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[Android18a]

What is Cardfight!! Vanguard?
Cardfight!! Vanguard is a story which revolves around the collectible card game with the same name.
On a planet much like the Earth called “Cray”, you battle your opponent with the help of your units.
Cardfighters become Vanguards, and lead their units towards victory!

The Rules
Official Quick Start guide
Official Rule Playbook

The Basics

Each player has a field which looks like the one below:

The key areas are the blue Vanguard Circle, where your main unit resides. The other five circles are your Rear Guard units which attack, boost and use abilities to help you defeat your opponent. On the left is your damage zone, when you take a hit the top card of your deck goes here. The game ends when one player reaches six damage. On the right hand side are the spots for the deck, and the drop zone (discard pile).

Example Cards:

You play with a 50 card deck built up with units from Grade 0 through to Grade 4, although Grade 4 units are generally only available as "Stride" Units!

You begin the game with one unit on the field at Grade 0, and your initial goal is to ride up each turn until you reach Grade 3, from where your key Vanguard unit will attack.
Your most powerful attacks will only work with your Vanguard unit, your Rear Guards are mainly there for extra attacks and support abilities.
There are many different "clans" to choose from when you build your deck, each with its own unique mechanics and play styles.

Check out the rules PDF files above to see the full procedure of standard gameplay!

Where to start?
I'd recommend starting with a Trial deck, the latest editions of which include the brand new Stride mechanic - there are three decks available: Royal Paladin, Neo Nectar and Gear Chronicle.

The new STRIDE ability
As of this February, the Stride mechanic is released!

A stride card looks like this:

You may have up to 8 Stride Units in a side-deck of sorts which sits face down upon your damage zone. When both players are on Grade 3 (similar to the requirement for Legion), the controlling player may activate Stride in between his/her Ride phase and the start of the main phase. Note, unlike Legion you can't Stride during the main phase. In order to Stride, you must discard cards from your hand with a grade equivalent of 3 (For example, dropping a Grade 3, or a Grade 1+2 card). Then you may pick a card from your "Generation Zone" to Stride, which lasts until the end of turn. This card is placed over your Vanguard with the power and name still showing below.

You'll see the Stride Unit has a power level such as "15000+", this power is added to the base power of the unit you Stride upon (usually giving you a 26k base column, if you Stride over a Legion pair you only choose one of the two cards to add the Stride power to).

Perhaps the most significant thing to be aware of with Stride units is they get "Triple-drive" when they attack, meaning you get to check 3 drive triggers instead of two. This can really put your opponent into a tight spot!

At the end of the player turn, the unit you Stride is returned to the Generation Zone face up.

Generation Break
Generation Break is the new submechanic that directly relates to the Stride ability.

Generation Break symbol:

When a skill has the GB1/2 requirement, it becomes active when you have the appropriate number of face up Stride units (or "G Units") in the Generation Zone and Vanguard Circle. So, for example, the moment you Stride for the first time you have 1 face up G unit in play, activating all GB1 skills. At the end of turn this unit is returned to the Generation Zone face up, making GB1 a continuous state. The next time you stride, you will be on GB2, and so forth. At the moment no card requires GB3 or higher, but this may change.

Where to buy?
In the UK, I'd recommend Chaos Cards for sealed product, and Cardfight Vanguard Singles for individual cards and for trading your unwanted cards for credit or cash.
If you'd like to recommend a store for your region, PM me and I'll amend the OT with your suggestions!

What's New?

Is there an anime?
Yes, it's been running for a few years, with the new Season "Cardfight!! Vanguard G" currently running! This season introduces a new main cast and will show off the exciting new card mechanics.
You can start with season 1 on Crunchyroll here and CR has the full series right up to date with Japan with season 5 starting on Sunday 26th October 2014.

Links:
Official English Website
List of stores that stock Vanguard - Many of these probably also hold regular events
Draw The Trigger - Our Youtube channel for all things Vanguard
Vanguard Wiki - Essential for set lists, card tips and lore


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I hope this will do as an OT, will edit if anyone has anything they want me to add! Would love to find any other CFV players on GAF, surely there's a few of us around here? Hope this is OT worthy.

[edited to include new mechanics like Stride and Legion]

 

[Sandfox]

I would play this game more if I had locals in my area.

 

[Android18a]

I'm really lucky, in Leicester, UK there's actually two main venues within a few minutes walk of the town centre. We have a weekly Sunday tournament

 

[Ultimate_Trainer]

In Texas, it is somewhat popular with 12 to 20 man tournaments. What decks do you guys use?

 

[Android18a]

My main decks are Great Nature, Bermuda Triangle and Kagero.
My partner uses Pale Moon, Genesis and Oracle Think Tank, and our pal Ed uses Link Joker, Royal Paladin and Gold Paladin.

