Fighter's Spotlight: Shibata Yuusuke/柴田祐輔

Fighter's Spotlight is an ongoing project concerned with tracking real-world professional cardfighters and their careers.

Shibata Yuusuke/柴田祐輔

Age: Unknown; Seniors Division
Titles Won: Sapporo Regional Champion (Senior Class)
Current Status: Sapporo Regional Champion
Deck Type: Kagerou (Dragonic Overlord-The End)
Shibata Yuusuke was the regional champion and representative for Sapporo in the Fighter's Road 2012 national championship. One of eight senior class fighters participating, his Kagerou deck was at the time recognized as one of two favorites for the national crown.

Decks and Play Style
Shibata's deck is a popular take on Dragonic Overlord The End, using his Conroe first vanguard to bring the deck's single Aermo into the field and search the deck with each attack for copies of The End to fuel the crossride's persona blast. To support his vanguard, Shibata has four options; Nehalem can form a 16000-and-above line with any of his grade 1 units, while Burning Horn gains power from having an Overlord vanguard, and so reaches those same numbers while also climbing into the 20000 range with Bahr as his booster. Berserk Dragon is a traditional part of any Kagerou deck, used for fast and immediate retire moves, while Overlord can also fill in for any of them while using a counterblast 3 to reach 16000 power independent of any boosting units, and eliminating the opponent's rearguard besides.

The use of Overlord in the rearguard circle is a well established practice, and complements The End better than any of his support units. While Flame of Promise is not included to amplify The End's attacks, he's not really necessary with such a vicious rearguard pressuring the opponent into letting a vanguard attack slide. As Dragonic Overlord's skill usually demands a perfect defense to stop him from standing, this forces opponents to choose between letting The End attack twice and losing their entire front line to Overlord. The End's 13000 base defense makes even 16000-power columns blockable with a single draw trigger, while Nehalem and Overlord form similarly defensible rearguards that generally put Shibata's deck a cut above all but limit break and his Royal-Shadow contemporaries.

Summer 2012 Regional Tournament, Sapporo Seniors Division
Card Pool: TD01-EB03, PR 0001-0066
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe (FVG)
x4 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x4 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x4 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
Grade 1
x4 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x4 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x4 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x2 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x1 Flame of Hope, Aermo
Grade 2
x4 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x3 Burning Horn Dragon
x4 Berserk Dragon
Grade 3
x4 Dragonic Overlord
x4 Dragonic Overlord The End

Fighter's Spotlight: Kanamaru Makoto/金丸眞人

Fighter's Spotlight is an ongoing project concerned with tracking real-world professional cardfighters and their careers.

Makoto is third from the left, on the bottom row.

Kanamaru Makoto/金丸眞人

Age: Unknown; Seniors Division
Titles Won: Osaka Regional Champion (Senior Class), National Runner-Up (Japan, Senior Class)
Current Status: National Runner-Up (Summer 2012)
Deck Type: Bermuda Triangle (Top Idol, Riviere)
Kanamaru Makoto is the reigning regional champion for Osaka, and a past contender for the Fighter's Road 2012 national title. One of the more visible underdogs, Kanamaru was noted for his unusual deck choice and the potential upset it could create between the tournament's many influx of Kagerou and Paladin cardfighters. However, the ultimate upset that Kanamaru created was of a very different kind, when it was revealed in the championship aftermath that he is an inveterate cheater, banned from many shops in Osaka. Following investigation, Kanamaru was penalized for marking the sleeved backings of his trigger cards; for cheating during the Fighter's Road finals, he has been banned from participating in any official games until January 22nd, 2014¹.

Since being exposed, Kanamaru has gained notoriety as the first player to cheat in a professional match.

Decks and Play Style
Kanamaru's deck revolves around the Riviere evolution ride line, riding from one Riviere in the line to the next while drawing a card with each ride's skill to eliminate the impact this has on his hand. These costless rides, along with Riviere's innate power-increasing abilities, gives Kanamaru more room to call freely while having an effective defense on his opponent's turn. Kanamaru's trigger choices are arranged so that he can call Drive Quartet, Flows as an alternative booster, gaining +3000 power from Shuplu being on the field; while Shuplu is herself only a 4000-power booster, with the additional power Top Idol, Riviere receives from her skill, these two can form a column strong enough to oppose any unit under 11000 power.

Top Idol, Riviere's skill acts in favor of his build, which omits stand triggers. By prioritizing the vanguard's attack, Kanamaru can potentially activate her persona blast on-hit, empowering three Bermuda Triangle rearguards by +5000 power.

Prism of the Water's Surface, Miltoa along with Ameer further promote multiple calls, while simultaneously searching the deck for additional pieces in the Riviere chain. Mermaid Idol, Flute's skill benefits from these calls, increasing her power up to levels that allow for unassisted attacks on higher-power vanguards once Riviere's persona blast readies her for battle. Super Idol, Salem also works offensively with Riviere, rising up to 18000 power with the Top Idol's and her own skills before being boosted.

Finally, Top Idol, Pacifica cycles out unneeded cards, forms her own 20000-and-up column as an alternative to Riviere, and even builds for a megablast in the event that the deck's other counterblast skills have not been used. It needs to be mentioned that, as only one of the other cards in this deck outside of Pacifica and Riviere use counterblast, the odds of Pacifica connecting and using her skill from the rearguard increases exponentially as a vanguard Riviere continues to be guarded. This forces the opponent to choose between taking a persona blast or a megablast. While this deck lacks the Triangle's favored return-to-hand tactics, its aggressive slant and ability to quickly fill the field while pressing the opponent to guard can exhaust any cardfighters' resources in short order.


