[English Meta] Oracle Think Tank 101

Introduction
In conjunction with a video that I made and will be up on the YouTube channel DifferenceinSkill, I will be making a blog post here and a thread on Pojo regarding the cards available to Oracle Think Tank and my brief opinion on them to act as a guide when you are creating your own deck. The purpose is not to tell you a cookie-cutter build or spoon-feed you, but through comparisons and logic simply guide you down the correct deck-building path rather than the path I have seen some people take. Moreover I will be talking about the playstyle behind the deck so people can see if this deck is suitable for them.


Playstyle
Oracle Think Tank is not a hard-hitting deck. It does not have the swarming power of Royal Paladin or the control aspect of Kagero. It cannot keep standing it's units to create advantage like Nova Grappler. Oracle Think Tank revolves around controlling your own deck. Through manipulating what the top card is on your deck, you plan your plays accordingly or you can also bluff your opponent. Oracle Think Tank creates advantage by "playing ahead" per se, that is by adapting your play to what will be coming up, giving you the edge compared to your opponent. Moreover, through effects that let you draw cards, hand advantage is created and through effects that let you see the top card of your deck, allows you to get cards that you need faster than your opponent, also giving you the field advantage when it comes to setting up your field. As such, some degree of understanding and thinking is required in and out of a match, therefore this deck may not be for everyone. If you enjoy playing a relatively passive deck while having the ability to control what your opponent thinks, then Oracle Think Tank is the deck for you.


Grade 0's/Triggers

As a starting Vanguard, only one possibility exists: the heal trigger Lozenge Magus. When you ride an Oracle Think Tank unit over it, it retreats to a rearguard circle of your choosing. When it boosts, it gains 3k power, allowing it to boost for a modest 6k. Once it's done boosting, it returns to the deck at the end of the turn, so you're able to reuse it's heal ability over and over again.

As for triggers, it all becomes preference. At the moment, Oracle Think Tank has 2 Draw Triggers, 2 Critical Triggers and 1 Heal Trigger (I won't even mention Stands as they are never run in Oracle Think Tank). 4 Heal triggers is a must, therefore the last 12 triggers are a personal choice between any number of criticals and draws. Some people go 8 crit, 4 draw while others, like myself, prefer the 6/6 option. Only through testing will you find a ratio that works for you and your specific playstyle. The only trigger that deserves a special mention is Psychic Bird, the second Oracle Think Tank critical trigger. Simply by calling it and adding it to the soul, you are allowed to draw a card, making getting that card you just saw with Battle Sister, Cocoa or CEO Amaterasu to your hand a lot easier.


Grade 1's
When it comes to Grade 1's, there isn't a lot of variety, but I'll still go through the options:

Luck Bird

Auto: [Soulblast (2)] When this unit is placed on R, if you have a  <<Oracle Think Tank>> Vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw a card.

A plus one sure, but it's 5k power makes it a poor booster. It's enough behind a 10k attacker, but if your opponent has an 11k Vanguard, it's next to useless. Only has good synergy with Battle Sister, Mocha which boosted with Luck Bird can hit for 16k with Mocha's ability. Run no more than 2.

Weather Girl, Milk

[AUTO](RC): When this unit boosts an <<Oracle Think Tank>> Vanguard, if the number of cards in your hand is four or greater, the boosted unit gets [Power] +4000 until end of that battle.

Beside boosting the Vanguard, 6k boost is subpar. You do not want to call it to boost a rearguard as it's effect is only if it boosts the Vanguard. Since you do want to keep your Gemini for your rearguards, running 2 to boost CEO to 24k and hit enough to force 15k-20k from an 11k Vanguard is helpful since Oracle Think Tank currently has no 7k boosters. Run no more than 2.

Battle Sister, Cocoa

[AUTO]: When this unit is placed on (VC) or (RC), if you have an <<Oracle Think Tank>> Vanguard, look at the top card of your deck, and put that card on the top or the bottom of your deck. 

Decent 6k boost allows for 10k beaters to hit 16k, and it's ability helps you set up your triggers or field the way you want it. Run 3-4.

Battle Sister, Chocolat

AUTO: [Choose a «Oracle Think Tank» from your hand, and discard it] When this unit is placed on Guardian Circle, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your «Oracle Think Tank», and that unit cannot be hit until end of that battle.

The perfect guard for Oracle Think Tank. Run 4, no questions asked. For explanation, refer to my previous article, The Perfect Guard Problem.

Oracle Guardian, Gemini

The 8k vanilla booster. Once again, run 4 no questions asked. Necessary to boost Silent Tom do a decent amount to make it's effect worthwhile.

Grade 2's

Once again, not too much variety. That all changes once Set 3 is released but for now here's what we got:

Security Guardian

[Auto]: When this Unit intercepts, and you have a 《Oracle Think Tank》 Vanguard, during that battle, this Unit's Shield gains +5000.

Superior intercept for Oracle Think Tank. With an emphasis on draw triggers and a lower amount of 10k shields, it's not a bad card to run. Furthermore, if your opponent targets it for an attack, just let it die and it has taken an attack that otherwise would've gone to your Vanguard, acting as a 10k-15k shield just like that. Run no more than 2.

Silent Tom

[CONT] 【V/R】: During a battle when this Unit attacks, if you have a 《Oracle Think Tank》 Vanguard, your Opponent cannot normal call a Grade 0 to the Guardian Circle.

