Fighter's Collection 2016 part 1: A card that is clearly not generic.

With Fighter''s Collection 2016's poster art having being revealed about 3 weeks ago, I have been hyped about it to no end, and the Sub-Clan's that I think are going to get support. (It does look like the majority of the support will be generic, however.)

To drive the hype train ever further, today I'm going to talking theory going around that all the cards in FC2016 are generic, and the main piece of evidence I use to believe this not to be true.

So without further ado,

Towermaster2 presents:

Fighter's Collection 2016

 part 1: A card that is clearly not generic.

First example: Aqua Force's (Assumed) RRR Stride. 

This is a great card to start with, as it is incredibly likely (99.9% likely) to be a Blue Storm stride, which kind of puts a massive hole in the theory that all the strides in FC2016 are generic.

 "But it might be a Marine General of Heavenly Silk!" You might say. Here's why that isn't the case:

The other generic Aquaroid strides are the first pieces of evidence. All Marine Generals of Heavenly Silk thus far have all wielded swords, whilst the new stride clearly wields a gun.

"That's semantics! Just because all the other generic Aquaroid strides have swords doesn't mean this one isn't generic!" Very true, but there are other factors to this card that tell us that this card is not generic.

So let's focus on the weapon itself a bit more, or more specifically, the colour scheme: Green and Black. There are a few cards that have weapons with this colour scheme, which are:

Here are all the examples I can think of, and note that every single one is a member of the Blue Storm Sub-Clan. There may be a few more but I can't think of anymore.

However, two other cards with black weapons even combined with my last point is nowhere near strong enough of a trend to rule out the possibility of the card being generic.

So, do I have any strong evidence using only the revealed card's art and trends of Blue Storm to prove that this card has an element specific to the Blue Storm Sub-Clan?

In fact, I do. All Blue Storm Cards with four exceptions (All forms of Maelstroms bar Maelstrom Reverse and Sebastian) has one distinctive element to them: A Green, Teal or Turquoise Hexagon. In other words, out of the 42 Blue Storm cards currently in print, 38 of them have this insignia.



I have chosen these 4 examples as they clearly show this hexagon I'm talking about and they are all from different sets, I've put a ring around the hexagon to make it even more visible.

So, does this new card have this hexagon shape on the cards clothing?

Yes it does! In the same place as Gregorios (The left shoulder) no less!

So that concludes part 1 of this series. In part 2 I'll be talking about an art that has got many, many people speculating about exactly what it is!

The Vanguard of your destruction! An analysis of Deletors post-G Comic 1

This is a follow up to my last analysis on Deletors, so if you haven't seen that, read it here.

"We are your salvation through destruction."

Deletors are a very interesting sub-clan. Not because they are particularly amazing, but that they always seem to just miss the mark of being amazing.

Close but no cigar, as the saying goes.

Before I start on talking about the cards themselves, let's first talk about Vanish Delete. It's the most pointless keyword in Vanguard's existence. It does absolutely nothing for the deck, we gain no advantage because of it other then a single card that I'll be getting to. That and often, you don't bind cards from your opponent's drop-zone simply because they have nothing to bind. Other times, you don't bind because it's quite frankly pointless. You'll never get off Delete-End, so why bother?

I'll only be talking about cards from Vanguard and Deletor in this analysis.

Alright then, let's get started.

Original Deletor, Egorg

(Stride)

(Act) (VC) (1/Turn) (GB2) :[(CB)1 & Choose a rearguard with "Deletor" in it's card name, and retire it.]: Delete all your opponent;s vanguards, choose one of your opponent's rearguards in the back row, lock it and your opponent chooses a card from his or her drop-zone, and binds it face down. Then, if the amount of cards in your opponent's damage zone is four or more, and the amount of face down cards in your opponent's bind-zone is thirteen or more, you win the game.

Let's start of this discussion with the best card in the set for Deletors, hands down. Egorg is nothing short of amazing. The amount of work he puts in is just insane. It's a real shame we don't have a first stride we can delete because the tempo we lose by not deleting for a single turn is immense. It's pretty much a guaranteed loss. But if Deletors ever get a first turn delete stride, the true power of Egorg shall rear it's head.

