Cards of the Week! 7th Edition.

New Card

Not a wizard, unfortunately.

Masked Magician, Harri

[Auto] [VC] [GB2] When this unit attacks a vanguard, choose a card from your soul, call it, and that unit and this unit gain [power] +3000 until end of  turn.

[Magia] [Auto] [VC] [CB1] [Magia] When your G-unit [Stride], you may pay the cost. If you do, [SC1], choose up to 1 card from your soul. call it to [RC], that unit gains [power] +5000 until end of turn, and at the end of that turn, put the unit called with this skill into your soul

This card is clearly meant to be a combo card, but in all honesty this card just isn't good. It's probably got the worse On-stride skill out of all RRR Break-Strides, and it's GB2 Skill isn't much better. To be honest. I expected more from Pale Moon. I know what shenanigans this clan is capable of, so it;s quite disappointing to see a card which contributes nearly nothing to the overall game.

Verdict: Pretty mediocre.

Old Card

Purple Trapezist

[Auto] [Choose another of your <Palemoon> rearguards, and put it into your soul.] When this unit is placed on [RC], you may pay the cost. If you do, choose a <Palemoon> other than a card named "Purple Trapezist" from your soul, and call it to [RG]

As vanguard becomes older, some older cards become outdated, useless. Others only get better over time. I'd argue that Purple Trapezist is the latter.

While Trapezist is strictly worse then her Silver Thorn cousin, Zelma, that does not mean she isn't one of the best card generic pale-moon have in my opinion.

She is the cornerstone of generic Pale-Moons soul manipulation. But she is not perfect, and it is from no fault of her own. Generic Pale Moon has very few ways to efficiently soulcharge, which severely limits what Purple Trapezist can target during the early game. Hopefully this will be fixed in the upcoming Trial deck and GBT-05.

Verdict: Has a lot of potential that unfortunately hasn't been tapped.

Cards of the week! 6th Edition

New Card:

Blue Storm Dragon, Maelstrom

Glory, Glory Glory Mael-stronk!

[Auto] [VC] [LB4] [CB1] When an "Aqua Force" rides this unit, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your vanguard, and until end of turn it gets [Power] +10000 & [Auto] [VC] [Wave 4th time or more] When this unit attacks a vanguard, draw a card, choose one of your opponent's rearguards, retire this, and until end of battle, your opponent cannot normal call grade 0's from hand to [GC]

[Auto] [VC] [Wave 3rd time or More] When this unit's attack hits a vanguard, search your deck for a card with "Maelstrom" in it's name, add it to your hand, and shuffle your deck.

When this card was announced, the Vanguard Wiki was saltier then the dead sea, but was it justified? 

First of, the actual Break-Ride skill. It's not actually overpowered. It makes Glory Easier, yes, it also can be cross-ridden, but Cross Ride defense barely matters anymore.

The other skill is what makes this card: A way to pressure and possibly get advantage in Maelstrom pre-stride without needing any type of enabler? Yes please!

In theory, this BR can also work in Ripple, so there's that.

Verdict: Stronk? Yes, Broken? No.


Old Card:

Blue Storm Soldier, Rascal Sweeper

Maelstrom's right hand man, if he(?) ever
had one.

[Auto] [RC] When this unit attacks, if you have a vanguard with "Maelstrom" in it's card name, this unit gains [Power] +2000

[Auto] [RC] [Wave 1 only] At the end of the battle that this unit attacked a vanguard, if you have a vanguard with "Maelstrom" in it's card name, choose one of your rearguards in the same column as this unit, and exchange positions with the unit.

Maelstrom's Miranda clone, Rascal Sweeper is combination of two good Aqua Force cards: Storm Rider, Basil (But free) and Gregorious, Blue Storm's 12k attacker.

This makes Rascal Sweeper very flexible, and having several of him in your hand or on the field means that he isn't dead on draw.

Verdict: Strong and Flexible

Cards of the week! 5th Edition

New Card

One Who Rules the Storm, Commander Thavas

The waves created by my storms shall be
ceaseless

[Stride]

[Act] [VC] Choose a face down card named "One Who Rules the Storm, Commander Thavas" from your G-Zone, and turn it face up.] Choose up toone of your rearguards, until end of turn it gets [power] +5k and "[Cont] [RC] This unit can attack from the back row" And until end of turn, this unit gets "[Auto] [VC] [GB3] [Wave 4] When your unit attacks a vanguard, choose 3 of your opponent's rearguards. Your opponent chooses 1 from among them, and retires it.

The G-Rare of the Aqua Force clan booster. While many are disappointed in this card, I am not. This is exactly the card Aqua Force needed: A card that allows us to get 4 attacks with any three cards. We can turn grade 0's like Petros into Stacia at will, We can make Tidal Assault hit like Magnum Assault. We can put two Melanias into the same column and have them both attack. The flexibility that this card allows is simply outstanding just by it's initial ability alone.

It's GB3 is very strong with Thavas, but isn't that useful in other Aqua Force decks.

Verdict: An Outstanding Support Card

Old Card

One Who Surpasses the Storm, Thavas

Must. Have. This. SP. So. Good!

