One of the cool things about Vanguard is its focus on clans. They have such powerful themes and they keep their general theme as time passes, in both playstyle and aesthetics. Chances are there is a clan that suits your personal preference and interests. As a kid and teenager, a couple of subjects fascinated me. Astronomy was one of those. Mythology was another.
When I first saw Oracle Queen, Himiko, I had just started playing Vanguard again, beginning with the reboot. Up until that point, I tried almost every clan to see what would suit me, and I had a couple of decks I liked playing. Himiko made me think that I might have found my main clan. And yes, the deck was awesome.
Then Bushiroad announced Shinemon Nitta would become the main character in a new anime arc. And would play Genesis. And the units were revealed.
Do I need to underline the hype any further?
I instantly got hooked on the celestial bodies personified and accessing the astral plane. You could say that I obediently play what the anime dictates (I started out with Royal Paladin, haha!), ride the hype train and something about Genesis losing its identity as a big brain clan. I won’t blame you for thinking so. I can even see your point, especially when you’re a clan veteran, like my CTM team mate Robin!
However, let me take you through the journey my deck and I shared together. Let me show you the depth that can be found here, the potential of its power and the passion I have for what these cards have to offer. Hopefully by reading this article, I’ll rewrite your imagination on some or all of these points.
This article will consist of two parts. In this post I will cover the first version of the deck, when Infinideity Cradle and the trial deck were released. In the near future I will add the second part, covering the deck with the Astral Force cards added.
The Parts part I: Infinideity Cradle
At the time of writing, the Valkerion deck will already have been updated with new cards. However, it’s a good idea to examine the first version of the deck anyway. The central cards will remain the same, and the thought process that went into this will largely be useful when swapping old support with new.
3x Giant Deity Of Distant World, Valkerion [5]
Let’s start with the main focus… and one of the main issues when building this deck: this is a grade 5. In my experience with the first appearance of Gear Chronicle, forcing another grade in like this will mess with the overall balance of your deck. There will be less room for good cards from other grades, you will clog up if you play too many and it will put a dent in your defensive capabilities. Genesis’s advantage over Gears here is that we play more G3 than G5, so the grade curve will be nicer. However, we want to prevent going full Morikawa.
The choice to play 4 Valkerion is understandable. It will net you an advantage if you want to try and hit Valkerion on turn 3, which the deck can do if everything goes your way. You’ll also raise the chance to get quintuple drive (let’s be honest, that just feels good). I always strive for a stable build, and Valkerion is awesome enough when he is summoned forth on your fourth turn. With that in mind, I squeezed its count to 3, granting myself time to look for it within my winning image. And, well… you’ll have plenty of G3 to get triple drive. Counts for something too, right?
4x Gleaming Lord, Uranus [3]
A trial deck card that’s better than the VR? Oh yes. This card does literally everything you could want in this deck.
In the search for cards that add force markers, there are three factors that I consider: the consistency, the cost and, most important: can I do it before the battle phase? I quickly dropped all cards that grant a marker on attack, on hit etcetera, because it will be too late if you need those markers on turn 4… and let’s not even talk about turn 3 then. Most of those cards aren’t even consistent. You need full control over when you want to gain markers.
I’d say the ride phase is on time, right? Obviously, when placed on VC, the 20k power boost is real. Its most powerful aspect however is the ability to also grant you a marker when placed on RC, making it incredibly versatile. The 13k without a booster will prove to be enough as an attacker, especially when it’s your fourth attack and it got stacked a couple of triggers onto it. As you’ll get plenty of soul even before Valkerion’s drive, and you don’t have to watch the specific cards in your soul at all, you will always have plenty of it to pay the cost. Don’t worry about getting your marker.
Be mindful of your current situation when you play Uranus on turn 3. Calculating a turn ahead, you might even be able to sneak a marker in for your rear-guard’s battleground, where the base power will usually be quite low. Abuse this card wisely!
3x Quaking Heavenly Dragon, Astraios Dragon [3]
So, when Uranus is our main man, where does that leave Dragonboi?
Well, thinking back to the situation with Gear Chronicle, I don’t envy Lost Legend having to carry the main premise of the deck on its own. Having a second astral poet that can open the gates makes this card worthwhile on its own. It’s also the better choice to be the vanguard, because it can generate a marker when you cannot reride, and even draw a card cheaply when Valkerion enters the scene.
Still, if you want to play around with the number of high grade cards, this is definitely the first choice to drop (do NOT drop Uranus). Playing only 6 G3 just bothered me, so I play 7, again with the grade curve in mind. If you feel like playing 4 Valkerion, then cut this to 2.
4x Prometheus Of Dancing Lights [2]
I bought the trial deck four times for multiple reasons. One of them is having this four times in foil. And it deserves its RRR status in the trial deck.
