Article 6: At the front of...
Almost a month after the latest Dramatic Booster is released, it's time for me to really type an article looking at everything at the set.
So is "At the front of War" really at the front of the packs in terms of card quality?
DB8 - Overview:
Unlike the big booster set, a dramatic booster is usually revolve around a theme. This time, the theme is bringing the players right into the battlefield itself, giving them the experience of true "Gundam War".
To achieve this, the first is of course the illustration and flavor text itself from the cards. All the illustration in the set are done from scatch (or, not "cutting from anime"). In addition, all Units have "full" art (or, arts taking up from the top to behind the effect text). All of the ideas art, in addition, are from a "competition" on official site where the players gives the artist ideas on what kind of art they want.
The flavor can also be seen from the Unit choice: in addition to the usual Gundams, there's an exceptional high amount of tanks and hovercrafts in the set. Of course, since everybody still LOVES One Year War era (0079 to 0083, that is), majority of the cards in this set are disturbuted between Blue and Green.
From mechanic standpoint, a "mechanic" called "Rough Terrain" (field card like) is introduce. This "field" gives your Unit that battles better in desert better than those who ain't. Although the theme itself is limited to this set, at least it's refreshing...
Color by Color Analysis:
Blue:
With a high number of cards in this set, Blue just does not disappointed.
- U-321 Gundam (Last Shooting) - Some people called this card the "most broken Gundam EVER". Well, kind of. It have the ability to boost itself plus making opponent pay if he destroys this thing.
- U-322 Gundam Prototype GP01Fb - This card itself is good well, because it is pretty much "untargetable" if opponent don't use like at least 2 cards to somehow target this card in the same cut.
- C-121 Breakthrough - Very good drawers in Blue Weenie, and yes...it count Units when PLAYED, not after all battles...
- C-122 Reporting back to Squad - Only on this list because it makes another card got restricted (U-Z55 Overhead Hawk)
Green:
As the other color that got a lot of new cards in this small set. What Zeon loves to sent to Battlefield? Well, easy...junk and mass-produced Unit and this set got plenty of them. But how good is the cards from this set?
- C-121 Sudden Assault at Night - At minimum, it scare opponent so he would not attack you this turn. The card is even better if play when you attack and opponent defend (especially with Raid), best when opponent is FORCE to play their 1/0/1 Units to be slaughtered in battle. But is the first 2 way how Green play? Ehh...no idea.
- O-113 Encircling Annihilation - Making the word "negate destruction" useless is pretty good. Plus the damages dealt would actually stay, which is VERY good with Green burns. The question now is, where to find spaces to put in this card? No idea...
Black:
Black and Red got the shaft in this set, with them only getting 5 whooping cards...but sometimes people say "less is more", so any gems?
- U-168 Gundam TR-1 [Advance Hazel] - An Unit that let you reuse Commands you used during a turn one more time during this turn. Is there enough good Commands to use in a Black deck? Not sure...and it cannot help those Commands negated.
- C-73 Briefing - Oh my god...Black actually gets a drawer. The more OMG? It only cost 2 NPs (that's less than Red drawers!!). Hey, opponent get to choose which cards from top 3 he didn't want you to have, but it's not like it is much difference to drawing 2 cards...and losing 1 card out of 3 is not that much unless that is the ONLY good card from there. However, consider you dump good cards to LCPs all the time paying resources...
Red:
As I said above, Red also gets the shaft in this set. So is there anything good? I would say ONE that people use in tournament decks is WAY more than enough.
- U-162 Geara Doga (Rezin Schnyder Machine) - Why this card is VERY good in Red Beatdowns? You are asking me why? Reroll out is good, 4 attack with 4 cost is good, Space Battle protecting the relatively low 3 defense is good, and rolling ALL opponent's CARDS (not just Units...CARDS) in the process? Unbelievable.
Brown:
When you talk about Brown in fighting and without G Gundam...it's a joke. Turn A is known for its lack of battles in the anime (I watched it, compared to number of battles in things like V Gundam, god, Turn A is like love story!). Gundam X gets some battle...but jsut not much...so on a set talking about battles, how they did?
White:
Finally time for White. Well, they got the funniest card ever since Gundam ACE (which have non-playable joke cards) in Command Zaku CCI. But in serious game, did they get anything?
- U-S165 Destroy Gundam - Although this card is a 7 cost Units with a substitute cost that is pretty hard to achieve, but look at it the other way: it got both Psycommu and Area Weapon, and it got the effect that slaughter opponent's hand and LCP (a.k.a. any Brown deck will HATE this card). Enough?
- U-S168 Gundam Astray Outframe (Backhome Equipped) - There is a reason why White deck suddenly becomes very good. This gem is only 3 cost, but every time it attacks, it gives you 2 cards...OK, not exactly each time (since you may not use up cards from your Hangar), but if you have the chance of draw cards while dealing damages to opponent's Nation/Units, it's good card, VERY good card.
Purple:
Finally, at last, the non-affiliate cards...
- C-9 Eyes of Affection - This card is the MOST expensive card right now. First it got Lacus in the art which we all know how many Lacus fans are out there in the world. Second it's a Super Rare making it super hard to find one in the first place. Third it's a Purple card...meaning the demand would be higher than a good card for a single color (since all decks can use this card). Fourth is that this card is pretty useful: it can negate the destruction of one of your card, or becomes a "Generation" (that is not really one) that tells reset card that "too little too late, I recover my Nation but all your stuff gone and I don't have to waste stuff that will be gone from the field in few seconds afterward anyway". Even if not reset, desperate recovery at late game = good.
Last Word:
As usual, I'm not happy that Bandai just loves shafting Black and Red for no obvious reason while giving Blue, Green, and White forever more cards. However, with the good amount of useful cards in this set, pulling a box may not be a bad choice. The theming of this set is just amazing, and thanks for all the artist, the illustrations is the best of all sets. When a Dramatic booster is making some big shift in metagame in tournaments (just see decks before this pack and after this from official site for GW Championship Qualifier), it's a good set.
- Baron, 6/27/2007
