the pace of limit break decks develop around staying closer to the same damage as Legion builds, disrupting the certainty that TSD and CBR have brought with them as alternative decks become more viable over time. One of the domineering aspects of the format though is that not every clan will immediately have access to these limit break enabling cards. The Revengers in particular are unlikely to experience a revival without promo card support, despite being major players since BT12, while Great Nature, Angel Feather, Oracle Think Tank, Murakumo, Nubatama, Pale Moon and Megacolony are each left without an easy option to stay relevant in an increasingly midgame-centric format.
The exact mechanics of Nouvelle's defeat are best summarized as speed, cost and consistency. DNV can create a devastating, game-defining turn which involves two vanguard attacks each exceeding 23~28000 power in which the opponent cannot guard with grade 0 units while their defensive trigger checks are canceled out, meaning that if even a single hit from any unit is taken once the defending player is at five damage, they automatically lose with no chance to pull a heal trigger. Due to his high power and Silent Tom-like skill, it is not uncommon to see a player with seven cards in hand be unable to guard because their primary shield comes from 10000-power units. DNV's persona blast can also be a game-winning maneuver in the rare case that playing multiple Calamity Tower Wyverns is not the superior play, and if the opponent somehow survives the initial strike then DNV still has a base 13000 crossride-level defense to fall back on and retains its grade 0-stopping, trigger-cancelling skills for following turns. However, while these skills are some of the most devastating the game has seen, and can be understood as removing the chance aspects of the game without reintroducing an equal level of skill to compensate, they fall short of the bar set by the decks of BT16-on by needing extensive setup.
In order to have a properly setup restanding DNV that can win the game when it is put into play, Kagerou cardfighters need to first have Dauntless Drive Dragon ready on the vanguard circle at limit break, a copy of DNV in hand, the opponent needs to be at four or more damage so that the initial DNV attack will be relevant, and because savvy opponents will try to stay at three damage in order to take the first of Nouvelle's attacks this can all take four to six turns to arrange. Meanwhile, the Legion decks of the new format are active on turn three by drawing a single card. Through the normal process of guarding attacks to avoid going to higher damage earlier and card changing out less useful cards, the various builds introduced by BT16 are able to naturally achieve their setup without dedicating to a limit break of any kind. The competition between DNV and these new decks illustrates the unnatural nature of limit break as an artificial and redundant limitation placed on the game in an effort to rebalance it in BT06-on, and it's no surprise that two years after its introduction the first decks to abandon limit break are also the most successful. DNV needs Dauntless, needs limit break, needs to meet sensitive timing conditions and have the opponent in the right position, but the best Legion builds need only draw their intended grade 3 and immediately Seek Mate to trigger their abilities. The whole process is expedited by the presence of Quintet Walls and Luck Bird clones to quickly build up the drop zone for Legion.
So while Nouvelle Vague has fallen, why has Thing Saver Dragon risen in its place and not Cat Butler Raizers? To recap a bit, Cat Butler was forecast to be a primary feature of the new format after Bushiroad's celebrity personality Doctor O confirmed over Twitter that its vanguard-standing skill is compatible with a vanguard that is in Legion. Ordinarily Butler only retires itself to stand a grade 2 vanguard whose attack has not hit, but because a vanguard in Legion is considered to be both its grade 2 and grade 3 units, it's valid for Butler's skill. This has built up the new Nova Grappler Legion deck, Ultimate Raizer Mega Flare, into a considerable force to be reckoned with because its Legion skill already gives it an extra critical, and it can restand as many times as there are Cat Butlers to retire while also getting +1 card advantage off of each restand. A Legioned MF can only reach 20000 power unboosted, which in a format of primarily base 11000 vanguards means that its power is not quite on par with DNV's, but its restands come several turns in a row instead of being once per game. The Cat Butler deck has consequently been set up by the western playerbase as a potential best deck in format, with some even rallying around the idea of it being put onto the restricted list or receiving an errata to prevent it from being used with Legion vanguards, but Bushiroad Inc. has shown no signs of supporting these efforts and with the encouragement of Doctor O it appears that their full intention is to celebrate this deckbuilding option rather than try to limit it. Cynically, one could argue that Cat Butler is in fact driving both BT16's sales and clearing out old stocks of EB01: Comic Style Vol. 1, but the tournament results tell a different story.
While Cat Butler Raizers has been a major player of the format, as at the Second Beast Deity Cup, Fourth Tachikawa VGCS, Fourth Laketown CS and at the recent YVGCS team tournament where victorious team midcaptain Yuuhi immitated Tatarimetype2's Cat Butler decklist from Tachikawa, it has not been the most dominant or most used deck of the format. Not only have Thing Saver Dragon decks been close at the heels of Cat Butler builds at each of the aforementioned tournaments, but the build has dominated in competition with Narukami's Shotgun Blow Dragon at FR2014 Tokyo, placed first at FR2014 Sapporo and turned up on the first place team of the second Hokusetsu VGCS. Usage numbers from these VGCS tournaments slant towards Seekers, as in the case of Tachikawa's 33 Seeker to 21 Raizer tally, and Cat Butler can hardly be called Thing Saver's lone rival either. Dimension Police's Metalborgs have also accounted for a significant portion of pro play in the new format, drawing their strengths from preventing the opponent from using grade 1 or greater units--including perfect defense cards and Quintet Walls--against the deck's high-power grade 3 Sin Buster. Second place in the Tokyo Victory Cup went to Shibata Takuma with a Sin Buster-Draion deck, while Metalborgs were the third most represented deckbuild at Tachikawa, accounting for 16 players, and making top 8 at FR2014 Sapporo, Tokyo and Fukuoka's open class tournaments. Despite still operating in the constraints of limit break, Bermuda Triangle's PRISM-Duo series from EB10 has been the dark horse deck of the professional season, with the break ride True Sister Mare and self-standing vanguard Duo Temptation Reite as the preferred combination of the year. PRISM-Duo made an early debut in the season prior to Legion of Dragons and Blades' release, placing third at the Second Kansai VGCS and more recently taking first place under the command of Fukuoka regional champion Yamazaki Tatsuya (山崎竜矢) at FR2014 Fukuoka. Further complicating TSD's dominance and Cat Butler's high status, Shotgun Blow Dragon was shaping up as the dominant build of the season prior to BT16 hitting and has continued to prosper in wake of Wild Rush Dragon emerging as a complementary high-power, high-critical vanguard, with Brawlers making top 8 at four of the five Fighter's Road tournaments and accounting for a small portion of each VGCS. So while there is evidence in favor of Thing Saver and Cat Butler Raizers as the dominant decks within Japan, the fragmentation of professional play in light of Nouvelle's perceived lack of viability has caused the lower ranks to be filled with potential competitors, such that the Brawlers, Spike Brothers, Metalborgs, PRISM-Duo and other builds that have received less attention are potentially more dangerous to the most played decks than they are to each other. While some doomsayers are fond of ominously commenting about Legion being "dangerous" for the game, describing it as a "pure plus" or "broken," the reality is that the stark modifications to the pace of individuals games have not changed how professional play behaves on a large scale. The decks with the most potential continue to be those that break the mold and are understood the least.
