First up we have the second GR for the set, 'Metapulsar, Mystery-freeze Dragon' for Gear Chronicle. It's a Stride with the skill of “[ACT](VC)[1/Turn] Generation Break 3:[Counter Blast (2)] Shuffle your deck, and bind four cards from the top of your deck face up. Until end of turn, during the battle that this unit attacks, your opponent cannot call cards from hand to (GC) with the same grades as the grades of the cards bound with this effect.” If a Grade 3 card was Bound with this effect, this card gets Drive +1. This seems to be a very strong card as decks usually have more Grade 0s and 1s than any other Grade in the deck, and those are the two most defensive Grades. Of course this cannot prevent G Guardians but you can't guarantee a Heal in hand. 2 Counter Blasts is a high cost, but this card is very worth it. As this card doesn't require a specific Heart, it will be nice to see in a 'Demiurge' deck as binding 4 cards will give a nice boost to the end goal.
Gear Chronicle get a second Stride with the RRR 'Metapulsar, Avenir Phoenix'. “[AUTO](VC):[Counter Blast (1) & Choose a face down card from your G zone with the same card name as this unit, and turn it face up] When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, reveal five cards from the top of your deck, and for each face up card in your G zone, call up to two <Zodiac Time Beast> to separate (RC) from among them. Put the rest on the bottom of your deck in any order.” You can use this skill first Stride and it seems even more powerful than many Gold Paladin cards. Not only that, but it also has the GB3 skill of “[CONT](VC) Generation Break 3:All of your <Zodiac Time Beast> rear-guards get [Power]+2000.” This will help patch up Power levels of any weaker cards you may get from the top of your deck.
Royal Paladin get both a card for Brave and 'Blaster'. The Brave support is the RRR Stride 'Heroic Divine Knight, Halbwachs'. He has “[ACT](VC)[1/Turn]:[Counter Blast (1) & Soul Blast (1) & Choose a face down card from your G zone with the same card name as this unit, and turn it face up] Search your deck for up to one card with the brave ability for each face up card with the brave ability in your G zone, and call them to separate (RC). Those units get [Power]+2000 for each called unit until end of turn. Shuffle your deck.” This is a great amount of superior calling for Royal Paladin, especially as you can use this card early on if you couldn't G Guard to use 'Aerial Divine Knight, Altmile' first Stride. He also has the second skill of “[ACT](VC) Brave:[Counter Blast (1)] This unit gets [Power]+5000 until end of turn.” The Power isn't too important but this does make this unit a Brave unit, allowing it to help its own skill for later game.
The 'Blaster' support is the Perfect Guard 'Divine Fountain Maiden, Lien'. Her skill is “[AUTO]:[Soul Blast (1)] When this unit is placed on (GC) from hand, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your grade 3 units with "Alfred" or "Blaster" in its card name that is being attacked, and that unit cannot be hit until end of that battle.” Not having to discard a card is really nice, but the Soul is used quite a lot in 'Blaster' decks. I'm guessing this will mostly be used at 1 or 2 while the other Sentinel slots will be the Counter Charging Perfect Guard. I hope every Clan doesn't get a clone of this, because it would be a bit too strong in something like Dark Irregulars or Genesis.
Nubatama received a lot of great support throughout these past few weeks. They got their RRR Stride revealed as 'Enma Stealth Rogue, Mujinlord'. His skill is “Domination-[ACT](VC)[1/Turn]:[Counter Blast (1) & Choose a face down card from your G zone with the same card name as this unit, and turn it face up] Choose up to the same number of any rear-guards as the number of face up cards in your G zone, and they get [Power]+4000 until end of turn. Dominate all of your opponent's chosen units as [Stand], and each of those units attack your opponent's vanguard.” This is a very powerful ability, in the late game allowing you to get 5 extra attacks in. Although they will be weak, it's still a lot for your opponent to deal with if they don't get a Trigger in an early hit.
The new 'Shiranui' Grade 3 is 'Demon Stealth Dragon, Shiranui "Oboro"'. He has “[AUTO](VC):At the beginning of your ride phase, you may choose a card from your opponent's drop zone. If you do, your opponent calls that card to (RC), and at the end of that turn, retires that unit.” Now we have seen this skill before as it was revealed previously, but we finally get to see his second skill of “Domination-[AUTO](VC):When your G unit Stride, choose up to one of your opponent's rear-guards, dominate it as [Stand], it gets [Power]+4000 until end of turn, and it attacks another of your opponent's units.” The fact that both of these effects are free is really good. The previous 'Shiranui' made your opponent drop a card for a Counter Blast, but this one will either cause your opponent to drop a card or take 1 Damage for free. The previous 'Shiranui' did also Bind a card on the field, but that won't matter depending on your build.
