"Winged Dragon, Beamptero" coming in Monthly Bushiroad

The official Monthly Bushiroad magazine Twitter account tweeted a sample image of the upcoming promo card for the issue out June 8th, the Tachikaze unit Winged Dragon Beamptero.

AUTO: When it's retired from Rearguard Circle during your turn, 3 of your units get Power +3000 until end of turn.

The card is a remake of the grade 1 unit of the same name from Booster Set 8: Blue Storm Armada, first printed back in 2012. That incarnation of Beamptero could only power up a single unit when it was retired during the battle phase, while this Beamptero can power up three times as many at any point during your turn. Of note is that the unit does not require itself to be retired by card effects, so simply calling over it normally will resolve Beamptero's skill.

Card Gamer Vol. 40 promos "Fierce Leader, Zachary" and "Mimori Suzuko"

AUTO [Rearguard Circle]: When placed from your hand, [Cost: Counterblast 1] look at 1 card from the top of your deck, call it to a Rearguard Circle, and at the end of this turn, put that unit into your soul.

An Etranger card based on Mimori Suzuko, voice of Tatsunagi Kourin in the Cardfight!! Vanguard anime.

To be included in volume 40 of Card Gamer magazine.

FamilyMart distributing alt art Wingal and Aichi promos

Bushiroad and the Japanese retail chain FamilyMart announced a collaboration at more than 7000 participating FamilyMart and Circle K Sunkus convenience stores. Beginning May 25th, customers will be able to buy two-pack sets of V-Booster Set 01: Unite! Team Q4 for 650 yen. (Tax not included.) These sets come with three promotional cards, the TV schedule Blaster Blade, an alternate artwork version of Wingal with its Trial Deck skill, and a Sendou Aichi Force Gift Marker.

Their respective card numbers are VPR/0001, V-PR/0022, and V-GM/0016, and the key art used for the Marker differs from the one used for the booster set's own promo card campaign and Secret Rare. Buying two copies of the set will still get users the promo card pack for buying 4 booster packs.

The special 2 pack set.

50 Demo Caravan locations added for the English format

The official English Cardfight portal updated with 50 more locations for the 2018 Spring Demo Caravan today, primarily in Canada. When the Caravan was first announced twelve days ago it comprised just 127 locations in total, and the new additions bring the total up to just over half of the promised 300+ shops. Most of the participating shops in the United States remain unlisted despite having already received their Caravan times; readers may do better by asking the managers of their local hobby shops directly to find out when the demo event is being held. Participants will receive a free Stardrive Dragon Start Deck containing alternate versions of cards found in the Royal Paladin Trial Deck, while its Kagerо̄ counterpart can be obtained at Bushiroad Spring Fest tournaments held on or after May 12th.

Additionally, the Caravan's Demo Caravan promos have been announced: Yoko & Nia for Weiss Schwarz, Garga "SD" for Buddyfight, and The Songstress for Dragoborne. While the Japanese format received a promotional Blaster Blade, no similar distribution has been announced for the English game.

Today's Card Analysis: Grime, Chrono Dran Z, and Blaster Blade

The Japanese cards of the day for April 30th, 2018, are three promotional cards being handed out at the 2018 Great Vanguard Festival in Japan: Grime, Chrono Dran Z, and Blaster Blade. Each card is done in the style of a full-art SP, with gold foiling on Grime and Chrono Dran.

Of the three, only Grime fits into our traditional analysis section. Rather than being new card reveals, these are respectively the final promotional cards of the G format and the first promo cards of Standard; what began seven years ago with PR/0001 Blaster Blade now ends with PR/0727 Chrono Dran Z, and begins anew from V-PR/0001 Blaster Blade.

(Technically, the promotional prints of Rananculus of Phantasmic Blue, Daybreak Scharhrot, and Battle Sister Florentine, that will be packaged in the Jaime Flowers character song CD are going to be the final final promo cards of G. But Dran is absolutely being presented at the festival as a symbolic gesture.)

Grime
AUTO: When you ride, draw a card.

