Today we have a lot of cards to go through, so I'll go through a few of them a little quicker than usual.
First off, we have a new G Guardian for Royal Paladin, 'Little Great Sage Marron'. He has “[AUTO]:[Soul Blast (1)] When this unit is placed on (GC), if you have a vanguard with "Alfred" or "Blaster" in its card name, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one grade 1 or greater card, call it to (GC), and it gets [Shield]+5000 until end of that battle. Shuffle your deck.” This can allow you to Perfect Guard a card so long as you're not using any of the “call from hand” versions, so things like 'Flash Shield, Iseult' will work. 'Champion of Silence, Gallatin' from the Legend Deck will also be a good choice as he would go up to 15000 Shield.
'Aspire Painter' is a Grade 2 for Royals, and has “[AUTO] Generation Break 1:When this unit is placed on (RC) from your hand, if you have a vanguard with "Alfred" or "Blaster" in its card name, Counter Charge (1)/Soul Charge (1), and this unit gets [Power]+3000 until end of turn.” It's a shame he has to be called from hand for this skill, but still a nice refresher. I don't think you'll be Soul Charging back to 'Myriad Saver', but you can use the extra Soul for something like the 'Marron' G Guardian.
Although this isn't a new card, I can finally confirm that 'New Style Blaster Llew' will definitely be only a R in the Booster Set.
We also have a little 'Altmile' support this week, with 'Knight of Pulsation Starius'. His skills are “[CONT](Deck):If you have a vanguard with "Altmile" in its card name, this card gets grade+1.” and “[CONT](RC) Generation Break 1 Brave:This unit gets [Power]+2000, and "[CONT](RC):Resist".” In my opinion, this is just a better version of 'Headwind Knight, Selim', so I'll definitely be replacing 'Selim' with 'Starius'.
Now time for Royal Paladin's ultimate rival, Kagero. 'Dragonic Blademaster' has had lots of great support this week. Firstly we have the Grade 3, 'Dragonic Blademaster Kouen'. He has Blaze and “[AUTO](VC):[Counter Blast (1)] When your G unit Stride, choose one of your opponent's rear-guards, retire it, choose one of your units with the blaze ability, and it gets [Power]+3000 until end of turn.” Pretty much just a better version of his previous on-Stride skill. Then he has “[AUTO](VC) Generation Break 2:At the end of each turn, if your opponent has no rear-guards, choose up to one grade 3 card with the blaze ability from your drop zone, and put it into your hand.” This is a great way to continue to Stride turn after turn if you can pull off the empty field.
A great backup Grade 3 to use other than the original 'Dragonic Blademaster' is 'Wyvern Strike, Jargo'. This unit has Blaze, and “[AUTO]:[Counter Blast (1) & Soul Blast (1)] When this unit is placed on (VC) or (RC), you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear-guards in the same column as this unit, and retire it.” Then it has “[CONT](VC/RC) Generation Break 1:If your vanguard is blazing, this unit gets [Power]+2000 for each of your opponent's open (RC) in the back row.” The fact that this unit can get up to 21k on its own is so nice and really punishes Magia and Hollow who have plagued Kagero for so long.
Similar to this, we get a Grade 2, 'Dragon Knight Mubdi'. He has Blaze and “[AUTO](RC) Generation Break 2:[Counter Blast (1)] When this unit attacks a vanguard, if your vanguard with "Blademaster" in its card name is blazing, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw a card, and this unit gets [Power]+2000 for each of your opponent's open (RC) until end of that battle.” It's true that Kagero is Counter Blast heavy already, but there are so many Counter Chargers and not enough cards that draw, so I think this card is going to be very useful for Kagero.
'Flare Trooper Dumjid' is a Perfect Guard that has to be called from hand and has Blaze. He also has “[CONT](GC) Generation Break 1:If there is a "Flare Trooper, Dumjid" in your drop zone, this unit gets [Shield]+15000.” A good way to save on hand if you can. It also works well with 'Lizard Soldier, Bellog' to make a 20k shield and Retire for the same cost as the Perfect Guard.
'Dragon Dancer, Nilda' is a Stand Trigger with Blaze and “[AUTO](RC) Generation Break 1:[Put this unit on the bottom of your deck] When your unit's attack with the blaze ability hits a vanguard, if your vanguard is blazing, you may pay the cost. If you do, Counter Charge (1), choose one of your opponent's rear-guards, and retire it.” Unfortunately Kagero don't have many ways to shuffle the deck, so it's likely that she will be staying on the bottom for the rest of the game, however, using this with 'Inspire Yell Dragon' can help to allow you to shuffle, but you may want to use draws over stands in Kagero.
Lastly for Kagero we have 'Dragon Monk, Shinsen'. He has “[AUTO](RC) Generation Break 1:[Retire this unit] At the end of your turn, if your opponent has no rear-guards, you may pay the cost. If you do, Counter Charge (1), and if you have three or more rear-guards, draw a card.” This is likely to be the least used card out of the Kagero stuff we've seen so far this week, but he still has his uses. If you've got your opponent to no rearguards then you will probably need the Counter Charge, and you draw a card so you are not really losing much for Retiring him. 'Energy Flame, Aethonic' is still a good choice but at least you can use 'Shinsen' for the turn before getting rid of him.