Its versatility is not to be overlooked, going beyond the Valkerion version of Genesis. It soul charges 1, giving you a choice what to ditch in the soul at that moment. That doesn’t matter much here, but what you leave on top of your deck… that makes all the difference. You could Oracle Think Tank a trigger, or fetch a combo piece with your drive check. You could draw that piece with Astraios Dragon and live to check triggers another day, maybe. All in all, this card is a vital piece to the incredible cycling engine this deck provides, and the consistency it needs.
As an attacker, it allows you to hit the 23k magic number when paired with a booster; some welcome help for the lackluster rear-guard swings. Oh, and I guess your vanguard wasn’t powerful enough already.
Do be careful when you play this card during your main phase. If you need a combo piece, play this as late as possible. It’s a shame if you whiff and are then forced to dig on, while you left a perfectly good trigger on top of your deck. You could also play with this timing if you instead whiffed on a trigger. Simply play Valkerion or Bear and reshuffle.
3x Battle Maiden, Sahohime [2]
This is my secret weapon. I hardly saw any lists running this, but it is so good. Sahohime is the best plus for Genesis, as well as the best cycle card to get to your pieces. Both are sorely needed. As mentioned before, the soul cost is no issue at all.
Resist the urge to put a trigger into the soul without second thought, even though that makes Sahohime a decent beatstick for a turn. This deck really is good at cycling, not so much at raw draw power. This means that you should think ahead and maybe keep that 15k or 20k shield in hand. Disposing of a G3 is more beneficial for your defences.
3x Battle Maiden, Mutsuki [2]
We are lucky to get this promo as a mere R in the booster set. A turn 2 20k vanguard sets you up for a little bit of a rush when you need it and makes your life opening the astral plane easier. It draws you a card to boot, for a cost that’s not terrible. Granted, the window to use here is small: after turn 2, this card is very dead. I will list some alternatives later, but none of them outshine the potential of Mutsuki. If you’re bent on a turn 3 Valkerion, feel free to run it at 4.
4x Atlas Of Heavenly Sphere [1]
Remember when I mentioned I looked at marker generators only when they can do so before the battle phase? That’s one of the benefits of this trial deck monster.
Atlas is also one of the reasons that you will have plenty of soul to work with before Valkerion overclocks it. Whether you use its activated skill or ride it on turn 1, it will provide Genesis’s signature resource. In the process of getting your marker, it is also one of the key pieces of your cycling engine. Remember this when you have Prometheus as well. If you have precious counter blast to spare, it’s never wasted on this card. Never run less than 4.
3x Astraia Of The Full Heavens [1]
When I first saw this card, I was severely underwhelmed. It doesn’t plus, it’s a 7k body, and the cost for bouncing it is hefty. Then, after playing a few games testing it out, I went a full 180.
In essence, Astraia fulfils almost the same role as Atlas. The only thing this card can’t do is getting a marker, but everything else it does better. On ride, you’ll gain more soul. Regarding cycling, you can do it next turn again when you bounce it, unless the 10k shield is very welcome during your opponent’s turn. While this should not be a priority to use your soul on, you usually can.
What this card does extra is letting you think ahead, like Sahohime does. Adding a card back to your deck is not to be scoffed at, especially when that card is a trigger. The potential of healing again or letting your vanguard or Valkerion add pressure with a crit is amazing. Get rid of something useless though if you need to keep your defence up.
What I initially overlooked is the versatility this card provides, if used wisely, at the right moment and while keeping its flaws in mind.
2x Deputize Bear [1]
I think I can be short but sweet about this card. Searching seven cards deep for Valkerion is good. You can play around with its count to suit your needs, but it is an auto include in any case. On turn 3, not having three markers is unheard of, so don’t worry about the drawback. Keep in mind that this will be able to shuffle your deck. I mentioned a few advantages.
2x White Wall Sorcerer, Vejiva [1]
Wait, this card doesn’t add a marker before the battle phase…
…but believe me when I say that having more 20k shields at your disposal, even just two more, will save you more than once. Against accel, you’ll love this. If you’re looking to up your counts of key pieces for your winning image, you can drop it rather safely, though.
2x Pure White Witch, Solty [1]
It’s a minor cycle on ride, but this is in the deck for one reason: opening up space in the trigger line-up. I’ll tell you why…
10x critical trigger, 2x draw pg, 4x heal trigger, 1x starting vanguard [0]
Your vanguard and your boss monster both swing for huge numbers, but for one damage each time if you don’t check a trigger. I’ve heard the argument to use force II gifts, but just don’t. That’s a waste when you have to stack five on VC anyway, then force yourself to place a sixth for Valkerion, which can only be done with a ride. Your vanguard will do nothing afterwards.
This alternative solution has done well for me. If you drive check like crazy anyway, simply up the chance of getting a critical trigger. You could even be lucky and check one in early game more easily. The big swings will threaten your opponent when they’re on 5 damage early, won’t they?
If you feel adventurous, you could even fit in 12 critical triggers, but personally, I like having those 2 draw triggers to help out on occasion. It also makes the G1 line up more unstable, and the deck is already iffy to play when you’re not careful.
