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| Aggressive, Card |
Stand triggers see less play than Critical triggers, as not many builds can make use of their unique boons. While Critical triggers are rather simple and direct, threatening to deal an additional point of damage on a single attack, Stand triggers make an additional attack possible. While the possible boost in damage is the same overall, Stand triggers splits two possible damage over two attacks, whilst a Critical puts two possible damage into one attack. Thanks to this splitting, the effectiveness of the attacks vary greatly, peaking during early and late game.
The major disadvantages to Stand triggers are notable, but not unavoidable. The first is that they effectively misfire if you don't have a rested Rearguard in your frontrow. Fixing this is obvious; go on the offensive from turn 1 by calling at least one other unit besides your Vanguard. The second disadvantage, and the one that actually matters, is that Stand triggers are strictly inferior to Critical triggers unless the unit you are standing is of equal or greater power to your opponent's Vanguard or has a specific ability that activates when Stood. This is a bold claim to make, but I can support it with some simple theory.
Making use of a trigger would occur after or during your Vanguard's attack. This means that one of three decisions were made by your opponent before the trigger was checked:
1. Your opponent did not guard against your Vanguard. You have no reason to increase your Vanguard's power.
2. Your opponent guarded against your Vanguard for the minimum amount possible (meaning that they guarded assuming you would not be giving a power boost to your Vanguard via a trigger). In this case, you would most often increase the power of your Vanguard by +5000.
3. Your opponent overguarded (or Perfect guarded) against your Vanguard predicting that you would draw into a trigger and give power to your Vanguard. In this case, there is no reason to increase your Vanguard by +5000.
Now, let's assume your opponent is running an 11k Vanguard and you have a 6k booster behind your rearguard and Vanguard, and run the three scenarios four times each, looking at the difference that would occur if your Rearguard is 10k or 11k, and how the battle phase as a whole would look depending on whether you had a deck with Critical or Stand Triggers. For simplicity (you'll beg for simplicity by the end of this madness, trust me), I'm going to assume the opponent always tries to guard your Rearguard attacks. Onward!
With a 10k Rearguard, Critical Triggers (a):
1a. Your Vanguard is not blocked, and you give the Critical to him and the +5000 to your Rearguard. You deal two damage, and then your Rearguard attacks for 10k+6k+5k, requiring 15k shielding to be stopped.
Total Damage: 2. Total shielding expended by opponent = 15k
2a. You add the +5000 and Crit to the Vanguard. You deal two damage, and then your Rearguard attacks for 10k+6k, requiring 10k shielding to be stopped.
Total Damage: 2. Total shielding expended by opponent = 20k
3a. Your Vanguard is blocked off completely, and you give the +5000 and Crit to your Rearguard. You deal no damage, and then your Rearguard attacks for 10k+6k+5k, requiring 15k shielding to be stopped, and threatening an additional damage.
Total Damage: 0. Total shielding expended by opponent = 30k
With an 11k Rearguard, Critical Triggers (b):
1b. Your Vanguard is not blocked, and you give the Critical to him and the +5000 to your Rearguard. You deal two damage, and then your Rearguard attacks for 11k+6k+5k, requiring 15k shielding to be stopped.
Total Damage: 2. Total shielding expended by opponent = 15k
2b. You add the +5000 and Crit to the Vanguard. You deal two damage, and then your Rearguard attacks for 11k+6k, requiring 10k shielding to be stopped.
Total Damage: 2. Total shielding expended by opponent = 20k
3b. Your Vanguard is blocked off completely, and you give the +5000 and Crit to your Rearguard. You deal no damage, and then your Rearguard attacks for 11k+6k+5k, requiring 15k shielding to be stopped, and threatening an additional damage.
Total Damage: 0. Total shielding expended by opponent = 30k
With a 10k Rearguard, Stand Triggers (c):
1c. You attack with your Rearguard for 10k+6k, requiring 10k shielding to be blocked. You then attack with your Vanguard, and since he was no guarded, give the Stand and +5000 to your Rearguard. You deal 1 damage, then your rearguard then attacks for 10k+5k, requiring 5k shielding to be blocked.
