Press Release: BT16 ver. E Announced for December Release

In a recent press release, Bushiroad has announced its modified schedule for 2014. Key announcements are the simultaneous release of five products on November 21st, as well as the announcement of the new booster set, BT16 ver. E: Legion of Dragons and Blades. Although billed as an English edition of BT16, ver. E's contents will significantly differ from its Japanese counterpart, including "cards from multiple sets." Scheduled to be released on December 19th, with prerelease events from the 12th through the 14th, ver. E's modification was likely made with respect to the November schedule omitting TD15: Brawler of Friendship.

Based on the delay of Narukami's newest trial deck, the predominant theory at this time is that BT16 Ver. E will drop its Narukami support in favor of a merger with some of the cards from the upcoming Japanese Movie Booster Set, MBT01: Neon Messiah. Following this theory, ver. E would contain the Royal and Gold Paladin cards from MBT01 in place of its Narukami units, which would instead be shifted into a later set.

The current delay of BT16, previously scheduled to take place prior to Fighter's Collection 2014, was likely made to accommodate the mass November release schedule. Much like the multi-set mixup of 2012, the modified schedule will have an intense effect on professional play for the English-language game. The initial delay of BT16 pushes back the two decks popularly held to be the best in the Legion format, Thing Saver Dragon and Cat Butler Raizers, while also giving more opportunity for Genesis and Shadow Paladin cardfighters to build up a presence in tournament play using the new extra booster sets. The full press release is hosted below.

The following is a press release distributed by Bushiroad USA and may not reflect the views or opinions of Cardfight Pro or its editors.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5 English Edition Cardfight!! Vanguard Expansions Mega Release in November
Singapore (September 4, 2014) – Bushiroad announced the simultaneous release of 5 Cardfight!! Vanguard English Edition expansions which will be on sale from November 21, 2014. These expansions include 3 Trial Decks and 2 Extra Booster Packs, in addition to the previously announced special Fighters Collection 2014 expansion set.
Trial Deck Vol. 14 ‘Seeker of Hope’, Trial Deck Vol. 16 ‘Divine Judgment of the Bluish Flames’ and Trial Deck Vol. 17 ‘Will of the Locked Dragon’ will be released on the same date as Extra Booster Pack Vol. 11 ‘Requiem at Dusk’ and Extra Booster Pack Vol. 12 ‘Waltz of the Goddess’.
Bushiroad also announced plans to release an English Edition exclusive expansion which will include cards from multiple sets. This English Edition exclusive expansion, Booster Pack Vol. 16 ver. E ‘Legion of Dragons & Blades’, is scheduled to release in December 19, 2014. The Sneak Preview Events will run from December 12 to 14, 2014.
Trial Deck Vol. 14 ‘Seeker of Hope’ and Trial Deck Vol. 16 ‘Divine Judgment of the Bluish Flames’ features units from the ever-popular <<Royal Paladin>> and <<Gold Paladin>> clan.
Trial Deck Vol. 17 ‘Will of the Locked Dragon’ will contain the quintessential nemesis <<Link Joker>> units.
<<Shadow Paladin>> and <<Genesis>> units will make a comeback with the all-new ‘Legion’ ability in Extra Booster Pack Vol. 11 ‘Requiem at Dusk’ and Extra Booster Pack Vol. 12 ‘Waltz of the Goddess’ respectively.

News: Cardfight!! Vanguard Films "A Game of Three" and "Neon Messiah" to Screen in September, Petit Vanguard Festival Decklists

Information regarding the upcoming Cardfight!! Vanguard films has just come out of this year's ongoing Great Vanguard Festival. Previously revealed at Bushiroad's December 2013 press conference, the films are currently scheduled for dual screenings as a single movie in September 2014. The first piece, A Game of Three (３つのゲーム Mitsu no Geemu) will be filmed in live action and star musician-actor Naito Daigō, while the second movie, Neon Messiah (ネオンメサイア Neon Mesaia), will be animated by LIDENFILMS of Ultra Super Pictures and star professional seiyuu Yonaga Tsubasa as the voice of Sendou Aichi. LIDENFILMS had previously done animation work on the franchise's poorly-received second season, Asia Circuit. Neon Messiah is set to take place between the end of the Link Joker and the currently airing Legion Mate chapters of the anime series, and will explore the events leading up to Aichi's disappearance in the latter season.

