We are quickly moving towards the launch of the Ultraman Card Game. The official release date for the preconstructed starter decks is October 25th, 2024, while the set of boosters will release on November, 8th, 2024. Last time, I gave you a brief history of Ultraman to set the stage and went over core game mechanics. I’ll skip that this time around, and dive right into what we know just mere days away from having the game in our hands.
The Game
We have had a number of cards revealed that helps us understand what mechanics will be. Let’s take a look at them.
Ultraman Decker – Flash Type (R, BP01-028) – This is a level 1 character that sacrifices BP (Battle Power) for a great ability. Not only is this a “draw 2, keep 1” effect, but the card that you are getting rid of may be a card that was in your hand previously. This really is an excellent effect, because, if you remember from our first article, the game continues until a single player wins 3 battles in a single round. The more cards you have, the more options you have for upgrading heroes, achieving that higher BP.
Zetton – the Space Dinosaur (RRR, PR-015) – This is a kaiju with a fully unique character type (Destruction) up to this point. What’s special about this is that it has huge deckbuilding implications. He has good BP for a kaiju, but we see an EX (extra) BP printed on this card. As long as your opponent only has 1 Ultra character name in play, you get to use that EX BP. By the way, that BP is the largest printed BP we have seen on any card so far. And it specifies “Ultra”, so even if they have kaiju in play, it still just looks for a single Ultra name. And with what we’ve seen so far, single-character decks seem like a real possibility.
Ultraman Gaia (RR, BP01-049) – When this guy comes into play, you get to bring a card from the top of a stack back to your hand AND give another character +1000 BP. This card can help you win on the turn you play him by granting that BP bonus, and he can help you win on a future turn, being able to play a card against an opposing character that it has a better chance of defeating. Not to mention, the card you pull back and replay on a future turn could be selected purely for being able to trigger its “when played” ability.
Looking at these cards, it seems like there will be a heavy emphasis on tactical play. Going into the game with strategy is all well and good but being able to select which 3 battles you’re committing to win will be key.
Support
It’s worth mentioning that Tsuburaya Productions, the creator and owner of the Ultraman franchise, is the publisher of the Ultraman Card Game. They did not license out their intellectual property to an existing company more familiar with creating and distributing a card game, they decided to do it themselves.
There are two separate companion apps for the game. This first, “Ultraman Digital Card Collection” has many similarities to other digital card collection apps from companies like Topps. This app has been giving players a sneak peek of some cards, revealed in this app before being revealed via social media. In addition to this, it is announced that the top 100 users (in terms of collection score) will be selected to receive physical alternate art cards. There are bonuses for collecting a certain number of cards from a given set, and ways you can display cards to other users. There’s a friend list and a trading mechanic. So, if you decide to play, send me a friend request, my username is “Randy”.
The other app just launched days ago, and its features are still rolling out. It is called “Ultra League”. This is the app that will be used for people more concerned with playing the card game. This app will allow you to register for in-person events, will have a deckbuilding feature, and the ability to register those decks for events. This app will also have a reward system for a number of top rated users. In every booster pack of cards, there will be a QR code. There will be a way to scan the QR code in app, and register the pack you opened, earning points. The more packs you buy and codes you scan, the higher your score and chance of claiming physical alternate art cards.
Tsuburaya Productions is taking the community interaction into their own hands, putting in effort to reward players who are investing in their new game. I mentioned in the first article that the Ultraman franchise is starting to be more easily available in North America. This is just another way that Tsuburaya is trying to make an impact. This is in addition to the multiple random drawing contests they have run on social media (Twitter/X and Facebook), getting physical promo cards in to people’s hands.
What’s Next?
The game’s 2 starter decks release on October 25th, 2024. According to the official website, each deck has an MSRP of $9.00.
The game’s first set of booster packs, Guardians of Earth, will release on November 8th, 2024. Each booster pack has an MSRP of $4.50 and will contain 12 cards. The rarity distribution in booster packs has not been disclosed. But someone I spoke with who has some information has reassured me that the game’s alternate art cards are what will drive the collectability of the game. This is all subjective, but I was told that collecting the playable cards would not be difficult, but collecting all of the alternate art versions of those cards would be. Take that for what it is.
If you’re interested in playing this game with others once it releases, be sure to stay tuned to official Ultraman Card Game channels on social media. I was told earlier this year that the game is scheduled to be at PAX Unplugged, which takes place after the game’s launch. Fingers crossed that the game has a presence there, and there may even be an official event.
The Future
At NYCC 2024, Wave 2 was announced. Wave 2 will see another set of boosters named “Vortex of Crimson and Azure”. This is said to feature the card game debut of Ultraman Rosso, Ultraman Blu, Ultraman Hikari, and Ultraman Azul. We will also see powerful armored forms of Ultraman Zero and Ultraman Arc.
We will also see another constructed deck released. This deck will be focused on the Ultraman Rising movie on Netflix. I can’t wait to see these characters alongside classic Ultra heroes, especially Emi. This deck and boosters are scheduled to be released on January 24th, 2025.
And the final bit of news is that the game will also be released in Europe. This brings our total number of countries to 23.
Remember to stay tuned to Gaming With Sidekicks for news regarding the Ultraman Card Game, as well as Tsuburaya’s official social media channels
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