Top 5 Underwhelming Raid Characters in Tales of Luminaria

So I previously tackled the best characters to get into raids in Tales of Luminaria, and I got to say, not everyone seems to agree, but understandbly so. At the end of the day, we all have our favorites and we should stick to them as much as we can. 

Alas, not every character are meant for greatness, and some of them are kind of, underwhelming to some degree. Sure, they have some uses, but if you are going to use them, just be prepared for a rough sailing ahead. 

Keep in mind that the term "underwhelming" here doesn't mean that the character is bad, it's just not as good as everyone else. 

Disclaimer: As of the time of this writing, Aglaya the Panthera Lord is currently the only boss found in Raid events and I will be considering the write-up with the Primordial Beast in mind. I would also be considering the current gears available to them at the moment, meaning that those that have yet to see their episodes released will NOT be included in this list. (Michelle has been recently released and I have to say that she is a bit... iffy, but not completely underwhelming as she is a support character, anyways, and she has access to self-heal so she's not entirely helpless)

This list is all but my own opinions, so if you like a character on this list then I won't hold it against you. :)

5. Ana-Maria Marschner (Adventure-sworn Princess)

She has a wonderful and whimsical story, but her gameplay is... a bit odd, to say the least. If you think being a Katana user is something to be happy about, then I have some bad news for you, peeps. She is what I consider a Bladestancer, which focuses on precise attacks and Iai Slashes as her main source of damage. There is one problem though, her attack animation is a bit on the static side and it requires you to evade in other for you not to get stuck. Also, it doesn't help her being a Katana user since her attacks are so precise that you need to commit yourself which would cause you to take unavoidable damage. Having no access to invincibility frames also gives her no favors, either. To be fair, she is a decent boss-killer with her 5* costume as her Mystic Arte deals tons of damage, so she's not entirely a lost cause. If only she had a similar attack speed to Leo Fourcade's...

4. Alexandra von Sonne (The White Wolf of the Gilldlan Empire)

Initially, she is one of my preferred characters in Raids due to her decent attack speed. However, as time went on, I slowly realize that her Mystic Arte build-up is kinda slow, despite her fast attacks. Her attack is also slightly on the weaker side, making her pretty iffy to use in multiplayer where the focus is to deal as much damage as quickly as possible. Don't get me wrong, she is a good Sword user and one of the more reliable ones when clearing mass amounts of enemies, but Raids only focus on a single enemy, which makes her mob-clearing skills pretty inefficient. Her role, on which I call as a Savage Bladedancer, really lives up to its reputation however, as her 5* Mystic Arte is not only fast, but also deals tons of damage, at eight hits. Alas, her blade arte is so fast that it can put you out of position if you are not careful. Her dash attack is OK, but in a game mode where you have to quickly take down enemies, you have to use it sparingly otherwise you'll miss out on some chunky damage numbers. 

3. Celia Arvier (Blaze Markswoman of the Jerle Federation)

She wields... a Bow. Yeah. She does. Although being a Traditional Archer doesn't really help that much in Raids, however, as the erratic nature of bosses in Raids could sometimes put her in a very bad position. Also, her playstyle requires her to be in a safe position while allowing her to charge her shots as precisely as she can, which is almost impossible to pull off unscathed against Aglaya as not only it has a massive range, but it also unleashes pillars of light that launches directly where the characters stand. She does help well in clearing those crystals as a backliner, however. Although, she is not really a character meant to be used for solo play due to her playstyle so don't even attempt it. (unless you are a glutton for punishment)

2. Lisette Regnier (Femme Gunslinger)

She is an anomaly for me in my opinion. First of all, she is a Gun user, but the caveat is that she deals lesser damage when she uses her gun to deal damage to foes that are far away from her. Second of all, she has melee attacks that allows her to deal decent damage against nearby foes. So that begs the question; why on earth give her a gun in the first place if her kit is specialized to fight in close range? It doesn't make any sense at all. Her role as a Melee Gunner is kind of a mixed bag of sorts for me as not only she is constantly putting herself in harm's way but her fighting style is... Kind of familiar. It has some how reminded me of a high-heeled witch who has a penchant for insults and gunslinging...Hmmm... I just cannot help that Lisette could have been given something else if she's going to fight like that. Her 5* Mystic Arte doesn't give her any favors either as, while it deals tons of hits, it doesn't hit as hard compared to Falk's or Leo's, so there's that. 

1. Raoul (Archeologist Extraordinaire)

He may be an extraordinary archeologist in his story, but his playstyle is far from the truth, unfortunately. First of all, he wields a Spear but his hitbox is a bit of an enigma and his attack speed doesn't really give him enough up-time for his Mystic Arte to kick in during crucial Raid moments (such as... EVERY SINGLE MOMENT!), which causes him to miss some big damage when dealing against bosses such as Aglaya. I would probably describe his overall playstyle as Raoul being a Traditional Lancer, in a sense that he plays as generic as possible, which makes him a 'jack-of-all-trades' kind of guy. His signature 5* Mystic Arte is also one of the worst in the game so far, as not only it deals six hits, but it also deals less damage. It's kind of comparable to Leo's but at least the latter deals NINE hard-hitting strikes. Also, despite having good gears, he can be outdamaged by some other characters, such as Yelsy and Falk, due to their sheer versatility alone. He does have a saving grace in the form of his spear guard which he can use to assist in bringing back fallen allies, but even that feels weak due to the fact that his guard gauge depletes so fast. His 5* spear looks quite nice though, albeit its Arte is kinda meh. All in all, Raoul is a mess. 

