End of Triangle, a Macross Frontier Weiss Retrospective: Cards!

Last week, I wrote a general overview about Macross Frontier. This time around, I wanted to write in a bit more detail about specific cards. This article is going to be mostly a list, so I’d suggest bouncing around the article as you choose. The list will be split into three main sections: Good level threes, usable climax combos, the utility you have available to you and straight up jank. Although no ratios are provided, this article can serve as a blue print for a competent Macross Frontier deck.

Level 3

There is one level three for each colour, as well as the vanilla level 3, Universal Bunny Sheryl, from the Trial Deck. Only two of them are good, and are the main cards to build around. A third will be discussed in the jank section.

Songs are Magic Ranka (Green): On play from hand or change effect, heal one card from clock to waiting room. Ranka changes from Ranka Reclamation Heavy Machinery, a 2/1 that can give itself and others power. Ranka Reclamation Heavy Machinery itself changes from Ranka, Yearning to Become a Songstress that gets extra power when you have two or more experience. Ranka has a beautiful climax combo that allows you to play one Love character, your main trait, to stage. For one stock. Regardless of level. Given that this is part of a fairly stable level 1-2-3 change chain, this allows Ranka players to build oppressive walls at level one or two. Did I mention this climax combo is on a climax with a gold bar trigger?
Singing is Life Sheryl (Yellow): On play from hand or change effect, draw two and discard one. This is nice, since Sheryl players will have a harder time maintaining hand due to most of the Sheryl cards having hand encore. Sheryl changes up from Sheryl, Decision in her Youth, a 2/2 that has three soul with three experience. This allows Sheryl to side before changing and still do damage. Sheryl also has an in hand, off turn climax combo. When Sheryl is reversed in Battle and you are holding the Northern Cross climax you may stock the Northern Cross in your hand. If you do, you may rest Sheryl and search for a Music or Pilot character. You could bring in Sheryl on the cheap with Ranka or change in. Then, she was usually in front of either level support or a +1000 assist. You ran several backups. If they did manage to swing over, just stock the climax and all the resources expended would be for naught. Together, Sheryl and Ranka build some nasty fields together.

Good Climax Combos

On top of the climax combos mentioned above, Macross has two very solid level one combos.

Ranka, Galactic Cinderella/Aimo (Green): When Galactic Cinderella attacks with Aimo in the Climax zone, you may pay one stock to search a level one or higher Music or Vajra character. This is a good way to set up for late game, but the pay one is kind of expensive. Aimo being a gold bag climax alleviates this to some degree.
White Bunny Sheryl/Black Bunny Sheryl/Universal Bunny: When Black Bunny attacks with Universal Bunny on the stage, she may send a cost one or lower character back to the opponent’s hand. When White Bunny direct attacks with Universal Bunny out, she gains 4500 power and can’t be targeted by card effects until the end of the opponent’s turn. Clean out your opponent’s level 1 field, then get beefy on your own. A bit on the expensive side, since Black Bunny costs one stock to play. Universal Bunny has a wind trigger on it, further emplacing that the Galactic Fairy will blow you away.

Good Utility

Macross has tools to ensure that it does the things it wants to do. Be that through stable change ups, good salvage or having bonds available for most key cards. Here are a few particular highlights

Macross has a tap-self brainstorm, Canaria Bernstein, which salvages on climax hit. This is beautiful utility for a set that changes from discard. Not only do you put the change target in discard and compress, you can salvage the initial part of the change if you accidentally stock it or brainstorm it.
Nanase Matsura is a level 0 card that gives the vanilla level 0 and Ranka Reclamation Heavy Machinery 500 power and hand encore. This makes the Ranka change chain stable, and helps you maintain hand at level 0. Further, Nanase prevents your opponents from using backups against Rankas that are 2000 points more powerful than them.
Ranka: Pushing on Alto’s Back: Level assist is essential when your deck relies on wall building. The climax combo is okay if you need to beat over something, but that won’t often be the case, especially with access to Nyan Nyan Ramen, Nanase, and Ranka Reclamation Heavy Machinery
Prison Break from Alcatraz: This 2/1 red event allows you to salvage a character and give something 2000 for the turn. A nice tech to ensure Rankas don’t get backed up over with Nanase on the field.
Mysterious Scout (aka Elmo-san): This level 2 event allows you to tap your back row in order to search for a music character. Basically, a one hit brainstorm without compression for no stock cost.

Jank

I could write an entire article about weird and flavourful cards in Macross Frontier, so I’ll just write about the most bizarre:

Macross Frontier might be the only set that I’ve seen with a +1000 to all characters and draw one climax in Obelisk. It’s an interesting play in the early game where board wipe might be more useful than soul push, but you can’t chase late game. It is part of a +1000/+1 soul pump combo on Sheryl Galactic Fairy, so that’s nice.
EXTINGUISHED LIFE may be the most bizarre events I have ever seen. Boost one of your characters by 3000 power. At the end of your turn, send it to stock. You’re essentially trading extra power and stock for a direct attack. Or it’s simply a power boost for a card about to change.
Symbiotic with Vajra: The next two are pure flavour. Both players freefresh, then choose one of your characters and give it the ability to reverse the opponent of equal or lower level when it becomes reverse until the end of turn. Bizarre combo of effects, but basically mirrors Alto leaving with the Vajra Queen at the climax of the film perfectly. If you complain about spoilers now, just go watch Wings of Farewell already, you’ve had eight years.
Alto Triangular (3/2): HOOO BOY! This card is bizarre. It has a climax combo that allows you to pick up this card and all other standing cards in your Front Row when you reverse your opponent. If you picked up at least one standing card in this way, you may play Alto Triangular from hand. The idea is that you can either cycle healing cards or get back other on play effects. However you will only ever get two attacks off with this climax combo since you have to pull up a standing character in your front row, is a large drawback. Additionally, he isn’t the right trait to be brought out with Rainbow Coloured Bear. Either allowing Alto to pick up your back row or him being Love Trait would have made Alto VERY good, but his current form leaves him an under-powered curiosity. Being activated by the Wings of Farewell climax makes it incredibly flavourful. (Also, if you do play this, play the Sheryl one. Good taste reasons, mostly)

Hopefully, this list gives you a more detailed view of how Macross Frontier does what it wants to do. After this post, I intend to write up some of my own Macross Frontier builds that I play at weekly casual tournaments. Stay tuned!

All card images courtesy of tradecardsonline.com