Extremely good card, but I see people misusing it all the time. Should never be placed in front of any booster that's not Gemini otherwise it will be attacking for pitiful amounts. Players should not be in a rush to play it and should wait until it's a good time to play it. Moreover, because of its necessity for Gemini, playing something permanent, such as a Grade 3 in front of a Gemini should be avoided. Try to always play a Grade 2 in front of a Gemini as it may intercept in order to free up the rearguard space for Silent Tom. Used properly, Silent Tom can win games easily. Run 3-4 but use it wisely. For more on Silent Tom, check out my video, Oracle Think Tank 101 Episode 1 on the YouTube channel DifferenceInSkill.

Oracle Guardian Wiseman

10k vanilla attacker. Currently, should be running 4 but once Set 3 comes out other cards become priority.

Battle Sister, Mocha

[AUTO](VC/RC): When this unit attacks, if the number of cards in your hand is four or greater, this unit gets [Power] +3000 until end of that battle.

After a Twin Drive, you should have no problem boosting Mocha to 11k. Can hit 11k Vanguards by herself, and as stated previously, has good synergy with the otherwise useless Luck Bird. Some people say you have to play "conservatively" in order to get it's effect off, but if you have less than two cards at the beginning of your turn then getting Mocha to 11k is the last of your worries. I recommend running at least 2, I personally run 3. 4 may be too many however, so just test it out as you wish.

Maiden of Libra

[AUTO](VC/RC): [Counter-Blast 2] When this unit's attack hits, if you have an <Oracle Think Tank> vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw a card.

I'm going to be blunt, I dislike this card. Oracle Guardian Apollon has the same effect with higher power. Not only will having this card targeted cost you shield, but it's 9k makes a Gemini behind it a necessity against 11k Vanguards, where with Apollon a 6k booster is enough. I believe Apollon is better in every aspect this card has to offer. Run 2 maximum, but I run 0.

Grade 3's

There are 2 Grade 3's, (excluding Scarlet Witch, CoCo) that can be run in a standard Oracle Think Tank deck:

Oracle Guardian, Apollon

[AUTO](VC): [Counter-Blast 2] When this unit's attack hits, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw two cards, choose a card from your hand, return it to your deck, and shuffle your deck.

[AUTO](RC): [Counter-Blast 2] When this unit's attack hits, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw a card.

It's not CEO Amaterasu, but it's a decent rearguard. Similar to Maiden of Libra, but fits the role better. If it's targeted by an attack because your opponent doesn't want to deal with, you've lost no shields in the process and it took an attack away from your Vanguard. Depending on the amount of Grade 3's you wish to run, run 3-4.

CEO Amaterasu

[CONT](VC): During your turn, if the number of cards in your hand is four or greater, this unit gets [Power] +4000.

[AUTO](VC): At the beginning of your main phase, [Soul-Charge 1], look at the top card of your deck, and put that card on the top or the bottom of your deck.
[AUTO](VC/RC): [Soul-Blast 8 ＆ Counter-Blast 5] When this unit's attack hits, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw up to five cards.

Amazing card. Gains 4k power if you have 4 or more cards in hand, which includes during and after a Twin Drive, meaning you only need 2 cards in your hand when you attack for her to gain the power. This boosts her to 20k in front of a 6k booster and 22k in front of a Gemini. Her second effect allows you to look at the top card of your deck and decide if you want to put it at the bottom or keep it at the top. Once again, this allows in setting up your triggers and if it's a card you wish to have you can get it with one of the many drawing effects Oracle Think Tank has. If you are lucky (or skilled) enough to get off it's Megablast you can draw up to 5 cards. Unfortunately, it has no benefits from being in the rearguard circles, so refrain from calling it there unless necessary. Keep extra CEO Amaterasus in your hand to ditch for your perfect guards.

Conclusion

I hope through this guide you have started to at least form a decklist in your mind. Remind yourself that Oracle Think Tank has a very specific playstyle, which to be successful, needs to be mastered. Through enough practice with the deck, you will get hang of how the deck works soon enough, and I hope you truly appreciate how the deck is meant to function. Once Set 3 comes out, huge improvements are made (for details check out my articles here and here). For now, go out and have fun with it!

-HerO

Don't forget to check out KS Games for your Cardfight!! Vanguard needs!

Set 6 & EB03 Preview: Gold Paladin, Kagero, Narukami, Angel Feather & More!

Introduction
With a bunch of new cards being revealed in the last couple of days, I will be doing a round-up of all the notable cards and give my brief opinion on each one. Some seem borderline broken at first, but if we really think about it are just simply good cards. Here we go.


Riot General Gairas (Narukami)

[Auto](V): Soul Charge(1) at the start of your Main phase, this unit gets POWER+ 2000 for this turn


[Activate](V):[SoulBlast(8), CounterBlast(5)]: During this turn, this unit gets "[Auto](V): When your <Narukami> units attack, place the top card from your deck into the drop zone, if the card is a <Narukami> the attacking unit gets POWER+ 3000 and Critical+1 for the battle".

