State of Cardfight Vanguard in 2024 (Everything you need to know)

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0:00 Regionals
0:35 New Era
0:55 Formats
2:28 Market
3:00 Local Scene
3:26 Online Play
3:50 Digital Game
4:34 Outro
Twitter: / orangutancards
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[@TheVanguard-rl8jj]

I don’t think vanguard is dying. I just think it’s having a hard time expanding. Their marketing/advert strategy for the west sucks. As someone who started playing a couple months back, I haven’t seen a single shop that supports the game in my area and it turns out they never heard of it. I wish bushiroad would put more effort into global advertising and focus on accessibility for players because I love this game.

[@orangutancards]

I also hope they put more into global advertising

[@peacechan4500]

There's a big reason why most shop owners never heard of this game. Bushi tcg genuinely a money drain. You genuinely can't made a buck out of selling bushi tcg. Especially Vanguard. Unless that shop love Vanguard, it's bad investment

[@TheVanguard-rl8jj]

@@peacechan4500 I’d would be more inclined to believe that if that applied to every set, but in Vanguard’s case as of late the main and side sets have been no more expensive than the big 3 (pokemon/mtg/yugioh/) There’s also inflation to take into consideration. These prices range from region to region. Picking up something as simple as a starter deck though comes at hardly any cost. A bad investment? I wouldn’t go as far to say that but the demand isn’t there unfortunately.

[@allen2reckless676]

@@TheVanguard-rl8jji dont think its the demand. I think its because its not as popular as magic yugioh or pokmon in the west. Do u ever seen any vanguard commercials that isnt part of a bushi related show or in japan??? Like at the end of the day no one wants to demand for vanguard if they have never heard about vanguard. Hell zero and dear days never got commercials outside of vanguard ep reruns or when the dear days game was coming out in japan.

[@TheVanguard-rl8jj]

@@allen2reckless676 Popularity is a part of demand. If people aren’t actively seeking something then its price value drops. If they are then it’s likely to increase. I agree wholeheartedly with you on the commercial point. (See the first comment about their advertising strategy) and that’s why they may need a new board of directors all together. I don’t see why they can’t take the “Saturday morning cartoon” route and slap ads on it on major streaming networks or regular tv

[@riggso]

Ngl Vanguard is doing pretty alright all things considered. Although Bushiroad’s global marketing is pretty bad, the player base has definitely increased alongside general interest. Really hope they push some advertising outside of just the anime this, especially going into the next step for the game.

[@peacechan4500]

I genuinely think any movement we get for ad this game is destroyed with OT and especially the promo system

[@aigakomine]

That's asking for a lot from Bushiroad. They didn't do it 7 years ago.

[@wells4180]

As a long time fan (started in the original bt01 in 2012/2013) I do see some signs of stagnation in vanguard I haven’t seen since the V era. I’m not trying to be negative, I love the game and am excited for D-Z, but I’m just noting what I see (at least in America/by me in the Midwest) I regularly go to two locals for vanguard in my area, and both were very popular/had high attendance ever since D series started. Since Dbt01 we have had 12+ player locals consistently, but ever since DBT11/12 we have barely been able to get 4 people. I don’t know what happened, If the end of the competitive season and the announcement of the new era temporarily killed interest or what

[@peterstrianus1790]

The steam game is too expensive considering I can get the Pokemon TGC one for free.

[@alanbruns6798]

The game is not dying if anything it has a huge resurgence

[@d2h655]

I agree

[@bluevegito-6979]

I just wish this game got the same popularity as yugioh, vanguard is actually so fun I love making the different decks and learning the different play styles

[@zorancuga1236]

Vanguard is the little brother That is good but then yugioh is the mutch more developed older brother

[@orangutancards]

First time hearing this analogy 👍

[@mr.bigglesworth2952]

Only discovered this game TODAY while looking for mtg cards online.. Loving the art so far and wanna learn more. Hopefully i can find a buddy or two to play with.

[@darkscoutergamer6168]

Ima watch it in a bit 💙🙏🏻 but man I’m actually very new here and wanna start playing it,we’ll see for sure

[@sgxmp8565]

I’m the player from 2011-2014 era. While I enjoy the 2018 reboot and some cards from back then got a significant buffs. I don’t think I’m ever gonna understand the mechanics from overDress DivineZ and such.

