Scarlet Starlets: The Red Witches of Oracle Think Tank

A decklist and theory guide

When it comes to aging well, CoCo could school Loreal. 

Grade 0 - 17

Little Witch, LuLu x1

Nebula Witch, NoNo (Stand) x4

Psychic Bird (Critical) x4

Vanilla Critical x4

Lozenge Magus (Heal) x4

Grade 1 - 14

Emerald Witch, LaLa x2

Divne Sword, Ame-No-Murakumo (Stride Fodder) x4

Arbitrator, Ame-No-Sagiri (PGG) x4

8k Vanilla x4

Grade 2 - 11

Silent Tom x4

Promise Daughter x4

10k Vanilla x3

Grade 3 - 8

Scarlet Witch, CoCo x4

Rose Red Witch, CuCu x4

Grade 4 - 8

Floral Witch Master, MiMi x4

Rain Elemental, Madew x1

Soaring Auspicious Beast, Kirin x1

Sword Deity of the Thunderbreak, Takemikazuchi x2

Let's dive in.

Grade 0 Summary

Everything here is fairly orthodox- crits, LuLu for a draw upon hitting Grade 3, but one card will stand out.

NoNo apparently said "no no" to school, with those spelling errors in her flavor text.

A STAND trigger? In MY Oracle Think Tank?

Call me a heathen, but as we all know, cards with the Witch name help our super handy new stride, and while ideally,you're NOT going to want to send a 10k guard, it can be worth it for the pressure it puts your opponent under. 

Also, her effect is handy for loosing stray cards in soul- want to send more triggers back to deck? Want to make that soul lower so you can reride more Rose and Scarlet Witches to draw more? Want to do all this WHILE also drawing? NoNo's your gal! Hitting her as a trigger works, too, since with the lower handcount your opponent should have, restanding will chip away at that hand- plus, once you get them to 5 damage, Crits will become sadly moot.

Grade 1 Summary

8k Vanillas for Tom, check. PGG to unflip for near constant Scarlet and Rose abuse, check. Ame-no-Murakumo for reliable stride fodder, check. Emerald Witch, LuLu....uh.

That awkward moment when you pick up the fugly-ass wand and style it out because all the cool witches are watching.

Emerald Witch, LaLa. RRR for reasons unknown to anybody. If you can get her, she's a nice addition for MiMi fodder. You'll never use her effect, though. You just don't need to. Ever. Call her only in desperation.

Grade 2 Summary

Yep, four Silent Toms. Unoriginal, I know, but he's still as good as ever, and with Mimi's potential for hand eating, he makes your opponent dance even more to the tune of his....gun. Also, he'll attract all the Rearguard hate, so be sure to stockpile him.

Finger-blasting fun with Tom. Say that 5 times fast. Congratulations, you're now my friend.

Promise Daughter is a test unit for now- she's vastly superior to Tankman Mode Beamcannon, her G-Protege, in terms of effect, viability, and even art - sorry, I'm not into mechas.

But, testing will show how likely this deck is to deck-out, even with Lozenges. If it draws too easy, then Tankman will be the way to go. If not, Promise Daughter will turn that extra hand into easy 21k columns aimed wherever you damn well please. Personally, I like to make my opponent pay extra guard to keep those key Rearguards, and with MiMi and Tom keeping their hand low, Promise may well be a retire unit.

10k vanillas offer early guard against rush, simple. Also, not many other options.

Grade 3 Summary

Scarlet Witch, CoCo is handy as always- the 3 card draw on turn three in tandem with Little Witch, LuLu is extremely handy, and challenges those hoping to Grade 2 stall to out draw her. Then, she's eligible for Madew, which is a handy first stride if you don't have enough witches in hand/want your fodder back immediately.

This whole event is really fun until one of those bunnies lands on your head. Then it's all "lawsuits this" and "lawsuits that".

" [AUTO]:[Counter Blast (1)] When this unit is placed on (VC) or (RC), if you have a vanguard with "Witch" in its card name, and the number of cards in your soul is one or less, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw two cards, choose a card from your hand, and discard it. "

Handy, huh? 11k to sit on for lategame, and easy selective draw for 1CB. Calling extra copies of her can be problematic, since you may want to discard her for MiMi, but honestly, she's great support. Super handy, and in tandem with CoCo, gives you that hand you crave, digging for the fodder you want and the Toms you want to crush with.

Grade 4 Summary

Soaring may find itself out of a place soon, depending on how well Madew performs. MiMi at 4 is near staple- you may not pull her off that many times, but she DOES drive the deck, and striding her as often as possible is a definite plus. If in desperation, Thunder Deity makes a nice addition to your hand, should you need it.

