People are currently reading this guide.
Do you hear that? It's the sound of cards shuffling, strategic minds whirring, and the roar of powerful units clashing! Welcome, aspiring Cardfighters, to the exhilarating world of Vanguard Zero in 2024! Whether you're a seasoned veteran returning to the fray or a complete newcomer eager to dive into this fantastic mobile card game, this comprehensive guide will equip you with everything you need to know to dominate the virtual battlefield.
Step 1: Embarking on Your Vanguard Zero Journey: The Initial Download and Setup
Ready to become a legend? First things first, you'll need to get the game on your device!
- Downloading the App: Head to your device's app store (Google Play Store for Android, Apple App Store for iOS) and search for "Vanguard Zero". The game is free to download and play, so you can jump right in! Be aware that while the initial download is free, there are in-game purchases available for those who wish to accelerate their progress or acquire specific cards.
- Initial Data Download: Once installed, the game will likely require a significant data download. Ensure you are on a stable Wi-Fi connection to avoid excessive mobile data charges and interruptions. This download brings all the card art, animations, and game assets to your device.
- Account Linking (Highly Recommended!): Before you get too deep into the game, I strongly advise linking your Vanguard Zero account to a social media platform (like Facebook, Google, or Twitter) or setting up a data link password. This is your safety net! If you ever lose your device or switch to a new one, this will allow you to recover your progress and hard-earned cards.
- How to Link: Navigate to the "MENU" on the title screen (usually in the upper right-hand corner).
- Select "Data Link".
- Choose your preferred linking method (e.g., "Link with Google" or "Issue Data Link Password").
- Follow the on-screen prompts. If you choose "Link with Password," make sure to write down your User ID and password and keep them somewhere safe!
 |
| How To Play Vanguard Zero 2024 |
Step 2: Understanding the Fundamentals: The Playmat and Card Types
Now that you're in, let's get acquainted with the battlefield and your arsenal!
QuickTip: Let each idea sink in before moving on.
2.1 The Vanguard Zero Playmat
The playmat in Vanguard Zero is your strategic canvas. It's crucial to understand each zone:
- Vanguard Circle (Front Row, Middle): This is the heart of your formation. Your Vanguard unit resides here, leading your attacks and receiving damage. You can stack units on top of your Vanguard (a process called "Riding," which we'll cover later), with the top card always being your active Vanguard.
- Rear-Guard Circles (Front Row & Back Row): These are the spaces where your Rear-Guard units are placed to support your Vanguard.
- Front Row Rear-Guard Circles (Left and Right of Vanguard): Units here can attack your opponent's Vanguard or Rear-Guards.
- Back Row Rear-Guard Circles (Behind Front Row Units): Units here typically cannot attack on their own but can "Boost" a unit in front of them, adding their power to an attack.
- Damage Zone: When your Vanguard takes damage, cards from the top of your deck are moved here. Reach 6 damage, and you lose the game!
- Drop Zone: This is your discard pile. Cards that are retired, guarded with, or discarded typically go here. Many card abilities interact with the Drop Zone.
- Deck Zone: Your main deck of 50 cards is placed here. You draw cards from here and take damage checks from here.
- Trigger Zone (Temporary): This is a temporary area where cards revealed during Drive Checks and Damage Checks are placed before their effects resolve.
2.2 Decoding Your Cards: Unit Types and Their Attributes
Every card in Vanguard Zero is a unit with unique characteristics.
QuickTip: Don’t rush through examples.
- Grade (Top Left): This number determines when you can play a unit. You can only "Ride" a Vanguard of the same or one higher grade, and you can only "Call" Rear-Guards with a grade equal to or less than your current Vanguard's grade.
- Grade 0: Your starting Vanguard. Also includes "Trigger Units."
- Grade 1: Can boost.
- Grade 2: Can "Intercept" (guard from the front row).
- Grade 3: Your primary attacking Vanguard grade, often with powerful abilities.
- Grade 4+ (G Units/Strides): Advanced units typically used in specific formats, offering incredibly powerful turns.
- Power (Bottom Left): This is a unit's attack and defense value. Higher power means stronger attacks and better defense.
- Shield (Middle Left, for Grade 0-1 units): This value is added to your defending unit's power when used as a Guardian (more on this in the Battle Phase).
- Skills/Abilities (Text Box): The most crucial part of a card! These are the unique effects that can turn the tide of battle. Pay close attention to:
- ACT (Activate): Can be used during your Main Phase, typically once per turn (or as specified).
- AUTO (Automatic): Triggers automatically when specific conditions are met.
- CONT (Continuous): An effect that is active as long as the card is in play and its conditions are met.