Pulled these babies from a Japanese booster box during the week, and there's a video where you can watch the unboxing here!

 

[Ultimate_Trainer]

I did not realize that the legion units' art fits so seemlessly next to each other.

I have a fully updated Spike Bros deck. I really like using unconventional decks tho, so I have a reverse Neo Nector build. I was thinking about using a gimmicky G0 Aqua Force with just a couple of 1s, 2s, and 3s just to prevent legion, but probably wouldn't build due to budget.

As you can probably tell, I really hate the legion mechanic. Recycling cards back into the deck feels really bad and doesn't feel like a cost unless you really use the drop zone like Granblue. I would have much preferred if Legion required you to bind cards in your drop zone for the remainder of the game.

 

[Android18a]

To be honest I was skeptical myself until I played a few legion games, but I quite like it. And it's probably not going anywhere soon, I'd expect to see Legion units appear in future sets even when the Stride units hit.

But you certainly aren't forced to use Legion if you don't want to, especially since most clans will be getting a limit break remover unit so your old boss cards can use their skills right away.

It'll be interesting to see if the new batch of trial decks include Legion or not.

 

[Android18a]

Bumping for Interest =3

I edited the OT with the new Stride ability introduced in the 3 new Trial Decks that come out this Friday:

And for those of you in the UK, on Sunday we're having a Trial Deck tournament where you just buy a trial deck to play on an even footing whether you're new or a veteran player at Tabletop Tyrant (aka Gifts for Geeks) in Leicester. Should be around £13.50 to enter and there'll be prizes for the top 3 I think!

 

[ZeronosVega]

Yay, an OT for Vanguard!

I did want to point out some other useful websites for those interested in Vanguard:

Cardfight Pro - A great resource for information on Japanese and English tournament reports, as well as providing detailed information on some of the cards and clans.

Cardfight!! Vanguard Official YouTube Channel - The officially supported YouTube channel for Cardfight!! Vanguard. Features all of the English dubbed anime seasons (meaning no Season 4: Legion Mate and Cardfight!! Vanguard Movie: Neon Messiah, as they aren't dubbed in English and the former is likely to never be), including the currently airing Vanguard G, as well as commercials for the assorted Vanguard booster sets and trial decks.

 

[Android18a]

Useful links, thanks Cardfight Pro is a great one to find out whats going on in the big events

 

[ZeronosVega]

With today's reveal of New Century Beast, Zeal, it's now possible for clans to receive multiple Legion Revival cards. That, and now I'm even more positive that Enigman Tornado will be a Legion Revival for Enigman Storm.

 

[Android18a]

I like how that Zeal legion is just a Rare Should help me bring my deck up to date and not have to worry so much about hitting the ride chain!

 

[Karkador]

The text and iconography on the cards looks microscopic. How do you feel about it?

 

[Android18a]

To be honest the text can be a bit small, in the midst of a battle you don't really want to be reading your cards and slowing the game down. But if you understand the icons you'll do fine.

When you build a deck it's generally based on a single main strategy that all cards you use contribute to, so you'll want to know your deck inside and out before you play with it anyway. Luckily the sets are quite small so it's not a big deal to learn what most of the new cards do without getting confused.

Plus, generally, it's only your main boss-cards that have a lot of tiny text. And even then, it rarely gets as bad as this example (possibly the most text-heavy card, although I haven't seen Nouvelle Vague for a while):

 

[ZeronosVega]

The text and iconography on the cards looks microscopic. How do you feel about it?

I've personally never had a problem with it.

As Android already said, once you learn certain effects (especially something like Legion, which is common across all clans), it's pretty easy to simply recall or, if you must, glance at the card to get a quick refresher. Vanguard is a fairly simple game mechanically, so once you get the gist of the game, it gets easy to recall effects from memory.

 

[Foxix Von]

Bumping for Interest =3

I edited the OT with the new Stride ability introduced in the 3 new Trial Decks that come out this Friday:



And for those of you in the UK, on Sunday we're having a Trial Deck tournament where you just buy a trial deck to play on an even footing whether you're new or a veteran player at Tabletop Tyrant (aka Gifts for Geeks) in Leicester. Should be around £13.50 to enter and there'll be prizes for the top 3 I think!

Awesome! My local game shop doesn't carry it, but after chatting with the owner he mentioned that he's had some other inquires about it and will at least order a few of the trial decks.

After looking through some of the cards, my girl decided on getting the Neo Nectar deck. I'm still undecided as which deck to choose.

Both Paladins and Gear Chronicle look like they should get lots of support, but I'm not really sure if I want to really focus on them.

If I go with Paladins I could buy a booster box from a couple sets ago and have cards from both that and Nectar. However Gear chronicle looks interesting as well, but I'd have to wait before boosters become available for that clan, right?