Grime's skill brings with it certain questions. Thus far, we've seen no Forerunner grade 0s in Standard format--units that move out from the soul when you ride over them. In the old format, units staying in the soul but still carrying effects were generally limited to ride chain cards, with the main exceptions being Hades Ringmaster clones and World Line Dragon. Grime and Lizard Runner Undeux could just be what you get at the Common level for grade 0s, in the same way that Shizuku clones worked in the previous format, and if so then we're likely to see Forerunner First Vanguards return at the Single Rare level. But this could also be a situation akin to the G Trial Decks, where what you see is the best you'll get for some time to come. It's partially a question of how realistic it is to expect Royal Paladin and Kagerou to have exactly identical FVs as their only option to start the game off.

(Worth noting is that in the manga's continuity, which the rebooted series is based on, Aichi sticks with Grime and Kai with Undeux throughout the entire first arc.)

Having FVs stay in the soul means no longer having an easy early game booster, resulting in less aggressive first turns. If you're dropping a grade 1 on the board this early, it's probably to boost rather than attack. Otherwise, it's too easy for the opponent to simply drop a trigger and guarantee you can't hit them that turn. What unique effects the new generation of First Vanguard will have is another can of worms--perhaps Royal Paladin could call a grade 1 when you ride over it (or just copying the vanguard outright to avoid exploits) and Oracle Think Tank letting you check the top card and put it on the top or bottom of the deck before drawing. How would one translate Kagerou's mechanics to an FV of this type, though? An on-ride retire can't work at a stage of the game where the opponent has no rearguards.

These are exciting times we live in. In just 25 days V-Booster Set 01 will hit the Japanese format, and at that time, we'll know everything. Are we prepared for the new era? Can we be prepared for the new era?

The previous Japanese cards of the day were Stardrive Dragon and Crested Dragon.

Team Q4 playmat to be included in V-BT01 cases

Duel Portal reports that each 20-box case of BT01: UNITE! TEAM Q4 will come with one large rubber playmat featuring the set's cover illustration of King of Knights Alfred with the Team Q4 members. Each booster box will come packaged with three standard Gift Markers, one for each type.

Furthermore, the promotional cards that will be distributed as part of the set's campaign will be Snogal (Royal Paladin) Grapeshot Wyvern (Kagerou) Onmyoji of the Moonlit Night (Oracle Think Tank) and Extra Muscular. (Nova Grappler) For every 4 normal booster packs purchased cardfighters will receive a Special Pack containing one of these promotional cards paired with a corresponding Gift Marker of one of the Q4 members. (Sendou Aichi, Kai Toshiki, Tokura Misaki, or Katsuragi Kamui.) The Markers correspond to that character's deck, so for example the Aichi Marker will be Force while the Misaki Marker will be Protect, and the Kamui marker will be Accel.

All of this information was confirmed earlier today on the final episode of Weekly Bites Z. The first episode of the new Weekly Bites series will commence Tuesday May 1st at 9:00 PM JST.

Snowgal

AUTO [Rearguard Circle]: When the attack it boosts hits a vanguard, by paying [Soulblast 1] return this unit to your hand.

Grapeshot Wyvern

AUTO [Rearguard Circle]: When placed, if the opponent's rearguard has been retired during this turn, 1 of your units gets Power +3000 until end of turn.

Onmyoji of the Moonlit Night

AUTO [Rearguard Circle]: When placed, by paying [Soulblast 1, discard 1], put one card from the bottom of your deck into your hand.

Extra Muscular

AUTO [Rearguard Circle]: When it Stands, this unit gets Power +3000 until end of turn.

Of note is that Extra Muscular will gain the 3k power boost when he stands at the beginning of the turn as well as via skills, so the card can effectively become a 15k attacker for every turn after it's first placed.

V-Booster Set 01: UNITE! TEAM Q4 will launch in Japan May 25th, 2018, and in English June 22nd, 2018. It will be accompanied by sleeves based on Dragonic Overlord and Blaster Blade. V-Trial Deck 01: Sendou Aichi and V-TD02: Kai Toshiki will launch in Japanese May 11th, 2018, and in English June 8th, 2018. They will be accompanied by a new sleeve based on the "Imaginary Gift" design.

