Lock and Link Jokers

Hey folks, this is le jester over here. Today I am gonna enlighten you about the playstyle of link jokers and reverse cards such as Vowing Saber Dragon Reverse.

So who are the Link Jokers?
Link Jokers are the scourge of planet cray which is used by multiple characters in Season 3 of the Cardfight!! Vanguard Anime and is the avatar of Void. Link jokers are corrupted the corrupted counterparts of existing cards such as the case of Soaring Star-vader, Krypton who is the counterpart of Knight of Darkness, Rugos
 VS 
see the similarity in the art?

Link jokers also happen to have their own archetype called Star-Vader
The forerunners of "Link Joker", which is the incarnation of "Void" and the invaders threatening Cray. Their main mission is to investigate the indigenous creatures and collect the data of powerful beings, and dominate their bodies if possible. However, it is said that they would annihilate weaker beings in the process, finding their data not valuable enough to be collected. They possess multiple technologies that do not exist on Cray, and can manipulate the mysterious power "Lock" freely.

So what is the playstyle of Link Jokers?
Link jokers revolved around locking your opponent units similar to binding them in the rearguard circle which would stun your opponent and disable the card's potential and ability it has on the rearguard circle. Link jokers often goal and objective is to disrupt your field, at the same time stunning you and limiting your actions for subsequent turns. This lock ability not only immobilize and stun your units, it also allows themselves to gain card advantage through the locking. Imagine, if your opponent front row interceptors got locked, Logically, they would need to guard their vanguard with cards from their hand, which eventually reduce their handsize. At the same time, it also help them conserve their handsize as they have to guard for lesser attacks and smaller attacks that will eventually give them enough time to gain a larger handsize than your opponent.

What is the "lock mechanism"?
When a card is affected by lock, it is turned face down until the end of its owning player's turn (the card remains where it is). A unit turned face down by lock cannot be used to perform any action; it cannot attack, boost, use skills, be used to pay a cost, move to another circle or zone (including intercept) or be retired by calling another unit over it. The card is not considered a unit and the card and the circle it is on are considered to not exist for the duration of the lock skill. When a unit is unlocked, it is not considered to be called back to the field, and thus on call skills are not activated.

Lets take a look at the badass cards that link joker has to offer to us.
Star-vader, Nebula Lord Dragon

[CONT](VC) Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):During your turn, all of your «Link Joker» in your front row get [Power]+3000 for each of your opponent's locked units. [ACT](VC):[Counter Blast (2)] Choose one of your opponent's rear-guards in the back row, and lock it. (Locked cards are turned face down, and cannot do anything. Turn them face up at the end of its owner's turn) [CONT](VC/RC): Lord (If you have a unit without a same clan as this unit, this unit cannot attack)

Star-vader, Infinite Zero Dragon

[AUTO] Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):When a «Link Joker» rides this unit, choose one of your opponent's rear-guards in the front row and back row, lock them, choose your vanguard, and that unit gets [Power]+10000 until end of turn. (Locked cards are turned face down, and cannot do anything. Turn them face up at the end of its owner's turn) [AUTO](VC):When this unit attacks a vanguard, this unit gets [Power]+2000 until end of that battle. [CONT](VC/RC): Lord (If you have a unit without a same clan as this unit, this unit cannot attack)

So what happen if I were to Break ride a Nebula Lord Dragon on an Infinite Zero Dragon?
Obviously, you would want to lock the vanguard booster and a one attacking front row with IZD's effect. Next I would want to lock the backrow of one of his attacking rearguards.Thus, Your opponent has an 11k attacking vanguard and a 12k attacker. Next, with a Nebula Lord Dragon's effect, it gives a 3k power to all your front row attacking units for each locked units your opponent controls, This easily gives you at least a + 6000 power to all your attackers.

Wait isn't this better than the celestials?

