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!

A "Fun" Deck List: A Wonderful Magical Basket of Chimeras

Please enjoy, and look forward to what will appear next!

While waiting for Pale Moon support reveals, I've been driving myself mad with theories, ideas, and possible crazy combos. To mitigate this, I've built a fun little deck based around Nightmare Doll, Chelsea, that I'd very much like to share with you. 

Now, this deck is far more casual in nature compared to the current meta- don't take this to a tourney and expect to top, but if you're like me, waiting on tenterhooks for news, and you have these cards lying around- why not have fun and build your own little combo deck, to remind you of the good old days? Think of the satisfaction when you win.

Deck List is as follows:

Grade 0 - 17

Girl Who Crossed The Gap x1

5 [Draw] 7 [Crit] 4 [Heal]

Grade 1 - 14

Perfect Guard x4

Midnight Bunny x4

Purple Trapezist x4

Egg Juggler x2

Grade 2 - 11

Flying Hippogriff x4

Heat Elemental, Bwah x4

Dancing Princess of the Night Sky x2

Nitro Juggler x1

Grade 3 - 8

Nightmare Doll, Chelsea x4

Miracle Pop, Eva x4

Grade 4 - 8

Miracle of Lunar Square, Clifford x4

Rain Elemental, Madew x2

Snow Element, Blizza x2

Now to break it down, section by section.

Grade 0 Summary

The Grade 0 section is fairly straightforward, special triggers are preferred if available,but this current set up works fine. It's what I call the "Dark Irregular Set Up", where 6 Draws feels like too many, but 4 draws leave you with death hands. With 5, you'll hit them often, which helps you keep up, since you don't really have any way to plus outside of Egg Juggler and getting off Chelsea's skill.

Girl Who Crossed the Gap does her job well- she essentially becomes anything you have in soul, all for one counterblast- call a Midnight Bunny behind something for pressure, call a Purple Trapesist to rescale your field, or simply call Egg Juggler to draw- she's never really dead. Before choosing Gap, I did consider Starting Presenter, despite the completely offputting artwork- but you will soul charge enough sitting on Eva, with Dancing Princess giving you what you need, if you didn't just ride it. 

Grade 1 Summary

Everything here is pretty straightforward, too- Midnight Bunny pressures further attacks if her column hits, and considering the unit she boosts will hit 16-18k, that's a nice bit of pressure. The ages old combo of her with Purple Trapezist also still stands- simply keep a Purple or two in soul ready for this effect (keeping a Purple or two in soul also works out great for Chelsea).

Purple Trapezist needs no explanation, it's wonderful- shame it's 6k, but this doesn't matter so much when your ideal RG will be 11k anyway.

Egg Juggler gives you hand, while filtering out the cards Eva soulcharges- she also combos with Girl Who Crossed the Gap for an easy draw. Getting her into Soul and calling her out from it is a doddle.

Grade 2 Summary

Sporting surprisingly apt art for Pale Moon, Heat Elemental Bwah fits right in- on hit, he retires himself and searches one of your G3's. Hitting by himself will help mitigate Chelsea's persona blast, or even search you Stride Fodder. He's a helpful little bugger, and his name is fun to say. Go on, say it now, while sat in your chair. Say "BWAH." Go on, there's no shame, I do it too.

Flying Hippogriff reads as a trashy common, but 11k once you hit G3 is nothing to sneeze at- you could alternately play Crimson Beast Tamer, but she requires a little more set up, while Hippogriff also makes an amazing Eva swap target, as he can naturally hit vanguards on his own, and makes low power rearguards like Purple Trapezist and Egg Juggler safe to use, hitting a respectable 17k, pushing for a 10k. He doesn't reach 11k on Stride Turns, but usually you use those as either finishers (pushing that Blizza for games where it's REALLY crunch time and you have NOTHING else) or set up and hand fillers- Madew and Clifford.

Dancing Princess and Nitro Juggler are tech options- Nitro is filler, I'm considering using a vanilla, since on-call soulcharge really isn't what Pale Moon should be right now. Dancing Princess will get you those things you just HAVE to have in soul- spare Purple, Hippogriff to surprise the opponent with later, she helps you plan several turns ahead. Sure, she's 8k. Intercept with her. She's there to usher your next act in, not rush the opponent herself. It's no loss of guard to call her. 