We've all had that day where we forget to put on pants and levitate in midair. Let's all just not look, okay?

MiMi drives the deck. Her effect is potent pressure, forcing damage early game, and forcing a loss in advantage late game. Nobody likes to discard cards. Ever. Not without them doing something first, or the process being worthwhile. It gives your opponent a painful dilemma- ditch the Grade 3s without guarding potential, and give up stride fodder/PG fodder/future game options, or discard Grade 1s and 2s, future Rearguard options?

Add Tom into the mix and things get worse. Will they ditch grade 0's, needing the other units for Tom's attack, losing a potential 20k guard from hand?

Worst case scenario here, you're down 1 card, and they're down their previous turn's drive check.

When dealing damage, MiMi thankfully ignores trigger effects, pushing the opponent closer to defeat, heightening Tom and Promise's pressuring capabilities. They either discard those cards to avoid the damage, or take the damage and spend cards to guard further damage.

In short, the deck looks to be pretty fun. Testing will show how well it works, but for now, let's just admire the Red Witches.

mawile x

101 Things to do with Masked Magician, Harry

A Pale Moon article in-progress- Edition No. 1

[AUTO](VC) Generation Break 2 (This ability is active if you have two or more face up G units in total on your (VC) or G zone):When this unit attacks a vanguard, choose up to one card from your soul, call it to (RC), that unit and this unit get [Power]+3000 until end of turn.Magia-[AUTO](VC):[Counter Blast (1)] During your turn, when your G unit Stride, you may pay the cost. If you do, Soul Charge (1), choose up to one card from your soul, call it to (RC), that unit gets [Power]+5000 until end of turn, and at the end of that turn, put the unit called with this effect into your soul.

Now that we're familiar with Harry's nice art and straightforward skill, we can start. The point of this article- and the further articles to come once we've seen more support- will be to discuss all of the most potent combos that Harry can instigate- because, despite the fact that Harry himself does not generate +1 advantage with his on-stride, he does instead offer immediate population, and at GB2, allows you to +1 for free.

Combo 1: Simple Call

Call ANY 9k G2 or 7k G1, into a column with the other. At his most basic, Harry can give you a SC1 and a 21k column, and this is assuming that you've called something which cannot use it's effect- calling something like Daydream Tone, Arnie or Midnight Bunny will up the pressure, allowing that 21k on-hit to either give you what you want, or cost a lot to guard.

On hit Countercharge 2? Sure, I'll just pay 15k guard from hand to stop THAT.

Combo 2: Purple Trapesist Redux

At GB2, On attack, Harry will call a RG permanently from soul, and give it and himself +3k. With this skill, you can populate and add a little pressure power for free, and it's a cute +1. With Purple Trapesist in soul (or GB1 Equivalent, depending on support given), this on attack call can guarantee a fourth attack (yeah, we do it too, Aqua Force) and potentially a nice one at that, making Purple Trapesist hit 9k, and if you run a 12k attacker, that's a 21k column, or if you're running a standard 9k, that's a respectable 18k extra attack- enough for late game pressure units like Arny, to guarantee you even MORE population.

Combo 3: Card Juggler

Using Happiness Collector as a starter is an interesting choice. It remains to be seen how much we'll need the current stand-out Forerunners, Starting Presenter and Girl Who Crossed the Gap, but with this combo at least, Happiness Collector pays her rent and then hints at offering you more in the future.

Thanks for the tickets! Wait, why does she keep coming back-

[AUTO]:Forerunner (When a unit of the same clan rides this unit, you may call this unit to (RC))[AUTO](RC) Generation Break 1 (This ability is active if you have one or more face up G units in total on your (VC) or G zone):[Put this unit into your soul] When your other unit is placed on (RC) from your soul, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw a card, and Soul Charge (1).

So, this combo is a little less straight forward as the others so far, but it's still easy to pull off, and hints at ways that Pale Moon can grab hand advantage.

So, ride/get Egg Juggler to soul. On stride, call Egg Juggler, SC1 for Harry, SB1 for Egg, Send Happiness Collector to soul, SC1, and draw 2 cards, one for Egg, and one for Happiness.

Follow that? Good. The result of such, is a net +1 Soul Charge (since these soulcharges are random, chances are you'll be fine soulblasting for Egg Juggler), 2 cards drawn to hand, and an 11k Egg Juggler (can hit a vanguard by herself if she's alone, or makes a workable column if not), who will return to soul at the end of the turn to be comboed with later. And all this cost 1CB. Bear in mind, this is all before even taking into account what your Stride can do.