Now, lets do the math behind it, How much must your opponent guard during your turn?
Assuming you have an 8k booster behind every column and a NLD that broke ride this turn, along side with a 12k attacker rear and a mobius breath dragon too. Also to add that your opponent has 3 locked units.
R1: 9k Mobius + 8kboost + 9k NLD effect = 26k column PERFECT NUMBER! 20k GUARD!
R2: 11k Vanguard + 8kboost + 9k NLD effect + 10k 2trigger check = 38k column. 30k NO PASS!
R3: 12k attacker + 8kboost + 9k NLD effect = 29k column. 20k GUARD!
Total power your opponent has to guard: 20k + 30k + 30k = 70k
Minimum handsize your opponent needs to burn to guard this: 6 (1 negate, 4 10k shields and 1 random card)

Now, lets do the math behind it, How much do you have to guard for your opponent's turn?
Assuming opponent has only 2 cards in his front row to attack and controls an EDD.
Lets now imagine.... FINAL TURN!
R1: 12k unboosted attack = -1 from hand for a 5k shield.
VG: 16k descendant with especial CB = -15k 2trigger pass, 20k No pass.
Restand Vanguard: 26k with 2 triggers: 25k 2 pass, or 30k No pass. Or KANZEN!!
Total damage you need to guard: 5+ 20+30 =55k.
Minimum hand you need to tank your opponent W/O restand and W/O especial CB: 2 (5k, 1 10k guard for 2 trigger pass)
Maximum hand you need to tank your opponent: 11cards (11 5k guards)

So who are their key minions?
Star-vader, Dust Tail Unicorn

[AUTO]: Forerunner (When a unit of the same clan rides this unit, you may call this unit to (RC)) [ACT](RC):[Counter Blast (1) & Put this unit into your soul] If you have a «Link Joker» vanguard, and your opponent has a locked card, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear-guards, and lock it. (Locked cards are turned face down, and cannot do anything. Turn them face up at the end of its owner's turn)

Star-vader, Mobius Breath Dragon

[AUTO](VC): When this unit's attack hits a vanguard, choose one of your opponent's rear-guards, and lock it. (Locked cards are turned face down, and cannot do anything. Turn them face up at the end of its owner's turn)

One Who Shoots Gravitational Singularities

[AUTO](RC):When this unit's attack hits a vanguard, if you have a «Link Joker» vanguard, and your opponent has a locked card, choose one of your opponent's rear-guard, and lock it. (Locked cards are turned face down, and cannot do anything. Turn them face up at the end of its owner's turn)

How do i deal with these pesky jokers?
So these are the rearguards ya gotta look out for.
Dust-Tail Unicorn is annoying, Kill him fast with your linchiu or by the turn that he rides nebula lord dragon.

So we got 2 different pressure units to play with. Mobius and Singularity.
Mobius is an on hit effect, guard him during the turn your opponent ride his as a VG. Do note that he can target any rearguards to lock, which would give Singularity an effective early game pressure to lock more of your units. YOU MUST BE HIGH TO NOT GUARD.

Singularity is only effective when ya got a locked unit. Otherwise it be a waste of deck space to run 4 of her in your deck, what more its a puny 8k beatstick. However look at it this way, They will need a NLD to turn on the pressure cooker on you where ya gotta guard its additional power that all the front row gains when he rodes on IZD.

The real threat of the Deck is actually NLD and IZD who can start turning on the pressure in you with the locks. So in other words, They need to start a chain of locks with the vanguard's ability. In this case, If they were to fail to ride an IZD, they would need to depend on their CB 2 to start screwing up your field. So in other words ya might wanna control their damage and do not give them a chance to counterblast and start the chain of locks and pressure on you.

Note that Link jokers rearguards do not use counterblasts at all with exception of dust-tail which is CB1.

So how do i counter them? Hmm this is when you play decks that restand the vanguard or decks that do not focus too much on the rearguards or rearguard dependent. Decks such as DOTE, ERADICATORS are barely affected as LJ only focus on crippling your rearguard. Decks that allow your vanguard to hit High numbers are best against them. So no worries readers, your DOTE and ERADICATORS are still badasses that can screw the jokers up.

Signing off,
Le Jester

Banlist AfterMath and analysis

Hi guys this is Le Jester over here. Today we will be discussing about the aftermath of the Banlist and my opinion of what i think it is. I will only discuss the highlights of it that really deserves the special mention.

1st and foremost. The King of BadAsses have return to 4.

