Weekly Bites reveals: Mini Booster 01 "Rivalry of PSY Qualia" launches 9/28, featuring Exculpate and Nouvelle

V-Mini Booster 01: Rivalry of PSY Qualia launches September 28th in Japan. The first-ever Mini Booster contains only 8 new cards, alongside 36 reprints. The booster contains support for both Royal Paladin and Kagerо̄, with its cover cards being Exculpate the Blaster and Dragonic Nouvelle Vague, Kai and Aichi's trump cards from the end of the manga's fifth volume. The set comprises 2 Vanguard Rares, 4 Triple Rares, 6 Double Rares, 10 Single Rares, and 14 Commons, along with 2 Special Vanguard Rare alternate prints and 16 Gift Markers based on various scenes form the anime.

Each pack contains just 2 cards, with booster packs costing 100 yen (~$0.90) rather than the normal 300, and each boxes contains 32 packs, with a guaranteed Vanguard Rare or Special Vanguard Rare in each. Every pack contains either a Single Rare or higher or a holographic print of a Common.

The grade 0 reprints have 2 versions, 1 normal version and 1 version with a modified card frame that allows artwork to completely fill the card.

This week's card reveals focus on Granblue.

Evil Shade
ACT [Rearguard Circle] Once per turn: [Counterblast 1, bind 1 card from your drop zone] Call a card from your drop zone to Rearguard Circle with the same name as the bound card.

Dragon Undead, Skull Dragon
Imaginary Gift: Protect
CONT [Hand]: This card cannot be Normal Called.
CONT [Vanguard/Rearguard Circle]: During yoru turn, for each card in your drop zone, this unit gets Power +2000.
CONT [Rearguard Circle]: At the end of the battle it attacked, retire this unit.

King of Demonic Seas, Basskirk
CONT [Vanguard Circle]: During your turn, if the number of cards in your drop zone is 10 or greater, this unit gets Power +5000/Critical +1.
ACT [Vanguard Circle] Once per turn: [Counterblast 1, Soulblast 1] Call 1 card from your drop zone to Rearguard Circle, and for each of that unit's Grades, this unit gets Power +5000 until end of turn.

V-Trial Deck 03: Sо̄ryū Leon

Weekly Bites reveals: Foo Fighter arc adapting Vol. 2-5 of Vanguard manga

This week's episode of the rebooted Weekly Bites series features live-size replicas of Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark's swords.

Image 10: "Aichi's Wind!!"
The fourth round of the shop showdown is Sendо̄ Aichi versus Sо̄ryū Leon. Struggling against something Leon calls "the Wind," Aichi witnesses a completely different image in their fight from anything he's seen before.

Image 12 "The Mysterious Enemy, Foo Fighter!!" airing July 21st introduces the Foo Fighters, and begins their arc of the anime series.

There are several differences between the Foo Fighters of the reboot and those of the 2011 anime series:

• In the first season, Team Foo Fighter was Japan's strongest team. In the 2018 series, the Foo Fighters are a Card Gang.
• In the original anime the battle against them was set in the national championship tournament, but in the reboot they are fought as part of everyday life.
• In the 2011 version of this arc, Aichi used Shadow Paladin; in the 2018 version, he continues to use Royal Paladin.
• In the first season, Ren wanted Kai to return to him. In this season, Ren wants to ____ Kai.

This is all based directly on Itо̄ Akira's Cardfight!! Vanguard manga, and with his supervision additional scenes (not found in the comics) are also being developed. The manga was originally published simultaneous to the first season; internationally it's published by Vertical Inc.

 The Q4 versus Foo Fighter arc is adapted directly from volumes 2 through 5 of the manga.

Itо̄ Akira's character design of Suzugamori Ren, which can be found in the in-between pages of volume 3. Itо̄-sensei is excited that the Foo Fighter arc is finally beginning.

Image 12 "The Mysterious Enemy, Foo Fighter!!"
A member of the mysterious gang "Foo Fighter," Kawanami Minami, suddenly appears in the peaceful Card Capital. He uses a dangerous piece of equipment called the "VF Gloves" to make the damage from a fight become real.

 This twelfth episode is a straight adaptation of the manga's fifth chapter.

Kai, Ren, and Aichi's story
"The real battle begins between Kai with his painful past and Ren driven mad by his "PSY Qualia."
Can Aichi save these two, caught up in their chain of battles...?"

Weekly Bites reveals: Ravenous Dragon Megarex, Foo Fighter appearing in episode 12 of anime series

Ravenous Dragon, Megarex
AUTO [Vanguard/Rearguard Circles]: When it attacks, [Cost: Retire 1 of your other rearguards] draw 1 card. If this unit is on Rearguard Circle, you may further [Cost: Counterblast 1] and put the top card of your deck into this unit's Equip Gauge, and this unit gets Power +5000 for each card in this unit's Equip Gauge until the end of that battle.

This is Tachikaze's final Triple Rare out of V-Extra Booster 01.

Doctor O nearly decked himself on-stream, with only 3 cards remaining after repeatedly using Gigarex.

