Let's play some Vanguard!
At last, we are finally on the
verge of finally being able to play the game. This will be the last post
regarding the tutorial essences necessary in playing the game and in the
succeeding posts we will formally be talking about in-depth analyses and
discussion of certain aspects regarding to the game.
To start with, both players place
their FVG’s to their respective Vanguard
circle face-down. Players then must decide on who will be playing first by rolling
a die, or by rock-paper-scissors, or any other method that both players would
agree to. After this has been decided, both players draw five (5) cards from
their respective decks (note: during only the first turn, a player may opt to
reshuffle any number of cards that that player drew and can draw again the same
number of cards that he/she returned to the deck; also called a mulligan). Both players then Stand their Vanguard by flipping it
face up. So basically, what happens in a turn? We’ll start off with ‘your’
turn.
During a turn, there are several
phases that occur and each of these phases has a corresponding actions that is
to be done so. The first phase during a player’s turn is the Stand phase or the phase where the turn
player stands his/her Vanguard. Next to this phase is the Draw phase where the turn player draws a card from his/her
respective deck, after which is the Ride
phase followed by the Main phase.
The Ride phase is that part of the
turn where the turn player may opt to or not to ride a unit that is of equal or
higher grade than the Vanguard unit currently present on his/her field, and the
Main phase is where the turn player is
given the opportunity to call or
summon forth units (that are equal or lesser in grade to the Vanguard unit) to
the five (5) Rear Guard circles.
The last phase in a turn is the Battle phase – although no battle phase
can occur during the first turn of the game – where the turn player has the
opportunity to attack the opponent’s front row units. Note that during a
battle, only the front-row units can attack and be selected as attack targets
(and only the front-rear guards are allowed to intercept). Units in the back
row only provide support and attack boost (grade 0 or 1 units). After a unit
has attacked, that unit is put to rest (indicated by putting it sideways)
and after a rear guard unit is attacked
and hit, that rear guard unit is sent into the drop zone. When all the battles
have been commenced, the turn player now ends his/her turn (or is in the End phase of the turn) and the same phase pattern is to be
followed by the opponent.
You win the game when you've already dealt equal to or more than six (6) damage to your opponent or when your opponent is unable to draw any more cards from his/her respective deck during his/her normal draw on his/her draw phase. This is also called a deck-out.
EXTENSION: Detailed and thorough Demonstration of the game
The Field positions
a.) Vanguard circle [V]– this is
where the Vanguard or the main unit (the axis)
of the deck is placed into. Units in the vanguard circle cannot be removed at
any time during the game. Units that are underneath the vanguard unit are
called the soul.
b.) Rear Guard circles [R] – or
the circles that units other than the vanguard are put into and these units
provide support to the main unit (the vanguard). Front row rear guard units can
attack and be attacked by the opponent’s front row units. Back-row units
however, cannot attack or be attacked (unless stated otherwise) by opposing
units. Rear guard units that are located on the sides can move or switch places
with the Rear guard unit that is directly in front of them(this process can be
repeated for as many times during the game as long as it is your turn).
c.) Guardian circle [G] – or the
circle where units that are used to guard are placed into. After that particular battle, units used to
guard are sent to the drop zone.
d.) The Drop zone – the part of the field where
units from rear guard circles (after being hit) and units from the guardian
circle (after being used to guard) are sent to or are discarded to.
e.) Deck zone – or the zone where
the deck is put to. If in any case a player has no more cards to draw (during
his/her turn’s draw phase), then that player loses the game.
f.) Trigger zone – or the area
where the drive/trigger checked card is revealed
g.) Damage zone – whenever a
player’s vanguard unit is hit by an opponent’s attack, the player checks the
top card of his/her deck for a trigger (and if it is, the trigger effect is
applied) and then sends that card to the damage zone. If the opponent has
exactly or more than six (6) damage, then that player loses the game.
A.
DURING YOUR TURN:
Place
FVG on the Vanguard Circle (face-down)
STAND PHASE
(Shout
“Stand-up, the VANGUARD!!!!”)
Stand your Vanguard and then draw 5
cards. You may or may not choose to mulligan. This is then followed by your DRAW PHASE where you get to draw the
top card of your deck.
RIDE PHASE
You can select a unit from
your hand which has a grade that is equal to or greater than the grade of the vanguard unit you have that is currently
on your field. In this photo, “Blade
Feather Valkyrie” (a grade 1 normal unit) rides over the grade 0 normal
unit (the FVG), “Black Dragon Whelp,
Vortimer”. You may or may not choose to ride during a turn.
MAIN PHASE
During the main
phase, you may call as many units to your rear guard circles as rear guard
units as long as the units that you are trying to call or summon to the field
has a grade no greater than your vanguard unit.
