Yuri's next.
Boy: Miss, how do you use this card?
Yuri: Well, for that one...
Mitsusada Kenji: Hey, hello! It seems like something's been troubling you for a while now. What is it? ...Vanguard? I see, you're also a Vanguard fighter! Heh, so you just began recently. Do you have a grip on the rules?
Yuri: Koutei, what is it? Oh, who are you?
Kenji: Since you've been teaching kids the rules, thought I should call you over. He just started Vanguard recently.
Yuri: Ah, I see. In that case, I'll test you to see how well you know them.
Yuri: "Sentinel" cards have one of two possible abilities, "Perfect Guard" and what else?
>Quartet Wall
>>Quintet Wall
>Trio Wall
Yuri: That's right! Not bad.
We get a copy of Dimensional Robo, Dailander for answering her quiz correctly. Quintet Walls are one of my favorite impractical card mechanics, because they absolutely ruin Daikaiser's entire very-specific mechanic.
Yuri: Let's put what you've recalled into practice. We'll see if you've mastered both wisdom and power in a real match.
>>Fight
>Don't fight
VS Yuri
Dimension Police
Yuri initially gets gradelocked at zero, so I reset this fight. She has first play this game, and is running an Enigman deck, the classic Dimension Police ride chain. Unfortunately we see the deck's weak points immediately; she fails her initial ride into Enigman Ripple, instead going into the 8k vanilla Karenroid Daisy. Unlike later ride chains, the BT04 version lacks the Forerunner ability, so it gives absolutely no compensation for failing to ride correctly.
Our opening ride isn't much better, but Planet Lancer at least gives us a booster for later.
Yuri doesn't have much of a gameplan to work with. Lining up two vanillas at least guarantees I can't block (18k vs 8k) but I would probably have accepted an unboosted attack regardless, as I need to account for potentially riding Planetal as my first grade 3 and need 2 counterblast for that.
With no grade 3 in sight, it's in my best interest to poke the opponent as much as possible. That may seem like it's wasting Planetal, but should I drive check it I can still intercept with Claudine on Yuri's turn and have an open circle to superior call a grade 3 in. Should I get Ashlei instead, I have a 17k center and my rearguards can be content to poke Yuri for 5k blocks until it comes time to break ride.
Lo and behold, Planetal in the drive check. We're going with plan A.
Had Yuri damage checked even one trigger, it would put a total stop to all of my remaining attacks this turn, but that doesn't happen and she doesn't opt to block, leaving her at 4 damage to 1 and +0 to +1. Unless she pulls off something drastic, the end of the line is in sight.
Yuri: Behold the power of Team Caesar's empress. Ride!
Enigman Rain is Yuri's original boss card from the first season. If its power is 12000 or greater before it initiates an attack, then it gains the ability to stand one rearguard when its attack hits. Ideally you would combine this with Glory Maker to create a 22000-power center, or use Cosmo Beak to achieve the same with a lesser booster. The ideal target for this play is the grade 3 Miracle Beauty, who stands the rearguard behind her when she stands, but even so these kinds of on-hit strategies are hopelessly dated, even in limit break format.
Oh, now this is just sad. There aren't even any rearguard attacks to bother intercepting--All we need do is take the damage and call over an occupied circle.
Yuri drive checks an Enigman Ripple (her second one) and a Miracle Beauty, while we damage check a draw trigger into this Rachelle.
I ride into Planetal and superior call a copy of it to activate the Toypugals. Enigman Rain is a 10k base, so the remaining Claudine column will require a 15k guard once you factor in the +3 on each unit. I don't want Yuri two-passing my vanguard with a single trigger, so I go ahead and replacing Planet Lancer with Rachelle. It's a loss to me, but it's even more of one for my opponent.
Yuri drops 15k on our vanguard, and I check a draw trigger. I have a choice here; If I think none of the four unknown cards in her hand are 10k shields, then I could try putting the effects on Claudine in hopes of drawing out more guardians. But in light of how Yuri hasn't been calling anything of note, that's probably not the case. So it's better to power up the rearguard Planetal and guarantee that no matter which column she blocks, Yuri will have to drop another 15k.
Yuri takes the first attack and guards the second for another 15k, bringing her down to 3 cards in hand. At this point, she can't even give us limit break or the required guard will jump up another 5k through our rearguard Planetal.
On her turn Yuri uses a Guide Dolphin to give Rain +3k, activating her on-hit skill. But at this point, Yuri's too far gone to recover.
We block the Miracle Beauty's first attack, tank Rain's, and take the last one to reach limit break. Yuri's gameplan becomes redundant when she drive checks a stand trigger, removing the need for Rain's on-hit altogether. Miracle Beauty stands through the trigger, then through her own skill stands the Quilt behind her.
As if things couldn't get worse for Yuri, our fourth check is a draw trigger. In general, draws are better damage checks than they are drive checks, as they add to your hand without contributing the drawback of another 5k in hand.
There's no need to play anything else. Attack with Planetal, limit break, Yuri doesn't have enough shield to block even two attacks.
Yuri: I lost, huh...
750 VP for a win, 50 for limit breaking, and a Guide Dolphin. This fight was little more than turning cards sideways until the opponent stops. In the future I'll be avoiding showing fights like these.
Yuri: I'm shocked! You certainly have good moves. I'll look forward to seeing you grow.
Kenji: I'll have to be careful, too. Let's meet at a tournament next time!