I feel like there's no good decision here.

 

[ZeronosVega]

Awesome! My local game shop doesn't carry it, but after chatting with the owner he mentioned that he's had some other inquires about it and will at least order a few of the trial decks.

That's great to hear! If he becomes an official shop for Cardfight!! Vanguard, he can get pre-release supplies, as well as promo packs and other goodies. So hopefully the game can be worth his time so you guys can get the most out of it.

After looking through some of the cards, my girl decided on getting the Neo Nectar deck.

They're certainly a fun deck to use. May 22, 2015 will be the release of G Booster Set 2: Soaring Ascent of Gale & Blossom, which will feature additional support for Neo Nectar which will integrate nicely into her Trial Deck.

Otherwise, older sets such as BT05, BT08, BT14, and BT17e feature support for Neo Nectar. The first two sets I can guarantee are out of print, but their cards should be easy enough to pick up. The former two sets should still be available, although they primarily support the Musketeers, a sub-clan of Neo Nectar with a particular strategy.

I'm still undecided as which deck to choose.

Both Paladins and Gear Chronicle look like they should get lots of support, but I'm not really sure if I want to really focus on them.

They will likely see more support in the future (we know they're getting support in the next two booster sets)

Fortunately, the Trial Decks are one of the best ways to figure out what you like and don't like about the game, as they are a relatively small investment (and in the case of the G Trial Decks, two makes a working deck with all of the things necessary).

Aqua Force will also be receiving a G Trial Deck in the future, as will Link Joker, so if you happen to not like Royal Paladin, others are coming.

If I go with Paladins I could buy a booster box from a couple sets ago and have cards from both that and Nectar.

You very well can, although I want to mention two things:

1. Royal Paladin is a popular clan. This means that it has a rather large pool of cards dating back to the beginning of the game. As a result, certain cards are designed for certain decks, so you'll need to have a good idea of what your deck is before buying just any booster set.

2. Unfortunately, being popular does make some cards more expensive if you buy singles.

However Gear chronicle looks interesting as well, but I'd have to wait before boosters become available for that clan, right?

You just have to wait until March 13, 2015 for G Booster Set 1: Generation Stride to release. It's the first booster set of the "G" series (sort of a fresh start with the booster sets and anime, but all of the old cards are still able to be used and even get some support). They also get minor support in G Booster Set 2, but it's expected that they will receive more support in the future due to being used by the main character in the anime.

Anyway, if you have any questions are just want some general advice, please don't hesitate to ask!

 

[Curiocity]

Looking forward to this! Foxix Von has me hooked on MTG and I'm attempting to crack into yugioh, although frankly I find the play structure in yugioh lends to a lot of cheap/unfair plays and overall feels rougher than Magic - although I like the pace of the game and the more direct action. I hope I can give it a fair run as it's been frustrating thus far. I'm interested in Vanguard given how very disparate the game looks to...well...everything that shares genes with Magic.
Besides the cards look adorable.

 

[Android18a]

Looking forward to this! Foxix Von has me hooked on MTG and I'm attempting to crack into yugioh, although frankly I find the play structure in yugioh lends to a lot of cheap/unfair plays and overall feels rougher than Magic - although I like the pace of the game and the more direct action. I hope I can give it a fair run as it's been frustrating thus far. I'm interested in Vanguard given how very disparate the game looks to...well...everything that shares genes with Magic.
Besides the cards look adorable.

Vanguard is very much its own beast as far as I've played in TCGs. It's generally quite simple, and there's more balance - most clans can offer a challenge if the deck is built well.

Awesome! My local game shop doesn't carry it, but after chatting with the owner he mentioned that he's had some other inquires about it and will at least order a few of the trial decks.

After looking through some of the cards, my girl decided on getting the Neo Nectar deck. I'm still undecided as which deck to choose.

Both Paladins and Gear Chronicle look like they should get lots of support, but I'm not really sure if I want to really focus on them.

If I go with Paladins I could buy a booster box from a couple sets ago and have cards from both that and Nectar. However Gear chronicle looks interesting as well, but I'd have to wait before boosters become available for that clan, right?

Be aware if you're buying older Royal Paladin cards to supplement the new Trial Deck and upcoming booster sets, you'll want to avoid the sets which include mainly "Seeker" or "Jewel Knight" cards, since they are distinct builds within the clan. Most of the new stuff is more generic and would clash a little with those more specific builds.

And, honestly, I don't think you'll find many cards in the older sets that will keep up as well as the new ones. My suggestion would be to buy two of the RP Trial Deck which gives you 4 of every important card. From there the booster set in early March will help you evolve it naturally.