Summer 2012 Regional and National Tournament, Osaka Seniors Division
Card Pool: TD01-EB03, PR 0001-0066
Grade 0
x1 Bermuda Triangle Cadet, Riviere (FVG)
x4 Comical Rainy CT
x4 Cooking Caspian DT
x4 Drive Quartet, Flows HT
x4 Drive Quartet, Shuplu CT
Grade 1
x3 Mermaid Idol, Erie
x4 Mermaid Idol, Sedna
x2 Prism of the Water's Surface, Miltoa
x4 Mermaid Idol, Riviere
x2 Navy Dolphin, Ameer
Grade 2
x4 Top Idol, Aqua
x4 Super Idol, Riviere
x3 Mermaid Idol, Flute
Grade 3
x1 Top Idol, Pacifica
x2 Super Idol, Salem
x4 Top Idol, Riviere

Citations and External Links
1. "Application History for Penal Regulations and Provisions (Last Updated: 2012/7/24)." Cardfight!! Vanguard JP. Bushiroad, 24 July 2012. Web. 24 July 2012. <cf-vanguard.com/howto/penalty/>.

News: Fighter's Road 2012 Osaka and Sapporo

This morning the winners of the final two Fighter's Road 2012 regional competitions were made available through Bushiroad's official CF-Vanguard Japanese website. All of the regional competitions have now been completed.

While Dragonic Overlord The End continues to dominate as the most popular deck of the season, Bermuda Triangle, the new Oracle Think Tank and Nova Grappler are coming to prominence as major powerhouses in the current competitive scene. Gold Paladin is continuing to make steady progress with the first pure Spectral Duke Dragon build seeing use, while Royal Paladin appears to be experiencing a severe decline in light of The End's popularity. Dark Irregulars has also made its debut into the Fighter's Road main events.

Interestingly, this appears to mark the return of Horikawa Eiki, a participant from the Kanazawa Regional Trio Battle's runner-up team. This time making entry into the junior leagues using an Oracle Think Tank deck, the reappearance comes as a surprise. Eiki has an established background in card games, being the 2010 junior national champion in the Pokemon TCG.

First place winners in these competitions will go on to the national championship; one team and one individual among those at the championship will be crowned Japan's 2012 National Champions. We now await for the final matches between the eight regional champions and teams set to compete in Akiba Square on July 22nd.

Trio Battle results will be reported in a separate post, combined with the preceding three cities.

Osaka Regional Championship
Seniors Division
Regional Champion: Kanamaru Makoto/金丸眞人
Grade 0
x1 Bermuda Triangle Cadet, Riviere (FVG)
x4 Comical Rainy CT
x4 Cooking Caspian DT
x4 Drive Quartet, Flows HT
x4 Drive Quartet, Shuplu CT
Grade 1
x3 Mermaid Idol, Erie
x4 Mermaid Idol, Sedna
x2 Prism of the Water's Surface, Miltoa
x4 Mermaid Idol, Riviere
x2 Navy Dolphin, Ameer
Grade 2
x4 Top Idol, Aqua
x4 Super Idol, Riviere
x3 Mermaid Idol, Flute
Grade 3
x1 Top Idol, Pacifica
x2 Super Idol, Salem
x4 Top Idol, Riviere

Runner-Up: Tokiyo Kenta/戸清健太
Grade 0
x1 Little Witch, LuLu (FVG)
x4 Lozenge Magus HT
x4 Oracle Guardian, Nike CT
x4 Psychic Bird CT
x4 Battle Sister, Ginger CT
Grade 1
x4 Battle Sister, Chocolat
x4 Oracle Guardian, Gemini
x2 Luck Bird
x1 Battle Sister, Omelette
x3 Dark Cat
Grade 2
x4 Battle Sister, Mocha
x3 Oracle Guardian, Wiseman
x4 Silent Tom
Grade 3
x4 Scarlet Witch, CoCo
x1 Battle Sister, Souffle
x3 Goddess of Flower Divination, Sakuya

Third Place: Tanaka Noboru/田中升
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe (FVG)
x4 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x4 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x4 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
Grade 1
x4 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x4 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x4 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x1 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x1 Flame of Hope, Aermo
Grade 2
x3 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x4 Burning Horn Dragon
x4 Berserk Dragon
Grade 3
x4 Dragonic Overlord
x4 Dragonic Overlord The End

Fourth Place: Nakano Naokuni/中野尚国
Grade 0
x1 Devil in Hand (FVG)
x3 Blitz Ritter CT
x4 Cursed Doctor HT
x4 Hysteric Shirley DT
x1 Mad Hatter of Nightmareland DT
x4 Dark Knight of Nightmareland CT
Grade 1
x4 March Rabbit of Nightmareland
x4 Doreen the Thruster
x2 Alluring Succubus
x3 Prisoner Beast
x2 Jet Black Poet, Amon
Grade 2
x3 Werewolf Sieger
x3 Demon of Aspiration, Amon
x3 Darksoul Conductor
x2 Emblem Master
Grade 3
x1 Stil Vampir
x2 Demon World Marquis, Amon
x2 Dark Lord of Abyss
x2 Mad Eye, Basilisk