My only problem with the card is the win con... It's near impossible if you don't specialise in it. Thirteen cards bound doesn't sound like much, but it's a lot considering we are completely reliant on the opponent's behaviour, and often our bind skills whiff. 4 Damage is quite easy to push your opponent to using Deletors though.

Docking Deletor, Greion

(Act) (VC) :[(CB)2 - Cards with "Deletor" in it's card name & choose one of your rearguards with "Deletor" in it's card name, and retire it.]: Delete all your opponent's vanguards, Your opponent chooses a card from his or her drop-zone, and binds themface down.

(Auto) When this unit is placed on (VC), your opponent chooses two cards from his or her drop-zone, and binds them face down.

Deletor's new grade 3 boss, and to be honest it's one of the cards Deletor's needed. A fairly costed card (considering it can be activated as soon as you ride to grade 3) that can do some significant damage, and doesn't care what the opponent is doing.

It's a shame that Deletors that can compliment him other then Greidholl are very expensive cost wise. . I wouldn't mind too much, but the only way we can stride then delete is using Keios, who is pretty damn expensive, and his discard has crippled me several times. I pray for a Grei-stride for Fighter's Collection 2016. Please Bushiroad!

Mixed Deletor, Keios.

(Auto) :[(CB)2-Cards with "Deletor" in it's card name, and choose two cards in your hand, and discard them.]; When this unit is placed on (VC), you may pay the cost. If you do, Delete all your opponent's vanguards, choose two of your opponent's rearguards, and lock them.

(Auto) (VC) ]: When this unit attacks a vanguard, this unit gets (power) +2000 until end of turn.

This card is the best backup for Greion right now, even though I hate him... so much. Why couldn't it be a retire and a discard? His locks can come in handy if your opponent has fielded, but it relis on your opponent calling cards before riding. 

That discard 2 is ridiculous. Losing 2 cards from hand in a deck that struggles to generate advantage (to the point that draw triggers are necessary.) is just silly, even if we get 2 locks in return.

We run him because we have to. Nothing else to say really.

Hailing Deletor, Alba

(Auto) When this unit is placed on (RC), if your opponent's vanguard is deleted, search your deck for up to one card named "Hailing Deletor, Elro", call it to (RC), and shuffle your deck. If you called a card, your opponent calls the top card of his or her deck to (RC).

(Auto) (RC)- In the right column]: When this unit attack, if you have a card named "Hailing Deletor, Elro" in your left column, this unit gets (power) +3000 until end of that battle.

Hailing Deletor, Elro.

(Auto) (RC) When your opponent's unit is called to (RC) by an effect from a card, (CC)1, your opponent chooses a card from his or her drop-zone, and binds it face down.

(Auto) (RC)- In the left Column]: When this unit attacks, if you have a card named "Hailing Deletor, Alba" in your left column, this unit gets (Power) +3000 until end of that battle.

I cannot talk about one of these cards without talking about the other. After all, they are designed to work together.

Alba becomes a 11k attacker when Elro is in the left column, and on call, if the opponent's vanguard is deleted it searches the deck for Elro, and forces the opponent to call the top card of their deck...

This skill essentially makes it so your opponent plusses instead of you losing advantage. This can be bad, especially if the opponent is using a deck with a lot of on call or call from deck skills. On the flip side, you opponent can call a trigger.

I don't think that's what holds these cards back, however. What holds these cards back is the fact that they require the other card on the field to hit an 11k base vanguard without a booster.

If that skill was something like "(Auto) (RC) ]: When this unit attacks, if your opponent's vanguard is deleted, this unit gets (Power) +3000 until end of turn." I'd imagine that these cards would be pretty decent, but the fact that they need the other card to even function really holds them back.

Swift Deletor, Geali.

(Auto) :[Choose one of your rearguards with "Deletor" in it's card name, and retire it.]: When this unit is placed on (VC) or (RC), if you have a vanguard with "Deletor" in it's card name, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's front row rearguards, retire it, your opponent chooses a card from his or her drop-zone, and binds it face down, and until end of turn this unit gets (Power) +2000.