And that is my list of what I think to be some of the most underwhelming characters in Tales of Luminaria when it comes to Raiding parties. However, just because that I dislike them now, doesn't mean I am going to like them in the future. It's just they don't shine compare as to the others in the game's current state. But who knows? Maybe Raoul may end up to be one of the more broken characters as the game progresses, or perhaps Yelsy could become so bad that nobody wants to play with her anymore in the future. 

Either way, let me know your thoughts about this list in the comments, as well as future suggestions about topics that you want me to tackle (at least things that I am already familiar with). See ya later. :)

Top 5 Raid Characters in Tales of Luminaria

It has been a while since the release of Tales of Luminaria, a new mainline Tales title for the mobile, and I have to say that the game itself has a ton of potential. The characters offered here have a lot of variety and can provide a variety of techniques that makes the game interesting for players. 

Despite the game's many flaws (including the horrid UI and the lack of Japanese voice acting which most Tales games are known for), Luminaria is an enjoyable title that has some good variety in terms of character playstyle. 

That being said, I would like to discuss some of the best characters that you can take during Raid events. 

Raid events involve a battle against a certain boss, in this case a Primordial Beast, and up to four players can participate at any given time to beat the boss as fast as possible. These fights are reminiscent to Monster Hunter hunts, which focuses on tough PvE battles and team coordination. 

In this list, I would be considering some of the characters' innate traits, including overall playstyle and weapon type, while also commenting on their potential and what makes them so good in these kinds of fights. 

Disclaimer: As of the time of this writing, Aglaya the Panthera Lord is currently the only boss found in Raid events and I will be considering the write-up with the Primordial Beast in mind. 

5. Leo Fourcade (Blaze Frontliner of the Jerle Federation)

The very first character you get to play as in the game, and I have to say that being a Katana user has its advantages. As an Agile Blademaster, Leo focuses on swift and precise attacks which allows you to generate Artes quickly while also dealing decent amounts of damage. What makes him good in Raids? Other than the aforementioned reasons, his 5* costume Mystic Arte allows him to deal nine hits, which grants him extensive invincibilty frames. In fact, Mystic Artes in this game provide tons of invincibility frames for their performer; allowing you to survive deadly attacks. Leo just have an access to one of the more reliable Mystic Artes due to its sheer versatility. His fast attacks can also allow him to break crystals faster, which is essential in preventing Aglaya from using its devastating AoE attack.

4. August Wallenstein (Enigmatic Chancellor of the Gilldlan Empire)

One of the more interesting characters, lore-wise, that caught my attention a lot when playing Raids as he's one of the more used characters in that game mode, despite being a Staff user. I consider August to be a Vanguard Mage, which focuses on two magic styles; a defensive one and an offensive. The defensive style allows August to fire rapid magic bolts against enemies, while holding the attack button allows him to deploy a barrier for himself, nullifying damage, and is one of his more used playstyles due to its sheer versatility and decent protection. The offensive style makes him capable of firing a short-ranged shockwave that may paralyze foes, while holding the attack button allows him to make a charged attack which deals more damage the longer it charges. The first style is more preferred due to its straightforward playstyle, especially against fearsome bosses like Aglaya. His 5* costume Mystic Arte also deals chunky amounts of damage, making him an effective boss-killer. 

3. Maxime Hasselmans (Self-Proclaimed Blaze Head of the Jerle Federation)

He is an odd-ball addition on this list, but just because he's a Bow user doesn't mean his use already limited. Maxime is what I consider as a Combo Archer, focusing on unleashing a series of melee attacks and using his bow and arrow to strike from above or against long-ranged targets. Maxime's aerial attack is kind of difficult to execute as you need to constantly mash the attack button while the initial target is alive in order for him to leap upwards and gives you the option to tap enemies to attack them while in mid-air. While his damage output is kind of questionable (without his 5* costume), his versatility makes up for it as his aerial attack gives him extensive amount of invincibilty frames, which is essential for surviving long and dangerous fights against the likes of Aglaya. He is one of the characters I would recommend last in using though due to how technical he can be. 

2. Falk (The Lone Falcon of the Gilldlan Empire)

He may be one of my most hated characters due to his snarky and insensitive attitude, especially towards Amelie, but his skills with the Dual Blades are undeniable. Hugo's description of Falk being Team Laurence's Shock Trooper is spot-on, as Falk focuses on going in alone, closing in to targets, and unleashing massive pain against them. One of his strategies is to close in towards large targets and leap towards them; granting him invincible frames as he approaches his intended target. His attacks are also fast, allowing him to generate his Mystic Arte a lot faster and granting him massive amounts of firepower, especially when he is equipped with his 5* costume. His reckless playstyle, however, demands you to get as much healing items as you can for him, as he may take some damage every now and then while attempting to hurt the opposition in the process. 

1. Yelsy Tw'elteu Huainaz'jin (The Flower Knight of Amr' Qhaghan)

Not only her chapter is my most favorite so far, but I consider her as one of the more useful characters in the game due to her beginner-friendly and safe playstyle. Yelsy's mastery with the Spear allows her to make some stylish fighting techniques, which can be considered an asset against any threat that comes her way. As an Evade Lancer, Yelsy has a constant access to invincibility frames through her normal attack combos alone, making her invulenerable against dangerous attacks like Aglaya's AoE and is capable of dealing against mobs, especially with her 5* costume unlocked. Needless to say, you can just spam the attack button to put her on air, evading attacks with ease. Her only downside, in my opinion, is that you have to commit through it, which can cause your attacks to miss and it can be detrimental to some fast-moving bosses in the future. Her spear throw (which you can perform by holding the attack button while in mid-air) also deals decent damage and gives further invincibility frames to her already-packed repertoire. Sadly, it's one of her only way to generate Mystic Arte gauges faster as her basic attacks, while fast, only generates a meager amount in some way. (at least based on my observations) 

And that is my list. Keep in mind that this list is just opinionated in nature and you are free to play the characters you want. I just considered these five to be one of the better ones to be used in such a game mode. Regardless of your character preference, I got to say that Tales of Luminaria has a lot of potential and I am looking forward to see the game provide more Mystic Artes and equipments for our favorite characters. 