Grade 3 Summary

Eva is fun, you'll want to sit on her until you reach 4 damage and you can REALLY go off. Against most decks, you can reach 4 damage easily (once we get LB enabler we can probably rely far less on the opponent and just rush rush rush, but I guess when we get enabler we won't be playing hype.dek, so that's a catch 22, isn't it?). You'll reach 4 damage easily, while keeping combo pieces in hand- while getting to 4 damage, you'd play as normal, setting up, pushing and pressuring with Bwah and Bunny.

Chelsea will populate your field a little for a price that's actually quite affordable, and much easier to activate with Bwah. She also works in the battle phase, like Eva, meaning she can push 2 more attacks if you've got the soul for it, or at least get out a nice column. If you combo both her AND Eva in the same turn, you can get a full field "restand". Not bad, really. Usually, though, I like to stagger their effects, especially since I like to have Trapezists on field for Eva's breakride. 5 attacks in one turn, then another 5 the following turn, without taking into account how many more potential attacks you can pressure with Midnight Bunny, or how many Egg Juggler calls you make- you'll eat hand rather nicely for a casual deck.

Grade 4 Summary

Fairly standard, here- we have no options outside of Clifford, and Madew is nice if you're sat on Chelsea and want a Stride, but don't really want to pay for it- or if you used a Chelsea earlier and want to search it back from drop zone.

Blizza is a "finisher" of sorts, which can hit for high numbers, if you've had to stride several times in the game, but it's mostly filler. You won't stride Clifford 4 times, but as we've yet to get more support, fill the space if you want (I only run 2 Clifford in real life. I never stride him more than that, the on-hit has more variables than other on-hits, but it's usually one your opponent will guard).

Backstage Preparation

Remember to just have fun with the deck- it's mainly designed for fun with friends, and to inspire them to try similarly zany or interestingly creative builds, while you're waiting for further support. Think of it as an appetizer - albeit an appetizer with a little more bite than your opponent will bargain for- and may the new card reveals be swift and beautiful for us all.

mawile   x

A Deck List:"Poof, and the Rearguard is Gone!"

Shadow Paladin Witches, Build 1.04

Outlaws, enemies of the state of the United Sanctuary, come together, to practice and experiment with powers other Magi fear to even speak about. It's time to join the Coven.

Hi there! Now, I'll preface this by saying that the build is still highly experimental, so far I've had good results with it, but it still needs a little time to cook. Either way, I'm get straight into the build, and pick out certain cards for extra detail/anecdotes.

Grade 0: 18

Promising Knight, David x2

Witch of Black Cats, Milcra [HEAL] x4

Lizard Witch, Eine [DRAW] x3

Howl Owl [DRAW, Go to Soul, +3k] x2

Witch of Black Doves, Goewin [CRIT] x4

Black Crow Witch, Eine [CRIT] x3

4 Heal / 5 Draw / 7 Crit

Grade 1: 13

Little Skull Witch, Nemain [PG] x4

Witch of Precious Stones, Dana x4

Witch of Nostrum, Arianrhod x2

Cherishing Knight, Branwen x2

Witch's Familiar, Kuroma x1

Grade 2: 10

Witch of Secret Books, Adra x2

Inspection Witch, Deirdre x4

Witch of Reality, Femme x4

Grade 3: 9

Mesmerizing Witch, Fianna x4

Cultus Witch, Rias x3

Sharp Fang Witch, Fodla x2

Grade 4: 8

Dark Knight, Grim Recruiter x2

Dark Dragon, Phantom Blaster "Diablo" x4

Supremacy Black Dragon, Aurageyser Dragon x2

"Hey guys! So, how can I help? Why- Why're you all looking at me like that-ARGH"

Grade Zeros - Summary

David is your main fodder for Diablo/Aurageyser. He makes it so that we can abuse the stride effects too, and so that we can plus/make back our deposit when we have to retire. I run two as Sharp Fang Witch, Fodla, makes him searchable, and because this way I have the option to REALLY cut loose on the strides- gives an alternative if the Hexing Game isn't working out. 

He's definitely replaced poor Lir, who was good, but required too many variables and had the capacity to be dead space.