In comparing Thing Saver Dragon and Mega Flare-Cat Butler's value as restanding builds, we need to be mindful of the same characteristics that caused Majesty Lord Blaster to prevail over Perfect Raizer back during Japan's pre-BT06 format. Royal Paladin is a clan which emphasizes conservation through superior calls, needing to put less cards down on average to fill the field than other clans, and in that way preserving the resources in the hand for allocation elsewhere. In TSD this is expressed through File and Gildas; File trades himself into the soul for a Blaster Blade Seeker when the vanguard Seeks Mate, while Gildas performs a flat superior call with the same timing. Since Legion vanguards can generally be flexible with their booster once Legion is activated, File allows easier setup of a rearguard column in exchange for giving up his boost. Gildas helps to complete that column, and the easy access to Blaster Blade Seeker gives Royal Paladin a cheap form of frontrow field control that Raizers lack. Seeker decks also need to draw only a single card to have their self-standing skill active, while Raizers need to draw two, making TSD immediately more consistent than Cat Butler decks. The only time that Royal Paladin will be in-Legion yet unable to use its self-stand is when there are no Thing Saver Dragons remaining in the deck, not enough counterblast or not enough soul, and each of these scenarios is less likely to become reality than not drawing a Cat Butler while in Legion. Cat Butler is also predictable, as the opponent can tell when it can and cannot be used because it must be on the field in order for its skill to be active, whereas they can't always guarantee that you'll play TSD's superior ride when you are able to do so. The card advantage game is an important part in comparing the two decks, because it's clear from how Cat Butler cardfighters are building their decks that keeping up with TSD is a necessary part of the format; the favoritism towards Energy Charger and Street Bouncer in Raizer decks highlights that importance. CBR relies on less stable rearguards with lower base powers and less efficient ways of building the field and advantage over time compared to TSD.
However, in establishing this binary dominance of TSD and Cat Butler, pro play has arguably fallen into a creative rut. The release of EB12: Waltz of the Goddess in Japan today is expected to bring at least one major change to the format, with the new Regalia series introducing CEO Yggdrasil, a Legion vanguard who combines high base power (23000 power unboosted) with an additional critical and not being guardable using grade 1 or greater cards. But by contrast, where Yggdrasil forces the opponent to put down a large amount of cards to stop her from almost certainly sending them from four to six damage, or from three to six with a stray trigger, the new Revengers from EB11: Requiem at Dusk have disappointed many. Monthly Bushiroad magazine's revelation that Phantom Blaster "Abyss" can only use its self-standing skill on the turn that it Legions has severely restricted the Revengers' potential in the current format, with many eyes now being on the new Witch cards introduced by EB11. While lacking a restanding vanguard, the Witch series is able to cripple the opponent's field with an entirely new mechanic, calling their triggers from their deck and drop zone over their existing units and then activating supplementary skills based on those triggers being on the field, doing such things as reducing the opposing vanguard's power by -5000 for a turn to effectively power up in the entire field in a “Яeverse” Daiyusha-like fashion, or simply drawing extra cards to build up advantage. Concern should be addressed at the effectiveness of the Regalia units and Witch cards in competitive play; if neither can sufficiently shake up the top brackets, then in absence of a breakout deck from among the aforementioned underdogs the format is likely to remain stale until the rise of VG-BT17: Blazing Perdition in early August.
With regards to BT17, the primary concern for the time being is focused on the announcement of a new type of grade 1 in Bushiroad's latest NicoNico Douga live broadcast. Described as a supporting grade 1 that allows the use of limit break while at three or less damage, the unit is expected to revitalize many decks that were outmoded in the emergent Legion format by allowing them to situationally ignore damage limits, as if every grade 3 were designed with a 2011-type format in mind. While the possibilities unleashed by this are numerous, it can be reasonably inferred that this new type of card will be distributed similarly to Quintet Walls during their original debut, and that only clans receiving support in BT17 will initially receive a copy of the new card. Currently this includes Gold Paladin, Link Joker, Kagerou, Royal Paladin, Aqua Force, Granblue, Tachikaze and Narukami as potential targets for the new limit break support. As this only extends to limit break 4 units, ultimate break skills like those of "Ω" Glendios and Platina Ezel are exempt from the support. The implications of these clans receiving this form of support are nevertheless severe; at present the most prominent decks of each clan to benefit from it would be Grand Ezel Scissors, Chaos Breaker Dragon, Dragonic Overlord “The Яe-birth,” Ashlei “Яeverse,” Tetra Drive Dragon and Maelsrom “Яeverse,” Nightsnow and Nightmist, Tyrannolegend and Tempest Bolt Dragon. The last of these is particularly notable because with the new grade 1 available, it becomes possible to retaliate effectively against an opponent who is filling the field quickly, calling few rearguards and using Tempest Bolt's counterblast 3 limit break on turn 3 to wipe out the opponent's field, punishing them for reckless attacks. And among the Aqua Force units mentioned, both Maelstrom variations can benefit from the new limit break support because benefits from being able to hit the opponent. Blue Storm Maelstrom's on-hit gives it an overall increase in advantage by two when its attack hits, retiring an opponent's rearguard and drawing a card, while Maelstrom “Яeverse” can reasonably land its extra critical when the opponent is at lower damage before moving in for a similar effect to its predecessor when the opponent begins to guard. While for many decks of 2012-on the new limit break support comes too little too late, those that were already powerful in the first place now have a chance at keeping up with the modern pace of the game. Even the possibility of DNV making a comeback is present, but unlikely because the card is still a grade 4 unit in need of a grade 3 to precede its debut and removing the sensitive timing would not make it any less slow compared to the benefits of running a self-standing Legion or opting for the much simpler “The Яe-birth.” Each clan represented by the setting receiving limit break support is not necessarily guaranteed; in the case of Link Joker this would make it much easier for Chaos Breaker and Glendios' Omega Lock to bring games to a screeching halt until one player decks out first, and depending on how the new Perdition Dragons are designed the limit break support enabling “The Яe-birth” could stand to undermine the reception of the new units.
