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Pokemon TCG

Why You Should Attend Pokemon Prerelease Events

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Introduction

Pokemon’s newest set, Chaos Rising, releases this week on May 22. That means we are getting some exciting new cards in the format, but it also means another round of Prereleases. This time I was able to make two, but I wish I could do more. Prerelease events are probably the best way to experience the TCG. If you are a beginner trying to figure your way into the hobby, prerelease events are the best introduction. These events are extremely beginner friendly and the vibe (at least from the ones I went to) are chill. I’ve made friends who asked me to go to locals, and I might just take them up on that. If I can find a cool standard deck to play and get someone to help watch the baby.

Table of Contents

The Decks

There are four decks you can pull from pre-release: Delphox, Ampharos, Crobat, and Goodra. I will start by saying that I absolutely hate Goodra, even though the promo is super cute. I hate Goodra so much that I ended up with a playset of the reverse and regular foils. If there is a God, I respect the sense of humor.

Build and Battle Kits

Delphox

Card Type / HP / Stage:Fire / 160 / Stage 2

Card Text:Ability: Flaring Magic Once during your turn, you may discard a Basic Fire Energy card from your hand in order to use this Ability. Draw cards until you have 7 cards in your hand.

Attack 1:[RR] Energized Storm (30x)
This attack does 30 damage for each Energy attached to all Pokémon.

I pulled Dephox for my last deck, and it was so much fun. While it can be a slow start, you can easily fill your board and get that card advantage. In the right circumstances, Delphox can do so much damage. It does rely on their being a lot of energy on the field, so you will need to find a way to accelerate energy and hope that your opponent also uses a lot of energy. Deli bird can help a good amount with this.

Card Type / HP / Stage:Water / 90 / Basic

Attack 1:[C] Pleasing Present
Each player may attach up to 3 Basic Energy cards from their hand to their Pokémon in any way they like. Your opponent does this first.

Attack 2:[CC] Flap (40)

Weakness / Resistance / Retreat Cost:Mx2 / / 1

My Deck

Delphox can one shot most threats, but some of my opponents got really lucky and pulled creatures I could only chip away at. Either way, I was very happy to pull this deck because I love the art. I got to sprinkle in Mega Pyroar and while it only got to go off once, it is a high I will chase forever.

Card Type / HP / Stage:Fire / 340 / Stage 1

Attack 1:[RC] Ferocious Bellow (80)
During your opponent’s next turn, attacks used by the Defending Pokémon do 50 less damage (before applying Weakness and Resistance).

Attack 2:[RRC] Fiery Big Bang (290-)
This attack does 10 less damage for each damage counter on this Pokémon.

Weakness / Resistance / Retreat Cost:Wx2 / / 2

Ampharos

Card Type / HP / Stage:Lightning / 160 / Stage 2

Card Text:Ability: Synchro Pulse If you have the same number of cards in your hand as your opponent, attacks used by this Pokémon do 80 more damage to your opponent’s Active Pokémon (before applying Weakness and Resistance).

Attack 1:[LC] Flashing Bolt (140)
During your next turn, this Pokémon can’t use Flashing Bolt.

Weakness / Resistance / Retreat Cost:Fx2 / / 2

Ampharos was the deck I wanted to pull, not because the card is powerful, but because the art is cool. Both versions (promo and not) are amazing. The two copies of Judge would also be nice since I currently don’t have any. Now I didn’t play anyone with an Ampharos deck even though I saw a few people pull them around me, so I can’t speak too much on this deck. It feels like it wouln’t be consistent enough to do reliable enough damage. It very much feels like the Serperior deck from perfect order, although I was very happy to pull that deck as well. I’ll probably be picking this up as a single for my personal collection.

Crobat

Card Type / HP / Stage:Darkness / 130 / Stage 2

Card Text:Ability: Nighttime Maneuvers Once during your turn, if this Pokémon is in the Active Spot, you may use this Ability. Search your deck for a card. Shuffle your deck, then put that card on top of it.

Attack 1:[D] Poison Sound Wave (80)
Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Confused and Poisoned.

Crobat is one my my favorite pokemon and I was a little upset that I didn’t pull this deck or the shiny rare. I did play against a couple decks like this, and lost every time. This is the most consistent deck in the prerelease format. The decks seemed very fun to pilot, but most importantly, poison is OP. I am not sure how relevant Crobat will be in the format being a stage 2, but god I need this card in my collection.

Mega Dragalge

Card Type / HP / Stage:Dragon / 330 / Stage 1

Attack 1:[CC] Corrosive Liquid
Discard all Pokémon Tools and Special Energy from all of your opponent’s Pokémon.

Attack 2:[WD] Pernicious Poison
Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Poisoned. During Pokémon Checkup, place 16 damage counters on that Pokémon instead of 1.

