Fist of the North Star (Japanese Great Nature Deck).

I require assistance building a Great Nature deck centered around Battler of the Twin Brush, Polaris.

I will be using a 14-10-9 ratio for an 82% chance of riding. My deck has no G3 searchers, so I want this high chance. I'll also accept 14-11-8, as that has an 81.5% chance. Or any chance equal to or higher than 80%.

(source: http://thunkofcardgames.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-consistency-of-every-deck-ratio.html)


Grade 0:

Gardening Mole: Riding over it is a net 0. Doping a card is a -1 (retired at end phase), but this card sacrifices itself so you can hold on to a more precious unit. Overall it is a -1, though I suppose that is canceled out by the opponent having to guard for 1 more stage. I am considering Flask Marmoset in its place. Flask allows for a second doping with Polaris.

7 crit
5 stand
4 heal


Grade 1:

4 Cable Sheep
4 Silver Wolf (allows for 20k abuse with Magnet Crocodile)
4 Sea Stamp Otter (+4k skills can now be used without cost if need be)
2 Monoculus Tiger (candidate for replacement)



Grade 2:

4 Binoculus Tiger: This is basically the Silent Tom of Great Nature. Invaluable unit, but not limited to 2.
4 Geograph Giant: I'm not sure if I should replace him with something. He at least hits 16k minimum with any booster behind him, which means 20k with a doped booster guranteed in a pinch.
3 Compass Lion: 11k beatstick, and amazing with Seastamp otter. 11k power makes good use of Stands.



Grade 3:

4 Battler of the Twin Brush, Polaris: Main vanguard of the deck. Stand and power, with a lovely +3k skill. Sadly costs 2 CB, but nothing in this deck really uses CB. Is able to churn out battle phases like: 2 stage, 2 stage, 3 stage, 4 stage. (1 stage = 5k needed to block)

4 Magnet Crocodile: Hits 2 stages with a single doping, can hit most vanguards without a booster. Makes great use of stands.

1 Armed Instructor, Bison: Flask Marmoset effect, and a decent enough limit break. Can be used without interfering with Polaris. I'm willing to replace him though.

The only thing I'm noticing here is that you're really banking on getting Stamp Otter into play and doing nothing but doping that one unit. No Bremen musicians, no Hamsuke at any Grade, not even Loop-the-Loop Duckbill? You're either going to have to be prepared to start trading cards at a one-for-one ratio on each doping (5k more guard despite a card lost for you), or you're going to have to just accept a punch to the face, particularly with your primary counter blast giving you no way to keep things going after those first two uses.

I'd actually consider running more Bison, not fewer. Perhaps something like 3/3/2, with your last two slots being for Crocodile and your others being Polaris/Bison? It's going to be a bit easier that way. On reflection I'm finding it hard to justify the self-replacing units because of their counter blast costs, which is I suppose why you skipped over them, but in the long run I'm fairly sure that'll hurt your ability to keep these skills up as a means of pressure, and it definitely cuts out any chance of you getting to capitalize on Great Nature's sorta-unique ability to turn a self-retire into a plus (Duckbill's skill on any unit, allow the unit to be retired, trigger a replacement counter blast and draw- for alternate scenarios, Leo-Pald's Limit Break, etc.).

Bear in mind, I actually don't see Polaris as being a particularly good all-game unit because its skill is limited. You get two turns of "life", max three, and then it peters out without any way to unflip damage. It seems more like a unit you run as an alternate to your must-ride in an equal or smaller quantity to me, and then ride when you're ready to force through that last little bit of damage- not like it's the optimal card to camp on all game.

I kind of view it similar to Spike Brothers without Otter. You minus a card, but hit an additional stage.

Meanwhile Polaris can force out a lot of guard, and can do this 2 turns in a row. I basically play it rushdown style, giving little damns about my own advantage and more about damaging/minusing the opponent.


I'll accept that this may be the wrong way to play it. I've little experience with Great Nature.

I think you need more draw power, consider using the new draw trigger that adds 3000 power to a unit, if you are against that then at least loop-de-loop instead of the monoculous tiger. And in my personal opinion I think you should reverse the stand,critical ratio Polaris already stands one unit and gives it power, why not stand another unit and keep attacking?

I've tested the 8 stand build in byond and I scored 3/3. I know it's not reliable but you should give it a try. 8 stands, 4 draws and 4 heals.

If you go draw power route, I highly suggest crits.

I have to say Great Nature is a pretty interesting type of deck, I have a Leopold,Hamssuke deck and I'm having difficulty coming up with a good stand/critical ratio since it seems that both run really well in the deck, do you go with more power and damage potential with criticals, or try to make the most of doped units and keep attacking? it's an interesting problem.

One I had trouble with till I did the article.

I would suggest run Duckbills, because they are awesome. They help to make your hand fat. I don't recommend Gardening Mole in a GN build where you really need CBs unless Bison is the focus. Just use Blackboard Ohm. Take 1 or 2 Stamp Sea Otter out because you are not really useful in a deck where you retire units to gain hand advantage or unflip damage. (Duckbill/Flamingo) It wont help you much when Bison is your VG. Draw Triggers are also great to increase your hand even further and higher chance of drawing the keycards that you need. And the new GN draw trigger from BT09, Castanet Donkey, is a Margal clone which you can use to exchange a 5k shield in return for an extra power stage.

I have discovered the greatness that is Blackboard Ohm, and Loop the Loop Duckbill.

Associating Fist of the North Star with such a gimmick clan should be punishable by you are already dead.

zawarudo wrote:

Associating Fist of the North Star with such a gimmick clan should be punishable by you are already dead.

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