Exactly where professional play is headed in EB12-on is fairy easy to predict. The existing BT16 decks are here to stay, while Yggdrassil and perhaps Fianna are to join them. The bigger overarching question is how much one card can redeem two years of limit breaks and how relevant the old material will be in the present format. None of the most played decks of the format shut down the opponent in the same way that Nouvelle Vague did, which leaves more room for a response and gives more of a role to the less played builds. The relative stability of the competition at the moment is liable to break down into a more of a free-for-all as the pace of limit break decks develop around staying closer to the same damage as Legion builds, disrupting the certainty that TSD and CBR have brought with them as alternative decks become more viable over time. One of the domineering aspects of the format though is that not every clan will immediately have access to these limit break enabling cards. The Revengers in particular are unlikely to experience a revival without promo card support, despite being major players since BT12, while Great Nature, Angel Feather, Oracle Think Tank, Murakumo, Nubatama, Pale Moon and Megacolony are each left without an easy option to stay relevant in an increasingly midgame-centric format.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
News: Fourth Laketown VGCS Decklists, Narukami-Royal Paladin Fusion Places Third, Cat Butler Raizers Control Top Two
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| Original image by card shop Fireball. |
The remaining top 8 in the fourth Fireball VGCS included Star-vader "Ω" Glendios, Thing Saver Dragon and two Cat Butler Raizers cardfighters. Glendios has remained an enduring part of the format since its debut at the previous Laketown CS, becoming one of the few builds to consistently slow down the pace of a game by shutting down both rearguard lanes and preventing them from unlocking. In the Legion format Omega has received consistently trouble from the plethora of semi-independent vanguards, diminishing the impact of a locked field.
The VGCS tournaments are a series of unofficial tournaments organized by fans and cardshops. Unlike Bushiroad's larger official tournaments, most VGCS events are done using a best of 3, Swiss tournament model. Turnout is typically 70-80 persons, but some events see 100 or more participants, all of whom compete using pseudonyms and internet handles rather than their real names as in official events. The VGCS model of fan-organized play has begun to gain popularity internationally, with the bi-monthly BeNeLux tournaments serving as their European equivalent.
Fourth Laketown CS
First place: Hideyuki/ヒデユキ
Deck name: STAP Cells Are Right Here!/スタップ細胞はここにあります！
Grade 0
x1 Transmigrating Evolution, Miraioh (FV)
x4 Cat Butler
x4 Regenbogen HT
x2 Raizer Crew DT
x2 Meteoraizer CT
x4 Red Lightning CT
x4 Minimum Raizer CT
Grade 1
x4 Shieldraizer
x4 Energy Charger
x4 The Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout
Grade 2
x4 Ultimate Raizer, DF
x4 Phoenix Raizer, FW
x2 Marine Raizer, HT
Grade 3
x3 Pheonix Raizer, DW
x4 Ultimate Raizer, MF
Deck name: Don't Say Kompeitō Panic @Berserk/コンペイトウパニック＠バーサークとは言わせない
Grade 0
x1 Transmigrating Evolution, Miraioh (FV)
x4 Cat Butler
x4 Raizer Girl, Kate HT
x2 Raizer Crew DT
x2 Schones Wetter CT
x4 Red Lightning CT
x4 Meteoraizer CT
Grade 1
x2 Shieldraizer
x2 Twin Blader
x3 Energy Charger
x3 Jetraizer
x3 The Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout
Grade 2
x4 Ultimate Raizer, DF
x4 Phoenix Raizer, FW
x2 Marine Raizer, HT
Grade 3
x2 Pheonix Raizer, DW
x4 Ultimate Raizer, MF
Third place: Black-Rimmed Glasses/くろぶちめがね
Deck name: Youjin in Thing Saver/ヨウジン入りシングセイバー
Grade 0
x1 Starting Legend, Ambrosius (FV)
x4 Seeker, Loving Healer HT
x4 Certain Kill Seeker, Modron CT
x4 Seeker, Herald Breath Dragon CT
x4 Margal DT
Grade 1
x1 Good Faith Seeker, Cynric
x4 Lake Maiden, Lien
x4 Guardian Law Seeker, Shiron
x4 Glynngal Seeker
x1 Witch of Nostrum, Arianrhod
Grade 2
x4 Brawler Youjin
x4 Blaster Blade, Seeker
x2 Full Bloom Seeker, Cerdic
x1 Crossbow Seeker, Gildas
Grade 3
x4 Seeker, Thing Saver Dragon
x4 Seeker, Sacred Wingal
Fourth place: Knight of Stability/安定のナオト
Deck name: Seeker, Media Park Kawaguchiten/探索店メディアパーク川口店
Grade 0
x1 Advance Party Seeker, File (FV)
x4 Seeker, Loving Healer HT
x2 Arms Dealer, Govanon DT
x4 Messegal Seeker DT
x4 Certain Kill Seeker, Modron CT
x2 Seeker, Herald Breath Dragon CT
Grade 1
x4 Lake Maiden, Lien
x3 Flash Shield, Iseult
x1 Summoning Jewel Knight, Gloria
x2 Glynngal Seeker
x4 Flail Seeker, Hasbasado
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Blade, Seeker
x3 Full Bloom Seeker, Cerdic
x4 Crossbow Seeker, Gildas
Grade 3
x4 Seeker, Thing Saver Dragon
x4 Seeker, Sacred Wingal
Friday, May 23, 2014
News: Fighter's Collection Units to be Remade as Legion Pairs, Thing Saver Dragon Saves All of the Things in FR2014 Tokyo
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| Original photo by EnjoyVanguard. |
FR2014 Tokyo Regional Qualifier Top 8 (Open Class)Also notable is that the Brawler decklist that received the Doctor O award does not use Skybeat Dragon as was the convention prior to the release of BT16: Legion of Dragons and Blades, but instead Narukami cardfighter Sakumagazuki (alias) replaced it with Wild Rush Dragon, a Legion grade 3 whose skill lets it counterblast 1 for +10000 power and +1 critical when it drive checks a card with the same name as one of the two units on the vanguard circle, increasing its power after the guard step has already taken place and potentially surpassing the value of what would otherwise be a no-pass defense. Prior to BT16 there was some debate of whether Bigbang Knuckle Dragon's mass frontrow attack or Wild Rush's unpredictable persona blast-like effect would be favored in competitive play, and it seems that for now the more difficult to anticipate card has gained ground with pros.
Takagi Yuuta/高木 裕太 - Royal Paladin
Ooyama Takeshi/大山 強志 - Royal Paladin
Sakumagazuki/サクマ カズキ (Doctor O Award) - Narukami
Saito Takato/斉藤 理斗 - Neo Nectar
Onodera Yuuta/小野寺 佑太 - Dimension Police
Okuwaki Yu/奥脇 優 - Nova Grappler
Takahashi Kazuya/高橋 和也 - Pale Moon
Watanabe Hitomi/渡部 瞳 - Aqua Force
The Tokyo regional qualifier also represents the first Metalborg victory for the Dimension Police clan, with Sin Buster cardfighter Shibata Takumi coming in second place in the Victory Cup tournament. Shibata's strategy was to use Sin Buster along with the special booster Black Doctor to create a strong center lane, and the supporting rearguard Commander Laurel to restand his vanguard. Sin Buster's Legion skill prevents the opponent from guarding with grade 1 or greater units from their hand if Sin Buster's power exceeds 30000, and unlike a variety of old-style Dimension Police units, this power threshold only has be reached after boosting. Black Doctor is a base 10000 booster whenever the unit is in Legion, so that with Sin and Doctor alone the post-Legion skill will be constantly active.
