From Budget to Competitive: Gear Chronicle part 2

Welcome to the continuation of my budget series articles for gear chronicle. We will talk about some of the possible changes to make for the deck, options vs cost, and what you should prioritize on depending on your capital limits. My previous article walks through how to build a decent good deck from scratch with 2 x TD and a few good rares and commons, so do look up the link below if you have not already.

From budget to competitive gear chronicle part 1

Money Sinks:

The following cards are where most of your money get sunk into. I will breakdown what they offer to the clan in general, relative priority of getting them, and how viable are they relative to their budget cost. Gentle reminder that shop prices will be considerably more than what I am quoting here as reference, but that doesn't mean you should not try them if you you can't find it from players! Sometimes you can get really sweet deals from shops if they are really nice, so don't hesitate to inquire.

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High priorities:

These are basically stuff you will 100% need without fail. They make the deck function towards its winning image, so if wallet allows, grab them! Good deals exist if you are persistent, specially among players and traders, so be polite about it, and if they are not offering lower, do respect their decisions and don't force it.

#1: Interdimensional Dragon, Ragnaclock Dragon ~$8-10 (Eng ~$15)

Ragnaclock is a beast. It can carry the entire deck on its back if needed, and is a threat that everyone facing gear have to plan for. That means saving PG specifically for him, and thus this create awkward situations where opponent's will not guard your first few strides if their hand does not have enough G0 shields. This allows you to severely punish them with chrono jet's GB2 glory if they use up most of their G0. Or if their drive checks had no PG, you can potentially punish them with this for high damage or even end the game. Minimal at least a pair.

When do I get this?
When your wallet allows it. I would prioritize at least getting a pair to gain the option. Even more than other options. However if it is over your spending capital, faterider is still a decent option, and your opponent will assume you have it and play around it regardless. Ideal aim is to get 2 of these asap, although a complete play set need not be immediate if wallet is a little light.

Is it worth the cost?
Very. Its a very powerful finisher that requires opponent to have an exact answer or it will cost him. I gotten mine at ~$8 each in Singapore, during the off period where the clan saw a decline in play. Granted it was a good bargain, I would say $8-10 is a good deal. For english side unfortunately the nature of the game is expensive, so expect around ~$15 each. Still worth getting a pair if you can afford it.

#1/2: Interdimensional Dragon, Faterider Dragon $4-5 (English ~ $6-10)

This is a very strong unit for budget cost. He grants the clan toolbox potential as well as high amount of power later in the game. Best of all it has no CB or SB cost, meaning they can be spent on your control effects or guard restrictions. The power to a unit is no slouch either, as after striding ragnaclock you can easily get multiple 3k power to 3-4 unit. Ideally at least 1 in the G-zone, but 2 is a possibility.

When to get this?

You can either get this asap if you know ragnaclock is out of your range, or get this after ragnaclock. It really depends on your wallet capacity, so use personal judgement for this. He is really good for his cost, and grants insane utility to a deck with not much filtering.

It it worth the cost?

I would say he is the 2nd most important unit to have in the G-zone for english, as for Jap he's a steal for his price. As of writing I find found mine for around ~$5 each, and keep 2 in the event I want to play a more aggressive stride focusing on RG. For english this can easily reach around $8-10 for RRR, which is alright for what it does, but a little on the pricier end, so you are extremely budget . 

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Medium priorities:

Everything here helps the deck, but it is more of a quality of life change that you can live without. Most of these are quite affordable upgrades so if there are good offers you can afford, do snag them. They are good quality of life improvement, at reasonable cost.

#1: Glimmer breath dragon $1-2 (Eng $2)

This unit is very similar to Burnout Dragon. Like burnout, he makes you committed to a G3 in your deck, which is Chrono jet. But given how strong that is, you usually want to sit on chrono jet for a LONG time, making the oppotunity cost extremely low. He does cost a soul which is a scarce resource in GC, but if planned properly its manageable. Unlike his precessor Relic master, he cant be used pre-stride but can hit 11k vg unhindered and cost only 1CB 1SB, so take your pick. Do note when considering other units that require souls, as this tends to clash with them. Its a decision either to use this over Amber as GC actually lack backrow boosters to commit due to deck constraints; glimmer is more independent while amber is over a long term, so take your pick.

When to get this?

When good deals arrive. This card is cheap for what it does unlike burnout (main clan hype too stronk). Since we commit mostly to chrono jet, this has marginal drawbacks and as a standalone its quite good. Look out for great deals as people may be willing to even through this in in bundle trades just to get rid of it. Take them when its convenient and never look back. If you are going to focus on amber then you might want to hold on this one.

Is it worth the cost?

Very good deal. I got mine at roughly $1 each through bundle trades, as the hype is currently down. English ones will be roughly $2 each which is still affordable. He's flexible, and cheap to boot. A real budget saver.

#2: Steam maiden, Arlim ~$4-5 (Eng $5-7)

This is our PGG that grants a chance to countercharge(new unflip keyword). You can reliably get 1 unflip (possibly more) based on how long the game drags. If you are aiming for more RG that consume CB this is rather handy for managing that, but not mandatory. She cannot be used to guard for RG, so it is something to note against matchups with Overlords or Big Bang.

When to get this?
When you settled High priorities. This means she is lower priority than Ragnaclock and Faterider, as the TD already have normal PG, so getting them basically only adds a chance to countercharge. You will definitely want to prioritize utility and main cards before getting this, but keep a look out for sweet deals. Ideally you want to get 4 at one shot.

Is it worth the cost?
I got mine at about $4 each due to good deals, but many will be willing to pay about $5 for them. English ones may go up to $5-7 depending on where you get them. In my opinion they are decent if you intend to use a lot of CB and don't mind forsaking RG against Naru or Kagero. Overall I feel it not high priority, but important to look out for when appropriate.

#3: Lost age dragon ~$4-6 (Eng $2-3)

This is a book promo that should have just been the TD promo instead of mystery flare. Unfortunately its Bushiroad's marketing strategy, so we gotta live with that. Its nothing complicated, simple hit pressure and instant tuck effect for no cost. Definitely more cost effective than chronoscommand overall, a very good 1-of when opponent have multiple targets you want to pick off the field.

When to get this?
When you get a decent deal. You won't miss it if you don't have one, but he is an excellent option to have. He can be found occasionally within traders as it is a book promo, so it is just a matter of whether you can afford it. Its not as scary as Ragnaclock and cost roughly the price of Faterider, so if given the choice, Faterider>Lost Age.

Is it worth the cost?
Depends. If tight on wallet I'd say you can get similar on hit pressure through Epochmaker + Glimmer Breath. He demands roughly ~$4-6 in Singapore for the Jap one, so it may deter some people. In English he is cheap at around $2-3 each, so this is one of the cards English had it easy. On hit pressure for free is never bad, so if given sweet deals do consider it, can be worth the cost.