The Super Vanguard Rares of V-Extra Booster 01: The Destructive Roar: Maching Spark Hercules, Ravenous Dragon Gigarex, and General Siefried. The set's unique Gift Markers will also feature these units, rather than anime characters.

 The Origin Rares of the set are Machining Stag Beetle, Juggernaut Maximum, and Tyrant Deathrex.

Official Cardfight!! Vanguard goods based on six character illustrations featuring Sendou Aichi, Kai Toshiki, Suzugamori Ren, Katsuragi Kamui and Souryuu Leon, Tokura Misaki, and Narumi Asaka will be available at from August 10th to 12th at Comic Market 94 in Tokyo Big Site.

Team Foo Fighter will making its season debut in episode 12 of the 2018 Cardfight!! Vanguard series, airing July 21st.

Image 9: "Kai, defeated!!"
The third round of the shop showdown is the aloof fighter Kai Toshiki against the emperor of the TCG world Mitsusada Kenji. A burning hot fight unfolds between these two incredibly skilled fighters, tearing each other to pieces!!

Note: This next episode preview spoils the results of the ongoing Team Q4 vs Team NwO matches.

Image 11: "A Man's Battle"
The decisive battle of the shop competition is between Katsuragi Kamui and Daimonji Gouki. Thinking only of surpassing Gouki, Kamui recalls something Gouki once told him.

Weekly Bites reveals: General Siefried, Daiyusha and World Grand Prix 2018 promotional cards

Super Dimensional Robo, Daiyusha
Imaginary Gift: Force
CONT [Vanguard Circle]: If its Power is 35000 or greater, this unit gets Critical +1.
ACT [Vanguard Circle] Once per turn: [Cost: Rest any number of your rearguards] Until end of turn, this unit gets Power +10000 for each unit Rested for this cost.

Note that this is altogether different from how the Daiyusha of the original series worked. The original Daiyusha had to meet his power benchmark before boosting, while the new one can reach it after, or even via having trigger effects applied to it.

Image 8: "Uproar!! Q4 vs NwO"
A shop showdown with Team Q4 representing Card Capital and Team NwO representing Voyage begins! The siblings Daimonji Gоuki and Nagisa are up first to face Team Q4.

Animation reference for Team Q4 out of their school uniforms. Note the fanny pack on Aichi.

Japan's Standard-format shop tournament promo for July 1st through 31st is an Origin Rare print of Oracle Guardian Gemini.

Eight new promotional cards will be distributed at in Japan through Special Fight Pack Vol. 1. Fighters will be able to exchange coupons received for participating at shop tournaments from July to September, then exchange them at World Grand Prix regionals for packs. Each pack contains 1 randomized card, with a chance for the card to be printed with a Double Rare foil instead of as a Common. This is similar to the redemption process used for past Spring Fest promos.

Double Rare (right) foiling compared to Common.

Royal Paladin
Holy Disaster Dragon
No Gift
AUTO [Vanguard/Rearguard Circles]: When it attacks, [Cost: Put 1 card from hand to soul] this unit gets Power +10000 until the end of that battle.
Eagle Knight of the Skies
AUTO [Vanguard/Rearguard/Guardian Circles]: When placed, [Cost: Soulblast 1] this unit gets Power +3000/Shield +5000 until end of turn.

Oracle Think Tank
Battle Sister, Torte
CONT [Vanguard/Rearguard Circles]: During your turn, if the number of cards in your hand is 10 or greater, this unit gets Power +10000/Critical +1.
Goddess of Tolerance, Oomiyanome
ACT [Rearguard Circle]: [Cost: Counterblast 1, retire this unit] Draw 3 cards, and at the end of your turn, discard 3 cards.

Kagerō
Chain-attack Sutherland
CONT [Rearguard Circle]: If you have a "Follower, Reas" on your Rearguard Circle, this unit gets Power +5000, and if you do not, Power -5000.
Follower, Reas
AUTO [Rearguard Circle]: When placed, 1 of your other rearguards gets Power +3000 until end of turn. If that unit is "Chain-attack Sutherland," it gets Power +5000 instead.

Nova Grappler
King of Sword
AUTO [Vanguard/Rearguard Circles]: When placed, [Cost: Soulblast 1] 2 of your units get Power +3000 until end of turn. If the number of your units is 5 or greater, they get Power +5000 instead.
Queen of Heart
AUTO [Rearguard Circle] Once per turn: When a Sentinel is placed in your opponent's Guardian Circle, Stand this unit.

Card supplies associated with V-Trial Deck 04: Suzugamori Ren will launch August 10th, 2018. They include Blaster Dark and Suzugamori Ren sleeves, each retailing for 740 yen + tax, and a Blaster Dark deckbox for 600 yen + tax.

Treasured, Black Panther
AUTO [Rearguard Circle]: When it attacks, [Cost: Soulblast 1] you may have this unit get Power +5000 or Power +15000. If it gained Power +15000, at the end of that battle, put this until into your soul.