Gone But Not Forgotten
Let’s explore some alternative options, which I ended up dropping myself. Starting out, I wouldn’t even bother with the G3’s, as good as some of them may be. You need both astral poets too much. Adding even more different G3’s is a recipe for lots of clogging.
Amongst the G2’s, it’s a different story. Prometheus is essential, but if you don’t want to run either Sahohime or Mutsuki, the first card to consider is Phosphoros Of Auspicious Light. Like Prometheus, it hits 23k, and the ability to look for a G3 while providing quite a bit of soul could enable you to lower your G3 count. Like Mutsuki however, its window is on turn 2 ride only, and Mutsuki’s benefits have more potential, I feel.
If you find you’re lacking other aspects in the balance of your deck, two other alternatives are Pluto Of Deeply-laid Stratagems and good old Strong Bow Of The Starry Night, Ulixes. Pluto is one of the better marker generators and adds power on rear guard. It also goes to soul itself. In this case, that will cost you a precious card in the end, while not getting that much essentials back. Ulixes has the same drawback, but if needed, it can add to the cycle engine and adds more soul. As far as marker generation goes, Parthenos Of Holy Verse is another option, but its 9k base and lack of other benefits make me play Pluto in that case.
I’ll list a few more cards you might ask about, but in my opinion simply aren’t worth it. Heavenly Wind Sorcerer, Burnet sounds good in theory as an accel killer, but its help will come way too late and does too little when it finally comes. We don’t need to bother too much with the rear-guards. Saturn Of Opportune Time’s cost for a marker is way too high. It requires setup the turn before, and then makes you minus and itself useless for the rest of the turn. Witch Of Cats, Cumin can be considered as a support card for other cards, but the deck is not stable enough to use it properly, and also takes itself out for the turn you play it. Finally, Diana Of Moonlight is too slow as well, and the on hit restriction makes it unreliable.
Finally, it’s merely a personal preference to play 10 critical triggers. There’s no argument against the tried-and-true 8 crit, 4 draw, 4 heal if you need space!
The Whole part I: From The Cradle…
If you look in the comment sections of Wiki or YouTube or talk to other players at your local game shop, there’s talk of more and more decks that simply throw down their cards and bash face as fast as possible. Sometimes decks will hardly allow their opponent to respond to their onslaught. Valkerion seems to be amongst those decks. Not only does it take away from the spirit of Genesis, but rumour has it Valkerion is an inconsistent deck at that, making other decks in this category simply better.
After my first test runs with this deck, I was scared to admit that was true. It is difficult to then take a step back and analyse the components of the deck. At face value, this would seem to do nothing but hit for big numbers, and while that is essentially the idea, keeping this idea in the mind prevents one from looking beyond that. Shinemon Nitta is very correct: you need to rewrite your image.
There are a couple of aspects I’ve addressed regarding the aggressive build: tight resource management, both in soul and counter blast, inconsistency combined with reliance on key pieces, lack of draw power and subsequently lack of defence, and failure to put pressure due to the one damage per hit and low rear-guard power. On the flipside there was an overabundance of marker generation, which meant that, luckily, there was space in the card line-up to improve things.
With my take on the deck, some advantages were added. First, as there is not a lot to do about draw power, except for playing more draw triggers, filtering through your deck faster is the best way to go. It closes multiple leaky spots. In fact, Genesis can do this so well that Valkerion became quite consistent in making its plays, as well as potentially improving its guarding capabilities. Second, dropping the marker generators made the deck very resource friendly. Not enough to spam your abilities whenever, but when you only make your plays when you need them, you will be fine. Finally, if you can’t play fast, you’ll have to play hard, and the critical triggers are definitely hard. Also, even when cutting out all those marker generators, remember to play force markers on RC when you can. Trust me, you’ll hardly need more than five of them under your vanguard.
I remember Link Joker, when people would run so many G3’s in their Messiah decks, just to up the chance to restand Messiah or soul charge a G3 early. This was in an effort to stay alive in a fast accel meta. In my opinion, trying to speed things up will only make your deck and your playing inconsistent, and then helpless to defend yourself. Although the urge is there to play otherwise, Valkerion is realistically a turn 4 deck, and that comes at the cost of speed against so many powerful accel decks.
I also remember that, right before a nationals of the Pokémon card game, I decided to revert my deck back to its basics, just because on its own, it ran the best. There were so many versions trying to tech in cards to counter the meta, but I had faith in my build and knew it inside out. I made top cut with it and I was the only one to do so with that deck. I think one of the beautiful things about Crushing The Meta is that the team shares my vision. I don’t compromise my build (or my entire clan for that matter!) to counter the meta, I make sure I optimize the deck I like in order to play well with it. Sometimes it will still not be ideal, but one thing I did find out: if there is a clan that rewards carefully planned playing and knowledge of all possibilities with its units, it’s Genesis.
The hype has been real. And Genesis became my main clan.
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