The first impression we get of this card is it's Megablast, and it can be a little confusing. Essentially the skill that the Megablast grants allows all attacking Narakumi units to gain 3k power and 1 crit by milling a card from the top of your deck. This can become really powerful, allowing units to hit the next level of magic numbers (think Swordsman of the Explosive Flames, Palamedes). Honestly, my first impression of this card wasn't a great one. Although the Megablast is an ACT one, which means it needs not hit with an attack or anything, not using Counterblast in a deck that has cards such as Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion is extremely rare. There exist other, better alternatives to Vanguards as well as this one is simply 10k power with a subpar Soulcharging effect. I doubt this card will actually get any play, as it's subpar effect, power and rare Megablast will not justify running it.

Thunder Emperor, Indra (Narukami)

Auto 【V】: 【Counter Blast 1】 When this unit attacks, you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gets [Critical]+1 for each of your "Thunder Emperor, Indra" rear-guards until the end of that battle.

I have mixed feelings about this card. To be useful, the card needs to be run in high numbers, and with better alternatives out there, I'm not sure this card will be viable. Unless it's also your Vanguard, it will only add 1 extra critical if your two Rearguards are Thunder Emperor, Indra. By itself, it becomes a subpar 10k beatsick. The deck space and commitment necessary does not justify it's effect which makes me think this card will simply be overlooked.

Cosmo Healer, Egodiel (Angel Feather)

Continuous (V): This unit gets power +1000 when you have "Fate Healer, Egodiel" in your soul.

Auto (V): [Counterblast 2, discard a Cosmo Healer, Egodiel] When this unit's attack hits a Vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, heal a damage from your damage zone.

This card is actually part of a superior ride chain, similar to Riviere from Bermuda Triangle. If you ride the Grade 1 over the Grade 0, you may look at the top 7 cards of your deck for the Grade 2 version or this card. The Grade 2 version is as follows:

Continuous [V]: If you have 「Heavenly Injector」 in your soul, this unit gets POWER +1000.

Auto： [Choose 2 《Angel Feather》 from your hand and place them on your damage zone] When you ride 「Cosmo Healer, Egodiel」 on this unit and you have 「Heavenly Injector」 in your soul, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose 2 cards from your damage zone and add them to your hand.

Keeping with the Angel Feather theme, when you ride over the Grade 2 with the Grade 3, you will be able to swap two cards from your hand with two cards from the damage zone, an extremely powerful ability. Words cannot describe the flexibility this clan has so far revealed, with cards everywhere that are able to swap cards from the damage zone to your hand. Oh you needed that perfect guard in the damage zone and drew a draw trigger? Bam, consider it done.

Now let's talk directly about Cosmo Healer, Egodiel. As you read, it has a Persona Blast of Counterblasting 2, ditching a copy of itself and healing a damage. That is an amazing Persona Blast, and it looks to me like this card will become the go-to Vanguard for this clan. The insane pressure you will put on your opponent to guard along with an 11k Vanguard looks to make Angel Feather a high-tier clan right out of the bat. With flexibility, insane pressure mixed with meta cards, Cosmo Healer, Egodiel's ride chain will definitely be one of the better Angel Feather builds out there. I am looking forward to seeing them in action.

Dragonic Lawkeeper (Kagero)

Activate 【V】: [Limit Break (4)] {Activate when you have four or more damage} [CounterBlast (1)] Bind all of your opponent's Rearguards, then when this Turn's End Phase begins, your opponent selects up to 4 cards that were Bound from the Bind Zone, and call them to separate Rearguard Circle, then send the remaining Bound Cards to the Drop Zone.

Auto【V】: When this unit attacks, if your opponent has 2 or less Rearguards, this unit gains Power +3000 during this Battle.

Dragonic Lawkeeper has a really unique effect, which I will explain before continuing. By counterblasting one measly card, all of your opponent's Rear-guards are binded, meaning they are temporarily removed from the game. Yes that's right, those Grade 2 interceptors you were counting on to survive this turn are gone. Not only is that a pretty good effect on it's own, because of it's second effect, it also gains 3k power, boosting it to 13k unboosted. Add an 8k booster behind that and you are looking at a 21k attack. Unfortunately, as good as this card may seem, Dragonic Overlord the End is just a lot better. Constantly at 13k and with an insane Persona Blast, I'm afraid this card won't see much play at the highest tiers of play. It may become an integral part of a non-Dragonic Overlord the End Kagero build, but I doubt it will ever be nearly as good as a Dragonic Overlord the End deck. Had Bushiroad released this card for any other clan other than Kagero people would have been all over it, but because of Dragonic Overlord the End, it's simply not good enough.

Knight of Fury, Agravain (Gold Paladin)

Auto 【V】: At the beginning of your main phase Soulcharge (1), and this unit gets +2000 power until the end of the turn.

Activate 【V】: [Soulblast (8), Counterblast (5)] During the game, this unit gets Critical +1 and the skill "Continuous 【V】: This unit gets [Power] +1000 for each of your <Gold Paladin> rear-guards."

At first glance, the card does not seem all that amazing. 12k on your turn, and it's Megablast allows it to gain 1 Criticcal and at most 5k power from your other rearguards. But the true power comes from the wording. Notice that the Megablast states "During the game", leading people to believe that the card will gain the power during both turns. Yes, during your and your opponent's turn the card will gain 1k power for every rearguard you have on your field, which would make this card broken, if it wasn't for the Megablast requirement. From the cards revealed for Gold Paladin, nearly all the good ones require counterblast, including Great Silver Wolf, Garmall and Burning Lion, Blonde Eisele. The chances of a Gold Paladin player using no counterblast during the course of the fight are slim to none, which is what makes this card essentially unusable. I'm sure some sort of alternative, fun build may be tried using this card and other Megablasting cards, but as it stands, this card will not be suitable for the highest tiers of play.

