Very very happy to finally have Argo Sirens in hand, local Aqua Force fan finally has their second AqF deck (Valeos was first)
I wanted a Battle Siren VG for a WHILE and Calliopeia is just 10/10
I just. Still need 7 crits cause all the vanilla ones are way too expensive lol
It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. So I’m back to talk about my Aqua Force deck for both formats featuring cards in the latest Extra Booster, My Glorious Justice, and both decks will be my definitive take on it. I’ll briefly touch about strengths and weaknesses, as well as any alternatives that can be considered. So without further ado, let’s storm in.
Standard Format
Grade 3 (9 Cards)
x4 Blue Storm Supreme Dragon, Glory Maelstrom: The boss of the deck, really strong card at maximum power, capable of ending the game as soon as he appears. His skill limits your opponent’s guard to a single card per attack, while locking them out of intercepting for the entire turn, all for one counter blast is quite a force. Ideally, you want to ride him second after any Maelstrom; to give +10k to the entire front row, but even if you have to ride him first, the guard restriction alone is quite strong with a powerful board by making your attacks unblockable without either a heal trigger or a perfect guard in your opponent’s hand.
x3 Blue Storm Dragon, Maelstrom: While not nearly as deadly as Glory, regular Maelstrom is your ideal first ride as he pressures your opponent to guard early or risk him re-standing if either your third or fourth battle attacks hit. If you’re playing critical triggers too, they’d also have to consider blocking the vanguard attack as well or risk taking too much damage early, all of which conditioning your opponent to struggle trying to live a Glory Maelstrom turn.
x2 Riptide Dragon: We play two of him because while he is the worst ride; by having no gift marker, Riptide himself eats up a lot of shield from your opponent, and while on Glory he’s unblockable. Hitting 32k by himself means that even without the 10k bonus from Glory, all Accel/Protect decks have to perfect guard or take him, the same for Force decks for +1k more.
Grade 2 (12 Cards)
x4 Blue Wing of Obstinacy, Shimeon: Blue Wings are the newest archetype for Aqua Force from My Glorious Justice, in which they focus on swarming the field and gaining benefits for having other Blue Wing cards in play. Their offensive gimmick is that if you reveal a heal trigger during your drive check, they can stand themselves, once a turn, which is accessible on both rear-guard circle and vanguard circle. So with 12 offensive triggers, and a potential field re-stand, and vanguard re-stand from grades 1 to 3 (assuming you ride Blue Storm Dragon, Maelstrom), your aggression is really potent as early as your first attack. Shimeon is an 11k grade 2, who without any Blue Wings on the board (including guardian circle) will regress to a 6k. He’s typically your target ride especially going first to slow down opposing aggression.
x4 Blue Wing of Justice Fauros: Fauros is an okay rear-guard, with his only benefits being his name and his skills, that which he gains 5k for having another Blue Wing unit. However, if you have four or more Blue Wings, he trades the 5k for the ability to re-stand, which is always a staple in Aqua Force. His downside is that he’s very expensive being a counter blast and a soul blast for what can either be 5k or a re-stand. I personally think if he was allowed to keep the 5k with the re-stand, it’d of allowed him to be better making the cost reasonable or by splitting the costs (as shown with other units) one for each effect, it’d make him very versatile. Overall, you don’t usually use his skill however unless he has a critical or you’re going for the kill, regardless if he can stand because your counter blast is a very important resource for both Glory and another card.
x4 Coral Assault: Coral Assault, along with the grade 3s and triggers, are the only non-Blue Wing units in this deck. Being a 24k attacker by simply having four or more other units rested is really strong, especially in tandem with Glory Maelstrom who makes these heavy hitting swings nigh-unblockable. While he is able to soul charge himself, allowing you to draw, you won’t use this unless you’re up against control because it’d be beneficial to have him than to trade him without the guarantee of having another unit capable of hitting as high as him.