Juniors Division
Regional Champion: Ushinohama Tatsuya/牛ノ浜達也
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe
x4 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x1 Lizard Soldier, Ganlu ST
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x2 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x2 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
x3 Flame Seed Salamander ST
Grade 1
x3 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x4 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x2 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x2 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x1 Flame of Promise, Aermo
x1 Flame of Hope, Aermo
Grade 2
x1 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x4 Burning Horn Dragon
x2 Bellicosity Dragon
x3 Cross Shop, Garp
x2 Berserk Dragon
Grade 3
x4 Dragonic Overlord
x4 Dragonic Overlord The End

Runner-Up: Yokoyama Yoshia/横山義矢
Grade 0
x1 Crimson Lion Cub, Kyrph
x3 Greeting Drummer ST
x4 Flame of Victory CT
x2 Falcon Knight of the Azure DT
x3 Silent Punisher CT
x4 Elixir Sommelier HT
Grade 1
x2 Player of the Holy Axe, Nimue
x2 Waving Owl
x2 Little Battler, Tron
x4 Knight of Elegant Skills, Gareth
x3 Evil Slaying Swordsman, Haugan
x2 Blessing Owl
Grade 2
x1 Player of the Holy Bow, Viviane
x4 Knight of Superior Skills, Beaumains
x2 Mage of Calamity, Trip
x1 Gigantech Commander
x2 Sacred Guardian Beast, Nemean Lion
Grade 3
x2 Incandescent Lion, Blond Ezel
x1 Holy Mage, Manawydan
x1 White Rabbit of the Moonlight, Pellinore
x1 Knight of Endurance, Lucan
x3 Battlefield Storm, Sagramore

Third Place: Horikawa Eiki/堀川詠生
Grade 0
x1 Little Witch, LuLu (FVG)
x4 Lozenge Magus HT
x4 Oracle Guardian, Nike CT
x4 Psychic Bird CT
x4 Battle Sister, Ginger CT
Grade 1
x4 Battle Sister, Chocolat
x4 Oracle Guardian, Gemini
x2 One Who Gazes at the Truth
x3 Emerald Witch, LaLa
x1 Weather Forecast, Miss Mist
Grade 2
x2 Battle Sister, Mocha
x3 Oracle Guardian, Wiseman
x4 Silent Tom
x2 Promise Daughter
Grade 3
x1 Oracle Guardian, Apollon
x4 Scarlet Witch, CoCo
x3 Goddess of Flower Divination, Sakuya

Fourth Place: Uratani Riku/浦谷陸空
Grade 0
x1 Black Dragon Whelp, Vortimer (FVG)
x4 Flame of Victory CT
x4 Falcon Knight of the Azure DT
x4 Silent Punisher CT
x4 Elixir Sommelier HT
Grade 1
x3 Sleygal Dagger
x3 Halo Shield, Mark
x4 Scout of Darkness, Vortimer
x1 War-horse, Raging Storm
x4 Knight of Elegant Skills, Gareth
Grade 2
x4 Player of the Holy Bow, Viviane
x2 Knight of Superior Skills, Beaumains
x2 Mage of Calamity, Trip
x4 Black Dragon Knight, Vortimer
Grade 3
x4 Spectral Duke Dragon
x2 Gigantech Destroyer
x1 Great Silver Wolf, Garmore

Sapporo Regional Championship
Seniors Division
Regional Champion: Shibata Yuusuke/柴田祐輔
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe (FVG)
x4 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x4 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x4 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
Grade 1
x4 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x4 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x4 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x2 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x1 Flame of Hope, Aermo
Grade 2
x4 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x3 Burning Horn Dragon
x4 Berserk Dragon
Grade 3
x4 Dragonic Overlord
x4 Dragonic Overlord The End

Runner-Up: Hayasaka Kouhei/早坂亘平
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe (FVG)
x3 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr CT
x1 Dragon Dancer, Monica DT
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x4 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x4 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
Grade 1
x4 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x4 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x3 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x2 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x1 Flame of Hope, Aermo
Grade 2
x3 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x4 Burning Horn Dragon
x2 Cross Shot, Garp
x3 Berserk Dragon
Grade 3
x3 Draconic Overlord
x4 Dragonic Overlord The End

Third Place: Oishi Tatsuya/大石竜也
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe (FVG)
x1 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x4 Dragon Dancer, Monica DT
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x4 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
x3 Demonic Dragon Mage, Rakshasa CT
Grade 1
x4 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x4 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x4 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x2 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x1 Flame of Hope, Aermo
Grade 2
x3 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x4 Burning Horn Dragon
x3 Berserk Dragon
Grade 3
x4 Dragonic Overlord
x4 Dragonic Overlord The End

Fourth Place: Takakura Eigo/高倉瑛悟
Grade 0
x1 Wingal Brave (FVG)
x4 Yggdrasil Maiden, Elaine HT
x4 Margal DT
x4 Alabaster Owl CT
x4 Bringer of Good Luck, Epona CT
Grade 1
x4 Flash Shield, Iseult
x4 Little Sage, Marron
x4 Lake Maiden, Lien
x3 Toypugal
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Blade
x4 Blaster Dark
x4 Starcall Trumpeter
Grade 3
x2 Swordsman of the Explosive Flames, Palamedes
x4 Majesty Lord Blaster

Juniors Division
Regional Champion: Sasaki Masato/佐々木優人
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe (FVG)
x3 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x4 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x2 Demonic Dragon Mage, Rakshasa CT
x3 Flame Seed Salamander ST
Grade 1
x4 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x3 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x3 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x2 Heatnail Salamander
x2 Flame of Hope, Aermo
Grade 2
x3 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x3 Burning Horn Dragon
x3 Bellicosity Dragon
x2 Cross Shot, Garp
Grade 3
x4 Dragonic Overlord
x4 Dragonic Overlord The End