Notable #1: Interdimensional Dragon, Epochmaker Dragon ~$2-3

This is my favorite pick in this category, A real dark horse.It grants good pressure for free, and lets you reuse your glimmer breath or steam breath dragon. The extra attack from a G3 is very underrated, as if planned properly, even if opponent has a damage trigger, he still can hit his front row to pressure guard. Another cool thing is you can relocate your RG when they get called back, so you can shift boosters around or even put important units like amber in the back row so they don't get attacked during opponent's turn. So get creative.

When to get this?
I would say try to get 1. It is a GR, the art is pretty cool, and its cheap to boot. I usually like to stride this or Lost age first to get the pressure out since many people want to take the first few damage for CB and save hand, so the frequency of it going off is quite high. If they PG this, it works in your favor since that's one less PG for Ragnaclock. Grab this when cheap offers arise.

Is it worth the cost?
I may be bias, but its worth getting one, even for the art alone. Got mine at a cheap $2, which is great for budget players. Don't let the fact it is a GR scare your wallet, as many people don't want to hold on to this. Unfortunately this is not available yet in English, so you guys are out of luck for the moment.

Notable #2: Interdimensional Beast, Upheaval Pegasus ~$0-1

This dark horse (no pun intended) is a risky gamble that can pay off really well, especially if you already have units that benefit off tuck effects already in play. Mistgazer, gear hawk and Gear hound get ridiculously large of it, which generates really big RG columns.  Sometimes you can even get opponent's triggers to be stranded on his field, which means less triggers in his deck overall. However do note this can be risky if opponent has RG that have on call effect, as they can pay for them even on your turn! So some caution to be taken. A very high risk high reward card for the more adventurous.

When to get this?
Get this off trades as throw-ins. This thing is really cheap as it is considered a trash RR from FC15, so should not be hard to aquire. It helps that there are better strides out there, but for cheap this card adds a little fun into your game with friends at little cost.

Is it worth the cost?
If gotten for cheap/free yes. Its a fun pick that I throw in to keep games interesting. I got mine off box sharing for FC15 since nobody wanted it, and got it thrown in along with my nova stuff. Again this is a FC15 card, so English will have to wait to see if they will get it. Overall its good cost for fun gotten, so it doesn't hurt to pick up one.

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Low priorities:

Here is where some caution is required; I do not really advise getting these immediately either because they are not cost efficient for what they do, cost too much, or very low priority over those mentioned above. In no way they are terrible, just that if budget is a concern, try to steer away from these.

*Heart Thump Worker ~$2-3 (Eng ~$5-7)

This unit helps to build up soul for your SB, which is rare in GC. However this does not justify the cost (especially in Eng).
When to get this?
After everything else in priority. I would value this the least important of all the upgrades, as the improvement is just an extra critical that can soul charge. That said, if you manage to get this as a throw in during trade, do snag some up as you will eventually get them, just not before the rest.

Is it worth the cost?
Not so. Everything else provides better utility for cost ratio. I would not pay the price for this in Eng, but for Jap I think within range of $2 is acceptable, although i rather settle the strides and other stuff first before considering this.

Chronos Command Dragon ~$7-9(Eng ~$9)

Now this may seem contradictory, but hear me out on this. This unit does not do what you expect it to do, and not well at it.Firstly you have no control of when you want the effect to go off, unless opponent rush you with full field, and even then properly staggered effects will get you the same results (chrono+epochmaker+glimmer). Next thing to note is the cost is rather high at CB2 + SB1 + a discard. Assuming a SB = 1CB, you need to make sure you nail at least 4 RG to break even. For the same on hit lost age or epoch can generate +1 off this for no extra cost. It would be nice to have one, but I feel other units perform better on average.

When to get this?
After almost every other stride, or there is a steal. I personally do not feel this is worth it's current cost (partly due to this being a GR) so the price is still hyped. I feel if on a budget, you get more bang for your buck with either fate rider or even ragnaclock. So don't put this on a high priority unless its a really good deal.

Is it worth the cost?
Personally I don't like it, but some say 1 copy doesn't hurt. He is floating $7-9 atm, which Eng one goes around $9 or so. He is priced this way since he is the GR form GBT01, but I feel his effective price should be around ~$6. So if you get lucky and find it for that price, do grab it then.

Steam fighter, mesh-he $4-5 (Eng ~$5)

This is also another one that I feel varies in value. IF you want to focus heavily on CB like amber + Ishin, you will want to consider this to mitigate some cost. However soul is already precious to the clan as it is, so I will try not to run this with other SB effects.

When to get this?
This unit's priority depends on how heavy your deck's CB is. In my budget list it is light on CB and runs Gigi, so this does not fit in. However if using a heavy CB and light SB effect, this can find a home, and its priority becomes right after Arlim. Otherwise I tend to stay away form this one.

Is it worth the cost?
I think it should be cheaper. Both the Jap and Eng ones cost ~$5, but I think its more bang for your buck if you are heavy on CB. Again this depends on your list mostly whether you can support it well or not.

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Here is how I would go about purchases depending on how much I can afford:

Budget route:

1x epochmaker > 1x upheaval > 1x faterider > 2x Ragnaclock > 1x lost age > 2-3x glimmer breath  > 4x arlim >2x Ragnaclock > rest

High capital route:

4x Ragnaclock > 4x Arlim > 1x fate rider > 1x lost age > 4x heart thump > 2-3x mesh-he > rest

Maximum Budget list

G0: 17
1 Gunner Gear dracokid or Timepiece dracokid (FVG)
4 Steam maiden, Uluru (heal)
4 Luckypot dracokid (draw)
4 Steam battler, dadasig (critical)
4 Vainglory dream gear cat (stand)

G1: 14
4 Withdrawn gear raven (PG)
4 Mistgazer dragon (power booster)
2 steam rider Dizkal (9k attacker)
4 Steam breath dragon (strider)

G2: 11
4 Smoke gear dragon (10k base)
3 Steam fighter, amber (retire unit)
4 Twinmaser dragon (12k attacker)

G3: 8
4 Chrono jet dragon (Main G3)
4 Steam maiden Elul (backup G3)

G4: 8
2 lost age dragon
2 fate rider dragon
2 epochmaker dragon
2 upheaval Pegasus

Proposed list (final):

G0: 17
1 Gunner Gear dracokid or Timepiece dracokid (FVG)
4 Steam maiden, Uluru (heal)
4 Luckypot dracokid (draw)
4 Steam battler, dadasig (critical)
4 heart thump worker* (critical)

G1: 14
4 Steam maiden Arlim* (PGG)
4 Mistgazer dragon (power booster)
2 steam rider Dizkal (9k attacker)
4 Steam breath dragon (strider)

G2: 11
3 Smoke gear dragon (10k base)
3 Glimmer breath dragon* (retire unit)
3 Twinmaser dragon (12k attacker)
2 steam knight puzer lli* (legion mate)

G3: 8
4 Chrono jet dragon (Main G3)
4 Ruin disposal dragon (backup G3 legion)

G4: 8
4 Ragnaclock dragon
1 lost age dragon
1 fate rider dragon
1 epochmaker dragon
1 upheaval Pegasus

Box sharing with friends

So just yesterday I shared 4 boxes with some friends. My LJ friend was really happy to see the Messiah GR, and we got 2 SP (Homura,Gillas). The mura guy got a sweet deal out of the slots, and me crying inside over the lack of SP.

