Even though we didn’t get any new Macross Frontier cards in the Delta premium booster, we still got novel ways to play with the Macross Frontier booster set. For today’s funpost deck, the key pieces we received were a standby trigger and a way to put cards back into deck. This allows us to abuse a change up chain starting on the first turn if the game, where a 1/1 Ranka Lee can quickly become a 3/2 Ranka Lee that heals and then summons out other Ranka Lees that can themselves become 3/2 Ranka Lees. The deck is a cool parlour trick that can probably take some wins at a local tournament.
Deck Objective
Sneak in one level three Ranka at level zero or one, use it’s climax combo to summon out more to cycle heals early in the game, then press your opponent with heavy attacks every turn. We can avoid anti-change counters by using a back row Nanase to prevent your opponent from playing backups when Ranka is more than 2000 power above the opponent. We also have access to on field sack counters with two souls and a variety of good back rows to turn your opponent’s front attacks into a risky proposition. Dark Freyja has three souls and Fumio or burn one on play to close out the game.
Core Loop and basic strategy
Once you understand how the deck cycles itself to achieve its core objective, it should become easy to pilot. Here’s a simple step by step process:
- Standby in either Girl who admires songstresses Ranka or Reclamation Heavy Machinery Ranka.
- Change them up to Music is Magic Ranka, Heal.
- Use Music is Magic Ranka’s climax combo to summon Reclamation Heavy Machinery, Ranka from deck.
- If your deck has no Reclamation Heavy Machinery Ranka in it, use The Future is for us Walkure to shuffle two back into deck.
- Use Nanase to prevent your opponent from using Anti-Change Backups against Ranka. Defend Ranka using backups or Super Dimension Venus Walkure Kaname.
- Close the match out with meaty swings from Yami Freyja
A Japanese X user has created this helpful infographic to show how the loop works:
With that loop in mind, you want to use your level 0 to enable the loop. A successful level zero ends with either Reclamation Heavy Machinery Ranka already on field or in the waiting room waiting to be brought in via standby. You then want to clock and level a red card so you can play standby triggers to get Ranka onto the field. From there, start the loop. You have a ton of tools to defend Ranka once she is on the field to help build your hand and stock back. You also have a lot of soul push in this deck despite playing standby climaxes, allowing you to push a damage gap early. Hopefully you can heal at least once a turn, which hopefully keeps your clock low enough to survive some of the massive finishers running around, like Gura.
How strong is this deck?
This deck is pretty fun to pull out at locals, but you can’t actually play it in North American competitive play due to a title restriction on Macross Frontier. So, thinking about its competitive viability is mooted. It’s big shortcoming is that it has somewhat limited ways to close out the game, and is spends a lot of resources to heal in cool ways. That’s not to say it can’t keep pace with most of what you would see at a local tournament. Once it gets rolling, it walls with the best of them. Plus, having a level 3 out at level 0 is too cool.
Deck List
If you’re down to have a bit of fun with your Weiss Schwarz, I’ve provided am archetypical list below. The list runs heavy on zeros to provide the utility necessary early and runs light on level one targets as is typical for a deck with four standby triggers. You’ll also notice that there are a ton of options for tech play, which is a testament to Macross Delta’s strong card pool. I’ve given each card a blurb on how they fit into the deck with respect to the general strategy written above.
Level 0 List (19 Cards)
As stated above, the goal of level zero is to get a nice resource pile going. Like most standby decks you want to dump a bunch of cards into waiting room, hopefully get an early standby and start the change up chain. Level zero is mostly utility to that end, with some oversized Ranka for colour fix. The best-case scenario is if you manage to hit a standby trigger and bring in Girl who admires songstresses Ranka to get the change chain started immediately. Your worst-case scenario is getting hit to level 1 immediately or cancelling with all your standby triggers. You aren’t playing a level one climax combo, so don’t worry about sculpting for it.
All translations by KeeluahWS, collected by Weiss Teatime. I’ll highlight potential other adds to the list.