[Auto] [VC] [GB2] [Wave 4 or more] When this unit attacks a vanguard, this unit gains [Critical] +1 and your opponent cannot normal call grade 0's from hand to [GC] until end of that battle.

[Auto] When your G-Unit [Stride], choose your vanguard, and until end of turn it gets "[Auto] [VC] [Wave 4] When your unit attacks a vanguard, choose 3 of your opponent's rearguards. Your opponent chooses 1 from among them, and retires it.

The Namesake of this very blog, Thavas is one of my favourite, if not the favourite Aqua Force boss.

His GB2 Was decent, but with his very own Heart Thump Worker clone, Petros, he can hit 23k boosted. Because of his Tom skill, this number makes it near impossible to no pass without P-guarding it, and with G-units providing high power vanguard columns, this gives Aqua Force a secondary win con outside of Lambros.

Even when you stride over him, Thavas puts in work. His On-Stride skill retires an opponent's rearguard at the fourth attack, and while you won't have full control of what is retired, the grind this card helps accelerate softens up your opponent for either Lambros or Thavas' GB2 skill.

 This is ignoring the fact that Aristoteles, Tidal Bore and Commander Thavas work with this skill very well.

Verdict: A strong card with very strong synergies.

Cards of the Week! 4th Edition

New Card:

Flashing Ripple, Odysseus

All Hail Odysseus, our lord and savior!

[ACT][RC][1/Turn] Choose one of your other rearguards, and put it into your soul] Search your deck for up to one card with "Ripple" in it's card name with the same grade as your vanguard, ride it as [stand], and shuffle your deck. If you rode, choose a card from your soul with the same grade as your vanguard not named "Flashing Ripple, Odysseus", call it to [RC], and that unit gains [power]+2000 until end of turn.

This. Card. Is. So. Good. This card does so much for free. It allows Tidal Assault to hit 11k base vanguards on grade 2, it can allow the deck to plus quickly using Sea Turtle Soldier and Miltiades, it makes the deck near immune to Megacolony in general, and it makes Infinite legion easier to achieve.

And this is all before it's intended purpose of fixing the Ripple ride chain, which is notorious for it's very powerful early game.

This card single-handedly fixed all of Ripple's problems, and simultaneously make it a deck that you shouldn't mess with.

Verdict: An outstanding card.

Old Card:

Tidal Rescue Sea Turtle Soldier

As the Ripple surges forth, I shall be there
to support them!

[Auto] When this unit is placed on [VC] or [RC], reveal the top card of your deck. If that card is a grade 1 or grade 2 <Aqua Force>, call it to [RC], and if it's not, shuffle your deck.

Aqua Force's Conjurer of Mithril clone. Such a card could never be good in Aqua Force, right?

Thanks to Odysseus, not only is this card now viable, but it's amazing in Ripple.

Odysseus allows us to use this cards skill several times without actually having to call it from hand, which is fantastic. Free superior calls are always nice!

You'd think the fact that it can't call Grade 0's or Grade 3's would hinder the deck, but it actually helps the deck by keeping the cards we want in the deck (grade 0's and 3's) in the deck while calling grade 1's and grade 2's which help our rush.

The reason we want Grade 3's in the deck is so we have targets for Odysseus if Megacolony paralyze the vanguard or if we want to ride Miltiades several times.

Verdict:  Really good. An instant Playset in Ripple.

Cards of the Week 3rd Edition.

New Card:

Salvation Sage, Benon.

[Auto] [CB1] When this unit is placed on RC, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one card with [power] 6000, call it to RG in the same column as this unit, and shuffle your deck.

Royal Paladin's new "Swordmy", this card has some advantages and some disadvantages compared to Swordmy

Advantages: This card can call Hidden Sage, Miron, which allows this card to +2 for CB1 SB3, This card call call all 6K cards, not only jewel knights, this card also does not need you to tech Jewel Knights.

Disadvantages: Can only call into the same column, making where you can call it it more restrictive them Swordmy. you also cannot call limit break enablers or 10k attackers to rush very quickly. Columns it creates does not hit magic numbers against 11k vanguard without help from strides like Soul Saver and Altmile.

However, it's worth noting that any card like is extremely powerful, and these cards haveridiculous amount of Synergy with Regalie, one of the best strides in the game.

Verdict: Extremely good.

Old Card:

Battle Siren, Melania.

[Auto] [RC] [GB1] [Wave 3 or more] [CB1] When this unit attacks a vanguard, if you have a grade 3 or greater vanguard with "Thavas" in it's card name, you may pay the cost. If you do, Draw a card, and this unit gains [power] + 5000 until end of that battle.

[Cont] [VC/RC/RC] Resist

One of the first two cards revealed for the Aqua Force clan booster, I only started testing her a few days ago and it's a shame I did, because Melania is simply amazing. The main reason I have come to really like her so much is simple: She is extremely flexible.

She generates advantage (which is always nice in Aqua Force.)

She does not require a booster to hit an 11k vanguard, allowing me to save cards in my hand for later.

She is a great target for Tidal Bores superior call, allowing you to pressure your opponent further while maintaining your hand.

She combos with Lambros extremely well. So well in fact I have started using Lambros as a first stride.