Notable: Amnesty messiah. 

Notable: Aurageyser, Gillas SP, Crunchy, LJ PG 

 Notable: Homura, SP PG, LJ PG, claret 

Notable: Claret, Homura SP

I don't know to be happy or sad for this one.My wallet felt the crit for not getting PBD, but at least I had fun with friends opening the packs, always exciting to hope for your clan's main cards!

Deck profile: update on Magatsu Typhoon deck Ver.2

Today I am going to look back at my proposed Magatsu Typhoon deck and propose changes to it based on what is previewed in GBT03. Now that everything is out, we have a clearer picture to work with and make the changes.

This is the current list since we last left it.

Grade 0: 17
1 Magatsu wind
4 heal
4 crit
4 draw
4 cat devil (sc +3k)

Grade 1:
4 Magatsu Breath
4 PG
3 Oboro Cart
3 Sukerock

Grade 2: 11
4 Magatsu Gale
4 Bloody Mist (10k Vanilla)
3 Royale Nova (Magatsu persona 12k attacker)

Grade 3: 8
4 Magatsu Storm
4 Magatsu Typhoon

Grade 4: 8
4 Shirayuki
2 Madu
1 Blizza
1 Kagamijin

Possible considerations

G0:

I am quite excited to add this to the deck. This greatly solves the consistency issue where you try to get as many copies of magatsu on the field as possible, as well as giving us the option to use Homura raider effectively. I will be replacing the draws with this as the deck is already quite hand conservative, and this gives the deck some needed aggression. Imagine fetching 2 copies of Typhoon by cloning the one you call out typhoon's effect, and then performing legion for a 16k booster and 2 16k attackers!

G1:

The new PGG is quite a godsend for newer people who want to try out Murakumo, as the older PG is really hard to find these days. The drawback of not being able to guard is mitigated by the fact you won't usually have a front row for them in the first place, and the extra unflip can mean 1 more use of oroboro wheel or possibly another storm's LB4.

Ataka is our new stride fodder. Now previously I was playing sunrock and oboro wheel for G1 slots, and although both have important roles to play, I would like to make room for at least 2 of these. Reason being that I'd rather drop this than any of the G3 to stride, as those G3 can be used as boosters or attackers on legion turn. 2 does not allow scroll to clone this for homura, but if you have to clone this to begin with, we are already in serious trouble. Besides that, cloning priorities should be given to magatsu units.

Notable mentions:

I like charcoal fox, but it has a few weakness in this deck. Firstly we do not have the ability to clone this guy on a whim. In a Yasuie deck this is extremely potent, but in the case here, we depend on a G1, a stand trigger, an on hit stride just to get extra copies, which can be hard to pull off at times. I rather focus more on the deck's winning image of a board flooded with magatsu. Second is he needs to be called in multiples to make good columns here, which again brings back to the 1st point. You can still run this if you don't like oboro wheel and sukerock, its personal preference, just make sure you have more train in the G-zone.

G2:

I really like this guy a lot. He finds a replacement for himself, adds cards to your hand's overall shield value, and can find another temporary front row attacker for you. Only problem is he is tad slow and fights for CB with storm, which should fine if I choose to add the unflipper stand and PGG and use less of storm's LB4, since it timing is terrible with its own legion skill.  I will likely replace 10K vanilla with this as riding this means 1 more magatsu to work with on legion turn, and aids the deck's winning image overall.

With this unit, we can finally kiss nova goodbye. With our first turn during mid game spent striding, this will become more consistent than nova, as nova only works if you are the G2 or G3, and since we might not get to legion that soon, we may have to have a 5K unit stuck in hand for awhile. This does slow the deck down considerably, but it does smooth out consistency issues.


G3:

No changes here as I will want to max out on Magatsu. Yasuie is interesting, but overall for the winning image, I would stay away from this.

G4:

You definitely want to play at least a pair of this. If victoplasma and the ace has thought us anything, restanding strides with pretty restrictive drawbacks are very strong game enders. Its really up to personal preference here, as since this isn't a yasuie deck, I find it a challenge to get the effect off. Granted rune star and scroll makes it easier, its still hoops to jump through that isn't in this deck's nature. I find more often striding Shiraiyuki than the others just to and still have a board without hand commitment. I will only be running 2, but you can consider a full play set if it suits your preference.

On one hand I want to see my opponent get hit by a train. On the other hand I don't see myself striding this often. Granted it does Give you up to 1 additional attack, and barring G1, you probably wont call more than 1 of them if enemy drive check a damage trigger. So I'd say a niche 1 of would be good if your opponent is open to this option. For those who insist on running charcoal fox, you want to run more of this.

Proposed decklist:

Grade 0: 17
1 Magatsu wind
4 heal
2 crit
2 dart spider (unflipper)
4 hidden scroll (cloner)
4 cat devil (sc +3k)

Grade 1:
4 Magatsu Breath
4 White heron (PGG)
2 Oboro Cart (CB1 clone)
2 Sukerock (SB engine)
2 Ataka

Grade 2: 11
4 Magatsu Gale
4 rune star (clone self)
3 tokube (GB1 12k)

Grade 3: 8
4 Magatsu Storm
4 Magatsu Typhoon

Grade 4: 8
3 Shirayuki
1 Madu
2 Homura Raider
1 Ushimitsu train
1 Kagamijin

First thing to note is that this deck has slowed down quite a bit barring nut draws, which is fine as a deck that intends to legion a few times. The winning image is to weather down you opponent, and using big turn pushes with typhoon's legion effect for game. The strides are mostly utility options with the exception of Homura raider being a finisher. Trigger lineup is changed to 6stand/6crit to facilitate more pressure and utility in triggers.

And thats my take on the typhoon deck. Let me know your opinions on the comments, and hope to share more insights on polishing this deck.

From Budget to Competitive: Gear Chronicle part 1

Hi readers. Today I am going to try a different approach at vanguard. This series is named "From budget to competitive" and is catered for our more financially challenged individuals who still want to enjoy playing vanguard at a reasonable budget.

