Welcome Readers!
Covering the latest in Weiss Schwarz support:
Madoka Magica Rebellion!
Madoka Magica Rebellion!
This highly anticipated Weiss booster release is the second installment for Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Focused around the full-length feature film, "Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion" can be seen as stand-alone support - so you won't be needing the trial deck or the previous booster support to mess with this set - or you can mix it with previous cards.
Product Specifications
Released in English on 4th Sept 2015, this set has given us 100 new types of cards with 22 of them coming in a parallel/alternate rarity. With 8 cards in a booster pack, 20 boosters in a display box and 16 displays per carton, you have a good chance of pulling these parallel rarities. In this set, you also get 4 rubber limited edition playmats per carton you buy :D
Colour Breakdown
In this set, Green takes the majority of the card ratio, with Yellow, Red then Blue in joint last place: Green has 35 cards, Yellow has 25 cards, and both Red and Blue have 20 cards. The usual Madoka and Homura cards are found in Green, Mami and Nagisa are showing their talents in Yellow, Kyoto is being fiery in Red and Nagisa is shining in Blue. Along with special chibi versions of each of them found as box topper promos!
SP Gold Foil/Hot Stamp Cards
There are 6 exclusive SP cards that have a Japanese voice actresses autograph hot stamped on cards in gold foiling inserted randomly in packs:
- Madoka Kaname: Aoi Yuki
- Homura Akemi: Chiwa Saito
- Sayaka Miki: Eri Kitamura
- Kyoko Sakura: Ai Nonaka
- Mami Tomoe: Kaori Mizuhashi
- Nagisa Momoe: Kana Asumi
These beautiful cards are rumoured to be 3 pulled per carton, but I was lucky enough to pull my SP Sayaka in the 2 boxes I got upon release :D
Now, let's have a look at my favourite cards per colour throughout the set! I have done my best to think of 3-5 cards per colour and briefly explain my reasons for choosing these beauties that I believe to be staples in your deck :)
Yellow
- [Character] One Guided By The Law of the Cycle, Nagisa ~ 10000 power, 2 cost; This is my favourite Yellow card in this set for a number of obvious reasons, the first being the fact that she's a Level 3 healer: [Auto] When this card is placed on the stage by hand, you may put the top card of your clock into your waiting room. You can easily run this with alone, with Mami Tomoe from the first Madoka set or with "I'm Happy Now, Mami". Her second skill is a climax triggered effect when "Bearer of Memories" is placed in the Climax area, you may pay 1 stock, choose one of your opponent's Level 3 or less characters and it goes into their memory. Your opponent then chooses a Level 0 or less character from their waiting room and puts it on the stage position that the character was on. This brilliant skill can easily mess up your opponents beasty or combo driving cards!
- [Character] Junior and Senior, Mami & Madoka ~ 7500 power, 1 cost; This nice Level 2 character gains +500 power for each of your other Magic characters during your turn, so ideal for hitting those pesky Level 3s or Level 2s with "change" or some other annoying skill, haha.
Her second skill is climax based where when she attacks, if "Tiro Duet" is in your Climax Area, you may choose one of your opponent's characters and return it back to your opponent's hand; forcing them to repay stock to recall it back to the field :P
- [Character] "I'm Happy Now" Mami ~ 10000 power, 2 cost; Another Level 3 character with 2 awesome skills. First is power based as she gains +500 power for each of your other Magic characters. Ideal for some powerful front stage presence. The second activates once per turn: [Auto] During the turn that this card is placed on stage from your hand or by the "Change" effect, when damage dealt by this card is cancelled, you may deal one damage to your opponent (this damage may be stopped). The best part of this character is the Level 2 that changes into her: "Magical Girls Tea Party" Mami - 4000 power, 1 cost; [Cont] All of your other Magic characters get +1000 power, and [Auto][Change][(1) Put this card into your waiting room] At the beginning of your draw phase, if you pay the cost, choose a card named "I'm Happy Now, Mami" from your Waiting Room, and put it on the stage position that this card was on.
- [Event] A New Encounter ~ Level 3, 5 cost; This one I can see being a 1/2 of in a decklist as it has the potential to be a game finisher - If the number of characters you have with "Mami" or "Nagisa" in its name is five or more, until end of turn, all of your characters get +3000 power and gain the following ability: [Auto] Activates once per turn: When damage dealt by this card is cancelled, you may deal one damage to your opponent (this damage may be cancelled)".
