Tag Archives: universus

Exploring Universus’ Reign of Kaiju Cards

Disclaimer

I was sent a couple of packs of Universus’ latest set, Reign of Kaiju to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinion. This will be my honest review. I’ll be using my TCG player affiliate link where possible. Always support your LGS, but the link is there if your LGS doesn’t carry the game.

Table of contents

Introduction

Universus just turned 20 this week (as of writing this post), and that is an incredible feat for a game I’ve never seen anyone play. The game has clearly survived because it is a fun and interesting game. If you’ve never tried it, go pick up a couple of challenger decks. The King of Fighter Team Hero and Team Rival are the newest decks. While I am not a huge fan of these decks, the decks are a fun place to start. 11ake sure you check out the full review.

Now my issue with Universus is that the art doesn’t always hit every set. There are sets that I don’t care for, like attach on titan or Tekken, but then there are sets like Heroes of Exandria that get me real excited. They lost me with King of Fighters, but Reign of the Kaiju brought me back in, I just wish I had more packs to open.

Characters

My favorite part about Universes TCG as a collector is how cool the common rarity characters look. Sure the chase chromes and alt cards are on their one level of beautiful, but I respect the amount of effort the artists put into creating cool looking characters that anyone can have access to. The character art for Reign of Kaiju is simply beautiful. I love the mono color scheme and the old movie poster vibe. Each piece has its own unique flare, and while I can’t tell you how they do against the meta, I can tell you I want them for my collection. Here are a few of my favorite:

Collecting

One of my issues with Universus is how they handle the rest of the set after the unique cards. I understand there are constraints put in place by the licensing agreement, but that doesn’t change the fact that there are some sets in this game that are just ugly. There are sets, like all of Attack on Titan or Teken, that strait up lost my attention because the base rarity cards are boring. Reign of Kaiju has some very cool cards with some fantastic art. I love the comic book style. Here are a few of my favorites:

Ultra Rares

The ultra rares are just epic comic book stills that are going to look so good in a binder. Here are a few of my favorites:

Secret Rares

This game has some of the most beautiful secret rares of any game. If you like one of the ips this game carries, it probably has a card you are going to want to collect. The secret rares for Reign of Kaiju are some the most beautiful pieces I’ve seen, and I am very upset I didn’t pull any in my packs. Even if you aren’t a fan of Kaijus, you are going to appropriate how beautiful these pieces are. The use of color in this set is fantastic, and the way they are able to create such a massive composition in a compact space is commendable. In no particular order:

Impressions

Reign of Kaiju is a very fun set to open. This game is such a coin flip when it comes to openings. I like to go into openings as blind as possible because I don’t want my opinion to be swayed. I was very happy to get packs of this set because I missed out on the older Kaiju sets that have some fantastic art. Coming from King of Fighters, this set was such a joy to open. The devs did a fantastic job at crafting a kaiju theme that feels massive. I love the colors and comic book style of the cards. I enjoy flipping through the cards and looking at all the details.

I don’t know how they scale against other sets, but as a casual collector, I am in love. I am not even mad I didn’t get any of the chases because of how cool the cards look. If you are looking for a place to start, or just love Godzilla and friends for a personal collection, go get your a box or two and enjoy. If your LGS doesn’t carry Universus, you can pick up Reign of Kaiju on TCG player through my affiliate link.

King of Fighters Challenger Deck Review: Casual Insights

Disclaimer

UVS games sent me the two King of Fighters Challenger Series decks 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. I have both team hero and team rival decklists up. I’ll also be using my TCG player affiliate link where possible. Always support your LGS, but it really helps me out if you use it for product your LGS doesn’t carry.

Table of Contents

What is Universus TCG?

I’ve written about Universus in a past post where I go into detail about the game and how to play. The short version: Universus is a fighting game turned into TCG. Players will use thier resources to land powerful attacks, block oncoming damage, and use abilities that will turn the tide in seconds. The game users a unique resource system that is more RNG reliant than your typical TCG, and it uses established IPs like those from fighting games, anime, or my favorite of all time, Heroes of Exandria. It is my favorite TCG that no one seems to be playing, for now.

Challenger Series Decks

Universus releases two types of sealed constructed products: challenger and starter decks. Starter decks are striped down versions of the TCG that are meant for people who have never touched a TCG in their life. The game includes some unique art cards, but the decks are pretty much useless except for giving players the most basic understanding of the game. I don’t follow the competitive scene, but have played enough card games to understand that the starter decks (as of writing this) don’t have the cohesion and percentage to give players a full version of the TCG. Starter decks are not bad products, I love my Heroes of Exandria starter decks, but the challenger series decks are a lot more fun.

Challenger series on the other hand, are a bit more complex. They aren’t going to win you many games at locals or worlds for that matter, but they provide a more honest experience. If you are trying to teach someone who has never played a TCG, the starter decks are cool until you outgrow the decks. If you want to try out the game to see if its for you and have the chance of building into something more competative, pick up a challenger deck from your favorite series.