Even when Doctor is not available, the skills of Russell Blizzard and the stand trigger Metalborg Operator Kirika can increase the power of up to two vanguards by +3000 power, simultaneously giving power to the entire Legion pair of Sin Buster and Ur Buster. Since the opponent can only guard with grade 0 units, this makes their defensive power finite, and when his attack hits Sin Buster's innate skill will let him draw a card, while Commander Laurel's skill follows the time-tested strategy of resting four rearguards to restand the vanguard, a threat which is becoming more difficult than ever to defend because of the ability to block both perfect defense cards and Quintet Walls. Even should the opponent survive the turn, the initial draw from Sin Buster and the +2 from using Commander Laurel helps secure the game by keeping handsize high, making the Shibata's Metalborg deck formidable in professional play.
FR2014 Open Class Tokyo Regional Qualifier [FR14OC]
First place: Takagi Yuuta/高木裕太
Grade 0
x1 Advance Party Seeker, File (FV)
x4 Seeker, Loving Healer HT
x4 Margal DT
x4 Certain Kill Seeker, Modron CT
x4 Seeker, Herald Breath Dragon CT
Grade 1
x3 Flash Shield, Iseult
x1 Summoning Jewel Knight, Gloria
x2 Good Faith Seeker, Cynric
x4 Lake Maiden, Lien
x2 Glynngal Seeker
x2 Flail Seeker, Hasbasado
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Blade, Seeker
x3 Full Bloom Seeker, Cerdic
x4 Crossbow Seeker, Gildas
Grade 3
x4 Seeker, Thing Saver Dragon
x4 Seeker, Sacred Wingal
Second place: Ooyama Takeshi/大山強志
Grade 0
x1 Advance Party Seeker, File (FV)
x4 Seeker, Loving Healer HT
x4 Margal DT
x4 Certain Kill Seeker, Modron CT
x4 Seeker, Herald Breath Dragon CT
Grade 1
x2 Guardian Law Seeker, Shiron
x2 Summoning Jewel Knight, Gloria
x3 Good Faith Seeker, Cynric
x4 Lake Maiden, Lien
x2 Glynngal Seeker
x1 Flail Seeker, Hasbasado
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Blade, Seeker
x3 Full Bloom Seeker, Cerdic
x4 Crossbow Seeker, Gildas
Grade 3
x4 Seeker, Thing Saver Dragon
x4 Seeker, Sacred Wingal
Doctor O Prize: Sakumagazuki/サクマカズキ
Grade 0
x1 Spark Kid Dragoon (FV)
x4 Brawler, Green Gem Carbuncle HT
x3 Brawler, Dokouson DT
x4 Malevolent Djinn CT
x4 Brawler, Plasmakick Dragon CT
x1 Brawler of Heavens, Youzen
Grade 1
x2 Hardship Brawler, Toshu
x2 Eradicator Wyvern Guard, Guld
x2 Tonfa Wielding Brawler, Ark
x3 Rising Phoenix
x1 Bonfire Eradicator, Castor
x4 Threatening Brawler, Koumei
Grade 2
x4 Brawler, Wild Fist Dragon
x3 Brawler, Skyhowl Dragon
x2 Military Brawler, Lisei
x1 Brawler, Plasma Claw Dragon
x2 Brawler Youjin
Grade 3
x4 Brawler, Shotgun Blow Dragon
x3 Brawler, Wild Rush Dragon
FR2014 Victory Cup Tokyo Regional Qualifier [FR14VC]
First place: Horiki Takumi/堀切拓海
Grade 0
x1 Advance Party Seeker, File (FV)
x4 Seeker, Loving Healer HT
x4 Margal DT
x4 Certain Kill Seeker, Modron CT
x4 Seeker, Herald Breath Dragon CT
Grade 1
x2 Guardian Law Seeker, Shiron
x2 Summoning Jewel Knight, Gloria
x4 Good Faith Seeker, Cynric
x3 Lake Maiden, Lien
x2 Glynngal Seeker
x2 Flail Seeker, Hasbasado
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Blade, Seeker
x3 Full Bloom Seeker, Cerdic
x2 Crossbow Seeker, Gildas
x2 Seeker of Bravery, Ars
Grade 3
x4 Seeker, Thing Saver Dragon
x3 Seeker, Sacred Wingal
Second place: Shibata Takuma/柴田拓真
Grade 0
x1 Destined Warrior, Dai (FV)
x4 Metalborg, Black Nurse HT
x4 Metalborg, Devil Roader DT
x4 Metalborg, Battle Roller CT
x4 Metalborg, Operator Kirika ST
Grade 1
x4 Metalborg, Mist Ghost
x2 Dimensional Robo, Daishield
x2 Metalborg, Bri Knuckle
x4 Commander Laurel
x3 Metalborg, Black Doctor
Grade 2
x4 Metalborg, Lionetter
x3 Metalborg, Russell Blizzard
x4 Metalborg, Ur Buster
Grade 3
x4 Metalborg, Sin Buster
x3 Metalborg, Draion
Doctor O Prize: Nishiguchi Reiji/西口玲侍
Grade 0
x1 Advance Party Seeker, File (FV)
x4 Seeker, Loving Healer HT
x4 Margal DT
x1 Messgal Seeker DT
x4 Certain Kill Seeker, Modron CT
x3 Seeker, Herald Breath Dragon CT
Grade 1
x4 Guardian Law Seeker, Shiron
x2 Good Faith Seeker, Cynric
x4 Lake Maiden, Lien
x2 Glynngal Seeker
x2 Flail Seeker, Hasbasado
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Blade, Seeker
x4 Full Bloom Seeker, Cerdic
x3 Crossbow Seeker, Gildas
Grade 3
x4 Seeker, Thing Saver Dragon
x4 Seeker, Sacred Wingal
FR2014 Tokyo VF Koushien Team Tournament [FR14KS]
Foreward: Andou Masaya/安藤雅也
Grade 0
x1 Starting Ripple, Alecs (FV)
x4 Medical Officer of the Rainbow Elixir HT
x4 Blue Storm Soldier, Missile Trooper CT
x1 Battleship Intelligence CT
x4 Dolphin Soldier of High Speed Raids ST
x2 Pyroxene Beam Blue Dragon Soldier ST
x1 Enemy Seeking Seagull Soldier ST
Grade 1
x1 Battle Siren, Dorothea
x3 Patrol Swimming Jellyfish Soldier
x3 Tear Knight, Cyprus
x3 Tear Knight, Theo
x4 Emerald Shield, Paschal
Grade 2
x1 Twin Strike Brave Shooter
x1 Coral Assault
x2 Blue Storm Soldier, Tempest Assault
x2 Tear Knight, Lazarus
x4 Tidal Assault
Grade 3
x4 Blue Flight Dragon, Transcore Dragon
x4 Blue Wave Dragon, Tetra Drive Dragon
Midfighter: Kawamoto Suzumi/河本涼生
Grade 0
x1 Liberator, Cheer Up Trumpeter (FV)
x4 Elixir Liberator HT
x4 Armed Liberator, Gwydion DT
x4 Liberator of Hope, Epona CT
x4 Strike Liberator CT
Grade 1
x4 May Rain Liberator, Bruno
x4 White Rainbow Liberator, Balan
x2 Sword Formation Liberator, Igraine
x2 Halo Liberator, Mark
x2 Starry Skies Liberator, Guinevere
Grade 2
x3 Liberator of Royalty, Phallon
x4 Liberator, Star Rain Trumpeter
x4 Blaster Blade Liberator
Grade 3
x2 Liberator, Monarch Sanctuary Alfred
x2 Solitary Liberator, Gancelot
x4 Liberator of Bonds, Gancelot Zenith
Captain: Yamamoto Hiroki/山本拓希
Grade 0
x1 Advance Party Seeker, File (FV)
x4 Seeker, Loving Healer HT
x2 Margal DT
x2 Messgal Seeker DT
x4 Certain Kill Seeker, Modron CT
x4 Seeker, Herald Breath Dragon CT
Grade 1
x2 Summoning Jewel Knight, Gloria
x2 Flash Shield, Iseult
x3 Seeker, Rune Eagle
x4 Good Faith Seeker, Cynric
x3 Glynngal Seeker
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Blade, Seeker
x4 Full Bloom Seeker, Cerdic
x3 Crossbow Seeker, Gildas
Grade 3
x4 Seeker, Thing Saver Dragon
x4 Seeker, Sacred Wingal
Friday, May 2, 2014
News: World Champion Steals €4000 of Merchandise from Luxembourg Card Shop, Interview with Paris Regional Runner-up Team SKET