Weakness / Resistance / Retreat Cost: / / 2

Shoutout to the guy who got to splash Mega Dragalge ex into his deck. This thing is a beast that strait up wiped everything I tried before I had a change to try anything. 16 damage counters strait up one shots most of the Pokemon in the build and battle decks, and it works so well with Crobat’s ability. My opponent only pulled the regular version, but the Special Illustration should not be slept on:

Goodra

Card Type / HP / Stage:Dragon / 160 / Stage 2

Card Text:Ability: Slimy Sliding When your opponent’s Active Pokémon retreats, your opponent flips a coin. If tails, Energy for its Retreat Cost is not discarded, and they don’t switch Pokémon. The effect of Slimy Sliding doesn’t stack.

Attack 1:[WP] Dragon Pulse (160)
Discard the top card of your deck.

Weakness / Resistance / Retreat Cost: / / 3

The Goodra promo is so cute and it is one of the cards I wanted to pull. I think all the promos this time around are solid, but I was looking forward to pulling the Goodra deck. Playing the deck wasn’t so much fun. I had very bad luck and had a hard time building Goodra. Where other people had cards to help them build their board and disrupt their opponent, I had Emma who literally did nothing. Discarding the top card to use dragon pulse screwed me out of cards I needed more often than not. The ability also never came into play making it possibly the worst deck in the lock (at least Ampharos can potentially do additional damage). While the card does kill a lot of the build and battle decks, I wouldn’t play it again.

My deck

I pulled the Gourgeist ex Ultra Rare and had to slot into my deck. This little pumkin tanked for me, and even took my first win. Unfortunately, I was only able to build it successfully once. It was still enjoyed it better than Goodra and has earned a special place in my personal collection.

Card Type / HP / Stage:Psychic / 270 / Stage 1

Attack 1:[P] Horrifying Rondo (30+)
This attack does 50 more damage for each of your Benched Pokémon that has any damage counters on it.

Attack 2:[PP] Ghostly Touch (140)
Discard a random card from your opponent’s hand.

Weakness / Resistance / Retreat Cost:Dx2 / F-30 / 2

The Set

I am very excited for this set because it has that cool Crobat I will be chasing. You have cards like Special Red Card that will surely become a stable, but the set has some cool cards I want for my collection. I already have a space for all the bulk cards I pulled because I like the art. Sure everyone will be excited for the Mega Greninja, but there are a few I’ll be looking for (in no particular order):

My Prerelease

This time around, I did two prerelease and had a blast at both. I met some cool people, made some new friends, and got to hang out with people who also love Pokemon. It is really cool to have the opportunity to be around people who just want to sit down and play Pokemon. I don’t really get to do this a lot with my family or friends outside of the locals I never have time for, so I really treasure the time I get to spend playing card games with people who also like playing card games.

Midnight Release

I went to the midnight release at the shop I frequent a lot. The shop is full of cool people, and I’ve done locals of other games there. This time, I was able to stay awake long enough to attend and I regret nothing. I made some very good friends and will do my best to go back. The longer I stayed awake, the more delirious I got which meant I eventually forgot how to play my deck. It is probably why I don’t care for Goodra much, but it is something I would do again. If my old age allows it.

My Regular Prerelease

This is my third Prerelease at this shop. I keep going back because of how good each experience has been. I was surprised when I walked in and the workers signed me up before I had a chance to tell them my names. Some of the regulars recognized me and started to spark up a conversation. While this isn’t my main store, I am reconsidering making it mine because of how cool the community is there. I pulled a Watchhog shiny rare, (a moment that was quickly diminished when the girl next to me pulled the Greninja). Later in during the event, someone found a copy on the floor. One of the guys I had been talking to remembered I had one and called out to me to check if it was mine. It wasn’t but they quickly found the proper owner.

Card Type / HP / Stage:Colorless / 100 / Stage 1

Attack 1:[C] Snap Inspection
Flip 3 coins. If any of them are heads, your opponent reveals their hand. For each heads, choose a card you find there and shuffle it into your opponent’s deck.

Attack 2:[C] Low Kick (50)

Weakness / Resistance / Retreat Cost:Fx2 / / 1

This moment stands out to me for two reasons. One, the fact that no one tried to steal something, even if the value isn’t there, is admirable. The kid who lost it was so happy to get his watchhog back and that made me happy. Two: I only spend 15 minutes of time with these people, even less at times and the fact that they not only remembered my name, but cared enough to check to see if I lost my card is enough to make a grown man cry. Maybe I’ve been lucky with the communities I’ve been able to join, but it is something I am happy I am able to do and hope that I can keep doing.

