Greetings! Railgunfan75 here. Due to the popularity of my previous Weiss Schwarz related posts, I have decided to start a series of posts with tips and tricks intended for those who are just joining the Weiss scene. I don’t profess to a pro level player or expert, these posts are just meant to share some tips that I have discovered through my process of learning the game. For this post, I thought I would share some tips and advice concerning deck building.

Since one’s deck is the most important and only piece you need to play WS, the process of building a deck is quite important and can seem quite daunting. There are many sets and many deck types one can build. Even knowing where to start can be tricky. However, once you have built a deck or two, it becomes much easier and in my opinion is one of the fun things about Weiss Schwarz.  Below are part one of my tips for building a Weiss Schwarz deck. It is my hope that these tips will help in the decision making process. My tips will be broken down into multiple posts to make them more accessible.

Tip #1: When deciding on a set to invest in, pick a set from a series you enjoy. 

Weiss Schwarz FAIRY TAIL ver E English Trial Deck
Yes , this can win at any time.

This advice seems a little strange. The point of tcgs is to generally find and build the most powerful decks available. However, there are multiple reasons why going against this idea is good for WS deckbuilding. The first is that the game of Weiss is incredibly balanced. A deck from any set can win a game. This is a cool feature of the game. Many people like to talk about power tiers and which sets are the must play sets. However, the gameplay mechanics and the large luck factor makes any deck capable of winning. Trial decks can beat a deck with all the best possible cards at any moment. Tier lists are fun to talk about but any deck can win at any time.

A second reason is that the game and landscape of Weiss is constantly changing. With multiple new sets being released each month, new gameplay mechanics being released all the time and a constantly changing banned and restricted list what is considered to be a top deck changes constantly. Chasing the best series and decks usually proves to be an exhausting and expensive venture.

A third reason one should invest in their favorite set is that in Weiss sets are never deemed to be illegal like in many other games. In some games, players are forced to constantly invest in new sets due to previous sets not being allowed in tournaments anymore

railgun 1
If these are your favorite characters- you should show them off to the world through your deck.

The fourth and final reason is that Weiss Schwarz  pulls characters and game ideas from other media. This allows to build fan decks or just center a deck around a favorite series. I believe that this is a cool idea. The idea of fan or waifu decks is one that is generally unique to Weiss and is one of the things that makes the game unique. Why would you not decide to make a deck from a series you are familiar with? This increases the excitement about building the deck and increases the pride when the deck is finished. The whole point is battle out with your favorite characters, why not pick your favorite characters?

TIP #2: Do some research! See what your particular series has to offer. 

Once you have decided on which series or are still deciding on a series, researching how the series works is important. Weiss Schwarz has many deck types and game mechanics, not all of which are included in a particular set. It is very possible that a set from a series you enjoy has game mechanics in it that don’t fit your play style. Knowing that can  make a difference in the decision to start a deck. For example if you prefer a a slow deliberate play style then a highly aggressive and power based like Sword Art Online might not be for you. Personally, my love for a series will override the fact that a series doesn’t fit my play style but for some that could be a deal breaker. If you discover this too late then you have invested in a deck that you don’t enjoy and most likely don’t play.

Knowing how a set works can help with making decisions about how to approach a deck and assist in making a deck which works well. For example you decide on a set which has a lower power curve for example and try to build a deck whose sole purpose is to overpower opposing characters. The deck will not perform very well because that is not what the series is designed to do. Another possibility is that the set offers multiple deck types. Take Index/Railgun for example. One can build an Index magic deck, Railgun based esper deck, power and soul rush decks, decks heavily based on pushing for damage, or decks which are recollection based. Knowing that you have multiple options might help you to find a deck which suits your needs.

This concludes part one of my deck building tips. Coming soon will be part 2 with some more bits of advice for new players. As for future posts, I am working on my first installment of Manga Corner which will feature Fairy Tail, Weiss decks builds featuring Log Horizon and Illya, and anime reviews of Sword Art Online II, Stein’s Gate, Cowboy Bebop and more! So until next time, this is Railgunfan75 signing off and staying stay geeky my friends!