This card is terrible, there is very little more to say, except the fact that this card does nothing for the deck bar Vanish Delete a single card, which we've already established is near pointless.

Just don't ever play this card... please.

Clipping Deletor, Evo.

(Auto) :[(Cb)2}: When this unit is placed on (RC), if your opponent has a deleted vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one card with "Deletor" in it's card name not named "Clipping Deletor, Evo", call it to (RC), and shuffle your deck.

A card that gives you a searchable plus in Deletors, Am I dreaming? Oh. It costs two counterblasts. Nevermind then.

If this card was CB1, It would be amazing. It could search any Deletor, so I'd search Alba, and plus 2 for absolutely nothing. Except giving 1 random quality card's worth of advantage your opponent.

Then again, Maybe that's why this card is CB2. It really shouldn't cost that, especially since it requires you to have Deleted the opponent's vanguard, but with Alba and Elro existing, it makes some sense.

Ill-Fate Deletor, Drown

(Auto) (RC) :[Put this unit into your soul & choose a card from your hand, and discard it.]: At the end of the battle that this unit boosted (Boost) a vanguard with "Deletor" in it's card name, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw two cards and your opponent chooses a card from his or her drop-zone, and binds it face down.

Undoubtedly Deletor's best grade 1, Drown gives the deck much needed searching power, and it's available from turn one.

Little to say. It's clear why this card is so good.

Ferment Deletor, Gaen

(Auto) (RC) (SB1) When your opponent's vanguard is deleted, if you have a vanguard with "Grei" in it's card name, you may pay the cost. If you do, your opponent chooses a card from his or her drop-zone, binds it face down and until end of turn, this unit gets (Power) +3000

An interesting "replacement" for Gatario. I have to admit I completely forgot this card existed for a while. This card is definitely good for aggression, as it easily creates magic columns, both in the front row and the back row.

It's a pretty decent card, but because of how much Deletors lose advantage, I think Aieda is a better grade 1 as of right now.

Sprout Deletor, Luchi

(Auto)]: Forerunner

(Auto)]: When this unit is put into the drop zone as the cost for the ability of your vanguard with "Deletor" in it's card name, choose up to one of your opponent's rearguards in the back row, lock it and your opponent chooses a card from his or her drop-zone, and binds it face down.

The new starter has a lot of competition in Igor, a card that countercharges, filters and fills up the soul.

Is this card the new starter in Deletor? Not really, but that isn't to say that this starter is bad. It only works with the Grei deck, however.

It's lock can sometimes be really useful for disrupting your opponent, especially if they are playing a rearguard reliant deck, but otherwise Igor outperforms it, massively.

Biting Deletor, Geeva

(Auto) (RC) :[Put this unit on top of your deck]: At the end of the battle that this unit boosted, if your opponent has a deleted vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, shuffle your deck, (CC)1 & your opponent chooses a card in his or her drop-zone, and binds it face down.

Deletor's skill crit trigger. It doesn't take up any space in your main deck, but it can be an emergency source of countercharge as well as vanish delete if you really need to try and turbo Delete End. That is a desperate (and most likely futile) endeavourer, however.

Deck Profile.

Grade 0:

Starting Vanguard: Acquire Deletor, Igor

4 Biting Deletor, Geeva

2 Deletor Crits

6 Deletor Draws

4 Deletor Heals.

Grade 1:

4 Refusing Deletor, Evil

4 Ill-Fate Deletor, Drown

4 Destiny Dealer

3 Deriding Deletor, Aieda

Grade 2:

4 Juxtapose Deletor, Gaele

2 Bloating Deletor, Gio

4 Pursuing Deletor, Egotte

Grade 3:

4 Docking Deletor, Greion

4 Mixed Deletor, Keios

G-Zone

4 Original Deletor, Egorg

2 Nebula Dragon, Big Crunch Dragon

1 Genesis Dragon, Amnesty Messiah

1 Genesis Dragon, Judgement Messiah

Cards of the Week! 19th Edition!