[@peacechan4500]

Vanguard is stagnating. Shop won't carry this franchise because of its genuinely just bad investment. The promo system good on maintaining player retention. Extremely bad for player growth.

[@darkscoutergamer6168]

Wait is it very bad atm? Kinda scared cause I’m new and I wanna start it💙 hopefully you can explain that more and TY if you do

[@nisedyna3579]

​​@@darkscoutergamer6168 tldr while using promo is a good way to promote the event and allow player to collect mementos, problem lies in the fact those promo are necessary for some deck to function on a fundamental level while yes you can find budget work around them but it would mean your deck wouldn't be as strong and due to how sacred these promo are since they're limited to event only, they are price for a very high amount and is very hard to obtain making it difficult for player to try out a certain deck just to realize that for it to function in its max capacity requires a cards that they would never get or spend at least 60+ dollar just for 4 copy of it

[@darkscoutergamer6168]

@@nisedyna3579 oh damn I see 💙 has this always been the case or is it a recent issue?

[@riggso]

@@darkscoutergamer6168 Has been mostly the case since the current standard format. However this issue is getting a lot better, and can also be a non-issue depending on your local scene and community

[@peacechan4500]

@@darkscoutergamer6168 if you have a good local ecosystem for vanguard this is kinda a non issue Problem is if your community is just starting up. Hence why I think this genuinely killed any movement that Vanguard wanna do if they want to grow. Doesn't help that Vanguard is an essentially luck sack game. So one extremely salty day can and will make a player quit

[@Real_Infinity95]

Since the release schedule shows that the anime will run until the end of 2025, I wonder if that means Bushiroad won’t make anymore anime after that? Also, does that mean the card game will end? They did not say that card game would end. But I do wonder if that’s case since the card game isn’t well known in western countries as it is in the east. If the anime and card game does officially end, it’s going to be sad. I understand full well that nothing goes on forever. But I really loved this game and only want to see it succeed. But if it does all end next year, then I’m glad I was able to play the game with people.

[@KuribPlays]

They probably just have enough anime story until 2025. Since we no longer need to stick with 1 set of main characters from beginning of the format till the end. So by 2025, they just need to write a new story.

[@TCG9777]

Tbf, the anime stories kinda ran dry after V...

[@fromm78withlove61]

The game is gaining more player base, however if Bushiroad had taken the right approach and making Dear Days DLC free and releases them up to date with the current format/meta, it woulda gain EVEN more player base. (Dear Days coulda been such a great way to get newcomers into the game since ALL you need is a game console or a destop.. ) Don't even get me started with their advertisement for the Global audience ... it's poorly managed

[@juanborregomoreno220]

With digimon and one piece entering the fray there are just better options, I love how vanguard plays but cannot stand how bushi mismanages the ip in the west.

[@darkscoutergamer6168]

Guess you mean better options in terms of getting a hold on the products yeah? So far I heard it’s tough,new here btw💙🙏🏻

[@nehuenmutiozabal6339]

Agreed, this video is way too biased Vanguard is way too missmanaged-the market is horrible-the online simulator is way too pricy and at least from people I asked in america no one has seen somebody playing it besides 2 or 3 random people

[@4wakened74]

Damn you really hit me with a video like this when im coming back into vangaurd 😂

[@peacechan4500]

It's always a bad time to join vanguard really This franchise is never in a healthy state.

[@orangutancards]

hahaha the game is growing again though

[@darkscoutergamer6168]

@@peacechan4500 I don’t believe that lol but we’ll see how it goes for me 💙😭

[@randx1075]

I do think its going well with DZ set 1 tho

[@eliottmillois4943]

I consider myself lucky to know a shop were i can buy vanguard stuff but recently they stopped organizing shop tournament for a while heck Now there's only a small corner for vanguard marchandise and other cardgame are taking the spot

[@falseking2831]

It was good up until now, when trickster came out Vanguard was fun again but now it’s getting complicated and one of the main reasons I played this game was because of how easy it was ❤

[@SinRealm]

Last Springfest I attended had a lot of players to the point that they stopped accepting. Also organizers were terrible.