Last week a massive break-in took place in one of Luxembourg's largest card shops, La Caverne du Gobelin; more than €4000 (approx. $5500) in Cardfight!! Vanguard and Yu-Gi-Oh! merchandise were stolen. The break-in at La Caverne was linked to a string of three thefts at the Team League 2014 Paris regional qualifier. Three decks were stolen, two of which were known to be a Dauntless Drive Dragon-Dragonic Overlord the End and a Link Joker deck; one of the decks belonged to an eleven-year-old boy. A player from La Caverne du Gobelin, who requested that his name not be used, volunteered to us information regarding the break-in, and our previous source in the unfolding story concerning alleged cheating at the French regional has likewise come forward to corroborate some of these statements.
Reigning world champion Almeida Stewart was initially suspected to be involved in the theft at the regional qualifier, but not in the break-in at La Caverne due to the timing of the burglary taking place close to the regional tournament on the 19th. However, after an investigation by the Luxembourg police, fingerprints were used to connect Stewart and both of his teammates back to the burglary. Following this, La Caverne du Gobelin released a statement on their Facebook page on the 21st stating that the burglars had confessed to the Luxembourg police and issued an apology to the store. On the 26th the shop then made the announcement that Stewart, his brother Christopher and their teammate Vladyaslav Khimenko have since been permanently banned from La Caverne's various locations and organized play. Furthermore, the player from La Caverne attested to Stewart having cheated in tournaments by drawing extra cards and putting heal triggers on the top of his deck from his hand. According to this same source, after La Caverne reported the incident to Bushiroad the company placed a ban on Stewart preventing him from participating in official tournaments. However, this last piece of information has not yet been confirmed by Bushiroad and is the only piece of the story that has not been corroborated elsewhere. We granted the company an opportunity to respond, but have yet to receive a statement.
As the reports of the Luxembourg police are not filed as a matter of public record, a police report regarding the theft could not be obtained during our investigation.
With regards to the cheating accusations that have surfaced, tournament host Epitanime issued a statement on Bushiroad.fm on the 24th regarding the existence of the alleged video evidence of Stewart's cheating during the regional tournament;
Epitanime's statements are written to deliberately be in conflict with those of on-site witnesses who have stated with confidence that the games were recorded on video, and by depriving the public of the only known visual evidence can falsely give the appearance of there being no incident at all. The possible coverup will ring familiar to veteran American cardfighters, as it can be compared to the 2012 case of Thomas Cassidy; accused of cheating by performing a twin drive while still at grade 2 in order to win the Dallas regional qualifiers in WCS2012, despite a crowd of over 200 onlookers attesting to the incident, none of the six judges noticed the illegal move and Bushiroad USA subsequently refused to release the video of Cassidy's game to the public. While in Cassidy's case the cheating was believed to be accidental rather than intentional, the fact remains that in both instances releasing the videos would resolve the tensions openly by letting the public see the games as they were played and judge the truth for themselves, rather than try to obscure the facts and promote a closed book policy. Epitanime's stance does not expressly deny that the video exists, but dodges the question of what it depicted.
Regarding the regional qualifier itself, the results of the tournament have been published by Bushiroad along with the official decklists, and in addition to that we at Cardfight Pro have secured the decklists of the runner-up Team SKET, as well as interviews with all three of its members. The first place decklists can be jumped to by searching the page for [T14FR1] while the second place decklists can be reached by searching for [T14FR2] These interviews include details on why their team members chose to side with the Invaders instead of Defenders, their favorite qualities of their decks, and what SKET stands for. The translation of our questions and of team SKET's answers were graciously handled by Kyo, a leading figure in the French Cardfight community.
Q: What kind of people are you, and why did you decide to play your decks?
A: We are 3 friends who happened to know each other on a forum which gathered the big part of the French community. Thus, we met through Internet and became friends ; and today two of us (of the Team) are playing in the same card shop. Initially, we intended to come in order to support the whole Event, as we did not get a French event last year. It was really important for us to show Bushiroad how much France loves this game, and how much we want the game to expand. Ultimately, we came in order to have fun, to laugh, and to spend a good time with our opponents, while showing our skills.
(Arnaud "JUN" Faber): I played Eradicator, based on Vowing Saber Dragon "Reverse", Gauntlet Buster and Dragonic Descendant, mainly because of their artworks ; I also happen to play the clan since its original release in BT06: Breaker of Limits. Regarding Vowing Saber Dragon "Reverse", I love its gameplay, which makes you wonder about the right timing about activating its Limit Break ; in order to counterbalance the Lock cost.
(Axel "Shinigami" Verdier): I love Link Joker artworks, are they are both futuristic and fiendish, Chaos Breaker Dragon in particular. I was really pleased by Nebula Lord Dragon's playstyle, mixing both control and aggressive strategies ; up to the point that Stand Triggers can become really nasty.
(Anthony "Snake" Lamontre): I played Pale Moon as I love their artworks since the beginning, and I also like Soul-based gameplays. I chose the Silver Thorn series as I find the archetype fitting my playstyle.
Q: Why did you go to Invaders instead of Defenders ?
A: For some RP aspect. It was funnier to act as the evil ones instead of the heroes, but also because many of the key units in the BT12: Binding of the Black Rings format are Reverse units.
Q: What are the favourite qualities of your Decks ?