Summary

Combos like these are to be expected from the new Pale Moon support, and adding cards like Betty to the equation only serve to push a little harder. We're waiting on Magia support, as at the time of writing  Betty can only call copies of Harry himself from soul, but we know that currently, she can at least push for a 4th attack for CB1. Despite not knowing the vast majority of the support we're due to get, we'd best hope for a way to filter soul, and get the cards we WANT in there.

mawile x

Lore Post:

The Real Outlaw Witches of United Sanctuary

Cue cheesy reality TV opening title sequence

"I love what you've done with this room, Fianna. You use Pinterest or something?"

I swear after this post, I'll never mention Witches again for like a few days - in this post, I'm going to be discussing the Lore and backstory of the Shadow Paladin Witch subclan, a clan made up of a strong sisterhood, and a strong desire to really dabble in magic that others steer well clear of. SP Witches are pioneers of new magic, researching, experimenting- and some committing crimes so heinous they needed to turn to Shadow Paladin to conceal them from the rest of the United Sanctuary.

As a whole, the witches are described as those lucky few who have access to dabble and excel in the art of magic- a long time ago, the witches of the United Sanctuary were almost one- but those Witches who developed magic for the good of all, focusing on healing and nature, joined Genesis, while other Witches, who were intelligent, curious, but also savage and egotistical, joined Shadow Paladin. Some, like Goewin and Nemain, join sub factions and troops, while others, like Fianna and Femme, are reclusive, staying in their homes. But don't mistake them for docile magi.

Fianna and Femme are an interesting duo- Fianna is the elder sister, and she's a pioneer of experimental magic. The duo are also incredibly old- Fianna herself is a friend of Luquier, and they go back years. Fianna's magical prowess is so advanced that legend states that she can take on a dragon using only body modification magic. She also seems to be quite the mischievous soul- she speaks in a way to misguide others intentionally.

While Femme, looking at her artwork, her demure appearance (when compared to her sister) and lower stance may indicate that she is meek, or coy- this is not the case. Femme is an expert in research, in her own right, and is described as someone who likes to stay in her home, hidden away from the rest of society. The reason for this, is that Femme is a criminal- once, years past, she enveloped an entire city in a hallucinogenic fog, altering the recognition ability of the public for some time after. This was simply one of her experiments. She is considered highly wanted, and is considered dangerous- and rightly so.

Another witch of age and stature is the Witch of Cultus, Rias, a magi with a love for different rituals and cult phenomena. She actively practices these forbidden spells, while her colleague, Deirdre, records the results for posterity. While there is no evidence that Rias is wanted- it's highly likely that this witch who gleefully practices summoning all manner of evil for an experiment is an enemy of the state.

"Uh, Rias, I really don't think we should be doing this- I mean, I've seen this demon before."

Finally, we reach the topic of familiars. For an animal to become a Witches' familiar, to help her channel mana and assist her with her magical duties, the animal must be blessed by a deity. In Genesis, and Oracle Think Tank, the Witches actions are sanctioned, and blessings are granted. As no deity will bless an animal for the Shadow Paladin outlaw witches, instead, they make do with objects and dolls, animated by magic.

Think Five Nights at Freddy's, only they're there to help. 

Kuroma is one example, but he's been described as a capable helper, but also a little annoying, with it's sharp tongue and cruel laughter.

And there we go! We've met a few more of the witches. Wasn't that nice? The game feels so much richer when you take the lore into account, doesn't it? What's that? It doesn't? Stick to card reviews and deck builds? Well, okay then. 

You're the boss!

mawile   x

Character Assessment (SPOILERS OF UP TO END OF LINK JOKER SEASON)

"You Remind Me of a Caged Bird"

I think we can all agree that when we were first introduced to Toshiki Kai, we were almost constantly glaring at him (even if we did have an appreciation for the appearance of what we were staring at). Your immediate response to him is most likely, at best, a reflection of how he would probably treat you - cold and disdainful indifference. At worst, a Kamui-esque explosive confrontation. Especially compared to Aichi's usual unconditional acceptance, Kai is far from being warm. Even I, a very hearty Kai fan from early in season 1, was wary and wearied by his rude distance.

But then we learned about his past. We were presented with a list of all the things no human being should have to endure, and all of them directed at a little boy with a tendency for self-deprecation. I will fully admit now that I bawled myself silly in that episode. All this time, Kai had been tearing into himself in anger and frustration and hate, and all everyone else was doing is giving their own dose of the same. No wonder he keeps most people at arm's length; he's only protecting himself. 

