Future card Buddyfight

OVERVIEW

    For those of you who don't know Future card Buddyfight is a new game released into the world. It's style of play is similar to Magic in the sense it is turn based, you start with 2 digit life, and you try to knock your opponent down to 0. You also rest cards to attack, and sometimes to activate abilities. This game still holds it's own unique characteristics that make it incredibly enjoyable. 

GETTING STARTED

     With every game the first step is deck building. Like Cardfight Vanguard this game has a set deck limit where you cannot posses more, or less, cards than required. Unlike any other games this card's deck limit is exactly 52 cards. The reason for that is there is a main deck consisting of 50 cards, one card in the flag area, and one card in the buddy area. You are only permitted 4 copies of any card in your deck. NOTE: Your buddy monster does not count as part of your deck. So you may have a copy of your buddy card in your buddy zone, then 4 additional copies in your main deck. A great thing about Future card Buddyfight is that there are no restrictions on the size of the monsters in your deck. You can have as many size 0, 1, 2, or 3 monsters as you wish. The only limit pertains to the flag you chose. There are several different flags to chose from but they all have the same rule. Your deck can consist of the cards that belong to this world. The different worlds are Ancient, Dragon, Darkness Dragon (Coming in set 4), Danger, Dungeon, Magic, Katana, and Legend World. So you can't have any Danger world cards in your deck if you posses a Dragon World flag, and Vice versa. The same rule applies to all worlds. On top of world specific cards there are also "generic" cards which, as it sounds, can be put in any deck. Now a lot of Generic cards are next to useless, and the ones that are useful are "conditional" (meaning they only work in certain conditions) so most people use strictly world card decks.

KNOWING YOUR CARDS

     This is your standard Buddyfight Monster. At the top left is the monster's size. In Buddyfight you have 3 monster zones. Left, right, and center. Meaning you can only have 3 monsters. Furthermore there is a rule that the combined size of all your monsters cannot exceed 3. So you can have 1 size 3 monster, a size 2 and 1 monster, or 3 size 1 monsters, on the field at once. More can be added thanks to size 0 monsters which so far only exist in Ancient world, and Danger World. Just below the size of the monster are 3 numbers. The red number is the attack points of the monster. The blue number is the defense points of the monster. Similar to Cardfight Vanguard to defeat a monster you must have equal or greater attack points than your opponent's defense points. The white number is the critical points. When a monster attacks a fighter directly the white number amount is taken out of the opponent's life points. Of course there are cards to nullify attacks, or destroy monsters, that can protect you. The text in the lower mid section of the card is the card effects. Not all cards have an effect, but the ones that do make it obvious what they can do. Below the effect text is the card type. In this case Jackknife "Thunder Storm" is an armor dragon, and a green dragon. Below the type is the world the card belongs to. Jackknife "Thunder Storm" belongs to Dragon World. So in order to have it in the deck you must be using the Dragon World flag. 

KNOW YOUR MAT

    Most of the mat is pretty self explanatory, but let me explain anyways. The area to the bottom right is called the "deck area". That is where you'll place your 50 card main deck. To the top of the deck area is the drop zone. Also known as the graveyard. When your spells are used, gauge is consumed, or your items and monsters destroyed, they will go there. To the left of the deck area is the "Buddy" area. That is where you'll place your buddy monster face up at the beginning of the game. To the top left of the buddy area is the flag/item area. Firstly this is obviously where your flag goes. Dragon world, danger world, etc. The "item" part of the area pertains to item cards. Cards in your hand that you can equip to increase your power. When you play an item, after paying any call costs, you can place it over your flag to equip it. NOTE: this does not mean your flag is null, and void. You can't just place an item, then play whatever cards you want. You still have a limit to whatever flag you fight for. To the left of the flag/item is a blank area. Usually that's where you place Set Spells, but there's no general rule on where to put them.  Above the flag area are the 3 monster areas. Left, right, and Center. Some monsters do have abilities that only activate in the left or right. Some spells can only target left, or right areas. And likewise some cards only activate abilities when monsters are in, or not in, the center area. The most important part of the areas is that you cannot attack a fighter if a monster is in the fighter's middle area. You must destroy the center monster first. On the left side of the mat is the Gauge area. The gauge area is where you place the gauge at the start of the game, and all charged gauge from the hand. Gauge is used for calling monsters, casting spells, and equipping items. To be covered in the gameplay section.