Conclusion

Chaos Rising prelease has been my favorite so far. The set has a few cards I will be chasing, but I am officially comfortable enough to join a community that I am happy to be a part of. If your on the fence or looking for a sign to get into card games, this is your sign. It doesn’t even need to be Pokemon. Pick up your favorite starter deck, head down to locals and someone there will point you in the right direction. Sure there might be the one or two people who will be weird about you joining, but there is someone out there who is excited to not only get you into the hobby, but willing to be your friend. Thank you for reading!

Pokemon TCG

My Experience at the Pokemon Perfect Order Prerelease

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Table of Contents

Intro

Pokemon’s newest set, Perfect Order, releases on March 27. That means you are probably not getting any sealed product unless you have bots ready to scoop up that next Walmart drop. I wouldn’t be too worried however because singles are very available. If you aren’t going after the pumped products, you’re doing just fine. This is how I’ve been rebuilding my collection, and regret nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to crack a pack and be able to go into Target to pick up an ETB at MSRP. I also understand, I am not that lucky and wouldn’t pull the cards I need. Instead of ending up with more bulk than I need, I’ll probably keep buying singles. I will however shell out the money to open packs at a prerelease.

What is Prerelease

Prerelease for the uninitiated is an event that occurs up to two weeks before the official launch of a new Pokemon set that isn’t a special set. The event gives players a chance to play with cards from set, open packs, and even buy product early. These events are very beginner friendly and the best way to wet your feet as a new player. The event runs three rounds of best of one matches where players use decks they build from their Build and Battle box. Prizing varies between stores. The one I went to handed out a pack per round, others might support based on wins.

What is a Build & Battle Box?

Build & Battle Boxes include:

  • 1 of 4 Special Stamped Promo
  • 1 of 4 40-card Themed decks from the current set
  • 4 x Booster packs of the current set

For Perfect Order, the decks are Serperior, Barbacle, Tyrantum, and Douablade. Bulbpedia has the set list for those curious. Tyrantum seems to be the most valuable with four copies of Poke Pad, and Serperior seems the least valuable with none. I would argue since you can open Poke Pads from packs, you’ll be okay with whatever you chose. I don’t think Poke Pad will be that scarce as people start to open more product.

Why I do Prerelease

This is my second ever Prerelease event because the first one I went to was a magical experience I wanted again. I play a lot of Pokemon TCG on PTCG live because I don’t have the time to go play in real life. I’ve actually did build a standard deck I have been so excited to play, but my daughter’s gymnastics class is at the same time, and I rather be there for my daughter. Prerelease however happens around my schedule and I will do my best to make time. Some people will do prerelease to buy product early, others for a chance to crack some packs, but I was there because I wanted to play some Pokemon and make some new friends.

Why you should do prerelease

If you haven’t made it out to locals because you are intimidated misguided expectations, don’t be. Sure there will be a few people who will talk down to you (or not at all), but a majority of the people in the community have been incredibly nice and welcoming. Prerelease is a special beast with a more casual vibe that is better suited for beginners. You don’t even need to know how to play (although it is recommended you at least try to pick up the basics).

Depending on the store and community, someone will sit down and help you build your decks, sort your cards, explain the rules, and even teach you how to play. Because this is a more casual event, players are more understanding and will take the time to teach you the game. Sure there might be a few people that take the game too seriously, but most people are there to have fun and play some Pokemon. Prerelease is a great way to learn the game, get some product, and even make some new friends.

My Perfect Order

I went into this event with the intention of coming out with Serperiour because I love grass pokemon and the promo is so pretty. Everyone around me was so quick to give me their condolences when I pulled my pretty green snake, but I was jumping out of my seat with joy. I even got 2 Poke Pads to sweeten the deal.

All of my opponents were amazing. Friendly and patient as I did my best to keep my ADHD in check. I even won a raffle for a prize pack where I pulled a card I needed for the Sharpedo deck I’ll never get to play. Although I only won 1 of my three matches, I have never had more fun losing. To end an already perfect day, I pulled the IR Clafairy I didn’t know I wanted. I definitely used up all my luck for the rest of the year, but I don’t care because the card is so cute!

Conclusion

If you want to get into Pokemon and have a chance to join a prerelease, head to your LGS and do it. It is one of the best things you can do as a new player, even if you’ve never played the game in your life. If you are reading this after the fact, the next one is in May.

Universus

Universus: King of Fighters Challenger Deck – Team Rival List

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Intro

Universus TCG has released its King of Fighter’s Challenger Series Decks on January 30, 2026. There are two challenger decks: Team Hero and Team Rival. Both decks come with 60 cards and a special foil booster pack to bling up your deck. This is the Team Rival Deck list. You can pick up the Team Rival Challenger deck at your LGS, or through TCG Player using my affiliate link. I also have the Team Hero challenger deck list up.