A: (Arnaud "JUN" Faber): I was initially going to play a regular Crossbreak Ride Deck. However, it was too weak in terms of early gameplays. I then decided to remove the Break Ride units from my Deck in order to put 3 Gauntlet Buster, which is able to pull off a brutal early gameplay thanks to Ginkaku (Damage Pluser). As such, I think that the main quality of my Deck is its versatility : I can pull off pressure thanks to Ginkaku and Gauntlet Buster's extra Critical, while taking into account Chou-ou or beatstick units ; without giving the Limit Break to my opponent if I cannot manage it. Or if I need to wipe out the opponent's units as I suffered from being rushed, thanks to Vowing Saber Dragon "Reverse" while having powerful Rearguard columns. Third point, Descendant is here to finish off my opponent through the remaining Counterblasts. Therefore, I am able to adapt myself to the current situation and act accordingly.
(Axel "Shinigami" Verdier): I love playing this Deck for several reasons. The first of them is that they are able of both controlling my opponent, but being aggressive. The former part is thanks to Nebula Lord Dragon's Limit Break, powering up my front-row units ; plus units like Lanthanum and Niobium and the usual Neon and Radon stuff. All of these units are able to take advantage from Stand Triggers in order to widen the gap. As for the control part, it is made possible through the Lock mechanic itself ; like in Infinite Zero Dragon, Dust Tail Unicorn and Moebius Breath Dragon. Draw Triggers and Opener of Dark Gates are also important as you cannot "control" your own hand. The second reason is that this Deck doesn't have a "bad Ride". Of course you would prefer some order of Riding, like in any other Deck. But with some mastery, you can do something regardless of what you Ride first, and make the Deck work.
(Anthony "Snake" Lamontre): The Luquier "Reverse" Deck has a great advantage of doing a controlled Soul Charge rythym, let alone you have a better range for what goes into the Soul ; this is made through Irina or Dancing Princess of the Night Sky who will feed the Soul for further Limit Break moves - with Luquier. She is able to provide a quality Card Advantage, while providing me the regular Crossride defense if the original Luquier is in the Soul. Further more, the main goal is to Break Ride Luquier "Reverse", in order to perform 5 attacks in the same turn with 2 Purple Trapezists in the Soul. All of this in order to finish off my opponent, or to make him give up his hand by making use of the Soul thanks to Luquier "Reverse" +5000 bonus. Like Arnaud, I think that this Deck has several uses.
Q: And what does "SKET" stand for ?
A: Support Kindness Encouragement Troubleshot. It actually comes from the "SKET Dance" manga, the three of us love it. In "SKET Dance", the heroes are 3, they are nice, considerate, motivated, but the main point is that they have a quirky humour ; and we hope that people felt the same way towards us during this event.
We thank you a lot for your time.
Team League 2014 France First Place: Team United Force [T14FR2]
Liu Bo Chen's Decklist: Sacking to the Max La
Grade 0
x1 Liberator, Cheer Up Trumpeter (FV)
x4 Liberator of Hope, Epona CT
x4 Strike Liberator CT
x4 Armed Liberator, Gwydion DT
x4 Elixir Liberator HT
Grade 1
x4 Little Liberator, Marron
x2 Future Liberator, Llew
x4 Halo Liberator, Mark
x4 Fast Chase Liberator, Josephus
Grade 2
x2 Liberator of Silence, Gallatin
x4 Liberator of Royalty, Phallon
x2 Blaster Blade Liberator
x3 Liberator of the Flute, Escrad
Grade 3
x4 Liberator of the Round Table, Alfred
x4 Wolf Fang Liberator, Garmore
Edwin Talahatu's Decklist: Sackmeester weet raad, idd La :P
Grade 0
x1 Ambush Dragon Eradicator, Linchu (FV)
x3 Eradicator, Blue Gem Carbuncle DT
x3 Eradicator, Dragon Mage DT
x3 Eradicator, Yellow Gem Carbuncle CT
x3 Eradicator of the Divine Spear, Pollux CT
x4 Worm Toxin Eradicator, Seiobo HT
Grade 1
x4 Eradicator, Demolition Dragon
x4 Eradicator, Wyvern Guard Guld
x4 Steel-blooded Eradicator, Shuki
x2 Rising Phoenix
Grade 2
x3 Eradicator, Thunder Boom Dragon
x4 Eradicator, Spark Rain Dragon
x4 Fiendish Sword Eradicator, Chou-Ou
Grade 3
x4 Eradicator, Dragonic Descendant
x4 Eradicator, Gauntlet Buster Dragon
Vincent Van Der Schee's Decklist: Mijn Bunshin is OP LA :P
Grade 0
x1 Frontline Revenger, Claudas (FV)
x4 Healing Revenger HT
x4 Freezing Revenger DT
x4 Grim Revenger CT
x4 Revenger, Air Raid Dragon CT
Grade 1
x4 Barrier Troop Revenger, Dorin
x4 Dark Revenger, Mac Lir
x4 Transience Revenger, Masquerade
x2 Sacrilege Revenger, Baal-berith
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Dark Revenger
x3 Dark Cloak Revenger, Tartu
x4 Nullity Revenger, Masquerade
Grade 3
x4 Revenger, Raging Form Dragon
x4 Illusionary Revenger, Mordred Phantom
Team League 2014 France Second Place: Team SKET [T14FR2]
Arnaud "JUN" Faber's Decklist: Narukami - Eradicator'tue Ninja/Ninja Eradicaturtle
Grade 0
x1 Ambush Dragon Eradicator, Linchu (First Vanguard)
x4 Eradicator, Yellow Gem Carbuncle (CT)
x4 Worm Toxin Eradicator, Seiobo (HT)
x4 Eradicator, Red Gem Carbuncle (DT)
x3 Sacred Spear Eradicator, Pollux (CT)
x1 Eradicator, Old Dragon Mage (DT)
Grade 1
x4 Eradicator Wyvern Guard, Guld (Sentinel)
x4 Steel-blooded Eradicator, Shuki
x3 Dragon Monk, Ginkaku
x3 Eradicator, Demolition Dragon
Grade 2
x4 Fiendish Sword Eradicator, Chou-ou
x3 Double Gun Eradicator, Hakushou
x2 Homing Eradicator, Rochishin
x2 Eradicator, Spark Rain Dragon
Grade 3
x3 Eradicator, Vowing Saber Dragon "Reverse"
x3 Eradicator, Gauntlet Buster Dragon
x1 Eradicator, Dragonic Descendant
x1 Eradicator, Vowing Sword Dragon
Axel "Shinigami" Verdier's Decklist: Link Joker - Nebulamitié <3/Nebulafriendship
Grade 0
x1 Star-vader, Dust Tail Unicorn (FV)
x4 Star-vader, Stellar Garage (HT)
x3 Keyboard Star-vader, Bismuth (ST)
x3 Star-vader, Scouting Ferris (DT)
x2 Star-vader, Moon Commander (ST)
x2 Star-vader, Nebula Captor (DT)
x1 Star-vader, Weiss Soldier (CT)
x1 Star-vader, Meteor Liger (CT)
Grade 1
x4 Barrier Star-vader, Promethium (Sentinel)
x4 Demon Claw Star-vader, Lanthanum
x4 Mana Shot Star-vader, Neon
x2 Opener of Dark Gates
Grade 2
x4 Unrivaled Star-vader Radon
x4 Furious Claw Star-vader, Niobium
x3 Star-vader, Moebius Breath Dragon
Grade 3
x4 Star-vader, Infinite Zero Dragon
x4 Star-vader, Nebula Lord Dragon
Anthony "Snake" Lamontre's Decklist: Pale Moon - Silverpop "Reverse"
Grade 0
x1 Innocent Magician (FV)
x4 Poison Juggler (CT)
x4 Rainbow Magician (DT)
x4 Silver Thorn Juggler, Nadia (HT)
x3 Silver Thorn, Barking Dragon (DT)
x1 Silver Thorn Marionette, Natasha (DT)
Grade 1
x4 Silver Thorn Hypnos, Lydia (Sentinel)
x4 Silver Thorn Assistant, Irina
x3 Purple Trapezist
x2 Silver Thorn Beast Tamer, Ana
x1 Midnight Bunny
Grade 2
x4 Silver Thorn Rising Dragon
x3 SIlver Thorn Beast Tamer, Maricica
x2 Silver Thorn Marionette, Lilian
x2 Dancing Princess of the Night Sky
Grade 3
x3 Miracle Pop, Eva
x3 Silver Thorn Dragon Queen, Luquier "Reverse"
x2 Silver Thorn Dragon Tamer, Luquier
 |
| Stewart as seen in 2013. |
As the reports of the Luxembourg police are not filed as a matter of public record, a police report regarding the theft could not be obtained during our investigation.
