Is UNION ARENA TCG Fun to Play?
I tried UNION ARENA, the anime crossover TCG from Bandai, on the release day of the BLEACH and Hunter x Hunter booster packs and wrote a general review of the game – everything from its potential to succeed as a breakout TCG, to its collectibility.
Now that I’ve gotten a few more matches under my belt, I’ll share with you what it’s actually like to play this game, and how it stacks up as a competitive TCG.
Is UNION ARENA a fun TCG?
UNION ARENA is not just a game for anime fans: it’s also the most fun TCG I’ve played in a long time. Here’s why:
The game is super well balanced
I don’t have a crystal ball so I can’t possibly tell you whether or not it will remain this way, but at the moment the game is very well balanced. Unlike other TCGs when they start, Bandai did a great job ensuring every different strategy and Anime has access to the same sort of abilities, creating a balanced game.
At the same time, there’s great variety between the different strategies. Even different decks and colors within an anime feel like drastically different decks. What more can you ask for from a TCG?
UNION ARENA is already surprisingly deep
Anyone who has read my blog for a while knows how obsessed I can be with deck building strategies, so I feel like it definitely says something about a TCG when even I am excited about the many, many different strategies you can explore within the game.
That’s even more impressive given we’ve only been given two sets. How much more complex and exciting will this game be several down the road with even more deck building options?
The game feels like an all-out brawl
In the current state the game is in, UNION ARENA feels like an all-out slug fest between your favorite anime characters. While many things happen in a turn, those mechanics mostly have to do with characters on the field, keeping the focus always on combat. Players have to choose to attack, and opposing characters must respond by blocking, keeping both parties involved throughout the game.
It’s a welcome midpoint between the often solitary nature many TCGs fall into these days where only one player makes a move in a given turn, without overwhelming the gameplay with both players playing over each other too frequently.
Managing your field creates opportunities for interesting combos
Because your moves are largely dictated by the energy in your energy line (part of your board or field where characters stay to give you resources), sequencing is very important in this game. Because you have specific phases of a turn and can’t just do whatever you want, sequencing becomes a huge differentiator in how you will play. On player who can better manage sequences and optimize them will usually outpeform other players who are less experienced.
This is one of the toughest aspect of competitive TCGs and something that separates good Pokemon TCG players from average ones, for example. The reason this is a good thing is because it tends to reward players for enhancing their skills and practicing through various plays and mechanics to see how things turn out.
The Life system adds twists and turns to the narrative of the game
In most TCGs, advantages build. If you start out strong, you tend to end strong. Comebacks are the outlier, not the norm. However, thanks to the way UA does its life system, you never really know how things are going to play out, keeping things exciting up until the very end.
Whereas I’m accustomed to simply conceding once the match gets out of hand in other games, I really don’t want to end a UA battle early because you never know what surprise might be waiting to be “Triggered” after your opponent takes a life.
Because you gain advantages from your opponent taking a life, you have a much better chance of making a comeback if you didn’t necessarily get off to the right foot.
Bandai’s support for UNION ARENA adds accessibility to the game
Although I promised to focus primarily on UNION ARENA’s gameplay, one thing that’s been refreshing about picking up the game is how well supported it is by Bandai. Bandai is no stranger to TCGs (they have many under their Gundam wing) and it shows given how smoothly the launch has been for UA.
Stores everywhere seem to be hosting UA store tournaments – events where players can compete for unique prizes they won’t be able to get anywhere else. Scalping has not seemed to be a huge issue from the player-side despite unforunate stories you hear of some stores selling their promos on the secondary card market (a big no-no in the TCG world).
Plenty of players have access to compete for these Winner Cards with exclusive artwork and designs as well as stamps. Meanwhile, you get cool things just for competing at these events.
The organization and support for in-card play is also refreshing for a new card game that clearly is getting the kind of attention needed to deliver a flourishing community.
If you are looking for a TCG this year that’s got a solid system of support for players with a solid lineup of IPs to get you engaged, checkout UNION ARENA! It’s the most fun I’ve had playing TCGs in a while and I hope you get to experience the thrills and chills yourself!