This was suggested to me by a few friends who find vanguard to be really expensive, and quite daunting for new people to enter. However it being true for main clans, there are some budget alternatives that are often underplayed. I hope that with this series of articles, I hope to let newer people see that its not all meta.deck or cardfight-wallet.

Today we will look into the relatively new clan: gear chronicle. As a new clan just introduced in GBT01 and gaining support in GBT02, many of the available cards are still in circulation, making this quite accessible. There are a few factors that make budget build possible:

Strengths

1) G-TD: This is like Bushiroad's best possible idea to introduce new players to the game. Unlike older TD, you just need to get only 2 of these to have a completely functional deck, complete with a play set of main G3, PGs, and useful cards. Just need to replace a few less optimal units and you will have access to a reasonably good deck for the fraction of the cost that it takes to buy play sets of some main clan aces(thing saver, abyss,the x).

2) Chrono Jet dragon: This card is really strong for a TD ace. He's got in-built retire engine to generate advantage, have game ending power in his GB2 glory effect, and has good support to back him up. Overall a very strong unit to start out with out of the trial deck, even if the TD stride is (basically) there just for triggering chrono jet.

3) Many good common and rares printed: This is quite unique to just gear chronicle in general since they have only existed for 2 sets. They have a lot of good support to shore up the clan's roster so that they will be at least equal footing with at least some of the other clans. They also printed 2 legion pairs for GC that are just rares, making it really easy to get playsets for cheap. The power granting aspect of the clan is not really mainstream at the moment, and with most of them being just commons, they are affordable as well.

4) Not main-meta...: Recently they have fallen out of meta and due to this have fallen in price. Many of the Japanese singles are pretty affordable to get. Their RR Relic master dragon is a measly $1 to many people and is often thrown in as trade bait. Another RR glimmer breath dragon is also reasonably affordable in my region at about $2 each for a solid unit. Also with Fighter's Collection 2015(FC15) now available in Japanese, we now have 2 more decent options for stride, with upheaval Pegasus being the trash RR in the FC15. Sure its risky, but hell when it works with some of your units, it can get really insane. Works in our favor so not complaining.

5)...but still hurts the meta: Now this is linked with point #4. With all the clans moving towards a more RG focused play style, being able to decide what stays and what does not is quite vital. Disruption is key to GC in addition to its guard restrictions. Your main plan is to keep nailing their important RG while powering up yours to push for victory.

6)strides are a means to an end, not the end: This applies when you are under a budget. In all honesty, the bulk of your upgrades are going to be poured into the strides. Ragnaclock is quite expensive on the English side, and around the $8-10 range for Japanese ones in Singapore. Its brutal, and basically carries the entire deck on its back, but there are cheaper alternatives. The main role of stride in this budget deck is to help you toolbox for what you need, as well as triggering chrono jet's breakstride effect. If you don't have the molar to splurge on it, the deck still functions as normal, just that you don't have a conditional "I win" button.

Build

Budget Gear Chronicle Version 1
* new cards to be added.

G0: 17
1 Gunner Gear dracokid or Timepiece dracokid (FVG)
4 Steam maiden, Uluru (heal)
4 Luckypot dracokid (draw)
4 Steam battler, dadasig (critical)
4 Vainglory-dream gear cat* (stand)

G1: 14
4 Withdrawn gear raven (PG)
4 Mistgazer dragon* (power booster)
2 Steam scarra Gigi* (Sb2 draw)
4 Steam breath dragon* (strider)

G2: 11
3 Smoke gear dragon (10k base)
3 Steam fighter amber (retire unit)
3 Twinmaser dragon (12k attacker)
2 steam knight puzer lli* (legion mate)

G3: 8
4 Chrono jet dragon (Main G3)
4 Ruin disposal dragon* (backup G3 legion)

G4: 8
4 Mystery-flare dragon
1 Snow element, Blizza*
2 Atmos*
1 upheaval Pegasus* or another Blizza for English players

Estimated Cost:

Total added:
0   RRR
0   RR
12 R ~$0.5ea --- $6
4   Promos ~ $2ea --- $8
9   Commons ~$0.2 ea ---$2

Cost of 2 TD: ~$18ea

Total cost incurred: ~$42 (~$53 from stores)

Price may vary based on where you get the cards. If you trying getting the deck from player base as second hand you could probably get it at a cheaper price. Also trying to get singles like atmos and blizza from players would be around $1 if you are decent at bargaining. However if you are relying on a shop for the goods, the prices can be a little higher.

Game plan:

This deck aims to be more aggressive with your RGs which using chrono jet to get millage out of your strides. Most of your RG power comes from your mistgazers and gear cat, triggering off chrono jet or amber. Puzer lli is mostly there just for legion purposes, as you want to spend your souls on Gigi to gain card draw, but on some occasions you can use it as a finisher, just not often.

Your strides are there to trigger chrono jet and swing for big columns. Atmos and blizza tend to mimic ragnaclock as a attack opponent have to pg except it lacks the extra crit. Blizza also allows for early GB2 with chrono jet if you find yourself in a situation where you might not be able to stride next turn. They are also reasonably distributed promo so they can be found and acquired easily, and can fit into many other decks, so its a good investment.

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I hope this series of article wil helps people who are new enter the cardfight scene. Next time i will talk about possible upgrades to the deck, comparing cost to what it provides the clan, and an updated list with these cards.

To Part 2

Card review and deck profile: Phantom Blaster Dragon (breakride)

Alright guys, this is going to be a hell of a long article, but I assure you that its going to be as informative as I can write. After the short teaser of a Phantom Blaster previewed, we finally get spoiled the full effect of the new SP GR: the return of Phantom Blaster Dragon (breakride)

http://cardfight.wikia.com/wiki/Phantom_Blaster_Dragon_(Break_Ride)

[AUTO] Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):[Soul Blast (3)] When a «Shadow Paladin» rides this unit, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose your vanguard, and until end of turn, that unit gets [Power]+10000, and "[AUTO](VC):[Choose three of your rear-guards, and retire them] When this unit attacks a vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw two cards, choose three cards from your damage zone, turn them face up, and until end of that battle, your opponent cannot call grade 1 or greater cards from hand to (GC).".
[AUTO]:[Choose one of your rear-guards, and retire it] When this unit is placed on (VC), you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one card with "Blaster" in its card name, reveal it to your opponent, put it into your hand, and shuffle your deck.


Looks like old PBD got similar treatment as dragonic overlord. This has quite a wall of text. Its actually not that confusing; it has effects that require some form of payment.