GAMEPLAY

     After constructing your deck, and finding an opponent with a constructed deck, you're ready to play the game. First pull out your flag, and buddy, card. Then place those two cards in the respected areas. Shuffle your 50 card decks, and place them in the deck zone. Now this is the important part. Each player will draw 6 cards, and THEN put the top two cards in their gauge. You don't put two cards into your gauge first, you don't draw 6 place 2 from your hand into your gauge then draw again, and you don't draw one at a time, charge the ones you don't want, and continue drawing. Draw six, charge 2 from the top. There's actually no ruling on gauge, or looking at gauge, that I'm aware of. I have a pretty good memory so I don't look at my gauge, but I don't argue when my opponent's do. If you don't like your opponent being able to check your gauge let them know before hand. If anyone gives you crap let them know the rules state specifically you can't look at the cards you charge at the start of the game so it's logical you shouldn't be able to check your gauge at all.

     Once you've drawn your cards, and decided who's going first you start the draw phase. The process for the draw phase is to draw a card from the top of your deck, chose a card from your hand to place into the gauge, and if you placed a card into your gauge draw an additional card. If this is the first turn the first player only chooses whether or not to charge a card from their hand, then draw an additional card. The players then move from the draw phase to the main phase. There any player can place as many monsters as they wish, equip as many items as they wish, and cast as many spells as they wish (card restrictions apply). The main phase is also when ACT abilities can be activated. Like in Cardfight Vanguard there are 3 types of abilities.        ACT: Activated abilities which usually require a cost to be paid to activate an ability. So long as you pay the cost you can activate ACT abilities as many times as you please, but only during the main phase (unless stated otherwise)

     AUTO: Auto abilities can be activated at any time so long as the conditions are activated. For example of a card has the ability AUTO: When this unit is called XXX that card can use the XXX ability when it's called, regardless of which phase it is in; HOWEVER, auto abilities can only go off one time. Meaning you can't use the XXX ability as many times as you want.

     COUNTER: Counter abilities can be used at any point during any phase, when any action is performed. Counter abilities may only be used once.

     After you've made your field how you've wanted, and have no more cards from your hand you can, or want to, play you move to the attack phase. During the attack phase you turn your standing cards to rest, and declare who is attacking where. You can attack any creatures on the battle field, or the fighter. NOTE: You cannot attack the fighter if they have a monster in the center. If they have a monster in the center you must destroy the monster BEFORE attacking the fighter. If an opponent's monster has such high defense points that it cannot be destroyed by any 1 monster or item you can have monsters attack together to perform what is called a "link attack". Just as it sounds Link Attack means an attack consisting of two or more monsters. To my knowledge you CAN Link Attack a fighter, and in some cases knowing that is very important.

     NOTE: If it is the first turn the first player may only attack once with 1 monster. Meaning they can't link attack for the first attack, they can't attack with a monster then stand it back up, and double attack. One attack, with one monster/item.

     After the battle phase is over the turn goes to the opponent, who starts the process all over again. While the gameplay mechanics are simpler than a card like Cardfight Vanguard, and Yu-gi-oh, strategy is still very important in Future card Buddyfight. As it would be in any game. The childish name, and simple mechanics does not diminish the difficulty of this game. Especially for those who don't have the money to buy all the cards they could ever want. Future card Buddyfight is still a low budget game so don't let all the fancy cards, and shiny graphics intimidate you into not playing.