 

[ShemhazaiX]

Looking forward to this! Foxix Von has me hooked on MTG and I'm attempting to crack into yugioh, although frankly I find the play structure in yugioh lends to a lot of cheap/unfair plays and overall feels rougher than Magic - although I like the pace of the game and the more direct action. I hope I can give it a fair run as it's been frustrating thus far. I'm interested in Vanguard given how very disparate the game looks to...well...everything that shares genes with Magic.
Besides the cards look adorable.

Yugioh player here. I have trouble getting into MtG because of how limiting the game mechanics feel compared to Yugioh. Hate the mana system >.<
Thing about Yugioh is that it's much more of a "Skill" based game, in that the impact of a bad draw is less than most card games I've played (being MtG and Hearthstone) due to deck searching and thinning being a lot more common. It's a game much more about searching out the cards you need in your deck or using your extra deck to get out cards without having to draw them (e.g. rank 4 toolbox decks). Stick with it if you can, the game can be really rewarding when you get into the swing of it.



On topic: So at the Yugioh club I go to there's some people who play Vanguard as well. Always been curious as to what it actually plays like, but I looked at the rules and wanted to cry in a corner because I had no idea what I was reading. Anyone who plays Vanguard and Yugioh and can compare the games play styles for me?

 

[Android18a]

I must admit I've not played YGO, but if you want an idea of how Vanguard is played at its core you could check season 1 of the anime. All the fights you see in season one explain what's happening really clearly, and is one of the reasons why it's the most popular season - it's fun to watch the fights.

Other than that, stretch to one of the trial decks this weekend and just ask somebody to show you the ropes.

 

[ZeronosVega]

Be aware if you're buying older Royal Paladin cards to supplement the new Trial Deck and upcoming booster sets, you'll want to avoid the sets which include mainly "Seeker" or "Jewel Knight" cards, since they are distinct builds within the clan. Most of the new stuff is more generic and would clash a little with those more specific builds.

And, honestly, I don't think you'll find many cards in the older sets that will keep up as well as the new ones. My suggestion would be to buy two of the RP Trial Deck which gives you 4 of every important card. From there the booster set in early March will help you evolve it naturally.

Admittedly, Jewel Knight is often splashed into the newer Royal Paladin cards because it gives it early game calling consistency, although we lack Swordmy in English, which plays a major role in the strategy). As such, snagging some of their cards for cheap might not be a bad idea.

Seekers, well, it's as Android already said: they're rather independent although powerful (and expensive) if you run Thing Saver Dragon.

 

[Curiocity]

Yugioh player here. I have trouble getting into MtG because of how limiting the game mechanics feel compared to Yugioh. Hate the mana system >.<
Thing about Yugioh is that it's much more of a "Skill" based game, in that the impact of a bad draw is less than most card games I've played (being MtG and Hearthstone) due to deck searching and thinning being a lot more common. It's a game much more about searching out the cards you need in your deck or using your extra deck to get out cards without having to draw them (e.g. rank 4 toolbox decks). Stick with it if you can, the game can be really rewarding when you get into the swing of it.

You know that's what we're finding we like a lot - that ygo really is more of a "game" in the sense of tactics and combat between players. Magic really feels like 75% of the game is building your deck, and then you throw the opposing decks into a ring and see which one wins; no particular in-game strategizing. If my opponent has a mean deck, I build a counter to it. All the action is behind-the-scenes like that. I don't blame you for hating the mana system, it's both the best and worst part of it. I played a bit more ygo last night with a deck that works better for me and had a much better time of it.
Game design seems like it's all in the primary relationships: player + deck, player vs. deck, player vs player? Netrunner is very pvp (deck construction is less crucial in outfoxing the other guy), mtg is all me + my deck; ygo feels a little like you're chucking firecrackers at each other and dodging/blocking madly.

Any analogies for Vanguard? How much does customizing your deck effect game flow? Does the game ever feel like it's just running its course, or are the tactics crucial to the win?

 

[Eteric Rice]

A friend of mine plays this game on Saturdays. Sometimes I go with him to just hang out with people. Holy shit this game is luck dependent. Criticals and heal triggers make people rage. It's pretty funny.

 

[Android18a]

Any analogies for Vanguard? How much does customizing your deck effect game flow? Does the game ever feel like it's just running its course, or are the tactics crucial to the win?

Well, every clan has its own unique playstyle. You obviously build you deck to best exploit the skillsets of your clan, but you have to play it well for it to work. Any old munchkin can throw together the strong cards, but if you don't know how to use them well you'll still lose.

For example, the Narukami and Kagero clans work around retiring the opponent's field and giving them less units to attack with, forcing more cards out of hand if they want to fight back. So you can build your Narukami deck to do this, but your timing is as important as the skills. Do you use the skills early and try to rush them, risking playing your cards early? Or hold on til late game and build your hand and prepare for a final onslaught?