1) When you ride over this unit, and have 4 damage, you may SB3 to gain the breakride skill. This grants you 10k power to the new Vg and grants the next skill to the new VG. If you failed to pay the SB3 or not at LB4,  you will miss the effect entirely.

Do note that SP does not have reliable ways to SC atm, at least without costing hand. Our only viable options is to ride over with another G3, howl owl, painter, and fiercebau. Fiercebau can be a tad unreliable as new sp tends to flood the board with a lot of G1, but its still a possible option.

Also this clashes with some support people run, like bat, swordbreaker, darkheart and aurageyser, and will cost your Gust blaster 10k power, assuming you blast away the ride chain. Extra precaution should be taken if you do not run a starter that can go into the soul, as that leaves you with only 3 soul to work with (including PBD) when you breakride.

2)If you paid for the breakride, in addition to the power, PBD will grant the new VG the ability to pay 3 RG when it attacks. If paid, first you get to draw 2 cards, and then unflip 3, and finally gain the glory effect for that one attack. Note that you only get the glory effect FOR THE ATTACK you pay the retire cost, NOT the entire turn. So if you were planning to use it with RPBA or RFD, you won't be able to double dip the glory effect.

The draw 2 does help you break even the retire cost if you retire a Charon or David, and help you have more options available.

The unflip 3 is interesting, allowing you to spam more CB during the early phase of the game. First prominent thing is that

3) On ride you get to trade a RG in play for any 'blaster' unit to add to hand from deck. Again this lets you toolbox for whichever blaster you need, similar to Fullbau Brave. You can tutor for your next G3 to ride, search for any of the G1 and G2 from the ride chain, or just search a G3 for stride fodder. Only thing to really note about this is that it is time sensitive to when you ride it, so the fodder have to be already in play by then, so make sure you planned for it.

So, who he works well with?

Many people will want to try this with an restanding VG, but the gimmicks to pull it off is insane. For both abyss and Raging form need to retire 3 other revengers, and this pretty much leaves you without aboard, even on ideal board situations. So I feel this isn't such a good idea as too many things have to go right.

He is very interesting with dragruler though. The dragruler play from PBD will allow for a very scary turn where you activate dragruler a few times, and you will get a very scary VG column, anywhere between 31k to 41k and cannot be guarded by G1 or above.

However, the most obvious one is he is completely tailor-made for his crossride overlord deck. The on ride effect makes it easy to fetch a copy of the crossride, while the unflip 3 ensures you will have the CB for the persona on that turn.The breakride makes overlord into a 33k 2 crit and glory effect, a very scary proposition considering any 8k boost brings it to 41k, and owl + bat brings it to a whooping 46k without giving up the crossride. Also similar to DO, he has the exact same name as his predecessor, meaning Javelin can search for him, and overlord gains the crossride if ridden over him. One very cute interaction in this deck is the overlooked Phantom Bringer Demon. In the past this is way over costed, but now that Charon and David exist, you can effectively trade them for a copy of the G3, which does open up options. Being a blaster he also benefits off all the support from legend deck.

G0 18
1 Fullbau (FVG)
1 Phantom Bringer Demon
4 heal
4 howl owl (draw)
8 crit

G1 15
4 PG
4 True Charon
2 Claudas
1 Nightmare painter
4 blaster javelin

G2 9
4 Macha
1 blaster dark
4 Dorint

G3 8
3 PBD (breakride)
1 PBD
4 PBO

G4
2 Grim Recruiter
4 Phantom Blaster Diablo
2 Aurageyser Dragon

This is an old PBO deck with some upgrades from G-era. Winning image would be to end the game with a breakride PBO and persona blasting, gaining a 31k+ glory and 2 crit. Failing that, you still have crossride defense and a reasonably good trigger ratio left in deck. You will realize this deck is rather light on counterblast except for PBO, so if you want to spend counterblast early on blaster dark or macha, just spam away since breakride will unflip 3 for use.

Dorint is there more as a 12k attacker with occasional upside of unflip + 22k column, letting you pull off another gambit if you are at 5 damage and have 2cb unflipped. Therefore i picked it over masquerade, but if you prefer some early aggression you can probably fit masquerade instead of dorint.

Claudas has a different purpose as in the legend deck. He is more often used as a 9k booster when you are on PBO, but you can still use him behind dorint to make a 22k column and a unflip. I would want to fit more in, but since charon is more important to the strategy, and you do not really need the unflip, i had to cut down to just 2 claudas. You can swap the numbers between them if it is to your preference.

Nightmare lets you 'cheat' the crossride defense if you had to ride PBO first by putting the breakride into soul. Its undesirable to do so, but on the long term the defense does add up in card advantage as these days people never really plan to go against crossride defense. Only played one as its for worst cast scenarios, and can be easily fetched with grim recruiter simply hitting the VG, and providing a booster to VG at the same time. Also it is important to note that this and owl allows you to use aurageyser prior to breakride and still keep PBD in the soul, keeping the 13k defense.

Demon requires a little more explanation. Demon lets you fetch more copies of your persona. You can trade Charon for another copy of PBO, or units like painter or javelin who are taking up back row and needs to be replaced with other units. This thins the deck further thin out the deck for your gambit turn by removing another G3 from the deck.  The CB cost is already quite light in this deck, and since the breakride already unflips 3, you don't really have to save CB for the big turn. In a pinch you can retire a charon, and still make a 16k column with this unit and either G3s or a dorint.

I ran the ride chain because it synergies with BPD quite well. The G1 can fetch the G2 if ridden or search for the breakride if called as RG. 6k still makes reasonable columns with dorint and blaster dark, and if used as booster for macha you will still get the search, which is what is more important. Blaster dark can be used early if you get rushed, and 10k base is quite good defense against rush so that they find it hard to punish you for more guard as compared to G2 9k. You only really need 1 copy as there is almost no way to damage check it if you ride javelin, and if you missed the ride chain you can still ride any other G2.

The deck can be is a bit slower because of GB1, but you can sit on 10k blaster dark quite safely for a turn without getting overwhelmed. Furthermore your GB1 RG do not have any important effects on call, so they can be called early to pressure if needed.

Card review: Golden Dragon, Spear Cross Dragon and role in GP

Today more details on a new GP stride, one showed in the anime. Here is spear cross dragon

http://cardfight.wikia.com/wiki/Golden_Dragon,_Spear_Cross_Dragon#comm-1081188

Stride (Released when both players' vanguards are grade 3 or greater!)-Stride Step-[Choose one or more cards with the sum of their grades being 3 or greater from your hand, and discard them] Stride this card on your (VC) from face down.
[AUTO]:[Counter Blast (2) & Choose a face down card named "Golden Dragon, Spear Cross Dragon" from your G zone, and turn it face up] When this unit is placed on (VC), if you have a face-up card in your G-Zone or more, you may pay the cost. If you do, look at five cards from the top of your deck, search for cards up to the number of face-up cards you have in your G-Zone, call them to separate open (RC), and shuffle your deck.