With regards to the cheating accusations that have surfaced, tournament host Epitanime issued a statement on Bushiroad.fm on the 24th regarding the existence of the alleged video evidence of Stewart's cheating during the regional tournament;
Contrary to what has been reported, neither Parkage nor Games from Japan, hosting the tournament, nor the judges, have such a video confirming or reversing the suspicion on this player which could likely be used as an evidence.Care should be taken with reading the statement that "neither Parkage nor Games from Japan [...] nor the judges, have such a video confirming or reversing the suspicion on this player which could likely be used as an evidence." Epitanime's statement as it is worded does not deny the existence of a video, but denies possessing a video which can be used as evidence for either confirming or denying Stewart's alleged cheating. It may be reasonably inferred that Epitanime is in possession of a video which they consider inconclusive. The denial of possession can also point to having turned the video over to another party, i.e. Bushiroad.
Parkage and Games from Japan wish to emphasize the attention given to this kind of behaviour during our tournaments by our judges ; unfortunatly such cheating act may remain unnoticed.
Epitanime's statements are written to deliberately be in conflict with those of on-site witnesses who have stated with confidence that the games were recorded on video, and by depriving the public of the only known visual evidence can falsely give the appearance of there being no incident at all. The possible coverup will ring familiar to veteran American cardfighters, as it can be compared to the 2012 case of Thomas Cassidy; accused of cheating by performing a twin drive while still at grade 2 in order to win the Dallas regional qualifiers in WCS2012, despite a crowd of over 200 onlookers attesting to the incident, none of the six judges noticed the illegal move and Bushiroad USA subsequently refused to release the video of Cassidy's game to the public. While in Cassidy's case the cheating was believed to be accidental rather than intentional, the fact remains that in both instances releasing the videos would resolve the tensions openly by letting the public see the games as they were played and judge the truth for themselves, rather than try to obscure the facts and promote a closed book policy. Epitanime's stance does not expressly deny that the video exists, but dodges the question of what it depicted.
Q: What kind of people are you, and why did you decide to play your decks?
A: We are 3 friends who happened to know each other on a forum which gathered the big part of the French community. Thus, we met through Internet and became friends ; and today two of us (of the Team) are playing in the same card shop. Initially, we intended to come in order to support the whole Event, as we did not get a French event last year. It was really important for us to show Bushiroad how much France loves this game, and how much we want the game to expand. Ultimately, we came in order to have fun, to laugh, and to spend a good time with our opponents, while showing our skills.
(Arnaud "JUN" Faber): I played Eradicator, based on Vowing Saber Dragon "Reverse", Gauntlet Buster and Dragonic Descendant, mainly because of their artworks ; I also happen to play the clan since its original release in BT06: Breaker of Limits. Regarding Vowing Saber Dragon "Reverse", I love its gameplay, which makes you wonder about the right timing about activating its Limit Break ; in order to counterbalance the Lock cost.
(Axel "Shinigami" Verdier): I love Link Joker artworks, are they are both futuristic and fiendish, Chaos Breaker Dragon in particular. I was really pleased by Nebula Lord Dragon's playstyle, mixing both control and aggressive strategies ; up to the point that Stand Triggers can become really nasty.
(Anthony "Snake" Lamontre): I played Pale Moon as I love their artworks since the beginning, and I also like Soul-based gameplays. I chose the Silver Thorn series as I find the archetype fitting my playstyle.
Q: Why did you go to Invaders instead of Defenders ?
A: For some RP aspect. It was funnier to act as the evil ones instead of the heroes, but also because many of the key units in the BT12: Binding of the Black Rings format are Reverse units.
Q: What are the favourite qualities of your Decks ?
A: (Arnaud "JUN" Faber): I was initially going to play a regular Crossbreak Ride Deck. However, it was too weak in terms of early gameplays. I then decided to remove the Break Ride units from my Deck in order to put 3 Gauntlet Buster, which is able to pull off a brutal early gameplay thanks to Ginkaku (Damage Pluser). As such, I think that the main quality of my Deck is its versatility : I can pull off pressure thanks to Ginkaku and Gauntlet Buster's extra Critical, while taking into account Chou-ou or beatstick units ; without giving the Limit Break to my opponent if I cannot manage it. Or if I need to wipe out the opponent's units as I suffered from being rushed, thanks to Vowing Saber Dragon "Reverse" while having powerful Rearguard columns. Third point, Descendant is here to finish off my opponent through the remaining Counterblasts. Therefore, I am able to adapt myself to the current situation and act accordingly.
(Axel "Shinigami" Verdier): I love playing this Deck for several reasons. The first of them is that they are able of both controlling my opponent, but being aggressive. The former part is thanks to Nebula Lord Dragon's Limit Break, powering up my front-row units ; plus units like Lanthanum and Niobium and the usual Neon and Radon stuff. All of these units are able to take advantage from Stand Triggers in order to widen the gap. As for the control part, it is made possible through the Lock mechanic itself ; like in Infinite Zero Dragon, Dust Tail Unicorn and Moebius Breath Dragon. Draw Triggers and Opener of Dark Gates are also important as you cannot "control" your own hand. The second reason is that this Deck doesn't have a "bad Ride". Of course you would prefer some order of Riding, like in any other Deck. But with some mastery, you can do something regardless of what you Ride first, and make the Deck work.