Yes this is no joke. Dote to 4. Hmm so is dote still broken? Lets 1st analyse what this card really does.
DOTE's effect:
[CONT](VC/RC):If you have a non-«Kagero» vanguard or rear-guard, this unit gets [Power]-2000. [CONT](VC):If you have a card named "Dragonic Overlord" in your soul, this unit gets [Power]+2000. [AUTO] (VC): [Counter Blast (2) & Choose a card named "Dragonic Overlord the End" from your hand, and discard it] When this unit's attack hits, you may pay the cost. If you do, [Stand] this unit.

Lets now read it line by line.
Line 1: [CONT](VC/RC):If you have a non-«Kagero» vanguard or rear-guard, this unit gets [Power]-2000.
So he has to have at least a rearguard to get his 11k base. Hmm so what happens if you left him alone on the field with Dragonic Lawkeeper? He becomes a squishy 9k base.

Line 2:[CONT](VC):If you have a card named "Dragonic Overlord" in your soul, this unit gets [Power]+2000.
So if he is successfully crossride, he gains additional 2k base, which makes him a 13k base. Looking at the current meta, its unlikely for him to be a 13k base where everyone will run on dauntless drive dragon.
This also means that DOTE just gets more consistent with the standing of the vanguard with dauntless drive dragon.

Line 3:[AUTO] (VC): [Counter Blast (2) & Choose a card named "Dragonic Overlord the End" from your hand, and discard it] When this unit's attack hits, you may pay the cost. If you do, [Stand] this unit.
So dote needs 2 counterblast and a copy of itself in hand for it to stand again. Its still counterblast heavy which allows him to stand a maximum of about 3 times per game.

Now you can use Conroe as your starter vanguard as well.
 +  or  
Now you can use the conroe flame of hope combo again to pressure your opponent to guard or use a boosted heatnail salamander to pressure them to retire their rearguard or ya can use this new starter.
Or alternatively you can use a red pulse dracokid to get either a dauntless drive dragon or DOTE to hand.

Next on our list is the return of Silent Tom.

Yes this is more scary than a DOTE or a Glory maestrom. A Silent Tom that points in your face.
Silent Tom's Effect:
[CONT](VC/RC):During a battle that this unit attacks, if you have an «Oracle Think Tank» vanguard, your opponent cannot normal call grade 0 units to (GC).

Oh yes you can't guard with a grade zero. Hmm means you must guard with your attackers. Which is more draining than a dote or a glory maelstrom. Worse case is your field is already empty and you need to guard with your attackers. You are screwed big time with a gun my friend.

Next would be Descendant

So what makes descendant so broken?
Descendant's effect:
[AUTO](VC) Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):[Counter Blast (1) & Choose three cards with "Eradicator" in its card name from your hand, and discard them] At the beginning of the close step of the battle that this unit attacked, if the attack did not hit during that battle, you may pay the cost. If you do, [Stand] this unit, and gets [Critical]+1 until end of turn. This ability cannot be used for the rest of that turn. [ACT](VC):[Counter Blast (2) - Cards with "Eradicator" in its card name] This unit gets [Power]+5000 until end of turn. [CONT](VC/RC): Lord (If you have a unit that doesn't belong to the same clan as this unit, this unit cannot attack.)

So his effect will trigger if the attack did not hit during that battle which means it doesnt matter whether you are going to guard it or not. He will still skewer your ass with his sword and to only get Stronger if you were to guard it. It has a cheap counter blast 1 and discard of 3 cards which allows him to gain additional criticals and pressure to your opponent. So its either you guard it all or you dont guard.

New Banlist Update May 2013

With effect from the 11th of May 2013,

for the Japanese version of Cardfight!! Vanguard,
the cards highlighted in the following list will be
restricted to up to a total of two cards in the deck
(including the first vanguard).

Restriction list for Japanese Vanguard
<Royal Paladin>
Majesty Lord Blaster

<Oracle Think Tank>
Goddess of the Full Moon, Tsukuyomi

<Narukami>
Eraser Dragonic decendent

*This includes all cards of the same
name with different rarities.

[Example]
OK: Majesty lord Blastrr x 2
OK: Majesty Lord Blaster x 1, 

 Goddess of the Full Moon, Tsukuyomi x 1

- Total of 2 types in a deck, so it’s fine.