My Perspective

I am coming at this from a casual perspective. I don’t follow the meta and can’t speak on how the King of Fighter decks match up against it. I have cannibalized some of the other decks I’ve received to build some strange decks I have fun with. I like Universus and am sad there isn’t a local scene. That said, I understand why. The game isn’t fun to collect. Universus has some of the most beautiful secret rare and unique art based on your favorite characters from your favorite IP, but the rest of the cards are screen grabs. Some sets are fine and look fine in the binder, but other sets are just not interesting to collect. For customers going into the store and seeing all these fun shinny unique cards, Universus gets overshadowed.

The art shouldn’t be a problem when the gameplay is good. The game has unique mechanics, a cool resource system, and a solid loop. The problem is that if I am not familiar with a particular IP, the common cards aren’t very memorable. This will change when they drop their newly announced Rebel Frontier. The art for the teasers look sick and I can’t wait to see what goes into it! More on Rebel Frontier when the information becomes available.

Review

I have mixed feelings about the King of Fighter challenger decks. On one hand, I appropriate the new mechanics and the ammount of flavor that goes into them. Universus is very good at making uniquely flavored decks. The problem I have with the decks is the art, I am not a fan. They may not be the worst cards I’ve gotten, but they aren’t very impressive. At least they’re fun to play.

The Art

The art for the heros is fine, but when you compare it to the street fighter decks, they are a little underwhelming. At least you get three heroes. The heroes feel fine with a good amount of power, but I am not crazy about the art. Personally, Shun’ei was my favorite not because of power, but because his abilities vibed better with my playstyle. The common cards that aren’t in the anime style are ugly. It’s not as bad as the Tekken Decks, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to collect them. Luckily the mechanics are fun.

Gameplay

I like how the decks change enough of the game to keep it interesting. Now I only play casualy once in a while so it always feels fresh, but there are decks I like more than others. I don’t think I would pick these over the street fighter decks, but I would pick them up in addition. The art doesn’t matter when the game is fun, and the games I played with the King of Figher challenger decks were fun. I don’t know how they hold up to the rest of the meta, but they seemed pretty balanced to us. I play with TCG veterans who only play Universus when I ask them to help me test.

Conclusion

If you like the King of Fighters games, pick up these challenger decks. The decks are fun, and you might appreciate the art more than I did. I never got into King of Fighters and couldn’t form the same connection I had with a series like Heroes of Exandria. I think the decks are fun and will pull keep pulling them out, but I wouldn’t pick these up as a collector. If you want cards that look good with solid mechanics, get the Street Fighter decks.

Universus: King of Fighters Challenger Deck – Team Rival List

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

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

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

2026 Universus TCG Roadmap: Exciting New Releases Ahead

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!

Universus TCG: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Deck List

Intro

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has officially hit the Universus tcg lineup and that means we got a new starter deck. Make sure you always support your LGS when buying Universus, but you can always pick up the new starter deck and other TCG product on TCG Player through my affiliate link. It really helps me out if you do.

The List

Champion

  • Retro Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Deck List

  • High Three (Foil) x 2
  • Splinter (Foil) x 2
  • Freaking Out x 4
  • Going Out x 3
  • Growing Up Fighting x 4
  • Martial Arts Moves x 3
  • Reactive Kick x 3
  • Redirecting Push x 3
  • Ancient Secrets of Ninjutsu x 3
  • Daily Meditation x 4
  • Daily Training x 3
  • Defend the Innocent x 4
  • Good Deeds x 4
  • Hungry for Pizza x 4
  • Teenage Downtime x 4
  • The Long Version x 3
  • Thumbs Up x 3
  • Youthful Optimism x 4

Visual List

Champion

Deck

Universus TCG – Challenger Series Deck List: Ryu & Luke

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

Universus – Attack on Titan: Apocalypse First Impressions

Disclaimer

Universus sent me a few packs and a playmat to cover their game. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let sway my opinions. I will be doing pack opening and a review of the playmat so stay tuned for that. I will also be using my TCG Player affiliate links throughout the article, but always support your LGS first.

Attack on Titan: Apocalypse

Universus has just released their newest expansion, Attack on Titan: Apocalypse, and I already see a few cards I want for my collection. If you haven’t had chance to play Universus, it is definitely worth trying once. The game has a unique flow and flavor, and it includes some very recognizable IPs. I recommend picking up a couple clash decks to get a feel for what to expect. I had a lot of fun with the Solo Leveling deck, but you can always pick your flavor.

Apocalypse is introducing 180 new cards to finish off the Attack on Titan saga. Players are going to want to chase the six serialized chrome cards with special art from the creator of the anime, but there are some neat cards I wouldn’t mind cracking.

Chrome Rares

The serialized chrome rares, and I am sad I will never get to see one in real life. The art on these look so good, and you know there are going to shine on the table (even the flimsy plastic ones). I can only hope they don’t have the foil lines that seems to be common issue across the thread. I don’t mind it too much on regular foils, but I would expect the serialized cards to be perfect. Either way, good luck finding your copy! I’m aiming for Erin, but will settle for any.