-HerO


Don't forget to check out KS Games for all your Cardfight!! Vanguard needs!

The Perfect Guard Problem

Introduction
An issue that I've seen in nearly every deck discussion thread on forums is on the number of perfect guards a deck should run. Some people say 3, others 4 and others say that you can get away with 2. Although what I discuss can also be applied to the Japanese format, I will focus on both the English and Japanese meta and on the decks that each have available. There also seem to be some misconceptions on perfect guards, especially among the newer player community. Through this article I hope people will get an idea on how to efficiently use perfect guards and how many perfect guards they should run.


The Purpose of Perfect Guards
Some players, mostly newbies, on forums seem to be fixed on the idea that because you have to discard a card for the effect of a perfect guard, you will lose hand advantage. The common sense of these players needs to be questioned, as the purpose of a perfect guard is to guard an attack that would otherwise have to be guarded with three or more cards, especially when your hand consists of mostly 5k guards. This should be obvious to most of the community, but needs to be clarified before continuing. Perfect guards are mostly used against opposing Vanguard attacks, to guarantee the attack does not go through, regardless of the amount of triggers revealed during a drive check. 

                                            Flash Shield Isolde, Royal Paladin Perfect Guard


So How Many Should I Run?
The simple answer to the above question would be "depending on your deck". Decks that involve cross-rided Vanguards such as Dragonic Overlord the End and Phantom Blaster Overlord do not need to run 4 as the boosted 13k power of the above Vanguards will rarely require more than two cards to guard an attack. On the other hand, decks such as Oracle Think Tank, with such a focus on drawing and draw triggers are highly recommended to run 4, as the lower amount of 10k shields available will force them to use three or more cards to guard more often than other clans. This is where 4 perfect guards can greatly benefit the deck. 


However, most decks fall in a grey zone in the middle, such as Royal Paladin and Nova Grappler. In this case, another factor comes into play: the meta. The Japanese and English meta are obviously very different, with different decks being top tier. I would highly recommend to any Japanese deck that doesn't have a cross-ride Vanguard to run 4 perfect guards, as top decks that do have that access will be attacking constantly for 21k, forcing at least 15k, but most likely 20k guard to defend against. 


On the other hand, the current English meta does not have access to cross-ride Vanguards, therefore it can become preference. But the question becomes, why wouldn't you run 4? The more you run, the more often you will have one in your hand when you do need one, and if you have too many in your hand, the worst-case scenario becomes discarding one to use the other's effect. And what's so bad about that? That is better than NOT having one in your hand in the first place because you only run 2 or 3. So unless you run Dragonic Overlord the End or Phantom Blaster Overlord, I highly recommend any other deck to run 4 perfect guards.


Impact of Set 6 "Limit Break"
With the release of Set 6, cards such as Great Silver Wolf Garmall and Thunder Break Dragon have the following Limit Break skill:

Auto[V]: [Limit Break (4)] When this card attacks a vanguard, this card gets [Power] +5000 until end of that battle.

With this skill, these cards will be able to hit the next level of magic numbers of 25k-26k. This will force at least a 20k guard for no triggers or 25k for one trigger. This is where perfect guards come in. With higher power attacks becoming more common, perfect guards will become more valuable. In my opinion, once Set 6 comes out, anyone that doesn't run 4 perfect guards will be at a disadvantage, especially against Limit Break clans.


Conclusion
In order to be effectively used, a player needs to be able to read the situation, predict how much they will need to guard for and play their perfect guards conservatively. With the release of Set 6 also comes higher powered attacks increasing the value of a perfect guard. Players will need to adapt to the meta and adapt their number of perfect guards accordingly. A strong attack that consumes your hand because you didn't have a perfect guard can swing the game around.


-HerO


Be sure to check out KS Games for all your English Cardfight!! Vanguard needs!

Set 6 Preview: Burning Lion, Blonde Eisele

Introduction

With Set 6 nearing closer and closer, there has been more speculation on what the meta will become, both English and Japanese, once Golden Paladins and Narakumi are released. Continuing my Set 6 preview series is a look at one of the best cards that has been revealed for Golden Paladin: Burning Lion, Blonde Eisele. With a repeatable superior calling ability costing only 2 Counter-Blast and massive power boosting ability, this card looks to be the clan's ace card.

Alfred on Steroids

Before I go on, let's take a look at it's effect and card art:

Burning Lion, Blonde Eisele

Activate 【V】 [Limit Break (4)] {When you have four or more damage}: [Counter Blast (2)] Look at the top card of your deck. If that card is a 《Gold Paladin》, call that card to a [R] without an unit. If not, put that card to the bottom of your deck. This unit gets Power equals to the Power of that unit called by this ability until end of turn.

Continuous 【V】: This unit gets Power +1000 for each of your 《Gold Paladin》 rear-guards during your turn.