Runner-Up: Akaiwa Masatsugu/赤岩政継
Grade 0
x1 Beast Deity, White Tiger (FVG)
x2 Lucky Girl ST
x3 Three Minutes DT
x2 Cannon Ball ST
x3 The Gong DT
x2 Red Card Dealer DT
x4 Wall Boy HT
Grade 1
x4 Tough Boy
x2 Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout
x4 Twin Blader
x4 Death Army Guy
Grade 2
x3 King of Sword
x4 Magician Girl, Kirara
x4 Death Army Lady
Grade 3
x4 Asura Kaiser
x4 Beast Deity, Azure Dragon

Third Place: Tanaka Kouto/田中滉人
Grade 0
x1 Wingal Brave (FVG)
x2 Flogal ST
x4 Yggdrasil Maiden, Elaine HT
x2 Pixie Fife and Drum ST
x1 Margal DT
x3 Alabaster Owl CT
x4 Bringer of Good Luck, Epona CT
Grade 1
x4 Flash Shield, Iseult
x4 Little Sage, Marron
x2 Wingal
x2 Pongal
x1 Soul Guiding Elf
Grade 2
x4 Knight of Silence, Gallatin
x2 Covenant Knight, Randolf
x4 Knight of Truth, Gordon
x1 High Dog Breeder, Ceylan
Grade 3
x3 King of Knights, Alfred
x2 Solitary Knight, Gancelot
x1 Soul Saver Dragon
x1 Swordsman of the Explosive Flames, Palamedes
x2 Holy Disaster Dragon

Fourth Place: Wakabayashi Yuji/若林佑茅
Grade 0
x1 Wingal Brave (FVG)
x2 Future Knight, Llew CT
x4 Yggdrasil Maiden, Elaine HT
x3 Margal DT
x3 Alabaster Owl CT
x4 Bringer of Good Luck, Epona CT
Grade 1
x3 Flash Shield, Iseult
x4 Little Sage, Marron
x3 Pongal
x4 Toypugal
Grade 2
x3 Blaster Blade
x4 Knight of Silence, Gallatin
x3 High Dog Breeder, Akane
x1 Knight of Truth, Gordon
Grade 3
x4 King of Knights, Alfred
x2 Soul Saver Dragon
x2 Swordsman of the Explosive Flames, Palamedes

News: Barcgal Restricted as First Vanguard (EN)

Today Bushiroad's official website has announced the restriction of Barcgal, the main Royal Paladin FVG introduced in the first booster set, Descent of the King of Knights. As of August 1st, 2012 Barcgal will not be placed as the first vanguard in an official match. Up to four Barcgal may still be included in any given deck as per the official rules.

The restriction, while anticipated by many, still comes as a surprise as Barcgal has been otherwise given free reign in the English game up until this point. This announcement has been officially explained as being the result of observing Barcgal's skills as being unbalanced; as Shitakawachi Kouta and his contemporaries established in the 2011 Japanese tournament cycle, Barcgal's superior ride chain combined with Soul Saver Dragon and her support cards unbalances gameplay in the Royal Paladins' favor.

Furthermore, the next booster set "Demonic Lord Invasion," is to be released globally on August 11th and will introduce a new first vanguard for Royal Paladin cardfighters to default to, while also introducing additional support, primarily in the form of the Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes. This additional support is believed to interact with Barcgal and corresponding combo cards in ways that were not intended, further swaying the game in favor of the Royal Paladins.

News: Bushiroad Press Conference 7/4/2012

At 1:00 PM JST, Thursday, Bushiroad conducted a special live conference over NicoNico Douga concerning their Tantei Opera Milky Holmes and Cardfight!! Vanguard properties. Drawing over 17,000 viewers and more than 14,000 comments over the course of an hour, the conference revealed key details about upcoming episodes of the anime's second season, Asia Circuit, as well as upcoming promo card releases and collaborations between Bushiroad and NJPW, whom they bought out earlier this year.

Previews of Cardfight's ED07 "Fighting Growing Diary," drove the viewers wild with what appear to be an image of an older Sendou Emi and Katsuragi Kamui, as well as Kamui's friends Reiji and Eiji in the back. How these elementary-school characters would appear when scaled up with the series' primarily middle- and high-school class has been a popular subject, and Emi's grown appearance is surprisingly consistent with the fans' image of her.

 

Celebrated actor and musician Daigo made a special video appearance, explaining his role in the upcoming eighteenth episode of the Asia Circuit, Ride 83: "A Legendary Fighter" (ＲＩＤＥ　１８「伝説のファイター」.) His character is designed to emulate Aichi's first season appearance, as well as Daigo's appearance in many of Cardfight's TV commercials and national tournament award ceremonies. Amusingly, it was not lost on fans that Daigos animated character bore a resemblance to characters designed by his sister Eiki Eiki, a professional mangaka.

Several additional details were made available regarding Daigo's animated portrayal. The character in question is being set up to fight the newly-introduced Sohryuu Leon, the series' first Aqua Force cardfighter, who is also getting the same treatment as many main characters through a much-anticipated trial deck release. Daigo is currently set to use the Royal Paladin clan; how this will fit into the Circuit's current storyline is not currently clear.

Regarding Leon himself, preview images of his trial deck showed a previously-unseen draw trigger.

A special Midnight Bunny alternate artwork card, illustrated by the artist behind the Mini-Van omake comics, Quily, will soon be available as a promotional item.