Feel free to let me know your thoughts about your favorite Luminaria characters, that you want to take in Raids, in the comments. 

TEPPEN for Dummies EX: Rotation. An answer to deck balancing?

Before I end the entire series, I wanted to discuss Rotation and how it works.

Rotation is basically a way in which cards are being put 'out of commission' in order to make way for new cards. This also means that those cards won't be usable on certain formats.

Speaking of formats, there are currently only two: Standard and Unlimited. The Standard Format allows players to participate in Ranked mode or Standard matches using the six latest card packs (excluding the CORE Set which is always available).

Unlimited Format, on the other hand, allows you to play cards from all existing card packs, which gives you tons of options. 

So what do you think is the reason for this? 
I would probably say, balancing. This is to ensure that some cards aren't abused for a long time while also allowing players to utilize the newer cards for more combos and establish synergy with older cards that are seeing less play. 

Will I be able to play Unlimited-labelled cards in Ranked? 
You cannot play them at the moment in Ranked, but you can still play them in other game modes like Grand Prix and Chronicles mode. (both of which are not as popular as Ranked since most players tend to go to Ranked more often anyways)

This method sucks! 
Well you better get used to it as some card games, like Shadowverse, have also implemented that feature. Also, Rotation is nothing new in card games as other similar card games like Yu-Gi-Oh implement a card limitation system that prevents you from using a certain card or limits you in using them in some way, shape, or form. Also, this system encourages deck-building, so if you are not a fan of experimentation, then this game may not be the one for you. 

And that's all for now. If you want me to do more on this series, let me know! :D

TEPPEN for Dummies Part 7: Black, Forces of Destruction!

Black is usually associated with death, destruction, and other ominous things. In TEPPEN, however, Black is incorporated with death, destruction, and other omino-! Wait, WHAT?!

Anyways, yeah. Black usually relies on destroying enemy units through Actions and other nasty effects to defeat enemies. But it comes with a cost, either by paying certain amount of resources or letting yourself put into a disadvantage by destroying your own units. In short, Black is a high-risk, high-reward deck that requires careful planning and consistent card synergy to shine against most opponents. Otherwise, you would just feel like a gravedigger digging your own grave with only using a spoon as a shovel.

Today, we are going to look into some of the nastiest of the bunch. The Black Heroes. All of which are strong in their own right and have some insane gimmicks that make it a force to be reckoned with. 

1. Albert Wesker (from Resident Evil)

Wielder of the Progenitor Virus, Wesker is capable of reanimating dead units which allows them to fight back from the grave. He is the first two Black Heroes that was introduced in the game and he is a powerful despot that will do whatever it takes to win... even if he has to get his hands dirty. 

1.A. Dark Destruction
AP Cost: 20
Effect: Destroy an enemy unit that is 5 MP or less.
A good Hero Art that deals with significant threats as some of the more popular Units have 5 MP or less. There are tons of players that rely on 6 MP or more units however, making this Hero Art a lot less consistent. This used to have 18 AP, but due to the sheer power that this Hero Art provides, it was added 2 additional AP for balancing. Still a decent Hero Art, regardless.

2.A. Uroboros
AP Cost: 22
Effect: Returns a friendly unit with the highest MP cost from your Graveyard to the field. Give it "<Death>: Remove this unit from the game". 
THIS is what made him a very powerful unit as Black units tend to get rid of their highest MP cards through an Action card called False Throne, which snatches the Unit card with the highest MP away from your Deck and into the Graveyard. Also, it's a free summon meaning that it's already a good Hero Art. Used to be a very busted Hero Art due to the fact that you can just recycle the highest MP cards from your Graveyard with a simple swipe of this Art. Useful in gimmicky dual-colored decks that rely on high MP units. 

3.A. Bringer of Nightmares (subjected to an upcoming buff)
AP Cost: 12
Effect: Brings one Unit card with <Revenge> active to your EX Pocket (Unit cards with Revenge, if destroyed, will return to the Deck instead of being sent to the Graveyard, Their MP costs are also halved and it can only be activated once. Value is rounded up for those with odd-numbered MP costs).

Post-buff
Effect: Brings one Unit card with <Revenge> active to your EX Pocket and give it -1 MP. That unit also gets +1/+1

A card that is pretty restrictive, so unless you have tons of cards with Revenge, then better avoid this. It can work with the right set-up but the effort, without any contingencies in place, is not worth the while. Hopefully the buff for the Hero Art would make it more viable. 

B. Nergigante (from Monster Hunter: World)

One of the other Black Heroes introduced in TEPPEN known for its more hyper-carry approach to the color. This Elder Dragon knows only one thing; sheer power. Nergigante utilizes techniques that gives him more advantage when his HP is low, making him a high-risk high-reward Hero that gives you enough tools to make a proper comeback. Proper HP management is key in winning with this powerful monster.

1.B. Spike Divebomb
AP Cost: 15
Effect: Gives +4/+4 and 'Destroyed after one attack' to a friendly unit. 
Remember when I described Rathalos' Dive Attack is an 'all-out assault', and Chun-Li's Kikosho as an 'all-out defense'? This is an example of a 'no-holds barred beatdown' that will smack you silly if you are not prepared as the boost it provides not only provides your unit with enough HP to withstand some of the nastiest opponents, while also giving you a chunky Attack boost that will shake to the core of anyone who come against this beast unprepared. Works well to use on Units with Revenge and Death effects, as well as to be given towards units that can't attack at all as they can serve as a powerful meat shield. This also works as a defensive strategy as the boost is enough to withstand at least one attack.