Most people pick a clan or clans to play based on what playstyle they prefer. So naturally you'll find yourself coming up with a deck build that best suits your own style of play. Generally you can build a deck to be more offensive or defensive, but your own skills play a huge factor in who wins.

That and the luck of the trigger, as Eteric Rice points out. When you attack or take damage you do a "trigger check" which can have effects such as drawing extra cards, dealing more damage, or healing damage.

 

[Foxix Von]

Yay, an OT for Vanguard!

I did want to point out some other useful websites for those interested in Vanguard:

Cardfight Pro - A great resource for information on Japanese and English tournament reports, as well as providing detailed information on some of the cards and clans.

Cardfight!! Vanguard Official YouTube Channel - The officially supported YouTube channel for Cardfight!! Vanguard. Features all of the English dubbed anime seasons (meaning no Season 4: Legion Mate and Cardfight!! Vanguard Movie: Neon Messiah, as they aren't dubbed in English and the former is likely to never be), including the currently airing Vanguard G, as well as commercials for the assorted Vanguard booster sets and trial decks.

Been doing some more reading around the internet and bumped into this nifty site: http://www.v-mundi.com/

I'm not sure how up to date her information is but she's got some absolutely fantastic breakdown and game analysis pages that make for some great reading.

 

[ZeronosVega]

Been doing some more reading around the internet and bumped into this nifty site: http://www.v-mundi.com/

I'm not sure how up to date her information is but she's got some absolutely fantastic breakdown and game analysis pages that make for some great reading.

V-mundi does have some good information, especially in some of Alice's (the site's owner) articles regarding game theory. However, the site does have a somewhat negative reputation that it's never been able to shake. I hear they're working on improving, but I haven't kept up with them since I first started the game.

Also, her pages on the various clans are somewhat outdated (their last update was in November and we've had at least one set release since then and are about to have G-BT01 and the three trial decks). Also, they follow the English version of the game, so they don't reflect what's down the pipeline (not a problem for most) and the V-mundi community follows their own sort of rules and standards, which can at times mean their suggestions are not truthful to the game itself (i.e. Crossrides; love them or hate them, they are a part of the game). Not a bad thing if you're exclusively playing within a like-minded community, but you won't see such things in official events (or being adapted by most players).

In short, learn what you can and if the community feels right for you, then awesome!

 

[Verelios]

I would love to play a portable game first, to get a hang on the cards and tactics.

 

[ZeronosVega]

I would love to play a portable game first, to get a hang on the cards and tactics.

Unfortunately, the only portable games out there for the 3DS are Japan only literally because the developer, FuRyu, does not want them brought outside of Japan.

That being said, and I feel like Android and I are going to sound like broken records, the first season of the anime, especially the first couple of episodes, do a great job of demonstrating the basics of the game.

Actually, here's the part in Season 1, Episode 1 where they begin doing their explanation. It doesn't cover everything, even for Season 1 standards (they continue in tutorial mode for the next couple of episodes), but it will get you going.

Edit: Here are a few more tutorial episodes from Seasons 2 and 3, respectively. They also offer good, more condensed explanations while hinting at some of the later mechanics like Limit Break.

Season 2, Episode 1

Season 3, Episode 1

 

[Verelios]

I actually tried to watch the first 10 episodes but they really annoyed me in MC convenience and posture. A reason why I can't stand YGO either.

The game does look fun though.

 

[ZeronosVega]

I actually tried to watch the first 10 episodes but they really annoyed me in MC convenience and posture. A reason why I can't stand YGO either.

The game does look fun though.

You don't really need to watch much beyond the first five episodes or so for any of the seasons to get the general idea of what's going on. Once you have the basics, you just have to learn about some of the more specific mechanics, mechanics introduced later on (i.e. Crossrides, Limit Break, Ultimate Break, Break Ride, Legion, Stride, and G-Assist), and of course, about the clans themselves. All of those things are interwoven, so they all fall into place as your learning.

 

[Android18a]

Our latest battle video over on DTT

My Spike Bros VS my Kagero in a fight to the bloody death! Sorry the footage is a bit dull, lighting the videos is an issue in winter!

 

[ZeronosVega]

With today's reveal of New Century Beast, Zeal, it's now possible for clans to receive multiple Legion Revival cards. That, and now I'm even more positive that Enigman Tornado will be a Legion Revival for Enigman Storm.

Guess I was off from my guess about Enigman Tornado. Not a Legion, but a fun card all the same.

Also, we've got some promos coming for the G-BT01 pre-release as shown by this poster.

The promos for the set include:

• Prevail Jewel Knight, Yvain
• Jewel Knight, Swordmy
• Heat Element, Magum
• Beast Deity, Frog Master (already in the set)

There are other cards being included, but I cannot quite make out who they are because they are all signed.