Not OK: Majesty Lord Blaster x 2,

Goddess of the Full Moon, Tsukuyomi x 1

Alfred, silent Tom etc from the previous 
list will be unbanned from 11th may 2013

Barcgal can not be used as the First Vanguard

BT11 Support: part 3

Candle Celestial, Sariel

[AUTO]:[Counter Blast (1)] When this unit is placed on (RC), if you have a «Angel Feather» vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, search your deck for up to one «Angel Feather», put it into your damage zone, shuffle your deck, and choose one face up card from your damage zone, and put it into your drop zone.

Solidify Celestial, Zerachiel

[CONT] Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):During your turn, if you have face up card named "Solidify Celestial, Zerachiel" in your damage zone, all of your units with 'Celestial' in its card name get [Power]+3000. [ACT](VC):[Counter Blast (2) - Cards with "Celestial" in its card name] This unit gets [Power]+5000 until end of turn. [CONT](VC/RC):Lord (If you have a unit that does not belong to the same clan as this unit, this unit cannot attack)

Roaring Ripple, Genovious

[AUTO](VC) Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):[Counter Blast (2) & Choose a card named "Roaring Ripple, Genovious" from your hand, and discard it] At the close step of the battle that this unit attacked a vanguard, if the number of «Aqua Force» you have as [Rest] in your front row is three, you may pay the cost. If you do, [Stand] all your «Aqua Force» rear-guards. [CONT](VC):If you have a card named "Rising Ripple, Baorus" in your soul, this unit gets [Power]+1000.

Eradicator, Sweep Commando Dragon

[AUTO](VC) Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):[Counter Blast (2) & Soul Blast (2)] During your turn, when an opponent's rear-guard is put in the drop zone by any of your card's effect, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw a card, choose one of your opponent's rear-guards in the front row, retire it, and this unit gets [Power]+5000 until end of turn. [AUTO]:[Choose one of your rear-guards with "Eradicator" in its card name, and put it into your soul] When this unit is placed on (VC), you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's rear-guard in the front row, and retire it. [CONT](VC/RC): Lord (If you have a unit that doesn't belong to the same clan as this unit, this unit cannot attack)

Ancient Dragon, Tyranno Legend

[AUTO](VC) Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):[Choose three of your rear-guards with "Ancient Dragon" in its card name, and retire them] When this unit attacks a vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gets [Power]+10000/[Critical]+1 until end of that battle. [ACT](VC):[Counter Blast (2) - Cards with "Ancient Dragon" in its card name] This unit gets [Power]+5000 until end of turn. [CONT](VC/RC): Lord (If you have a unit that doesn't belong to the same clan as this unit, this unit cannot attack)

Ravenous Dragon, Battle rex

[AUTO](VC) Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):When this unit's drive check reveals a grade 3 «Tachikaze», choose one of your rear-guards, retire it, and this unit gets [Power]+10000 until end of that battle. [AUTO](VC):When this unit is boosted by a «Tachikaze», this unit gets [Power]+3000 until end of that battle.

Last card, Revonn

[AUTO](VC) Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):[Counter Blast (1)] When this unit attacks a vanguard, if the number of «Aqua Force» you have as [Rest] in your front row is three, you may pay the cost. If you do, this unit gets [Power]+3000/[Critical]+1 until end of that battle. [ACT](VC):[Counter Blast (1)] This unit gets [Power]+2000 until end of turn. [CONT](VC/RC): Lord (If you have a unit that doesn't belong to the same clan as this unit, this unit cannot attack)

Archetypes in Vanguard

Archetypes are a new theme in Vanguard. Although most of their abilities, with their limitations like Especial counterblast, the benefits that they gain from it are actually better than the original boss' of the same clan. This I feel is a little silly, especially when the costs are very easy to pay for (simply by having most of the deck to be of that archetype) and many of them G3s (actually all but 1) still sport 11k base power. 

Break ride units are commonly found in archetype-decks too, so I shall include them as well.

Support cards can vary, but mainly those essential cards like G1 & G2 +3k units ; special boosters etc, will be standard for almost all decks, so I shall delve into each archetype's boss units only, making reference to support cards only when needed.

Let's Rank the Archetypes!

#4 Jewel Knights (Err.. Bling Bling?)
Royal Paladins was the first clan to be created, and I expected Bushiroad to do a good job supporting the clan. But no! First they had to restrict Majesty Lord Baster, and years later coming up with nonsensical archetype for it.