New Card

Dark Dragon, Spectral Blaster "Diablo"

(ACT) (VC) :[(SB)1 & Choose a face down card in your G-Zone, and turn it face up & choose one of your rearguards, and retire it.]: Until end of turn, this unit gets "(Auto) (GB3) (VC) :[(CB)2 & Choose two of your rearguards, and retire them.]: At the end of the battle that this unit attacked a vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, [Stand] this unit, and this unit gets drive check -2 until end of turn." And, if you have a heart with "Diablo" in it's card name, search your deck for up to one grade 1, call it to (RC) and shuffle your deck.

The RRR Shadow Paladin from GBT-06.  Another Diablo stride hits Shadows, because of course it does! This time it's the stride version of Spectral Duke, a Gold Paladin card.

The actual card in of itself? It's pretty good, to be honest. It's generic, so it can be used in any Shadow deck, but it works best with either Diablo heart, turning a -1 into a wash. With the other restanding vanguards of Girs Crisis, this card has an advantage engine that comes along with it. Some examples are the Black Chain grade 2 and grade 1, David and Charon, which can easily turn a wash into many plusses. Especially when combined with Vortimer

Verdict: A very solid G-unit.

Old Card

Blaster Dark "Diablo"

(Cont) (VC) (GB2)]: When you are paying the cost for (Stride), if a G-unit you (Stride) has "Blaster" in it's card name, the cards in your hand get grade +3.

(Auto) (VC) When you G-unit named "Dark Dragon, Phantom Blaster "Diablo" (Stride), choose one of your opponent's rearguards, and retire it.

The original "Diablo" clone. Many other cards have followed, but does this card still hold up? Not too well, though it has a few niche uses.

It's GB2 is pretty decent, pretty much guaranteeing that you can stride with any card in hand, but it requires that you have strode at least twice, which would be a problem if Shadow Paladins didn't have 3 different G-units that could flip on the first stride.

It's specific on-stride skill is pretty mediocre, sure it's free, but it only removes a single card from the opponent's field. It's rarely useful, even with PB"D", but very rarely it can instantly win games.

Verdict: It's pretty mediocre, overall.

Cards of the week! 18th edition!

I skipped the week before simply because nothing of interest was revealed, and last week XCOM 2 was released so I've been playing the hell out of that and so I haven't really had time to write a post.  Sorry about the delay :/

Cards of the week, 18th edition.

New card:

Mist Phantasm Pirate King, Nightrose

(Stride)

(Auto) (VC) (GB2) :[(CB)2 and choose a face down card named "Mist Phantasm Pirate King, Nightrose" in your G-Zone and turn it face up.]: When this unit attacks a vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose up to two cards in your dropzone, and call them to separate (RC) in the front and back row.

Granblue's RRR from the next booster set. It's overcosted, especially considering how much Granblue counterblasts. The cost is somewhat mitigated by Grenache, however.

This card has viable call targets such as Sea Strolling Banshee, Skeleton Cannoneer and Columbard, which perform roles from control to advantage to aggressive play.

I also believe that Nightrose will get a Heart Thump clone in GBT-06, which would really help improve this card.

The potential of this card is not only restricted to a pure Nightrose deck, however. It has a lot of potential in Seven Seas, mainly by comboing with the Nightmist.breakride.

Verdict: Decent. A bit cheaper or a bit more powerful would have been nice though.

Talking about Seven Seas...

Old card

Loved by the Seven Seas, Nightmist.

(ACT) (VC) :[(CB)1]: If you have a heart with "Seven Seas" in it's card name, choose up to two cards in your drop zone, call them to separate (RC), and at the end of your turn, retire the rearguards called with this effect.

Granblue has finally gotten a subclan... Three eras after almost everyone else. Luckily for them, being late is Granblue's thing, so I don't think they'll mind.

Oh, the stride? It's essentially Lord Nightmist in stride form. It's pretty good, Works extremely well with Granblue's generic support as well as the subclan's new cards, Plegeton, Nightcrow and Slash Shade.

Verdict: Good.