Side sets in theDigimon Card Gameusually feature more obscure Digimon that only the most hardcore of fans remember, like some of the X Antibody variants, and Digimon Liberator is no different. Sharing a title with the webcomic starring the green jacket-toting Shoto Kazama, EX7 Digimon Liberator introduces the latest group of little guys to the wonderful card game.
Pteromon and friends come with a powerful deck and even stronger keywords. Vortex can let you attack at the end of your turn, and Overclock allows you to get extra damage in as long as you have tokens in play. If you like creative deckbuilding, then this set is worth looking into.
10Otamamon
Floodgates Galore!
There is a specific archetype of card in most games that every player will squirm when the word is uttered: floodgate. They’re usually not fun to play against, but there is no denying that they are some of the best control tools around. Digimon Card Game usually prints the same utility floodgate for every color, and now it’s time for blue to play with some play cost shenanigans.
Otamamon is the floodgate Digimon found in the set. This small and adorable tadpole will prevent your opponent from hard playing some big Digimon, whose play cost can be reduced by different effects. I’m looking at you AncientGarurumon…
9SnowAgumon
No Sources? No Problem!
Ever since the beginning of the Digimon Card Game, the color blue has focused on two different playstyles: control through bouncing cards back to the hand or trashing Digivolution cards from your opponent’s Digimon. The latter was strong, but it never had a real payoff until EX7 Digimon Liberator.
Iceclad is a keyword that, when a Digimon battles another, will compare the number of Digivolution cards rather than their DP, making it easier for your Digimon to clear your opponent’s board. This littleSnowAgumoncan take down even the mightiest of DeathXmon.
8Hexeblaumon
What is a great keyword without a great boss Digimon to take advantage of it? Hexeblaumon dominated the meta in the early days of the game, and the Iceclad warrior is back to take the throne. This Digimon alone can rip most of your opponent’s Digimon’s Digivolution cards in one go, priming them to be destroyed through the Iceclad ability.
Hexeblaumon is an aggressive Digimon that can help you close out games faster with its inherent Security Attack +1, but it will also stun any other Digimon it can’t deal with, as long as they don’t have Digivolution cards.
7Cendrillmon
The Clock Strikes Twelve. Puppets, Attack!
Cendrillmon is the deuteragonist’s partner Digimon in Digimon Liberator, so giving it an ability just as strong was a must. Overclock lets you delete one of your tokens at the end of your turn so Cendrillmon can attack. Think of it as a “pseudo-Blitz.”
Token decks aren’t as plentiful in the Digimon Card Game as other games likeMagic: The Gathering, but Cendrillmon makes it its whole game plan, and it’s quite easy to generate the tokens with its Start of Your Turn ability.
6Pteromon
The Avian Digimon Takes Flight!
Even though the Digimon Card Game mechanics allow players to draw a ton of cards through Digivolving, searching even deeper into your deck is one of the strongest effects any card can have. Searcher cards like this Pteromon are especially great within their archetype as they let you grab up two cards from the ones being searched.
Not only can this sweet little bird give you the pieces you might need to climb up your stack, but it also provides you with an extra body, which you might need if you’re trying to end the game quickly.
5Galemon
Tamer-Based Decks Need Tamer-Based Digimon
Starting at around BT12 Across Time, Bandai began to implement a free Tamer play effect on most Champion-level Digimon’s When Digivolving effect. With this, Tamer-based decks were able to run more consistently and didn’t require an entire turn to set up their plays.
This Galemon does the same for the Vortex Warriors but with minimal restrictions. Most Tamer-cheat Digimon only allow you to play the Tamer if you don’t already have one in play, but this Galemon only cares if you have one or less, giving you that extra boost you might need to unsuspend your Zephagamon.
4Gundramon
The Three Musketeers Are Back
The Three Musketeers first appeared in the Digimon Card Game in BT6 Double Diamond with a mediocre deck that sidelines two of the three members of the archetype. The star of the show was BT6 BeelStarmon and her ability to play options from the hand for free, while both Gundramon and MagnaKidmon watched from the sidelines.
This time around, Gundramon runs the show. The rest of the squad still plays a role in the deck, but Gundramon’s ability to play an Option from the deck while having inherent protection from removal effects, makes the giant revolver Digimon a must-have in the Three Musketeers deck.
3BeelStarmon ACE
A New Playstyle For The Option Queen
BeelStarmon’s old deck revolved around filling your trash with seven-cost Option cards to recycle them later on in the game, but this time, the Option cards available are six-cost, but you’ll be able to play around with battle tricks with BeelStarmon ACE.
The ACE card does the same thing that its BT6 counterpart does but in a more consistent way. The BT6 version of BeelStarmon didn’t do much once it was on the battle area, as its ability only triggered when the card was played, but this ACE card will be able to recycle your Option cards even when attacking.
Overflow is a keyword that all ACE cards have. Once they are moved from the battle area, you will lose a bit of memory.
2Lilithmon (X Antibody)
Delete Your Opponent’s Digimon To Protect Your Own
Just like BeelStarmon, Lilithmon had a deck in the early days of the Digimon Card Game. The deck focused on recycling option cards from the trash while gaining a ton of memory back, earning the name “Lilith Loop.”
Now, the X Antibody version of the Demon Lord pivots its playstyle into a more control-driven gameplay, where she can delete other Digimon in the battle area to trigger multiple effects, including protecting herself from removal effects.
1Shoto Kazama
A Simple Boy, But With A Terrifying Effect
Shoto is a great Tamer if you’re looking to play Zephagamon and the rest of the Vortex Warriors, but what is not clear when reading the card is that its effect to apply Blocker to a Digimon is not restricted to Vortex Warriors.
This card is generic enough that it can be splashed into just about any deck that has room in the list or might need an almost impenetrable wall like Mother D-Reaper. Make sure you have plenty of DP boost inheritable effect, or else you’ll never get past the multiple 16,000 DP blockers that Shoto can set up.