[@orangutancards]

Dang which bsf? In Philippines, they also cut off to 120 teams and many did not get to play

[@SinRealm]

@@orangutancards Yep. That one in Philippines. Also the freeplay closed early. Told us to go back the next day. Stupid move because players who want to compete for top ranks quit late. If they gonna end freeplay early at least have the decency to give remaining players something.

[@orangutancards]

@@SinRealm Yeah really unfortunate. They shouldve also announced the player cap earlier. Even some people who took a flight just for the event were not able to participate.

[@SinRealm]

@@orangutancards the problem is, the event in Bushinavi mentioned 300 or 150 (I forgot) teams maximum. So having the cut off on the day of event itself is just irresponsible on the part of the organisers. Also heard rumors of judges power tripping and unfairly giving out minus points with made up rules not on the Bushiroad Event Rules.

[@explodinglab]

Came across this video when I saw that my local game store was pre ordering pre constructed decks for the new set and I was kind of baffled by the 85 Canadian dollar price. Vanguard was everywhere as I grew up in Indonesia but it’s nowhere to be seen here and its definitely due to lack of advertising since all the vanguard locals I see are like East Asian immigrants

[@orangutancards]

I hope bushi puts more efforts in marketing the game more globally

[@allen2reckless676]

All i can say is that title of the video is click bait. The game isnt dying its just more so alive outside if America. Us in the U.S have other means of playing vanguard due to our locals not carrying any products and not having a scene to play in.

[@Geist1]

I’ve had it with yugioh. I’m looking for a new TCG to lose myself in after spending the better part of 22 years playing yugioh. Can someone convince me why CFV is the game to choose?

[@orangutancards]

One of my favorite things about Vanguard is the guarding mechanic since you always have something to think about even in your opponent’s turn

[@nilo1178]

Price tag of 70 dollars is what killing the playerbase.

[@orangutancards]

Wish dear days was free, hard to continue playing when you need to pay for DLCs every update

[@platzstarlight]

I don't really play the game but lemme guess... Standard is becoming G 2.0 with Shiranui and Luard dominating the meta?

[@orangutancards]

Shiranui is the best deck and luard is one of the top decks haha

[@platzstarlight]

@@orangutancards So Standard is basically G 2.0 now?

[@ktren5394]

Well, im from Puerto Rico and here Vanguard is so popular. Local shops have weekly tournaments of Vanguard in the three formats.

[@CardfightvanguardBestTcg]

Yeah this game is addicting as all heck

[@redvenom225]

Sigh I just miss the online mobile version of the game

[@wingsofflame5084]

Vanguard is completely dead here in Montreal. It had a strong following up until the end of the Stride era but the introduction of V series and adding several formats to competitive play killed it out here.

[@orangutancards]

Dang

[@TCG9777]

Nothing tops CFV's popularity compared to G-Era (Strides). That said, Bushiroad made a very dangerous yet commendable move with rebooting the series, but then the game just felt like G but on liquid cocaine, due to units in the maind deck that had the power- if not exceeded the power- of strides and the introduction of one of the most hated additions to the game: Gift Markers. Overdress tried to clear the issues that derived from V with a few steps backward but many more forward. Honestly, i think game is somewhat healthy. The premium format is the pitiful cow that'll forever be sucked at the teet by Bushiroad, to not only satisfy the boomers and those who want to dip their toes into a larger card pool and a deeper wallet to play an eternal format.

[@sammydray5919]

The game had to be rebooted twice before it even reached 10th anniversary. The game's marketing outside of Japan is pure trash. No widely popular games to actually promote the game. The 3Ds games and EX were japan only so basically worthless to promote the game outside of japan. Vanguard Zero was a golden opportunity but was massively fumbled and then gutted to shut it down to make room for dear days. The same dear days that came with a stupid high base price and pricey dlc thus making sure that it will never appeal to a larger audience and is borderline dead on arrival. The TCG has its promo issues along with the curse that is the overtrigger. Also a personal pet peeve of mine but nostalgia pandering is getting ridiculous at this point. Gee wonder why the game keeps struggling outside of Japan😅

[@darkscoutergamer6168]

Is it good anyway that I could try the game now? I really wanna see how it goes but the opinion on the current state is definitely confusing me

[@sammydray5919]

@@darkscoutergamer6168 You can try it out. I haven't kept up with the physical game in a while but I do remember its cheap enough to get into the game. Its the building of meta level deck that becomes pricey because of promos and staples but maybe that has changed. Thing is from a gameplay perspective Vanguard is actually a really fun game all things considered barring the overtrigger. It is just unfortunately managed by Bushiroad who just can't seem to stop messing up multiple times.

