All In!

Hello, Hello, ladies and gentlemen.

The day is September 30th, 2011, and it is time for another episode of SO IMBA!, where We learn how to be a better Card Fighter.

I am Rauzes, and today, we discuss All Ins.

In Vanguard, there are advantages to keeping cards in your hand, namely, to use for guarding.

In most games, you usually want to put out a maximum of two cards per turn, keeping the rest for future turns, and for guarding.

An All-In is when you forsake all guarding, and instead throw down all or most of your cards in your hand, in an effort to push for major damage.

The most common time you see this happening is when you both are at 5 damage, low on cards, and are trying to end the game in one or two turns.

In Other words, you know that you have no other option, and if you cannot beat the opponent this turn, you will lose (unless you hit double heal trigger or something.), because you have no more cards to save yourself...

And, although you are telegraphing your state to your opponent, meaning they know they almost have the game,

They are also forced to throw the maximum amount of guard, as one trigger can and probably will give you the game, in an attempt to survive until the next turn.


But, nobody ever said this is the best timing for an all-in.

Another good timing to throw an All-In is when the opponent still has very few cards, as they didnt have enough time to build up their army with Twin Drive: In the very early game.

If you went first, you will ideally reach grade 3 earlier, giving you one attack with grade 3 against a grade 2.

Grade 2s tend to be weaker and easier to hit, and hence harder to guard.

Additionally, the opponent, at this stage, will only have 9 Cards total... Of which 1 was used to ride to grade 1, and the other used to grade 2...

Thats 7 Cards to guard against a full force attack, if they did not call anything to attack you with.

Although the opponent will have at most 2 damage at this state, so they can ideally just take damage from every attack you throw at them.

But if you are playing a high critical deck, a multi stand deck, or a special call deck like Palemoon or Spike Brothers, which can throw at most 6-7 attacks per turn...

Although the first few attacks will go through, as early game at this stage means the enemy can simply take the damage, instead of wasting a bunch of cards guarding.(This actually means you can get away with attacking with smaller units!), the later attacks, especially the ones coming from Asura Kaiser Stand, or Spike Brothers special Call, will all probally be guarded

They are forced to guard, using cards that SHOULD be in their hand, to call and attack you the next turn!

Meaning not only do you throw the enemy into a highly defensive position, unable to push out, they will have nothing to push out with as well!

I mentioned before that at that point in the game, the enemy should only have about 9 cards.

Deck balance wise, that's statistically 2 10k Guards, 1 or 2 Grade 3s(Cannot Guard), and the rest 5k Guards.

For the amount of guard available to guard, yes, they will survive...

But at what cost?

By giving up their 5k Guards, they are sacrificing powerful fighting forces in an attempt to stay alive at about 4 Damage.

Therefore, the actual aim of the early all-in is not really to try to end the game, but to force many guards from the enemy, leaving you in a much more stable state.

Just watch out for cards like Blaster Blade or Berserk Dragon on the return turn.


This is Rauzes,

And you are reading SO IMBA!, where we learn how to be a better card fighter.

Tomorrow, we talk Splitting Critical Triggers.

High Speed Blacky

Hello, Hello, ladies and fine gentlemen.

You are reading SO IMBA!, where we learn how to be a better card fighter.

I am your host, Rauzes, and today, we discuss High Speed Blacky.

High Speed Blacky is a Spike Brother's Grade 2 Unit with 9000 Power... with a rather interesting effect...

By Soul Blasting one, it can gain 5000 power for one turn, but returns to the deck at the end of the turn...

Which can be used regardless of your Vanguard, IE: It is a card that can be splashed into any deck.

As you've probably figured out, decks that need to conserve the soul for effects such as Soul Blast, Counter Soul Blast, or Power up cannot readily use this card, because they dont want to sacrifice the cards in your soul...

But what about decks such as Nova Grapplers, or 0 Soul Oracle Think Tank?

These such decks dont really utilize Soul quite as much, do they?

Whenever you ride, do you notice that for the most part, those cards will never come back?

Thats right. Effectively, every card that goes to the soul... is gone...

Its only matters how many cards are in the soul, not particularly what is there.

Thats where cards like Alfred Early and cards that can call cards from the soul(Pale Moon) really shine, because they make cards in the Soul matter.

Although High Speed Blacky's soul blast will cause you to lose not only one card on the field, but a card that can also be used for INTERCEPT, an ability that gives a bit more worth to Grade 2s on the Field.

However, when attacking as a rear guard, it becomes a 14000Power unit by itself, at next to zero cost.

In pushing in that last damage, along with boost, it becomes a unit that can easily break the 21000 Line, forcing additional guarding from the opponent, securing your win.

