Metagame Analysis: Magic World

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OVERVIEW

Strengths: Powerful card advantage engine, superior counter spell effects, highly unpredictable.

Weaknesses: Weak monster stats, high dependence on gauge, folds to relentless offense.

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Tactics: Although Wizards and 72 Pillars share the same spell card pool, they use those spells in order to advance their own distinct strategies; Wizards try to grind the game to a halt and win by gradually chipping away at the opponent’s life points, while 72 Pillars try to damage rush the opponent with extended attacks.

Core Cards: Nice One!, MagicalGoodbye, Chillax!

METAGAME HISTORY (PHILIPPINES)

The first Buddy Challenge in the Philippines in April 2014 was dubbed by the international community as “magical”, with Magic World taking the top three spots in a field full of Dragon and Danger World players, all of which were 72 Pillars rush decks. Dragon and Danger were consistently winning weekly tournaments, while Katana was largely untested and highly vulnerable to existing strategies.

While Magic World’s 72 Pillars took first at the Anime Card Game Tournament a mere few weeks before the Buddy Challenge, commanded by someone considered by many to be one of the best players in the country, in any TCG, people either considered it a fluke or found the deck too complicated to play. So Magic World went largely unnoticed, while Katana was being hyped due to the cool factor of ninjas.

card images taken from buddyfight.wikia.com

It was just a matter of time before Magic World burst the game wide open. People realized that Magical Goodbye’s two-sided bounce effect worked as a null for both direct attacks and monster destruction; it was the most effective counter to penetrating link attacks from Armorknight Medusa and Hysteric Spear, as well as the omnipresent Pile Bunker Dragon and Drum Bunker Dragon, Barrier Breaker.

Card advantage was also significantly better in Magic World at the time. Kosher charged the gauge and traded itself for another card. Will Glassart was on-hit pressure, while Mary Sue fetched any spell from the deck. Devil Advantage was a very efficient recycler that not only picked up Asmodais for a second round of destruction, but also one of the most broken attack extenders ever printed in any game.

card images taken from buddyfight.wikia.com

For a time, everyone thought that the dominance of Magic World would last into perpetuity. Then the inevitable happened, just two months later, with the full release of Ancient World via Extra Booster 1: Immortal Entities. Suddenly, a literally large wall stood in front of Magic World’s limited defense and paper-thin stats. Damage rushing was almost impossible in the face of the Dragon Lords’ might.

It was a monumental challenge for 72 Pillars and Wizards to take down Martial Arts Dragon Emperor Duel Sieger with two cards in the soul, and did not even need to evolve in order to wreak havoc.  Magic World sauntered on and eked out wins, but was no longer the overwhelming control engine it once was especially with many players finally learning how to play around bounce and nullifies to maximize damage output and bait spells.

card images taken from buddyfight.wikia.com

But the real death knell was the airdropped Thunder Knights squadron from Dragon World via Booster Set 3: Drum’s Adventures, which, ironically, a set that was supposed to buff up Magic World, but only introduced the Dragowizard squadron for the Wizard attribute and a few utility spells. And although Dragowizard, Qinus Axia and Tempest Wing were strong, Wizards still struggled.

Tetusya’s dancing demons saw some changes in response: first was the gradual phase out of Solomon Shield in favor of Chillax, but remained at two. Next was the realization that GreatDuke, Astaroth, was a bad card especially with repeated chain attacks and penetrate. Finally, Demon Realm Computer, Vassago entered lists as a way to accelerate Fever and allowed Magic World players to dig for answers.

But the danger wasn't over. Dungeon World made its debut and proceeded to destroy every World in existence with its 11-crit turn facilitated by Bladewing Phoenix, Dancing Magician, Tetsuya, and Brave Equipment, Glory Seeker. It was the best offensive deck in the BT01-BT03 format, and would continue to stomp on everything even as it saw no real updates until almost a year after.

Magic World variants just couldn't keep up with hyper offensive metagame. Solomon Shields became useless nulls in the face of multiple link attacks fueled by double attack from Dragoanthem and the aforementioned Phoenix. Magical Goodbye and Chillax became insufficient as the amount of pain dished out by both Thunder Knights and Dungeon Mix was simply too much.

