How to Soul Charge in Cardfight!! Vanguard: A Step-by-Step Guide
Hey there, fellow Cardfighter! Ready to take your game to the next level? Have you ever been in a situation where you're just one card away from a powerful combo, but it's stuck in your deck? Or maybe you've seen an opponent pull off a crazy play, sending cards from the top of their deck straight to their drop zone, and you're wondering how they did it? Well, you've come to the right place!
We're going to dive deep into a core mechanic of Cardfight!! Vanguard: the Soul Charge. It's a fundamental skill that can turn the tide of a game, enabling powerful abilities and setting up future plays. Let's get started on your journey to becoming a Soul Charge master!
Step 1: Understand What Soul Charging Is and Why It Matters
Before you can do something, you need to know what it is and why you should care. So, let's start with a simple question: What is the "Soul" in Cardfight!! Vanguard?
Think of the "Soul" as a special resource pile located underneath your Vanguard. When a unit is called to the same rear-guard circle as another unit, the new unit is placed on top of the old one, and the old unit is put into the Soul. So, the Soul is a stack of cards that accumulates underneath your Vanguard.
Now, a Soul Charge is an ability that allows you to take one or more cards from the top of your deck and place them directly into your Soul. This is a crucial skill for many clans and decks.
Why is it so important?
Enabling abilities: Many powerful units have abilities that require you to have a certain number of cards in your Soul. For example, a unit might say, "If you have 6 or more cards in your Soul, this unit gets +10000 Power." Soul Charging is the primary way to build up that number.
Setting up for Soul Blast: The opposite of Soul Charge is Soul Blast, where you send cards from your Soul to your Drop Zone to pay for a powerful ability. Soul Charging allows you to "fuel" your Soul for these blasts.
Milling your deck: While it might seem counterintuitive to send cards from your deck to your Soul, it's a great way to "mill" through your deck, getting to specific cards you need faster, or setting up for effects that interact with cards in your Soul.
Activating abilities on the Soul: Some units have abilities that activate when they are placed into the Soul, adding an extra layer of strategy.
Step 2: Identify the Cards that Soul Charge
You can't Soul Charge without a card that tells you to! The ability to Soul Charge is almost always printed on the card's text. You'll see phrases like:
"When this unit is placed on [V] or [R], you may Soul Charge (1)."
"Auto: When this unit attacks, you may Soul Charge (2)."
"Activate [V/R]: [Cost] Soul Charge (3)."
These phrases are your golden tickets to building up your Soul.
Common Soul Charge Types:
Reminder: Short breaks can improve focus.
On-Call Soul Charge: This is a very common ability. A unit, when you call it to a Rear-Guard or Vanguard circle, allows you to Soul Charge. For example, a unit from the Oracle Think Tank clan might have this ability.
On-Attack Soul Charge: When a unit attacks, it triggers a Soul Charge. This is great for aggressive decks that want to build up their Soul while also applying pressure. Spike Brothers often use this.
Activate Ability Soul Charge: This is an ability you can choose to use during your Main Phase, often by paying a cost. This gives you more control over when you Soul Charge. Pale Moon is famous for this.
Pro-Tip: Pay close attention to the number in parentheses, like "(1)" or "(2)". This tells you how many cards you can Soul Charge from the top of your deck.
Step 3: Execute the Soul Charge Step by Step
Alright, now for the fun part: doing the Soul Charge! Let's walk through it with a simple example.
Imagine you have a card on your Rear-Guard circle with the following ability:
"When this unit is placed on a Rear-Guard circle, you may Soul Charge (1)."
Here's how you execute it:
Call the unit: During your Main Phase, from your hand, pay the grade and call the unit to an open Rear-Guard circle.
Trigger the ability: The moment the unit hits the circle, its "on-call" ability triggers.
Resolve the ability: You now have the option to Soul Charge (1).
Take a card from your deck: Without looking at it, take the very top card of your deck.
Place it in your Soul: Slide the card you just took from your deck underneath your Vanguard.
And that's it! You have successfully Soul Charged! Your Soul now has one more card in it, and you're one step closer to your powerful combo.
Important Reminders:
You don't look at the card: The card from the top of your deck goes directly to the Soul, face-down. You don't get to choose what goes there.
It's often a "may" ability: Many Soul Charge abilities say "you may Soul Charge...". This means you have a choice. If you don't want to Soul Charge for any reason (for example, if your deck is running low on cards), you don't have to.