2.B. Spike Launch
AP Cost: 20
Effect: Deals split damage to all enemy units in play equal to the number of Health lost through Sacrifice effects (stacks up to 12 damage). 
Sacrifice is a mechanic that lets you pay Health when playing a certain Unit or Action Card.  This can put you at a disadvantage if you are not well-resourced with other cards that replenish Health. This skill is pretty useful to make a powerful comeback, however, as most Nerg decks with Spike Launch play a lot of Sacrifice cards, making it easy to stack them up in your favor. Use this along with cards that Destroy other units and you are golden. 

3.B. Change Form
AP Cost: 25
Effect: If your Health is 15 or less, give all Unit cards on your hand and EX Pocket +2/+2.
Sounds good on paper but if you want to use it in a Ranked environment, then prepare to have a bad time as it's considered to be the worst Hero Art in the game. Not only because it has a hefty AP cost, but you have to make a Deck that revolves around the gimmick of lowering your health while having enough Units in your hand and EX Pocket to make it work. You can use this on a Revenge-centric deck, but Bringer of Nightmares is a lot better to use for that kind of deck.  The HP requirement is also too steep as your opponents could also be able to smidge up some strategies before you do, meaning that you are in a lose-lose situation on most cases. It CAN work, but you have to be VEEEEEEERY careful when trying to manage your HP and AP costs. 


C. Akuma (from Street Fighter)

Relentless and having a desire to fight the strongest warriors out there, Akuma relies on the Ascended ability to deal retribution against his foes, while also having some powerful destroy capabilities and utility to escape certain doom. He is the third Black Hero to be introduced and was first unveiled in the 2019 TEPPEN World Championships. He has become one of the fiercest characters to ever grace the game, and his Hero Arts are some of the more powerful ones as well due to its sheer will and awesome winning capabilities it provides. 

1.C. Raging Demon
AP Cost: 23
Effect: Activates the <Ascended> effect of a friendly unit whose <Ascended> ability has yet to be activated, and then destroy the enemy unit in front of it. (Ascended is an effect that requires you to put the unit with Ascended on top of another unit to activate its Ascended ability)
Some people would claim this skill as 'busted' due to the many Black Ascended cards that was released during his debut, and it's clearly a reason as to why he's a very powerful character in the first place. Also, his destruction effect bypasses powerful effects like Veil and Shield, so this makes him pretty deadly if you don't have an answer to it.

2.C. Sekia Kurtesuha
AP Cost: 20
Effect: Destroy all units with 4 HP or less.
Has potential, but this also destroys your units. Just use something else. 

3.C. Ashura Senku
AP Cost: 16 
Effect: Grants Veil and damage immunity to a friendly unit. Both effect lasts 10 seconds. The unit chosen for this Hero Art is also placed at an empty board slot.
Looks good on paper and looks good if you manage to build a deck around it. Great for aggro decks and decks that utilizes buffs to power up your units. Keep in mind that they are still prone to destruction effects should they get targeted by one through cards like Sample Collection and Hero Arts like Raging Demon. 

And finally...

D. Oichi (from Sengoku Basara)

The latest Black Hero included in the game which had a lot of tools going on. She can either deal damage to enemies based on her destroyed units, call them from the grave to do her bidding, or use Death effects to her advantage. Also, Spirits are her best friend, with tons of them being capable of supporting most of Oichi's Hero Arts, which makes her an even deadlier adversary. After all, every rose has its thorns. 

1.D. Dancing Dead
AP Cost: 23
Effect: Deals damage to an enemy unit equal to the number of Unit Cards in your Graveyard. If that unit is destroyed by this Hero Art, your Hero gains 3 Life.
Not really used but it has some advantages especially if you are using a deck that throws away cards from the Deck to the Graveyard. But that setup alone makes it more risky to use this Hero Art as you rather need to fight to win than build up your Graveyard but only to swipe the victory away from you in the last minute. 

2.D. Despair, wail, and perish!
AP Cost: 28
Effect: Bring back three black unit cards with 4 MP or less from the Graveyard to the field. All friendly units gain +1/+1. 
THIS is what makes Oichi very dangerous. She can use her cards to setup her grave, only to bring them back on the field more powerful than ever. The AP cost is reasonable too as having enough AP early on would make this Hero Art pretty abusable. This is her most used Hero Art in PVP and it shows. 

3.D. Dark Invitation
AP Cost: 14
Effect: Activate the Death effect of a friendly unit.
Only a few friendly units can utilize this Hero Art to their advantage and that are those who has Death effects, duh, which makes the Hero Art pretty restrictive in its use. A lot of good Black cards have great Death effects too, however, so it can be a niche option to consider when you want to utilize her in a way that is outside her more popular Hero Art. 

All in all, Black is a solid color to consider if you are more of a player that really wants to pump in the pressure. It's also considered one of the most powerful colors at the moment and it goes without saying due to the many tools that these Heroes can provide when it comes to achieving victory. 

And that is all for this series of TEPPEN for Dummies. If there is anything related to TEPPEN that you want me to tackle, then feel free to let me know. In the meantime, the Land of Illusion beckons your arrival, stranger!

Stay safe and God bless your day! :)

TEPPEN for Dummies Part 6: Purple, the Disruption Specialist.