I'm really loving the Kagero support in this set. Punishing your opponent for having nothing is something they've needed and I'm glad they gave it to Blademaster. It really makes me want to built a Blademaster deck.
'Pulsar Drastic Colossus' is new Grade 3 for Gear Chronicle, who is both a Gear Colossus and a Zodiac Time Beast. It has “[AUTO]:[Choose a card from your hand, and discard it] When this unit is placed on (VC), you may pay the cost. If you do, reveal three cards from the top of your deck, choose up to two <Gear Colossus> or <Zodiac Time Beast> from among them, put one of those cards in your hand, bind one of those cards face up, and put the rest into your drop zone.” and then it has “[AUTO](VC):When your G unit Stride, you may draw a card. If you do, choose a card from your hand, bind it face up, choose one of your vanguards, and it gets [Power]+1000 for each card in your bind zone until end of turn.” With no booster, this unit gets 'Demiurge' to 38k with a 'Glory' skill if you have 12 in the Bind Zone. I'm so glad they have decided to support 'Demiurge' and the great thing is that all the Gear Chronicle cards they've shown today are Zodiac Time Beasts.
'Pulsar Bring Hawk' is a Grade 1 with “[AUTO]:When this unit is placed on (GC), you may bind the top card of your deck face up. If that card is <Zodiac Time Beast>, choose up to one of your <Gear Colossus>, and it gets [Power]+5000 until end of that battle.” The thing I like about this card is the fact it gives the Power to the Vanguard, which means even if this card is Retired from Guard Break, you still get to keep some Shield from it.
'Pulsar Nibble Rat' is another Grade 1, this time with two skills. The first one is “[AUTO](Bind Zone) Generation Break 1:[Counter Blast (1) & Bind the top card of your deck face up] At the beginning of the guard step that your <Gear Colossus> is attacked, you may pay the cost. If you do, call this card to (GC).” and its second skill is “[ACT](Hand):[Bind this card face up & Choose one of your <Zodiac Time Beast> rear-guards, and [Rest] it] Draw a card.” I like how even on the turn you Stride 'Demiurge', if you're only on 11 cards in the Bind Zone, you can make this the 12th from hand.
And finally for the Zodiac Time Beasts, we have a Forerunner, 'Pulsar Sentry Dracokid'. It has “[AUTO](RC):[Choose a grade 3 <Gear Colossus> from your hand, and reveal it] At the beginning of your ride phase, you may pay the cost. If you do, bind the top card of your deck face up.” A very easy skill to pull off, and a quick way to get to 'Demiurge'. Then it has “[ACT](RC) Generation Break 1:[Soul Blast (1) & Retire this unit] If you have a <Gear Colossus> vanguard, bind the top card of your deck face up, and if that card is <Zodiac Time Beast>, draw a card.” This is yet another way to get the condition for 'Demiurge' even if you Stride him that turn. It's a little riskier than 'Nibble Rat' though.
We also have a couple of cards for Dark Irregulars. The first one is 'Derange Singular', a new Forerunner. He has “[AUTO](RC) Darkness:When this unit boosts, this unit gets [Power]+2000 until end of that battle.” And “[AUTO](RC):When your G unit Stride, put this unit and all of your grade 1 or greater rear-guards into your soul, and draw two cards.” This is a less Counter Blast heavy version of 'Ordonnaz', but I will still be using 'Ordonnaz' so I can get some early attacks in without losing too much, and for the 'Doreen' power up, though I use 'Bladewings', and this was more made for 'Scharhrot' who tends to use a lot more Counter Blasts.
'Listig Vampir' is a Grade 1 who has “[AUTO] Generation Break 1:[Choose a card from your hand, and put it into your soul] When this unit is placed on (GC), if you have a vanguard with the darkness ability, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose a normal unit from your soul, and put it into your hand.” This is a nice way of getting a Perfect Guard into your hand without have to pay 'Succubus of Avarice's' effect of Retiring 1 of your cards, and gives you more flexibility with what Perfect Guards you want to put into your deck.
And the last card of the week is a Cray elemental, 'Earth Elemental, Connell', who has “[CONT](RC) Generation Break 1:When your unit would be chosen by any fighter due to the effect of your opponent's card, choose this unit as much as possible.” This shouldn't cause too much a problem for something like Kagero, but Link Joker may find this card annoying, especially as it will likely be staying on the back row. Cards can be Paralyzed multiple times so Megacolony will have a difficult time against this card. Luckily 'Darkface's' on-Stride skill can't target one card twice, so you will be able to choose another card with that, but that still badly limits Megacolony's actions. Also decks that weaken units will be affected, like 'Zeal' and 'Witches', though at least 'witches' will easily be able to force your opponent to call over this card with a Grade 0.