 

[Android18a]

Oh nice, are those promos box toppers. I want the Grade 2 legion mate for Jewel Knights to replace my Sybills, basically the same effect for half the cost and an extra 1000 power. My Ashlei Reverse deck really struggles to keep up with the current decks.

Edit: The official playbook is now updated with Stride rules.

 

[ZeronosVega]

Oh nice, are those promos box toppers. I want the Grade 2 legion mate for Jewel Knights to replace my Sybills, basically the same effect for half the cost and an extra 1000 power. My Ashlei Reverse deck really struggles to keep up with the current decks.

Edit: The official playbook is now updated with Stride rules.

Some people are not happy that Clan Fight wasn't introduced in that rules update. Not that I blame them, since I'd rather not have the standard game have access to some of the annoying or downright broken combos the new support brings in thanks to the lack of on-card restrictions.

 

[Android18a]

Ah yeah. To be honest it's kind of an unwritten house rule at most places isn't it?

 

[ZeronosVega]

Ah yeah. To be honest it's kind of an unwritten house rule at most places isn't it?

I know some places do and I'd imagine most will adopt it after a while.

 

[Foxix Von]

V-mundi does have some good information, especially in some of Alice's (the site's owner) articles regarding game theory. However, the site does have a somewhat negative reputation that it's never been able to shake. I hear they're working on improving, but I haven't kept up with them since I first started the game.

Also, her pages on the various clans are somewhat outdated (their last update was in November and we've had at least one set release since then and are about to have G-BT01 and the three trial decks). Also, they follow the English version of the game, so they don't reflect what's down the pipeline (not a problem for most) and the V-mundi community follows their own sort of rules and standards, which can at times mean their suggestions are not truthful to the game itself (i.e. Crossrides; love them or hate them, they are a part of the game). Not a bad thing if you're exclusively playing within a like-minded community, but you won't see such things in official events (or being adapted by most players).

In short, learn what you can and if the community feels right for you, then awesome!

What exactly gave v-mundi a negative reputation?

 

[ZeronosVega]

What exactly gave v-mundi a negative reputation?

Largely, it is/was the attitude of the owner and most of the dedicated userbase. The community prides itself on using statistics to create optimal strategies. While there is nothing wrong with doing so, the community was often stubborn and, from what I saw, generally rude when someone tried to present a differing opinion. I've have heard they were working on trying to fix that, but I don't frequent the site much these days.

Plus, their stance on Crossrides brought them (negative) attention. When their attempts at changing the game failed (the 13K base on Crossrides), they chose to ignore the entire concept in their card reviews and their own personal circuit. While again, it's their site and thus they can do what they want, it was disingenuous to the game, making the information less-than-useful should you use it in official tournaments and the like where Crossrides were going to be used. I think they've since gone back and started acknowledging them because they had no choice (although I want to say they still ignore the 13K defense).

I hope this doesn't come off as me sounding like I'm against Alice or her website, because I'm not. There are some useful resources on the website and I did use it when I first began, but it's largely a matter of personal tastes whether or not you decide to stick around there. I hope this answers your question.

 

[Android18a]

So we just got back from our locals, sadly the trial decks didn't arrive in time so we ended up just playing friendly games all day. Hopefully the trial decks will arrive in the next couple of days. You're slacking, bushiroad

 

[Foxix Von]

Largely, it is/was the attitude of the owner and most of the dedicated userbase. The community prides itself on using statistics to create optimal strategies. While there is nothing wrong with doing so, the community was often stubborn and, from what I saw, generally rude when someone tried to present a differing opinion. I've have heard they were working on trying to fix that, but I don't frequent the site much these days.

Plus, their stance on Crossrides brought them (negative) attention. When their attempts at changing the game failed (the 13K base on Crossrides), they chose to ignore the entire concept in their card reviews and their own personal circuit. While again, it's their site and thus they can do what they want, it was disingenuous to the game, making the information less-than-useful should you use it in official tournaments and the like where Crossrides were going to be used. I think they've since gone back and started acknowledging them because they had no choice (although I want to say they still ignore the 13K defense).

I hope this doesn't come off as me sounding like I'm against Alice or her website, because I'm not. There are some useful resources on the website and I did use it when I first began, but it's largely a matter of personal tastes whether or not you decide to stick around there. I hope this answers your question.

Not in the slightest. Since I last asked that question I started browsing their forums and... yeah I noted the same problems. I didn't bump into any discussion regarding crossrides but there is definitely a purveying attitude towards stat based gameplay and nothing else. That the game is intended to be played on mathematical autopilot and any deviation from a statistically accurate deck gets heavily frowned upon (saw loads of people going nuts if there wasn't EXACTLY 12 crits and 4 heals in any given deck)

Nobody there in the community seems to actually enjoy playing the game...