Finally, Bushiroad CEO Takaaki Kidani made an appearance to announce additional information regarding the Vanguard World Tournament (ヴァンガード世界大会), discussing the inclusion of the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia in the running for the 2012 crown. With these accounted for, there are twenty qualifiers being held worldwide across thirteen countries.

Related to this, the official English website was today updated to include prize details for the NA national championship. The top two finishers of each qualifier will gain entry into the North American championship via invitation, with travel fees being provided by Bushiroad. The top four finishers at the championship will gain an invitation to the world championship in Tokyo, where they will compete to determine the world's first Vanguard national champion. Concerning Asia-Oceania championship, it has now been established that the Korean champion will have an automatic invitation into that competition. Any fighters who already possess an invitation upon winning at a qualifier will have their prize passed down to the next in line.

The conference was highly successful, garnering a 68.8% most positive rating from NicoNico Douga's viewers. 25.5% felt that it was okay, 2.7% did not think that it was very good, and just 3% fell into the most dissatisfied category.

News: Fighter's Road 2012 Sendai, Hakata and Tokyo

This morning the winners of the three followup Fighter's Road 2012 regional competitions were announced through Bushiroad's official CF-Vanguard Japanese website. As in the preceding events, we are seeing the return of some of the previous year's pros, including Otobe Takasuke of the 2011 Grand Prix. In general however, Sendai, Hakata and Tokyo are seeing more newcomers than other cities.

First place winners in these competitions will go on to the national championship; two among those at the championship will be crowned Japan's 2012 National Champions. Following these three cities, we await results from Sapporo and Osaka.

This set of regionals saw the return of The King of Knights, Alfred, whose continuing popularity has bolstered him into Sendai's first-place slot. Dragonic Overlord The End remains a popular choice, and continues to vie with Majesty Lord Blaster for this year's most favored deck. Blond Ezel currently makes up the underdog deck, making a strong presentation at several of this year's competitions. Additionally, this marks the debut of Spectral Duke Dragon outside of the trio battles.

Trio Battle results will be reported in a separate post, due to the encroaching length of this article. Juniors Division results are now available.

Sendai Regional Finals
Seniors Division
Regional Champion: Gotou Kiyomi/後藤聖弥
Grade 0
x1 Wingal Brave (FVG)
x4 Future Knight, Llew CT
x4 Yggdrasil Maiden, Elaine HT
x4 Alabaster Owl CT
x4 Bringer of Good Luck, Epona CT
Grade 1
x4 Flash Shield, Iseult
x4 Little Sage, Marron
x3 Lake Maiden, Lien
x4 Toypugal
Grade 2
x3 Blaster Blade
x4 Knight of Silence, Gallatin
x2 High Dog Breeder, Akane
x2 Knight of Determination, Lamorak
Grade 3
x4 Knight of Knights, Alfred
x3 Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes

Runner-up: Satou Souta/佐藤爽太
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe (FVG)
x4 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x2 Dragon Dancer, Monica DT
x4 Lizard Soldier, Ganlu ST
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x2 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
Grade 1
x2 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x4 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x4 Dragon Monk, Goku
x1 Wyvern Strike, Jarran
x2 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x2 Lizard Soldier, Raopia
Grade 2
x2 Dragon Knight, Berger
x4 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x4 Wyvern Strike, Tejas
Grade 3
x3 Dragonic Overlord
x2 Duel Axe Archdragon
x3 Dragonic Lawkeeper

Third Place: Otobe Takasute/乙部貴甫
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe (FVG)
x4 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x1 Dragon Dancer, Monica DT
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x4 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x3 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
Grade 1
x4 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x4 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x3 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x1 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x1 Flame of Promise, Aermo
x1 Flame of Hope, Aermo
Grade 2
x3 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x4 Burning Horn Dragon
x2 Cross Shot, Garp
x2 Berserk Dragon
Grade 3
x4 Dragonic Overlord
x4 Dragonic Overlord The End

Fourth Place: Tsunoda Shinji/角田慎治
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe (FVG)
x4 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x1 Dragon Dancer, Monica DT
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x4 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x3 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
Grade 1
x4 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x4 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x3 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x3 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x1 Flame of Hope, Aermo
Grade 2
x4 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x4 Burning Horn Dragon
x3 Berserk Dragon
Grade 3
x3 Dragonic Overlord
x4 Dragonic Overlord The End

Juniors Division
Regional Champion: Niida Kazuki/新井田和輝
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe (FVG)
x4 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x4 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x4 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
Grade 1
x4 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x2 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x4 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x3 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x1 Flame of Hope, Aermo
Grade 2
x2 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x4 Burning Horn Dragon
x1 Bellicosity Dragon
x2 Cross Shot, Garp
x2 Berserk Dragon
Grade 3
x4 Dragonic Overlord
x4 Dragonic Overlord The End

Runner-up: Hyougo Koyuki/兵庫小柚記
Grade 0
x1 Godhawk, Ichibyoshi (FVG)
x4 Lozenge Magus HT
x4 Oracle Guardian, Nike CT
x4 Emergency Alarmer ST
x4 Psychic Bird CT
Grade 1
x2 Battle Sister, Cocoa
x4 Oracle Guardian, Gemini
x4 Weather Girl, Milk
x4 Crescent Moon Goddess, Tsukuyomi
x2 Battle Sister, Maple
Grade 2
x3 Oracle Guardian, Wiseman
x2 Silent Tom
x3 Half Moon Goddess, Tsukuyomi
x2 Oracle Guardian, Red-Eye
Grade 3
x2 Oracle Guardian, Apollon
x4 Full Moon Goddess, Tsukuyomi
x1 Meteobreak Weizard