Reading through this cards effect can only remind someone of King of Knights, Alfred's similar abilities. Ability to superior call through Counter-blast and gaining power for other Rearguards seems to be the Royal Paladin's way of creating advantage, which shines in Gold Paladins. Eisele's superior calling skill costs 2 Counter-blast and Limit Break 4, guaranteeing the ability to superior call two units and gaining at least 10k power (if two triggers are superior called) and a maximum of 20k power (if two 10k units are called). At a 10k base, this will make Eisele hit for at least 20k, unboosted. Oh, did I mention it's second ability? It gains 1k power for every other Rearguard out. That adds an extra 2k power if you called two units, boosting it to 22k, if you had no other Rearguards out after Superior calling. Unboosted. This card is ridiculous. Call another 3 Rearguards, and suddenly you are hitting for 25k unboosted. Add an 8k booster, and this card is hitting for 33k, a magic number on even potential 13k Cross-rided Vanguards, forcing 30k in shield for one trigger. The advantage this card creates, both in field and hand make it one of the absolute best cards in Set 6 that has been revealed. The only potential downside is in what you superior call using it's ability, but no matter what you call, the guaranteed power boost Eisele gets makes it worthwhile even in the worst case scenario.

Superior Ride Chain

So what could possibly make this card any better? How about the ability to Superior Ride it from your deck, for the cost of your 8k and 10k vanilla units? That's exactly the case. But first, a look at the cards involved in the Superior Ride:

Crimson Little Lion, Kilif 

AUTO: When you ride another <Gold Paladin> onto this unit, you may call this card to (RC).

ACT [(RC)]: [Choose a "Crimson Little Lion, Kilif" and a "Knight of Fine Skill, Gareth" from your (RC), and move them to Soul] If you have "Knight of Divine Skill, Bohman" as your vanguard, search for up to one "Burning Lion, Blond Eisele from your deck, ride it, and shuffle your deck.

Knight of Elegant Skills, Gareth 

Knight of Superior Skills, Beaumains 

Let's analyze this ride chain. You require no amount of soul, no Counter-blast and no specific cards that take up deck space as you are using the vanilla units you would be running anyway. The end Grade 3 is also your ideal Grade 3 anyway, so once again, no extra deck space is taken up. Due to these reason, the superior ride is essentially free, and that's what makes it the best superior ride chain to date. It costs nothing and allows for guaranteed riding of one of the best Vanguards in the game, what's not to love?

Conclusion

The card is good. Really good. Too good. What this card proves is the power creep that is starting to occur in this game, which unfortunately becomes the downfall of many TCGs. Not only that, but since the English and Japanese versions are getting Set 6 at the same time, some current English decks will be left in the dust, borderline unplayable due to the power creep that the English version will experience without the options of the three other Japanese sets available. I also believe that the value of perfect guards will increase, seeing as how this clan will be hitting for high numbers, a maxed out amount of perfect guards looks to become the norm. As it stands, only time will tell if this card will be as gamebreaking as it sounds on paper.

-HerO

[English Meta] Cards to Watch Out For: Goddess of the Full Moon, Tsukuyomi

Introduction
Among one of the best cards in the upcoming Set 3 (the actual Set 3, not Set 6), is the superior ride chain of Tsukuyomi. Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Goddess of the Half-Moon and Goddess of the Full Moon Tsukuyomi make up this superior ride chain. The consistency that Oracle Think Tank gets from this chain, along with the 7k boosters, ability to manipulate the deck, early hand advantage and 11k Vanguard is what pushes OTT to become one of the highest tier decks come Set 3. So what should both OTT and non-OTT players watch out for? Let's find out.


Cards Themselves
First I think it is most appropriate to look at what each card does, starting with Godhawk Ichibyoshi, the starting Vanguard for the Tsukyomi line:

Godhawk, Ichibyoshi

Auto【V】: At the beginning of your ride phase,
look at the top five cards of your deck, search for up to one
"Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Tsukuyomi",
ride it, and send the rest of the cards to the
bottom of your deck in any order. If ridden, you
cannot do a normal ride during that ride phase.

Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Tsukuyomi

Auto【V】: At the beginning of your ride phase,
look at the top five cards of your deck, search for
up to one "Goddess of the Half-Moon, Tsukuyomi"
out of the five cards, ride it, and send the rest of
the cards to the bottom of your deck in any order.
If ridden, you cannot do a normal ride during that
ride phase.

Goddess of the Half Moon, Tsukuyomi

Auto: When this unit is placed on V, if you have
"Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Tsukuyomi" and
"Godhawk, Ichibyoshi" in your soul, you may
Soulcharge (2).
Auto【V】: At the beginning of your ride phase,
look at the top five cards of your deck, search for
up to one "Goddess of the Full Moon, Tsukuyomi"
out of those five cards, ride it, and send the
rest of the cards to the bottom of the deck in
any order. If ridden, you cannot do a normal ride
during that ride phase.

Goddess of the Full Moon, Tsukuyomi

Continuous【V/R】: If you don't have
"Goddess of the Half-Moon, Tsukuyomi",
"Goddess of the Crescent Moon, Tsukuyomi", and
"Godhawk, Ichibyoshi" in your soul, this unit gets
-2000 power.
Activate【V】: [Counterblast (2)] If you
have six or more «Oracle Think Tank» in your
soul, draw two cards, and choose one from your
hand and send it to soul.