Purple is a somewhat peculiar color that can either do well or fail spectacularly; there's no in-between. Unlike Red which has a strong offensive presence, but also unlike Green with tons of preventative measures to stop problem cards from getting in your way, Purple kind of reminds me of a less-popular corned beef, which is still pretty tasty, but is not really that popular to the masses due to the branding or some other reason. Mmmm.... beef. :3 

Nevertheless, today we are going to discuss the Purple Heroes in TEPPEN and what they offer to the table. As in previous entries, I will be talking about their Hero Arts, their effects, and how to utilize them to your maximum advantage. 

A. Morrigan Aensland (from Darkstalkers)

The Queen of the Underworld and the only playable Darkstalker Hero, she is one of the few Heroes that was first introduced in TEPPEN's launch and has been known for her disruptive playstyle. She can utilize Halt to bewitch unsuspecting enemies and deal with specific threats, leaving her foes helpless. Morrigan works well in a lot of deck compositions, especially with a deck that utilizes Halt to its maximum advantage. 

1.A. Temptation
AP Cost: 23
Effect: Inflict Halt to all enemy units for 13 seconds.
A great Hero Art that has a reasonable AP Cost. Not only this can give you a chance to setup your opponent, but this could also serve as a comeback mechanic while charging your MP. Works well on a Halt-centric deck, which is seeing tons of support as of the time of this writing. Also, there are some cards that have specific effects on enemies with Halt, so there. 

2.A. Darkness Illusion
AP Cost: 22
Effect: Destroy all enemy units inflicted with Halt. 
While this has been a good Hero Art in the past, the sheer force of this Hero Art makes the metagame out of control and has since been nerfed as a result. It was once cost 15 AP but was increased to make sure her foe can still fight back. But with the amount of Halt cards present, it is still a strong Hero Art, albeit not as much used as before. 

3.A. Shadow Blade
AP Cost: 18
Effect: Deals 4 damage to an enemy unit, 6 Damage to an enemy unit with Flight. Heals 2 HP to your Hero. 
Another good Hero Art that has also been subjected to a nerf due to its sheer flexibility. This is one of the few Hero Arts she had that really doesn't rely on a certain strategy to be effective. Also, with the amount of players using Flight in the current meta, this is the perfect Art to counter those pesky fliers.

B. Dante (from Devil May Cry)

It's everyone's favorite demon hunter known for his sassy fighting skills and sly tongue. Dante, along with Morrigan, was one of the few Heroes that was introduced in the early stages of the game, and has been known to be an enigma. He used to see prominence during the first World Championships, but after seeing some key cards being nerfed, with adjustments to some of the skills that he had, he became some sort of a mixed bag. Either way, his playstyle focuses on style and disrupting enemy movements. He also has a particular skill that utilizes one of the game's effect types; Resonate, which activates whenever an Action card is played.

1.B. Quicksilver
AP Cost: 18
Effect: Inflicts Slow on an enemy unit and the inflicted foe cannot counter.
Good counter for enemies that focus on bolstering their units for a quick finish. Halt would benefit well for this Hero Art as Halt resets the attack timer of the affected unit, maximizing its effectiveness. Not really used as much as his third Hero Art, but still seeing some use in some shape or form. This used to have a VEEEERY expensive AP Cost of 27, but affecting all enemy units, making the Hero Art extremely counterable in many fronts. Also, with cards like Ascended exist, this makes it pretty irrelevant to certain decks. 

2.B. Ebony and Ivory
AP Cost: 19
Effect: Allows units with Resonate to activate their Resonate effect twice, dubbed as Reverberate. 
An underwhelming Hero Art that requires specific kind of cards to make it work. While Purple is filled with Resonate cards, enemies can simply just Seal or destroy them outright, making them pretty useless. Get some Action Cards that negate other opposing Actions, as well as low-cost Action Cards, to make consistent use of this. 

3.B. Devil Trigger
AP Cost: 13
Effect: Negates damage to your Hero for 10 seconds. 
Pretty flexible Hero Art. Works well in a variety of strategies, including the ever popular Dante burn decks that focus on dealing direct damage to the enemy Hero with low-cost Red cards. So hate that deck to be honest. 

C. Zero (from Mega Man X)

A Reploid with an enigmatic nature, focuses on a mechanic known as Memory which provides additional effects to cards based on the number of Action cards used in battle. A pretty flexible Hero in certain Deck compositions and that alone makes him a force to be reckoned with. 

1.C. Fight Against Inner Demons
AP Cost: 14
Effect: Add 1 "Maverick" or "Maverick Hunter" to your EX Pocket (Doesn't count as an Explore)

Maverick:
AP Cost: 1
Effect: Destroy one random enemy unit with 6 MP or less.

Maverick Hunter:
AP Cost: 1
Effect: Friendly unit gains +2/+4.

A very flexible Hero Art that provides a particular card during certain situations. Good with Resonate decks and cards filled with Memory effects. This, however, can also serve as a detriment due to the Art's random nature. Not getting the right card could put your strategies go kaput. 

2.C. Rakuhouha
AP Cost: 22
Effect: Deals 4 damage split to all enemy units. If your Memory is between 4 to 9, deals 7 split damage instead, and if it is 10 or more, deals 12 split damage instead. 
Rakuhouha's power level hasn't been touched for a long time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, much to the playerbase's dismay, but following the announcement of the new Hero, Felyne, so do come the nerf for Rakuhouha, much to people's rejoicing. The nerf, however, has led Rakuhouha to a downward spiral, but this also means that the Art is a lot more balanced now and pretty manageable. 

3.C. Tenkuuha
AP Cost: 18
Effect: Gives +2 Attack (for one attack) and Combo (for one attack) to a friendly unit. 
Pretty gimmicky in some way but pretty useful for Aggro decks. 

