Introducing the Unison Warrior Series
Greetings, DBSCG players.
In this time of crisis, we hope that you, along with your friends and loved ones, are safe. Our hope is that the Dragon Ball Super Card Game can bring you some amount of joy in these trying times, and we will continue doing everything in our power to bring you the best game possible.
After much deliberation, we have made the difficult decision to adjust the release window of the new series to ensure players are able to enjoy the new cards in safety and security. The adjusted dates are as follows:
From May 1 to May 29
From June 12 to June 5
From June 12 to July 17
Note: Pre-release events will not be held for -Rise of the Unison Warrior- (henceforth abbreviated as UW01 for convenience), but we want to make sure brick and mortar stores will have pre-release prize material to support their playing communities.
From July 17 to August 7
The main set will now be released between the end of June and the beginning of July, to ensure as many players get to enjoy it as possible. First, we must apologize to all the players who were looking forward to playing with the new cards in June. We made this decision based on feedback from local game stores and our distributors. You’ll be able to experience the three new starter decks at the beginning of June, each featuring exciting and accessible gameplay that you’ll be able to power up when the full set releases.
The Unison Warrior Series is planned to span a full year of releases. Our goal was to commemorate DBSCG’s third anniversary by introducing new gameplay elements to appeal to new and existing players alike. Besides Unison Cards, we also strive to include designs that breathe new life and value into cards from earlier sets.
Up to this point, we’ve organized releases into two set blocks, distinguished by a prominent core theme. This time, however, we’re releasing an entire year’s worth of sets based on the theme of Unison. Adding a new card type is just the first of many intriguing new ideas to come.
Unison Cards are a new card type. Players can include up to 4 of a Unison Card in a deck, just like Battle Cards, but only one Unison Card can be played in your Unison Area at a time. Think of them as a partner for your Leader Card.
Unison Cards have an X for their energy costs, meaning players can pay any amount they like, so long as they meet the specified cost. Unison Cards come into play with markers equal to the amount of energy paid. These markers represent the Unison Card’s ki (energy), and are used to pay for skill costs. When a Unison Card runs out of markers, they go to the Drop Area. Cards like {BT10-003 Vegito, Unison of Might} have skills that can add markers, and there are other cards that can add or remove markers as well. To use Unison Cards to their fullest takes strategy, timing, and careful card sequencing.
We hope that Unison Cards will provide more options and strategic variety for each color, leading to richer gameplay, and greater viability for older archetypes.
Unison Cards represent Unison Warriors, who have travelled across dimensions. When these titans join forces with Leader Cards, there’s no telling what can happen. It’s this sense of the unknown, of the impossible becoming possible, that we want players to enjoy most of all. Prepare yourself for character combinations you’ve never seen before!
Have SS Goku team up with Bardock for an unstoppable father-son combo. Team up SSB Vegito and SSB Gogeta to have your opponents seeing blue. Or have Trunks and the Supreme Kai of Time work together to bring order to the timelines. With Unison Cards, there’s no combination too crazy to build a deck around.
We’re also expanding the setting of the card game proper. In addition to the Dark Demon Realm, which was first introduced in Series 3, characters from the previously game-exclusive Dark Empire Saga are also making their first appearance. Mechikabura leads the dark hordes, with plenty of Xeno versions of classic characters joining the fray. With DBSCG, every character can find a home in your deck.
The Dragon Balls themselves are a core theme of the series, with Syn Shenron and the Shadow Dragons emerging from the negative energy of wishes made on the Dragon Balls.
Rarity is another facet that’s been refreshed in the Unison Warrior series. Up until now, Commons and Uncommons have had alternate silver foil versions, but starting with UW01, Commons, Uncommons, and Rares will all have alternate holographic versions to let you play your favorite cards in style.
The rarity rates have been changed too. UW01 features 23 SRs and no Campaign Rares, making them easier than ever to collect. To celebrate the new series, we’re also packing a guaranteed bonus SR or SPR in each box, giving collectors another chance to get their hands on these super rare cards.
Booster packs, starters, and premium pack sets are the core products for UW01. Three starters will be released to kick off the new series, giving new players a chance to pick their favorite characters and jump right in. And with a cheaper price point, there’s never been a better time to start playing.
The same three starters will be available for the duration of the Unison Warriors Series, making it a clearer, more understandable starting place for new players. Each set in the Unison Warrior series—including UW01—will include cards designed to synergize with the starters.
Characters associated with the One-Star and Two-Star Dragon Balls make up the core lineup for UW01, along with Gotenks: Adolescence and other new heroes. SS4 Gogeta and Syn Shenron are the real headliners this time around, with SS4 Gogeta appearing as a Secret Rare. As for the rest of the Secret Rares... you’ll just have to wait to find out.
Let’s take a look at the characters in each color.
Pilaf and Syn Shenron get diabolical Leader and Unison Cards, while Yamcha and Vegeta form a very pro-Bulma tag team.
Zamasu and Zen-Oh get godly Leader and Unison Cards while Trunks and the Supreme Kai of Time represent the Time Patrol.
A time-smashing dream team of SS Goku and SS Bardock make up the heroic side of the Leader and Unison Cards, while Ginyu and Golden Frieza represent the villains.
The Leader and Unison Cards feature a killer fusion combination of Gotenks: Adolescence and Gogeta, along with a villainous pairing of Syn Shenron and Mechikabura.
Black’s Leader appears in a Starter Deck, with black cards in the main set having a heroic focus.
These pairings are, as always, merely suggestions. Finding a Leader/Unison combination to call your own is where the real fun lies.
We hope you’ll look forward to all the new character additions we have planned for this series. We’ll have more card details, along with our intentions for the set, in the next Designer’s Note.
As for pre-releases and other organized play considerations, we’ve come up with a path forward based on the current situation, and will be making an official announcement in the near future.
Finally, please take a look at the new Expansion Sets. These sets will provide you with an opportunity to try out Unison Cards early with the Series 9 meta. Give the Expansion Sets a try, and experience the power of Unison Cards for yourself!
Note: These have already been announced, but the release date has been postponed in light of the current global situation.
Expansion Set 11 -Universe 7 Unison-
https://www.dbs-cardgame.com/oceania/product/dbs-es11.php
Expansion Set 12 -Universe 11 Unison-
https://www.dbs-cardgame.com/oceania/product/dbs-es12.php
We’re doing everything we can to bring you the best card game we possibly can, despite the difficult ongoing situation for all of us.
We ask our players to stay safe, and we’ll see you in the next update.
April 24, 2020
Dragon Ball Super Card Game Team