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When all hope seemed lost, Booster Set 5: Break to the Future came and gave Magic World some much-needed buffs in the form of a nullify that can stop even the most lethal link attacks, cannot be nullified, and is a 2-crit monster to boot; on top of all that, he can even be revived. It was everything 72 Pillars ever wanted in one convenient package. But the blessings didn’t stop there.

Wizards got Artificial Angel,Viriginie Casta, a double attacking Size 3 monster that can turn itself into a Size 0 and allow a full 2/1/0/Gunrod formation. The MVP of Wizards, however, is Magic Artist, Andy; suddenly, Axia could come in and ping for free, Mary Sue became a broken spell-searcher, while also accelerating the aforementioned Virginie Casta.

card images taken from buddyfight.wikia.com

Still, it was only appropriate that the biggest boost to Magic World would come in the form of a spell card—and a very good one. Check it Out combines the versatility of Magical Goodbye, Eligos, and Fever by being four things at once: it can nullify an attack, save a monster, re-use on-call monster abilities, and extend attacks; Asmodai was the prime call target as it can destroy a monster that hasn’t attacked.

Finally, Gunrod, Gel Desu became the Gunrod of choice because it could push additional damage when necessary. There were other fun additions that saw some marginal use: GreatSpell, Devil’s Rock and Roll; Solomon’s Great Barrier; Magic School, Sephirot; Demon Sommelier, Zagan. Break to the Future allowed Magic World to compete toe-to-toe once again with the top decks of the Philippine meta.

Image owned by Bushiroad, taken from fc-buddyfight.com

DECKBUILDING

In the advent of Perfect Pack 1, Trial Deck 7: Tomorrow! Asmodai!, and Miracle Impack!, creative Magic World builds of all shapes and sizes emerged, even utilizing the expensive Sabnac in draw-go, wall-and-stall decks as well as the fun but unreliable New-Era GreatSpell, The Creation. To suggest a standard list for either 72 Pillars or Wizards would be difficult, but there are already a few staples to build around.

It all starts with four each of Nice One, Magical Goodbye, and Chillax for both attributes. The difficult choice would be whether to run the Key of Solomon series of cards or The Creation as your advantage engine. Solomon Shield is seldom seen in the main deck, but is safe at two copies. Oops! is a good sideboard card in 72 Pillars, but almost mandatory in Wizards due to lack of Asmodai’s removal ability.

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Mary Sue and Andy are definitely staple four-of monsters in Wizards due to the sheer advantage they give you, and 2-3 Tempest Wings so you don’t auto-loss to Raging Spirits and Ancient World in general; Asmodai in 72 Pillars, just because he’s mandatory, while Eligos should be run at 2-3 copies. Mix and match with the other monsters according to your deck contents and main win condition.

As far as win conditions are concerned, Great Spell, Grandfather’s Clock in Wizards is still a great way to push for those last points of damage, especially with a Gunrod equipped. Clock should be run at 2-3 copies, but more aggressive builds opt to run just a single copy to be searched by Mary Sue as a last resort. And as mentioned before, resolving Fever in 72 Pillars could mean lights out; run at 3-4 copies.

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Omni Lords present some fun deck-building dilemmas for Magic World. While they muddle up the consistency of attribute-specific Great Spells, as one-of cards they are also most accessible in a World where drawing extra cards is like breathing air, and allows a lot more flexibility in terms of winning images. The good news is that all four Omni Lords currently available are compatible with Magic World.

But by far the most important Omni Lord in Magic World is the Seventh. None of the other Omni Lords should be run in Magic World without including him. Count Dawn fixes your field to accommodate 2/1/0/Gunrod or 3/0/x/Gunrod formations in either 72 Pillars or Wizards, and provides needed reach. Until Magic World gets its own Size 0, and perhaps even after, he should always be in your deck.

THE FINAL VERDICT

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If you want to slowly grind your opponent to death with direct damage and stall tactics, Wizards is perfect for you. On the other hand, 72 Pillars utilizes a similar counter spell lineup to sway combat in your favor and break the game open for a game-ending rush. Magic World is difficult to play, but can be a highly rewarding experience for those who dare to be different.

