Ascriptmaster here. Six months ago, Natsu of Team Fairy Tail posted the first deck profile to this blog, and then everyone on the team forgot about the blog for half a year. As such the blog was left untouched for that time, until I noticed the rather conspicuous Blogger icon on the Youtube channel and asked Natsu what we were going to do about it. There isn't much for us to write on quite yet, so for now the blog will be dedicated to deck profiling.
Anyways, the deck I'm profiling today is based on Cruel Dragon, seen below:
Anyways, the deck I'm profiling today is based on Cruel Dragon, seen below:
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[AUTO](VC) Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damage): [Counter Blast (1) & Soul Blast (1)] When this unit attacks a vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose one of your opponent's grade 2 or less rear-guards, and retire it.
[ACT](Hand):[Reveal this card & Choose your grade 2 or greater «KagerÅ» vanguard, and [Rest] it] If your opponent's rear-guard is put into the drop zone during the main phase of that turn, you may ride this unit as [Stand], and choose your vanguard, and that unit gets [Power]-3000 until end of turn. [CONT](VC/RC): Lord (If you have a unit without a same clan as this unit, this unit cannot attack) |
| Grade 0: 1 Seal Dragon, Terrycloth (Starter) 4 Seal Dragon, Shirting (Heal) 4 Seal Dragon, Biella (Critical) 3 Blue Ray Dracokid (Critical) 2 Seal Dragon, Artpique (Draw) 3 Gattling Claw Dragon (Draw) . | Grade 1: 4 Seal Dragon, Rinocross (PG) 4 Seal Dragon, Kersey 4 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara 2 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr |
| Grade 2: 4 Seal Dragon, Corduroy 4 Seal Dragon, Hunger Hell Dragon 3 Bellicosity Dragon |
Grade 3: 4 Dauntless Drive Dragon 4 Cruel Dragon |
The main appeal of Cruel Dragon is its Limit Break. For a Counterblast and a Soulblast, you can consistently retire virtually any unit you want, whether it is a dangerous attacker, or a booster. This fits the Kagero clan's playstyle of eliminating units, especially boosters, to conserve shield for next turn, or force your opponent to take cards from their hand to replenish them, tipping the scales in your advantage as the game drags on. Naturally, Break Riding Cruel Dragon on Dauntless Drive Dragon allows you to retire two units in one turn for a low cost! It's also a good unit to "sit on" as the first Grade 3 ridden in the game, because once it's the Vanguard, Cruel Dragon has no effects before Limit Break, while Dauntless at least has the potential to reach 13000 power unboosted.
While Berserk Dragon would be considered a powerful addition to the deck, I chose not to add it because its high Counterblast cost would add up too quickly and prevent me from capitalizing on Cruel Dragon's effect. Instead, I chose to include the Seal Dragons, who can retire units just as well for a lower Counterblast cost, albeit one that must be a Seal Dragon, hence the extensive number of Seal Dragons in the deck, including Kersey's drop-and-draw effect, triggers, Perfect Guards, and 10000-power vanillas. In fact, Embodiment of Armor, Bahr could easily be replaced by Seal Dragon, Flannel with minimal consequence. Kimnara and Gattling Claw Dragon also are included in this deck, not only to retire boosters, but also to add units to the Soul if needed for Cruel Dragon's Soulblast. Bellicosity Dragon naturally adds pressure to the opponent by giving me the potential to Counterblast more and retire additional units.
The ability to superior ride this card with reduced power when your Grade 2 is also a nice bonus, because an early Twin Drive Check gives an extra card early-game to guard or attack with. At such an early stage in the game, the power drop rarely matters since your opponent will be at Grade 1 or 2 at this time. This was why I chose Seal Dragon, Terrycloth as my starting Vanguard over the more traditional Lizard Soldier, Conroe. If the first damage I take in the game is a Seal Dragon, I can use Terrycloth to quickly trigger Cruel Dragon's Superior Ride. Of course, my opponent has the opportunity to find a dangerous Grade 2 to superior call, but to me the destruction of an important attacker/booster and the extra card in my hand are well worth that risk. I generally prefer using another retiring unit to trigger Cruel Dragon's superior ride, though, especially Seal Dragon Corduroy, who does not need to leave the field to activate its retiring effect. It is also possible to superior break ride this card on Dauntless Drive Dragon immediately after riding it, but I dislike using extra cards in my hand to re-ride once my Vanguard is already Cruel Dragon and thus rarely use this trick, but it's preference on whether it should be done.
The card images used on this site have been obtained and reposted from the Cardfight!! Vanguard Official Portal Site (http://cf-vanguard.com/), in accordance to the guidelines stated there. Re-use of these images (re-post, distribution) is strictly prohibited.
© Bushiroad All Rights Reserved.
The card images used on this site have been obtained and reposted from the Cardfight!! Vanguard Official Portal Site (http://cf-vanguard.com/), in accordance to the guidelines stated there. Re-use of these images (re-post, distribution) is strictly prohibited.
© Bushiroad All Rights Reserved.
You stated "I generally prefer using another retiring unit to trigger Cruel Dragon's superior ride, though, especially Seal Dragon Corduroy, which can retire a unit once I ride it and then allow me to immediately superior ride without losing further resources from my hand."
ReplyDeleteYour last part of that comment is incorrect. Corduroy would Retire during the Draw Phase, and Cruel Dragon requires you to be in the Main Phase to Ride it. Thus, you are too early to Superior Ride.
While I would normally say that Cruel Dragon's effect can be activated at any time during the Main Phase so long as you retired a unit earlier in the turn, and thus would mean there is no fear of missing the timing, you are correct because Cruel Dragon also says that the retiring must have occurred during the Main Phase. The article has been updated accordingly.
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