BATLE PHASE
During this
phase, you can engage your units to attack the opposing front row units that
your opponent controls. Front row units (2 rear guards, and 1 vanguard) are the
ones that will attack while backrow units support by adding their power to the
unit directly in front of them, provided of course that the backrow units are
grade 0 or 1 (or the units which have the ‘BOOST’ability).
Example:
“Blade Feather Valkyrie” is to attack. To indicate that a unit is attacking, turn is
sideways and then select the unit which will be the target of your attack.
“Knight of Elegant Skills, Gareth”, a grade 1 normal unit (which is
placed directly behind the vanguard unit), boosts Blade Feather Valkyrie.
Boosting also requires the boosting unit to rest and is also indicated by
turning it sideways.
In this case, Gareth’s 8k attack power is
given or is added to Valkyrie’s 7k attack power, totalling up to a 15k power
line. This process also applies to rear
guard units whenever they attack too.
*DRIVE
CHECK*
When you attack,
your opponent is given the option to either guard or to not guard. When your
vanguard unit attacks, after your opponent has decided the number of guards or what
are the units which he/she will be using
to guard for your attack, you have the opportunity to drive check. When your [V] unit attacks, you will check and see the
top card of your deck and then add it to
your hand. If a trigger unit is drive checked, the effect is activated
(provided that you have at least one unit on your field which is of the same
clan as the card that is being drive checked).Only the vanguard unit is allowed
to drive check. Trigger effects can be distributed separately to your units and
not necessarily on one unit only. Lastly, trigger effects only last until the
end phase of that particular turn.
Valkyrie attacks with support from Gareth. Turn player checks the top
card of his/her deck for a trigger:
Turn Player Drive checks a Draw trigger. He/She decides to give the +5k
power boost effect to one of his [R]
units and then draws a card.
After all battles have commenced, the turn player decides to
end his/her turn. This is called the END
PHASE.
B.) DURING YOUR OPPONENT’S TURN:
During your opponent’s turn, you
are most likely just going to be sitting there, watching him/her make his/her combos
while the only action you’re left to
(and only allowed to) do is guard and successfully survive all of
his/her attacks. The only part of your opponent’s turn where you would be
active is during (only) his/her battle phase – unless stated otherwise by a
card effect.
*GUARDING*
So when your opponent decides to
attack, you have the opportunity to decide whether you will guard or not that
particular attack initiated by your opponent. Often cases, you will be forced
to guard in order for you to keep your damage to a minimum or have rearguard
presence advantage (the more the better).
When you guard, you can select
any number of units from your hand and/or any of the two (or both of the) grade
2 rear guard units in the front row (which have the intercept ability), and
place them to the guardian circle. When you guard, make sure that total shield
power value added to the unit you are trying to protect is more than the attack
power of the unit that is attacking. This will ensure that the attack will not
hit thus a definite protection to your unit. After that particular battle,
units that were used to guard are then sent to the drop zone.
Example:
Player B
(Masquerade) decides to attack Player A (Valkyrie).
Masquerade has an attack power of 9000. With its drive check, it could
possible that it can hit for 14,000.
Player A decides to guard. He/she guards with “Scout of Darkness,
Vortimer” (left) and “Dantegal” (right).
Vortimer (5k shield) plus Dantegal’s (10k shield) shield power combined
together sums up to a 15k shield power, enough to reassuringly guard
masquerade’s attempted attack.
After all of your opponent’s attack he/she will end his/her
turn (End Phase) and it is your turn
again.The same procedures will apply and be repeated for the rest of the game.
During your next turn, you are to stand your
units, draw a card, and ride another unit the same or greater grade than your
current Vanguard.
Also, you may call
again as many units as you opt to
When you’re trying to call a unit
to a [R] circle and all the [R] circles have already been filled up
or no [R] circle is open, you just
simply Retire (or remove) the unit
in the designated [R]circle and “replace” it with the unit that you want
to call.
Example:
“Flash Edge Valkyrie” is placed on the [R] circle, and “Scout of Darkness, Vortimer” is retired and sent
to the drop zone.
After a long game of wits and
survival, when you have finally dealt six damages to your opponent, or you
finally managed to drain out all the resources from his/her deck − casuing them
to be unable to draw anymore cards – then you’ve won the game.
Spectral Duke Dragon delivered “Final turn” to
the Shadow Paladins
*six (6) damages (end of game; gg)
So there you have it. Some more
practice and you’ll be a good player in no time. It just takes a lot of
perseverance and hard work in order to become better at playing this game. And
always remember, that it is not in victory that power is attained, but it is in
learning – especially in one’s losses.
And thru learning, one will grow stronger and become better. And what’s the
best part about this? There is never an
end to learning.