Ashley, as agreed by many Vanguard communities, has just gotta be the lousiest break ride ever. Gives no net advantage, and effects only go to the VG circle, which is pretty crap since the opponent definitely will have at least one Negate in their hand by the turn you break ride. 

Salome, while displaying a very good Alfred-like ability along with a +2k/1 crit passive skill on your turns, only sports 10k power. I don't see why it can't have 11k, considering GBD has a similar effect in which counterblasting 2 already gives you +3k/1 crit, but Salome requires almost a full field and definitely, in my experience, some especial counterblasting is needed as well. Too costly + weak = Money wasted. Link this sentence to real jewels.

Tsktsk, what a lengthy paragraph.

#3 PR♥ISM (Promise, Romance, Image, Smile, Miracle)
Ah, what's not to love in this clan. Cute arts, Cool effects, Crazy gains; this could be the new 3 Cs we guys will want to have. 

Vert is AWE-SM. Not only do you not minus when you break ride with this card, heck you even get to return 2 Bermuda Triangle units, triggering a chain of bounce effects and even prepare yourself to use Labrador's skill for free.

And then Labrador puts the Shadow Paladins to shame. A simple cost of placing three more units to the field (not retiring them) gains you +10k/1 crit, which is basically a PBO / PBD effect triggering every turn . #badass 

What's not to love? 

Disclaimer: I had a hard time for the following ones.

#2 Liberators (*Plays Alfred's theme song*) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=JrGfhmHRbVI&NR=1 @0.13

The first archetype to be announced, and I must admit, quite a powerful archetype to be first introduced. It's basically just raw power every turn, which is really scary in the late game and if your opponent has run out of Perfect Guards.
Liberator Gancelot. I have much respect for this pseudo-SSD. Wait. Or is it the other way around? Whichever. Basically break ride and pass the power to all of your RG boosters, you force another 3 cards out of your opponent's hand. This is SSD, revived and stronger after 9 sets.
Liberator Alfred (Notice I'm getting lazy with the names, lol) A very random superior calling from the top of the deck; even by checking your trigger cycles there is still a chance that you will top call something that's not of much help. However, that is as with all top-calling units. However, a +1 is always useful. Wait, that's not the point. Remember my previous article on breaking power lines and reducing your opponent's card advantage? THIS. A guaranteed +6k (if you find this difficult, something is terribly wrong.) to +10k power boost ensures an extra 2-3 cards gone to guard this beast. Oh wait no, it's a Knight. Sorry. Still, your opponent has to guard for 4-5 stages for this powerhouse alone every turn. EVERY. FREAKING. TURN. That's already 3 - 4 cards. All in all a very, very, very easily high-powered VG that's also easy to defend too (11k base power). I cannot stress this enough; this card is really a beast. Period.

Oh wait, no. It is a Knight.

#1 Eradicator (The Erasers) (lol)

The second archetype to be announced after Liberators, Eradicators are currently the only archetype to feature TWO boss units. 

Vowing Sword Dragon. Minuses your opponent by minus-ing yourself in the process. However, this card can be used to chain with Gauntlet Buster's limit break skill, and when break-ridden with Eradicator Dragonic Descendant in late game, hallelujah.

Gauntlet Buster Dragon. Not much to say, a very auto-pilot card in general, basically combining Dragonic Deathscythe's skill with a +3k/1 crit. Holy.

Ah, Eradicator Dragonic Descendant. I have learnt to love to hate this card. Forces the opponent to ooze out every brain juice over whether to guard or not at his/her 4 damage. A very pressurizing archetype deck on its own, when I first played against it, it almost everytime made me sh*t due to its inevitable appearance in the game, even when my opponent and I were just at grade 1. YES. IT'S THAT SCARY. However, guarding early damage and rushing the opponent is a good way to counter EDD. Not a foolproof method, though. Either that and/ or save at least 2 PGs in your hand for EDD but ensure a win on your next turn or else...

A very scary early game / late game (respectively) type of archetype, definitely deserves #1 . Even better, combine the two types and maybe you'll have surprising results.

Credits goes to: Dee Kit from PSYchic Deviants

BT10 review part 1

Booster Set 10: Triumphant Return of the King of Knights

Feature a new clan called Genesis which would be played and pilot by Misaki in the new season of Link Joker.