- Boost (Arrow pointing up): Allows a back-row unit to add its power to a front-row unit's attack.
- Intercept (Checkmark): Allows a Grade 2 unit in your front row to move to the Guardian Circle to guard an attack.
- Twin Drive!! / Triple Drive!!! (Interweaving Arrows): When your Vanguard attacks, you reveal that many cards from the top of your deck as "Drive Checks," potentially activating Trigger Effects.
- Clan/Nation (Bottom Right): Each unit belongs to a specific Clan or Nation. In most formats, your deck can only contain cards from a single Clan/Nation (with the exception of Cray Elemental cards). Different Clans/Nations have distinct playstyles and synergies.
- Trigger Units: These are special Grade 0 units with unique trigger icons in the top right corner. They are crucial for turning the tide of battle during Drive Checks and Damage Checks.
- Critical Trigger (Yellow Star): Adds +1 Critical to a unit and +10000 Power to a unit.
- Draw Trigger (Blue Card): Allows you to draw a card and adds +10000 Power to a unit.
- Heal Trigger (Green Cross): If you have equal or more damage than your opponent, you can heal 1 damage. Also adds +10000 Power to a unit.
- Front Trigger (Orange Shield): Adds +10000 Power to all units in your front row.
- Over Trigger (Special Icon): A new, powerful trigger that can only have one copy in your deck. It provides a massive power boost and often has an additional game-changing effect.
Step 3: Crafting Your Arsenal: Deck Building Basics (50 Cards, 16 Triggers!)
Your deck is your strategy! Building a balanced and synergistic deck is key to victory.
- Deck Size: A Vanguard Zero deck must have exactly 50 cards.
- Starting Vanguard: You'll choose one Grade 0 unit to be your "Starting Vanguard," which begins the game face-down on your Vanguard Circle.
- Trigger Units: You must include exactly 16 Trigger Units in your deck.
- You can have up to 1 Over Trigger.
- You can have up to 4 Heal Triggers.
- You can have up to 8 each for Critical, Draw, and Front Triggers.
- Grade Ratios (General Guideline): While not strict rules, a common distribution for a balanced deck often looks like this:
- ~17 Grade 0 units (including your 16 triggers and starting Vanguard)
- ~15 Grade 1 units
- ~10 Grade 2 units
- ~8 Grade 3 units (your main ride targets)
- "Four-of" Rule: You can only have up to four copies of a card with the exact same name in your deck (excluding specific exceptions, like some Grade 0s).
- Clan/Nation Restriction: As mentioned, your deck should generally consist of cards from a single Clan or Nation. This ensures synergy and allows you to fully utilize powerful clan-specific abilities.
- Focus on Synergy: Don't just pick powerful cards randomly. Look for cards that work well together, support your Vanguard's abilities, and fulfill your chosen playstyle (e.g., aggressive, control, combo).
Step 4: The Rhythm of Battle: Understanding Your Turn
Every turn in Vanguard Zero follows a specific sequence. Mastering this flow is crucial for executing your strategies.
QuickTip: Slowing down makes content clearer.
4.1 The Five Phases of a Turn
-
Stand Phase:
- All your Rested (sideways) units become Stand (upright), meaning they can attack or use abilities again.
- This is a quick and simple phase.
-
Draw Phase:
- You draw one card from the top of your deck.
- Always remember to draw! It's your primary source of new resources.
-
Ride Phase:
- This is where your Vanguard evolves. You can choose one unit from your hand with a grade equal to or one higher than your current Vanguard and place it on top of your Vanguard. The old Vanguard becomes part of your "Soul" (cards underneath your Vanguard), which many abilities reference.
- You can only Ride once per turn. If you don't have a unit to ride, or choose not to, your Vanguard remains the same.
- Missing a ride (especially to Grade 3) can put you at a significant disadvantage, so prioritize riding!
-
Main Phase:
- This is your primary action phase, where you build your board and prepare for attacks. You can perform the following actions in any order, as many times as you can afford the costs:
- Call Rear-Guards: Place units from your hand onto open Rear-Guard Circles. The grade of the unit you call cannot exceed your current Vanguard's grade.
- Move Rear-Guards: You can move Rear-Guards between your front and back rows within the same column.
- Activate ACT Abilities: Use the activated abilities of your Vanguard or Rear-Guards by paying their costs.
- Play Order Cards: Some cards are "Order Cards" that have immediate effects and are then sent to the Drop Zone.
- This phase is where you set up your offensive and defensive lines, so think strategically!
- This is your primary action phase, where you build your board and prepare for attacks. You can perform the following actions in any order, as many times as you can afford the costs:
-
Battle Phase:
- This is where the direct confrontation happens! You can initiate attacks with your Standing units in the front row.
