UNION ARENA: Code Geass Spoilers, Release Date, & Products
I’m super stoked for the Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion set dropping on December 13, 2024. This show is up there among my favorite anime of all time, and I’m really excited for what kind of game mechanics we’re going to be able to experiment with when this set hits the shelves.
Luckily for all of us, Bandai has released some crazy spoilers in English to wet our appetites as we wait in eager anticipation for Code Geass next month.
UNION ARENA: Code Geass set details
Bandai totally gets the energy behind what makes Code Geass such a great show given the headline they used to announce more details about this set:
“Destroy the world with your tactics! Characters include members of Ashford Academy, the Black Knights, and The Holy Empire of Britannia. Board a KMF and conquer your opponent's field!”
C (Common) : 38 types
U (Uncommon) : 37 types
R (Rare) : 19 types
SR (Super Rare) : 14 types
AP (Action Point) : 7 types
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Card List
If you are as excited about this set as I am, you’ll be glad to know that several cards have been revealed already in English. While we always have an idea about what these cards are going to be given they’ve released in Japan, you never really know. Bandai has already shown that they will cut cards before they come to the English version given their experience with the gameplay in Japan. For that reason, the best way to know what exactly these cards are going to do and how they are going to impact the game is simply to see them in their official English debut!
Kallen Kozuki – UE04BT/CGH-1-004|SR
I know what color I’m going to be building first when this set launches. Kallen is arguably my favorite character in the show, and this card looks strong. Admittedly, this three-cost Kallen is just here to be a raid target for the powerful Guren mech that we’ll be able to play. Still, she’s a great character and this artwork definitely captures her battle-hardened side pretty well.
Lancelot Air Cavalry – UE04BT/CGH-1-060|SR
This Lancelot packs an incredible punch. Its got damage 2 right off the bat regardless of whether it’s raided. If Raided, however, it gets even stronger. First of all, it has Impact 1. Second of all, it acts as an added removal, straight-up sidelining anything on your opponent’s front line when played.
The only drawback here is that it is an eight energy cost character, making getting this character into play even more demanding than the likes of Kurapika. The best way to counter this card undoubtedly is to take an aggressive approach and just hope you can get far enough ahead to pull off a win before your opponent starts slinging Lancelots at you.
Power of Absolute Obedience
I didn’t watch Code Geass until I saw there was going to be a UNION ARENA set based on it. So the whole time I was watching the show I was wondering how UA was going to incorporate the powerful Geass ability into its mechanics. Well…here it is! This card is actually pretty broken. Unlike comparative Special effects we’ve seen in play that require a specific character in play to get off, this one lets you sideline just about anything. The only advantage to having Lelouch in play is that you effectively pay one less AP to get this special off.
However, this works great in scenarios even when you don’t have the famous Britannian prince in play, making it a very versatile special indeed!
Code Geass Parallel Art Cards
Parallel art is the term UNION ARENA uses for alternate art cards. Get a preview of some of the coolest Parallel Art cards revealed from the set below.
Lelouch Lamperouge SR ***
It looks like our triple-star super rare Lelouch of this set is coming in with style. Although he’s a two-AP character, he has some serious benefits attached to him, including a strong when played effect, a powerful passive effect that prevents more powerful characters from blocking him, and a solid draw support mechanic making him good when played, when sidelined, and when attacking.
Gawain SR **
This parallel art looks gorgeous and features C.C., Lelouch and their well known Knightmare Gawain. Another thing I was curious about was how UA was going to incorporate Knightmare Frames into the game. It feels like machine versus powerful humans might be a bit of an apples-to-oranges situation. However, these machines aren’t overly powerful. Indeed, the when played effect doesn’t feel overly broken, but instead plays into this whole “can’t be blocked” thing that Code Geass purple seems to be based around.
Another interesting mechanic worth noting about these Knightmare Frames is that they are Raided onto their owners from the show. That’s a pretty cool mechanic, and makes Gawain particularly versatile as it can be Raided onto either Lelouch or C.C.
Lancelot and Kallen parallel artworks
Still, as cool as these effects seem, immediatly I can’t help but feel like a simple Impact keyword would be a bit stronger. But who knows? Maybe there are some crazy combos you can pull off with this deck to make not being able to block it more advantageous than simply using Impact.
C.C. SR**
I love the mechanic behind this C.C. character card as it rewards you for playing a card with 2 AP cost. The best card to chain this with would be the Geass Special we already talked about above. However, you could essentially pair it with any card that costs two AP like the Lelouch also covered, unlocking additional and vital draw support for this deck strategy.
Nunally Lamperouge SR**
Understandably, this Nunnally character card plays a supporting role. She has a fairly strong effect, however, which enables her to grant extra BP and Impact to another character. This would be pretty broken if it activated when played not when switched to resting. However, I’m sure certain deck strategies will be able to leverage it to some advantage.
Euphemia Li Britannia SR**
Euphie is a beautiful character both inside and out, and this card feels right. You totally would want to pair her with the Lancelot Raid character we’ve highlighted as her added energy makes it relatively easy to get that character into play. What makes this Euphie even stronger is the fact that she’s got step, meaning you can move her up to the front line without her being a liability.
Shirley Fenette SR**
Shirley offers an incredibly intriguing mechanic. While she may have a somewhat lackluster BP for a Raid character, she offers some pretty crazy strategic advantages that might make her a powerful Raid character to leverage from the energy line. Use her to draw additional cards every turn, while also bringing potentially powerful event cards (even specials) from your sideline to your hand.
Common Box Topper Characters revealed
Booster Box Toppers will include one of the six characters as a foil. See them below!
UNION ARENA: Code Geass Products
Notably the Code Geass expansion doesn’t include a starter deck. The best way to get these cards is going to be directly from a Code Geass Booster Box.
This set looks absolutely insane and is probably the set I’m most excited about of any card game I’ve ever played. I’ve already told my wife to not expect to see me for a while after this hits the shelves in December and would recommend you also clear your schedule for ample deck building time! UA is shaping up to be better and better!
