Cray Journal: The Dead Sea

Hey folks, Its another section of Khai's Cray journal.
Today I'm going to talk about granblue and the dead sea.

Its been like 2 weeks since I've been experimenting on the deck.
I was experimenting on abusing Negromarl. Yes that pathetic grade 3 with 8k base power. Well. After being taught to look at a deck and cards at a different perspective. It gives me that idea of using him and abusing that card as a rearguard.

For those who have no idea who is negromarl, here it is.

[AUTO]:[Counter Blast (2)] When this unit is placed on (VC) or (RC), if you have a «Granblue» vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose a card from your drop zone, and call it to (RC).

To be honest, he sucked as a vanguard. But to make him a rearguard, he is just what granblue needs to generate more free pluses and advantage. Just imagine the ya get a plus 3 every turn if ya spawn him with a cocytus reverse. If this is a grade 2, it is exactly what granblue really needs.

My previous decklist.
4x Nightmist, Lord of the seven seas
4x Cocytus R
1x Negromarl

4x Ruin Shade
4x Deadly Spirit
3x Corrosion dragon

4x gust jinn
3x sea walk banshee
3x Dandy guy romario
3x Deadly Nightmare

12x criticals
4x heal
1x Nightkid

Problems I faced when playing granblue with this decklist.
1. You ran out of soul very fast. Negromarl helps who respawn banshees more often. Which depletes ya soul fast alongside with the deadly spirit and nightmare which are soulblast heavy.

2. Negromarl is a 1 time use card. You need him like Once or twice in the game. Respawning him too much jams your field and cockblock you. Especially when you need a rearguard to intercept and he can't intercept.
The point is that negromarl is only good during your turn to a small extent. You do not want to keep him on the field. Which i would normally use nightmist to respawn it. Using a cocytus R to respawn him is good however, But it broke even than give pluses. As ya get a dead rearguard spawn by his effect to jam your own field even though it looks like you can gain +3 with him which you want to replace with the deadly spirit after ya spawn him. This cause you to run out of soul too fast which later limit your use and privilege to abuse the banshee.

New Decklist.
4x Nightmist, Lord of the seven seas
4x Cocytus R

4x Ruin Shade
4x Deadly Spirit
3x Corrosion dragon

4x gust jinn
3x sea walk banshee
3x Dandy guy romario
4x Samurai Spirit

12x criticals
4x heal
1x Nightkid

Here is some questions that imma answer and ya might ask.
Is Cocytus Reverse an offensive card or defensive card?
Cocytus Reverse isn't a good card for it to be an offensive card as it kills the synergy of the whole deck and disrupt your stack of triggers. The milling of 3 cards can be a little too high for a cost for granblue. Which spawning a banshee sometimes gives the minus 2 than a plus 2. Drawing and milling trigger sucks. Been there, done that. Problem with Cocytus Reverse is that it doesn't have any raw power unlike the other decks.
Although it gives the rearguard that it pulled from the dropzone a +3k. Its just help you maintain your maximum field presence and generate advantage for defences and to intercept.

Where does granblue's offensive power lies on?
Their only offensive power is the pressure from the deck where you hasten your triggers with ruin shades and when you break ride on a nightmist. I would usually call corrosion dragon along side with the sea-walk banshee on the same column to hit a 28k rearguard column with it. And a ruin shade as my rearguard to stack a double trigger on my drive check or a crit to give my huge rear the pressure on my opponent. Means if ya can't break ride anymore, its a matter of who can survive the longest and whose hand size is able to tank the volley of attacks longer.

Is Granblue a consistent and easy deck to play?
Obviously no. Granblue isn't the clan for anyone and an easy clan to play like your gold paladins.
It requires knowledge on deck building and deck structure. Its one of the few clans where deck structure plays an important role and one card can screw the deck synergy. Another is the skills it takes to pilot the clan. Its not the type of clan that is easy to pilot. It requires perfect precision in timing and control.

I've tested against a few decks. Here are some of the consistent results.
Effective on Nubatama which helps you to set up your dropzone even faster.
Lost to Zerachiel. Due to Early game rush and consistent huge columns that I can't guard with.
Lost to nova grappler. Can't guard against the multiple volleys of attacks and reverse breakride OTK.

