If you haven't been living under a rock for the past two months, you'd know that people are jumping on the Shadow Paladin band wagon... A lot. With the Abyss legion being insanely expensive and the legend deck selling like hot cakes, You'd think SP would be the best clan in Vanguard by a long shot.. . Note: I don't claim to be a Shadow Paladin expert, so I might say some really stupid stuff here. And with that let's see why people are so hyped for shadows, as I cover what I think are some of the most important cards that Shadow Paladin have.
Dark Dragon, Phantom Blaster "Diablo"
[Act] [VC] [CB1] & choose a face down card named "Dark Dragon, Phantom Blaster "Diablo"" from your G-Zone, and turn it face up] If the number of face up cards in your G-Zone is 2 or more, this unit gets 10000[Power] / [Critical] +1, and "[Auto] [VC] Choose 3 of your rearguards, and retire them.] When this unit attacks a vanguard, you may pay the cost, if you do, your opponent may choose to retire two of his or her rearguard, if he or she does not, your opponent cannot normal call cards from hand to to [Guardian Circle]
Let's face it, this card is 90% of all the hype for Shadow Paladins. When you first read this cards ability, it seems completely broken... Completely stopping your opponent from guarding? OP PLZ NERF!... Except not really. This card has quite a few weaknesses you can exploit. First of, by retiring rearguards, it weakens your position in a mirror match, Allowing the opposing shadow paladin player to completely punish you for using your Diablo, by using their own Diablo. Secondly, When using Diablo, the user will do one of two things: Retire the rearguard he or she knows they can replace, or retire rearguard so they can use Macha (Amber Clone Edition) to replace them If you are using a non-Revenger deck. Does Diablo have advantages? Yes. He can allow the other columns to attack front row rearguards, forcing more shield if your opponent only has 2 rearguard left or a rearguard they need on the field. He can also punish Resist units.
Sovereign Black Dragon, Aurageyser Dragon
[Auto] [VC] [CB1] & [SB1] & Choose a face down card named "Sovereign Black Dragon, Aurageyser Dragon" in your G-Zone and turn it face up & choose two of your rearguards, and retire them] When this unit attacks a vanguard, you may pay the cost, If you do, reveal the top two cards of your deck, this unit gains 5000 [power] for every grade 1 or less card revealed with this effect until end of turn, Put the cards revealed with this effect into your hand
This dude is just plain terrible. He's on my worst G-Units for a reason. You can't tech him at 1 because of his persona flip and even then, he only plusses when you use David or Charon. The cards you get from this skill are worst then plain draws because your opponent knows what they are and the power up is negligible. He is completely outclassed by the cards I am going
to talk about next.
Dark Knight, Grim Recruiter.
[Stride]
[Auto] When this unit's attack hits a vanguard, search your deck for up to one grade 1 or less card, call it to [RC and shuffle your deck.
Plusses? Check. Pressures? Check. Can combo really well? Check. Any cost? nope. I see absolutely no reason why I'd ever want to use Aurageyser over this card. Useable in both Revenger and G-Shadows, this card is a staple in both. Shadow Paladins tend to neg, and all of the Paladins have some of if not the best on-hit strides in the game. He either plusses you or removes card from your opponent's hand. He also doesn't require set up. A Simple but effective card.
True Dragruler and Efnysien aren't even worth talking about. Fighter's Collection 2015 did nothing for SP .
Sovereign Dragon, Claret Sword Dragon
[Act] [VC] [1/Turn] [Generation Break 2] Choose two of your rearguards, and retire them] This unit gains 10000 [power] and [Critical] + 1 until end of turn[Auto] [VC] [CB1] when your G-Unit [Stride], you may pay the cost, if you do, search your deck for up to one grade 1 or less card, call it to [rearguard circle], shuffle your deck, and the unit called with this effect gains 5000 [power] until end of turn.
The main G3 for non-revenger decks, his "On stride" skill is very good, basically performing Aurageyser Dragon's skill while still being able to use the skill when you are using Grim Recruiter or Diablo. When using Diablo. you can call Dark Heart Trumpeter and plus even more.This card is incredibly flexible in how you can use it. And flexibility is always good.
Revenger, Phantom Blaster "Abyss"
[Legion 20000] "Blaster Dark Revenger, "Abyss"
[Auto] [VC] [[CB2] and Choose three of your rearguards with "Revenger" in it's card name, and retire them.] During the turn that this turn [Legion], at the end of the battle that this unit attacked a vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do. [Stand] all of your vanguards. This ability cannot be used for the rest of that turn.
[Auto][VC] When this unit attacks a vanguard, this unit gets [power] 2000 until end of that battle.
Another card I think is overhyped. I see the card as a decent restander. It's really only "effective' when the first attack is when your opponent is at 4 damage, like most restanders, otherwise most people will just body the first attack. Since you have to use the skill the turn you legion, it telegraphs that it will restand, Giving your opponent the chance to adjust their behavoir accordingly. Thirdly, unlike Thing Saver (Who this card is most comparable to) this card's skill can be disrupted via Lock, Rubidium, or mass retire. Here's an example. Lets say you have a Abyss that you haven't legioned, two non revenger cards in the back row with a revenger , and two revengers in the front row. A Non Glendios link joker can just lock the front two cards to force you to either use Dark Dragon, Phantom Blaster "Diablo" or call revengers over the non revenger cards to keep pressure. Overall a good, but overhyped card.
[Auto] [VC] [LB4] [SB3] When a <Shadow Paladin> vanguard rides this unit, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your vanguards, and it gets 10000 [Power] and "[Auto] [VC][Choose 3 of your rearguards, and retire it] When this unit attacks a vanguard, you may pay the cost, if you do. Draw 2 cards, [CC3] and until the end of that battle, your opponent cannot normal call grade 1 or higher cards from hand to [GC]"
[Auto] [Choose 1 of your Rearguards, and retire it] When this unit is placed on [VC] you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for a grade 3 card with "Blaster" in it's card name, reveal it to your opponent, put it into your hand and shuffle your deck."