Grade 1 (12 Cards)
x4 Blue Wing of Faith, Basilea: Like Odysseus to Ripples, Basilea is what makes the archetype. While a 7k base, on place, she can check the top three cards of the deck, and adds all Blue Wing cards from among them to your hand for one counter blast. While the possibility to whiff is there, the ability to +3 is really powerful for an aggressive clan like Aqua Force. You’re building hand, which is your offense by extension, and you’re deck thinning to be able to hit more triggers. She’s never a bad card at any point of the game and especially if your board takes a hit from retirement or something of an Exculpate that attacks multiple cards. I’d say she’s a bad ride but being a Blue Wing means she can re-stand if you hit an early heal trigger. Overall really solid engine card and why you want to play as many Blue Wings as you can to always be rewarded.
x4 Blue Wing of Resonance, Maxios: If you have another Blue Wing unit, Maxios goes from 7k to 12k making him a big booster or a solo attacker vs Protect/Accel clans. If you have four or more, he gains +10k instead of 5k, making him a 17k attacker/booster. Good card to help your other units touch the unblockable threshold with Glory. Kinda reminds me of Melania minus the draw and resist.
x4 Blue Wing of Sympathy, Makarios: On the topic of resist, Makarios is the only 8k base grade one in the deck, (probably for the better so that most decks don’t try and damage deny us out of our counter blast for Basilea). Makarios gives himself “Resist” (not the exact skill but it’s a CONT: cannot be chosen by opponent’s card effects) if you have a Blue Wing unit in play. If you have four or more, this effect applies to all of your rear-guards. Not much to say except it’s a really good effect that allows the deck to not die immediately vs control decks.
Triggers, Starter, Gift Type
Blow-bubble Dracokid: Nothing fancy, typical draw one upon ride starter.
x8 Critical Triggers: I’m a firm believer of “early critting is early winning”. I feel the synergy between critical triggers and this deck is really high on reward. You want to attack with all of your Blue Wings first, followed by your vanguard: at which your opponent can decide to take it or guard it, without knowing whether you’re gonna hit them for more damage or re-stand your board. In contrast to Front triggers, which wants the vanguard to attack first (or as soon as possible), can lose the re-stand opportunities for the sake of higher power (which in a non-Blue Wing deck, they’d be fine). Plus, at the end of the day, I want my opponent to be at high damage or low hand (from guarding so much so early) so that Glory Maelstrom can push for game whether it’s due to having huge attack power from a full field, extra damage from critical triggers, or extra attacks via heal trigger checks. If you do want to run Front Triggers, I wouldn’t go more than 3.
x4 Draw Triggers: Extra hand and perfect guards are nice. You could be crazy enough to try maybe 12 Critical Triggers or 4 Fronts for maximum offense (16 offensive triggers in this deck at that point), but I don’t think it’s that necessary.
x4 Heal Triggers: So while heals are ideally what you want to check when you have a Blue Wing field, I do believe that you shouldn’t always bank on these since there’s only four of them in a deck. I urge people that do plan on playing this to consider optimal attack patterns and not tunnel vision into the idea of re-standing your board. That’s more of a bonus while the real benefit/purpose of Blue Wings is to swarm and plus from Basilea.
Accel 1 vs Accel 2: While Accel one guarantees the unblockable threshold on Glory, Accel 2 does give you an extra card. However, because both are stopped by one defensive trigger, I believe it’s better to get a draw than nothing at all, so I would particularly advise going Accel 2, especially considering Aqua Force wants/needs hand majority of the time (even with Basilea as she cannot add sentinels/grade 3s), and that your heavy hitters like Riptide and Coral Assault are already hitting that threshold by themselves with Glory’s +10k (especially Riptide).
Strengths
The most obvious strength is that we’re able to swarm faster than most decks especially with Basilea adding more cards to further our aggression and deck thinning. Faster swarming means more pressure on the opponent in having to guard or take attacks. And while I did mention to not tunnel vision or bank on checking them too often, checking a heal is still free extra swings along with an added 10k. There’s a lot of utility between having grade one attacker being 12k-17k, potential board resist, re-standing grade 2, and huge numbers, on top of the incoming threat that is Glory Maelstrom. You don’t have to worry too much about bricking because Basilea can push the momentum forward at any stage of the game.
Weaknesses
The most important weakness I can think of is being damage denied, which is another reason for your opponent to rear-guard hate you. While being rear-guard hated is not the issue because you will always be able to replace them, being counter blast denied is since you do not have Light Signals Penguin Soldier or any means of counter charging, to give you back a damage, which is needed for Glory’s skill. I did mention before that your grade ones are lower powered to ensure that you don’t lose out on a counter blast as early as turn one, but that will often by the one you use for Basilea to grab more cards. However, if it does come to it, you are able to ride Blue Storm Dragon Maelstrom for an extra accel circle, to increase your offense and even try to go for a vanguard re-stand. And while we do have Makarios, it is still possible to have a tough time against control and even more difficult if Royal Paladin hits you with Exculpate. So be mindful and be prepared for that.