Ultra Rares

The problem with the attack on titan set, at least from a collectors perspective, is the manga art doesn’t grab the attention like other games. At least the common ones anyway. After seeing them in my binder and seeing the whole story, the game grew on me. What this game does have going for it are its ultra rares and alt arts. The unique art for the Attack on Titan cards are incredible, especially in person. Some have a very nice texture to them. I am a huge fan of the use of color. Here are some of my favorites from the Apocalypse set:

Ultra Rare Alt Arts

It is a shame that the images for the alt art cards do not do them justice. I have pulled a couple from the Attack on Titan alt art cards, and they are amazing. I am a huge fan of the texture and the hand drawn feel. They are definitely worth chasing. Here are my favorites from Apocalypse, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go hunting for everything else!

Character Alt Art

This is where the set disappointing a bit. While there are some alt cards I wouldn’t mind pulling, there are some that I would be sad if I did. Maybe they look better in person, but I prefer the Heroes of Exandria alt cards better. That said, here are my favorites Apocalypse alt art cards:

Secret Rares

The secret rare design is my absolute favorite part of the Attack on Titan cards. They have such a unique style and presentation, and they look so good in person. I do have a couple, and while they aren’t going to buy me a house, they are my favorite parts of my collection. I don’t think Apocalypse has the strongest collection of secret rares, but it does have a few pieces I want for my collection.

Impressions

I only play casually and mostly just collect. I do get the cards for free, but I don’t let that sway my opinion. Apocalypse doesn’t excite me as much as Heroes of Exandria did, at least the art doesn’t. I think the manga art is fine, but it doesn’t have the same pop the comic book style of Heroes of Exandria. As a casual player, there are some cards I want to add to a couple of my decks. That said, I need to open a few more packs and watch how the meta shifts to form a better idea on the set.

If you want to pick up Universus Attack on Titan: Apocalypse, always ask your LGS, but TCG Player has what you need if that isn’t an option.

Universus TCG: Heroes of Exandria – Percy Starter Deck List

Where to Buy

Always support your LGS, but you can pick up the Percy Starter Deck and any other Heroes Exandria products on TCG Player using my affiliate links. It really helps me out. You can also get both Starter decks bundled for cheap on Game Nerdz if you’re buying enough for the free shipping.

Introduction

Universus just released their Heroes of Exandria set, and it is already my favorite set of the year. The art is great, the card quality is nice, and flavor is all there. Fans of the series will want to at the very least get in on collecting. Can’t speak on the power level since I just got the starter decks, but I’ll come back after some proper testing. More on that later.

I got my hands on the Percy starter deck and I’ll leave the decklist for your convenience. Spoilers, you’re going to want to get this deck just to collect the beautiful Percy champion card. It’s not as cool as the art cards, but its cool enough for any collection.

Deck List

Champion

Percival De Rolo III: Pepperbox Sharpshooter

The Deck

4x Weapon at the Ready
4 x Tarot Reading
4 x Show Off
4 x Inspired Design
4 x Imprisoned Noble
4 x Found Family
2 x Electric Resilience
4 x Collecting Components
2 x Shaun Gilmore
4 x Tinker Shot
4 x Pepperbox Fire
2 x Merciless Lead
3 x Golem Beating
3 x Bang Bang
3 x Alchemical Satchel Toss
3 x The List
2 x Quest Board
2 x Science Bros (Foil)
2 x Bad News Bullet (Foil)

Visual List

Universus Announces 2025 Product Roadmap & Godzilla Promos

UniVersus just announced its 2025 product roadmap, and there are a couple of IPs that stand out. I am excited for Ninja Turtles and Solo Leveling personally. The new Attack on Titan: Battle for Humanity just came out, and it’s a pretty cool-looking set if you’re a fan of the anime. You can pick up the product at your LGS or TCG player. Make sure you check out my review.

If you don’t like Attack on Titan, there is no shame in waiting for something you do like. UniVersus is a fun and unique TCG that deserves more attention. Attack on Titan is where I started because they sent me product. I like it so far, but I am sure it is fun at any set.

2025 Roadmap

  • Solo Leveling Challenger Series (January 10)
  • Critical Role: Heroes of Exandria (March 10)
  • Attack on Titan: Apocalypse (May 16)
  • Street Fighter 6 Challenger Series (July 2025)
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (August 2025)
  • Guilty Gear – Strive- (November 2025)
  • And a few secrets along the way

Season 3 Regional Promos Announced

The season 3 regionals promos have also been announced. The top 50% of any Universus regionals event will receive copies of cool and exclusive Godzilla cards. I am almost tempted to starting my grind, but I don’t have the time or money to do so. I’d at least try to go for that Godzilla mat. Good luck to everyone who is. Make sure you check the official page to find events near you.

Playmats

Placement Promos

Champion Promos