Both the episode of Kai's past and my own (very recent) experience of depression have helped me understand him on a more personal level. My overactive imagination means that not only do I find it easy to connect with characters, but they become my imaginary friends, living out my life alongside me, and giving and receiving commentary just like any friendship group would do. My earliest heartfelt "interactions" with Kai included me throwing myself at his feet and soaking his school shirt with my tears as I wail out my apologies and sympathies and that I think he's the strongest person I've ever met.

But if there is anyone who is still confused about why he is as he is, let me try to explain, using examples from the own life, too. 

By his own admission, he was very close to his parents - "Losing them didn't just hurt; it shattered my entire life to pieces." When two people who had been so supportive of him before were gone, he was alone, made even worse by the fact that he moved away. I've no doubt that his uncle and whatever family he had there did their absolute best to support him, but when you're in a dark place, you need familiarity and closeness and people who would just be there for you (like Miwa). When Tetsu and Ren came along, that was what was offered, and eventually received, which was wonderful. But did you notice that Ren and Tetsu were the ones to approach him? I can almost guarantee you that if they hadn't taken initiative, Kai would have remained alone. When you feel alone and feel like that's all you'll ever achieve again, you will just lie on the floor, taking naps to avoid the world. Even when you intellectually know that company is probably the best thing for you at that moment, it can be nearly impossible - and sometimes completely impossible - to motivate yourself to look for it. 

But he got friends. And he got happier. And then he lost them again. When Kai first witnessed Ren losing himself to Psyqualia, he immediately became wary of him. However, even when Psy-Ren threatened him, that didn't stop him from trying to reach out to his friend. He fought him to try and save him, and immediately reached out to him when he fell. He saved Aichi when he was walking down the same path. His morals wouldn't be moved. Some of you may argue that that isn't true, as demonstrated when he accepted the Reverse of his own volition. But this about his situation; everything in his identity up to that point had been destabilised, and one thing remained: that he was a legendary fighter. Seeing Ren and Aichi in front of him at a similar/higher level than him was destabilising that, too. So Takuto played on that insecurity. When Aichi saved him, it was through convincing him that he wasn't deplorable, that the others didn't hate him but were worried about him. Having people so close to you and so relentless, especially as unconditionally accepting as Aichi and Miwa, can help to pull you out of a pit.

Let me leave you with an image which was true of me in my dark moments and is often true of other people who suffer from depression-like conditions. Kai is a hedgehog. A cute and adorable, harmless little creature. But any sign of danger, and he curls up into an impenetrable ball of spikes. His parents' deaths threatened him because he was alone, so he shut himself off from everyone. Then he slowly began to uncurl under the encouragement of Tetsu and Ren. Then, when Psy-Ren threatened him again, he curled up again. Too many arrows have pierced his soft belly that he's given up on ever uncurling. So he remains a ball of spikes, painful to anyone who approaches him indelicately. But approach him/them unafraid and lovingly, and they uncurl into something beautiful.

So, when Jun compared him to a caged bird, this analogy was wrong...unless Kai himself was holding the key. Aichi, Miwa, Ren, everyone, had walked up to the bars of the cage, and talked to him and smiled at him until he moved closer to them. Eventually he trusted them with the key, and let them let him out into their welcoming arms. 

One Card Spoiler Review; Adored by the Ocean Blue.

From Lord to Legend, A Pirate's Tale

FC2015W Spoiled Card; One Who is Loved by the Seven Seas, Nightmist

It's been rough sailing, being a supporter of Granblue all these years.

I find it difficult not to get sentimental over this clan. We go a long way back, the pirates and I. When I first joined the game of Vanguard it was my desire to play Megacolony. But since they were not fully supported at the time (and indeed, still struggle for it now) my eyes turned to the rest of the assembled clans. The moment Granblue were brought to my attention, not only as seafaring pirates but necromancers and spirits, I immediately found myself enamored with their aesthetic.

Their playstyle proved even more to my liking. The units worked together. Everything in the deck could combo with something else. The drop zone became my secondary hand, and having my units retired was a matter I could simply laugh away with glee. No two games were ever quite the same. There was such a wealth of different options and ways everything could play out that I knew I would never be short of something to do with my turn. In a way, we bonded, the clan and I.

Regrettably, it was with a heavy heart that I was forced to watch them fade into obscurity. 

I tried to hold on for as long as I could. But suffering repeated defeats, with what support they did receive being miles behind many other clans in power, my enthusiasm was deflated slowly. What was the point in creating creative and elaborate combinations, investing so much time and tactics in planning them out, when in the end it would lose out to raw power and advantage? I grew disillusioned with the game itself. Hanging up my deck, and going so far as to quit Vanguard entirely.