3 Scarlet Noble Freyja <Music/Walkure> (Red) – 2000 power
AUTO – [(1) Discard 1 card] When this is placed on stage from hand, you may pay cost. If you do, choose 1 <Music> or <Pilot> character from your Waiting Room, add it to hand, then choose 1 of your other <Music> or <Pilot> characters, this turn, it gets +1000 power.
AUTO – [(1) Send this to Waiting Room] When your other <Music> or <Pilot> character is Front Attacked, you may pay cost. If you do, return that character to hand.
This Freyja has two good abilities for standby wrapped into one card. The drop salvage allows you to cycle key utility and backups freely, while the second allows you to bounce utility or a healer back to hand. It also allows you to avoid the odd on reverse combo that doesn’t work with an open slot. The drop salvage ability is particularly nice considering we are trying to put cards in waiting room with Reina and Kaname (below) and may want one of the cards we dumped in there.
2 Love is a Dog Fight Ranka <Music/Love> (Green) – 3500 Power
AUTO: When this card is placed on stage, reveal the top card of your deck. If it is not a <music> character, during this turn, this card gains the following ability “CONT: This card cannot attack.” (Return revealed card to its original position)
This is our best oversized Ranka option in green, and we don’t have much in the way of good utility in green either. Unfortunately, with 12 opportunities to fail, you will likely miss in at least one game in a local sized tournament. This is just here for colour fix and can be removed.
2 Apple loving new face Freyja <Music/Walkure> (Yelllow) – 1500 Power
AUTO – At the start of your climax phase, you may look at the top card of your deck.
ACT – BRAINSTORM: [(1) REST this card] Flip 4 cards from the top of your Deck, place them into Waiting Room. For each Climax among those cards, look at up to three cards from the top of your deck, choose up to 1 card from among them, add it to hand, and put the rest in the waiting room.
This brainstorm fits brilliantly into a standby deck. It allows you to both add a standby climax to hand and put extra characters into the waiting room. On top of that, you can arrange your attacks based on whether the revealed card is a standby or not.
2 (C) 0/0 Music is Love Reina <Music/Walkure> (Yellow) – 2000 Power
AUTO – (1) When your Climax is placed on the Climax Area, you may pay cost. If you do, look at up to 4 cards from the top of your deck, choose up to 1 <Music> or <Pilot> character from among them, show it to your opponent, add it to hand, and send the rest to Waiting Room.
AUTO – [Return this to hand] When your Climax is placed on the Climax Area, you may pay cost. If you do, choose 1 of your characters, this turn, it gets +1 Level and +1500 power.
Lets us put cards into the waiting room. Further it pumps power, dodges bombs, and gets out of the way when we play a standby. All in all good tech
3 Mandarin Noble Kaname <Music/Walkure> (Red) – 1000 Power
AUTO – When this attacks, choose 1 of your characters, this turn, it gets +1000 power.
AUTO – [Discard 1 card] When this is sent from Stage to Waiting Room, you may pay cost. If you do, look at up to 4 cards from the top of your deck, choose up to 1 Level 1 or higher card among them, show it to your opponent, add it to hand, and send the rest to Waiting Room
This card lets us put cards into waiting room for no stock, and also allows us to grab a level one or higher card. We play level events that allow us to refresh our deck at level one, so it’s nice to be able to grab them. The on attack power pump can also help us deal with oversized opponents our mostly utility focused level 0 has trouble with.
3 – Super Dimension Venus Walkure Makina <Music/Walkure> (Red) – 2000 Power
AUTO – [(1) Put the top card of your deck into Clock] When this is sent from stage to Waiting Room, you may pay cost. If you do, look at up to 2 cards from the top of your deck, choose up to 2 <Music> or <Pilot> characters from among them, show them to your opponent, add them to hand, and send the rest to Waiting Room.
Standby decks can be hard on both hand and stock. This at least ameliorates the hand issue by giving you the opportunity to add up to two cards to your hand when this character hits waiting room. The downsides are that it can miss and cards that send it to a zone other than waiting room deny you the ability to add cards to hand.