As for triggers, I'm still toying with the number of Draw, and which Draws to run- the Witch draw is retire fodder for units like Rias and Kuroma, while Howl Owl fuels the soul for desperate Deirdre/Dana plays.

Goewin at max, ALWAYS. There's no reason not to, in my opinion, she makes it easier to try the deck without Securna. She's also searchable by Sharp Fang Witch, Fodla, which can make a CB1 = -10k to the opponent's Vanguard, with no loss in trigger count.

I don't miss the stand. While the Stand WAS a nice card, stands were only really dangerous on the Rias turn, and this witch deck doesn't focus quite so much on that anymore. The countercharge is nice, but the card was a case of "once called, you've lost a 10k shield". The soulcharge can be achieved by Howl Owl/ Re-Legion / Adra.

Literally powered by the PUREST of evils.

Grade Ones - Summaroo

Little Nemain and Dana are fairly staple at 4 each, not much to say there. The Countercharging PGG may also be a nice idea, but you won't be short of things to do if you choose Nemain instead. Dana is Grade 1 spot removal that punishes your opponent for guarding with a G0. Always monitor the drop zone, though, as they get to choose. The mindgame is always strong, though, you'll notice they'll be paying a LOT of attention, since you threaten near constant soft retires.

The last 5 are tech choices- Arianrhod for early game card-cycling, Branwen for Stride-Fodder, and Kuroma for draw. As it stands, Arianrhod is on thin ice, as I barely use her effect, while Kuroma and Branwen offer a little more utility.

Also, consider the fact that our Dark Knight, Grim Recruiter stride can toolbox your G1's AND your G0's - draw with Kuroma, spot remove with Dana, call a David as fodder for later, or even a Goewin if you want to play some kind of crazy mindgame- watch how fast they rid themselves of the G0's you gave them then.

Bat-print Bloomers, Agent Provocateur, $49.99

Grade Two - Samurai

Not much to mention in this section, 12k Attacker Femme is staple at 3/4, and Grade 2 "Dana" clone Deirdre is staple at 4. Femme gets extra points for being sackable with Fianna to draw 2, but in most scenarios, unless you have no Branwens in hand/don't care to Stride next turn, Sacking Fianna is the better option, if only to have Femme's intercept. 12k is also supremely handy when attacking weakened vanguards, shockingly enough. Deirdre needs no explanation, she may not be vaguely searchable like Dana is, but she's no weaker. 8 on-call spot removers are still 8 on-call spot removers. Not to be sniffed at.

Now, Adra, we can pull up a few seats, pour some tea and really have a chat about. Yes, we need Adora, but she's not out in English, so let's just not talk about her. Adra, however, offers us something we desperately need- on hit countercharging. She works well with the synergy of the deck in several ways- first, she reaches 11k, so, along with Femme, becomes a strong rearguard that can handle being boosted by something far weaker, like Kuroma or Securna, and STILL hit the standard 16k, making those backrow cards with low power still viable.

Secondly, her effect means there's a window of time in which she's active, but it creates so many variables and sets off so many mindgames that I love her for it. Firstly, she's active when the opponent controls 2 or more G0, which essentially means you've either used Fianna or some combination of Dana/Deirdre, so that's PRECISELY the time when you're going to want to mitigate those resources, so you can do it allllll again. 

However, your opponent will not want this, meaning they will pay the minimum 10k guard (if Adra is boosted) to block her, which is great, since that 10k could be a G0, and that's more toys for Dana and Deirdre to play with. On the next turn, they'll feel pressure to get rid of those Grade 0's you've given them- they already do, but knowing that those Grade 0's do the following things:

1. Make terrible columns

2. Run the risk of severe punishment from Goewin, Rias or Securna

3. Allow the Witch Player to draw extra cards to hand using Fianna and Kuroma

4. Keep Adra active as an 11k attacker with the on-hit effect of keeping Fianna, Aurageyser and Diablo live

Meaning they'll most likely target Adra (which is nice, keeps pressure off your vanguard for a while, you can use your judgement to decide whether or not it's worth losing Adra right now) and they may well call over their G0's, which is a great outcome, as it's a straight up minus and feeds Dana/Deirdre. Also makes subsequent Diablo turns super punishing.