It wasn't until another ocean-based clan was released that I got back into the game. Aqua Force were the kind of clan that, had they existed in the very beginning, they would have been my first choice. Joining their ranks let me enjoy the kind of intricate combo play I thrive upon the most while still allowing me to play aggressively and maintain a competitive threat. I was happy playing Vanguard again... however, I did not abandon the happy memories I had created with Granblue. Though they were no longer my main clan following my wholehearted defection to Aqua Force, you never truly forget the first deck you play with. So I watched them. And I waited patiently.

Within the deep dark places of the ocean, Granblue bode their time. Gradually rebuilding. 

They received little pockets of support, here and there. Never enough to make them a metagame threat in the eyes of players, but enough to give them the resources to make their necromantic art pay off the effort required to master it. Sea Strolling Banshee - Dragon Corrode, Corrupt Dragon - Boatswain Arman. All units that were useful individually, but could combine together fluidly to achieve different results depending on what you needed for a specific turn.

With G support on the horizon, Granblue still has a long way to go before they receive the fame and glory they are due. But for now, a fleeting glimpse of their future potential has been gifted to them.

Let me introduce you to an old friend wearing a new face.

[Stride]-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.

[ACT](VC)1/Turn:[Counter Blast (1)] If you have a heart card with "Seven Seas" in its card name, choose up to two cards from your drop zone, call them to separate (RC), and at the end of that turn, retire the units called with this effect.

Nightmist has been with Granblue since the very beginning, just like myself. And was the first unit I oh-so-naively declared my Avatar. He started as a Grade 2 captain, then ascended to the title of Lord at Grade 3 in order to combat the emergence of Link Joker. Now, he has risen higher yet again, becoming a Grade 4 stride at the advent of a new era. His ability being very similar to his breakride self's power, and also bearing some resemblance to the secondary stride we received in the previous Fighter's Collection 2015 release.

[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.

[ACT](VC)1/Turn:[Counter Blast (1)] Choose up to two cards from your drop zone, call them to separate (RC) with a unit.

On the surface, they seem like similar cards. Both have the overall effect of pulling two units out of the drop zone for a measly cost of 1CB. The difference being that Blueheart must call them over existing units while Nightmist retires the units he calls at the end of the turn. It may not seem like much of a difference but in fact it's a dramatic one. Nightmist retiring the units he calls can actually work out to be in his advantage, while Blueheart can be considered extremely situational at best.

The symmetry in their skills even extends to their art. See, how they adopt the same pose, but facing in opposite directions? Blueheart is from the dusty, cobweb-ridden past; while Nightmist looks towards the shining future.

Nightmist is not inhibited by a generation break limitation. Nor does he require a copy of himself to be flipped in order to activate his skill. His sole prerequisite is that the Heart card have 'Seven Seas' in the name, which only one card currently does - that being his former self. Since you want to be riding Lord Nightmist anyway as your G3 in most cases, with him being quite possibly the best unit Granblue currently has going for it, this is no terrible price to pay to enable his ability. Which, in turn, can serve to enable your entire deck for a very affordable cost.

As I mentioned earlier, Granblue is a deck all about combos. Your drop zone is as much your hand as the one you hold at all times. It is a toolbox from which you accumulate resources, just as the Pale Moon clan use their soul. Like their talented performers, you want specific units to be in there, so that you have a catalog of effects to choose from as your needs demand. You can build the drop zone through random milling cards that Granblue has, but I strongly discourage such cards. With the amount you draw coupled with so much milling, it inevitably results in a quick deckout. Units like Chappie the Ghostie and Performing Zombie allow you to choose specific targets. Making them much more effective at getting what you need into the drop zone instead of milling away your own triggers by freak accident.

Several of these that spring to mind include, but are not limited to;

 + /

Sea Strolling Banshee + Any 10k or higher attacker.

Forms at least a 16k column for the turn and allows you to SB1 to draw a card on entry.

 +

Boatswain, Arman + Dragon Corrode, Corrupt Dragon.

A 10k booster and a 12k attacker create a 22k column for the turn at almost no cost.

Due to the transient nature of these units, the advantage gained from their calling is only temporary. But this brings it's own set of benefits too. For one thing, save for the likes of Cold Death Dragon, Link Joker cannot target a column empty of units. Kagero's retiring prowess is all but wasted when presented with a lack of targets. And Megacolony are unable to gigaparalyze you either. Despite evading the majority of these control playstyles, your ability to attack and pressure your opponent each turn is unhindered. In many ways it actually plays a lot like Murakumo. Only instead of requiring your rear guards to be on the field in order to summon copies, you are plucking them rotting and decayed out of the same zone you use as a dump for anything you guard with from hand. If an attack only requires a 5k shield to block, don't hesitate to lay down a Banshee to take the hit. You'll only be setting things up for her eventual return later.