~Signing off Khai~

Cray Journal: Nova grapplers

Random Journal about Nova Grapplers written by Kinston Ang.
When I look at my NG deck, all I think about was stand, stand and stand.Nova Grapplers can have crazy number of attacks if you do good link of skills.So this is my current list .

G0
Riot Hornx1
4x of all beast deity triggers

G1
2xG1 Kay clone
4xMax Beat
4xSolar Falcon
4xBlank Marsh

G2
4xBrainie Papio
4xHartred Chaos
4xGolden Anglet

G3
4xEthics Buster
3xEthics Reverse

So, this deck.....Well no words to describe it. Once you play this deck.Wow, I tell you, you are going to love it.Brainie Papio can enable you to stand Max Beat and combo-ed with Max Beat skill, wow! Stand another unit.So how does this works? Brainie hits.CB 1 to stand Max Beat.Max Beat skill to stand another unit.This could easily help you stand a coloum.

Currently, im still thinking whether to play Clay doll Mechanic for the unflipper to continuesly use the counterblast without having to worry about the cost.Well, I tried this deck a few times and this deck can really crush your opponent even without a grade 3.Just spam all your units on daaa field and chiong early game.If they don't have guards they are really dead.Just combo Brainie with Golden Anglet and riot horn you can stand a coloum.SO Strong!!

So this was my G2 formation when I played with my friend

Brainie-Brainie-Golden Anglet
| |
BlankMarsh RiotHorn

Well I can tell you this is a deadly combo.First Riot and Anglet swings. Then Branie boosted by Blank Marsh.Pressure!!! Oppenent guards one pass, awww yea lucky day critical trigger! All effects to VG.Yay seems like it hits.Well Brainie Cb1- look here stand Anglet and Riot! Whewww another column with just cb1.CrAZzYy!

Okay now onto the ultimate finisher style.STAND STAND STAND! BREAKRIDEEEE Ethics Reverse.Okay activate skill +10000.And Ethics R skills, Cb2 lock 2 discard two. Swings in with both rear guards first.I leave a riot horn behind my Anglet. And another Anglet unboosted.Vanguard swings in for 21k and bam ! BREAKRIDE SKILL, Stand front row ! Trigger check, no trigger. Vanguard stands again! Both rear guards attack with extra 3k due to standing in battle phase. Then Vanguard takes aim! Now breakride skill again!! Stand front row! Another 3k ! 15k each Anglet. 8 ATTACKS IN A BREAKRIDE TURN.
CRAZYYYYYY!

Okayy.Time for my Ver 2 list!
G0
SVG→Night Jackal
8Stands
4Crits
4Heal
G1
4xMax Beat
4xKanzen
2xBlank marsh
4x10k swinger
G2
4Anglet
4Hatred
3 brainie
G3
2Ethics R
2Ethics Extreme
4Ethics.

Same old finisher but in case finisher doesn't works, we got Ethics Extreme to save us from the the terror!!! Ethics Extreme STAND Streaming Burst! Check G1 ! STAND UP ANOTHER ONE STAND UP.Swings two more attacks at opponent!

And heres the finish of the Nova Grapplers review.Bleh. Getting bored of typing that much.

Khai's Cray Journal: Dark Irregulars

Hey folks. Just a random section here. Its called Khai's Cray Journal. :D
Where I just talk about what I learn in vanguard :D

Entry 1:
The east side Cardfighters kinda taught me something vry useful today. Sometime there are times that a deck doesn't suit you or doesn't match ya playstyle or doesn't work. Well what I've learn't is that to look at the deck and a card at a different perspective. Thats when the magic starts to happen and ya somewhat learn to appreciate and abuse a card. Eg. For the case of Dantalian, king of Masks.

TBH I almost gonna make a decision of trading away DI. Until I found something good in it that fits my playing style. Hmm... Who knows that a humble card like dantalian can do so much devastating damage :D

DI playstyles.
How I used to play the clan...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh its like granblue...
Dun spam soul charge, later all triggers you sway...
Soulcharge and stack triggers..
Still Double crit and ALL IN!!
Problems that I've encountered. Oh I got a huge hand-size of 8 at late game and I can't kill you. Ended up decked out and DIE.
Its when I realized that I'm playing and abusing it wrongly..... DI isn't supposed to be defensive clan and field control...