Table of Contents

The List

Champions

  • Isla, Dreaming Brilliance
  • Dolores, Hidden Wisdom
  • Heidern, Hard-boiled Assasin

Foil Cards

  • Assault Saber x 2
  • Hadir x 2
  • Heidern End x 2
  • Nesh x 2
  • Scribe x 2
  • Wild Style x 2

Non-Foil

  • Team Rival XV x 3
  • Fill-In x 4
  • Hilzuni x 3
  • Storm Bringer x 3
  • Amanda’s Help x 4
  • Drips x 4
  • Graffiti Artist x 4
  • Hidden Motives x 4
  • Holly Soil x 4
  • Investigating Verse x 4
  • Ready to Sortie x 4
  • Revered Hermit x 4
  • Unit Commander x 3

Visual List

Champions

Isla, Dreaming Brilliance
Dolores, Hidden Wisdom
Heidern, Hard-boiled Assassin

Foil Cards

Assault Saber x 2
Nesh x 2
Hadir x 2
Scribe x 2
Heidern End x 2
Wild Style x 2

Non-Foil

Team Rival XV x 3
Storm Bringer x 3
Graffiti Artist x 4
Investigating Verse x 4
Unit Commander x 3
Fill-In x 4
Amanda’s Help x 4
Hidden Motives x 4
Ready to Sortie x 4
Hilzuni x 3
Drips x 4
Holly Soil x 4
Revered Hermit x 4
Universus

Guilty Gear Strive Blitz Box Review: A Collector’s Perspective

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Disclaimer

UVS sent me the a Guilty Gear Strive Blitz Box to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. 2026 is going to be an exciting year for Universus TCG, so make sure you check out the road map! I am super excited for some Fairy Tail cards. Also check out my reviews for other universus products like Attack on Titan and my favorite set so far, Heroes of Exandria. I’ll also be using my TCG Player affiliate link where possible. It helps me out if you use it before buying anything.

Table of Contents

The Set

The Guilty Gear Strive set came out on November 28, so I am a little behind on the draw. Holidays have been a little busy for me. While the new King of Fighers comes out soon, I think it is still worth looking back at a fantastic set. Guilty Gear Strive released with a new type of product, the Blitz Box, which is a 12 pack booster at a much more attainable price point. The game features unique art and foils that you are going to want in your collection, especially if you’re a fan of the fighting game. If you haven’t played Universus, it is a fantastic unique game that I have fun playing everything time I get product. I’ve talk in more detail about the game in other posts, so make sure you check that out.

Character Cards

The Guilty Gear Strive character cards are some of my favorite since I’ve started playing the game. If you are unfamiliar with the game, Universus usually uses screen grabs for most of their artwork except for a handful of alt cards and character cards where the art is unique. I have never played a Guilty Gear game, but I kind of want to now because the characters looks so cool. The character cards are all vibrant, with cool looking characters that are going to be fun to collect. Here are a few of my favorites:

Token cards

Non-alt character cards in this set are tokens. Instead of the normal backs, the backs have a few rule explanations. While it may take away from the TCG aesthetic, it does offer a different back for easy orginization. As a casual player, I appreciate the easy reminder of rules I would otherwise have to look up. It is a handy tool for newer players. While I understand that it stops being useful the more to have, it is handy.

Token Back

Chrome rares

While some might be upset that their character cards have been made tokens, there are some nice chrome rare versions available for those who want to bling out their deck. I like the more cartoonish, oversaturated look of the art. You know it is going to look fantastic on the table. While I didn’t pull any of the chromes for my collection, I can sit hit and look at them longingly:

Alt cards

The real reason I love this game is how much effort is put into the alt cards. The alt cards in this set are all fantastic. I was lucky enough to pull a few of the alt cards and I am so happy with my pulls. If you are a fan of the series, you are going to want to try to pull some of these cards, at least for your collection. It is very hard to choose just a few cards, so here is as many as I could fit in no particular order:

Review

I am writing this as a collector. I love this game, but I play it very casually. I can’t speak on the power it adds to the game nor how it is shaping the meta. I can say that this has been the most fun set to open (aside from the the Heroes of Exandira). Guilty Gear Strive has the best quality of any set I’ve pulled from, and the best looking art.

Quality

Guilty Gear Strive, at least the box I pulled, has some of the best quality I’ve seen from this game. The foils still curve, but that is an unavoidable truth in the TCG space. Regardless of that fact, none of them had that annoying print line that seems to plague previous sets. Coming from the Riftbound cards I pulled, the quality is night and day. If they can keep this level of quality for future releases, and even spread it to Riftbound, I can see this game surviving at least another year.