So, next time you're building your deck, think for a moment how your deck is utilizing Soul...

and if its not using it at all, take a moment to consider High Speed Blacky.

If your deck really has no need to be fully one clan, consider sticking in two or three High Speed Blacky, as it might just pay out.


Thats all for today.

This is Rauzes, signing out.
See you tommorow, right here on So Imba.

Gigantic Charger

Hello, Hello, ladies and fine gentlemen.

You are reading SO IMBA!, where we learn how to be a better card fighter.

I am your host, Rauzes, and today, we discuss Gigantic Charger.

Gigantic Charger, while being a 9k Grade 3, a number only usually seen on the weaker Grade 3s, has an extremely unique and interesting effect...

When you call or Ride this guy, you can Special Call the top card of your deck to a Rear Guard, given its a Royal Paladin.

So... you reading this right?

If you call or ride Gigantic Charger, you get an instant +1 Card Advantage in terms of fighting force on your field!

However, you have to consider... what might Gigantic Charger call?

In order to gain advantage, when you call Gigantic Charger, you ideally have 1 Side Guard and 1 Rear Guard circle open, because in any situation, its effect will be able to call an ally... somewhere.

In this ideal situation, if its effect hits a grade 0 or 1, you can call it to a back guard, and if it hits a grade 2 or 3, Left/Right guard.

However, if you think about it, if you only have 1 side guard circle open, like in late game stages, keep in mind that Gigantic Charger's effect is compulsory.

This means that while it can give you instant advantage, in the end game stage, its skill might not be the most advantageous of them all...

Because the Charger is only 9000, with no Shield or Intercept, even if the opponent leaves him on the field, his uses are highly limited.

Any 9000 Vanilla Grade 3 is completely bested by a Grade 2, Vanilla or not.

Therefore, when you call Gigantic Charger, and your deck top is actually a grade 2, you can call it to the side guard.

More importantly, to directly on top of Gigantic Charger.

Even if you call Grade 2 Gallahad or something, having intercept alone proves advantageous, and has its uses.

If you Call him when you have no open rear guard circles, you can always stick the new unit on top of an old one, retiring the old unit.


Thats all for today.

This is Rauzes, signing out.
See you tommorow, right here on So Imba.

One Use Boost

Hello, Hello everybody, and welcome to SO IMBA!
Where we learn how to be a better card fighter!

I am Rauzes, and today we discuss One Shot Boosters.

One shot boosters come in two flavors:

Either they are Stand triggers that boost 6k for once, before returning to the deck,

Or they are HEAL Triggers that boost for 6k for once, before returning to the deck at the end of the turn.

At this point in time, there are two triggers that do this: Battleriser, and Lozenge/Sphere Magus.


So you might be thinking: "But, Lozenge Magus and Sphere Magus are two different cards..."

No they are not.
They have the same damn effect, and you can only put a total of 4 in your deck. Do the math.


Today's discussion is about the usage of these guys, and more importantly, the timing.

Too often, I see players Ride to grade 1, Call them to rear guard...
And attack with Boost.

No.

Do NOT.

Both Stand and Heal triggers are Mid to Late game triggers, which really throw the enemy and game one way or another(as triggers are supposed to).

But, when you have 0 Damage, and 0 other Rear Guards, both of these triggers mean next to nothing...

So, why are you so intent to send them back to the deck?

Unlike Tachikaze's Critical or Dark Irregular's Stand triggers, these return to the deck regardless of the hit.

With the aforementioned two triggers, they're easier to send back in the early game, which is why you try to do so.

However, if you look carefully at Lozenge/Sphere/Battleriser, it sends itself back...

-1 Card Advantage.

Yeah, your triggers went back to the deck, but you could have done that any time, no?

The trick to using these one shot boosts is:

Making the enemy guard with at least 1 card, so the card advantage balances out.

For this to happen, the enemy must have about 4 to 5 damage, and want to guard your attacks.

Thus, you can use these one shot boosts to their full potential.

Additionally, since heal and stand triggers are more effective in the late game, by sending them back then, you reduce the rate of you getting these triggers earlier, whilst not having the conditions to make full use of them.


That's all for today, everyone.

You're reading SO IMBA!, where we learn to be a better card fighter.

This is Rauzes, signing out.

Attack! Rear Guard!

Hello, Hello everybody, and welcome back to So IMBA!
Where we learn to be a better card fighter.

I am your host, Rauzes.

So, you're wondering whether to attack Rear guards, or the Vanguard...

It is a hard question, and most of the time, most people would gun down the enemy's Vanguard as soon as possible.

However, to be in control of the game as much as possible and have maximum advantage, it is important to home down on the enemy's rear guards as well.

The main reason is that if the hit gets through, the enemy will LOSE one card, as opposed to no card advantage lost for the Vanguard.