- Attacking:
- Select a Standing unit in your Front Row. Rest it (turn it sideways) to declare an attack.
- Declare your target: either your opponent's Vanguard or one of their Rear-Guards.
- Boosting (Optional): If your attacking unit has a back-row unit behind it, you can "Boost" by Resting the back-row unit. Its power is added to the attacking unit's power for that battle.
- Attack Declaration: Announce the total power of your attacking unit.
- Guard Step (Opponent's Turn): Your opponent has the chance to guard the attack. They can call units from their hand to the "Guardian Circle" (a temporary zone). The Shield value of these units is added to the defending unit's power. They can also use "Perfect Guards" (special cards that nullify an attack).
- Drive Check (if Vanguard attacks): If your Vanguard attacked, you perform a Drive Check. Reveal the top card(s) of your deck (Twin Drive reveals 2, Triple Drive reveals 3). If any of these are Trigger Units, their effects activate! You can choose which unit (your Vanguard or one of your Rear-Guards) receives the power and critical bonuses. After resolving, the cards go to the Trigger Zone temporarily and then to your hand (or Drop Zone if specified).
- Damage Check (if Vanguard takes damage): If your Vanguard's power is less than or equal to the attacking unit's power after guarding, your Vanguard takes damage. For each damage, your opponent reveals the top card of their deck as a "Damage Check." If it's a Trigger Unit, its effects activate (similar to Drive Check, but you only apply the power/critical to your Vanguard, and heal triggers can activate). After resolving, the card goes to your Damage Zone.
- Retire Rear-Guard: If a Rear-Guard is attacked and its power is lower than the attacker's, it is retired (sent to the Drop Zone).
- Repeat Attacks: You can continue attacking with other Standing units until you have no more attacks or choose to end the Battle Phase.
- The Battle Phase is where the game is won and lost. Understanding when to attack, when to guard, and how to utilize your triggers is critical!
-
End Phase:
- All temporary power boosts from triggers or abilities wear off.
- If you have more than 7 cards in your hand, you must discard cards until you have exactly 7.
- Your turn ends, and your opponent's turn begins.
Step 5: Advanced Mechanics and Key Strategies
Beyond the basics, Vanguard Zero offers deeper layers of strategy.
5.1 G Units (Striding)
- In certain formats (like Premium), you'll utilize a separate "G Zone" for powerful G Units.
- Striding: During your Ride Phase, if both players have a Grade 3 or greater Vanguard, you can "Stride" by discarding cards from your hand with a total grade of 3 or more. You then place a face-down G Unit from your G Zone face-up onto your Vanguard Circle, effectively making it your new Vanguard for the turn.
- G Units often have incredible power and game-changing abilities, allowing for explosive turns. At the end of the turn, the G Unit returns to your G Zone face-up.
5.2 Resource Management: Counter Blasts and Soul Blasts
Many powerful abilities in Vanguard Zero require you to pay costs. The most common are:
Tip: Scroll slowly when the content gets detailed.
 |
- Counter Blast (CB): Turning face-down cards in your Damage Zone face-up. This limits how many abilities you can use, as you only have 6 damage slots.
- Soul Blast (SB): Sending cards from your Soul (under your Vanguard) to the Drop Zone. This means the cards you "Rode" on earlier turns become valuable resources.
- Counter Charge (CC) and Soul Charge (SC): Abilities that allow you to flip face-up cards in your Damage Zone face-down (Counter Charge) or add cards from your deck to your Soul (Soul Charge), effectively giving you more resources for future turns.
5.3 Trigger Discipline and When to Guard
- Understanding Trigger Odds: Knowing the probability of hitting a trigger during a Drive Check or Damage Check is a form of risk assessment. With 16 triggers in a 50-card deck, you have a roughly 1-in-3 chance per check.
- Strategic Trigger Application: When you hit a trigger, carefully consider which unit to give the power and critical to. Sometimes boosting your Vanguard is best for a powerful attack, other times boosting a Rear-Guard for an extra attack can be more impactful.
- When to Guard (and When Not To):
- Against Rear-Guards: Often, it's better to let Rear-Guard attacks go through if they won't critically damage you, saving your hand for Vanguard attacks.
- Against Vanguard: You almost always want to guard your Vanguard to prevent damage, but over-guarding can leave you with no hand for future turns. It's a delicate balance of protecting your damage zone and conserving resources.
- Damage Check Timing: Remember that Heal Triggers only activate if you have equal or more damage than your opponent. This often influences when you choose to take damage or guard.
Step 6: Mastering the Meta and Community Engagement
Vanguard Zero, like any TCG, has an evolving "meta" (most effective tactics available).