*looks up crossrides*

Wow, there was a lot of kerfuffle about that.

Anyway. I ended up picking gear chronicle.... dat steampunk. I've managed to play a couple games and am looking to put more time into. I feel like it's a little too soon to talk about the game with such little experience in it but I'm definitely enjoying what I've played so far. Very, very tight pacing.

Now, I'm just debating whether I hold out for a box of boosters, or I just buy a second starter deck to round it out a bit. Perfect guards are stupid handy, and it'd be nice to have more than 2 g-units. If only there were more people to play against locally haha.

 

[Android18a]

2 Trial decks is definitely the way to go. You'll want 4 of Chrono Jet Dragon since he's going to be the "main" Grade 3 for a while yet. And 4 PGs is standard practice against some of the nastier attacks.

 

[ZeronosVega]

Anyway. I ended up picking gear chronicle.... dat steampunk. I've managed to play a couple games and am looking to put more time into. I feel like it's a little too soon to talk about the game with such little experience in it but I'm definitely enjoying what I've played so far. Very, very tight pacing.

Now, I'm just debating whether I hold out for a box of boosters, or I just buy a second starter deck to round it out a bit. Perfect guards are stupid handy, and it'd be nice to have more than 2 g-units. If only there were more people to play against locally haha.

Glad you've found something you like! I think it would be the best investment to pick up a second Gear Chronicle Trial Deck since it will give you a full playset (4) of all of the cards in it, a few of which will be useful for a long time.

As for a booster set, G-BT01 will certainly be worth looking into, but my general attitude regarding them is this. If there are multiple clans included you are wanting cards for, then it's worth getting. Otherwise, you find someone to split a box with (making it cheaper for all involved) or you buy singles (arguably cheaper in the long run and you get exactly what you need or want).

 

[Android18a]

Glad you've found something you like! I think it would be the best investment to pick up a second Gear Chronicle Trial Deck since it will give you a full playset (4) of all of the cards in it, a few of which will be useful for a long time.

As for a booster set, G-BT01 will certainly be worth looking into, but my general attitude regarding them is this. If there are multiple clans included you are wanting cards for, then it's worth getting. Otherwise, you find someone to split a box with (making it cheaper for all involved) or you buy singles (arguably cheaper in the long run and you get exactly what you need or want).

Singles is definitely the most cost-effective way of building a deck. £10-15 for a "RRR" card sounds like a lot, but you'd probably pay twice that in boosters for a vague chance of pulling the one you want with no guarantees.

I tend to order 3 of all the main cards I want as singles and aim to pull the rest from packs or trade at my locals. Sadly the Vanguard scene at my locals has shrunk a bit as a group of guys finished Uni at the same time and moved away so the store no longer opens boxes or sells their own singles from folders.

 

[ZeronosVega]

My locals (which are an hour away since I no longer live in the town after graduating from college) is in a bit of a pickle, too. There were two hobby shops in the town, but one of them is closing as the owner is pursuing a new career path in insurance and the other did not deal in Bushiroad products. Fortunately, the other store is working with our player group to try and make it our new "home", it's just that while waiting for them to become an official seller of the products, things are kind of in the air.

I usually have to get singles, though, as the clans I play tend not to be played by anyone else... so they aren't found in large quantities. I am lucky when I find someone who has what I'm looking for and they just give them to me because they aren't worth anything unless you go online (and most of them time, those clans aren't worth the hassle).

 

[Foxix Von]

Glad you've found something you like! I think it would be the best investment to pick up a second Gear Chronicle Trial Deck since it will give you a full playset (4) of all of the cards in it, a few of which will be useful for a long time.

As for a booster set, G-BT01 will certainly be worth looking into, but my general attitude regarding them is this. If there are multiple clans included you are wanting cards for, then it's worth getting. Otherwise, you find someone to split a box with (making it cheaper for all involved) or you buy singles (arguably cheaper in the long run and you get exactly what you need or want).

I don't tend to build my decks very efficiently, cost wise. I'm actually terrible about it.

I always feel like I enjoy putting a deck together more when I have an allotment of cards to puzzle piece together, feel out what works, what doesn't and then purchase what I'm missing. If I only purchase what I want then I end up having a very tiny allotment of cards and if I don't like something about it I can't just hotswap something else in for fun and instead have to go out and hunt for specific items. I know it saves money, but I really don't get the same enjoyment out of it.

I'm interested in fiddling about with pretty much any clan I can get my hands on ATM so I ordered a couple of boxes to give me a place to start. Plus the full bleed art on these things is so damn gorgeous I really wouldn't mind having a robust collection of them. I'm still debating a second starter set as I'm not 100% in love with gear chronicle. I want to play around with it a bit more.