So, when should you attack Rear guards? When can you force advantage?

Lets take a look at numbers:

If you attack with a 10k guard against a Rear Guard, they will either have to lose: A 10k Shield, 2 5k Shields, or let the unit die, one card(if grade 2, a 5k Shield).

Obviously, when they have a ton of hand, they will be more willing to let their Rear Guards die, leaving your attack... kinda meaningless, especially because they have replacements.

However!

If the enemy does NOT have a replacement, especially if you use Blaster Blade/Other target killing units before, the opponent will be more willing and desperate to protect the rear guards, because they need them to attack you on the next turn.

One of the easiest ways to see if they have no substitute for their Grade 2/3 Rear Guard is if they guard, at all, especially over 5k guard.

Remember, especially the 5k Guard.

Even if the enemy has a large hand, it does not necessarily mean they have the best balance of hand.

For all you know, they could all be grade 0s and 1s, unable to pack much of a threat.

For extra pressure to apply, try using cards that have effects that trigger when you HIT(not hit Vanguard), so the opponent has less reason to let your attacks through.

When the opponent has very little cards in hand, for instance after he called many to Rear Guard, its the best time to attack them down, as theres less things around to guard.

Therefore, if the opponent tries to all in, or plays out more than 3 cards in one turn, try to aim down their Rear Guards, as its highly unlikely they have more in their hand, or any guardians to call.

Thats all for today.

/Rauzes

Mulligan.

Hello and hello everybody, and Welcome to So Imba!

Where we learn to be a better card fighter.

Today's topic is the Mulligan, or as we all know, the exchange of draws at the beginning of the game.

So, as you know, the game allows you to change any number of cards at the beginning of the game, and your objective is to mainly send back all the triggers, and try to get grades 1, 2, and 3.

But there is much, much more to the mulligan than this.

Yes, you should return all your triggers to the deck because... well, them being in the deck is where you want them to be.

But what about taking mulligans to a higher level?

Which cards should you return, and which cards should you try to amass?


The secret lies in whether you are going first, or second.

So lets take a look at the differences between first and second turn:

First turn: While you can not attack, you can ride first. Also, when going first, you can "Ride Accident" ONCE during the game, without being that... THAT much of an disadvantage.

Second turn: While you CAN attack and get your first drive check, you can NOT afford to have a "ride accident", because you are already getting to grade 3... with Twin Drive, slower...

So lets tackle the concepts shall we?

If you are going first, the objective of the mulligan is to get grade 1 and 2, but specifically, you want more grade 2s, and your Grade 1 8k power.

The reason you want to get your grade 1 8k guy ASAP is simple: Defense.

Because you cannot attack on the first turn, if you ride Maron, Bahr, and Friends, the opponent will NOT be able to attack you with much, unless they call units to provide boost...

Which is a bad idea, because on the next turn, their valuable(especially in early game) boosts are wide open for attack.

On top of this, if the enemy does NOT ride an 8k attacker, they have to boost themselves to try to damage you.

Then, when your first attack rolls around, you get the chance to ride to Grade 2, and call your grade 2 allies.

Most of the grade 2s have at least 8000 power.

If they dont... WHY ARE YOU USING THEM!?(yeah. Really. Why?)

Therefore, if on the second turn, if they ride/call 8k power units, you can easily attack them to take down them or their rear guards.

For example, if you special ride G2 Gallahad, then call 1 Gordon, and 1 Gallatin, all of these can attack, and damage the enemy's units with no problem, with no boost, hopefully garnering you advantage as you take down their rear guards.

Conclusion for going first:

Get one grade 1 8k power, and at least 2 grade 2 units.


Going second:

Unlike going first, you can attack on your first turn.

Once you ride to grade 1, you can call grade 1s and grade 0s to fight for you, hopefully pushing some damage, at least two, or maybe 3.

To do so, you will want to amass a large number of grade 1s, especially the 8k attackers.

The reason you will want to pump out 3 grade 1s to attack on your first turn is so that you can start racking up damage quickly, while you can move the rear guard grade 1s to the backrow, to use as boosts the next turn onwards.

This also means you will want to protect your rear guards for the next turn, so be ready to throw at least 1 unit as guard, preferably a grade 0.

Thus, when going second, you ideal starting hand will have at least:
0-1 Grade 0 10k shield, 2-3 Grade 1s, 1 Grade 2s.
And the objective of your first turn is to be agressive and push for damage.


Now that we've reviewed the more deeper tactics of mulligan, lets take an even deeper look.

Most players will simply aim to have 1 grade 1, 1 grade 2, and 1 grade 3.

But what most people dont see is that...