2 Matsura Nanase <Glasses> (Green) – 1000 Power
CONT – All your other “First CM Song, Ranka” and “Heavy Construction Equipment Ranka” get +500 Power, gain “AUTO – ENCORE [Place 1 Character from Hand into Waiting Room]”
AUTO – When another of your Characters with “Ranka” in its name attacks, if that Character’s Power is more than its battling opponent by 2000 or more, during that Character’s battle, your opponent cannot play “BACKUP” from Hand.
This tech is to ensure you don’t lose both a Ranka and something else to an anti-change counter. The Ranka characters that are granted encore either aren’t in the deck, or should never enter the front row. Probably can come out safely if we get a better utility at level zero, especially if Macross Delta has green. Important to note: Nanase is not music trait, so this precludes us from using the Makina early play for extra options for healing.
1 (PR) 0/0 Divas Who Transcend Time and Space <Music> (Red) – 2000 Power
AUTO – [(1) Discard 1 Climax] When this is placed on stage from hand, you may pay cost. If you do, choose 1 Climax from your Waiting Room, and add it to hand.
If we’re playing four standby, a climax swap is essential to make sure our timing works. It’s also the right colour.
1 The Future is for us Walkure <Music/Walkure> (Red) – 2000 Power
AUTO – [Shuffle 2 characters from your Waiting Room into your deck] When this is placed on stage from hand, you may pay cost. If you do, this turn, this does not suffer Soul Penalty when Side Attacking.
AUTO – When this attacks, choose 1 of your <Music> or <Pilot> characters, this turn, it gets +1500 power.
We’re playing this card for its cost. Specifically, when you play this character, you can put two characters back into your deck. The synergy here is with the 3/2 Ranka. Ranka, when you play her climax, can pay one to summon a character from deck.
Other cards to consider
Lots of utility options at zero for this deck, I’ve kept most of them in red. Macross Delta is blessed given that almost all its level zero cards are useful in some capacity. There is one change you need to make if you want to run an early play healer alongside Ranka.
Super Dimension Venus Walkure Mikumo <Music/Walkure> (Yellow) -1500 Power
CONT – During your turn, this gets +1000 power.
AUTO – [(1) Put 1 <Music> or <Pilot> character from your Waiting Room on the bottom of your Clock] When this is placed on stage from hand, you may pay cost. If you do, search your deck for up to 1 Level 1 or lower character, show it to your opponent, add it to hand, and shuffle your deck afterwards.
Play this card in place of Super Dimension Venus Makina. Although it is off colour (yellow), it guarantees we get a card and can’t be denied by bombers.
Reina and Makina <Music/Walkure> (Red) – 2000 Power
AUTO – {CX Combo} At the start of your Encore Step, if you have the Standby CX Jiritic Beginner in your Climax Area, choose 1 character in your Waiting Room, you may add it to hand. If you do, discard 1 card.
AUTO – [Send this to Waiting Room] When your other <Music> or <Pilot> character is sent from stage to Waiting Room, if this is in your Back Row, you may pay cost. If you do, return that character to stage in its former slot Rested.
If you elect not to run Nanase because you want to run the early play Makina, play this card in her place. It also provides back row protection for Ranka by going to the waiting room in its stead. You also get hand filter when you play the standby, which is nice.
Super Dimension Witch Kaname <Music/Walkure> – 2000 Power
CONT – During your turn, this gets +1000 power.
AUTO – When this is sent from Stage to Waiting Room, look at up to 3 cards from the top of your deck, choose up to 1 Climax from among them, add it to hand, and send the rest to Waiting Room. If you added a card to hand, discard 1 card.
This card is nice in that it allows us to dig for the standby climax at any point of the game, while also putting cards into waiting room for free.
Super Dimension Venus Makina <Music/Walkure> (Yellow) – 2000 Power
AUTO – [Discard a card from your hand] When this card is played from hand to stage, you may pay the cost. If you do, reveal the top card of your deck. Choose one character card in your waiting room with level equal to X or lower. X is the level of the card revealed.