The Art

My biggest issue with Universus as a collector is that most of the cards are screen grabs. While the special treatment cards are always fun to open and collect, most of the time I am collecting screenshots of IPs I don’t always care about. With the exception of Heroes of Exandria, most of the sets have been disappointing to open. Riftbound, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Street Fighter (the worst in my opinion) were all boring. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fairs a little better because of nostalgia, but not enough to buy into.

The screenshots used for Guilty Gear Strive are a lot better than the previous sets. While I am still not a fan of the screenshot cards, they do look nice in a binder. I liked Guilty Gear Strive a lot more than the Street Fighter ones, and I can only hope they can carry a similar vibe with the King of Fighters IP. I am sure fans of the Guilty Gear series will appreciate the cards more than I did, but I had fun pulling them. I’ll probably only collect special treatment cards.

Conclusion

If you are thinking of getting into Universus, Guilty Gear Strive is a solid entry point. It has cool art, some solid mechanics, and the set is fun to open. I can’t speak on how it holds up against the current meta or how much return on investment you’ll get, but as a collector, I am very happy with this set and am tempted to pick up a bit more. You can pick up

Board Games and TCGs

Is Riftbound Worth the Hype? A Honest Review

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Disclaimer

I was sent a few packs a couple of the Riftbound trial deck to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you want to buy Riftbound, try to support your LGS. Don’t pay scalper prices. Anything above MSRP is not worth it. Usually I would post my TCG Plug, but the prices on there are too crazy. I don’t want to support the inflated market.

Table of Contents

What is Riftbound

Riftbound tries to bring the action-packed gameplay of the popular moba to the tabletop. Play as your favorite champion as you battle for supremacy in an unforgettable tabletop experience.

Winning

Players control a hero that gives them certain passives, but also dictates the colors and strategy of the deck. Each champion will have the colors that they can use in battle, and each color has a specific strategy they excel at. The goal of Riftbound is to score eight points before your opponent. You earn points by taking control of one of the two battlefields, except for the game winning point that requires control of both. You take control by moving units into a battlefield, and successfully taking or defending against an opponent’s units.

Resource System

What makes Riftbound unique is its resource system. Runes are a player’s primary resource system. These are a separate two color deck that the player pulls two cards each turn (3 on your first turn if going second). The player places these cards into a pool to cast spells, use abilities, and summon allies. Rune cards are kept in the pool unless the player recycles them. Some cards have an additional recycle cost. Players pay this cost by putting runes back into their resource deck (the card shows the cost). This creates Riftbounds interesting resource management mechanic. Do you play with less resources next turn to utilize a powerful ability?

Movement

Riftbound has a movement mechanic, but one that is simple enough to keep the TCG feel while still feeling meaningful. There are three locations a players can have units, in the base or one of the two battlefields. Battlefields are cards that have different abilities. Each player places one of their battlefield cards on the field at the start of the game, and switches the card at the start of the next game. Units enter a player’s base tapped, and can move into one of the two bases when they lose that summoning sickness.

How to Play

I am a visual learner, and the best tutorial I watched was by the Tolarian Community College. Definitely go find your favorite YouTuber in the space, but I like how clearly the professor lays out the mechanics and gameplay loop. It is very easy to follow and the visuals make it easy to understand. I don’t think I will be winning any tournaments soon, but at least I know how to play. Make sure you give the professor a like, comment, and subscribe. He’s earned it.

Review

Riftbound is a fun TCG with unique mechanics and interactions. Unfortunately, if you are looking for a new TCG to get into, you might need to wait till they fix the supply issue. This game isn’t worth the scalper prices.

Art

The unique art for the champions is fantastic. If you are a fan of the Moba, you will appreciate the love and care that has gone into each champion, especially the foil cards. Unfortunately, the rest of the set is rather unimpressive. While there are a few cute poros that got my attention, most of the cards didn’t leave much of an impression. Maybe I’ve been away from the game for too long and failed to appreciate the references, but as a collector, there wasn’t much to excite me.

It is the same issue I have with the publisher’s other game, Universus. Fun game, but only some of the cards are fun to collect.

I can’t really blame the game for its art direction. When a game takes on an established IP, there are limitations that prevent the creativity I’m looking for in a card game. The company has to do right by the established IP. This is kind of the double edged sword games like deal with. On one hand, the game pulls in the fans of IP that want a game, in this case League of Legends. On the other hand, they aren’t able to be as creative with the art. Unfortunately, this means most of the cards in Riftbound aren’t fun to collect. But does convertibility matter when the game is fun?

