Bakugan Battle Brawlers Strategy

Before you sit down to play Bakugan, you'll need to choose 3 ability cards. There are lots of ways to choose your 3 cards, but you'll need to remember to pick just one of each of the three colors. There are lots of different strategies in choosing ability cards, and I'll be going into specific strategies in following articles. Here I want to give you a brief overview of the differences in the types of ability cards, what makes them special and some quick tips that will get you on your way to making your own powerful Bakugan strategy!

Blue: These are the most basic ability cards. These are the cards that give basic Gpower bonuses to your Bakugan. The bonuses are all based on what attribute the Bakugan is, so the first key is make sure you have Bakugan of the right attribute before you pick which card to use! There's no point using Blaze which only gives bonuses to Pyrus, Aquos, and Ventus Bakugan if all your Bakugan are Haos!

The Amount of the bonus that these cards give is based on how flexible they are to use. For instance, Blaze is usable in any battle and could give a bonus of up to 80 Gpower, where Summon Wave can only be used when fighting on an opponent's card, but can give a bonus of up to 140 Gpower! You'll have to decide if you want a card you can always use, or a card that you can only use sometimes, but that is more powerful.

Green: The Green cards are very very powerful. If all your Bakugan are the same attribute, it won't be a mistake to add the card that has the name of your attribute, as each was designed to specifically give power to Bakugan of that attribute. For instance, Sub Terra Bakugan tend to be very straight forward and have higher than average Gpower. The Sub Terra Green Ability card makes it nearly impossible for your opponent to win a battle as they'll have to win by 100 Gpower or more!

There are also a few unique Green cards, including one that makes an opponent put an already won Gate card back in play and the dangerous Doom card. The Doom card tends to be played by players using Darkus Bakugan because it gives them a small Gpower bonus, but anyone can use it. The real power of the card is that it can take a Bakugan out of play for the entire game. Imagine the look on your opponent's face when his favorite Bakugan is not just defeated in a battle, but is removed from the game altogether!

Red: These cards have what are called situational abilities - they are really only good used in very specific situations. Most of them are played either right before or right after you roll. The abilities are very different from each other, everything from card that makes your opponent move his Bakugan around to one that lets you take back an Ability card you have already used. All of these cards will likely prove usable at some point in a game, so it's hard to make a mistake as a beginning player when you pick your card, so if you're just starting, pick the one that looks the most fun!

Advanced players will want to look more closely at these cards, as they can make up part of some very powerful combos. They tend to have abilities that will cover a weakness or make a strength even stronger. For instance, let's say you have one Bakugan that has very high Gpower, but that Bakugan is in your Used pile. Your opponent might think that he has an easy win ahead of him, until you play Runo's Throw and all of the sudden you're rolling your super Gpower Bakugan from your Used pile! Dan's Throw in particular can be devastating as it allows you to take back a card that's particularly useful in your strategy you've already played when your opponent least expects it.

Before you sit down to play Bakugan, you'll need to choose 3 Gate cards to go along with your 3 Ability cards. There are lots of ways to choose your Gate cards, but you'll need to remember to pick just one of each of the three colors (just like you did with your Ability cards). There are lots of different strategies in putting together your choice of Gate cards, and I'll be going into specific strategies in following articles. Here I want to give you a brief overview of the differences in the types of cards, what makes them special and some quick tips that will get you on your way.

Basics: There are two things to look at when you pick a Gate card. The first is the attribute bonuses and the second is the special ability. The attribute bonuses are the numbers that appear with the various attribute icons (Pyrus, Aquos, etc...). This value will be added to the Bakugan's G-Power when in a battle on the card, so you'll want to try to pick Gate cards that have high values for the attributes that match the attributes of the Bakugan you are playing. The special powers take more time to figure out - some are simple, and some are down right wacky! Here is a quick look at the various types.

Silver: These are the most basic Gate cards, in fact most don't even have a special ability! Best bet here is to pick one that gives your Bakugan the highest bonus possible here. It's probably not a good choice to use Fire Pit which only gives big bonuses to Pyrus and Aquos if all your Bakugan are Darkus!

On Silver cards in particular, but others as well, you'll want to not just pick one that has a high bonus for your Bakugan, but one that provides very small bonuses for other attributes so that the card is unlikely to be helpful to your opponent.

Gold: The Gold cards focus a lot on specific Bakugan shapes. If you choose one of these cards, like Terrorclaw, you'll obviously want to include at least one Terrorclaw Bakugan when you play! Most of these cards allow the matching Bakugan to get the attribute bonus from this card two times instead of just once. Some other cards like Gorem are more tricky. These cards are fun to use, particularly if you are using two or three Bakugan of the matching type!

There are a few other types of abilities on Gold cards as well, and they can be very powerful if used correctly. For instance, the card Lighnting Storm gives all Aquos, Haos, and Ventus Bakugan +50 G-Power once the Gate card is put into any player's used pile, which usually happens after a battle ends. This card is great if you are using Aquos, Haos, and Ventus Bakugan, but you'll want to play this Gate card early in the game so that you get the bonus for the longest amount of time. The only downside is that if your opponent is playing Bakugan of those attributes as well, then they will get the bonus too!