Nubatama get a second Stride with 'Enma Stealth Dragon, Maguntenbu'. He has “Domination-[ACT](VC)[1/Turn]:[Counter Blast (1) & Choose a face down card from your G zone with the same card name as this unit, and turn it face up] Choose one of your opponent's rear-guards, and it gets [Power]+3000 for each face up card in your G zone until end of turn. Dominate that unit as [Stand], it attacks another of your opponent's units, and at the end of that battle, retire the dominated unit.” This can be good early on for the G flip to set up for 'Mujinlord' and good late game for one big attack as well as getting rid of annoying rear-guards.
A Grade 2 to support Domination is 'Stealth Dragon, Fuurai'. It has “[ACT](RC)[1/Turn] Generation Break 1:[Soul Blast (1)] Choose a card from your opponent's drop zone, your opponent calls that card to his or her open (RC), and at the end of that turn, retires that unit.” This is really nice if you're against Mirage deck, giving you plenty of targets for 'Mujinlord'. It may be hard to keep your Soul at a good amount in Nubatama, but as 'Shiranui' will give you one free Domination target, this card won't need to use this skill too often. It's second skill is “[AUTO](RC) Generation Break 1:When another unit attacks during your turn, if you have a vanguard with "Shiranui" in its card name, this unit gets [Power]+2000 until end of turn.” If you get the most out of a 'Mujinlord' turn with 5 extra attacks, then you can give this unit +12000 Power along with 'Mujinlord' and 'Shiranui' together.
Lastly for Nubatama we get the Grade 1 'Stealth Dragon, Tenrei'. It's first skill is “[CONT](RC) Generation Break 1:During your turn, your vanguard with "Shiranui" in its card name gets all of your opponent's vanguard's card names, clans, races, and nations.” This will sort all the problems with Subclans and Archetypes, allowing you to use your opponent's on-attack skills, even with a 'Shiranui' Vanguard. The second skill is “[AUTO](RC) Generation Break 1:[Put this unit into your soul] When an attack hits a vanguard during the battle that this unit attacked or boosted, you may pay the cost.” If you do, your opponent chooses a card from his or her hand, and discards it. This is a harsh punishment when this card already has the previous skill. It also helps fill up the Soul for 'Fuurai's' skill.
Onto Dark Irregulars, we have the Stride unit, 'One Who Splits Darkness, Bredamouth'. His skill is “[AUTO](VC)[1/Turn] Generation Break 2 Darkness:[Counter Blast (1) & Choose a face down card from your G zone with the same card name as this unit, and turn it face up & Choose two cards from your hand, and put them into your soul] When this unit attacks, if the number of cards in your soul is ten or more, you may pay the cost. If you do, return all of the grade 0 cards from your soul and (RC) to your deck, shuffle your deck, choose two of your units, and they get [Power]+5000 until end of turn. At the end of that battle, [Stand] this unit, and it gets drive -2.” Putting the cards from your hand into your Soul is a really nice touch, and allows you to use this card a lot sooner. Putting the Grade 0s back into your deck really helps too, as it allows for a better chance of getting some form of Trigger in your 4 Drive Checks.
'One Who Scatters Sin, Scharhrot' is the new Grade 3. He has two skills, the first one being “[AUTO](VC):When your G unit Stride, you may Soul Charge (2). If you do, and the number of cards with the darkness ability in your soul is four or more, your opponent chooses one of his or her rear-guards, and retires it.” Basically a cheaper version of 'Scharhrot Vampir's' on-Stride skill, but requiring a little more set up. The second skill is “[AUTO](VC/RC) Generation Break 2 Darkness:When this unit attacks, if the number of cards in your soul is ten or more, until end of that battle, this unit gets [Power]+5000, and your opponent cannot call grade 0 cards from hand to (GC).” I really like how this works on rear-guard circle, and can see this card even being used in a 'Blade Wing' deck as a backup Grade 3.