The first Extra Booster set of Standard, V-EB01: The Destructive Roar will launch in Japan June 29th, 2018, and August 3rd for the English-speaking world. The accompanying new anime series, codenamed "Origin," will begin airing May 5th, 2018, on TV Tokyo and affiliated stations. It will be simulcast with English subtitles on YouTube and Crunchyroll.

News: Cray Elemental Perfect Guard to be Distributed as Promo Card

The Japanese card of the day included a third card today. An unprecedented perfect defense card accessible to all clans, Light Elemental Sunny will be distributed next month as a promo card at the July 17th Bushiroad Summer Caravan in Japan. Past Cray Elemental units have had skills that rely on having face-up Cray Elementals in the generation zone. Sunny instead interacts with that zone in a completely different way, by providing support during the G Assist step.

CONT: Sentinel
AUTO: When this card is removed from your hand for G Assist, all fighters draw 1 card.
AUTO: [Choose 1 card from your hand, discard it] When this unit is placed from hand to the guardian circle, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose 1 of your vanguards that is being attacked, during that battle, that unit cannot be hit.
CONT: This card is from all clans and all nations.

Sunny's autoskill helps make up for removing a card from play during the G Assist step, negating the net -1 that a cardfighter that successfully assists has to take. In exchange the opponent also draws a card, preserving the different in card advantage while not punishing the assisting cardfighter as severely for being forced to assist. However, like the other G-perfect defense cards to be printed since G-BT01: Generation Stride, Sunny cannot protected rearguards from attacks, opening up vulnerability to Commander Laurel and Dragonic Overlord the End.

News: Cardfight Pack Vol.12 to Bring Nubatama Critical Trigger, Ramune and Deletor Evo

This morning several card shops that received their initial supplies of promo packs for February leaked images of the upcoming cards, with some recipients selling the cards early through eBay. Illegal sales of promo pack cards has been a continual problem for the company since the game reached the west, as unlike their Japanese counterparts, many western distributors have no scruples over breaking street dates and selling promos rather than giving them out as participation incentives. Bushiroad updated their official events page this hour to reflect the new cards.

Included in Volume 12 are Knight of Reform Ladinas, Weather Girl Ramune, Stealth Beast Tobihiko, Brawler Earthcrack Dragon, Clipping Deletor Evo and King Serpent. Prices are steadily climbing from $6 to $10 for each, as demand for early access to the promos is strong.

Tobihiko is of particular concern for professional Nubatama cardfighters, perceived by many as an essential card to the clan. Having not seen English-language support since FC02: Fighter's Collection 2014, while having both first and last had triggers for it printed in BT13: Catastrophic Outbreak, Nubatama is a clan starved for new cards and alternate trigger lineups. Previously forced to run four every trigger type, the addition of Tobihiko now gives Nubatama the option to eschew either stand or draw triggers for a more reliable one. In Japan a promo legion pair was also issued for the clan last year, and international cardfighters can expect to see that legion hit their shores later this year.

News: Grade 4 Harmonics Messiah Promo Leaked, Extra Deck to be Introduced to Vanguard

Five hours ago images of the Cardfight!! Vanguard Neon Messiah film's promo card were leaked to Twitter by Japanese fans, revealing the full skills of the grade 4 unit Harmonics Messiah. The first unit in the game to make use of the new Stride mechanic, Harmonics uniquely belongs to no clan or nation, possesses a triple drive check instead of twin drive, and has a staggering 16000 base power where 13000 is the norm for grade 4 cards.

Harmonics Messiah
G Unit/Grade 4/Triple Drive/16000 Power/No Shield/Critical 1/No Clan or Nation - Messiah/
"Shining on the darkness of chaos, oh grand light of truth----!"
(This card cannot be put in your Main Deck)
STRIDE (By meeting the condition and cost, until the end of the turn you may Stride)
CONT: This card belongs to all clans and all nations.

Harmonics' unique card back.