Premium Format
Another reason why I’m playing Blue Wings + Maelstrom is because they have the ability to function in Premium as simply a “Standard+” deck, (simply put, take a Standard deck, add some premium cards especially your G-zone and you’re done). It offers the same strengths as it would in Standard.
I’m not gonna go through the boring process of listing each card again, I’m just going to simply explain new cards (especially card swaps) and that’ll be it.
x4 Blue Storm Marine General, Eldermoss: I traded Coral Assault for Eldermoss because while Coral hits a big number, Eldermoss has flex in being a 14k attacker who can fuel your soul with Maelstroms, while sitting on a 10k base. The 10k base is important because between having an 11k base grade two and a 10k base, in a format whose grade two base fluctuates between 9k-10k, it’ll make grade stalling and slowing down aggression easier. However, I do feel in terms of Premium, you can fit any card in this slot particularly something like Tidal Assault (original) for flexible multi-attacking.
x1 Swim Patrol Jellyfish Soldier: This isn’t necessarily replacing anything but the free spot was open to anything that can benefit the deck but wouldn’t matter too much since it’d be a single copy. I gave it to Jellyfish Soldier because Aqua Force really wants to be able to counter charge as often as possible. While we do have another means of doing so, having access to an alternative method is nice as well.
x4 Direct Hit Brave Shooter: Nothing special, just a critical who gives you draw and +10k to the vanguard.
x1 Blue Storm Cadet, Marios: Marios is probably the best starter for Maelstrom being able to consistently grab one as early as turn two. Later turns, probably won’t be as relevant since you’re triple driving and get a direct search from Disaster, but if your vanguard hits, never miss out on using his effect because deck thinning and always having a grade three for stride or to call as rear-guard is good.
Generation Zone (10 G Units, 6 Generation Guards)
x2 Marshal General of Surging Seas, Alexandros: Alexandros is typically your first stride because he can flip up anything your G-zone and stands two units with an additional +5k per face up card in your G-zone. Because he grows in strength as the game continues it’s important not to waste him too early. I will say that I feel he’s not as strong in this deck as he normally would be due to there being only one re-standing rear-guard who happens to need a specific condition on top of being expensive. So that is something to consider but having the option to have two rears stand with +30k power and higher is always something to aim for especially in the late game.
x2 Blue Storm Helical Dragon, Disaster Maelstrom: Another first stride target, Disaster gives +5k to three units in the front row if you have Maelstrom in your soul which makes him a tiny bit better than Alexandros for the first stride. He also doesn’t cost any resources in terms of counter blast, so if you get damage denied, he’ll typically be the best option as he’s able to get you a Maelstrom from deck to hand, both that and himself, setting up for future plays.
x2 Torrent of Determination, Valeos Revive: Aqua Force’s newest stride from the Premium Collection 2019 Set. On attack, you can call two up to two cards from hand per each face up card in the G zone, then draw equal to the same number of cards you called, so you reset your board while keeping cards in hand. However, his important effect is that he locks your opponent’s power to 11k for the entire turn if you have two or more cards face up in your G zone. This is actually very powerful because it means if you’re able to generate more attacks than your opponent has cards in hand, you’re effectively winning that turn since damage triggers cannot disrupt your attacks (while draws and heals do still activate however). He’s typically your go to second stride to push for damage especially if they’re at low damage.
x1 Blue Storm Breaking Dragon, Engulf Maelstrom: We run one of him because I feel you only need one. Simply put, if he attacks on the fourth battle, your opponent cannot call cards whose grade is less than the number of Maelstroms in soul. If you already have one in soul, you’re locking your opponent out of grade zeroes which is a huge restriction if they happen to run draw trigger sentinels (which most decks are). With 2 in soul, you’re completely stopping your opponent from guarding with perfect guards entirely leaving them only to guard with G-guardians. For Force and Accel clans, this is pretty decisive, though for Protect, this card is useless since Protect Gift marker does not have a grade. You can also flip a card in your G-zone to give him a critical +1 if you have two or more Maelstroms face up in the G-zone, making him lethal at four damage.
x1 Storm of Lament, Wailing Thavas: My all time favorite card in the entire game. Sadly he hasn’t aged too well because of the inception of draw sentinels making his guard restriction ability moot. However, having the option to board wipe is still pretty good for if the time comes. If you don’t prefer this, you can always swap him for another Engulf.