D. Ada Wong (from Resident Evil)

As of the time of this writing, Ada is the latest addition to TEPPEN and she is one of the more powerful units that is difficult to learn and difficult to master. She utilizes certain disruptive abilities that relies on Lock effects, while also capable of removing threats when the chance arises. Definitely matches her mysterious character.

1.D. Blackout
AP Cost: 22
Effect: Removes an enemy unit with 3 Attack or less from the game.
Very flexible Hero Art that can be used to a variety of decks. The high AP cost can be a bit of a detriment though. Also, there are tons of good cards that have 4 Attack or more and Dive Attack is a thing, so... 

2.D. Mirage Decoy
AP Cost: 24
Effect: Locks all your empty board slots for 10 seconds and returns all enemy units whose MP cost are equal to the number of board slots locked +2 to the deck. 
This is one of those Hero Arts that could be good with the right setup, but it can mess up your strategy if you don't have a back up in hand. Also, keep in mind that locking your board slots for 10 seconds could be risky, especially if your foe has come prepared against you. It DOES work well on mixed decks and decks that rely on Revenge, though. 

3.D. Break Away
AP Cost: 16
Effect: Return one friendly unit to your EX Pocket and reduces its MP by 2 (cannot go to zero), then you can place 1 random unit from your EX Pocket other than the returned unit (if applicable). 
This is where the 'difficult to use and difficult to master' comes into play as there are currently no consistent way for Purple to bring Unit cards from the Deck to the EX Pocket other than drawing them from the deck through actions. This would work well in a mixed deck that relies on having high MP cards in the deck, but even that requires more set-up and the random nature of drawing cards could really mess you up, especially if your foe is equally or more prepared than you. 

And that's all the Purple units in TEPPEN. If I would say one thing about how Purple is faring currently, they are 'kinda getting there' but not enough to outshine the likes of Red or Black. It does do well against Green in some cases, however. 

That's all for TEPPEN for Dummies for now. Going to tackle the Black Heroes later. Until then, lemme know down in the comments on your thoughts! ^_^

TEPPEN for Dummies Part 5: Deck Building.

In my opinion, one of the appealing factors that make TEPPEN a unique experience is the deck-building aspect in this game. 

Deck-building is crucial in TEPPEN and it can determine on how you'll fare against specific match-ups. Let's face it, there are certain match-ups that are either great or terrible against another, but that's what's fun about this game in my opinion. The game encourages you to experiment with the myriad of cards the game provides to you.

This is where you will spend most of the time when building new Decks.

The Deck builder.

However, just like in every other card game, deck building is also bound with a set of rules. 

In this segment, I will be discussing some of the rules that you need to know when it comes to deck-building and tips on how to utilize these rules to your advantage.

Rule#1: You can only have a maximum of 30 cards.
Whatever cards you put, keep in mind that you can only have a maximum of 30 cards. Nothing more, nothing less.

Rule#1.5: You can only create up to 50 Decks.
Self explanatory. 

Rule#1.8: A single Hero Art can only be equipped per Deck.
Also, self explanatory. 

Rule#2: Each card has a color attribute.
Just like Heroes, every card in the game has a specific color attribute, which cater to the playstyle of that particular color. Choose the cards of that specific color to build on.

Rule#2.5: Each card has its own Rarity.
That's right! Rarity. Just like every other card games, each card has a particular rarity and in this game, there are four; namely Common, Rare, Epic, and Legendary. For every deck, you can only have three copies of a non-Legendary card of a certain type, but can only have a copy of a specific Legendary card. Reason? Balancing, of course. 

Rule#3: Max MP Cost is affected by the number of Attributes you put in a deck.
Remember how you'll need MP to play cards or Actions? Yep. The way you build your deck can greatly affect the overall max MP of your Deck. There are things to keep in mind when it comes to building a deck; the color of your Hero and the cards that you put in your deck. Having a dual-colored deck with end you with 5 Max MP as opposed to 10, while a tri-colored deck ends you up with only 3 MP, so keep those in mind. Your Hero is also counted to the color attribute count when building a deck, however. For example, when you build a deck with a red-colored Hero filled with black-colored cards, your MP would end up with 5 MP since your Hero is different to the cards it possess. It's a nice balancing act to ensure no color would end up overpowered in some way when utilizing different colored cards. 

Rule#4: Some cards would end up unusable on a mixed deck.
An interesting feature this game's deck builder have is that it warns you about the potential cards that may end up become dead in your Deck. Unless you have an interesting tech strat to get it out, you better balance out the Deck to the things you only need. 

Rule#5: Synergy is important when building a Deck. 
Here is the tricky part. What makes a successful Deck all comes down to how you build a theme around that particular Deck. Deck-building based on a particular strategy is nothing new as it's already evident in certain popular card games like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Magic the Gathering. TEPPEN is no different. There are certain cards that synergizes with another set of cards, so keep in mind about the effect of each card for maximum effectiveness. Speaking of keeping in mind about the effects of each card...

Rule#6: Read each card carefully.
Certain cards need to meet certain requirements in order to become usable or become a lot more useful, so it's important to understand the intricacies of each one to ensure the victory you want to achieve. 

Rule#7: Never rely too much on the Deck Builder.
If you are a veteran when it comes to card games, this is actually a no-brainer. However, if you are a newbie and just here to see about some of the potential strategies you can use in future battles, then give this one a whirl. Just don't depend too much on it. 

Rule#8: Watch the TEPPEN Channel for some card advice. 
There's a thing in this game known as the TEPPEN Channel where you can watch certain replays of some random matches across the world. From there, you can view how the battle unfolded as well as the decks they used at the time. This place can be a nifty feature for anyone who wants to do some net-decking and having a difficult time building Decks. 