Cross-Break Ride support in the G Era is rather weird indeed. "But is the card good?" you may ask. For the original Phantom Blaster Overlord, it works rather decenly, but that's not my main problem with this card: It's how much setup is required to make the card work with other cards. Including PBO. Remember that Between them, they need to use: SB3 (Meaning you can't used Swordbreaker or darkheart.) and retire 3-4 cards (and then you draw 2 for the breakride skill). To just neg 1 , you have to have retire a charon or David to just made this card hurt less. That and you require 3 damage to even use PBO's skill. And this is with the card it was meant to help most, with other cards it gets clunkier.
In summary: Is kind of decent. Helps you put pressure, but at the cost of a lot of your decks plussing capabilities. One of the few reasond you'd want to use this over Mordred is that this card can be used for the Cross break Ride, But I feel that Mordred is better. Talking about Mordred...
As a rule of thumb, when building a deck, you should always remember KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) and this card embodies that philosophy. (Needing twenty different pieces to win the game is not the way to a stable and consistant deck.) This Breakride is good for many things: Fixing up your field when it has been destroyed, setting up cards like PBD Abyss or PBO, and allowing you to plus really hard and create magic numbers. It requires very little setup and should be the Go-To Break Ride if you are playing Shadow Paladins.
Phantom Blaster Dragon
[Auto] [VC] [LB4] [SB3] When a <Shadow Paladin> vanguard rides this unit, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your vanguards, and it gets 10000 [Power] and "[Auto] [VC][Choose 3 of your rearguards, and retire it] When this unit attacks a vanguard, you may pay the cost, if you do. Draw 2 cards, [CC3] and until the end of that battle, your opponent cannot normal call grade 1 or higher cards from hand to [GC]"Cross-Break Ride support in the G Era is rather weird indeed. "But is the card good?" you may ask. For the original Phantom Blaster Overlord, it works rather decenly, but that's not my main problem with this card: It's how much setup is required to make the card work with other cards. Including PBO. Remember that Between them, they need to use: SB3 (Meaning you can't used Swordbreaker or darkheart.) and retire 3-4 cards (and then you draw 2 for the breakride skill). To just neg 1 , you have to have retire a charon or David to just made this card hurt less. That and you require 3 damage to even use PBO's skill. And this is with the card it was meant to help most, with other cards it gets clunkier.
In summary: Is kind of decent. Helps you put pressure, but at the cost of a lot of your decks plussing capabilities. One of the few reasond you'd want to use this over Mordred is that this card can be used for the Cross break Ride, But I feel that Mordred is better. Talking about Mordred...
Illusionary Revenger, Mordred Phantom.
[Auto] [VC] [LB4] [CB1] When a <Shadow Paladin> Rides this unit, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your vanguards, and that unit gets + 10000 [Power] and search your deck for a grade 2 or less <Shadow Paladin>, call it to [RC], shuffle your deck and that unit gets + 5000 [Power] until end of turn.
[Auto] [VC] When this unit attacks a vanguard, this unit gets + 2000 [Power] until end of that battle
[Cont] [VC/RC] Lord
Blaster Dark Revenger, Abyss
[Auto] [[CB1] When this unit is placed on [RC], if you have a vanguard with "Revenger" in it's card name, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's grade 1 or rearguards, and retire it.]
This card is disruption, pure and simple. It works very well with the card I'll be talking about next to give you options to remove all rearguard from your opponent's field.
Blaster Dark Revenger
Even less to say about this card.
Dark Night Maiden, Macha
[Auto] [RC] [GB1] [CB1] When this unit attacks a vanguard, if this unit is boosted you may pay the cost, if you do, search you deck for up to one grade 1 or less card, call it to [RC] and shuffle your deck
Shadow Paladin's Amber Clone, this card is pretty good. It allows you to replenish your field rather quickly, and therefore is very good in a non-revenger deck.
Barrier Troop Revenger, Dorint.
[Auto] [RC] When your "Blaster Dark Revenger" is placed on [VC] or [RC] in the same colum as this unit, if you have a vanguard with "Revenger" in it's card name, counter charge 1Blaster Dark Revengers's support card, the only thing that makes Blaster Dark Revenger useable in today's meta, really. It unflips a damage when a Blaster Dark Revenger is placed in the same column as it.
Simple, but useful.
Judgebau Revenger
[Auto] [RC] [[CB1] and put into soul] When an attack hits that this unit boosted a unit with "Phantom" in it's card name. you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to two grade 1 or less <Shadow Paladin>, call them to separate [RC] at rest, and shuffle your deck
The starter every single deck whose grade 3's have phantom in it's card name should be using, Judgebau Revenger can be ridiculous if it hits. It either pressures your opponent to guard, or you can plus like crazy by calling cards like Dark Heart trumpeter and Swordbreaker. It also helps you to call the fuel needed for your vanguard's skills.
New Sharp Knight, David and Pitch Black Sage, Charon
I've grouped these two cards together because they essentially have the same skill and use.
David: [Cont] [RC] [GB1] While you are retiring your rearguards for the cost of uour unit's ability, retiring this unit may be regarded as retiring two units
Both of these card are good for reducing the amount you have to retire for your skills, and that is useful. Not much else to say.
In summary: I feel that Shadow Paladins are the only Tier 1.5 clan in the game. Stronger then all of the Tier 2 decks due to Shadow Paladins consistency, power and stability, but weaker then the top two clans in the game right now in my opinion: Royal Paladins and Aqua Force.
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