This card is similar to the drop searcher in that it allows us to salvage a character, but it is free. That’s actually really nice in the deck. Given that the deck is a little stock heavy, being able to filter for in many situations is better than guaranteeing you can salvage what you want. The second ability on the drop search is useful, and having red in the deck is important, which is why I went with the drop search over Makina.
Level One List (9 cards)
This is the point of the game where we try to get the Ranka loop going. We also have the ability to refresh our deck for free and put soul pressure on our opponent. If we decide to forego the possibility of starting the change chain at level 0, we can tech in some pretty nasty cards. Continue to play to try and get your standby chain going and pushing your opponent.
4 1/0 Super Dimension Venus Walkure Kaname (Music/Walkure) (Red) – 3000 power
CONT – During your turn, if you have another <Music> or <Pilot> character, this gets +3000 power.
AUTO – [Send this to Waiting Room] When your other <Music> or <Pilot> character is Front Attacked, you may pay cost. If you do, choose 1 of your battling characters, this turn, it gets +1500 power.
*Note: Has 2 Souls
This card is wild. Not only does it get power on play, and has two souls to hit like a truck with, it can sack itself to give one of your characters the extra little bit to get over your opponent. I love this card, and it fits like a glove into this deck. Chances are that most decks are going to have issues dealing with Ranka at 10,000 or more as it is. 11,500 (or 13,500 if you play Orbital Nights) will be basically impossible for a level one opponent to scale and difficult for an attacking level two opponent.
2 1/0 Girl who admires songstresses, Ranka (Music/Love) (Green) – 5000 power
CONT – EXPERIENCE If the sum of the levels in your Level Zone is 2 or more, this gains 1000 Power.
AUTO – CHANGE [(1) Put this in the Waiting Room] At the beginning of your Encore Step, if this is Rest, you may pay the cost. If you do, choose a Reclamation Heavy Machinery, Ranka in your waiting room and put it into the slot this card was in.
This is part one of the three card change chain. Don’t worry about experience, as this card should never be attacking and will likely only be on the field until the end of the attack step on the turn it is brough in via stand by since it changes at start of encore step. We do not want to hard play this. It is entirely reasonable to conclude that the chances you get her out at level 0 is very low and not bother playing her, but it does reduce the cool factor.
2 1/1 Event Symbiosis with Vajara or its reprint in Macross Delta (Red)
All players shuffle all cards from their Waiting Room into their deck. Choose 1 of your characters, this turn, it gains the following ability. “AUTO -When this is Reversed, if the battle opponent’s Level is equal to or lower than this card’s Level, you may Reverse that character.”
We are playing a defensive deck, so we want a way to avoid refresh damage. This is how we do that. Unfortunately, we don’t have a freefresh back up, but being able to turn any of your characters into a level reverser is pretty neat.
1 1/1 “Risk your life and enjoy yourself” Kaname <Music/Walkure> (Red) – 4000
CONT – If you are Level 3 or higher, this gains the following ability, “ACT – [Send this to Waiting Room] choose 1 of your opponent’s characters, Stand it and move it to an opponent’s empty slot or choose another 1 of your opponent’s characters, stand them and swap them.”
AUTO – When this is Reversed, if the battle opponent’s Level is higher than your opponent’s Level, you may send that character to Memory.
This is another neat tech card. The main draw is its ability to send your opponent’s early played characters to memory. Your best targets are things that your opponent is hoping to get multiple turns of value out of. Hololive’s walls and Alice from SAO (preban) are good examples.
Cards to Consider
1/1 Aerial Knights <Pilot/Windermere Kingdom> (Yellow) – 1000 Power
AUTO – When you use this card’s BACKUP, if all of your characters are <Music> or <Pilot>, you may put the top card of your deck into Stock.
ACT – BACKUP +200
A free level one backup to make Ranka even more difficult to deal with.