So, yeah, Adra fits in. When Adora is released, we'll have fun working out ratios then, but for now, the deck is fine. Comet Witch, Serva also makes a nice Ride if your locals has a lot of rush decks.

Instant Dragon Food, just add a Counterblast

Grade Three: Summer-Eye

Fianna at 4 is crazy important- you ideally want to ride her first. Rias makes a nice backup finisher/softener for OTHER finishers, but CB2 to hex one unit is very expensive, only use it if you know it will spell "GG". Fodla is the unit that has a lot more utility- in my old build she would call the Stand Trigger, and then I'd unflip a total of 1 damage, soulcharge 2, and Diablo would eat them all. Cute, but not wonderful.

Now, though, with the new support, she can be CB1 = -10k to the vanguard. Or CB1 = -5k to the Vanguard, and call a David to retire for Aurageyser/Diablo. She really does feed those dragons quite handily, and she's also the Goewin whisperer. I like her at 2 but I'm beginning to wonder about trying her at 1, and making Adra a 3 copy situation. Testing will show me what works best, but for now, Fodla is handy. Just never ride her.

Grade Four: Some Mary

Fairly standard spread, Aurageyser for draw, and turning that starter David into 5 cards in hand, including drive check, which should definitely hit a few combo pieces. Diablo may work in a 2-of capacity, but in Witches he punishes the opponent for over exerting, and his very existence threatens any player who knows about Shadow Paladin to play at least 2 rearguards, which handily stamps on the mentality of "you can't hex me if I don't call Rearguards" which always ends so well, right?

Dark Knight, Grim Recruiter works as an on-hit tutoring stride, but generally he will be situational, if you don't have the field presence/cards in drop to Legion yet, but have a surplus of stride fodder.

So, that's my current Witch Build, and it's very fun to play, but far from complete. Hope this helped you with your own build in some way, or maybe I've convinced you to join us?

mawile   x

The Cray Chronicle; Battle Reports from the Perspective of the Units - Issue 1

Serenade of the Steadfast Sniper

A story from the front-lines of Cray

Flickering pits of flame dotted the charred and smoking battlefield. Trenches dug into the earth by streams of wrathful flame. Palm trees lay fallen and smoldering, slowly crumbling into charcoal as they burned. The white sands of the beach smeared with swathes of grey ash. While the sea still churned restlessly against the shore, it could do nothing to restore the tranquility that had existed here merely an hour ago. Prior to the arrival of Dragon Empire’s advance guard, which today was the duty overseen by the ace aerial assault division Kagero.

Having survived death itself, reborn anew, and taking the very power that revived him for his own; the warrior famed far and wide as Dragonic Overlord soared through the skies with the regal majesty of a king as he surveyed the battlefield below. He could feel the presence of a spirit within him. Yes, one of those beings from the world parallel to Cray was inhabiting his body, guiding his actions and lending him strength from beyond time and space. It was one he was familiar with. A spirit whose soul resonated with his own - eternally burning with the drive to get stronger. In his endless quest for might, always pursuing greater heights of power, Dragonic Overlord, now dubbing himself “The X” as a dare for others to challenge their prowess against his own, had come here with the intent of reclaiming these shores. They were connected to the landmass of Dragon Empire, and rightfully belonged to their territory.

Yet they bordered upon the ocean. They could never be truly considered safe.

Such arrogance! He seethed with fury, balefully glaring down upon the assembled ranks of the enemy below. Aqua Force… a clan from the ancient past, who should have kept to their place in myth and legend, were the threat to his nation today. Each day brought with it a new battle. But it was not an existence begrudged by any of Cray’s inhabitants. To fight and war among themselves was so ingrained in the pages of their history it had almost become their culture. It seemed that Aqua Force believed that they owned the oceans of Cray itself however. From the verdant mangroves infringing the continent of Zoo to the abyssal underwater trenches of the Dark Zone they extended their reach. Grasping, clinging, desperately seeking to secure their place in a world that had grown and changed without them in the many years following their sudden disappearance. Pathetic. Dragonic Overlord spurned their struggle for relevance. It was not that he felt anger towards them for being enemies alone. No, it was their moral insistence that they were fighting for some absurd notion of justice that made him take particular enjoyment in seeing their waterlogged ranks fizzle and evaporate. Cray had been better off without them and their half-baked righteousness.