Total Damage: 1. Total shielding expended by opponent = 15k
2c. You attack with your Rearguard for 10k+6k, requiring 10k shielding to be blocked. You then attack with your Vanguard, and give the +5000 to Vanguard and the Stand to Rearguard. You deal 1 damage, then your rearguard then attacks for 10k, which does nothing.
Total Damage: 1. Total shielding expended by opponent = 20k
3c. You attack with your Rearguard for 10k+6k, requiring 10k shielding to be blocked. You then attack with your Vanguard, who is completely shielded, and give the Stand and +5000 to Rearguard. You deal 0 damage, then your rearguard then attacks for 10k+ 5k, needs to be blocked for 5k.
Total Damage: 0. Total shielding expended by opponent = 30k
With an 11k Rearguard, Stand Triggers (d):
1d. You attack with your Rearguard for 11k+6k, requiring 10k shielding to be blocked. You then attack with your Vanguard, and since he was no guarded, give the Stand and +5000 to your Rearguard. You deal 1 damage, then your rearguard then attacks for 11k+5k, requiring 10k shielding to be blocked.
Total Damage: 1. Total shielding expended by opponent = 20k
2d. You attack with your Rearguard for 11k+6k, requiring 10k shielding to be blocked. You then attack with your Vanguard, and give the +5000 to Vanguard and the Stand to Rearguard. You deal 1 damage, then your rearguard then attacks for 11k, requiring 5k shielding to be blocked.
Total Damage: 1. Total shielding expended by opponent = 25k
3d. You attack with your Rearguard for 10k+6k, requiring 10k shielding to be blocked. You then attack with your Vanguard, who is completely shielded, and give the Stand and +5000 to Rearguard. You deal 0 damage, then your rearguard then attacks for 10k+6k, needs to be blocked for 10k.
Total Damage: 0. Total shielding expended by opponent = 35k
Whew. That was quite a bit of work. At least we're done now and we can get on to... oh wait. We're not done. What about when your opponent damage checks a trigger from your Vanguard attack? Oh boy. Time to do additional scenarios. I'm going to be incredibly lazy and assume the chance of checking a trigger is going to be 33% every time you are forced to check (so for two checks, 56%).
With a 10k Rearguard, Critical Triggers, Opponent Checks a Trigger (a+): (Occurs 56% of the time)
1a+. Your Vanguard is not blocked, and you give the Critical to him and the +5000 to your Rearguard. You deal two damage, but your opponent checks a trigger. Then your Rearguard attacks for 10k+6k+5k, requiring 10k shielding to be stopped.
Total Damage: 2. Total shielding expended by opponent = 10k
2a+. You add the +5000 and Crit to the Vanguard. You deal two damage but your opponent checks a trigger. and then your Rearguard attacks for 10k+6k, requiring 5k shielding to be stopped.
Total Damage: 2. Total shielding expended by opponent = 15k
With an 11k Rearguard, Critical Triggers, Opponent Checks a Trigger (b+): (Occurs 56% of the time)
1b+. Your Vanguard is not blocked, and you give the Critical to him and the +5000 to your Rearguard. You deal two damage, but your opponent checks a trigger. Then your Rearguard attacks for 11k+6k+5k, requiring 10k shielding to be stopped.
Total Damage: 2. Total shielding expended by opponent = 10k
2b+. You add the +5000 and Crit to the Vanguard. You deal two damage but your opponent checks a trigger. and then your Rearguard attacks for 11k+6k, requiring 5k shielding to be stopped.
Total Damage: 2. Total shielding expended by opponent = 15k
With a 10k Rearguard, Stand Triggers, Opponent Checks a Trigger (c+): (Occurs 33% of the time)
1c+. You attack with your Rearguard for 10k+6k, requiring 10k shielding to be blocked. You then attack with your Vanguard, and since he was no guarded, give the Stand and +5000 to your Rearguard. Your opponent, however, checks a trigger. You deal 1 damage, then your rearguard then attacks for 10k+5k, which does nothing.