First thing many will relate this to is liberator Garmore for its ability to flood a field from absolutely nothing. However, unlike its predecessor, it works for all GP, but takes a little more setup than normal. You also get to cherry pick which unit you want and put the rest at the bottom, unlike Garmore who has to keep calling until you decide to stop, not letting you see what is available at the top 5 before deciding. Also important is that you can only call in open RC, like many other GP cards, so no replacing existing units.

The way this unit works is time sensitive to on stride, but you can chain this together with Gurguit, letting you decide the order. You can first let Spear Cross resolve first, pick the best possible units to call from top 5, then decide if you need to use Gurguit to try to fix any column.

The cost is quite unique to many of the strides we already know. It is like a mix between requiring 2 face-up strides to at least function, and rewards you for striding it later into the game. It is similar to existing game ending strides where you have persona flip, allowing this to be used maxed twice a game It synergies well with Blizza-type effects, assuming we see GP getting another one this set, but currently only existing one is Mithril Ezel. The setup with scissor or platina  being the heart allows you to have a game plan throughout, chaining RGs to spam the field while building to either LB4 or LB5.

So based on G-generation cards leaked, GP favors a heavy swarming strategy; calling non-triggers from deck for attacking and boosting, and then trading them later on defense to guard, therefore saving cards in hand to guard. They are also unique in allowing you to guard from the deck, which bypass Tom,Glory or Diablo effects to prevent guarding from hand. Slaymy lets you guard from the back row, while braygal is the GP's incarnation of Especial-intercept, providing a small quintet wall effect, and Gurguit helps you dig deeper for the guard that you might need if you have the resources to spare. Do note nowever that the new PGG does not work with these effects, as they have to placed from hand to GC, but it works fine with any normal PG.

With Coolgal, Farmgal, and Pwyll for easy pluses, and the consistency of all the "search top x cards", like Katchgal and lop ear, its easy to find the right guy for the job. In fact it becomes realistically easy to do what I dubbed as "pellinoire cheese".

People who played in second season remembered the nonsensical luck-sack that was Pellinoire. Back then the only real options were Viviane and Kahedin, and it usually involved immense amount of luck as they can only top call 1 card. Then came the legion era, which brought all the "call from top x cards", greatly increasing the rate you dig though your deck. Katchgal followed by Heli and Rud gave more combat calling, while making their way into the soul for more calling and paying for SB effects. Adding in G-era units, you can have easily 16-20 units in the deck that can call a unit during combat step along with Cambell to superior ride Pellinoire, gaining a further twin drive, and providing two set of 5k power to units while making space for more calling! With some luck, you might even be able to call 2-3 Pellinoire in a single turn! Show Thing Saver and DP who's the boss from superior riding from deck!

The last one I am going to at are liberators, particularly Blueish flame. With most of their bosses not using a lot of CB (max 2-3 a turn on heavy turns, it will be possible to use this in combination with Bruno to get some scary columns. However, I think one will rarely stride this unit, unless against heavy retire clans or effects.

News: New ad for Gbt-03, Unknown "phantom blaster" unit revealed

The newest link to an add for Gbt-03 is released, and one particular image I kind of find 'distubing'...


Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVb4IVS0eFA

For those too lazy to watch the video, this image came up around the 006 mark of the video:

This is definitely, unmistakably a SP unit. Infact, this REALLY looks like phantom blaster. Could this be the new G-unit with phantom blaster in its name? Possibly even a new GR for SP? If so, Blaster dark diablo will stop being just used for Diablo, and a potential new toolbox available for SP. Or there is a chance its a revival legion for old phantom blaster. What do you guys think? Do leave your comments on what do you think this could possibly be.

Card review: Nebula Dragon, Big Crunch Dragon

This is the new stride for LJ, and it has strong control elements to further support their control strategies.

http://cardfight.wikia.com/wiki/Nebula_Dragon,_Big_Crunch_Dragon

So let me first get the obvious out of the way. This will usually be your second stride to omega lock an entire column, granting similar control as route flare dragon. Unlike route, it deny them the ability to use an entire column for 2 whole turns, which will buy you 10-15k shields each turn for 2 turns, particularly so if you lock dangerous rearguards like sazanda.

The cost for activation is very similar for most GB2 strides, and can only be used only twice at most. Fortunately it is only a low cost of 1 CB, making it quite easy for many LJ decks to weave this in addition to their other locking tactics. Omega lock 2 units for 2 turns at 1CB and a discard, tag in a 26K+ VG and triple drive check, and we got a pretty good deal.

The way the ability works helps you get around resist units, as long as there is another select able unit in that column. Problem do arise when your opponent scatter their units around and leaving only 1 RG in each column, making this effect not so tempting. But then you have duskblade, alter ego, judgement to pinpoint control, so there's still options if this isn't the right tool for the job.

Now the most obvious combo to use with this is hinted greatly in the VG G episode: Star-vader, dark zodiac. After you stride Crunchy, you can perform legion with zodiac in induce another turn worth of omega lock. That is a pretty low cost of maintaining 2 RG locked for 3 turns for only 2 CB; quite a steal even for legion era LJ, not factoring Zodiac's persona blast lock VG booster and another front row.

The less obvious combos would be using this to set up G3s that need locked units to function, due to the units still being locked next turn. Hafnium, Venom dancer, nebula lord give you some power plays along with this card, something LJ are usually in short supply of. In combination with the claw buddies, you can see some scary number on the turn you stride Crunchy. It also lets you conveniently search for Blaster Joker with Dilaton the next turn when you legion, either as future ride or fodder.

People also talked about using this in Glendios to start the board locking. In my opinion I will only see a pair the most being played. The omega locking is quite time sensitive, and the most I see being locked in one column and if you are striding, you are not making full use of Glendios and your reverse units cannot attack due to lord, hence only 1 column will be attacking. Also the units you have locked previously with Glendios will now unlock due to you not maintaining any previous omega locks. You will have to stride at least once before, making it 2 turns of not using Glendios effect. For better or for worse, we will see how it goes, but as of now I am not convinced its mandatory due to fruit loop existing.

Theorycrafting: Vanillas: what they mean to you in new meta

Vanillas and what they mean to you in new meta:

Today I am going to talk about something that has been overlooked by a lot of the vanguard community, which are Vanilla 8k G1 and 10k G2 units.