Soul charging is part of the effect: It's not a cost. If the ability is canceled for any reason, the Soul Charge doesn't happen.
Step 4: Master the Art of Soul Charge Timing and Strategy
Now that you know the how, let's talk about the when and why in a more strategic sense.
When to Soul Charge:
Tip: Let the key ideas stand out.
Early game: Soul Charging early on can set you up for a powerful Grade 3 ride or a mid-game push. It's a great way to start building up your Soul.
When you need to fill your Soul for an ability: If your main Vanguard's skill requires a full Soul, make it a priority to Soul Charge as much as you can.
To "dig" for triggers: Sometimes, Soul Charging a few cards can help you get closer to your triggers. While you can't control what you get, every card you move from your deck to your Soul is one less card to draw before you hit a trigger.
Clans that Rely on Soul Charge:
Pale Moon: This clan is the king of Soul manipulation. They use Soul Charge to fill their Soul with units they can then call out to the field, creating explosive multi-attacks.
Gold Paladin: Many of their units have abilities that activate from the Soul or require a certain number of cards in the Soul. They Soul Charge to enable powerful superior calls.
Spike Brothers: They Soul Charge to fuel their abilities that allow them to call units from the Soul to the Rear-Guard circles, creating devastating rush plays.
Oracle Think Tank: Some of their builds use Soul Charge to get specific cards like Critical Triggers into the Soul for late-game plays.
Advanced Tip: Pay attention to your deck's size. If your deck is running low, be careful with Soul Charging. You don't want to run out of cards and lose the game by deck-out.
Step 5: Practice, Practice, Practice!
Like any skill in Cardfight!! Vanguard, the best way to master Soul Charging is to practice. Play with decks that rely on the mechanic. Experiment with different timings and strategies. See what works for you and your playstyle.
Build a Pale Moon deck and see how many attacks you can get off in a single turn. Try a Spike Brothers deck and see how quickly you can rush your opponent. The more you play, the more intuitive the process will become.
Now go forth, and may your Soul be ever-full!
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| How To Soul Charge Vanguard |
Related FAQs
How to Soul Charge in Cardfight!! Vanguard Zero?
In Cardfight!! Vanguard Zero, Soul Charging is an automatic process. When a card's ability triggers a Soul Charge, the game automatically moves the cards from the top of your deck to your Soul. You don't have to manually do it, which makes the game faster and more streamlined.
Tip: Patience makes reading smoother.
How to increase the number of cards in my Soul?
The primary way is through the "Soul Charge" ability. You can also get cards in your Soul when you ride over a unit or when a unit is sent to the Soul by another card's ability.
How to find cards that Soul Charge?
You can find cards that Soul Charge by reading the card text. Look for the phrase "Soul Charge (X)" or similar language. You can also search for cards with that ability on online card databases or in your clan's card list.
How to use Soul Charge to my advantage?
Use it to activate powerful abilities, set up for Soul Blasts, and strategically thin your deck. By understanding your deck's win condition, you can use Soul Charge to get the cards you need into the right zone at the right time.
How to tell how many cards are in my Soul?
In the physical card game, you can count the cards underneath your Vanguard. It's helpful to keep them organized so you can easily see the count. In online games like Vanguard Zero, the game displays the number for you.
How to Soul Charge a specific card?
Tip: Stop when confused — clarity comes with patience.
You cannot Soul Charge a specific card. Soul Charging takes cards from the top of your deck randomly. If you need a specific card, you'll need to use other search abilities or draw cards.
How to use Soul Charge with Soul Blast?
Soul Charge and Soul Blast work together. You use Soul Charge to build up a resource (your Soul) and then use Soul Blast to spend that resource to activate a powerful ability. Think of it like a bank account: Soul Charge is a deposit, and Soul Blast is a withdrawal.
How to stop my opponent from Soul Charging?
There are very few cards that directly stop an opponent's Soul Charge. The best way is to apply pressure and end the game before they can build up their Soul for their powerful combos.
How to build a deck that uses Soul Charge?
To build a deck that uses Soul Charge, you need a Vanguard and Rear-Guards with Soul Charge abilities. You also need units that have powerful abilities that activate from the Soul or require a certain number of cards in the Soul. The key is synergy between these different card types.
How to play against a Soul Charge deck?
Play aggressively and try to end the game quickly. These decks often take a few turns to build up their resources. Apply pressure, guard their attacks, and deny them the time they need to set up their big plays.
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