I like being able to twerk my opponents rearguards back into the bottom of the deck, but I hate having to really wait till the game ramps up when we both generation break. Kind of wish there was a little bit more early game presence. That and the grade 4 is... kind of useless. The idea of the extra turn sounds AMAZING but the odds of pulling 4 cards with entirely different grades at the cost of 4 damage is just ridiculous. I rarely even get that much diversity in my first six cards, let alone the top 4. So many other cards have single cost counterblast abilites that are so much more useful than a super expensive gamble on a highly unlikely set of events that I can only afford to do once a game. That being said it makes for an amazing gamble if I'm about to lose the game. It's just that even if I'm about to lose I still feel like I've got much more of a fighting chance by using the counterblasts more efficiently. If I'm about to lose and I've been playing well, then I probably shouldn't even have that much unflipped damage by that late in the game. In order to really gain the opportunity I almost have to deny myself good opportunities and plays, JUST to make the last minute gamble before I'm about to die because I wasn't playing efficiently.

*brain runs in circles endlessly*

That and because of Curiocity's neo nectar deck's grade 4 ability, she can potentially call back reargards faster than I can twerk them back to the deck.

 

[ZeronosVega]

I don't tend to build my decks very efficiently, cost wise. I'm actually terrible about it.

I always feel like I enjoy putting a deck together more when I have an allotment of cards to puzzle piece together, feel out what works, what doesn't and then purchase what I'm missing. If I only purchase what I want then I end up having a very tiny allotment of cards and if I don't like something about it I can't just hotswap something else in for fun and instead have to go out and hunt for specific items. I know it saves money, but I really don't get the same enjoyment out of it.

I'm interested in fiddling about with pretty much any clan I can get my hands on ATM so I ordered a couple of boxes to give me a place to start. Plus the full bleed art on these things is so damn gorgeous I really wouldn't mind having a robust collection of them. I'm still debating a second starter set as I'm not 100% in love with gear chronicle. I want to play around with it a bit more.

Ultimately, its best to play any game in a way that is fun for you. Plus, it's not a bad thing to build up a collection and get a feeling for the different clans or tweak a certain deck. Who knows, maybe a card you grab on a whim turns out to later work extremely well with a newly introduced card? That has happened a few times in this game.

I like being able to twerk my opponents rearguards back into the bottom of the deck, but I hate having to really wait till the game ramps up when we both generation break. Kind of wish there was a little bit more early game presence.

A common shortcoming of Gear Chronicle is the lack of a strong early game. The clan itself is the showcase clan of the Stride mechanic, so it's only natural that much of their strategy is built around that, weakness and all. However, some clans just lack early game pushing power, such as Genesis, Dimension Police, Dark Irregulars, etc..

That and the grade 4 is... kind of useless. The idea of the extra turn sounds AMAZING but the odds of pulling 4 cards with entirely different grades at the cost of 4 damage is just ridiculous. I rarely even get that much diversity in my first six cards, let alone the top 4.

Yeah, Mystery Flare Dragon isn't the best card out there. If it works, it's usually game over for your opponent, but its inconsistency makes it a gimmick card at best and easily replaceable once you get access to other G-Units in the Booster Sets.

Though, it does have fun applications in a Tsukuyomi Oracle Think Tank mixed deck since they manipulate the deck stack which can set up the perfect alignment of grades.

That and because of Curiocity's neo nectar deck's grade 4 ability, she can potentially call back reargards faster than I can twerk them back to the deck.

Yeah, clans which can superior call from the deck make for good counters to Gear Chronicle's spinning (a term used for the "return a rear-guard to your opponent's deck" ability).

 

[Android18a]

Here's the goodies for this weekend's sneak preview event!

Winners get a cool Saint Blow Dragon rubber playmat (probably for the top 4 players if it's anything like at my locals) and all participants get the promo Gear Chronicle stride unit "Interdimensional Dragon, Lost Age Dragon"*. This card has the ability to return another of your opponent's cards back to the deck when it hits a Vanguard. Perhaps this would have been a better suit to the Trial Deck? Either way, it's a nice boost for players of the new clan to have.

*Bushiroad sure loves using Dragon twice in card games.

 

[ZeronosVega]

We also got news today revealing the name of G Booster Set 3 and the clans being supported in the set.

G Booster Set 3: Military Rules Meteor

Release Date: May 29, 2015

This set will include support for the Gold Paladin, Shadow Paladin, Link Joker, Murakumo, Dark Irregulars, and Kagero clans.

 

[faridmon]

I'm really lucky, in Leicester, UK there's actually two main venues within a few minutes walk of the town centre. We have a weekly Sunday tournament

How come Leicester have cool stuff and here in Birmingham, there isn't even an Anime club. What bizarre world is this?