Math is hard
Lets be honest: vanguard is a number game. 1K can make a world of difference when attacking or guarding, and usually have an opportunity cost (not playing other units with strong skills, being a fragile attacker). It is even more valuable on defense, as most older player from crossride eras can confirm. And playing vanillas give you something similar to crossride defense, without having to ride over a specific unit. A difference between 5k guard and 10k guard tends to add up as the game goes on,

Vanilla is a good flavor too
So why might some ask we play something with no effects when you have so many other options with strong effects? Well, if you ask many of the older players, vanilla IS an effect in itself and has both offensive and defensive benefits. Here is some of the breakdown on benefits:

8K Vanilla

It discourages opponent from swarming you with 7k:
Ever had games before where you took about 2-3 damage on the first turn cause opponent rushed you with 3 G1 at the start? With a 8k, this line of play is discouraged, as the max possible damage you would take that turn is 2 damage if you 5K guard to trigger pass the vg and he checked a critical trigger, It also puts their valuable boosters in great risk of being attacked next turn, forcing them to lose more hand to guard or lose the boosters. This however does not work for sub-clan 10k atacker G1, but you will still bait out those units to be attacked next turn.

5K guard anything below 13K, 10K no pass 12K VG: This happens a lot, as most G1 are 7k with effects or 6K effects like PG. Given that most forerunners will move behind the VG to provide early center lane pressure, you expect to see anywhere from 11k-12k center column. So even with a trigger the max it goes is still only 17K, and failing to connect. If you are ballsy you could even 5k guard for trigger pass, which is impossible for a 7K or below.

Calling 8K as attackers to rush opponent: There are some merits to this. They cannot retaliate back at them with 7K G1, and even 12K attackers is only 5k to guard them, which usually forces the VG to attack them which means it saved you some damage. 8K also hits 12K with any 4K(usually G3 searcher), which is 10K against most 7K G1. 2 8K in 1 column forms 16K, which is 10K shields even for 11K VG) Later you can move them back to be boosters at relatively low risk.

Opponent cannot 5K trigger pass. Similar to the situation above, except in reverse. A 7k can only reach 12k on defense with 5K, which a 8K with 5k booster automatically trumps it at 13k,

Deletor: 
This is the only sub-clan 8K vanilla, so it is a special case. Most of the time deletors aim for completely different breakpoints, similar to old 10K vanilla G3 days. With enemy VG being 0 Power, the ideal numbers to hit are 5K intervals (5,10,15,20) and this allows for many interesting interactions with 7K boosters (15K), both their 12K attackers (20K) and their legion (30K), making guarding a really disgusting proposition.

Helps boost magic numbers: This applies for:

• VG that gains at least 2K power(most breakrides (13k becomes 21k), 
• Crossrides (13K becomes 21K),
• Legion that gains 3K power in addition to 20K legion(23K becomes 31K), 
• 11K against 9K G2 (19k is 15K guard for 1 pass),
• 10K base VG with 3K power (13K becomes 21k), 
• 10K RG can hit Crossride for 10k guard (18K)
• 9K hit 17k against most 7K or less G1 (15K guard)
• 12K attackers hit 10K for 20K (15K guard)
• Goes well with +4k power to form 21K column (9+8+4=21)

10K Vanilla

Cannot be sniped at by other G2 without help: 

As either VG or RG, they make it such that most G2 cannot hit you for free 5K shields unboosted. Defense wise this conserves hand size. 

5K guard anything below 15K. 10K to 2 pass anything below 20K.

This is very strong defense wise, particularly so in rush decks.  

Grade locking: 

This is a current trend to stay in G2 for an extra turn to force opponent to ride a G3 first, therefore letting you have the first stride or legion. This provides you with a relatively safe way to stay this way without taking too much unnecessary damage. This is extremely key when playing rush decks, as grade-locking yourself prevents your opponent from performing legion or stride, basically turning off all their cards with GB1 or legion specific, turning it into a vanilla slug-fest. And since you are playing better vanillas, you can come up on top of the hustle.

Magic Numbers: 

• Hits 16K with 6K boosters (10k guard for 11K base)
• Hits 17K against most 7K and below G1 (15K guard)
• Hit enemy's 10K unboosted
• with 4K booster can force 10K guard on 9K units.

Summary of Vanillas:

• Strong options early (both offense and defense), where hand resource is scarce and many big effects are not usable (no legion, stride).
• Hits magic numbers
• Shores up some of the weaknesses of slower clans (GC for example which is weak pre-stride)
• Cheap as hell budget options
• Safer staying at G2 to deny opponent from striding or legion compared to 9K base.

Card Review: Soverign Black Dragon, Aurageyser Dragon (I mean, AURAKAISER Dragon) + Basic combos

Card Review: Soverign Black Dragon, Aurageyser Dragon (I mean, AURAKAISER Dragon) + Basic combos

Finally the full effect of the SP new stride is previewed. I am a tad sad the name is Aurageyser and not Aurakaiser, which would have been more badass. After all the hype about it, many people view this as a little as underwhelming, but I assure you, this is anything but disappoint. Lets get to the card breakdown.

http://cardfight.wikia.com/wiki/Sovereign_Black_Dragon,_Aurageyser_Dragon

Stride (Released when both players' vanguards are grade 3 or greater!)-Stride Step-[Choose one or more cards with the sum of their grades being 3 or greater from your hand, and discard them] Stride this card on your (VC) from face down.
[AUTO](VC):[Counter Blast (1) & Soul Blast (1) & Choose a card named "Sovereign Black Dragon, Aurageyser Dragon" from your G zone, a turn it face up & Choose two of your rear-guards, and retire them] When this unit attacks a vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, reveal two cards from the top of your deck. This unit gets [Power]+5000 for each grade 1 or less card revealed with this effect until end of turn. Put the cards revealed with this effect into your hand

Firstly, Kanzaki is a super sacker to get 2 PG off the stride effect. Its not as strong as direct search as predicted by many, but this ability, which I will dub as "Pseudo drive check", is actually really unique without being broken, and fits G-SP's "G1 matters" theme. Also this pushes G-SP into a more defensive clan who can swarm the field and get back pluses to stay healthy with guarding, a rather big change to the more offensive play-style of revengers.

It might be quite confusing for non-SP players to understand how strong this effect actually is. Basically this unit trades 1CB + 1SB and 2 retire and a copy of itself to activate, meaning the max you can use its effect is twice per game. The main effect is the additional 2 "pseudo" drive checks granted by its effect: a net +2 to your hand. This is great for setting up for your guarding, and your big power play next turn either by breakride, striding, or even legion.

Ok about his "pseudo" drive checks. Many people have pointed out that its not impressive as it only gives power to Aurageyser, and any trigger revealed would be 'wasted'. It cannot be any further from the truth. If you checked a trigger, you would have added another 10k shield into your hand (unless draw trigger), and added another 5k to Aurageyser, making it more tempting for enemy to PG or just no guard. It also turns any G1 into a real trigger to Aurageyser, which on normal circumstance is worth nothing but a 5k shield. If we follow the standard grade composition in a deck being 16 triggers and 13 G1, we have upwards 22-26 G0 or G1 out of the remainder still left in the deck, almost nearly 50% chance on first stride to get at least 5k power. That makes this a 36k triple drive column, an almost PG or no guard.