My Previous DeckList
Starter:
Fate Collector

Trigger Line Up.
9x Crit
3x Draw
4x Heal

Grade 1
2x Creeper
4x Poet Of Darkness, Amon
4x Vlad Specula
4x Hell's Deal

Grade 2
4x Phu Geenlin
4x Hell's draw
3x Gwin the Ripper

Grade 3
2x Dantalian
3x Amon
3x Amon Reverse

Reflections on this decklist.
I realised that if imma want to focus on the 10k amon, imma need to play 4 creepers.
Well the Mistake I made here is playing 2. Where i shood be playing 4. I mean come on its amon.... Ya can charge that guy in easily...

Gwin the ripper, that guy is good for a field control if you got an amon as a vanguard for early game.

12k whacker + POD = 21k column 15k guard.

Dantalian. For goodness sake, that guy is so jam on the field when ya ride him. You gotta play 4 amon, 4 amon R. Dantalian just breaks the whole synergy of the deck. And if ya planning to stack triggers like a granblue ruin shade? Dantalian is the worst card for you to ride which totally kills the whole synergy and the triggering of the deck.

Dun give me reasons on dantalian can give a +1 soul charge everyturn... That BS... it slows the deck down and turn your Hell's draw and Hell's Deal to a vanilla which makes you jacked. Break ride and feed rear with steroids? dun think about it. Doesnt work... Been there and tried that....

Hmm 9 crits Cool... thats pretty normal to run 9 to 10 crits in the deck. Your fate collector is as good as a draw trigger where you can draw as an when you want. Which the point of this whole deck is to stock up the soul ASAP and triggering you at late game. However I felt that I used it wrongly and triggering from beginning to the end which I realised why I dun have much soul at early game...

So what I decide to do is to improvise this deck... which gives you 2 options.
A. Built a Full Amon Deck. And REMOVE THOSE DANTALIANS.
B. Focus around Break riding and abuse its power.

So its either BreakRide or Amon.

Amon Build:
SVG:
Starter:
Fate Collector

Trigger Line Up.
10x Crit
2x Draw
4x Heal

Grade 1
3x Creeper
3x Poet Of Darkness, Amon
4x Vlad Specula
4x Hell's Deal

Grade 2
4x Phu Geenlin
4x Hell's draw
3x Gwin the Ripper

Grade 3
4x Amon
4x Amon Reverse

And this deck will double crit you if you guard 2 pass :D

Dantalian Build:
SVG:
Fate Collector

Trigger:
9x Crit
3x Draw
4x Heal

G1
3x alluring Succubus
3x Creeper
4x Poet of Darkness, Amon
4x Vlad specula

G2
4x Psycho Glaives
2x Story Teller
2x Gwin the Ripper
3x Phu Geenlin

G3
4x Dantalian
4x Amon Reverse

The deck mechanics is simple and straightforward. Its meant to abuse dantalian and breakride. Where you 1st aim is to breakride. How it works is ya rush your opponent vanguard and pressure them from beginning to the end. With dantalian along with cards like psycho glaives and alluring succubus to keep on soul charging. break riding with a huge soul is no problem. And break riding everyturn just drains all the kanzen away for late game pressure when you ride the amon R.

Story teller is for the rearguard pressure and defense of drawing additional card if it were to hit where high chance your opponent can't guard this if ya whack their rear with it or when it is already high on Ecstasy. This kinda overcome DI's problem of low handsize on late game and the lack of draws in the deck which makes more space for crits and still double criting you opponent.

~Signing Off Khai~

Lets Break the Chaos!

Sup guys, this Le jestre over here. I be making this post on behalf of my co-author, Purgatory Void Nothingness.
Here is what he have to say:

This Post Contains:
1. Chaos Breaker Overall Analysis (vs Reverse isn't covered as Dee Kit's post has covered)
2. Triangle Lock Card Advantage Calculations (Not all Situations!)

Kai Toshiki: "Strongest Dragon... Advent!", "Lock... You're not escaping!"

He wasn't joking, and you should be scared, for he is...