1/0 “Music is Delight” Yami Kaname <Music/Darkness> (Red) – 1000 Power
1/1”Music is Depair” Yami Makina <Music/Darkness> – 1500 Power
Note: Both of these cards have two soul
I detail the Yami_Q_Ray cards in more detail here, and both fit into this deck very well. Yami Kaname can banish an annoying level two or lower character from your opponent’s field to memory. Yami Makina can decimate your opponent’s hand.
Level 2 List (Six cards)
4 2/1 Reclamation Heavy Equipment Ranka <Music/Love> (Green) – 6500 Power
AUTO – CHANGE [(2) Place this card into Waiting Room] At the beginning of your Encore Step, if this card is in REST, you may pay this cost. If you did, choose 1 “Music is Magic, Ranka” from your Waiting Room, place it into this card’s previous slot. (If this card is not present at the beginning of Encore Step, this ability cannot activate)
ACT – (1) Choose 1 of your Characters, during this turn, it gets +X. X is equals to that Character’s Level ×500.
Step two of our change up chain, which allows the shenanigans to happen. Pay two is a bit rich for a change, but due to standby we’re paying the stated cost to play a level 3 character at level 1. Further, since we’re using standby Ranka comes onto the field rested, thus we can change her immediately and ensure that it won’t get targeted by level 1 anti-change bombs. Do be aware that some decks have access to anti-change counters that can target backrow at level 1. Since each Ranka costs two stock to change, paying out three to mitigate the anti-change will likely prevent you from changing. Take advantage of the fact that your Kaname’s have two soul and side for damage.
1 2/1 Us, Freyja <Music/Walkure> (Red) – 2500 Power
AUTO – [(2) Send 1 of your characters from stage to Waiting Room] When you use this card’s BACKUP, you may pay cost. If you do, choose 1 of your opponent’s characters whose Level is higher than your opponent’s Level, and send it to Waiting Room.
ACT – BACKUP +2500
This back up allows us to remove our opponent’s early plays. Pretty standard card, but very useful in a defensive deck. It also easily protects a Ranka from most threats, especially if you have one of your assists on field.
1 2/1 Pushing on Alto’s Cack Ranka <Music/Love> (Green) – 5000 Power
CONT – ASSIST All your Characters in front of this card gets +X Power. X is equals to that Character’s Level times 500.
AUTO – (1) When “After School Overflow” is placed into your Climax slot, you may pay this cost. If you did, all your Characters get +2000 Power until the end of the turn.
We play this over other options with usable second abilities because it has Love trait, meaning Ranka can summon her out as well[1].
Cards to consider
2/1 Genius’ Lineage (Pilot/Delta Flight) (Yellow) – 2500 power
CONT – ASSIST +2000 to Level 3 or higher characters.
ACT – [Rest this] Look at the top card of your opponent’s deck, and put it on top or bottom of their deck, then look at the top card of your deck, and put it on top of your deck or into your Waiting Room.
Since our deck relies on sitting on level threes, having something to beef them up even more makes sense. Controlling top decks/removing opponent’s cancels is also greatly appreciated. Ideally, we bring this in with a standby.
2/1 Complaints to Public Relations Mirage – 2500 Power
AUTO – [(1) Send 1 of your <Music> or <Pilot> characters from stage to Waiting Room] When you use this card’s BACKUP, you may pay cost. If you do, choose 1 of your opponent’s characters, this turn, it gets -1 Soul.
ACT – BACKUP +2500
This gives the deck some ability to do a bit of soul suppression. Pay one and sac a character is a little expensive, but it might be the difference between living and dying.
2/1 Super Dimension Venus Walkure Reina <Music/Walkure> (Red) – 4500 Power
CONT – ASSIST Level x 500
ACT – [Rest this] Choose 1 of your other characters, send it to Stock.
This backup helps you keep stock up by putting away a utility character that isn’t useful anymore to stock. This is even better if we get it in via standby. Shame Ranka can’t bring her out but can’t have them all.