    By simply taking a quick glance, we can see that the Grade 2 and Grade 3 hold really good effects. Half-Moon's skill of allowing us to Soulcharge 2 not only sets up the requirements necessary for the Grade 3, but for other cards in the set that require six soul, such as Oracle Guardian, Blue-Eye. Full Moon's ability speaks for itself, turning that Counter-blast that few units need in OTT into more drawing power and further hand advantage. Having Full Moon at 11k also makes it easier to guard, especially against Royal Paladins, with their Alfreds and whatnot. Not only does this set fix most if not every flaw OTT has prior to Set 3, it also enhances drawing power which grants us the ability to stack our triggers.


Stacking Triggers
With the Tsukuyomi line, you are taking the top 5 cards of your deck and searching for the next Grade to superior ride. What some players don't know however, is that you can return the cards in any order you want to the bottom. One of the most skillful plays one can make with this deck is stacking their triggers at the beginning of the game, and through drawing and putting more cards at the bottom move their stack closer to the top, and then hit with a double trigger timing against your opponent, possibly winning you the game. Let's look at this in more detail:

• In your first turn, you look at the top 5 cards of your deck searching for Goddess of the Crescent Moon. You reveal to yourself 3 triggers, a Grade 2 and the Crescent Moon you are looking for. Now, when you return the 4 cards to the bottom of your deck, you will place two triggers at the top of the stack (preferably critical triggers). So now you know that the last 4 cards in your deck is your stack.
• Next two turns you do the same, searching for the Grade 2 and Grade 3 to superior ride, putting the cards in the bottom and counting in your head how many cards there are in your stack. 
• Throughout the game, using the many cards available to OTT to draw, cycle and soulcharge cards, you slowly sift through your deck, knowing in your head how many cards must be left in the deck to reach your stack. Cards that help include Psychic Bird, Oracle Guardian Red-Eye, Oracle Guardian Blue-Eye, Goddess of the Full Moon Tsukuyomi, Draw Triggers (derp), etc. 
• Once you reach your stack (you have the X amount of cards left in your deck) you hit with your Vanguard to reveal a double trigger (hopefully critical) to get over your opponent's shield (unless they perfect guarded) and win the game!

Indeed, this is exactly what Misaki did in the last few episodes of Season 1 against Asaka (sorry for spoiler if you haven't watched it). Being able to do this consistently requires patience, a great memory and to be honest, a fair amount of skill. As such, it is a passive way of playing the deck, which may not be attractive to everyone.

I Don't Play OTT, Why Should I Care?
When playing against OTT (and any deck for that matter), you should familiarize yourself on how the deck works. If you know that Tsukuyomi's skill requires 6 soul, it may be prudent to block attacks from cards such as Oracle Guardian, Red-Eye in order to prevent that from occurring, especially if they missed their Grade 2 ride. You should also be wary of your opponent's (legitimate) trigger stack. The longer the game goes, the closer they get to it, so attempting to finish them off early may be a good idea. Keep in mind that a (good) player attempting this will generally take damage, play conservatively and use cards that thin out their deck. Either do what you can to prevent it, or prepare for it when it comes by keeping perfect guards handy or such. Also note that Tsukuyomi is an 11k Vanguard, so any combos of cards that you had hitting for 15k or 20k will just come up short in terms of Magic Numbers, so adapt your play and maybe even your deck to be able to hit those numbers more consistently (Royal Paladin get a huge boost in this department in the form of Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes). 


Conclusion
As I've said many times, Set 3 grants OTT a huge boost in terms of consistency, power, hand advantage, manipulation, control and competitiveness. Being aware of key cards in other's decks is a definite step in order to improve and become better in every match-up. OTT players should strive in incorporating this ride chain in their deck, as it's simply way too good, and frankly necessary, to pass up. Switching to OTT myself, I can't wait until the English Set 3 gets announced to get some copies myself.


-HerO

[English Meta] The State of Oracle Think Tank

Hey guys, sorry for the lack of posts lately, I have been studying essentially every day, all day for the last week or so thanks to final exams. In fact, I should be studying for one right now, but decided to get a quick post up instead. I will be done this upcoming Wednesday, so after that I will be able to post higher quality articles more often, but for now bear with me.

Introduction

     Within the young English meta, the two most expensive decks by far are Royal Paladin and Oracle Think Tank. With Royal Paladins decks falling within the $200-$300 range, they have proved over and over again to be a Tier 0 deck, with Barcgal, King of Knights Alfred and Soul Savior Dragon leading the charge. Alternatively we have Oracle Think Tank, a deck that also can run your wallet into the hundreds of dollars (mine personally costing me a grand total of $260). What I find the most interesting about it though, is the fact that few people, if any, consider Oracle Think Tank to be a Tier 0 deck. Moreover, the only other Tier 0 deck in the English format is Kagero, which is one of the cheapest decks to make, costing a player ~$100-$150 for the highest tier of Kagero. In this article, I will discuss and analyze the current state of Oracle Think Tank, including looking at future sets in hopes to justify it's high price tag.