While Nightmist is no Excelics Messiah or Lambros class finisher card for Granblue, he is instead a very valuable first stride and the enabler of multiple formations. A possible glimpse into a future where temporarily reviving units and retiring them at the end of the turn may be the direction Granblue takes. He gives us our first look at 'Seven Seas' support, and with the cards the clan will be getting in G-BT06, which will include a PGG to make his cost even easier to manage, he could be just the start of true resurrection for the clan I started with. 

For now, as I have always done, I will watch, and I will wait. Patiently with baited breath.

New Spoiler Card Review:

Witch Queen of Transfiguration, Sinclair

Omigod omigod it's real it's real omigod omigod

Somewhere, Stil Vampir is sobbing gently in the fetal position.

A recent reveal in the Fighters Collection Winter 2015 set has in fact unveiled a Shadow Paladin Witch Stride, something I've been wanting for a WHILE, and boy, is she worth it. Firstly, we'll dissect the effect, then I'll add my opinion on how this will change the deck.

[Stride]-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.

[ACT](VC)1/Turn:[Counter Blast (1)] If you have a heart card with "Witch" in its card name, and the number of your opponent's grade 0 rear-guards is two or more, your opponent reveals ten cards from the top of his or her deck, chooses a grade 0 card from among them, rides it, shuffles his or her deck, until end of turn, that unit gets "[AUTO](VC):[Counter Blast (1)] At the beginning of the guard step of the battle that this unit was attacked, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose any number of cards from your hand, call them (GC) as [Rest]." and "[AUTO](VC):At the end of your opponent's turn, choose up to one card from your soul, and ride it.".

Now, if we dissect this in pieces, beginning with the basics- Witch heart is required, which works fine for us, and the opponent will need to control 2 or more Grade 0 units. Without Fianna on the VG circle for a turn, this is tougher, but not impossible- and it adds to the opponent's list of worries. 

Now, they know this card exists, and they know Diablo exists, and they know that you have access to both. The threat of Diablo will make them call units, so they can still guard, which gives you rearguards to Hex with Fianna, Adora, Dana and Deirdre, while the threat of Sinclair will make them replace those Grade 0's as soon as humanly possible, minusing themselves and making Diablo hurt more. As you can tell, it's a big wheel of variables and worry and YOU'RE the one spinning it.

So, if they're silly enough to leave 1 or 2 Grade 0 rearguards, with a Dana or Deirdre in hand, Striding Sinclair becomes quite the option. For a counterblast, you'll make them ride a G0 from the top 10 cards of their deck- but it's okay, they aren't getting completely pseudo-Gloried. They can still guard the vanguard any way they want to...by paying a counterblast for the privilege.

In a game where in most decks, counterblasts equal direct advantage, pushing your opponent to use them to do something as essential as guarding is like disruption on steroids for SP Witches. And that's just wonderful, really. A cherry on top is that your opponent's Vanguard will be on 5k at most, which, if you're hitting or 16k+ columns (which you SHOULD) all rearguard attacks will require 15k shield at least- and if they want to use any grade other than Zero...that'll be a Counterblast, please.

At the end of the turn, they can re-ride a Vanguard from their soul- in some strange and situational scenarios, they can work this to their advantage- but in any properly planned Sinclair turn, this shouldn't matter too much, as they should be considerably softened up, or even out of the game entirely. In the rare scenario where re-riding their vanguard would plus hugely for them, simply use your common sense and judgement, and either go through with it if you think it will spell the end, or just don't stride Sinclair. She doesn't mind, she'll help you mess people up another time.

Changes to the Deck

Now, this is all my own theorycrafting here, but I've been playing Witches a while- so I feel like I may have some valid points. All things discussed here will need proper testing before we know for certain if they're right.

We're now more counterblast-heavy than we've ever been.

Fianna, Diablo, Sinclair and later on, Adora all  need counterblasts to get their effects off. This applies most to Fianna- the double Hex is quite effective, and done on a regular, staggered on a once per turn basis, will really set up for Sinclair, as most opponents will find it hard to keep replacing the Rearguards they've lost, and the loss of triggers from their deck, 2 at a time, is quietly devastating.

In a match against a Granblue player not so long ago, with his milling, and my Fianna effects, I managed to make him lose all of his trigger units from his main deck. It can happen, and while it's not something you should aim for by any means, it's still worth your time to grind those triggers out. Just think, the less Grade 0's they draw/check, the more Counterblast they will need to pay with Sinclair to guard, and the more disruption you'll have spread.