(Anthony "Snake" Lamontre): The Luquier "Reverse" Deck has a great advantage of doing a controlled Soul Charge rythym, let alone you have a better range for what goes into the Soul ; this is made through Irina or Dancing Princess of the Night Sky who will feed the Soul for further Limit Break moves - with Luquier. She is able to provide a quality Card Advantage, while providing me the regular Crossride defense if the original Luquier is in the Soul. Further more, the main goal is to Break Ride Luquier "Reverse", in order to perform 5 attacks in the same turn with 2 Purple Trapezists in the Soul. All of this in order to finish off my opponent, or to make him give up his hand by making use of the Soul thanks to Luquier "Reverse" +5000 bonus. Like Arnaud, I think that this Deck has several uses.
Q: And what does "SKET" stand for ?
A: Support Kindness Encouragement Troubleshot. It actually comes from the "SKET Dance" manga, the three of us love it. In "SKET Dance", the heroes are 3, they are nice, considerate, motivated, but the main point is that they have a quirky humour ; and we hope that people felt the same way towards us during this event.
We thank you a lot for your time.
Team League 2014 France First Place: Team United Force [T14FR2]
Liu Bo Chen's Decklist: Sacking to the Max La
Grade 0
x1 Liberator, Cheer Up Trumpeter (FV)
x4 Liberator of Hope, Epona CT
x4 Strike Liberator CT
x4 Armed Liberator, Gwydion DT
x4 Elixir Liberator HT
Grade 1
x4 Little Liberator, Marron
x2 Future Liberator, Llew
x4 Halo Liberator, Mark
x4 Fast Chase Liberator, Josephus
Grade 2
x2 Liberator of Silence, Gallatin
x4 Liberator of Royalty, Phallon
x2 Blaster Blade Liberator
x3 Liberator of the Flute, Escrad
Grade 3
x4 Liberator of the Round Table, Alfred
x4 Wolf Fang Liberator, Garmore
Edwin Talahatu's Decklist: Sackmeester weet raad, idd La :P
Grade 0
x1 Ambush Dragon Eradicator, Linchu (FV)
x3 Eradicator, Blue Gem Carbuncle DT
x3 Eradicator, Dragon Mage DT
x3 Eradicator, Yellow Gem Carbuncle CT
x3 Eradicator of the Divine Spear, Pollux CT
x4 Worm Toxin Eradicator, Seiobo HT
Grade 1
x4 Eradicator, Demolition Dragon
x4 Eradicator, Wyvern Guard Guld
x4 Steel-blooded Eradicator, Shuki
x2 Rising Phoenix
Grade 2
x3 Eradicator, Thunder Boom Dragon
x4 Eradicator, Spark Rain Dragon
x4 Fiendish Sword Eradicator, Chou-Ou
Grade 3
x4 Eradicator, Dragonic Descendant
x4 Eradicator, Gauntlet Buster Dragon
Vincent Van Der Schee's Decklist: Mijn Bunshin is OP LA :P
Grade 0
x1 Frontline Revenger, Claudas (FV)
x4 Healing Revenger HT
x4 Freezing Revenger DT
x4 Grim Revenger CT
x4 Revenger, Air Raid Dragon CT
Grade 1
x4 Barrier Troop Revenger, Dorin
x4 Dark Revenger, Mac Lir
x4 Transience Revenger, Masquerade
x2 Sacrilege Revenger, Baal-berith
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Dark Revenger
x3 Dark Cloak Revenger, Tartu
x4 Nullity Revenger, Masquerade
Grade 3
x4 Revenger, Raging Form Dragon
x4 Illusionary Revenger, Mordred Phantom
Team League 2014 France Second Place: Team SKET [T14FR2]
Arnaud "JUN" Faber's Decklist: Narukami - Eradicator'tue Ninja/Ninja Eradicaturtle
Grade 0
x1 Ambush Dragon Eradicator, Linchu (First Vanguard)
x4 Eradicator, Yellow Gem Carbuncle (CT)
x4 Worm Toxin Eradicator, Seiobo (HT)
x4 Eradicator, Red Gem Carbuncle (DT)
x3 Sacred Spear Eradicator, Pollux (CT)
x1 Eradicator, Old Dragon Mage (DT)
Grade 1
x4 Eradicator Wyvern Guard, Guld (Sentinel)
x4 Steel-blooded Eradicator, Shuki
x3 Dragon Monk, Ginkaku
x3 Eradicator, Demolition Dragon
Grade 2
x4 Fiendish Sword Eradicator, Chou-ou
x3 Double Gun Eradicator, Hakushou
x2 Homing Eradicator, Rochishin
x2 Eradicator, Spark Rain Dragon
Grade 3
x3 Eradicator, Vowing Saber Dragon "Reverse"
x3 Eradicator, Gauntlet Buster Dragon
x1 Eradicator, Dragonic Descendant
x1 Eradicator, Vowing Sword Dragon
Axel "Shinigami" Verdier's Decklist: Link Joker - Nebulamitié <3/Nebulafriendship
Grade 0
x1 Star-vader, Dust Tail Unicorn (FV)
x4 Star-vader, Stellar Garage (HT)
x3 Keyboard Star-vader, Bismuth (ST)
x3 Star-vader, Scouting Ferris (DT)
x2 Star-vader, Moon Commander (ST)
x2 Star-vader, Nebula Captor (DT)
x1 Star-vader, Weiss Soldier (CT)
x1 Star-vader, Meteor Liger (CT)
Grade 1
x4 Barrier Star-vader, Promethium (Sentinel)
x4 Demon Claw Star-vader, Lanthanum
x4 Mana Shot Star-vader, Neon
x2 Opener of Dark Gates
Grade 2
x4 Unrivaled Star-vader Radon
x4 Furious Claw Star-vader, Niobium
x3 Star-vader, Moebius Breath Dragon
Grade 3
x4 Star-vader, Infinite Zero Dragon
x4 Star-vader, Nebula Lord Dragon
Anthony "Snake" Lamontre's Decklist: Pale Moon - Silverpop "Reverse"
Grade 0
x1 Innocent Magician (FV)
x4 Poison Juggler (CT)
x4 Rainbow Magician (DT)
x4 Silver Thorn Juggler, Nadia (HT)
x3 Silver Thorn, Barking Dragon (DT)
x1 Silver Thorn Marionette, Natasha (DT)
Grade 1
x4 Silver Thorn Hypnos, Lydia (Sentinel)
x4 Silver Thorn Assistant, Irina
x3 Purple Trapezist
x2 Silver Thorn Beast Tamer, Ana
x1 Midnight Bunny
Grade 2
x4 Silver Thorn Rising Dragon
x3 SIlver Thorn Beast Tamer, Maricica
x2 Silver Thorn Marionette, Lilian
x2 Dancing Princess of the Night Sky
Grade 3
x3 Miracle Pop, Eva
x3 Silver Thorn Dragon Queen, Luquier "Reverse"
x2 Silver Thorn Dragon Tamer, Luquier
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