Cardfight!! Vanguard is a card game first released by Bushiroad on 26th February 2011 in Japan and internationally on 12th May 2011. Alongside the card game, Bushiroad also aired an anime adaptation of the game which started on 8th January 2011. It has been a long way for both the game and the anime which has been going strong for the past 7 years.
The amount of cards came in abundance, which has resulted in a high barrier of entry for newer players since it became harder to acquire older cards and the power level of newer cards kept rising as new sets are released. Thus, it was not a surprise that Bushiroad announced a reboot of not only the Card game but also the anime that came with it.
We from THE MAGIC RAIN had the privilege to attend the press conference and the launch of the reboot Cardfight!! Vanguard which was organized by KC Distribution, the local distributors for the game. At the said event, the presenter was kind enough to reintroduce us to the game going step by step of the game and also to show us the first episode of the anime which was released for free on YouTube at their CARDFIGHTVanguard official channel.
So what’s new in the game? The cards make up and rules are similar to the old rules but now gameplay for Sanctioned Tournament is divided into three categories: Standard, Premium and the G Format. Standard is for fresh players that wants to get into the game easily without prior knowledge or purchase of old cards as only cards from the reboot sets will be used. While Premium are for older players who have played since the beginning of time of the game using the wide variety of cards in their collection. Lastly, the G Format is for current players who wants the game to stay as it is. It is to be noted however that the G Format cannot use any cards from the new reboot sets.
Other than the above changes to Sanctioned Tournament play, the cards and rules stay almost the same with the exception of the Imaginary Gift rule. Imaginary Gift is a new set of cards that are acquired when you ride a unit with the Gift Icon, obtaining certain powers provided by the Gifts. The other notable change is the absence of the Stand Trigger which is replaced by the Front Trigger instead that gives +10,000 power to all units in the front row.
These changes and rotation of older cards to make way for newer, better cards are exciting as it provides a lower entry level for new players and old players like me who left the game a long time ago but would like to play the game again. There were also some players who volunteered at the event to help teach the game to new players and the media, and were kind enough to go through the basics step by step with everyone who were interested.
All in all, the reboot of Cardfight!! Vanguard was well received by many of the players who agreed that it was time for a rotation of the cards for better health of the game. The press conference and launch event was fruitful with KC Distribution’s gracious assistance in answering any questions we had and also introducing us to the great game.
Right now, two Trial Decks / Pre-Set Decks are available for sale at the nearest game outlet that supports Cardfight!! Vanguard. Therefore, I highly recommend this game to anyone with an itch for a card game and wants to have a go at it. It is a great game with great diversity in clans and cards.
Don’t worry, we will provide a full in-depth review of the game once their Booster Pack 01 set named Unite! Team Q4 is released on 22nd June 2018. Until then, STAND UP! VANGUARD!