CONTRIBUTORS

Deric Aldrin Tan - love him or hate him (usually the latter), for as long Japanese TCGs exist, he will continue to be the voice of reason against every injustice in the world of card games. Forever stalwart of Magic World Wizards, lover of Tempest Wing, and occasional troll using Dungeon Mix to deal 11 points of damage before you can finish saying Magical--

Jacint Malonzo - when he's not judging Pokemon VGCs on the other side of the store--and even when he is--he spends his time crushing hopes with the all-powerful Sabnac. Most recently, he was seen sowing salt after a well-placed Knight Counter ruined his day, earning Dragon Knight players everywhere his hatred.

Future Card Buddyfight in the Philippines

At a time when Bushiroad's original cash cow Cardfight Vanguard was getting stale with its redundant mechanics, Futurecard Buddyfight quietly swooped down on the unsuspecting player base with its solid mechanics and emphasis on deckbuilding to minimize the element of chance. No random triggers that increase damage or heal it. Buddyfight brought people back to the good old days of Magic: the Gathering where resources were curved and player interaction happened at every turn and phase of the game, and topdecking was the only hax you could rely on.

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Buddyfight took everything good about trading card games and added Bushiroad's signature flair for over-the-top action and eye-popping monster artwork. Players typically have access to two or more races/archetypes in every World, offering vastly different ways to experience the game and multiple paths to victory.

January 24-26, 2014 was the weekend that would mark the start of a new era: the Trial Deck tournament! We all had the choice between Dominant Dragons and Savage Steel. The first was a mid-range deck with an assortment of counter spells, while the second was a monster rush deck that rewarded the use of weapons. It was particularly jarring for those who knew only Vanguard and found it hard to grasp timing rules, chaining cards to each other, and the "last in, first out" concept introduced by Magic.

Image owned by Bushiroad, taken from fc-buddyfight.com

The legacy of that weekend was a handful of converts who would carry the banner of Buddyfight in the next few months. The hype would hit a fever pitch during the first Buddy Challenge, 27 April 2014, with 30+ players in attendance. When everyone shouted "raise the flag" at the same time, there was no turning back. Magic World reigned supreme as it took the top 3 spots amidst a vast sea of Dragon World players and their seemingly endless supply of shields.

Fast forward to 2015, and Buddyfight is now one of the fastest-growing trading card games in the Philippines. Weekly minor tournaments happen every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday in the five different venues all over the National Capital Region, attended regularly by 16 or more players, and monthly major tournaments seeing upwards 50 participants. Organized play support is strong, with promo cards becoming widely accessible as a result.

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People have been flocking to the game from Pokemon and Vanguard due to a variety of reasons, chief of which is the greatly reduced reliance on luck and the high level of competition necessitated by the deck-building aspect of Buddyfight. It wasn't about the number of time you got heads, nor the number of triggers you can check, but how well you've chosen your cards and the skill by which you play them. Magic: the Gathering, the progenitor game, was proving too expensive, and Buddyfight provided a significantly cheaper, but no less fun, alternative.

A lot has changed since, and if the most recent Buddy Challenge, 7 July 2015, is any indication, the game has seen a lot of growth both in the player base and depth of strategy. While Dragon World and Dragon Ein are still the dominant flags, a variety of decks have risen to the occasion, siring counter-strategies and anti-meta options that are slowly shifting the environment towards attrition and control. Thunder Knights fall to heavy defense; Ein is hard countered by attack redirection and double attack.

Image owned by Bushiroad, taken from fc-buddyfight.com

At the time of this writing, the 100 Era is already changing the landscape of the game; Danger, one of the original three worlds, is back with a vengeance with the "A" squad, as well as the deadly combination of Dangerous Cradle and Iblis; Raging Spirits from Ancient World are poised to become the next dominant archetype; the unstable Katana World has untested additions that might open the doors for a comeback.

Finally, the Hundred Demons have entered the arena. The TV show hyped up the Parade of the Hundred Demons flag with a complete sweep of Magic, Star Dragon, and Dragon World in a span of two episodes. While testing has shown that Thunder Mine can be played around and Yamigedo susceptible to repeated destruction and double attack, only time will tell, as well as the impending September 2015 Hundred Extra Booster release, if they will be a viable multi-World archetype on the same level as Dragon Ein.

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And that's a wrap for the Futurecard Buddyfight card game in the Philippines.