Genojack

Japan's Twitter Page just posted a new card, Saizo I'm going to add the page in and fill in the effects Done! The effect names, title, and effect wording might need a clean-up though, perhaps by someone who is more proficient in Japanese

Week 5: Nowi As one of the two Bond manipulating manaketes, Nowi gains massive power based on the state of one's bond zone, while also utilizing the bond zone as a toolbox. Nowi herself is unlikely to see play as a MC given her fluctuating 20 attack and non-promotable cost 3 version, and will likely have to be played either just for it's cost 1 version or as a part of a Tiki deck. Cards That Work Well With Nowi; Gregor: Tiki: Draug: Movement Options: Not Recommended; Pending Super sorry, my schedule took a turn for the worst, look forward to an edit later today! May have to do a expanded recommendation for Tiki given how integral it is to Nowi.

Tomorrow will be the start of the next week, so we'll put Nowi or Tiki under the microscope then. Until then, take a look at Touya's Blog (The Lycian League) if you want a taste of what some of the Japanese players have been using. Specifically, check out the Card Land Kamata tournament winner's Manakete deck. Additionally, there are some challenges to be met when building a Manakete deck. Some things to consider are; How do I deal with Falchion Units? If Tiki is my MC, can I wait potentially 4 turns at 30 power? Is it possible to create a large army for the maximum support->bond engine, or how much is too much? I'll post tomorrow with my thoughts on the matter :)

Week 4: Linde For our fourth entry, let's focus on Linde, one of the first cards that comes to mind when one mentions "card draw". Both iterations of Linde carry an ability to increase their own power at the cost of a flipped bond, while also boasting the ability to draw or cycle depending on the circumstances. Due to it's low power during the opponent's turn, Linde is unlikely to be your MC, though some gimmicks can be used to keep her safe as one. Thanks to her abilities, Linde remains rather independent, using very few interactions. Cards That Work Well With Linde; Marth: Nothing too clever here, cost 1 Marth's support ability can bring a final turn push utilizing Linde's +20 ability to an early close. Cost 4's movement options generally benefit mages, and no-one can argue with the power of cost 5 Marth's activated ability. Elice: An efficient +2 for 2 bonds, never a bad addition for Sword of Light decks. Draug: Your MC lacks attack? Draug's your man. Abel/Cain: A Linde deck might be lacking a bit of power, Abel and Cain are the solutions. Gregor: Ok, time for some gimmicks. This interaction is not limited to Linde, but for all mage MCs. Simply put, push all of your ranged units to the Rearguard, place a Gregor up front, force your opponent to kill him in order to initiate a forced march, netting you an extra bond. Nowi: Useful for when you reach that bond saturation point, Nowi adds to your cycling while maintaining an extra available flippable bond for Linde to use each turn. Olivia: Linde's +20 attack skill is potent, why not milk that ability for a game winning push. Any deck needing some card draw: No explanation needed. Not Recommended; Heavy bond flipping units: Linde's power come's from her ability to gain gradual consistent advantage. Some of the above recommended units break this rule, which demands serious consideration.

Oh man, thanks for the high quality pics, they look gorgeous. Can't wait for the release!

Week 3: Lissa This week, let's take a look at the 'Little Miss from Ylisse, Lissa'. Sporting a cost 1 and 3 incarnation, Lissa's abilities add a fellow unit to the hand from the discard zone through either tapping and flipping 2, or taking down an opposing unit. A solid addition to various Awakening decks, and having some interesting interactions with various Shadow Dragon cards, Lissa makes a great exercise for experimental deck builds. Cards That Work Well With Lissa; Maribelle: Plop her in the back, +20 Attack on your turn, and the ability to pull emergency Lissas for extra protection. Pretty much mandatory if Lissa is your MC. Olivia: For the cost of flipping 2 bonds, you can convert your pretty princess into a unit exterminating, friend reanimating, advantage generating monster. Henry: Aww come on, a self sacrificing unit Lissa can bring back? Too obvious Genojack, surely you have something better? Wrys: I swear this unit has more to it. Despite having careful wording to prevent Olivia shenanigans, Wrys only helps ensure your Lissa lands her blows, if only to bring Wrys back for another round. The aforementioned Maribelle lands a cost 3 Lissa at 100 Attack, nearly making a Godspeed Dodge the only safe option for units released so far. But wait, it gets better... Lena: Leeching on to the Wrys-Lissa combo is Lena, who can help add a Lissa (or other situational unit) to your hand each turn when a cost 2 or lower unit is played, such as Wrys! Including Lena can lead to a weak early game, but also secure a mean defensive machine later on, while compensating for Lissa's 1 range attacks. Archers: A large threat to Lissa's defensive power are the various unblockable units, the most popular of whom are the Pegasus Sisters. On top of that, flying units are all the rage right now, Archers are rarely a bad addition. Not Recommended; Pegasus Units: Most flyers are comparatively weak without other supporting units. Lissa decks usually don't have a lot of room for alternate combos, and weak 1 range units aren't the most helpful. Lissa, Maribelle, Wrys, and various other cards don't move around much, leaving the standard pegasus support skill pretty useless. Finally, Lissa has many ways to buff herself up, making the consistent +30 support feel like overcompensation. UPDATE: I'll soon be switching time zones, meaning next weeks update will likely arrive at a significantly different time. Thanks to everyone helping out with the thread!