General Siefried
Imaginary Gift: Force
ACT [Vanguard Circle]: [Cost: Counterblast 1, put 1 of your rearguards into your soul] Search your deck for up to 1 card with the same name as the unit put into soul for this effect's cost, call it to a Rearguard Circle, and this unit and that unit get Power +10000 until end of turn. Shuffle your deck.
AUTO [Vanguard Circle]: When its attack hits, [Cost: Soulblast 2] Stand 1 of your rearguards, and choose 1 of your opponent's rearguards, and retire it.

Note that Siefried's second skill caused some confusion on-stream. Its Japanese wording sounds vague due to literally saying "When attack hits." (アッタックがヒットした時 attaku ga hittoshita toki) The sentence uses a subject-drop rule of Japanese where the subject of the sentence is not stated if it is presumed to be obvious; all cards in Standard format are worded like this to save space, but Doctor O mistakenly skill would resolve when a rearguard's attack hit. He was then corrected--Siefried can only pay his soulblast 2 if his own attack hits. The wording is identical to Dragonic Overlord.

Next week will feature the voice of Inanaga Ichirō and Vanguard evangelist Maeda Seiji as a special guest, and a fight with cards from V-Extra Booster 01: The Destructive Roar.

Episode 8 of Weekly Bites will air Tuesday June 26th, 2018, at 9:00 PM Japanese Standard Time.

Weekly Bites reveals: Aqua Force never sealed in reboot, Daiyūsha key art

Image 7: "Unite!! Team Q4"
Mitsusada Kenji, 3rd place in the Asia Circuit and a member of "Voyage," has decided to participate in a shop showdown. On this day, Mitsusada suddenly arrives in Card Capital.

Key artwork of Mitsusada "Koutei" Kenji and Super Dimensional Robo Daiyūsha, used as reference while animating the 2018 Cardfight!! Vanguard anime. Daiyūsha will be facing off against Miwa Taishi's Hero deck in the new series. Daiyūsha is voiced by Inada Tetsu, voice of Shinjо̄ Tetsu.

In this week's anime Question & Answer section, Vangarо̄-kun explains that the Aqua Force clan was never sealed in this new continuity, so Leon's lineage was never destroyed, and so he was never seduced by Void. This time, Leon was able to peacefully grow with his friends as a Vanguard fighter.

Rather than a "remake," the new series is a "Reboot" which explores a "what if" scenario for various characters. Those familiar with the previous series will enjoy both reuniting with the old cast and seeing how they're changed by this "what if."

Weekly Bites reveals: Machining Stag Beetle and Machining Spark Hercules

Machining Stag Beetle
AUTO [Vanguard/Rearguard Circle]: When placed from hand, choose up to 2 cards from soul and call them to Rearguard Circle as Rest, and if this unit is on Vanguard Circle, it gets the combined power of all units called by this effect until end of turn.

Machining Stag Beetle is V-EB01/008 RRR, below Juggernaut Maximum and above Machining Mantis.

Machining Spark Hercules
ACT [Vanguard Circle ] Once per turn: [Cost: Counterblast 2] Choose 5 of your rearguards, Stand them, and they get Power +5000 until end of turn. Rest all of your opponent's units, and until the end of your opponent's next turn, they get Power -5000.
ACT [Vanguard Circle]: Once per turn: [Cost: Put 1 of your grade 2 or greater rearguards put into your soul] This unit gets Power +5000 for each of your opponent's Rested units until end of turn.

Machining Spark Hercules is V-EB01/003 VR, the first Vanguard Rare of the set to be revealed.

Weekly Bites reveals: Happy Birthday Aichi!! counters and merchandise

The fifth episode of Weekly Bites commemorates Aichi's birthday, which is tomorrow!

Merchandise commemorating Aichi's birthday, including cakes, macaroons, and six designs for a printed character bromide.

These are available from June 6th to July 31st, and also include Power and Critical Fighter's Counters featuring Aichi.

 The counters must be cut out individually.

The Aichi counter counts +1 Critical, while the Blaster Blade counter counts +10000 Power.

Weekly Bites reveals: Nagisa to use Granblue, Extra Booster 2 sleeves

Image 6 "Declaration of War!! Shop Competition"
Sendou Aichi and friends go to the huge card shop "Voyage" that used to be Kamui's home, and meet the winner and runner-up of the Asia Circuit, Sōryū Leon and Daimonji Gouki.

Gouki will be appearing in episode 6 as a member of Team NwO, Nagisa with Others. He's a rival of Kamui's.

Nagisa is Gouki's little sister, and created Team NwO from the top 3 competitors in the Asia Circuit. However, it seems she considers Kamui a "traitor"...!?

Nagisa and Gouki riding Guiding Zombie. Both of them use Granblue in the new series, with Nagisa undergoing special training to use Gouki's deck.

Upcoming card sleeves for V-EB01 include Marine General of the Restless Tides Algos, King of Demonic Seas Basskirk, Ultimate Dimensional Robo Great Daiyusha, and Sōryū Leon sleeves. There will also be a deck holder themed after Algos.