Flaws

     In the current meta, Oracle Think Tank has some deep flaws that restrict it from becoming one of the highest tier competitive decks. The biggest one is it's lack of good boosters. Within the first two sets, there has been exactly zero 7k boosters released for Oracle Think Tank. NONE. This leaves the clan with only a possible 4 copies of an 8k booster and the rest of the Grade 1's have to be 5k-6k. The issue with the Grade 1 Oracle Think Tank cards released in the first two sets is that they have powerful effects. Cards such as Luck Bird, Weather Girl Milk and Battle Sister Cocoa have low power due to their good effects. Luck Bird gives you a +1, Weather Girl Milk provides a good, albeit situational boost, and Battle Sister Coca is a mini Amaterasu in the form of allowing you to manipulate your deck. Due to these effects, Bushiroad designers had to decrease their power a little, down to 5k in the case of Luck Bird or 6k in the form of Milk and Cocoa from the regular 7k of a non-vanilla Grade 1. This creates a flaw. With only 5k-6k boosters to work with, any attacking unit must have a power of 9k-10k to be able to hit magic numbers after a boost (15k for 10k Vanguards and 16k for 11k Vanguards). And that's the problem.

                                                              Silent Tom 

                                                           

     Let's look at one of the most expensive cards available for Oracle Think Tank - Silent Tom. Silent Tom is an extremely good card on it's own, able to restrict what your opponent can guard with, forcing them to either take the hit or guard with boosters or attacking units. Unfortunately, this card's 8k power coupled with a lack of 7k boosters does not allow it to hit for magic numbers unless in front of an 8k booster. So the card is good yes, and its worth the money but at the moment the clan cannot support its full potential. Silent Tom shares similar scenarios with other cards, such as Battle Sister, Mocha and Security Guardian that are not able to hit magic numbers without an 8k booster. It is the combination of bountiful 8k attackers and no 7k boosters that do not allow Oracle Think Tank to be as successful as they should be.

Future Sets

     But don't fret, all is not lost. With the release of Set 3 and the Oracle Think Tank trial deck, 7k boosters and  solid Rearguard attackers come aplenty. With the trial deck we get access to Meteorbreak Wizard, a Knight of Conviction Bors that allows us to hit the next level of magic numbers (20k and 21k) by simply Counter-blasting 1. In set 3, we are given the Tsukuyomi superior ride chain, whose Grade 1 is not only 7k but it's Grade 2 9k and Grade 3 11k. Her Grade 3 effect is also amazing, allowing you to Counter-blast 2 to to draw 2 and soulcharge 1 from your hand. The superior ride chain itself also boosts consistency and allows us to stack triggers at the bottom of our deck, to be able to hit a timing and double trigger our opponent by drawing cards or putting them at the bottom of the deck to get to our stack. Set 3 and the trial deck essentially erase all the flaws the deck currently has which allows it to increase in consistency and competitiveness.

Conclusion

     As it stands, Oracle Think Tank has many flaws that restrict it from being a top deck in the English meta. However, what makes it such a popular and expensive deck is it's attractive playstyle and future releases that will boost it to a higher tier. So to all you Oracle Think Tank players that just can't seem to beat Royal Paladins or Kagero, don't fret. It'll be our turn soon enough.

-HerO

Finals and Oracle Think Tank

     So I just finished studying for my math final for the day, and I've been distracted all day thinking and looking for Oracle Think Tank cards on Pojo and other forums. I decided to make an English deck as sanctioned tournaments will be starting soon at my locals which means that regionals will be soon to follow. With this, I decided to make an Oracle Think Tank deck, preparing for Tsukuyomi when she is released in the English Set 3. Here is the deck list that I have come up with:

Grade 0: 16
x4 Lozenge Magus
x4 Psychic Bird
x2 Oracle Guardian, Nike
x4 Dream Eater
x2 Miracle Kid

Grade 1: 15
x4 Battle Sister Chocolat
x3 Battle Sister Cocoa
x4 Oracle Guardian Gemini
x2 Weather Girl Milk
x2 Luck Bird

Grade 2: 12
x3 Silent Tom
x3 Battle Sister, Mocha
x4 Oracle Guardian, Wiseman
x2 Security Guardian

Grade 3: 7
x4 CEO Amaterasu
x3 Oracle Guardian, Apollon

I have found a few people that have the cards I need at a price I can afford, so I can't wait to put this thing together. I have been testing it on BYOND and having a fair amount of success with it, even beating my friend's Gold Paladin build. I am glad that the English scene is growing so much and how successful it's been so far. Cardfight!! Vanguard is here to stay.

-HerO

Deck Check with HerO (Snogal Royal Paladins)

Hey guys,


     Made this deck check with myself yesterday, up on our YouTube channel! Do check it out and thanks for watching! If you like what we do, don't forget to rate comment and subscribe!

-HerO

Set 6 Preview: Dragonic Kaiser, Vermillion

Introduction

During the next few weeks until Set 6, Breaker of Limits, is released, I will be previewing key cards that will be released in the set. With three new clans being introduced and more support for other clans, I'm sure both English and Japanese meta players will want to stay up to date with everything that is coming up. I will start with what I think is the most overpowered card in the set, Dragonic Kaiser, Vermillion.

Dragonic Kaiser, Vermillion
Dragonic Kaiser, Vermillion is a new Narukami Grade 3 that will be released in Set 6. Much controversy has been stirred about its effect, which is:

ACT [V]: Limit Break (4)(Available when you have at least 4 damage): [Counter Blast (3)] Until end of turn, this unit gets Power +2000, and battles with all of your opponent's units on the front-row with one attack.