Rule#9: Ask fellow players for advice. 
Despite the game having a relatively small player base compared to other card games (in my opinion), TEPPEN has grown to be a competitive one and tons of content creators have since dedicated their time to make such content. If you are ever lost, feel free to watch some of their videos or ask for advice. 

And most importantly...

Rule#10: Never be afraid to fail.
TEPPEN is not a casual game and it requires tons of trial and error to make the right combination of strategies. Whether you like to overwhelm your opponents or just stall for time, such effective strategies aren't made overnight and it will most likely fail you than help you win in most cases. While it can be discouraging, you can serve as a leeway to find more effective strategies in dealing with even bigger threats. If you are still having doubts in using your newly-formed deck against other live players, try using the Deck you concocted against an AI-controlled opponent for the lolz and see how it fare.

Adjust. Battle. Adjust. Learn each card. Adjust again. Battle and win. Rinse and repeat until you're satisfied with your Deck. And that is what makes TEPPEN so much fun in my opinion. It's not just about the cards you have in your Deck, but how you want to approach a given scenario can make battles a lot more satisfying. 

Before you go ahead and try to build your own Deck, feel free to know some of the more important details when it comes to Deck-building. 

1. The maximum MP of a certain Deck during a battle. It can be affected by the number of card attributes in your Deck. Two colors would make it five while three colors would make it three. 

2. The number of color attributes that you have in your current Deck.

3. Total Deck size. Only 30 cards per deck. 

4. Number of Unit cards. There's no limit on how much you can add them to a Deck. 

5. Number of Action cards. Same principles apply to Unit cards where you can put as much as you want for as long as it meets the Deck limit and card copy restrictions. 

And finally, the Deck builder also has a variety of functions which makes Deck-building a lot easier.

New Deck - Exactly what it says on the tin. Build a Deck from scratch. 
Copy Deck - Copy an existing Deck and make a new slot for it. 
Scan QR Code - As what it says, you can scan QR codes from pre-made Decks. Keep in mind that it doesn't make you automatically own the cards within them. You still need to get them from packs or craft them by spending Souls (which I would be discussing in a future article should this series becomes popular enough, that is)
Auto Edit - Recommended for newbies. Helps you build a certain deck based on your existing card pool. Also a great feature for experimentation, but that's just me.

And that's wraps up for today's edition of TEPPEN for Dummies. If you have other strategies in mind when it comes to building the most amazing Deck you can ever come across, feel free to let me know down in the comments.

For a lot less convoluted explanation, or if you want a direct answer, feel free to visit the TEPPEN Wiki website.

That said, have a nice day! :)

TEPPEN for Dummies Part 4: Green, The Stalwart Guardian

After discussing some of the fundamentals of the game, I have decided to once again showcase some of the Heroes in TEPPEN. And this time, we are now going to look into the Green Heroes of this game. 

Green is associated with defense, with most Unit cards sporting high HP and has tons of benefits that could help your Hero and units survive longer. Meanwhile, Green Action Cards consist of providing Shields and other buffs that can help your units survive long fights and is designed to counter a popular color, Red, that relies on constant offense to deliver the killing blow. 

Green is also a powerful color due to one important ability, Seal, which disables all effects of a single unit, making them ineffective against certain units you deploy. 

As per usual, I will be discussing each Heroes' Hero Arts, strategies on how to maximize them, and my overall opinions of the character in question. 

That said, let's get started.

A. X

The Blue Bomber is back in action in this real-time card game. X is specialized in the healing of friendly units, give them buffs that synergizes with healing abilities, and providing added protection from hostile effects that can hinder your strategies. Despite all of these useful abilities, X is considered to be the worst Hero in this game due to the fact that his skill would only benefit units to the fullest if they are alive on the field, which makes him somewhat bad against units that focuses so much on destroying cards on the field. Sure, the same can be said for Rathalos with his offensive-style kit, but unlike Rathalos, X has little offensive options outside Unit cards with Veil and gimmicky decks that can either hit, miss, or both.

1.A. Heart Tank
AP Cost: 18
Effect: Gives +7 HP to a friendly unit. 
It's basically Shinku Hadouken but in healing form, but it's not as useful as the latter Hero Art. This, in my opinion, is his worst Hero Art due to it having no additional benefits. While it can work to some certain decks, you better off using his two other Hero Arts. 

2.A. Charge Shot
AP Cost: 21
Effect: Gives all friendly units this effect "When their HP is increased, gain +1 Attack". The effect cannot stack. 
It's one of his premier abilities that makes him a powerful force to be reckoned with and made him a serious threat to a lot of decks following the introduction of the Haunted by Memories card expansion (which would be discussed in a future entry, hopefully). However, given the nerfs that was given to it (increasing its 16 AP cost to 20 and then to 21), X has once again become a joke that he already is, which is particularly sad since it's his one of his ONLY good Hero Arts. 

3.A. Gaea Armor
AP Cost: 21
Effect: Gives <Veil> to all friendly units.
While it may seem a powerful ability, keep in mind that you need a specific card set-up to make this Hero Art work. Veil is an ability that only few cards have, which is saying something, as it basically makes that unit with Veil untraceable by certain cards and even most Hero Arts. However, Black has tons of destruction cards that destroy units at random while some cards that inflict Seal would remove Veil right off the bat, there are tons of Reds that deals burn damage a group of units without the ever need of targeting them, which makes Gaea Armor's use questionable at best. But regardless, providing Veil to units is very beneficial if you are focusing too much on buffing allies without being worried of having them hindered with Actions and other skills that can target your units.  

B. Chun Li

A Chinese martial artist known for her agility and high-speed kicks, Chun Li is known as one of the more powerful Green Heroes in TEPPEN, capable of providing defensive and offensive support to units, as well as the only Hero capable of generating additional MP through one of her Hero Arts. She is a versatile Hero capable of carrying various builds, be it offensive, defensive or a mixture of both. 

