All Forces, Follow my lead! I AM THE VANGUARD!

Imagine...

We are two spirits on the planet Cray.
To us weak, defenseless spirits, are given but two abilities to protect us:

The first is CALL, to summon to our aid the denizens and monsters from around the planet.
Only the units whom have bound to us in a contract can be called.
These are the units in our decks.

The second ability is RIDE, to possess one unit, and control it, making us one with that unit.
You, as this unit, will lead our forces.
We call this unit the "one whom leads us forwards"...

"The Vanguard"!


Could you imagine?

If so, lets go!
As long as you have cards, you are a card fighter!

STAND UP! VANGUARD!!!

All Forces, Follow my lead! I AM THE VANGUARD!
全軍、我に続け！我はヴァンガード！！！




Hello everyone, and welcome to SO IMBA!,

Where we learn how to be a better card fighter.

I am Rauzes, and today, we discuss clans.

Which one truly is for you?

Today's post is for people who are considering starting Vanguard, but aren't quite sure where to come in...

Usually, I would recommend Kagerou or Royal Paladins to starting players, but with the inflating price of Isolde/Barri... this isn't quite an option any more.

Today's post will explain the motifs each clan has, and the play style, their strong points, but also their weaknesses.

Vanguard is a game in which there is no right, and no wrong(only epic fails and FINAL FAIL!!!)
Most decks can fight on a competitive level... so long as you can lead them well.

Only you will know which clan is best for you, but heres an article that will hopefully help you start your quest.

Its not uncommon for people be lost as to which clan calls to them best, even if they have been playing for a while...



Royal Paladin. - CALL MY FRIENDS
Royal Paladins are designed from Arthurian legend: Excalibur, King Arthur, and the knights of the round table. If you like arthurian legend, Royal Paladins are for you.

Royal Paladins have a very strong ability to call their allies to the field, and power them up.
Royal Paladins require a full field to fight well, and have an extremely good speed and offense.

However, they lack defensive measures, and have the smallest rear guards on the defense of almost all clans.

This clan is for you if:
You really, really, really like BLUE
You like to be able to bring forth your allies to the fight as soon as you can
You like to fill your field as soon as you can
You are Sendou Aichi
You like playing autopilot decks.(Required skill level is rather low)
You are poor


Kagerou - BURN IN FIRE
Kagerou are dragons, the elite flame dragons of the dragon empire.
Their motif are western dragons, dragons who breath fire, etc.
They are a very aggressive, and have overpowering strength.

They specialize in two abilities:
Burning, to target and destroy the opponents units through effect.
Superior Ride, to special ride from grade 2 to grade 3, effectively jumping a grade up, at a steep cost.
They also have a good variety of high power units, to make defending easier.

This clan is for you if:
You are a pyromaniac
you are Kai Toshiki
You love ZA word ZA
You like to, in other games, play destruction of the opponent more than building your own forces
You have an extremely aggressive playstyle
You like playing autopilot decks.(Required skill level is rather low)

This clan is not for you if:
You want an extremely stable deck
You want speed
You are poor


Nova Grapplers - STAND AGAIN
Nova Grapplers: The World Famous Pro Gladiator League of the Star Gate.
Anyone can join the legaue, and hence, nova grapplers have a large variety of members, from dragons to aliens to battle robots.
Of course, the gladiator league is a harsh place, so most of the units have a bunch of mechanical upgrades.
They have a very combat and show type motif, and are very "mechy"

Their two specialities are:
Counter Cost Recovery: Unlike other clans, Nova Grapplers can unflip damage, allowing it to be used as cost once again. This means your skills are considerably "less costly".
Stand: Nova Grapplers have 4 different stand triggers, a bunch of stand by effects, etc. This means repeated attacks in one turn, with ease.

This clan is for you if:
You like GLADIATOR
You like to have an aggressive fight style
You like absolutely spamming skills left and right
You like to attack repeatedly each turn

This clan is not for you if:
You like stability. Nova Grapplers are not the most stable of decks.
You do not like luck. Nova Grapplers is a very "If I get this I will win" deck. VERY.


Oracle Think Tanks: DRAW POWER
A Mega Corporation, the largest in the world.
Oracle think tank is a giant company which uses science, magic, and divination in order to provide counseling and advice.
Oracle Think Tanks units are mainly based on the Japanese Mythology, but also of other mythologies(mainly greek)

Their two specialties are:
Drawing - Oracle Think Tank have many draw triggers, as well as a lot of "draw" effects. This allows them to get what they want, when they want. They do not, however, have many "search" effects
Seeing the Future - Oracle Think Tank have several effects that allow them to check the top card of their deck, the future, and react accordingly.