Gameplay

Riftbound is a lot of fun. The game is easy to learn, but it has a few mechanics that make it difficult (not impossible) to master. Riftbound has a solid mulligan system to prevent players bricking as often on the first turn. RNG can still make you brick on a mulligan, but it doesn’t feel as bad as a bad start in Magic or Pokemon. The mana system is great. It is a straight forward system that eliminates the flooding and screwing that happens in magic. Having resources exist as a seperate deck is awesome because I love drawing cards, but it means I need to have my deck sleeved in multiple colors. (Make sure you buy your sleeves where you play your games).

What I liked most about the game is the movement system. I’ve played a few TCGs with movement mechanics, like Genesis Battle of Champions and Paragon, but none of those feature a grid based system that felt more like a board game. I loved my time with both those games, but I am not very good at strategically moving units across a battle field. Not to mention, movement can bog down the game. In Riftbound, movement is simple (just three spaces) but it felt meaningful. Most importantly, I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the number of choices.

Unfortunately, while the game may be fun, the quality isn’t quite there. At least on the first printing.

Quality

The more packs of Riftbound I opened, the more disappointed I became with the game as a collector. The card stock feels thin and like it can be easily damaged. All of my packs came damaged from the factory. All of my cards, including the foils, were already whitening around the edges. This is extremely disappointing as a collector, but something I would be willing to overlook because the game is fun.

I am glad I got my packs for free, and I am very glad they didn’t send me better quality cards because I would be very upset if I paid above MSRP. I am willing to support the game in the hopes that future sets and cards get better print quality, but I wouldn’t rush to pay the scalpers to play this game. It is a fun game, but I want my cardboard to be a little fancier.

Conclusion

Riftbound is a refreshing TCG that deserves a lot of the attention it has been getting. It has interesting and fun interactions, but the first set is a rough launch. In its current state, I can’t recommend it, but mostly because players can’t get their hands on reasonably priced product. If the supply issue improves and players are able to enter the competitive scene without having to sell their soul. Especially since the quality makes the first set not much fun to open. If this issue gets resolved, I’m willing to change my review because I had a lot of fun with Riftbound. I say proxy until you can find product at MSRP.

Universus

2026 Universus TCG Roadmap: Exciting New Releases Ahead

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Intro

UVS Games has just announced its 2026 roadmap, and the lineup will have fans new and old excited about the future of the game. As casual collector, I definitely see a couple of sets I want to whale on. If you want to pick up Universus, always support your LGS. You can also pick up Universus on TCG Player using my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you use it.

The Road Map

What’s coming in 2026?

2026 marks a very important milestone for Universus: the system’s 20th anniversary. With this milstone comes a collecion of iconic figures from fighting games, manga, and of course, Kaiju. Whether you are new to the game, casually collecting, or trying to take the top spot in next year’s circuit, there seems to be a little bit of something for everyone.

So what is coming?

  • King of Fighters XV Challenger Series
  • Godzilla Booster Set
  • My Hero Academia Challenger Series
  • TEKKEN 8 Booster Set
  • Street Fighter 6: Part Deux Challenger Series
  • Fairy Tail Booster Set

Thoughts

While I am not too crazy about the fighting game sets, Street fighter had some very cool unique cards and the decks were a lot of fun to play. They are a solid place to start, assuming you can’t find any Godzilla. What I don’t like about the fighting game sets personally are that most of cards are screenshots. If you’re a fan of the games in questions (and the games in questions are cool), then this becomes less of an issue. As a collector, these sets don’t excite me as much. I prefer the comic stills, especially like the ones in the Heroes of Exandira set. Those look really good in a binder.

That said, what is important are the mechanics and the unique cards that make this game worth collecting. If the mechanics change the meta enough or the unique cards in the set are cool, that will be enough to excite me. I may not vibe with most of the art for the Tekken and Street Fighter cards I do own, but the decks are fun enough and the champion cards are cool enough that I would buy into them if I didn’t already own the set.

What I am very excited for is the Godzilla cards. I missed out on the initial run of Godzilla when that came out, but what I’ve seen looks very cool. Some people will argue that Godzilla is problematic because it runs the meta, but I’ve played enough card games to know that it happens everywhere. Maybe the set changes up the type of Godzilla decks you end up playing against. Either way, as a collector, I can’t wait what this set has to offer and I am more than ready to open a couple packs.

What I am most excited for is the Manga sets. I know Deku is a problem, but the cards from previous MHA sets have all been pretty good. I feel confident in my excitement for this set, and I hope it brings new people in the space. The space needs it. More importantly, I am ready to whale on the Fairy Tail set. I love this anime and the set is bound to have some cool cards. It has to for the year to end on a good note.

Until then, lets get hyped for GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- Blitz Booster landing November 28. Don’t forget to preorder yours today!

video game reviews

Dfiance Review: A Unique Tactical Card Game Experience

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Disclaimer

I was sent some free in-game currency to review Dfiance for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

Shameless Self-Promotion

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What is Dfiance?