Green
- [Character] "For Madoka's Sake" Homura ~ 10000 power, 2 cost; This Level 3 character has 3 abilities, as well as being able to be called to the stage from a "Change" ability. The first ability activates when placed on stage by hand or by "Change" where you can draw up to 2 cards, and choose a card from your hand and put it into your waiting room, so a nice draw-and-ditch there to cycle through cards in deck and in hand. The second ability is forcing one of your standing Magic character and rest it when she is placed by hand. Not too great there, but it's ok as it makes to think about utilising the "Change" ability.
- [Character] "A Painful Thing" Madoka ~ 10000 power, 2 cost; This Level 3 character has 2 small but effective skills: the first being able to be called to field on Level 2 from hand if you have 6 or more climaxes in the Waiting Room; so a nice little trick to get back into the game if you feel you're possibly falling behind. The second being when placed from hand, you may choose a Magic character from your clock equal to or less than your level and put it on any position of your stage. If you do, put the top card of your deck into the clock. Although, this isn't like "Resisting Fate, Levi", at least you can call a possibly decent character to the field without losing any more stock to pay for it :)
- [Character] Madoka Thinking of Homura ~ 5000 power, 0 cost; Although this Level 1 cannot side attack, her main ability is climax based when she attacks - with "Guide to Salvation" in the climax area - until the end of turn, she gains +3500 power and the ability to put the top card of your deck into your stock when she reversed her battle opponent. So as well as costing zero stock, despite needing a specific climax card in the climax area, she gains a significant amount of power and can easily knock down a Level 2 or low powered Level 3 (especially with an assist), and to top it off, she can gain you a nice extra stock on top of the one you gain from her attacking :D - [Character] Unchanging Smile, Madoka ~ 8000 power, 1 cost; Now this card ties closely with the character above, but for the fact that when she attacks (again when a specific climax "Mild Days" in the Climax Area) you can put a Magic character from your hand and discard it into the waiting room + Rest one of your Stood Magic Characters. If you do, you can search your deck for up to 2 Magic characters, reveal them to your opponent and put them into your hand, shuffle your deck afterwards. I adore this character as it's a decent way to quickly find units you may need for your next combo-filled turn :D
- [Character] Homura Became a Demon ~ 10000 power, 2 cost; Now this effect-filled Level 3 unit combos with another Level 3 (Ultimate Madoka) and a Level 0 (Madoka from the New World). [Cont] If there is a marker underneath this card, this card gets +8500 power - turning this character to 18500 power makes this card a very troublesome unit that little can overpower or get rid of by pure brute force. [Auto] When this card is placed on stage by hand, choose one of your cards named "Ultimate Madoka" and place it underneath this card as a marker - setting herself up nicely for that massive power increase - and then if you do, choose a card named "Madoka from the New World" in your waiting room, and put it on any position on your stage. So as well as the power gain, you also gain another unit to your stage without using resources from hand which is a nice touch. Her third ability is [Auto](2) and put a card from hand into your waiting room; when this card's battle opponent becomes reversed, you may pay the cost to put that character into your opponent's clock: dealing them more damage and getting rid of their field at the same time. Overall a powerful unit and a decent Level 3 to run if you can't get hold of others you may like :)
Red
- [Character] Intuitive Type, Kyoko ~ 10000 power, 2 cost; Mighty Kyoko is back in a new light as the Red healing Level 3 and with 2 stock and putting a card from your hand into your waiting room, when she attacks, before triggers, you may deal one damage to your opponent; so as well as healing a point of damage, you can deal you opponent essentially the one you healed ;P A nice flavour character for any mono Red or infamous Red/Blue deck! - [Character] Unyielding Girl, Kyoko ~ 9500 power, 2 cost; This Level 2 Kyoko has one particular ability of interest; a climax focused skill allowing you to choose a card from your waiting room and return it back to your hand, and this card gets +1500 power until the end of your opponent's next turn, by paying 1 stock when she attacks when "Reunion and Alliance" is in your climax area. This character can also be changed into through "Puella Magic Holy Quintet" Kyoko: A Level 1, 2500 power, 1 cost character that has assist of +500 and +1 level and the change occurs before your Draw Phase :)
- [Character] Doubt Towards the World, Kyoko ~ 2500 power, 0 cost; A nice Level 1 "suicide" character where despite her power, she has the ability to reverse her battle opponent if it is Level 1 or less when she becomes reversed; basically take out her opponent before she goes to the waiting room: easily sorting out those overpowered Level 1s - Humanity's Strongest Solider, Levi for example. She also has a second ability to give another of your Magic characters +1500 power when she becomes reversed: so including her dealing with pesky Level 1 characters, being able to give another of your characters +1500 power could be enough to stop it from being taken out through power during your opponent's turn; having this on the field with the similar Level 0 version can disrupt your opponent's plan a considerable amount.