Once he was done routing their forces from the shoreline, he was resolved that he would take the fight back to them. Maybe it would take the massacre of an armada to make them understand that Dragon Empire had outgrown them. But somehow he doubted it. It might take a return visit to near-extinction to teach Aqua Force the lesson of humility they lacked. Either way, so be it. He was not alone in this fight. To his left, a sentient echo of his former self loomed like a shadow. A disturbance made possible by the anomalies in time and space plaguing the region. Together they were Legion, and he could not have imagined it any other way. What better ally could he hope to match him than a reflection of himself?

Flanking him on his right were his comrades, Twilight Arrow to the front and Mahmit on the back row. There were no others. Losses had been heavy, many of them being required to sacrifice themselves guarding against the relentless assault of the invading Aqua Force. But for every casualty in Dragonic Overlord’s ranks he had snuffed out the lives of two hardened sailors to even the score. Tattered white uniforms and weapons littered the ground as makeshift grave markers to the number who had fallen to his furious retribution.

He counted over the number remaining who opposed them. Sensing that victory was near. There were only three of them in attendance; two sailors riding kelpies, and a single siren. Blinking, he turned his gaze towards her, finding her inclusion in the naval formation somewhat puzzling. She was sitting on the front row in plain reach. Too weak to do anything alone, yet brazenly exposing herself to danger while keeping a look upon her face of tranquil resolution. Staring right up at him and silently judging him for the devastation he had caused her clan. For a moment, he considered making her his victim for showing such defiance… but with their formation so weak, it seemed like there was a stronger chance of defeating them now if he pressed the assault against their Vanguard. The senior kelpie rider wielding a glowing green sword of pyroxene light. His name was Thavas, and he could sense that he too was being possessed by an otherworldly spirit, just like he was. No matter. That connection would be broken with this final barrage.

Gesturing for Twilight Arrow to commence their retaliation while the denizens of the sea rested from their last wave of attacks, he received a sharp nod in reply from the archer, who spread his wings as the dragon knight behind him lent him power. Conjuring a bow made of flickering orange fire; his ally took aim at the enemy Vanguard with a blazing bronze arrowhead. Pulling it back against a bowstring of heated compressed air and then letting it explode to send the projectile flying. It grazed the side of Thavas, wounding him, but continued on keeping momentum until it buried itself in the chest of the childlike kelpie rider behind. There was a scream as the sailor’s body, which was made up of 99% water, bubbled and boiled violently before finally evaporating and leaving behind just a few scraps of uniform. Yet another death in the enemy ranks for Twilight Arrow to mark on his scoreboard later.

Descending from above, plunging towards the ground below, the shadow of himself mirroring his movements as it followed by his side, he raised his brilliant flaming sword up high. Bringing it in for a decapitating stroke that would end the confrontation decidedly! Perhaps he’d take the Vanguard’s blade and give it to his past self as a souvenir...

Blinding emerald light barred his path, and Dragonic Overlord felt his sword’s force deflected as his slash rebounded, breath hissing through his teeth as he snarled in rage. So the enemy had been keeping some units in reserve after all. They were streaming onto the battlefield now, and the great dragon was forced to pull back towards his own forces to avoid being surrounded. The shallows behind the shoreline must have been where they were hiding. Once their Vanguard had been defeated he’d make sure to scour every mile of the coast for the stragglers that might remain. It would send a message to the next aquaroid who thought himself brave enough to come within a mile of their sands.

Scowling, he watched them replenish their rearguard lines. Assault, sniper, kelpie rider. How many of each had he already killed today? It mattered not, he would dispose of these just the same once he was done defending against their onslaught. Thavas looked weakened. Pushed to the very limits of his endurance, unlikely to last much longer. Certainly it seemed unlikely he would possess the strength to muster a powerful attack… and yet, his expression was not one of fear. Raising his arms into the air, the aquaroid implored an unseen force for aid. An action which made the Kagero commander grip his sword tightly in trepidation. He still had the resources left to do THAT? In the cloudless skies above the battlefield tinged pink and orange by the distant sunset, a vast gate manifested as a series of interlocking rings aglow with shining turquoise light.