Harmonics' skills explicitly prevent it from being placed into the deck, and in fact its card back is completely different from standard card backs. This suggests that Harmonics will remain in a separate zone until Stridden, which has been theorized to be some form of Extra Deck or a zone specifically designed for this type of unit. Interestingly, Harmonics is not a Normal Unit nor a Trigger Unit, but a "G Unit," tying into recent promotional materials for the still-unannounced fifth season of Cardfight!! Vanguard which stated "To the next "G" Stand up!! Vanguard!"

The Triple Drive ability gives Harmonics the same offensive trigger checking and card advantage buildup as Great Daikaiser, but the fact that Stride only lasts until the end of the turn suggests that it will either retire or return to the zone it was Stridden from after it is used, preventing Harmonics' 16000 power base from being manipulated as a massive bunker defense.

While the exact mechanics of how Stride will work are unclear, seeing as Harmonics can be used by any clan or deck, it serves as an equal upgrade to all of the clans. It can be expected to best support the clans which already have a strong early to midgame but are lacking in some form of endgame skillset, as using Harmonics in place of one's vanguard would mean giving up that vanguard's skills for the duration of the turn. Stride itself exists in place of an Activate, Auto or Continuous skill, and its kanji is written as 超越 Chuuetsu "Transcendence," the same form of Transcendence used in the name of Transcendence Dragon Dragonic Nouvelle Vague.

Harmonics Messiah is being distributed as a promo card to attendees of the Neon Messiah film, and will also be printed with alternate artwork as a Special Parallel-rarity card in the accompanying booster set, VG-MBT01: Neon Messiah.

News: Cardfight!! Vanguard Manga to Release April 29th, Volumes 2 and 3 to Follow

After several years of anticipation, Itou Akira's long-awaited Cardfight!! Vanguard manga will finally be reaching western shores at the end of this month. Vertical Inc.'s English translation of the Cardfight!! Vanguard manga will come in two variations, both of which are 220-240 page paperbacks that come with an alternate artwork print of Blaster Blade using Studio TMS' artwork PR/046EN.

The Special Edition will also come with two 25-card Flash Fight decks, a playmat and storage box. The Special Edition of volume 1 is limited to 4500 copies, of which 2400 were already ordered by the beginning of March, and only first edition prints of the manga will contain the promo card. The Japanese print of this Blaster Blade promo is visible below for comparison.

The Cardfight!! Vanguard manga is highly regarded in the community for having a more cohesive take on the franchise's storyline, being written without the same time restrictions as the weekly anime and with less product placement; unlike in the animated series that models its narrative around upcoming booster sets, cards in the manga are created to tell a story first and made into reality later. Itou's writing acts as the source material for many ideas used in the anime and light novels, but instead of diverging into tournament arcs and championships, his manga gives focus to the daily lives of the cast and personal pressures they face.

Both versions of volume 1 are available on Amazon, although it should be noted that Amazon's listing erroneously lists the Special Edition as hardcover. Volume 2 is currently slated for a June 24th release, and volume 3 is to follow on August 26th. The promo cards for those volumes have not yet been announced, but it's feasible that they may follow the trend set by the first card have the next two contain Studio TMS' alternate artworks for Dragonic Overlord and Blaster Dark.

Itou's manga first appeared in July 2010 at the Tokyo Toy Show, with the first pages of the manga being previewed alongside an early PV for the first season of the anime. The manga began its formal Japanese run in KeroKero Ace magazine in November of the same year, where the first chapter was serialized ahead of the anime (which would not begin airing until January 2011), and the second chapter followed in December. Itou's manga continued to be serialized chapter by chapter in KeroKero Ace for three years of unbroken publication, until the magazine suddenly collapsed in July 2013, due to an executive decision by the publishers, Kadokawa Shoten.

In September the manga switched publications to the newly-created Monthly Bushiroad magazine, and has continued to have new chapters printed every month since that time. Thus far seven volumes have been compiled from Itou's chapters, with volume 1 originally being released in March 2011, volume 2 in August of that year, volume 3 in January 2012, volume 4 in June, volume 5 in November, volume 6 in August 2013, and most recently volume 7 in December 2013. The English-language volumes so far follow a bi-monthly schedule, and at that rate could be forecasted to catch up to the Japanese volumes by April of next year.