x1 Progenitor Dragon of Deep Sea, Balanerena: The newest wave of nation strides, units that are usable by all clans in it’s respective nation by dropping a card with the same name as your vanguard for the cost of stride, these dragons give you access to stride for the rest of the game without paying the cost, which I must say is something Premium (and even G) needed since striding is very important that whiffing it once, without a play that was as strong as striding, was pretty much the end of the game for you. You only really want to go into Balanerena if you know you won’t be able to stride the following turns (whether it’s because you need to re-ride or if your hand/field is low, both scenarios very possible and very common in Premium) or if your opponent is at 4-5 damage because every guardian that they call has the potential of being retired by discarding a grade one or lower from your hand. This won’t negate the perfect guard’s effect however, but this is on similar to Glory Maelstrom in forcing your opponent into sticky situations that can potentially end the game.
x1 Zeroth Dragon of Distant Seas, Megiddo: If you’re able to go for it, Megiddo can push for game with no repercussion since you have a somewhat strong non-stride turn in Glory Maelstrom (be wary that they can G-guard to bypass Glory’s restriction however). Like Alexandros, not as strong without re-standers but being able to swap units in and out of the Accel circle is good enough. Typically only go into this if you have nothing else, especially if your board is looking weak for anything else. Both nation strides are easy to fulfill given your starter and Disaster grabbing any Maelstrom of your choosing when he attacks.
x2 Guard Leader of Sky and Water, Ihoannes: Your biggest G-guardian especially if you have a big field. Gives resist and battle protection to your rear-guards, as well as accelerating your G-zone, along with +5k shield per each rear-guard.
x2 Blue Wave Armor General, Galfilia: Your typical G-guardian that ends up being the flip target for most of your cards whether it be Valeos, Alexandros, Ihoannes, or Engulf. That’s because for a soul blast, she can flip herself face down, and chooses a face down card in Vanguard, Rear-guard, or damage, and turns it face up. While she can counter charge, she can unlock rears, or even un-delete your vanguard. While she can flip herself face down, making her recyclable, it’s important to have two or more because she’s your go-to guardian most of the time and you don’t want to run into a situation where you can’t use her as an actual guardian.
x1 Blue Storm Deterrence Dragon, Ice Barrier Dragon: In very niche situations, he comes in handy being a 25k shield on a solo vanguard swing or a late power swing.
x1 Dark Element, Dizmel: Because rear-guard hating is common, calling this out to save your rear-guard is fine. Alternatively, you can just play another Galfilia or even Colburn for decks with a lot of hand.
Closing Statement
This deck is very fun to play, I enjoy it a lot. Very excited to build it and whatnot. I know people might’ve expected a deck profile regarding generic Aqua Force (without Blue Wings) especially considering my post before My Glorious Justice was released in JPN. However, while I do have a generic deck for both Standard and Premium, I feel as though Blue Wings are faster and can do a lot more base level with a slightly higher ceiling than generic AQ. I think in the future, I’ll go over them but for now I’ve just been wingin’ it on the Blue Wings. So I do thank you for giving this a read, and look forward to future deck profiles. I have a couple more I want to cover though it won’t be as long as this one since I just wanted to tackle both in one go. I’m happy and grateful for the support that Aqua Force got, because while they aren’t tier one, they aren’t boring either, which is a fair trade since it’s like a breath of fresh air from stiff plays in both formats and having to be cautious until we’re at grade 3/stride turn. Again, thanks for the read, very appreciated along with any feedback, suggestions, comments, etc. Kisaragi out!
Storm Rider, Eugen
[AUTO](RC):When it boosts, if it is the third battle of that turn or more, the boosted unit gets [Power]+3000 until end of turn. If it is the fifth battle of that turn or more, it gets +5000 instead of +3000.
Tachikaze & Aqua Force will have Front Triggers, Bushiroad wants you to play Pale Moon in Premium Standard
Another early leak from Monthly Bushiroad magazine gives insight into how 14 of Standard Vanguard's 24 clans will interact with the Imaginary Gift mechanic. The image is rough, but an approximate summary of each clan's role is given below. As a reminder, the three Imaginary Gifts are:
Force - Anything moved into a circle with the Force marker on it gets +10000 power during your turn.
Accel - The Accel marker becomes a 4th frontrow rearguard circle to the left of your leftmost front rearguard circle, and anything in it gets +10k during your turn, but cannot be boosted. Additional circles alternate sides, with the 5th going on the right, 6th on the left, and so on.
Protect -The Protect marker goes to your hand and becomes a perfect guard with no grade nor other unit information, and after use returns to the Gift zone.