2/1 Violet Noble Mikumo <Music/Walkure> (Red) – 5000 Power
AUTO – [Discard 1 card] When this is placed on stage from hand, you may pay cost. If you do, choose 1 <Music> or <Pilot> character from your Waiting Room, add it to hand.
ACT – [Send this to Waiting Room] Choose 1 of your opponent’s characters, return it to hand.
This is a funny character, especially in a standby deck since you can bring it in for free if you have no better options when you trigger a standby and have an empty backrow slot. This just lets you bounce a character that you’d rather not deal with. Especially nice for walls or assists with no good on play effects.
Level 3 List (8 cards)
4 Music is Magical Ranka <Music/Love> (Green)
AUTO – When this card is placed on Stage from Hand or through CHANGE, you may place the top card of your Clock into Waiting Room.
AUTO – (1) When “Rainbow Coloured Bear” is placed into your Climax slot, if this card is in the Front Row, you may pay this cost. If you do, search your deck for up to 1 <Love> trait Character, place it into any slot on Stage. Shuffle your Deck afterwards.
This is the culmination of the change up chain, and she is worth it. She allows you to consistently heal at level one or two for three stock: first by calling out Reclamation Heavy Machinery Ranka, and then changing her up. With Nanase, you should be able to avoid anti-change for most of level one and two with careful play.
3 Yami Freyja <Music/Darkness> (Red) – 9500 Power
AUTO – When this is placed on stage from hand, choose 1 of the following 2 effects and resolve it,
a) “Reveal the top card of your deck. If that card is a <Music> or <Pilot> character, you may deal 1 damage to your opponent.”
b) “[Rest 1 of your Standing characters] You may pay cost. If you do, your opponent chooses 1 Climax from their Waiting Room, and shuffles all other cards from their Waiting Room into their deck.”
*Note: Has 3 Souls
Yami Reina gives this deck some ability to finish at level three. It can either force your opponent to refresh with one fewer climax or burn one. Then it swings with three soul. You should be able to close out a game easily with a couple of these. Playing a CX also allows you to side for game if need be.
1 Emerald Noble Reina <Music/Walkure> (Red) – 9500 Power
AUTO – At the start of your Attack Phase, if you have 2 or more other <Music> or <Pilot> characters, until the end of your opponent’s next turn, this gains the following ability, “CONT – All of your opponent’s Front Row characters get -1000 power.”
AUTO – [Discard 2 cards] When this attacks, you may pay cost. If you do, send the bottom 4 cards of your opponent’s deck to Waiting Room, then deal X damage to your opponent. X equals the number of Climaxes sent to Waiting Room by this effect.
This card has interesting synergy with the rest of this deck. If you standby her in at level two, the ability to drop your opponent’s power by 1000 power might bring your opponent’s front row characters into the effective range of Nanase’s prohibition of backups. Her no climax required ability to do X damage on attack also shores up our lack of a climax-based finisher. Worth running one copy to help extend or close out a game.
Cards to Consider
3/2 Super Dimension Witch Makina <Music/Walkure> (Red) – 8500 Power
CONT – If you have 4 or more <Music> or <Pilot> characters, this gets -1 Level in hand.
AUTO – When this is placed on stage from hand, you may Heal 1.
AUTO – When this is placed on stage from hand, if you have another <Music> or <Pilot> character, until the end of your opponent’s next turn, this gets +2000 power.
A good early play profile, but given her four or more music condition, Nanase prevents you from playing her. She might also not be necessary given the change up chain strategy of this deck.
Climaxes (8 Cards)
Not much choice here. You play four copies of Ranka’s CX combo Rainbow Coloured Bear and four copies of the standby trigger, Jirirtic Beginner. You shouldn’t have too much of an issue getting a copy of Rainbow Coloured Bear into hand as it has a Gold Bar trigger, which also means you should be able to get the standby trigger somewhat reliably into hand with the climax swapper.
[1] Houkago Overflow is my favourite of Ranka’s songs, so that may also bias things.
Wild Wild Weiss 