To mitigate this, Shadow Paladin has some counterchargers we can use. In English, I'm currently running 3 Adra, whom functions as an impressive pressure unit- opponents generally know WHAT that countercharge and soulcharge will be doing, so they will guard her. Witch of Goats, Medb, is also an option, but calling a G0 Stand Trigger for a countercharge and soulcharge is getting more difficult these days- not only is a Stand Trigger difficult to run (Stands only being really worth it on Rias or Sinclair turns) but giving up a 10k shield for a 4k Rearguard that then stays on the field is NOT worth it.

And then, I personally will be defecting to Karma Collector. While Nemain has the name (which only really matters for Adora especial counterblasts and dumping for Kuroma/Rias/Securna, but it's not as if you'd drop a PG for those), Karma gives us the countercharge we need. Nemain's draw and drop is cute, and sometimes hits gold, but in dire straits, it's usually a one card mill, and set up for the Legion turn is no longer really a valid reason, when you can easily stride before Legion (usually Dark Knight, Grim Recruiter, or Aurageyser if you're nasty).

With Adra and Karma, you should be set for some nice countercharging- 2 gets you a Fianna go, 1 gets you to have fun with either Diablo or Sinclair.

Dana and Deirdre are staple at 4 now more than ever.

Speaks for itself really, Sinclair turns can come about now and then if your opponent can't/won't rid themselves of the units Fianna gave them, but savvy players will know to get rid of as many as possible- if they leave one, or none, however, Sinclair is still possible thanks to Dana and Deirdre. Call them as a column and you've got a Sinclair turn.

Although, careful not to hold too tightly onto them in your hand- sometimes, to keep up the tempo, you'll need to call Deirdre or even Dana just to remain offensive enough so that Sinclair/Diablo will be offensive pushes and not just damage turns- it's okay if sometimes you can't make Deirdre or Dana activate their effects. Plan ahead as best you can.

= = = 

To summarize, waking up this morning and seeing this card announced honestly made my day. It's diabolically cruel, and fits Witches like a glove. I'm happy.

mawile  x

Link Joker Deck List; Lock is Love, Lock is Life

Perverted Purpose, Heroism Corrupted

AKA Link Joker, Binary Star Build 1.0

"I am full of rage and sin. Locked inside this cage again. Where evil reigns because people like to win... it may seem sweet, but we won't like the end. So we shine brightly from the light within." 

As a long-time player of Aqua Force, right from the day Link Joker were announced, they have been the personal bane of my existence. Many players find the clan notoriously frustrating and stressful to play against because of their mechanic's nature limiting the actions that you can take. Essentially preventing you from playing the game. Which I HATE.

But this does not mean that I shun the clan completely. Their aesthetic is undeniably cool. And in being forced to all but memorize their abilities in order to combat them most effectively, I know the gist of how to play them! While we already have another resident of this blog far more adept in using the invaders than myself *coughDaisycough* I have decided to step outside my usual comfort zone in order to try my hand at designing a casual deck which under normal circumstances I would utterly hate to play against! Based on the budget Grade 3 promo Binary Star Twin Gunner, who is often neglected by most players.

Cue someone inevitably making this deck and turning my own creation against me. Alas, such is the course of life... again, not naming any names here.

Grade 0 - 17

[1] Star-Vader, Dust Tail Unicorn (Starter)

[4] Recollection Star-Vader, Tellurium (Heal)

[4] Beloved Child of Superstring Theory (Draw)

[4] Star-Vader, Weiss Soldat (Crit)

[4] Star-Vader, Apollonel Dragon (Crit)

Dust Tail Unicorn is just about everything you could need in a starter for a unit like Binary. Upon locking one of your opponent's cards, he enters the soul and locks one more for just 1CB, which is standard value for a lock effect. Binary Star's ability locks two rearguards in one go, and requires soul to boot, thus Unicorn can assist twofold by providing the third lock needed to create a triangle lock while replenishing the soul in one fell swoop.

Beloved Child of Superstring theory is the other Grade 0 of note, being the clan's resident Margal clone capable of being placed into the soul as an ACT ability to give a 3k boost to any one unit for the remainder of the turn. She replenishes a dwindling soul, and can also be used with some of your more powerful rearguards to hit the magic numbers required to force out guard.

While I have not opted to use them here, it is also worth mentioning that stand triggers can be viable in this build. Most of your Grade 2 attackers either possess on-hit ability or can get very large very quickly, making re-standing such units a legitimate threat.