[@sammydray5919]

@@darkscoutergamer6168 Like in the standard format (which is by FAR most newbie friendly format) there are so many decks to choose from with their own playstyles that its fun to go through and explore. And the nation system makes it so that you can try a lot of staple options within the decks of the same nation.

[@darkscoutergamer6168]

@@sammydray5919 il read things in a bit and tysm for the reply💙 I wanna start with the anime first before the card game if that’s okay?

[@sammydray5919]

@@darkscoutergamer6168 Check out the latest season of the anime (Divine Z or something). It actually decently teaches you how to play and it had the latest mechanic of energy gauge and energy blast as well as divine skill. It sounds like a lot but its easy to understand. I dont know about the previous 2 seasons (aka willdress) but dont bother with overdress seasons. While the new divine season has some characters (and maybe even narratives) from previous seasons but so far you dont need any of that to watch the latest season. The newest season to me seems like a fresh start so far so its probably the best place to start. Genuinely feels like years where I can wholeheartedly enjoy and recommend a vanguard anime lol

[@TrueReverse74]

God I wish they'd make a freaking free simulator already, for crying out loud, it's impossible to find people who even know what this game is, let alone play it. How many people are like me who want to but can't because there's no one to play with!? Just thinking about that makes me so upset.

[@orangutancards]

Have you tried cardfightarea or vangpro? These are unofficial tho

[@orangutancards]

Yea I do wish Dear Days was like Master Duel

[@TrueReverse74]

@@orangutancards I've taken a look at them both but it looks like you need to fully comprehend vanguard in order to play those without breaking any rules. I do want to give it a try, but I just know the opponent is about to suffer with me probably making illegal plays, you think I should try anyway?

[@orangutancards]

@@TrueReverse74 yea thats the only downside. No harm in trying I guess but probably better to learn with a friend

[@TrueReverse74]

@@orangutancards Well, I did get one friend to start the anime, maybe I can get him to try it with me. or maybe I could find dear days on the cheap.

[@MKROLDAILY]

All they need is their version of master duel not that shit dear days for 50 bucks

[@SapphicSara]

It doesn't seem to be doing well to me. The new mechanics and the way their selling products seems like an awful idea. They aren't marketing to new audiences so they aren't likely to spread to new players. The Dear Days model is clearly a total failure, no one wants to pay this much money for a video game but die hard vanguard whales who would have spent that money on packs instead so it's not really more money. If I was Bushiroad I'd be in panic mode to try and course correct. Idk I used to grab cards way back before G and I was curious about trying premium or D series but Dear Days was too expensive and it seems like in physical it's just mistake after mistake.

[@lillianwalter2468]

🌹 'Promo SM'

[@majdkiswani8657]

I think it is dying at least in Europe as I have been looking for an active community in Northern Germany for almost a ever with no clue of anyone who's still playing it!!

[@orangutancards]

Dang

[@Dante_Sparda796]

Dear days is a scam, don't bother

[@darkscoutergamer6168]

Fr?

[@voluntaryneet9813]

You have to buy dlc to get new packs/cards and that shit is EXPENSIVE, I will say it's still technically cheaper than the physical card game. However, I will say there's not as many players to actually play the game online with (it almost never goes above hundred). Frankly I just pirated it and played the story offline as my first experience to vanguard.@@darkscoutergamer6168

[@zeff3016]

​@@darkscoutergamer6168 it's really bad

[@DrawPG]

​@@darkscoutergamer6168 Its more of like overpriced and unfair. If you're in the US you're gonna pay higher than any other region