I’ve been quite impressed with the new released set for Frieren. As a wonderful surprise, the set has included a number of supports for older existing archetypal decks from the older set. In fact, I was inspired by their designs to write this post to give an explanation as to how Bushiroad supported older archetypes for Frieren and talking about how and why this should be a direction going forward.
While there is much surrounding hype with that of the new Frieren deck with eight focus triggers, Frieren’s newest set hat also included several cards that either directly or indirectly support older decks, giving them some new life and a chance to compete in the modern game.
Beginning with Himmel’s deck, rather than raising the floor of the deck, the newer cards have instead opted to raise its ceiling. With Heiter and Aizen above, both cards contribute to empowering older cards, giving them more abilities with Aizen, for example, offering long-term benefits in the late game. Heiter’s primary ability gives you the ability to retrieve the golden statue event, long considered a brick, but now a functional card that can be pulled from choice triggers. Furthermore, by buffing the level one trial deck Himmel, Heiter allows Himmel to be better at already what he does best. The extra power boost doesn’t necessarily push Himmel over the edge as a card that already only cares about on-turn power. But the additional utility through the paid twin drive helps with paying out any choice triggers. Lastly, having its own effect to transform himself and another into selective card advantage and mill is great, with the selection being specific as to prevent being a generic card while also an homage to helping you grab the aforementioned event in his text (the golden statue is level one).
In the latter’s case, Aizen provides the level three Himmel with more buffs. The key note here is that Aizen now requires you to use the hero statues several times with each one going into memory. If you fulfill his conditions, Himmel gains power and protection from auto damage during battle at three statues and a wonderful bottom deck surveil ability at four. Aizen himself will also go to memory on play of either choice climaxes in that deck but only if you have no copies of him in memory as to prevent you from stacking him within. The key point I want to bring out with both these cards are how there are measures in place to prevent their use as generic utility pieces and how they are honed for Himmel’s deck specifically.
Source Deck Profile: 8 Choice
Some more direct support has been given to the eight arc deck (the one that uses the RR Frieren) and that of the book deck. 2/1 Fern gives the much needed backrow support power that the eight arc deck lacked. Furthermore, it refunds a stock which helps due to the low stock generation of that deck. Lastly, with its new synchronized effect with the old RR Frieren combo, you’re given the ability to fetch out a money counter on demand. What does that mean? Rather than going all in and waiting for the inevitable end on the backswing, the Frieren/Fern deck has the ability to give itself some amount of defense. Since Frieren herself doesn’t use stock for her combo, that generated stock in the late game can be used to deploy a money counter for protection. While the combo hasn’t gotten any stronger, you are given another line of play that was rather unlikely before.
Meanwhile, the eight book deck received its own upgrade in the form of Frieren working at the mines. While being a level zero bottom deck reverser isn’t particularly exciting, the fact that it rewards you for running it in conjunction with the book brainstorm gives you a means to refund your stock costs. Usually, if you wanted extra stock, you would be running options like the 1/0 stock charger, but that came at a price due to the need to run events to activate said card. You can now preserve your stock a little better with a bit of luck.
Source Deck Profile: 8 Arc
Source Deck Profile: 8 Book
The last direct support I want to mention is that of Frieren above. While the eight standby build was not particularly popular (at least in my area), having support like this still gives more options and breathes life into these lesser played variants. Frieren herself gives a multitude of different effects, all benefiting and acting as a perfect inclusion into that previous deck. Using the synergies of the old present event, Frieren acts as a bonder that goes to memory and provides 3/2 Stark with a finishing ability and Fern with protection. This card perfectly embodies the type of spirit that Frieren shares with her kids.
Source Deck Profile: 8 Standby
SFN/S136-059U 一緒に旅をする理由 フェルン (center)
SFN/S136-001PS-PR “ハロウィンの魔法”フリーレン＆フェルン (right)
Aside from direct support, we have plenty of indirect support available. I also want to mention that there are new combos to play around with in case you wanted to try something new and different from the old combos. While something like 1/0 Fern above clearly works with book triggers, you aren’t limited from using her with the new book combos by any measure.
The most important point I want to make is about the flexibility of cards like the above. They are certainly pushed and directed to be played in certain specific colours and builds. Most importantly, they give flexibility to pre-existing decks in addition to new designs in this new set. They can patch holes that the older decks lacked such as 0/0 Fern above being a plussing brainstorm for the standby or door decks from the old set. 0/0 Halloween Fern and Frieren is a generic brainstorm, but keep in mind, its first ability lets you use events of any colour, allowing you to run this brainstorm in conjunction with 1/0 Fern RR combo without needing to purposely put in red for the 1/1 red event. It’s these small synergies that I’m excited to talk about in deck-building.
I love LycoReco, and, not to exactly throw shade, but my problem with the latest support is that the newer cards that helped the old deck completely invalidated the previous playstyle. With this powerful card above as an example, this card did everything for you in the endgame, grabbing you your climax, fetching either of the required Chisato or Takina, and also playing both at a reduced cost (the biggest limiting factor). This is on top of providing event protection for the cards that you spawned. While powerful, cards like this made it feel as if you don’t really need to meet as many requirements as before since it simplifies many of the play patterns that were much more needed.
Instead of having to chain together and make decisions to gather the necessary stock and hand requirements (typically, extra 3/2 Chisatos in hand), you would just fetch out one copy of this, and keep another Chisato in hand, and your endgame was set-up. With Frieren, the support is less all-encompassing, leaving players with that same agency as before but with a few more additions to help the flow of their decks. And this, I think, is a better way to look in terms of supportive design. You want to keep the main core identity of that same deck in check while giving some small bits of support to help in terms of granting slight additional benefits or tackling core holes that the decks have lacked before.