Third Place: Kai Ooyoshi/甲斐大吉
Grade 0
x2 Lizard Soldier, Conroe
x1 Amber Dragon, "Dawn" (FVG)
x4 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x2 Lizard Soldier, Ganlu ST
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x3 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x1 Flame Seed Salamander ST
x2 Demonic Dragon Mage, Rakshasa CT
Grade 1
x1 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x3 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x2 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x1 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x4 Iron Tail Dragon
x1 Lizard Soldier, Raopia
x2 Amber Dragon, "Daylight"
Grade 2
x1 Dragon Knight, Aleph
x3 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x2 Blazing Core Dragon
x1 Amber Dragon, "Dusk"
x1 Burning Horn Dragon
Grade 3
x2 Dragonic Overlord
x1 Embodiment of Victory, Aleph
x1 Vortex Dragon
x1 Blazing Flare Dragon
x1 Dual Axe Archdragon
x1 Amber Dragon, "Eclipse"
x2 Dragonic Lawkeeper

Fourth Place: Hamato Hiroyuki/浜登洋行
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe (FVG)
x4 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x4 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x4 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
Grade 1
x4 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x3 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x4 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x2 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x2 Flame of Hope, Aermo
Grade 2
x4 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x4 Burning Horn Dragon
x3 Berserk Dragon
Grade 3
x3 Dragonic Overlord
x4 Dragonic Overlord The End

Hakata Regional Finals
Seniors Division
Regional Champion: Nakamura Seishirou/中村誠士朗
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe (FVG)
x4 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x4 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x2 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
x2 Red Gem Carbuncle DT
Grade 1
x4 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x4 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x3 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x1 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x1 Heat Nail Salamander
x1 Flame of Promise, Aermo
Grade 2
x4 Burning Horn Dragon
x4 Bellicosity Dragon
x3 Berserk Dragon
Grade 3
x4 Dragonic Overlord
x4 Dragonic Overlord The End

Runner-up: Itoyama Shintarou/糸山真太郎
Grade 0
x1 Wingal Brave (FVG)
x4 Yggdrasil Maiden, Elaine HT
x4 Margal DT
x4 Alabaster Owl CT
x4 Bringer of Good Luck, Epona CT
Grade 1
x4 Flash Shield, Iseult
x3 Little Sage, Marron
x2 Lake Maiden, Lien
x3 Toypugal
x3 Knight of Friendship, Kay
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Blade
x4 Blaster Dark
x2 Starcall Trumpeter
Grade 3
x1 King of Knights, Alfred
x1 Solitary Knight, Gancelot
x2 Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes
x4 Majesty Lord Blaster

Third Place: Tanaka Yuki/田中優樹
Grade 0
x1 Wingal Brave (FVG)
x4 Yggdrasil Maiden, Elaine HT
x4 Margal DT
x4 Alabaster Owl CT
x4 Bringer of Good Luck, Epona CT
Grade 1
x3 Flash Shield, Iseult
x4 Little Sage, Marron
x3 Lake Maiden, Lien
x2 Toypugal
x2 Knight of Friendship, Kay
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Blade
x4 Blaster Dark
x2 Starcall Trumpeter
Grade 3
x3 King of Knights, Alfred
x1 Solitary Knight, Gancelot
x2 Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes
x3 Majesty Lord Blaster

Fourth Place: Hayashi Junpei/林純平
Grade 0
x1 Shieldseed Squire (FVG)
x4 Dangan Chestnut CT
x4 Dancing Sunflower DT
x4 Sweet Honey HT
x4 Watering Elf ST
Grade 1
x4 Caramel Popcorn
x3 Maiden of Blossom Rain
x4 Corolla Dragon
x3 Lady of Kamorebi
x1 Bladeseed Squire
Grade 2
x3 Glass Beads Dragon
x4 Iris Knight
x4 Hey Yo Pinappo
Grade 3
x4 Maiden of Trailing Rose
x3 Forerunner Battle Maiden, Laurel

Juniors Division
Regional Champion: Ario Kousuke/有尾公佑
Grade 0
x1 Spark Kid Dragoon (FVG)
x4 Malevolent Djinn CT
x4 Yellow Gem Carbuncle CT
x4 Old Dragon Mage DT
x4 Demonic Dragon Nymph, Seiobo HT
Grade 1 
x4 Wyvern Guard, Guld
x1 Desert Gunner, Raien
x3 Photon Bomber Wyvern
x4 Red River Dragoon
x2 Lightning of Hope, Helena
Grade 2
x2 Dragonic Deathscythe
x4 Thunderstorm Dragoon
x3 Demonic Dragon Berserker, Garuda
x2 Hex Cannon Wyvern
Grade 3
x2 Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion
x3 Breakthrough Dragon
x3 Thunder Break Dragon

Runner-up: Sougawa Yoshiki/早川嘉輝
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe (FVG)
x3 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x4 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x4 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
x1 Demonic Dragon Mage, Rakshasa CT
Grade 1
x4 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x4 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x1 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x2 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x2 Iron Tail Dragon
x2 Flame of Promise, Aermo
Grade 2
x4 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x3 Burning Horn Dragon
x1 Bellicosity Dragon
x2 Berserk Dragon