BT13/007 RRR
Star-vader, Chaos Breaker Dragon
Star Gate/Cyber Dragon/Link Joker
Grade 3/Twin Drive/11k power
Auto [V] [Limit Break (4)] {This ability is active if you have four or more damage): [Soul Blast (1) - Cards with 「Star-vader」 in its card name] During your opponent's end phase, when one of your opponent's locked cards is unlocked , you may pay the cost. If you do, retire that unit, and draw a card.
Activate [V]: [Counter Blast (1) - Cards with 「Star-vader」 in its card name & Choose a card with 「Star-vader」 in its card name from your hand, and discard it] Choose one of your opponent's rear-guards, and lock it. This ability cannot be used for the rest of that turn.
{Locked cards are turned face down, and cannot do anything. Turn them face up at the end of its owner's turn.}
Continuous [V/R]: Lord {If you have a unit without a same clan as this unit, this unit cannot attack.}

The secret agent of Link Joker...! Stupid jokes aside, Chaos Breaker is the FIRST EVER HARD-counter against a certain Deck-type, specifically, Reverse, but since that has been covered, let's move on, on why you should be scared, even if you're not using Reverse.

Just stare at the Limit Break ability, let it sink in for a few moments. Yes, you pay ONE SOUL to retire one card, draw one card. Yes, it technically uses the Soul better than Dark Zone Clans and depending on the situation, It retires better than the Dragon Empire.

That isn't even including the Lock aspect of the skill. The most obvious one, is to combine it with Infinite Zero and Dust Tail as your Starter. Let us (I) do some calculations shall we?

Break Ride: -1
Dust Tail Unicorn: -1

Results: -2, 3 Units Locked.
Without factoring Lock, this is a -2, which is true for both Nebula and Chaos, but Factoring in Lock and their skills, this -2, gives a much larger Plus.

Assuming a Standard Full field and no Power Boosts, and the classic "Triangle" formation and you are forced to guard everything, you can now guard 15K No pass, instead of 15K 2 Pass VG.
IF your opponent gets 1 Trigger, it would cost you 40K wroth of guards, but don't be fooled, this isn't 4 cards, this is actually 5 cards since 2 attacks are wroth 15K.
2 Triggers, assuming lack of all to the Vanguard, is a 45K. Once again, don't be fooled, It's a 6 card guard.

NEWBIE-TIP: Don't give all your trigger powers to a single Rear-guard if you have 2 rear-guards to attack with. This forces your opponent to throw out more cards to guard your attack as they require 5K Guards.

So, assuming you throw a 15K No pass, which works on almost every vanguard in the meta, so here are the pluses you get.

2 Triggers:+2
1 Trigger:+1
No Trigger: 0

So no matter what happens, if you throw a no Pass, you won't lose anything. ALWAYS throw a no pass, unless you can't afford to throw another 5K.
This equation holds true for basically any card you Break ride, Infinite Zero, Nebula or Chaos. So It's a pretty good deal to Triangle when you can.

It gets better, when you factor in Cards like Niobium and Lanthanum (Or Lasange, if you catch my drift, Jed Lee). I don't have to explain why right? Nebula just takes it to the next Level.

Although Nebula's +9K to the front row matters in terms of guarding, This is about The Advantage Chaos Breaker generates, so let us continue.

So you're Triangle'd and Chaos Breaker stares you in the face. You can pretty much despair right there. Because, Soul Blast 3, is a very affordable cost, it is almost impossible to triangle without 3 soul.

You lose 3 units, and Chaos Breaker draws 3. Not to mention those "3 Units" are not units that you choose and are the least important ones. Units in the Lock Triangle are debatable to be one of the better cards on the rear-guard circles, Yes I know there are plenty of great on-hit or power increasing G1 boosters.

So finally, at the cost of Soul Blast 3, Counterblast 1 Chaos Breaker Gains +3-5, and you lose -3.

Yeah, that is quite the ridiculous amount of Card Advantage. This doesn't even include extra uses of Cards such as Palladium and Dust Tail in addition to Chaos Breaker's Regular Ability. So if you think that +3-5 and your -3 is recoverable... You're gonna to lose more than that.

Prepare yourself, Apocalypse is coming.

~Purgatory Void~