- Stay Updated: Keep an eye on official announcements, community forums, and content creators. New sets introduce new cards, abilities, and strategies that can shift the meta dramatically.
- Experiment with Decks: Don't be afraid to try out different clans and archetypes. What's strong one season might be weaker the next.
- Learn from Replays: Watch your own replays and those of higher-ranked players. Analyze their decisions, guarding patterns, and attack sequences.
- Join the Community: Engaging with other players on Discord, Reddit, or other platforms can provide valuable insights, deck-building advice, and a more enjoyable experience. Many communities are welcoming to beginners!
Step 7: Progression and Rewards: Building Your Collection
As you play, you'll naturally acquire new cards and resources.
- Playing Ranked Matches: This is your primary way to earn fight rewards, including materials for crafting cards and in-game currency (Gems). Higher ranks offer better rewards.
- Events and Missions: Vanguard Zero regularly features in-game events and daily/weekly missions that offer generous rewards like Gacha Tickets, Gems, and specific cards.
- Gacha System: This is how you acquire most new cards. Gems and Gacha Tickets are used to "pull" from various banners, often themed around new sets or specific clans.
- Tip for F2P (Free-to-Play) Players: Save your Gems for "rate-up" banners that feature cards you truly need for your desired deck. Don't pull on every banner!
- Crafting Cards: You can craft specific cards using "Crafting Materials" obtained from duplicate pulls or by converting unwanted cards. This is a great way to complete your decks without relying solely on gacha luck.
- Re-rolling (for new players): Some new players choose to "re-roll" their accounts at the start. This means repeatedly creating new accounts until their initial free gacha pulls yield a highly desirable set of cards (usually a strong Grade 3 Vanguard and supporting cards). While it can give you a strong start, it's not strictly necessary to enjoy the game.
10 Related FAQ Questions (How to...)
Here are some quick answers to common questions for new and returning Vanguard Zero players in 2024:
-
How to get started with a good deck as a new player?
- Focus on one of the "Trial Decks" provided early in the game. These are pre-built and give you a solid foundation. Then, gradually acquire booster packs or craft cards to improve it. Many starter decks like "Dragon Empire" or "Keter Sanctuary" are good entry points.
-
How to earn more Gems in Vanguard Zero?
- Daily and Weekly Missions, Story Mode progression, Ranked Fight rewards, and event participation are your primary sources of free Gems. Be consistent!
-
How to counter critical triggers?
- You cannot directly "counter" a critical trigger once it's revealed, but you can guard with enough shield power to prevent taking damage, thus nullifying the critical hit's effect on your damage zone. Perfect Guards are your best option for this.
-
How to effectively use the "Boost" mechanic?
- Place Grade 0 or 1 units in your back row behind a front-row attacker. During your Battle Phase, when you declare an attack with the front-row unit, choose to "Boost" with the back-row unit. Its power is added to the attacker's power for that battle.
-
How to know which cards to prioritize for crafting?
- Research the current meta and popular decks for your chosen clan. Focus on crafting key Grade 3 Vanguards, essential support units, and powerful trigger units (especially Critical Triggers). Look for cards that are "staples" in multiple deck builds.
-
How to recover a lost Vanguard Zero account?
- If you linked your account (as advised in Step 1!), you can use the "Data Link" option from the title screen to log in with your linked social media or by entering your User ID and password. If you didn't link, contact Bushiroad's customer support with as much account information as possible (Player ID, recent purchases, etc.).
-
How to participate in events and tournaments?
- Check the in-game "Events" tab regularly. Tournaments often have specific entry requirements or event periods. Participating in these yields valuable rewards and helps you test your deck against other players.
-
How to build a balanced Trigger lineup in my deck?
- While you must have 16 triggers, the optimal distribution depends on your deck's strategy. Aggressive decks often favor more Critical Triggers. Control decks might prefer Draw or Heal Triggers for resource advantage and survivability. Always include at least one Heal Trigger if possible.
-
How to increase my Fighter's Rank quickly?
- Winning ranked matches is the fastest way. Focus on understanding your deck's win condition, improving your guarding efficiency, and learning common opponent strategies. Consistency and good deck building will naturally lead to higher ranks.
-
How to deal with "damage starve" tactics (when opponents avoid attacking your Vanguard to limit your Counter Blasts)?
- Include cards in your deck that can Counter Charge (CB) without relying on taking damage. Some units have abilities that flip your damage zone cards face-up. Also, consider playing more aggressively to force your opponent to take damage, which might open up their Counter Blasts.
Now go forth, brave Cardfighter, and let your Vanguard lead you to victory! The world of Vanguard Zero in 2024 awaits your strategic prowess!
 |