Grade 3
x4 Dragonic Overlord
x4 Dragonic Overlord The End

Third Place: Iwanaga Junpei/岩永準平
Grade 0
x4 Dragon Dancer, Monica DT
x4 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x1 Amber Dragon, "Dawn"
x4 Flame Seed Salamander ST
x4 Demonic Dragon Mage, Rakshasa CT
Grade 1
x2 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x4 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x4 Amber Dragon, "Daylight"
x4 Flame of Hope, Aermo
Grade 2
x4 Dragon Knight, Berger
x3 Amber Dragon, "Dusk"
x4 Cross Shot, Garp
Grade 3
x1 Dragonic Overlord
x3 Amber Dragon, "Eclipse"
x3 Garnet Dragon, "Flash"
x1 Dragonic Lawkeeper

Fourth Place: Nakamura Ryuushirou/中村竜志郎
Grade 0
x1 Crimson Lion Cub, Kyrph (FVG)
x4 Flame of Victory CT
x4 Silent Punisher CT
x4 Weapons Dealer, Gwydion DT
x4 Elixir Sommelier HT
Grade 1
x4 Sleygal Dagger
x4 Halo Shield, Mark
x4 Knight of Elegant Skills, Gareth
x2 Charjgal
Grade 2
x2 Beast Knight, Garmall
x3 Mage of Calamity, Trip
x4 Gigantech Commander
x4 Knight of Superior Skills, Beaumains
Grade 3
x4 Incandescent Lion, Blond Ezel
x2 Holy Mage, Manawydan

Tokyo Regional Finals
Seniors Division
Regional Champion: Yamaguchi Kouhei/山口晃平
Grade 0
x1 Wingal Brave (FVG)
x4 Future Knight, Llew CT
x4 Yggdrasil Maiden, Elaine HT
x4 Alabaster Owl CT
x4 Bringer of Good Luck, Epona CT
Grade 1
x4 Flash Shield, Iseult
x4 Little Sage, Marron
x1 Lake Maiden, Lien
x3 Toypugal
x2 Knight of Friendship, Kay
Grade 2
x3 Blaster Blade
x1 High Dog Breeder, Akane
x3 Blaster Dark
x3 Starcall Trumpeter
x1 Knight of Loyalty, Bedivere
Grade 3
x2 King of Knights, Alfred
x3 Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes
x3 Majesty Lord Blaster

Runner-up: Nukui Yuu/貫井悠
Grade 0
x1 Crimson Lion Cub, Kyrph (FVG)
x4 Flame of Victory CT
x4 Falcon Knight of the Azure DT
x4 Silent Punisher CT
x4 Elixir Sommelier HT
Grade 1
x3 Sleygal Dagger
x4 Halo Shield, Mark
x4 Knight of Elegant Skills, Gareth
x1 Precipice Whirlwind, Sagramore
x3 Charjgal
Grade 2
x4 Knight of Superior Skills, Beaumains
x3 Mage of Calamity, Trip
x2 Gigantech Commander
x1 Sacred Guardian Beast, Nemean Lion
Grade 3
x2 Incandescent Lion, Blond Ezel
x2 Holy Mage, Manawydan
x4 Great Silver Wolf, Garmore

Third Place: Miyao Yuwa/宮尾佑和
Grade 0
x1 Little Fighter, Cron (FVG)
x4 Flame of Victory CT
x4 Silent Punisher CT
x4 Weapons Dealer, Gwydion DT
x4 Elixir Sommelier 
Grade 1
x4 Sleygal Dagger
x4 Halo Shield, Mark
x4 Knight of Elegant Skills, Gareth
x2 Charjgal
Grade 2
x1 Player of the Holy Bow, Viviane
x4 Knight of Superior Skills, Beaumains
x4 Mage of Calamity, Trip
x3 Sacred Guardian Beast, Nemean Lion
Grade 3
x1 Incandescent Lion, Blond Ezel
x2 Gigantech Destroyer
x4 Great Silver Wolf, Garmore

Fourth Place: Matsubara Ryoubun/松原諒文
Grade 0
x1 Wingal Brave (FVG)
x4 Yggdrasil Maiden, Elaine HT
x4 Margal DT
x4 Alabaster Owl CT
x4 Bringer of Good Luck, Epona CT
Grade 1
x4 Flash Shield, Iseult
x4 Little Sage, Marron
x1 Lake Maiden, Lien
x4 Pongal
x2 Toypugal
Grade 2
x3 Blaster Blade
x4 Knight of Silence, Gallatin
x2 High Dog Breeder, Akane
x2 Knight of Truth, Gordon
Grade 3
x4 King of Knights, Alfred
x1 Soul Saver Dragon
x3 Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes

Juniors Division
Regional Champion: Takenaka Shun'ichi/竹中駿一
Grade 0
x1 Black Dragon Whelp, Vortimer (FVG)
x4 Flame of Victory CT
x4 Falcon Knight of the Azure DT
x2 Silent Punisher CT
x2 Weapons Dealer, Gwydion DT
x4 Elixir Sommelier HT
Grade 1
x3 Halo Shield, Mark
x2 Little Battler, Tron
x4 Scout of Darkness, Vortimer
x4 Knight of Elegant Skills, Gareth
Grade 2
x2 Player of the Holy Bow, Viviane
x4 Black Dragon Knight, Vortimer
x2 Flash Edge Valkyrie
x3 Knight of Superior Skills, Beaumains
x1 Sacred Guardian Beast, Nemean Lion
Grade 3
x1 Incandescent Lion, Blond Ezel
x3 Holy Mage, Manawydan
x2 Spectral Duke Dragon
x1 Great Silver Wolf, Garmore
x1 Battlefield Storm, Sagramore