CONT [V/R]: If you have a vanguard or rear-guard which is not a «Narukami», this unit gets Power -2000.

With such a unique effect, a few rulings have been placed:

1. Dragonic Kaiser, Vermillion attacks 3 units at one time.
2. Attacked units cannot intercept.
3. Twin Drive only once.
4. Each unit must be guarded separately.
5. Omniguards can only be used on one unit.
6. If hit, you may activate Aermo's skill for the number of hits. (Eg. If hit twice, may drop 2 cards and draw 2 card.)

Yes, you read right. When Dragonic Kaiser, Vermillion activates its effect, your opponent will be forced to either ditch their whole hand to guard, or lose two Rearguards while still having to guard to not take damage on their Vanguard. Its power boost of 2000 will also allow it to reach 13k unboosted, and in front of a vanilla 8k booster allows it to hit for 21k, forcing a 20k guard from 11k Vanguards for one trigger.

Good Card is Good

It may be obvious at this point what the root of the controversy has been. At a simple cost of Counter-Blasting 3, your opponent suffers a -2 in field advantage and suffers even more in hand advantage if they wish to guard the attack from their Vanguard. Now the only consolation at this point is that it requires a Limit Break 4, meaning that your opponent's damage needs to be at 4 or higher in order for them to be able to activate the effect. It would be wise to hold off dealing 4 damage to a Narakumi player unless you find yourself a decent advantage to be able to take the effect from Dragonic Kaiser, Vermillion because unless you want to win by deckout, you will have to deal that fourth damage eventually. The best possible outcome from this card would be taking everything which results in the loss of two rearguards and 1 or more damage. If you are at 4 or 5 damage, you would be inclined to guard, which with an 11k Vanguard would require 20k at least for one trigger, costing you at least 2 cards in your hand. The inability to do anything about it, plus the huge amount of resources it requires to defend it along with a guaranteed advantage stemming from the card is what makes this card, at least on paper, way overpowered.

Verdict

With Narukami being a new clan, releasing such a ridiculously good card was either really smart or really dumb. With it as temptation, a lot of players will be wanting to try the clan out, which would increase Bushiroad's sales of the Narakumi trial deck and Booster Set 6. However, without anything even remotely close to it that currently exists, other players will be overwhelmed and perhaps even discouraged from playing if the deck becomes too much to handle for other players. As stated earlier, what can look bad on paper does not necessarily reflect what will actually happen once the set is released. In the end, only time will tell if we were right in our assumptions.

[English Meta] Cards to Watch Out For: Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes

Introduction

"Cards to Watch Out For" will be a new segment, focusing on the English meta to familiarize English players with upcoming cards in future sets that they should watch out for or lean towards acquiring. With English only at Set 2, there exist 3 other sets before they catch up to the Japanese game, which includes a variety of important cards that any English player should be familiar with. This segment will hopefully accomplish that, and allow you to be ready for the future. Also with this segment I hope to capture a wider audience with both Japanese and English meta articles.

Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes

Released in Set 3, Demonic Lord Invasion, Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes gives a huge boost to already high tier Royal Paladin decks due to it's overpowering effect: "When this unit attacks, if you have two or more grade 3 «Royal Paladin» vanguard and/or rear-guards, this unit gets +3000 power until the end of the battle." At first glance, the effect seems nothing special. However, what makes this card amazing is that it counts itself for it's effect. What this means is that it requires essentially no requirement when placed in the Rearguard circle as if it's in the Rearguard circle, it automatically means you have two Grade 3's on the field: your Vanguard and Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes itself. Had it been "2 other <<Royal Paladin>> Vanguard and/or Rearguards" then the card would be weaker, borderline bad, but since that's not the case, it makes Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes one of the best cards in the whole game.

                                                        The perpetrator in question

The Card is Broken

So what exactly makes this card so good? So it gains 3000 Power when it attacks, what's the big deal? What makes this card completely broken is the effortlessness it requires to hit for magic numbers. As you may recall, magic numbers are numbers that hit for just enough to make your opponent guard for more. Swordsman of Explosive Flames, Palamedes in front of a 7k booster will hit 20k effortlessly, forcing 15k guard from a 10k Vanguard. Similarly, in front of an 8k booster, hits for 21k, forcing a 15k guard from an 11k Vanguard. Such a card that forces so many cards from your opponent is stupidly good, which is why all players, come Set 3 in English, must watch out for this card. If your opponent plays it, GET RID OF IT IMMEDIATELY. Allowing your opponent to swing with it over and over again will slowly eat your hand up to the point where you will lose the game because you won't be able to guard. On the other hand, once the card is released in English every Royal Paladin player to stay competitive must acquire at the very least one copy of this card (I personally run 3, I know people who run 4). It is just too good to pass up.

Verdict

I honestly think Bushiroad goofed with this card. No other clan has something equally as good, although some cards come close, (ie. Void Knight, Masquerade) but they all have much stricter requirements other than existing on the field. To players of other clans, especially Kagero with your 11k Dragonic Overlord, watch out for this card. If it hits the field, get rid of it immediately or you will be hurting. It's not necessarily a card that will completely turn the game around, but it can be a pain in the ass to deal with if you don't get rid of it quickly. To end, I will simply quote a friend, "Not one card can block Palamedes".

-HerO