- [Event] A World Tampered With ~ 0 cost; Both you and your opponent returns all cards in his/her waiting room back into his/her deck and shuffles them afterwards. A Level 1, 0 costing event card that gives you a free refresh; the ideal play to make once your opponent already manually refreshes and takes damage ;P This card may not be a staple, but to me a 2 of this card could save you from those extra refresh damage you have to take in the game.
Blue
- [Character] One Guided By The Law of the Cycle, Sayaka ~ 9500 power, 2 cost; This Level 3 character will definitely make you want to run Blue or at very least, splash some Blue in your deck. She has 3 abilities, one of which is Climax based: the first is [Cont] if the number of Climaxes in your waiting room is 6 or less, she gets -1 level while in your hand. Another nice character to call earlier in the game that expected. Comboed along with the Blue Brainstorm character - Memories of a Witch, Sayaka - you can speed up this process and/or make use of seeing so many climaxes early in your game. The second skill activates before your opponent's Draw Phase; if she is in your centre stage, her ability gives any one of your Magic characters +4000 power until the end of turn. One sure way to make herself more difficult to dispose of or one of your other key units. Her climax needing third ability allows you to pay 1 stock when she attacks, and if you do, you may search your deck for up to two Magic characters, reveal them to your opponent and add them to your hand. Another fantastic skill that allows you to directly obtain the characters you may need to set up an awesome combo in your next turn :D
- [Character] "Magical Girls' Tea Party" Sayaka ~ 6000 power, 1 cost; I quite like this little Level 1 and to me, it's worth 2-3 spaces in your deck. First reason is the fact that she has Encore (the "from top deck to your clock" kind) and the second working to help set up the above Sayaka as you can ditch a climax card during your Main Phase to give her +1000 power and the following skill: "[Auto] When this card's battle opponent becomes reversed, you may draw a card". A nice indirect ditch-and-draw there but although you have to discard a climax card, it does help speed up the Level 3s Sayaka's set up :) - [Character] "Exterminating Nightmares" Sayaka ~ 8000 power, 2 cost; This cute Level 2 Sayaka has two nice abilities: the first being when it is placed on stage by hand, if you have 4 or more other Magic characters, you may put the top card of your deck into your stock; essentially getting 1 stock back after paying for her which isn't bad as you can get a much needed card out of the stock and a more useless one from the deck to replace it. The second skill is each time another of your Magic characters attacks, she gains +1000 power, so an ideal character to attack last in your front stage formation to gain the most power from your turn.
Final Thoughts?
So far, I am really adoring this set as a whole and enjoying playtesting my deck builds against other Madoka builds. I am currently playtesting a mono Green build focusing around Homura/Madoka, and a mono Yellow build with Mami/Nagisa. At some point I shall be splashing some Blue support in my Green deck, but enjoying mono colours until I feel that I have found a decent and consistent enough mono Green build for my playstyle :D
My friend - as well as a few locals - is focusing around a Red/Blue deck which appears to be a popular choice amongst Weiss players in general, however I may stand corrected :3
This set is definitely one to consider for people who either have the older support, like the anime or fancy something different to play. throughout each of the colours, they all have similar skills such as the use of "shift" and "change" so you can utilise general skills as well as the focused traits of each colour. Get creative and enjoy this amazingly balanced (in my opinion ;P) set!!
That's all for now Readers, so I hope you enjoyed this first ever Weiss blog post and maybe see you again soon when I post up my decklists separately :D
Moka x x
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