For 'Scharhrot' support we have the Grade 2, 'Brennen Vampir'. His skill is “[AUTO](RC) Generation Break 1 Darkness:[Counter Blast (1)] When this unit attacks a vanguard, if you have a vanguard with "Scharhrot" in its card name, you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gets [Power]+1000 for each card in your soul until end of that battle. At the end of that battle, put this unit into your soul, and draw a card.” Hand size is something that Dark Irregulars tend to struggle with so it's nice to see a bit of drawing, even if the cost is a bit heavy. Though this also feeds the Soul which is also needed. This card can also make an open space for 'Enigmatic Assassin' to come out, or on a turn you're using 'One Steeped in Sin, Scharhrot', he will be going into the Soul anyway, so you may as well use this skill.
Genesis get the Stride, 'Goddess of Investigation, Ishtar'. She has Revelation, and “[AUTO](VC):[Soul Blast (3) & Choose a face down card from your G zone, and turn it face up] When your drive check reveals a grade 1 or greater card, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose the same number of your units as the number of face up "Goddess of Investigation, Ishtar" in your G zone, they get [Power]+3000 until end of turn, and if the card revealed by the drive check has the revelation ability, [Stand] those rear-guards.” As you can pay this cost more than once per turn, this card makes Genesis the Clan that can get to GB8 the fastest. This skill is also really good on its own, allowing you to Stand units that have already attacked for extra attacks, or to Stand cards that you may have Rested through the Revelation ability. The Power buff also lets you get your front row units to enough Power to attack the Vanguard without needing Boosts.
'Prime Beauty, Amaruda' is the new Grade 3 Strider for Genesis. She has the Revelation ability, as well as [“CONT](VC):The cost for your Stride may be also paid with "Soul Blast (3)-card with the revelation ability".” Then, she has the on-Stride skill of “[AUTO](VC):[Counter Blast (1)] When your G unit Stride, you may pay the cost. If you do, Soul Charge (2). If a card with the revelation ability is Soul Charge with this effect, draw a card, choose up to two of your units, and they get [Power]+4000 until end of turn.” The +4000 Power is great, as alongside 'Ishtar' it will make your Grade 2 units 16k on their own. Unfortunately you don't get the free Soul Charge like with 'Fenrir', but 'Amaruda' and 'Fenrir' could easily be used together.
'Goddess of Favorable Wind, Ninnil' is a Grade 2 that supports Revelation. She has Revealtion herself, as well as “[AUTO](RC) Generation Break 1:[Counter Blast (1)] When your other rear-guard [Rest] due to the effect of your card, if you have a vanguard with the revelation ability, you may pay the cost. If you do, increase this unit's [Power] by the [Rested rear-guard's original [Power] until end of turn.” The Counter Blast may become a bit costly after a while but as you can Restand her through 'Ishtar' it is worth it. And there are multiple ways to Restand the Rested unit, so you aren't losing much at all.
Kagero has the new Stride with 'Flare Arms, Ziegenburg'. He has Blaze and “[ACT](VC)[1/Turn]:[Soul Blast (1) & Choose a face down card from your G zone with the same card name as this unit, and turn it face up] Choose one of your opponent's rear-guards, and retire it.” Then he has “[AUTO](VC)[1/Turn] Generation Break 3:[Counter Blast (1) & Choose the same number of cards from your hand as the number of your opponent's rear-guards, discard them] At the end of the battle that this unit attacked a vanguard, if this unit is blazing, you may pay the cost. If you do, [Stand] this unit, and it gets drive -2.” If you're playing your turn right you can end up Restanding without having to discard anything, which will be really nice for Kagero as they don't tend to have too many drawing abilities and having a Retire ability himself will help a lot during your turn.
Lastly we have 'Legendary Idol, Riviere' for Clan Booster 5. Her ability is “[ACT](VC)[1/Turn]:[Counter Blast (1) & Choose a face down card with the same card name as this unit from your G zone, and turn it face up] Choose up to the same number of your rear-guards as the number of cards with "Riviere" in their card names in your soul, they get [Power]+5000 until end of turn. If you have three or more face up cards in your G zone, draw a card, and this unit gets [Power]+10000/[Critical]+1 until end of turn.” With the Ride Chain it shouldn't be too difficult to have 3 Rivieres in the Soul at this point, meaning 3 cases of the +5000 Power. The +1 and Critical to the Vanguard is also nice, though it would be nice if she had some bouncing abilities to make better use of the rear-guards Power gains.