1.B. Kikosho (subjected to a buff in a latest patch)
AP Cost: 17
Effect: Grants <Shield> to all friendly units.

Post-buff
AP Cost: 14

Remember when I said that Dive Attack is a definition of an all-out assault? This Hero Art is the definition of an all-out defense in TEPPEN. Since Shields stack in this game, it's very crucial to use such a tactic to protect your units from long fights, especially against Red since they are focused more on destroying your units through effect damage.

2.B. Hyakuretsukaku (known as Lightning Kick in the English dub)
AP Cost: 13
Effect: Gives +1 Attack and <Heavy Pierce> to a friendly unit (when a unit with Heavy Pierce destroys an enemy unit, enemy is dealt damage equal to that unit's attack with Heavy Pierce). 
For a low, low cost of 13 AP, you can be able to give a friendly unit with enough firepower to deal much punishment to anyone who gets in your way. Excellent for an aggro-heavy deck with Combo and Agility. Also useful for powering up your MP batteries. 

3.B. Yawn
AP Cost: 20
Effect: A friendly unit gains the following effect: "when it leaves the field, gains 4 MP".
Now THIS is is what makes Chun Li very dangerous to deal with as this skill can be beneficial to you, no matter what happens to your friendly units, while also serving as some form of a comeback with the added MP.  This works well in a deck filled with MP batteries and Ascended units as the faster MP regen time can help you gain MP even faster while Ascended units can just get rid of those with the Yawn effect to have a new unit on the field while also giving you additional MP to conduct more combo plays. (Ascended is a unit that you can put on another unit to activate its effect, destroying the previous unit in the process)

C. Nero

Oh look, it's everyone's favourite deadwe-! I mean, demon hunter. Well, sort of. Nero focuses on a mechanic called Growth that allows units to gain several benefits upon levelling up. Each unit with Growth requires a certain amount of Experience to level up, which can be achieved by playing Unit cards whose MP is equal or greater than the required Experience needed to level up. Another competent Green Hero that is seeing tons of play as the game went on due to his sheer versatility and the amount of Growth support that was added to the game. 

1.C. Devil Bringer
AP Cost: 15
Effect: Grants +2 Attack and <Spillover> for a single attack. (Units with Spillover deals damage to enemies adjacent to the friendly unit's original target, but the damage itself is halved for those enemies)
It's one of his more versatile Hero Arts due to the fact that it's use is not limited to Growth decks. However, this also means that you need to build certain decks that can cater the needs of this Hero Art, such as those with <Crush> (Units with Crush can deal damage to enemies without taking counterattack damage) and those with Combo-centric strategies. Despite this, the Hero Art isn't seen that much in higher PvP ranks. 

2.C. True Power
AP Cost: 12
Effect: A friendly unit with <Growth> gains one level. 
It may not seem to be a good Hero Art at first, since that players would only be limited to using Growth-centric cards, but for people who have played the game for a while now have since seen tons of Growth-related support cards that helps in making the Hero Art shine, which has since allowed the Hero Art to see some play in some shape or form. It's one of his less used Hero Arts, however. 

3.C. Hey, Nico!
AP Cost: 17
Effect: Adds 1 Gerbera, Ragtime, or Tomboy to your EX Pocket. 
Despite its random nature, Hey Nico is one of Nero's more powerful and versatile Hero Arts as not only it can allow him to get a powerful card to his hand, but this also allows him to become a lot more flexible with his deck options. Each of the cards added to his hand at random has different effects. Gerbera can inflict 12 damage across all enemies, Ragtime prevents units from attacking for 13 seconds (the mechanic is known as Halt), and Tomboy provides an ATK and HP bonus totaling up to 10 points. While not all of them are particularly useful in all situations, it at least gives Nero some options in dealing with specific threats. 

And last but not the least...

D. Felyne

Every Monster Hunter's favorite buddy has also crawled his way in TEPPEN as a lovable character and a Hero with great potential. Felyne harnesses one important mechanic in the game, which is Tribes, that allows him to utilize in his favor. Felyne is also capable of providing defensive bonuses to allies when he gets the chance, while also capable of causing mischief by stealing important resources from enemies. 

1.D. Shieldspire
AP Cost: 14
Effect: Provides +3 HP to a friendly unit and an effect that reduces any damage it takes that are 3 or lower to 1.
Versatile Hero Art and is the first one you can learn to this cute critter. Pretty useful to apply on allies that rely to survive for long bouts in order to be useful including MP batteries and allies that triggers certain effects when taking damage. 

2.D. Coral Orchestra
AP Cost: 16
Effect; Targets one friendly unit on the field and all Unit cards on your hand and EX Pocket that has a similar Tribe to that of the chosen unit have their MP reduced by 1. Their MP costs cannot go to zero. 
Pretty useful but very gimmicky, and it has a high chance to fail more than it can succeed. It does work well if you are using dual-colored decks, but even that requires a lot more setup to make it super useful. Not as used as Shieldspire.

3.D. Plunderblade
AP Cost: 14
Effect: Takes a random card from your opponent's Deck and add it to your EX Pocket. 
I have nothing much to say but it's rather a useful Hero Art if you can get your enemies to unable getting their key cards right away, but even then the card you can get is random and there's a chance that you may be able to steal a dead card at that point. It's also a good thing though, as you can just use this Hero Art to potentially thin your opponent's Deck. 

And that's pretty much all the Green Heroes in TEPPEN. While Green is not particularly a strong color in the current meta, it's nonetheless competent in its own way.

Thoughts? Feel free to comment. Thanks and have a nice day! :)