This deck is for you if:
You like cute pretty anime girls(you freak)
You like Japanese mythology
You like to draw cards
You like to draw even more cards(BAHA THIS IS YOU YOU DRAW WHORE)
You enjoy a controlled and precise game which is very think and skill based.
You have eidetic memory.

This deck is not for you if:
You are not against gambling for the win
You like taking chances
You are poor


Tachikaze: Survival of the Fittest
Dinosaurs, with technology and metal projectile weapons, any zoids fans dream come true.
Tachikaze are a clan of high attacking power, but only at the cost of devouring the weak.
After all, only the strongest of the strong are allowed to live!
Based off mainly Dino dragons, Tachikaze will destroy the weak, even if its on your field.
But dont worry, because they can and will benefit from that by gaining power!

This deck is for you if:
You like Dinosaurs, or Zoids
You like high power and high functionality, even at a cost
You believe in survival of the fittest
You are poor(actually true. This deck's total cost of construction can be less than 1000 yen to maximum 2500 yen.)

This deck is NOT for you if:
You say thank you to every unit that dies in battle. Go find a crappier clan, pussy.
You absolutely do not want anyone to die without true meaning
You are rich
You like a complex play style, more than a straightforwards deck.(its vaguely autopilot...)


Dark Irregulars: EAT YOUR SOUL
Dark Magic, Dark Science, and Dark Technology.
These were the ingredients chosen to create the most evil army of them all...
But Professor Utonium accidentally added an extra ingredient to the concoction...
Chemical X...
Of course he didnt. He didnt make them. Darkness did.
Dark Irregulars are the fusion of Magic, Science, and Mechanical Technology.
Denizens of the night, they are super beings, and live with the darkness, around them and in them...
Most of dark irregulars have a very dark motif, and are a mix of technology, magic, and science...
Demons, Succubi, Incubus, Vampires, Werewolves, Dark Elves, lords of the underworld.
If these are your liking, Dark Irregulars are for you.

Dark Irregulars have two specialities:
Soul Charge, to charge up soul for various abilities, and abilities that gain power when you soul charge.
And to use this massive soul for massive power.(We're talking game changing, unimaginable amounts of power, etc)

Soul are cards under your vanguard, mostly cards you ride on previous turns, but more can be added from your deck or other places through effects.

Dark Irregulars have cards that either use Soul Blast for power effects, such as Stil Vampir, or use the soul already there to power themselves up, such as Amon.
And this increase in power isnt small. It. Is. Gigantic.

However, Dark Irregulars lack cards that either give draw or searching or superior calls. That means that while they have a massive amount of power, they dont have very good deck stabilizing cards. What you draw you have to deal with.
It is not uncommon for Dark Irregulars to lose due to having not enough hand...

This clan is for you if:
You like Van Helsing.
You like Lord of the Rings
You like any other form of Dark Fantasy
You are emo
You like DAT POWER!
SCREW THAT LAST SHIT YOU ABSOLUTELY LOVE EXTREME POWER!!!
Youre a girl.(Surprising, no? It seems only girls can handle Dark Irregulars. Every male DI player seems to suck with it)

This clan is not for you if:
You like twilight
You like stable decks that run smoothly every game
You dont like the art
You need a clan with flowers and rainbow unicorns because you're a pussy.


Spike Brothers: ONE! TWO! TOUCHDOWN!
Bloodball. On Cray, Bloodball is everything.
Every team has its fans, and every game has millions of screaming fans.
But no team, no team anywhere else, is as strong as, or has as many fans as the team of Darkzone: the Spike Brothers
Consisting of demons, ogres, war beasts, or robots, Spike Brothers is a clan which forces many high power attacks in one turn

Their two specialties are:
Superior Call During the Battle phase, allowing you more and more attacks
Very high power attacks, at the cost of returning to the deck at the end of the attack.

Their drawback:
Although they can force multiple high power attacks in one turn, SB can burn out extremely fast.
Meaning if you dont time your attack correctly, you will lose a lot of advantage in terms of both counter blast cost as well as cards on field or in hand.

This clan is for you if:
You like SPORTS
You enjoy a deadly combo for the finish... and the slow set up
You like a burst or combo to do your winning, rather than a slow push
You are poor(one of the cheaper decks to build)
You like a deck that is tricky to handle

This clan is NOT for you if:
You do not like tough comboes
You prefer an autopilot deck


Granblue: FOR WE ARE IMMORTAL
At the bottom of the ocean, lies an undying army... an army of Pirates, who shall rise up, no matter how many times they are struck down.