Also coming out just today is news regarding the sixteenth and seventeenth Japanese trial decks, leaked by the manager of the Fukuoka-based card store G-PROJECT. VG-TD17: Blue Flames of the Sacred Court (聖裁の青き炎 Seisai no Aokihonoo alternatively translated as of the Sacred Judge) will feature the Gold Paladin units used by Quatre Knight Olivier Gaillard, but the exact nature of TD16's support is not known. TD16: Cursed Dragon of Determination (決意の呪縛竜 Ketsui no Jubakuryuu) has been widely speculated to contain support for the Link Joker clan, based on the use of the kanji 呪縛 Jubaku "curse/spell" which is also the written form of ロック Rokku Lock. Without a pronunciation guide, it's uncertain if the intended reading is Cursed Dragon or Locked Dragon; the double meaning may be intentional. According to G-PROJECT, both decks will be receiving a Beginning Set variant as with TD14 and 15, and will be released on July 11th.

In other news, the decklists from the Petit Vanguard Festival's winning team have been made public and are translated below. Captained by Sussan using a Dragonic Nouvelle Vague deck, the team also features one of the first successful Monarch Sanctuary builds of the BT15-on format; Monarch has had a generally lukewarm reception in Japan, debuting on the secondary market as a 200 yen (approx. $2) RRR, and even in the team midfielder Chris' deck Monarch himself is only played at two copies. Much of the build's newfound success comes from Balan, an improved clone of Barrier Troop Revenger Dorint that can unflip damage whenever a Blade Liberator is called to the rearguard, and from Star Rain Trumpeter, who can superior call a unit by returning Blade Liberators to the deck from the drop zone or soul. The new grade 1 Zorron is also subtly important to the new Liberators; when called to the rearguard from the deck Zorron can move into the soul to call another card from the top 3 cards, so that with the skills of Gancelot Zenith, Star Rain and Escrad all able to trigger him, the Monarch build achieves effective acceleration that can partially ignore Zorron and run a "46-card" deck while also replenishing the soul for Monarch's limit break. Chris' version of the deck also has synergy with Gancelot Zenith's emphasis on grade 2 and lower rearguards, achieved by running just 6 grade 3s.

Petit Vanguard Festival First Place Team
Foreward: Akebi/アクビ
Grade 0
x1 Vivid Rabbit (FV)
x4 Witch of Big Pots, Laurier HT
x2 Bandit Danny DT
x2 Fancy Monky DT
x4 Witch of Lemons, Limoncello CT
x4 Battle Maiden, Kukurihime CT
Grade 1
x4 Goddess of Protection, Kushinada
x4 Orange Witch, Valencia
x3 Apple Witch, Cider
x3 Ordain Owl
Grade 2
x4 Grape Witch, Grappa
x4 Witch of Ravens, Chamomile
x3 Goddess of Trees, Jupiter
Grade 3
x4 Omniscience Regalia, Minerva
x4 Regalia of Wisdom, Angelica

Midfielder: Chris/クリス
Grade 0
x1 Aspiring Liberator, Alm (FV)
x4 Flame of Victory CT
x4 Liberator of Hope, Epona CT
x2 Strike Liberator CT
x2 Armed Liberator, Gwydion DT
x4 Elixir Liberator HT
Grade 1
x3 May Rain Liberator, Bruno
x4 Halo Liberator, Mark
x4 White Rainbow Liberator, Balan
x4 Physical Force Liberator, Zorron
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Blade Liberator
x4 Liberator of the Flute, Escrad
x3 Liberator, Stair Rain Trumpeter
x1 Player of the Holy Bow, Viviane
Grade 3
x4 Liberator of Bonds, Gancelot Zenith
x2 Liberator, Monarch Sanctuary Alfred

Captain: Sussan/すっさん
Grade 0
x1 Red Pulse Dracokid (FV)
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe
x1 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x2 Dragon Dancer, Barbara HT
x1 Dragon Dancer, Therese HT
x1 Gattling Claw Dragon DT
x4 Seal Dragon, Artpique DT
x2 Seal Dragon, Biera CT
x2 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
x2 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x1 Lizard Soldier, Goraha CT
Grade 1
x4 Nouvelle Roman Dragon
x2 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x1 Dragon Dancer, Maria
x1 Seal Dragon, Rinocross
x3 Calamity Tower Wyvern
x1 Dragon Monk, Gojo
Grade 2
x4 Nouvelle Critique Dragon
x3 Berserk Dragon
x2 Bellicosity Dragon
x1 Dragonic Burnout
x1 Demonic Dragon Berserker, Kumbhanda
Grade 3
x4 Dauntless Drive Dragon
x2 Dragonic Overlord (BT15/004)
Grade 4
x3 Transcendence Dragon, Dragonic Nouvelle Vague