Memory Fragments: Probity

Sentinels, Whispers, Saints & Vanguards

Aha! I win! Your Sentinel gets beaten up by my level 13 Nightless Whisper of Knives!
Hey, not fair! Mine is heavily supported! It supposed to resist instant-death statuses!
Well, Saints block those types of things, but mine's special effect halves lives!
Then next time, I will use my special Vanguard to stop your sharp apparatuses!

I had just lost a game of Sentinels, Whispers, Saints & Vanguards, Fanear's biggest game
We call it SWSV for short. It sounds like "So-os-be" or "Su-us-be"; depends on the accent
Personally, I just call it that-one-awesome-card-game-that-has-gathered-quite-a-lot-of-fame
There is this yearly tournament in where the champion earns a title at the princess's consent

The loser gets turned into a card, and so the game expands. But only when it is a proper match
Having fun with mock battles has no risk, so they are a nice way to learn the game's rules
There are 4 major titles. And each one has 13 levels associated with them. But there is a catch
Depending on the level of the title, the card can gain advantages, abilities, or special tools

The goal is to reach level 13 with all four of your titles and defeat the opponent with them
This is tricky though, because your opponent might have abilities that cut your progress
Also, there are expendable cards that you play each turn that can help you and then some
Weapon cards, apparatus cards, aid cards, link cards, you name it. The strategies are limitless!

You also need to roll a dice each time you want to do something other than play a normal card
Things like enhancing your title card, attacking a card with higher power than yours, abilities
...A lot of things! At first, it might sound, it definitely sounds, like everything is needlessly hard
But it is quite fun to see your title grow stronger by the actions you do and your capabilities

I love playing the Sentinel title. It is an attacker card than storms the front lines by themselves
You can support them if you want, but their gimmick is that they work alone off of their links
The more you invest in theirs, the better they get. Like a dormant power, in potential, it delves
Attacking twice, dual-wielding weapons, straightforward effects; brave and without a lame jinx

For the princess's sake, it can quad-attack of you link up their dual-wield and twice effects
But, their weakness are Vanguards. Vanguards are designed to eat attacks for breakfast
They halve any damage taken, are naturally inmune to instant-death; they are a must in decks
Whispers counter them hard though. Play an apparatus card just right, and they are gone fast!

Whispers would be reigning over the game if it were not for the Saints title cards existing
Blocking their poison attacks, nullifying indirect damage. Also, healing statuses and reviving
Saints also expose Whispers' abilities when playing at night time. Shining light on their twisting
But! Whispers by daylight can use reflective illusions! An adaptable tactic most conniving

If you ask me, that is where the hard part of the game is. Mastering the Whispers & Saints battle
Playing Sentinels or Vanguards is easier, I guess. Plus, Sentinels beat the shit out of Saints!
Two powerful, boosted attacks with no gimmicks whatsoever are enough to put them in brittle
Still, using the supports cards I mentioned can help you, even in disadvantageous constraints

Sentinels beat Saints beat Whispers beat Vanguards beat Sentinels. Like a tetra-something!
There this dichotomy between Offense and Defense playstyle. Like Scrappy Sents with Whisps
Or Bulk Saints and Vangs. Some mix it up by playing the annoying St. Whisp deck-thing
Or the physically dominant Heavy-assault Sentinel Vgd. Combo. But all is with its share of risks

Cripple an opponent main source of damage with debuffs, Vanguards take shit-for-damage
But enfeeble them, or poison them better yet! Without a Saint, they are dead
Activate a Sentinel's Denji Stance, and suddenly, the most brutal carnage
Approach with a Whisper's Hunter's Step, and bam! The brick-wall beast has bled

There are work-arounds between titles' match-ups. Such as both level 6 and 12 reversals
Sacrifice half your Vanguard's level, and they temporarily heal and prevent debuffs and status
Halve your Sents' damage, and they gain Pierce Defense versus a Vagns' Formation Rehearsals
You can turn your weakness into a strength, it depends on your passion and afflatus

...But I lost. So, I still have a long way to go if I want to be a SWSV champion some day
Between you and me, there are 4 legendary cards! Or so they say. The princess has them
One for each title, they are unbeatable! But there are also price cards that, for, one has to pay
One for each of the four as well. The fallen cards, they are called. It is the loser's condemn

Each year, a new ally to the princess's army. Each year, a new fallen loser to her deck
I wish there would be some other method that would get me to meet the princess
But this is all I can do. Play this game. So I must win. For the princess's call and beck
A champion. Yes, that is what I want to be. My life on a card. My wins and glory, endless