Granblue are a group of Zombie Pirates. Some are Zombies, others are Zombie Pirates.
Their strongest point is their revival effects.
As of now, they are the only clan whoes drop zone matters.
Using counter blast, they can sacrifice one unit to revive a unit of equal or higher grade from the drop zone.
This allows them a fluid arrangement of units, changing their feild to get what they need, at that moment.

Their special traits include:
Reviving from the Drop Zone
Superior Ride from the Drop Zone

Their weakness:
High defense power opponent units... and rather low power output on their end.

This clan is for you if:
You love pirates of the Caribbean!!
You enjoy a constantly evolving field
You have an adaptive playstyle.
You know how to manage both your hand, deck, and graveyard at the same time

This clan is not for you if:
you need the latest and greatest
you cannot handle the low power output of the deck.


Megacolony: OH NO YOU DONT
Megacolony is a clan of insects, the greatest colony of the best insects in the land, joining together to fight all who oppose them

Their speciality is to stop stand during the stand phase...
Meaning effectively, you can stop one unit from participating in battle the next turn, or even stop a whole attack!
This might not seem like much, but in Vanguard, it is a huge boost.

They have a variety of draw and superior call, and search, and are actually a suprisingly balanced and well put together clan.

This clan is for you if:
You like bugs and collecting them
You want a deck that can both hinder the opponent as well as lay on an offensive well
You like a controlling type deck

This clan is not for you if:
You dont like bugs
You prefer to manage your own forces, rather than the opponents.


Palemoon: Circus MAGIC
Palemoon are a circus troupe whom have a variety of tricky moves they can use on you
Their units are either circus people, or the beasts they tame.

Their special ability is to superior call from the soul... after they hit.

This allows their attacks to come many times at one turn, so long as you cannot hit.

They are a tricky clan for higher leveled players, as timing is very important, as well as what to call.

This clan is for you if:
You like a tricky play style, and a technical game.
You like the circus

This clan is not for you if:
You dont like the circus
You like autopilot decks


Dimension Police: JUSTICE
Your childhood heroes. Policing space, making sure giant monsters dont invade.
You may have stopped believing in them, but they will never give up the fight for your safety.
They are the intergalactic defense force: DIMENSION POLICE!

Dimension Police is a very heroic clan. Their abilities include powering up the vanguard for his ultimate ability, and standing their rear guards very well.

However, they do lack rushing power, as it is a deck that will end the game slowly, before activating the ultimate and going for the win.

It is currently the only clan with an "Infinite Attack" loop.

This clan is for you if:
You like ULTRAMAN
You enjoy a very Vanguard/You centric game
You can play a long game and time your finish correctly.
You like it if your Vanguard can solo everything.

This clan is not for you if:
You prefer a quick win.
You need powerful rear guards to help you to victory


Shadow Paladin: FOOD
Much like the Royal Paladins, they are based off of medival knights and their relations, but Shadow Paladins also have witches and dark powered castles.
They are led by Phantom Blaster Dragon, whom devours his friends for absolute power.
While they have the same ability to deploy as Royal Paladins, Shadow Paladins are not against sacrificing their friends for power.

This clan is for you if:
You are not against sacrificing your friends for power
You like a deck that can defend better than attack
You have fallen to the darkness

This clan is not for you if:
Your friends cannot be food.(fish are friends, not food)
You are poor.


Murakumo: KAGEBUNSHIN

Murakumo are a clan which are new, but EXTREMELY technical.
Their special abilities include an ability to superior call... temporarily.
This gives them a full field quickly, but it will only last one turn.
Their motif is ninjas.

This clan is for you if:
You like to swarm quick
You can play a technical clan
You are not afraid of losing... because it is an illusion.
You can control the game perfectly into your favor.

This clan is not for you if:
You want an autopilot deck
You are new to the game.
You are otherwise bad at vanguard.


Neo Nectar: GROW
Neo Nectar: The flowers and the plants of Zu.
Neo Nectar have very flowery and nature-y motifs, and are a clan of swarming.

Their special abilities are:
Growing up their rear guards if their attacks hit the vanguard
Superior call from the deck

This clan is for you if:
You can adapt your field well
You are a beginner(quite beginner friendly)
You like flowers and plants
You like an agressive play style.
You want a deck that rewards skill, but can still be played without it

This clan is not for you if:
You are a pyromanic
You want a deck that rewards more skill than blind attacking



Well, thats about all the clans around at the moment.
I hope this has been a good introduction to the game of Vanguard and their clans, even if it did get a little boring and washy towards the end(im tired, k?)

Good night for now, and keep searching for that one clan!