While getting a grade 1 to kick start the game is very important, you have 2 draw phases and 2 drive checks to get Grade 2, and 3 of each for Grade 3(assuming youre going second),

And so, the actual importance of getting a Grade 3 in your opening hand is NOT quite as important as you may think so.

But grade 1s and grade 2s are very important to start the game off with.


Thats all for today
/Rauzes

Invisible Triggers

Hello and hello everybody, and Welcome to So Imba!

Where we learn to be a better card fighter.

To kick start our new blog, the first idea I'd like to share is for our more advanced players, the concept of Hidden Triggers.

So, as we all know, there are 4 types of Triggers:

DRAW!

HEAL!

CRITICAL!

and STAND!

Of these four triggers, each has their pros and cons, where Critical triggers are considered just barely the best, because they can throw the enemy off their calculations.

Depending on your deck, which triggers you pick to use varies.

OTTs will use more Draw, Kagerou might take up 12 critical trigger, and Nova Grapplers will want to go with at least 8 Stand.

But one thing with most decks dont change:

They have 16 triggers, and 4 different triggers.

For example, in 12 Crit Kagerou, your build would be:

4 Heal Trigger(Dragon Monk Genjho)
4 Critical Trigger(That Snake guy)
4 Critical Trigger(Embodiment of the Spear, Tahr)
4 Critical Trigger(Blue Ray Dracokid)

and what about Nova Grappler?

4 Heal Trigger(Round Girl Clara)
4 Stand Trigger(Lucky Girl/Cannon Ball)
4 Stand Trigger(Battleriser)
4 Critical Trigger(Red Lightning)

Hmm...

Noticing a trend?

Here it is: Everybody uses 4 different types of cards for triggers, and 4 of each, what we like to call 4/4/4/4.

This method of deck building is actually so common place, that most players will see the first few triggers they see, and instantly try to map out what triggers you are playing.

For example:

You attack, hit a critical trigger(Lets say, Tahr.)

They take 2 damage. On the returning turn, they attack once, which you take, opening a Blue Ray Dracokid. Then, they attack again, and THEY get a critical trigger.

The two damage you take starts with Dragon Dancer Monica, allowing you to draw, then a Dragon Monk Genjho, which gives you a heal.

So far, the opponent has seen four different triggers: Two different critical triggers, one heal, and 1 draw.

THUS, they will assume, and play accordingly to, the following triggers they assume are in your deck:

8 Critical, 4 Heal, 4 Draw.

This is where "Invisible Triggers" comes into play.

The opponent at this point is playing according to what he expects your triggers to be, and hence will start defending higher than needed at around 4 life, because of the criticals, and be more willing to stay at around 5 damage, to mitigate the usefullness of your heal triggers.

What I'm trying to say is that

If you hit a STAND trigger, lets say,

The Opponent will be COMPLETELY caught off Guard, because they did not think ahead to the possibility of more than 3 attacks in one turn.

Invisible Triggers is a concept that trys to outsmart the opponent, by packing an unorthodox number of triggers, in an attempt to throw the opponent off guard.

For example, instead of running

4/4/4/4,

Try playing in...

4/3/3/2/4

or

4/4/3/1/4

In this way, you manage to sneak in a stand trigger, with the opponent completely caught off guard when they see it.

Of course, for different decks, you may want to try different arrangements of triggers, to match your decks play style.

However, try to keep the trigger you are trying to hide at 1 or 2, because at 3 or more, the opponent will be able to pick up on it much much faster, defeating the purpose of the hidden triggers.

Do keep in mind that the rate of success may not be that high, it is a very sneaky and unpredictable way to push for more damage.

Thats all for today.

/Rauzes

STAND UP! VANGUARD!

Imagine...
A planet much like the earth we are on, the planet Cray,
The battles that spread out on this planet,
And The call that begins the fights:

STAND UP! VANGUARD!!!



Hello Hello everybody, and Welcome to So Imba!, where we learn to be a better card fighter.

I am your host of today's show, Rauzes.


Cardfight Vanguard is a very popular up and coming card game, and I myself have only started last month, when I was still in Japan.

Vanguard has proven to be very interesting, and very fast paced and fun, hence its popularity in Japan and other countries.

I'm starting this blog in hopes of finding English speaking Vanguard players from around the world, and providing them with tips, thoughts, and ideas I have about Vanguard.

Whilst some of the tips and thoughts may already be common knowledge for some of the more experienced players, I made this blog so everyone can benefit.
Therefore, not all of the ideas I share may not be entirely new, but I hope to write them in a way to best help you, as a player, develop.
And for this to happen, I also need to provide ideas and concepts that are relatively basic, for the budding player to use!

With no further ado, let's start!

STAND UP! VANGUARD!!

/Rauzes