Here is the trump card used by Misaki at the moment, Battle Deity of the Moonlit Night, Artemis


[AUTO](VC) Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):[Soul Blast (3)] When this unit attacks a vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, draw two cards, choose a card from your hand, put it into your soul, and this unit gets [Power]+5000 until end of that battle.
[CONT](VC):If you have a card named "Twilight Hunter, Artemis" in your soul, this unit gets [Power]+1000.

As you can see it focus around manipulating its soul to gain hand advantage as it also doesn't use any counter blast.

In bt10 is also feature another counterpart of alfred, where he has liberator in his name.
Liberator of Round Table, Alfred


[CONT](VC) Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):During your turn, this unit gets [Power]+2000 for each of your rear-guards with "Liberator" in its card name.
[ACT](VC):[Counter Blast (2) - Cards with "Liberator" in their card name] Look at up to one card from the top of your deck, search for up to one «Gold Paladin» from among them, call it to an open (RC), and put the rest on the bottom of your deck.
[CONT](VC/RC): Lord (If you have a unit that doesn't belong to the same clan as this unit, this unit cannot attack)

Look we have another potential Bad Ass card when combo with Gancelot. Means every turn you get a 10k boost without any restraint.

Narukami has more variants and more variety to its playstyle after being revealed that there are two characters(Naoki Ishida, Kai Toshiki) that play the same clan in the anime.

Eradicator, Gauntlet Buster Dragon

[AUTO](VC) Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):When an opponent's rear-guard is put into the drop zone with one of your card's effects, this unit gets [Power]+3000/[Critical]+1 until end of turn.

[ACT](VC):[Counter Blast (2) - Cards with "Eradicator" in their card name] Your opponent chooses one of his or her rear-guards, and retires it.

[CONT](VC/RC): Lord (If you have a unit that doesn't belong to the same clan as this unit, this unit cannot attack)

Here is one Bad Ass when rode on Sword vowing dragon. This gives a guarantee effect of getting the critical every turn with its consistent playstyle of retiring opponent units. Love the Artwork though, Looks like one Real Bad Ass to lookout for in the upcoming meta.

Eradicator, Dragonic Descendant

[AUTO](VC) Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):[Counter Blast (1) & Choose three cards with "Eradicator" in their card name from your hand, and discard them] At the beginning of the close step of the battle that this unit's attack did not hit, you may pay the cost. If you do, [Stand] this unit, and gets [Critical]+1 until end of turn. This ability can only be used once per turn.

[ACT](VC):[Counter Blast (2) - Cards with "Eradicator" in their names] This unit gets [Power]+5000 until end of turn.

[CONT](VC/RC): Lord (If you have a unit that doesn't belong to the same clan as this unit, this unit cannot attack)

Looks like a potential "DOTE" eff with 3 cards to pay to activate its effect. Seems balanced after the Restriction of DOTE. Good for pressuring your opponent with trigger stacks. Effect seems to balanced out after a -3 as a cost and a +4 after drive check. Seems good enough +1. I would recommend play 6 draw, 6 crit. Another Bad Ass to look out for as well.

Pureheart Jewel Knight, Ashlei

[AUTO] Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):When a «Royal Paladin» rides this unit, you may choose one of your vanguards, that unit gets [Power]+10000/[Critical]+1 until end of turn.

[AUTO](VC):When this unit attacks a vanguard, this unit gets [Power]+2000 until end of that battle.

[CONT](VC/RC): Lord (If you have a unit that doesn't belong to the same clan as this unit, this unit cannot attack)

Leading Jewel Knight, Salome

[AUTO](VC) Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage):When this unit attacks, if the number of other rear-guards you have with "Jewel Knight" in its card name is four or more, this unit gets [Power]+2000/[Critical]+1 until end of that battle.

[ACT](VC):[Counter Blast (2) - Cards with "Jewel Knight" in their card name] Search your deck for up to one card with "Jewel Knight" in its card name, call it to (RC), and shuffle your deck.

Seems like royal paladins are back with bitches like Jewel Knights, an archetype being played by Kourin. Dogs evolves to bitches in season 3. Salome seems to be imba when rode over Ashlei with her effect gave 10k power and +1 critical. Not to mention Salome's own effect which allow her to gain a critical every turn as long as there is 4 or more rearguards. So total would be 3 criticals. How to counter her? Retire her units and attack her rearguard.