It hadn’t been the first time he’d seen this during the fight.

Thavas’ form shimmered and merged with the light above. Reshaping and reforming as his space in existence merged with and was replaced by a force summoned from the distant future. It was the unique phenomenon that the Gear Chronicle who had recently emerged dubbed Stride. In the last several weeks it had become increasingly widespread. It was a mighty power, and it made Dragonic Overlord briefly consider that if the occurrence tapped into the future, perhaps there might be a version of himself that existed in that distant time. A sneak preview of the greater power he would continue to accumulate over centuries of conflict. The thought stoked the fires of his drive to succeed even further, and he braced himself against whatever was about to emerge.

Standing tall, a slender sailor with the bearing of a noble stood where Thavas once had. Taking a moment to orientate himself with the battlefield and ascertain the situation. He had just been plucked right out of another timeline after all. Looking up directly at Dragonic Overlord, he felt the Stride’s presence as a vast swell of mana before him. His mere arrival seeming to rally the other units assembled there. This was it… what Aqua Force might become in the future, if they were able to recover from the setback that had robbed them of their old legacy. He was the embodiment of everything they one day hoped to become. It was only natural that his mere existence should inspire the others to believe that their fight had some meaning beyond clinging to survival. However misguided that might prove be.

The sniper took aim first, steadying his rifle, aiming up at the easy target presented by the dragon as he drifted through the sky with nowhere to take cover. His piercing green beam of light was blocked as a long-bodied dragon clutching a healing orb flew to intercept the path of the shot. A successful guard. One attack down… but this was Aqua Force after all, and the second was soon incoming. The Assault unit approached and swiped at him with one of the two blades he held, but the attack was too weak. A feint and nothing more… intended to build momentum for the next strike, which came swinging with a backhanded blade empowered by a boost from the kelpie rider down on the ground below. He blocked it effortlessly too. These were just the small fry. He had no time to waste on them. Not when the ripe challenge of a much stronger foe existed for him to clash swords with.

Rising to the challenge was the sailor summoned by the Stride, leaping into the air in time to land with his feet resting on the crest of a colossal wave that was sweeping in over the battlefield. Smothering the fires and washing away the signs of the conflict that had taken place. The wall of water rose constantly in height as it swept over the ground, foamy white bubbles and roaring currents dragging behind flotsam and the remains of the fallen in the wake of the tide. The level of power impressed the dragon warrior, who made no effort to attempt to avoid it as it careened towards him. This was a more worthy opponent befitting his status. But all the same, it would not be enough to overcome him. Summoning forth another orb-bearing dragon, he wished upon it to protect him, and an impenetrable shield formed around his body. Like the proverbial Red Sea the waters parted as they reached him, unable to breach the dragon’s barrier. When the swell receded back down to the ground, the dragon who had protected him vanished.

But it wasn’t over, it seemed. With the field of battle now submerged by water, the Aqua Force were well camouflaged, and he had to strain his eyes to make out their new position. Sound carried clearly over large bodies of water. And he could definitely hear something…

It sounded just like singing.

Two units had risen back onto their feet. The commotion was coming from their direction. They were glowing with the same light as the Stride, which explained enough. This had to be his doing somehow. The sniper stood boldly looking in his direction, but it was the unit behind that who drew the great dragon’s attention.

The mermaid from earlier met his gaze, firm and unwavering, her eyes simultaneously as calm and cold as the oceans themselves. He’d had the chance to kill her before. An opportunity had existed to attack her instead of the Vanguard, but he had squandered it unknowingly. Now she was raising her trident, the weapon radiating power as it acted as a conductor for the soprano of her voice, the pure and sorrowful sound forming a bubble of swirling air currents around her and the sniper as they stood together in arms. Empowering the sailor’s weapon, which was already imbued with the power gifted to them by their future descendants - the Aqua Force who would come after them and inherit the new legacy they were creating. Directed by her requiem the sniper’s hand would remain steady, his keen eyes locking unblinkingly upon their target. This attack would not be blocked. For the sake of everything yet to come for their clan, it would not miss. Realizing the danger presented, Dragonic Overlord threw up his arms to defend, but by the time he started to move, it was already decided.

The sniper’s bullet pierced his chest. The siren’s song stilled his heart.

Then everything was silence.