Dfiance is a free-to-play pvp tactical cardgame out now on steam.

Choose one of three unique factions as you command a battlefield of powerful allies in your quest for conquest. Dominate your enemies by strategically placing your enemies your enemies in a way that gives you the advantage. What faction will you choose? How far up the ladder can you climb?

Gameplay

Dfiance reminds me of Gwent, with a few extra steps. Players build a deck based on their favorite faction and try to build synergy through their interactions. All players start with the same three starter decks and can use currency they earn by playing the game to buy more cards. There is a ranked and casual mode for pvp and an AI mode for those who want to practice.

The game itself requires some unique strategy. I recommend looking up videos on YouTube after finishing the tutorial because there are some mechanics and nuances that aren’t very intuitive, especially when it comes to the upgrade system. I recommend checking out the game’s official YouTube page. Players essentially take turns placing units on the battlefield. The battlefield is split into four sections, two flanks, a frontline, and a backline. Each card has a cost, and players must navigate the game’s unique mana system efficiently to earn the most points before the end of the game. Some cards have effects that create unique interactions with other cards on the board, (their own or the opponents). Its a unique game that makes more sense the more you play it.

Review

Dfiance game that you need to stick with past the initial slump. The game does not have enough of a player base for consistent fair matchmaking, so new players will have a hard time with all the loses. Others will take issue with how different the gameplay loop is, especially when compared when coming from one of the big three TCGs. It took me a couple of hours before the gameplay was able to click and I was able to enjoy the game. So what do I think? Let me start with the good.

The game will draw players with its flavor and art. The game looks fantastic! The battlefield gave me the impression that I was commanding a powerful army, even though I lacked the skill to do so. The art on the cards is beautiful, especially if you are fan of fantasy. I love how each faction looks and feels different. I enjoyed looking through each card and appreciate the amount of flavor that went into each faction.

The game itself runs great. I never encountered noticeable performance issues. The game is in a good place, but it needs more players. A lot of my matches did feel unfair. There is some skill issue that needs to be factored into this as well, but I was at a clear disadvantage trying to climb the ladder with the starter decks. The starter decks are fine for teaching players the fundamentals, but they’re missing a few key mechanics that will win you games. Again, this could be a skill issue.

Players can upgrade their decks or their existing cards by buying packs., but it does feel like a grind to do so. I don’t know how I feel about game’s monetization. On one hand, it is nice that there seems to be a limit to keep the whales from running away from the game, on the other, the free-to-play grind feels a little steep. Again, this could be a skill issue, but it didn’t feel very casual. This could be because I was always losing.

Another issue I have with the grind is that packs don’t give enough cards. Players can buy into their favorite faction which is nice, but only have two options: a starter pack for 100g and a regular pack for 600g. For 100 gold, players can open 5 card packs without a chance at a legendary. This is a good way to build a collection for a faction, but lacks a bit of key power. For 600g, players get that chance at higher rarities, but that price just seems too high. I got enough currency for two normal packs and feel like I wasted my money and that is bad for the player who spends money, and worse for the player who grinds for it. When everyone feels like they have a better deck on the ladder, not getting enough cards for a proper upgrade is going to turn off some players. Packs should have more cards.

Buying into a faction you like is cool, but finding what that is another story. The starter decks give players a proper preview of each faction’s unique mechanics. Not being able to find a fair match makes it hard to choose a faction. Players can practice against the game’s AI or thug it out in casual PvP to find a solution, but choosing wrong feels bad when the card packs are so expensive. This is an issue that will fix itself with more players, the problem is, will players stick around long enough for that to happen?

Honestly, the game is a unique take on the genre that more players need to try. The game has very cool flavor with very neat interactions. At the moment, the only issue I have with the game is that the new player experience isn’t great, especially if you’ve never played card games before. With a healthier playerbase, a lot of the issues I have with the game won’t be as bad.It just needs more players. If you are a new player, try to stick with it until you get past the hump before deciding to step away. Watch videos to ensure you aren’t wasting valuable resources. I personally don’t like the loop, but it is a game that will carve out its niche.

Go check Dfiance out on Steam. It is free-to-play.

Other TCGs

Universus TCG – Challenger Series Deck List: Chun-Li & Jamie Siu

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Universus TCG just released their Street Fighter 6 Challenger series decks, and I got my hands on one of each to share that card lists. This post will focus on the Chun-Li/Jamie deck. As always, make sure you always support your LGS, but getting the Chun-Li/Jamie on TCG Player through my affiliate link really helps me out.