STRATEGY

    Just like in Cardfight Vanguard I'll give some basic strategies that applies to most, if not every, situation to help anyone reading this to get started. The first strategy I'd like to give is going first. While I prefer going second there are those who like to go first and just botch the first turn. So here's how your first turn should go. Don't call down all your cards in your first turn. It diminishes hand size, and leaves you vulnurable to counter strategies. Especially those for clearing fields. If you call anymore than 1 monster/item card it had better be because the cards you called have abilities you need. Otherwise you should only be calling one monster, preferably with soul guard, into the center and attacking your opponent. Another HUGE piece of going first strategy is if you deal any less than 2 damage your first turn is considered a failure. The only exception is placing a monster with plenty of defense points into the center to be your meat shield. Meat shields generally only do one damage. 

     When going first the preferred deck to have is either Ancient world or Dragon World, maybe even Dungeon world, since all three decks either have huge draw power, or huge defensive power. So they can take the hits, and keep on coming. Going second works for any deck, hense why I like going second. One more important piece of strategy is long game, or short game, tactics. If you have a primarily defensive deck, with a lot of shields, draw power, and/or strong defensive monsters, you can plan to have the game go into multiple turns. The only thing you need to worry about is running out of deck. Though it rarely happens you should still try to end the game before your deck depletes itself. If you're going for a short game, a quick win, don't be in such a rush to just OTK. Slap down some strong offensive cards, but save your ace for turn two, or three. Then just smash the enemy. If you're playing a long game deck against a short game deck attack the monsters first, and try not to let your life points hit 0 before you can destroy them all. If you're playing short game against long game keep in mind monsters would be your opponent's main target and call down the weaker monsters with high criticals first. Then call your stronger monsters and demolish your opponent. If your opponent decides not to attack your weaker, high critical, monsters first they are fools and the game is yours. Since most long term decks can't OTK.

    My preferred strategy is to go second with my dragon world, or katana world, decks and summon my strongest creatures, keep my strongest spells ready, and get in my opponent's face right from the get go. My strategy does go against what I said earlier but because my dragon world deck has plenty of shields, and dragoenergy cards, I don't have to worry about my monsters getting destroyed by attacks. Effects, and spells, are my achilles heel. My Katana World deck is naturally defensive with Phantom Ninja Kashinkoji, and art of body replacement I basically have a great shield. Then when that runs out Tsuchikage can back me up. So my decks are designed for short game wins, but can adapt to long game if it fails. Again spells, and effects, that destroy cards are my achilles heel.

    One more strategy that most new players seem to overlook is gauge control. Putting size 3 monsters with 3 gauge call costs in the same deck as impact cards with 3-4 gauge cast costs is a huge mistake. Unless you have cards that build up your gauge you only go up 1 gauge per turn, and you only start at 2 gauge. Even going first, and even with an impact card with only 3 gauge call cost you're basically saying "I'm not going to lose within the next 3 turns". For short game decks that's not a realistic goals. Your only hope is to face a long game deck with little to no attack power. Then hope they have no destroy monster spells, or return monster spells. Keep an eye on how much gauge your using to call/cast your cards. Plan your turns accordingly.

     For players who use low attack point monsters. Keep in mind your maximum attacking power. An easy way to figure how much attacking power you have is take any combination of cards (excluding copies of the same card) and see how much your maximum attacking power is. The highest defense point monster I've ever seen is 12000. Make sure you can make that number. You may not get the cards you need, but you always want the possibility. Otherwise you'll want plenty of destroy/return spells.

     The final strategy I want to talk about is soulguard and Penetrate. What most people don't know is if a monster with soulguard, and is in the center, gets hit by a monster with penetrate the damage is still dealt even if the monster does not leave the field. The reason is the soulguard monster is still destroyed but soulguard prevents it from leaving the field. And Penetrate only designates the monster being attacked has to be destroyed. It doesn't specify that the monster has to go to the graveyard.

EPILOGUE

   That's pretty much all the time I have for Future card Buddyfight. Hopefully if you've read this you're either ready to play, or you have a much better handle on strategy. Go out, buy your decks, and find a partner to buddyfight with. Or future fight if you prefer a more manly version. Also keep in mind with any TCG game decks are always being improved so be sure to check the future card buddyfight page, and any wikipedia pages, to see what future sets can bring to you. Remember there are no bad players, just bad strategies, and bad strategies can always be fixed.