And being a grade 1, Melania doesn't need to be squeezed into the extremely tight Grade 2 lineup.

Having resist however is a double edged sword. While Melania is immune to every form of specific control in the game bar Brawlers, Shadow Paladins can turn Resist into a liability. Still, Resist is a very powerful defensive effect.

Verdict: If you play Thavas, play this card. You will not regret it!

The Lovecraftian Horror: Original Deletor, Eigorg!

"Before us, you are nothing. Your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything."

Original Deletor, Eigorg

[Act] [VC] [GB2] [CB1] & Choose a rearguard with "Deletor" in it's card name, and retire it] If you have a heart with "Deletor" in it's card name, delete all your opponent's vanguard, choose up to one of your opponent's backrow rearguards, and lock it and your opponent chooses a card from his or her drop-zone, and banish deletes it. Then, if the number of cards in your opponent's damage zone is 4 or more and the amount face down cards in your opponent's bind-zone is 13 or more, you win the game.

Deletors to me have always seemed Lovecraftian in nature. They are alien, mysterious beings who have the power to exterminate us and want to exterminate us but we don't know why.

This card's skill feels like the embodiment of that idea. There is no way to combat it, there is no way to fight against it. The clock slowly ticks, and when it strikes 13, the end shall come.

But is it possible? The scary part is that it is, but it largely depends on your opponent. It is very easy to use enough card skills to bind 13 cards, but the issue is whether your opponent has the cards in their drop-zone to bind.

Of course, this is just the icing on the cake. The extremely cheap cost for a Delete and a lock is really good.

Verdict: This card is exactly what Deletors needed: A way to delete extremely cheaply and a Stride they can use very well.

Cards of the Week! 2nd Edition

New Card:

Liedown Deletor, Givun

The only Deletor that likes Mondays...

[Auto] [CB1]Card with "Deletor" in it's card name] & Retire this unit & choose 4 other rearguards with "Deletor" in it's card name, and retire them.] After the battle that this unit attacked a Vanguard, if you have a grade 3 vanguard with "Grei" in in it's card name, you may pay the cost. If you do, [Stand] all your vanguard.

Another Deletor again? Yes. Personally, the Alfred support released in the last week has been extremely lackluster and uninteresting to me.

So Deletors now have a rearguard based Vanguard restanding skill. These cards in the past have shown to be extremely powerful and heavily restricting on the clans these cards are in can be given, as the two cards that could restand a vanguard as a rearguard in the past, Cat Butler and Commander Laurel had no counterblast cost and gained advantage.

Givun on the other hand has a counterblast cost and is a -3 in advantage, while being extremely easy for other Link Joker archetypes to disrupt and "Diablo" being un-guardable because of it's skill. Seems to be a rather unreasonable restriction for this card, don't you think? Personally, I think it implies that Deletors are going to get a good advantage engine to help support Deletor's near constant self minusing. (They do however have an amazing filtering engine now thanks to Illfate Deletor, Dorohn)

As of right now? This card is only viable as a finisher, and even then it is extremely risky, if you don't kill them that turn, you've probably lost because Givuns huge advantage lost is extremely hard to mitigate right now in Deletors.

Verdict: Has potential, but right now is risky.

Old Card:

Blue Storm Marshal Dragon, Admiral Maelstrom.

Best. Centaur. Ever.

[Stride]

[Auto] [Wave 4 or more] [CB1] & Choose a face down card in your G-Zone, and turn it face up.] When this unit's attack hits a vanguard, if you have a heart with "Maelstrom" in it's card name, you may pay the cost, if you do, draw a card. choose 3 of your opponent's rearguard, your opponent chooses a rearguard among them for each face up card named "Blue Storm Marshal Dragon, Admiral Maelstrom" in your G-Zone and retires them.

A card that I have seem very often criticized by the vanguard community for being bad. I disagree with this sentiment.

First of, thanks to Blue Storm Marine General, Despina, Admiral Maelstrom can block grade 0'Ss for attacking 4 times and a -1, and while that is a huge commitment to the board, it is a great way to capitalize on your opponent's lack of P-Guards, force P-guards out and be used as a first stride finisher. Using Admiral this way can be done both in Maelstrom and Thavas decks. What harm comes from toolboxing a single copy of what can become a Psuedo-Ragnaclock?

Secondly, Admiral's skill is a great way to grind your opponent down while gaining advantage yourself in Maelstrom decks, especially against more aggressive decks. They either guard (+2 soft advantage at least) or take the hit (+2 hard advantage,). However, Admiral's more demanding conditions make it less of an option against control decks that specifically focus on the rearguard (pretty much all of them.) So if a Maelstrom player is running this, I'd also highly recommend that you run this with Tidal Bore Dragon, Who is a staple in any Aqua Force player's G-Zone.

Thirdly, Admiral Maelstrom, just like Stun Spear, only persona flips when it hits. This makes it a lot easier to fit Admiral into the G-Zone. Unlike Stun Spear however, Admiral is even easier to compress into the G-Zone, and only has to be run at 2 to use it's skill.

Verdict: A very flexible G-Unit, who can be used in several different ways.