*(Gentle reminder: this happens during declaring attack, so your opponent will know exactly how much power you are getting off the skill. It works in your favor either way, as you either bait out more of his guard or force damage through).

Another important, but often taken for granted is the retire cost. This proves to be extremely good against overlord by preventing them swinging at your intercepts, and LJ so they cannot lock out that column without gimmicks. It also helps fuel for legion, as it adds at least 4 cards to drop zone in 1 shot.

So based on all this, Aurageyser is a setup stride, very similar to grim recruiter, except it does not have to hit and is a lot harder to guard without a PG due to its variable power.

Combos (obvious ones)

Some of the simplest pluses for the various archetypes:

G-Era SP

0. Start turn with 2 hand; fodder/G3 and a G1/G2
1. Draw phase (+1 hand,3 hand)
2. Stride by dropping fodder or G3 (-1 hand, 2 hand)
3. Use Claret skill to superior call a swordbreaker, draw a card (+1 unit and hand, 3 hand)
4. Call another RG in swordbreaker column (-1 hand, 2 hand)
5. Swing into Enemy VG if column is 16k+ (swordbreaker is 8k booster because of Claret), else swing their intercept
6. Swing with Aurageyser, pay cost retire swordbreaker row (-2 unit, cost 1CB 1SB)
7. Aurageyser skill drive check, imagine you drive check 2 G2/G3, so no power added (+2 hand, 4 hand)
8. Proceed to normal triple drive of the stride unit. Much higher chance to check triggers due to removal or 2 non-triggers (+3 hand, 7 hand). Opponent proceeds to eat the attack or PG (-2 enemy hand) or drop 3+ cards to guard if he is dying and no PG

total profits: +5 hand (+1-1+1-1+2+3), -1 unit (+1-2) for the cost of 2CB 2SB, 1 Fodder and 1 unit in hand, 5 cards in drop zone (If legion next turn)

Adding 6 new cards to hand in 1 turn is no laughing matter, without accounting for draw triggers. You also just went through 7 cards in your deck, greatly increasing your next turn's trigger density. This also is not including any new cheese that might appear in GBT-03 that will further imbalance this equation further. (hint: new GB1 Nemain) 

(Edit: It has caught my attention that David exists. This changes the situation to similar as Charon, making the retire cost for Aurageyser VERY affordable.)

Legend Deck

0. Charon or a way to fetch it, fodder G3 or G1 (2 hand), Blaster dark diablo as VG
1. Draw (3 hand)
2. Stride Aurageyser, discard fodder (-1 hand, 2 hand)
3. Call charon (-1 hand, 1 hand)
4. Charon boost with starter, 5k guard
5. Aurageyser attack, retire charon (-1 RG)
6. Aurageyser skill drive check, imagine you drive check 2 G2/G3, so no power added (+2 hand, 3 hand)
7. Proceed to normal triple drive of the stride unit. Much higher chance to check triggers due to removal or 2 non-triggers (+3 hand, 6 hand). Opponent proceeds to eat the attack or PG (-2 enemy hand) or drop 3+ cards to guard if he is dying and no PG

Total profits: +4 hand (+1-1-1+2+3), -1 RG (charon), 1CB 1SB

In this scenario it is a insanely cheap setup for 5 new cards in hand, while only retiring charon (potential G3 filter), as well as instantly going to GB2 which allows cheap diablo strides next turn while maintaining a reasonable board. Add in Macha for for insane plus through calling trumpeter into claudas for a new 16k column.

Revengers

0. Start with fodder and mana in hand (2 hand)
1. Draw (3 hand)
2. Stride (2 hand)
3. Call mana, calling any G1 (shadow lancer to filter if G3 in hand, dark bond to CB and filter a G0 or Claudas (-1 hand)
4. Mana boost attack intercept or VG
5. Aurageyser attack, retire mana and called unit (-2 RG)
6. Aurageyser skill drive check, imagine you drive check 2 G2/G3, so no power added (+2 hand, 3 hand)
7. Proceed to normal triple drive of the stride unit. Much higher chance to check triggers due to removal or 2 non-triggers (+3 hand, 6 hand). Opponent proceeds to eat the attack or PG (-2 enemy hand) or drop 3+ cards to guard if he is dying and no PG
8. If called trumpeter and not retired, return to deck to be called again later.

Total profit: +4 hand (+1-1-1+2+3), costing 1-2 CB 1SB, 2 retire, Thin deck of 2-3 non-triggers (remove 8-9 cards out of deck), 4 cards in drop zone for legion.

This suits the revengers playstyle for setting up Abyss breakride turn. For a minimal cost you thin your deck, dig deeper to find an abyss, and add cards to hand to guard as required, granting a more devastating legion turn that drive check into lots of triggers to wreck them. Given the nature of how revengers call units for cheap, the retire does not really hurt them much. If Judgebau was behind the Vg this creates immense pressure to your opponent, as you threaten to dig up  to 2 swordbreakers for even more insane pluses, and setting up for a diablo gambit next turn.

Witches

Post legion turn:
0. Hand fodder, a morpher(G1 or G2) (2 hand)
1. Draw (3 hand)
2. Stride (2 hand)
3. Call morpher, change a RG (1 hand)
4. attack with column
5. Aurageyser attack, retire morpher and used unit (-2 RG)
6. Aurageyser skill drive check, imagine you drive check 2 G2/G3, so no power added (+2 hand, 3 hand)
7. Proceed to normal triple drive of the stride unit. Much higher chance to check triggers due to removal or 2 non-triggers (+3 hand, 6 hand). Opponent proceeds to eat the attack or PG (-2 enemy hand) or drop 3+ cards to guard if he is dying and no PG

Total profit: +4 hand (+1-1-1+3+2), CB1 and SB2, reload hand for next legion turn, retire already used on-call RG to be legion back (Melb or Setcurna), 4 cards in drop for next legion, force more 0s out of hand.

So summary:

• Aurageyser WILL find a home in pretty much every SP deck as a 2-4 off
• Converts RG (usually those that already gave pluses) for MORE pluses in hand.
• Do not fear its "pseudo check", a plus is still a plus!
• Sets up most kinds of finishers (Abyss or Diablo)
• Fits beautifully into the legend deck (1st stride), Charon makes it cheap, sets up Blaster Dark's GB2 for just 1CB and 1SB

Overall Verdict: 9/10 (will be everywhere in SP, and they will be EVERYWHERE)