The Deck List

Champions

  • Chun-Li, Marcial Arts Master
  • Jamie Siu, Peackeeping Breakdancer

The Deck

  • Aerial Kikosho x 2
  • Hundred Lightning Kicks x 2
  • Phantom Sway x 2
  • Arrow Kick x 2
  • Breakin’ x 2
  • Dance of the Pheonix x 2
  • Drive Parry x 4
  • Back Shaver x 3
  • Falling Crane x 3
  • Swagger Step x 3
  • Tensho Kicks x 3
  • Azure Kung Fu Instructor x 4
  • Elegance & Beauty x 4
  • Guardian Angel of Chinatown x 4
  • Hates Lectures x 4
  • Inherited Will x 4
  • Shifting Gears x 4
  • Street Hero x 4
  • Young Boss of Chinatown

The Card Art

Champions

The Deck

Other TCGs

Universus TCG – Challenger Series Deck List: Ryu & Luke

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Universus just released the Street Fighter 6 challenger series decks, and I have a copy of each. Always support your LGS, but you can pick up the Ryu challenger deck on TCG Player using my affiliate link. Here is the Ryu deck list for those who need it:

The List

Champion

  • Ru, World Warrior
  • Luke Sullivan, Gym Coach

Deck

  • Avenger: Impaler x 2
  • Hashogeki x2
  • Pale Rider x 2
  • Rising Upercut x 2
  • Shin Hashogeki x 2
  • The Unending Path x 2
  • Burnout x 4
  • Crouching Medium Kick x 3
  • Luke’s Sweep x 3
  • Sand Blast x 3
  • Solar Plexus Strike x 3
  • Battle Holds The Answer x 4
  • Endless Doting x 4
  • Excessively Buff Forearms x 4
  • First of the Ages x 3
  • My Firsts Solve My Problems x 4
  • Not Now, I’m Gaming x 4
  • Strength in Diligence x 4
  • Vagrant Truthseeker x 4

The Cards

Champion

Deck

Other TCGs

Genesis: Battle of Champions Launches Latest Set on Kickstarter

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The Announcement

Edge of Exile has officially launched their Kickstarter for the newest set of Genesis: Battle of Champions, Metamorphosis. With a goal of $29,202, this all or nothing campaign promises to bring exciting new mechanics like dual sided cards and equipment cards. This will be the second set for the new backs and design, and I am sure there will be a lot of passion poured into it. $95 gets you an early booster box of the Metamorphosis, which discounted from its intended $120 MSRP.

What is Genesis: Battle of Champions?

I have covered this game before, so make sure you check out some of my earlier content. Essentially, Genesis is a card game for the miniature wargamer that doesn’t want to fiddle with minis or dice roles. Players control a champion and an army of minions on an epic battle for supremacy. Unlike most games, there is no mana system, deck size, or card limit. Players start with a set pool of points that they spend to cast their spells and creatures until they run out. What makes Genesis unique is the movement mechanic. Players move their cards across a 5×6 grid map, and orientation and range matter. It is sort of like chess, but with a few extra rules and a lot more flavor.

My Thoughts

I was sent a bit of product to review last year before their first failed Kickstarter. The game is very fun with interesting mechanics and interactions. I also love the art, especially the new direction the game is going towards. Unfortunately, the initial Kickstarter was aimed towards fans of the game as it only had alt arts exclusives of champions. Unless you already play the game, and play it a lot, there was no real reason to back the project. Unless of course you want to support the game and get to Metamorphasis.

This time around, I wasn’t asked to cover the game. I am doing it because I think the game is fun and it deserves some attention. I have been following the updates, and there seems to be an online game in the works that might help with a bit of on boarding. I don’t have a local scene, but there seems to be enough interest, especially in Canada, for competitive scene. They have a big tournament coming up.

Unfortunately, I think the initial sudden closure did its damage. Fans who enjoyed the gameplay have had time to move onto other titles that have risen to take its place. The fact that the new set is on Kickstarter doesn’t create much confidence in its popularity. If the game had enough of a following, they wouldn’t need a Kickstarter. 30k seems reasonable so they might just need a little bit of help. The risk is supporting a game that has died once before and it is unclear how long it has left. I am not trying to be mean, I am just being realistic. $120 for a box that won’t get you enough cards to be competitive for a game that might die is a lot of money. The challenge will be getting store and players to start populating LGS’s and creating that demand. I don’t see it in my area, and it is going to be difficult to see it considering the strong competition it faces. Again, not trying to be mean, just being honest.

With that out of the way, there is clearly a lot of love and passion for the game. The game itself is well made with fun and interesting mechanics. The cards are good quality and the art is very cool. This game deserves more attention. If you can find people to play with, splitting up some of the costs or just checking out existing product may be the move. The starter decks are pretty cool. You can pick up existing product on Indie Pro Games.

The Kickstarter runs until August 25th. I wish them luck, and don’t forget to support if you’re interested!