Week 2: Ogma Next up, let's take a look at the original Mercenary rep, Ogma. Sporting a four cards at four different costs, Ogma remains a versatile tool in most player's toolboxes, only aided by the fact he is easily available with any Sword of Light starter deck. His cost 1 unit remains effective late into the game by sporting 60 attack with two or more 2≥ cost units on your turn. His cost 2 unit gains considerable bulk as a 70 attack unit at the cost of only certain select units being able to support him. Ogma's cost 3 card is when things get interesting. Gaining the standard Sword of Light effect on a 2≥ cost deployment, Ogma begins buffing himself and the deployed units. This added on to the ability to become a tome user temporarily for a bond flip and small attack deduction, the OG Hero cements itself as a great splashable unit. Finally comes the War-God, who can tap allied units to gain power and take out 2 orbs with one attack if said attack's power threshold is reached. Cards That Work Well With Ogma; Palla, Est and Catria: OK, a lot to work with here. Apart from being great support units in general, the pegasus sister's cost 1 ability works well for getting units out fast. Playing a sister with 2 unflipped bonds guarantees cost 1 Ogma's 60 attack for that turn. Additionally, said sister's skill triggers cost 3 Ogma's +10 power ability. Cost 3 Ogma's range can be used to cover pesky archers and wind mages bothering your flying units, keeping the trio safe. If your opponent breaks the triangle formation, and you cannot restore it that turn, the leftover units make great fodder for cost 4 Ogma's tapping ability. Finally, Ogma's various forms are light on bond flipping, allowing you to dedicate your resources to calling the other sisters. Linde/Card Draw: Ogma likes to have a lot of allies, and as such likes having a large hand. Linde specifically has a low bond flipping cost, and is generally more aggressive than other card advantage units. Olivia: More value for your berserk turn with the War-God, Levin Sword turn, or when you drop your hand on the field with cost 3 Ogma. Really, Most Anything: A bit of a cop-out, but it's hard not to overstate Ogma's utility. As stated, with various forms filling different needs, low bond usage, overall high attack and few hindering traits, this week's unit is likely to find it's way into many decks. One possible problem with the card is it's lack of focus and direct synergy, leaving it left out if a more sinergetic card can be found. Not Recommended; Navarre: Despite being tied together with their cost 2 unit's effects, the two swordsmen's abilities clash in focus, one benefiting from solitude while the other wants allies. They can work in the same deck, but the focus will likely be skewed (unless you're building around Lon'qu, then power to you!)

"Each time an ally unit class changes,* both you and your opponent each select one card from your hand and discard it." I think it's a safe bet to say no. Generally with most card games, it's safe to break down a skill into it's cost/restriction/trigger, and the result. Here, the class change initiates the effect, and the discarding is the result. If the effect had the additional text of "* and you have 1 or more cards in your hand," then you would have to pay attention. So go out cheat Henry's effect to your heart's content!

Yep! Same goes for if you had 1 blue, 1 red and 3 flipped, any combination of red or blue cards adding up to 5 or less can be played.

Just got the Booster Set 1 page up and running, anything need fixing up? If not, I'll see if I can get the trail decks going in the same format.

Well that's promising! Needless to say it seems like everyone here is doing their part, I know I'm feeling like buying another box now.

Week 1: Robin F As both a beloved protagonist and set of easily available cards, Robin F seems like a good card to test out this thread. Sporting a cost 1 and 4 card, the skills of both Robin F cards revolve around moving the opponent's units and gaining advantage from being at a lower orb count than your opponent. She has the standard 1-2 range for mages, allowing for leeway when it comes to shuffling you and your opponent's position. Cards That Work Well With Robin F; Morgan M Getting the obvious out of the way, this card specifically requires Robin F in order to function at full capacity. Offers a cheaper version of her cost 4 version's healing ability, possibly allowing for an extra activation over the course of the game. Tharja A logical consequence of losing more orbs than your opponent is likely having a larger hand. Tharja's various forms allow her to take advantage of that lead for power, or extend the advantage. Noire Only applicable if Tharja has been included for all the reasons stated above. Additionally, the above cards all use a large amount of bonds, making Noire one of the more useful archers available. Crom Both a solid Main Character given his support, and a good way to add focus to the enemy position manipulation theme. Cordelia/Sumia Good supports, for both power and moving your 2 range characters to preferred positions. Not Recommended; Shadow Dragon Cards: Focusing on the Class Change ability seems like a better choice for Robin F. Bond Flipping: Focusing on the Bond costs of the above units may be a better choice for Robin F. The above was all based on theory, criticism is appreciated!

In the spirit of spurring discussion about deckbuilding, it seems like a good idea to start up your standard weekly discussion. The idea behind this thread is to put the spotlight on a unit, and discuss it from several angles, such as recommended companion units, full decklists, improvements for previously posted decklists, etc. My hope is that this thread might help in discovering and spreading good deckbuilding practices, and spark some creative discussion involving the game. Posting Recommendations: 1. Consider stating the intent of the deck within the post, such as if the deck is of a budget, competitive or thematic nature. 2. The weekly unit does not have to be the Main Character (though highly encouraged). If it is not the Main Character, please mention the reasoning behind it's inclusion in the posted deck. 3. Consider mentioning what your experience with the posted deck, companion unit, or piece of advice (tested, solitaire, theory, etc) 4. As a footnote to the post, feel free to add your pick for a future unit spotlight, or what kind of unit you want to see in the future (popular, underused, gimmicky, etc.) Further recommendations and guidelines will be added or removed at the behest of the community. This week's unit: Nowi Week 4 (24/7/2015) Linde Week 3 (17/7/2015) Lissa Week 2 (10/7/2015) Ogma Week 1 (3/7/2015) Robin F