Runner-up: Katsumata Haruto/勝又悠斗
Grade 0
x1 Blaujunger (FVG)
x3 Battleraizer ST
x1 Shining Lady CT
x4 Round Girl, Clara HT
x4 Red Lightning CT
x4 The Gong DT
Grade 1 
x3 Tough Boy
x2 Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout
x3 Twin Blader
x3 Death Army Guy
x4 Blaupanzer
x1 Oasis Girl
Grade 2
x3 Genocide Jack
x3 Magician Girl, Kirara
x3 Death Army Lady
x1 Blaukruger

Grade 3
x1 Asura Kaiser
x1 Armoured Fairy, Sphira
x4 Beast Deity, Azure Dragon
x1 Death Metal Droid

Third Place: Abe Seigo/安倍聖吾
Grade 0
x1 Black Dragon Whelp, Vortimer (FVG)
x4 Flame of Victory CT
x3 Falcon Knight of the Azure DT
x4 Silent Punisher CT
x1 Weapons Dealer, Gwydion DT
x4 Elixir Sommelier HT
Grade 1
x4 Halo Shield, Mark
x2 Player of the Holy Axe, Nimue
x4 Knight of Elegant Skills, Gareth
x3 Scout of Darkness, Vortimer
Grade 2
x2 Player of the Holy Bow, Viviane
x1 Mage of Calamity, Trip
x4 Black Dragon Knight, Vortimer
x3 Knight of Superior Skills, Beaumains
x1 Sacred Guardian Beast, Nemean Lion
Grade 3
x4 Incandescent Lion, Blond Ezel
x3 Spectral Duke Dragon
x1 Great Silver Wolf, Garmore
x1 Battlefield Storm, Sagramore

Fourth Place: Ogura Takumi/小倉拓海
Grade 0
x1 Spark Kid Dragoon (FVG)
x4 Demonic Dragon Nymph, Seiobo HT
x4 Malevolent Djinn CT
x4 Yellow Gem Carbuncle CT
x4 Old Dragon Mage DT
Grade 1
x3 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x1 Desert Gunner, Raien
x2 Photon Bomber Wyvern
x4 Red River Dragoon
x1 Lizard Soldier, Riki
x1 Lightning of Hope, Helena
x2 Djinn of the Lightning Spark
Grade 2
x1 Desert Gunner, Shiden
x2 Dragonic Deathscythe
x2 Thunderstorm Dragoon
x3 Demonic Dragon Berserker, Garuda
x1 Brightlance Dragoon
x2 Shieldblade Dragoon
Grade 3
x3 Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion
x3 Vajra Emperor, Indra
x2 Thunder Break Dragon

North American National Championship Qualifier Locations

Initially leaked in an Anime Expo 2012 announcement, revised dating and location information for the 2012 North America qualifiers has just been added to the Bushiroad website. With consultation from professional event planner and media manager Alyssa Fisher, here is our forecast for the events.

Marriott Toronto Airport Hotel, Toronto, Canada: September 1st. Most event spaces at this hotel only seat 12-16 people, so speculating on the event's locale is easier. The conference rooms have enough room to host the Canadian qualifier, but do not provide a single open space for the tournament to be overseen in. The Grand (840-1000 individuals) or Junior Ballrooms (180) are much more likely locations due to their open shape and high carrying capacity.

Wyndham Dallas Love Field Hotel, Dallas, Texas: September 8th. Less information is available for this location than most, but the First Class A&B rooms can accommodate 330-600 people in various configurations.

Update: This location has been changed to Hyatt Regency Dallas. This is probably due to Hyatt's higher carrying capacity, as virtually any event space in the hotel can hold 1,000 people. Marsalis Hall on the exhibition level is one possibility due to its enormous size, well suited to being stocked with arranged and cordoned-off tables to create competition space, but it may be too large for the estimated attendance. The Reunion Ballroom or Landmark sections on the lobby level are also probable, with many configurations that lend themselves well to the qualifier while maintaining a high seating count.

Gamesmart MX, Mexico City, Mexico: September 15th. Information on this facility is sparse, but notably the website mentions that the winner of the qualifier will receive plane tickets and accommodations to the championship site.

The Comcast Arena, (Listed as Seattle, Washington but actually in Everett, Washington): September 15th. The Edward D. Hansen Conference Center addition is almost confirmed as the site (it's specified on the CF-Vanguard website where otherwise you would only list "The Comcast Arena"), but any given event space inside of it can hold up to 800 people, so there's no specific location that can be said of at this time.

Chicago Marriott Schaumburg Hotel, Chicago, Illinois: September 22nd. The most likely place for the qualifier is the ballroom, which can seat up to 1000 people. The only other area within the hotel grounds of comparable size is the Grand Marquis Tent, which can seat up to 350 people, but as it is a tent it is most likely unsuitable for the qualifier's purposes.

New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center, (Listed as New York but actually inside of New Jersey): October 6th. Any of the four exhibit halls has a carrying capacity exceeding 1000. The conference center can probably be ruled out due to how the space is compartmentalized, but exhibit halls A through D still stand. Taking into account the junior and main ballrooms, the designated space is basically impossible to predict.

North Atlanta Trade Center, Atlanta, Georgia: October 13th. Appears to provide only a single space, so speculation is unnecessary.

Anaheim Convention Center, (Listed as Los Angeles, California but actually located in Anaheim, California): November 3rd. This is where the national championship will be held. The situation is essentially the same as with the NJCEC, being that there's no particular space that lends itself well to the situation. The first floor exhibit halls are likely, however. Note that this was a past Anime Expo location.

While even the most popular of card games often only see a turnout of around 500 to these types of tournaments, when accounting for spectators, as well as friends and family brought in by the participants, the total room needed by the event space doubles.