Grade 1 - 14

[4] Flowers in Vacuum, Cosmo Wreath (Perfect Guard)

[4] Demon Claw Star-Vader, Lanthanum

[4] Prison Gate Star-Vader, Palladium

[2] Destiny Dealer (Stride Fodder)

Using the Perfect Guard with the counter charge ability is an essential measure in this deck, as most of your abilities are very hungry in their consumption of your resources. Flipping over spent counterblasts whenever possible will greatly extend the longevity of your skills. With the downside being that you cannot PG the rearguard if it should become necessary. Thankfully you have no real dependence upon them, making it a moot point most games.

Lanthanum is your ideal rearguard booster whenever you can lay him down. With many of your abilities locking at least two cards at once, he can accumulate power very quickly and provide some offensive pressure to supplement your mostly defensive playstyle. 

Meanwhile Palladium, while included as a useful means of replenishing the soul and keeping a pesky column out of action, is to be used with discretion rather than spammed at every opportunity. Otherwise you will run out of resources too fast for your own liking. Rather than using him at the first opportunity, watch and wait to see when his use will hurt the opponent most, or just when you need the soul to pull off your next Binary.

Grade 2 - 11

[4] Furious Claw Star-Vader, Niobium

[4] Heat Elemental, Bwah

[3] Chain-battle Star-Vader, Technetium

Just like we discussed already with Palladium, use the skill of Technetium with due care. Whenever he hits with his ability active he soulcharges one and countercharges. Making him support Binary Star's skill perfectly while attacking for high numbers for pressure. Discarding a card is the price to pay for such an ability, and while in most cases you can afford to do this due to needing less guard to deal with an opponent on average, spamming him without thinking can drain your hand surprisingly fast when coupled with the fact you're technically minusing yourself to place Palladiums and Superstring theories into the soul too.

Popping up again, as he is sure to do in many decks, Heat Elemental, Bwah is the unit with the name nobody can take seriously and the effect that enables so many possibilities. Use him to fetch out Binary as your main ride, breakrides, and stride fodder as appropriate. He's such a versatile little unit, and one many people will go out of their way to guard because of that fact. Letting you toolbox while putting out pressure at the same time... and so cute.

Niobium rounds off your selection by being a solid 11k or 13k attacker on most occasions. Out of all your Grade 2 units, protect him the most, because he is an essential player in making your final offensive pushes possible. Putting a Lanthanum behind him and then locking half of their field is a sure way to put them out of the misery you've been putting them through all game long. Link Joker is all about psychological warfare. Seeing big numbers swinging their way while they languish in helplessness is soul-breaking. 

And that's exactly why you play this clan in the first place, isn't it? You terrible human being.

Grade 3 - 8

[4] Binary Star Twin Gunner

[4] Star-Vader, Infinite Zero Dragon

Now we come to the big players. Breakriding as a practice fills up the soul indirectly, which can be used by Binary Star to further effect. By riding Binary atop Infinite Zero you lock two units automatically, with the further option of using Binary's skill to lock two more at your own personal leisure. Remember Niobium and Lanthanum from earlier? 

Yeah. This is where having those two units out in play becomes quite terrifying. 

Between riding Infinite Zero, using Binary's skill, and the striding we will talk about in the next section - it is quite easy to keep a whole column out of action consistently for 3-5 turns. You can adapt this at your choosing. If you have your power gainers in play, you can lock their entire field for a massive boost and attempt to go for game. But generally it is more effective to stagger out your lock effects and consistently benefit from them while playing the long game.

Grade 4 - 8

[4] Nebula Dragon, Big Crunch Dragon

[4] Nebula Dragon, Maximum Seal Dragon

Infinite Zero locks a column worth of units. Binary Star locks a column's worth. Guess what Big Crunch does...? Yes! He retires all your opponent's units. Not really. Far worse, he locks a column outright, or rather, omega locks them. For the price of 1CB. Utterly infuriating. 

Using these three units in combination, for a very sustainable cost, it isn't hard to keep more than half your opponent's field in a state of complete chaos. While Lanthanum and Niobium profit off each lock to provide you with pressure, having at least four units locked also gives you a prime opportunity to bring in Maximum Seal Dragon. While normally this unit would not be viable, given just how many units you can keep locked on an average turn, he can easily be brought in and gain 10k-20k extra power still during the first couple of stride turns. 

Striding won't be a problem for you anyway, as Bwah can fetch copies of Binary Star to be tossed, and you also run a minimum number of Destiny Dealers to make it no hassle. 

_________________________________________________________________

So there you have it folks. My first stab at a casual deck for the clan I hate the most of all. Would it run well? Is it viable? Well, I know that personally, it's a recipe for everything I hate neatly rolled up into a single accessible article. But it was enjoyable to expand my horizons a little and see the world through the eyes of the enemy. Until next time!