There was no better release that year than this glorious set of reprints, meta staples and an array of different and interesting techs for the game.
Casting aside the Dragons of Legend sets of mediocrity, Konami hit the nail on the head when they went to this concept last year.
There were guaranteed Secret Rares if you bought a sealed box. An array of supremely fantastic Ultra Rares and every pack providing ridiculous value even if you only pulled decently.
With double the Secret Rares (40) this time around that won’t be possible for each box but this presents a better opportunity for even more amazing reprints and imports and to push the boundaries even further.
as of late we tend to aim low and settle even lower on our hopes for Konami... but what if they aim for another incredible Battles set?
We’re right on the verge of seeing its spiritual successor – Battles of Legend: Relentless Revenge – have its spoilers dropped and the eternal optimist in me wants the same level of fireworks.
Speculation is the only salve for the long wait until its release in June... but I can’t help it. I just adored Light’s Revenge and would be willing to drop some more insane levels of cash on the sequel if Relentless Revenge lived up to the same billing.
Let’s start at the top; Light’s Revenge was the perfect set for a lot of reasons and it started with an archetype reprint that brought something further towards a budget option that everyone enjoys.
Reprinting An Archetype
Light’s Revenge gave us the Lightsworn reprints – an older archetype that definitely needed some reprints in the years following the structure deck and Ra Yellow Mega Pack. Cheap Ultra Rare versions of Solar Recharge, Wulf, Raiden and Lumina have definitely helped the cause for the casual Lightsworn player and those looking to play the litany of 60-card variants around now.
It gave both the meta and the budget player bases a reason to invest and so would my choice.
This archetype is one that has barely received a reprint since its initial release in Clash of Rebellions but continues to rock the metagame every few formats.
Infernoids.
Outside of Infernoid Devyaty in last year’s Battles of Legend set, everything else has been held in suspended animation in a set that existed before the rarity overhaul... and aren't players paying through the nose for that reason alone.
Infernoid Decatron is one of the most expensive core set Super Rares in recent history. Infernoid Onuncu didn’t get the same treatment as Devyaty in BLLR and could really use a reprint.
With this in mind, Infernoids as the reprint archetype would fit the bill perfectly in Relentless Revenge. Just imagine getting a Secret Rare Infernoid Decatron or Secret Rare printings of Void Imagination or Void Vanishment as well as Infernoid Tierra to help make the Lair of Infernoid deck a lot cheaper and effectively a budget deck.
Rarity bumping up Infernoid Sjette, Infernoid Patrulea, Infernoid Seitsemas, Infernoid Attondel and Void Feast would also appease all aspects of the player base, even if only getting bumped up to Ultra Rare. I would be thrilled to pick up a realistically cheap set of Infernoids and be able to add them to the collection of “just-in-case” cores.
Other potential archetypes that could get this treatment would be the likes of Mermail, Frogs or maybe Shaddolls, but I don’t think they would be fit as well as Infernoids would in any case.
Imports and Tournament Reprints
Timelords, dice cards and some interesting new Machine support have already been announced for the Collectors Pack 2018 and that’s all well and good to receive these cards within Relentless Revenge. Of the cards that didn’t make it across from CP17 to Light’s Revenge, Number 29: Mannequin Cat remains the only card without a TCG printing, which hopefully will be addressed this year.
Why not throw in a Frightfur Patchwork? The meme has run its course and we just want to see Fluffal players sink their teeth into this dynamic plus-one.
Superheavy Samurai still has a Dimension Box hold out as well in Superheavy Samurai Daihachi as well as the Superheavy Samurai Musashi which received a reprint in the Dimension Box after its initial V-JUMP release.
Speedrift, Ostinato, Yosenju's Divine Mountain Winds, Predaplast, Raidraptor – Arsenal Falcon and The Phantom Knights of Mist Claws are all in Dimension Box limbo as well and would be simple additions to the set to finally round off the TCG reprints. (As well as quieten down the raucous Superheavy, Predaplant and Fluffal players!)
I don’t think Konami would be generous enough to print the last of the VRAINS Box Links in this set as you would want to milk the most out of Crystron Needlefiber and Cherubini, Black Angel of the Burning Abyss, but who knows? There is bounty in every level of Light's Revenge so it's not outside of possibility.
It’s also time the TCG receives a few new tournament prize reprints. Utopic Kaiser, Blood Mephist and Ascension Sky Dragon have been given long enough to appreciate within the collector’s ranks and should be released just like Minerva The Exalted Lightsworn did last year.
Last But Not Least… The Meta Reprints
PSY-Framelord Omega, The Phantom Knights of Break Sword, Sage with Eyes of Blue, Denko Sekka, Artifact Sanctum and Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon added the final layer to the brilliance of BLLR.
There was so much value in the reprints. Access in these previously difficult to attain cards was the finishing touch to an absolutely incredible set.
Even the Ultra Rares had an array of phenomenal value. Vanity's Fiend and Galaxy Soldier, Transmodify and Into the Void offered up even more reasons to buy.
So keeping in mind the need to reprint expensive cards and also my wild theory on Infernoids… what goes well with Infernoids? Left Arm Offering. As a Secret Rare... and within the budget player's grasp. Konami would sell thousands of boxes with that paragraph alone.
How about Ultra Rare Fairy Tail - Snow? Secret Rare That Grass Looks Greener reprint? Ultra Rare Uni-Zombie? Another phenomenal spell besides Left Arm Offering to rarity bump would be Twin Twisters.
But if that’s not enough… let’s go all in. Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon... there's a few thousand more. Why not ask for some good reprints to finally usher in the death of competitive Gold Rares – give us Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy, Number 95: Galaxy-Eyes Dark Matter Dragon and Stardust Charge Warrior. Go nutty and give us a Secret Rare Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal.
Reprinting Tornado Dragon would do a lot to quell secondary market costs as it’s crying out for a reprint of any rarity.
How about an Ultra Rare Number 42: Galaxy Tomahawk, maybe rarity bump Performage Trapeze Magician… you could go on for days about the Ultra Rare reprint slots and personally the potential is there for Konami to strike gold once again. There are a lot of reprint slots available and shooting for the top with this set is not beyond realistic expectation.
Conclusion
I know this is best case scenario and effectively another dream box from a company that often fails its player base… but with just how impressive Light’s Revenge was I don’t think it’s unrealistic to reach for the sky again. More importantly releasing an insane set on the eve of nationals is good business sense. Whip up the market just before the last dregs of the duelling season come to an end.
Make sure you have a good reserve ready for the drop of Relentless Revenge… and fingers crossed it lives up to the hype.