Total Damage: 1. Total shielding expended by opponent = 10k
2c+. You attack with your Rearguard for 10k+6k, requiring 10k shielding to be blocked. You then attack with your Vanguard, and give the +5000 to Vanguard and the Stand to Rearguard. Your opponent, however, checks a trigger. You deal 1 damage, then your rearguard then attacks for 10k, which does nothing.
Total Damage: 1. Total shielding expended by opponent = 20k
With an 11k Rearguard, Stand Triggers, Opponent Checks a Trigger (d+): (Occurs 33% of the time)
1d+. You attack with your Rearguard for 11k+6k, requiring 10k shielding to be blocked. You then attack with your Vanguard, and since he was no guarded, give the Stand and +5000 to your Rearguard. Your opponent, however, checks a trigger. You deal 1 damage, then your rearguard then attacks for 11k+5k, requiring 5k shielding to be blocked.
Total Damage: 1. Total shielding expended by opponent = 15k
2d+. You attack with your Rearguard for 11k+6k, requiring 10k shielding to be blocked. You then attack with your Vanguard, and give the +5000 to Vanguard and the Stand to Rearguard. Your opponent, however, checks a trigger. You deal 1 damage, then your rearguard then attacks for 11k, which does nothing.
Total Damage: 1. Total shielding expended by opponent = 20k
Finally.
So, looking at these scenarios, what are the differences between Crit and Stand? What do we notice?
First off, we can note that the frontrow Rearguard does not matter at all for decks with Critical triggers, only the overall attacking power of frontrow+booster (evidenced by the lack of change between scenarios [a] and [b], as well scenarios [a+] and [b+]). It is obvious, however, that this is not the case with Stand triggers.
Looking at scenarios [c] and [d], it is obvious that having a more powerful Rearguard than the opponent's Vanguard is incredibly important, making an important 5k difference.
Pitting scenarios [a] and [b] against [c], we see that without a powerful frontrow Rearguard, decks with Stand triggers instead of Crit are at huge disadvantages, being down a potential damage without forcing any additional effort from their opponent. They only have a small advantage in scenario [2c+], though the opponent can simply choose to go route [1] or [3] and make this advantage a non-issue.
Scenario [d], however, stands strong on its own. In exchange for dealing less damage on each attack, you force another 5k shield overall (compared to [a] and [b]), even in cases where your opponent checks a trigger. What this translates to is simple; if your opponent isn't willing (or able) to pay the additional 5k shield, the card breaks even with Criticals by dealing 2 damage. The real advantage, however, is in scenario [3]; if your opponent tries to stop each and every attack you output (say, Lategame at 5 damage?) you drain an additional 5k shield. This means that a Stand deck may only break even with Criticals or slowly chip at your opponent's cards, in Lategame it puts on a little extra heat... heat your opponent might not be able to deal with.
So, after that extensive amount of analysis, what does this really mean for Stand triggers? I'll keep it relatively short. In conclusion, Stand triggers are no worse than Critical triggers when the correct conditions are met. In addition, they become more dangerous than Criticals during the late game. They also happen to sync well with a lot of abilities in the game.
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| Effectively Defending 13000 Power |
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| Effectively Defending 12000 Power |
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| Effectively Defending 13000 Power |
Unfortunately, Stand Triggers are absolutely inferior when you have Rearguards that are weaker than the opposing Vanguard, and with Majesty Blaster Overlord, Dragonic Overlord The End, and Phantom Blaster Overlord in existence in the Japanese meta and eventually coming to English, this is actually a lot more difficult than it sounds. This weakness means that your opponent can pick off the Rearguards that make the cut, and let you keep the ones that don't do much with Stands. In addition, they have the small weakness of allowing your opponent a choice; do they want to pay the extra 5k-10k to shield your now Standing unit? Or are they fine with you breaking even with a Critical Trigger. This allows them to effectively keep playing their game, whatever it is, instead of you forcing them to play your way.
Personally, I believe Stand triggers and decks that rely on them to be the weakest in the game right now, in both metas. They don't consistently give you advantage, yet they consistently give your opponent some control over how to play the game, a luxury that Criticals frankly do not.
Next up, Draw triggers.
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