Team GSV: My Few Thoughts

With the last few days before I ship out coming to a close, I honestly want to have a forum post talking about Grand Sanctuary Vanguard. Really, I wouldn't have enjoyed this game had it not been for my friends helping each other through the journey.

The Dark Age: Close Minded Vanguard

As much as it pains me to say, Vanguard had fallen into a dark age that recently we have tried to step out of. However, it is hard to recover from the blow that haunts the Vanguard community. 

I'm of course talking about the Legion Era.

Now don't get me wrong! Legion is a great mechanic. The idea of Legion was great and how it can change the game was great. However, this more affected the community and how the game is perceived as well as what usually show up when playing the game. 

Really, if we want to go back where the seeds were sown, that's back in Set 12: the release of the Link Joker Clan. 

Link Joker was different from other control decks, as it prevented use of Rearguards and tried to make your opponent even more limited on their plays. Of course this being the main antagonist, the game needed some kind of way to deal with this, right? 

Well this is where the first bit of problems started. The game started to make Vanguards the soul focus. If Link Joker needed to take down rearguards, just make the Vanguard more powerful to overthrow it. 

And in some cases that didn't work. You still had clans who relied on Rearguards for their abilities, but even then they found ways around the Locking Mechanic. Even Gold Paladins introduced Unlocking to help it free it's rearguards. It was starting to be balanced, but a few cards could be shown to have a lot of power that Rearguards weren't a problem.

After Set 15, the end of the Break Ride era, that's when things had a turn for the worst. 

Set 16, Set 17, and Extra Boosters 11 and 12 marked the true dark age of Vanguard. 

The Legion mechanic, as stated before, was fine. It got cards back into the deck, it made powerful hits, and it brought back the use of midgame to where you didn't have to wait as long to play something. It was pretty good for the time. 

However, Legion wasn't the problem. The problem lies within the abilities Legion unlocked. Specifically 2: Restanding Vanguards, and Guard Restricting Vanguards. 

Seeker, Thing Saver Dragon. Revengers, Phantom Blaster Abyss, Perdition Emperor Dragon, Dragonic Overlord the Great. These were the cards that stood out, being able to Restand with little difficulty, aside from Abyss's restriction in sacrificing units. These cards made their decks powerful, and of course the use of them made an imprint that restands were peak of Vanguard. Even so that another card, Ultimate Raizer, Mega Flare, followed in their footsteps because of a ruling with Cat Butler, inabling it to Restand as well. 

Bluish Foame Liberator, Prominence Glare. Cosmic Regalia, CEO Yggdrasil. Metalborg, Sin Buster. These cards pioneered Guard Restriction, specifically what is called the "Glory Effect" after Glory Maelstrom's ability to restrict the use of Grade 1's or Higher, thus preventing the attack from being nullified. This meant opponents could not block a hard hitting attack without dropping a lot of hand to ensure survival. 

These mechanics, severely powerful in their own respect, soon made their way to the top. But of course, this is where we see the true problem. Now, in the new Stride format, criticisms of cards seem to become focused on those two mechanics. If it does not Restand, or if it does not guard restrict, then the card is cast off by others at first glance claiming it isn't good. Dimension Police was a big example of this behavior when they released it's extra booster, where no guard breaking mechanics were introduced, and the only saving grace for most fans of the clan was Commander Laurel, giving all the cards in the deck the ability to Restand upon hit. Kagerō gets hit on for the constant Restand the Overlord mechanic because it's most famous for it, despite others knowing that if they tried changing the formula of the deck, people would complain that it wasn't as good as that mechanic (See Root Flare Dragon). People continuously try to use Revengers with new Generic support to try and exploit the Restand system despite the sever restrictions of the archetype. And it's basically blasphemy to try and run a Royal Paladin deck without the almighty Thing Saver Dragon, no matter the build. 

Guard Restriction isn't as prominent, but still is a concern. We do get the "Silent Tom" abilities of no grade 0's, forcing other to perfect guard, and a few cards have started to give guard restrictions in interesting ways, such as Managarmr giving it to the Rearguards instead of himself, and Gilles De Rais getting the ability when he has 15 cards in his soul. 

Really, it's not the appearance in the current format that is the problem. You can have these abilities every so often and it can work. The main problem however is the community's reaction to new cards. Anything that doesn't meet the standards for those mechanics seems to be put down at first glance. There are a few exceptions because of certain clans still getting an upgrade, but when it comes to the majority of high rarity cards, this is a constant issue.

But they aren't the only ones. There is also the problem of demonizing these mechanics to where any clan that has them is targeted. I won't lie, in the past I have done this, but I've learned to try and be more positive when it comes to it rather than shooting it down on sight. Those that target these mechanics believe that the clan will soon become a tier 1 and will crush their own clan's chances of survival, to where they beg for their own clan to gain one of these mechanics. 

In summation, I want to point out that the mechanics themselves aren't the problem. The main problem was due to the over population of those mechanics during the Legion Era, the community became creatively stagnant and critical of anything different. 

In the Stride era, we are slowly being brought out with some new and interesting mechanics, such as Lambros's amazing pressure and Conquest Dragon's massive number and card control. Slowly, but surely. We still have these critical points of view, mostly when it comes to Stride's and their abilities. Hopefully with a little more effort the game will continue and the community will learn to open up more and more to new mechanics and ideas. 

This is my honest opinion.

Daltorus.

The Phantom's Arrival! "The Dark" Ren Suzugomori Legend Deck First Impressions!

Even in a new generation, the Shadow Paladins are a force to be reckoned with. The power of the Shadows is revived in "The Dark" Ren Suzugomori Legend Deck! Will their power envelop the battle in this deck?

The Time Mending Dragons! Gear Chronicle Deck Profile!

In the advent of a collapsing space-time, a great power shall soon emerge. And the bringers of this power are those that transcend time itself! It's time to take the future into our hands with the mighty Gear Chronicle clan! 

Fighters Collection 2015: Granblue. Pirate King of Abyss, Blueheart andIce Prison Underworld God, Cocytus Negative

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The undead pirates have risen again, as Fighters Collection gives them new life with their new support! Will Cocytus scourge the seas of Vanguard?

Fighters Collection 2015: Rain Elemental, Madu and Light Elemental, Pica

 


These cards have been the buzz of a lot of new decks, because they support one of the biggest issues of the game: 10k power grade 3 Vanguards. 

Justice Returns! Cosmic Heroes Deck Profile!

A new generation has spurred, and Justice has taken a new form! From the fame of the Dimensional Robos comes a new clan that will change how the Dimension Police play! Get ready to meet the Cosmic Heroes!

Ultimate Raizer Mega-flare Deck Profile

The Raizers were first a series of Stand Triggers for the Nova Grappler clan, with the ability to recycle themselves. Then they became a full sub-clan with the release of Perfect Raizer and the Raizer Customs. Now after the Beast Deities and the Blaus, the Raizers have returned in the advent of Legion to push the battle even further!

The Wayword Writer Ryan

I partook in a Tournament created by the Van-Guardians group on Facebook. While I myself did not get very far, I do want to give an honorable mention to my friend and teammate, Ryan Adams (TheWaywordWriter) For coming in second place of the tournament.

 I honestly am happy for him, because it has not been even a year since he started Vanguard, and he is already playing on a somewhat international stage with professional players. When he started he had chosen the Gold Paladin clan, contrary to my Shadow Paladins, and since has never built another clan deck in his career. Deeming the Gold Paladins his clan, he stuck with them through thick and thin, and with the other members of the soon to be created Grand Sanctuary Vanguard, he has grown into a power Cardfighter who knows how to bring out the best of his clan.

We've been through the 2014 Team Tournament and the 2014 Regionals, and every step we both have grown. But if I had to say who was the better cardfighter all around....I would honestly say it was Ryan. Ryan focuses on his own strategy, knowing how his deck works and practicing to better understand what situations he can get in, while I focus on finding strategies that work with me. Sure bot of us have our moments, but Ryan loves to put passion into his games.

If I have anything to say, it's that Ryan Adams is one of the best Cardfighters I know of. Not because I think he is the top player, but he is strong, skilled, and even in a serious situation he can find fun in the game. Anyone who can put in energy into the game and make it fun for both sides is worthy of being called a great Cardfighter.

Thanks for an awesome year so far, Ryan.

Daltorus.