Copper: Copper cards are the trickiest cards to pick, but they are also devastating when used correctly. Many of the cards completely change what the battle is all about and can mess with your opponent's strategy big time. For instance, the card G-Power Exchange swaps the printed G-Power of the Bakugan at the start of the battle! Imagine the look on your opponent's face when his 500 point Bakugan swaps G-Power with your 300 point Bakugan!

Some of these cards are really tricky to use to maximum effect and require some planning, but if the situation comes up, you can totally shut your opponent down. For instance, let's say that you've played all of your Ability cards already in order to win two early battles. Your opponent hasn't played any Ability cards and is clearly waiting until later so that he can dominate you at the end of the game. Just as he's ready to turn the juice on, he finds himself fighting a battle on the card Stand Off which doesn't allow players to play Ability cards! You easily win that battle and the game ends while your opponent is left holding a hand full of unused Ability cards!

Chosing the right Gate cards is just as important as choosing the right Ability cards and Bakugan. As you play more, you'll find all sorts of hidden combos that can add real power to your game. You can spend a lot of time studying the cards, but I find the best way to find out what works for you is to play the game a lot and try different cards to see how they work. Be patient if you lose some battles while you try to find the best cards for you - every game is a chance to get a step closer to being the best Bakugan player around!

The main character of the show is Dan, the Bakugan fire master, so I thought I'd take this article to talk about Pyrus strategies you can use when you play Bakugan. I'm going to be referencing cards here from the first 4 months of the Series 2 cards, all of which should be out (or just about) by the time you read this article.

Pyrus is all about getting the power you need when you need it, and is very good at getting into the fight it wants to be in.

The Pyrus Bakugan

Pyrus Bakugan come in lots of flavors, for gameplay though, most are just as good as others. There are a few exceptions of course as there are a few cards which give specific bonuses to specific Bakugan like Manion. If you've got the card and the Bakugan, than it's almost always a good idea to include them in your force. If you're playing the standard game and you're not planning anything extra tricky, just pick your 3 best Pyrus Bakugan to use.

The Gate Cards

For your Silver Gate card, look for a card that not only gives a great bonus for Pyrus, but that also doesn't give too high a bonus for anyone else. You might be tempted to use Tornado Alley as it gives a 170 G-Power bonus, but it also gives a big bonus to Ventus. You'd probably be better off with a card like Fire Pit which gives the best bonus to Pyrus while not offering as much to the other attributes.

For your Gold Gate card, you will likely want to include one that matches the shape of one of your Bakugan. Another great option would be a card like Forest Fire. This card gives a terrible bonus to Pyrus, so you'll probably lose this fight, but once it goes into your opponent's used pile, it'll give your other Pyrus Bakugan a G-Power bonus for the rest of the game! Just make sure that this is the first Gate card you play, and if you can, the first Gate card that you fight over, so that you get the maximum use of the bonus!

For your Copper Gate card, there are lots of good choices. The card Earth, Wind and Fire combos nicely with Forest Fire. You let your opponent with that first battle, then on this battle, you'll get a good bonus from the Gate Card along with an extra 100 G-Power as your opponent will have more Gate Cards, and ANOTHER extra 50 G-Power because of Forest Fire! It's also hard to ignore a card like Stand Off which not only gives a great Pyrus bonus, but also stops your opponent from being able to play any ability cards to catch-up. This is a card you want to put out late in the game if your opponent has been hording his ability cards instead of playing them in early battles.

The Ability Cards

For your Red Ability card, Dan's Throw is a good choice for any player who has a particular Ability card that they would rather use twice. This ability is often very good for Pyrus players. Magnetic Action is a great combo if you really want to be fighting over a particular Gate card first (like the above Earth, Wind and Fire). Also, if you aren't an expert roller yet, it's hard not to at least consider one of the cards that allows rerolling.

For your Blue Ability card, your choice is probably easy. The Blue cards are mostly about big G-Power bonuses, so using the biggest one you have is never a bad strategy. It's worth noting though that the G-Power bonuses on these cards go up as they are harder to play. For example, the 60 G-Power you get from G-Power Boost can be used in any battle, while the 110 G-Power you get from Ring of Fire can only be used on battles on your Gate cards, so be careful that you don't pick a card that you never use in a game! Personally, I like the cards that give big bonuses on my opponent's Gate cards, because I usually need the help in those battles.

For your Green Ability card, you've got a lot of great choices. Pyrus let's you eliminate the edge that your opponent might have with a big monster G-Power Bakugan. Playing this on one of your Gate cards is usually good for a won battle. But my absolute favorite trick card to use here is Help From Friends. If you're following the strategy that I've outlined in the Gate card section, this card is a near perfect combo with Earth, Wind and Fire. You know you'll probably lose the Earth, Wind and Fire battle, so go ahead and lose it, but then, using this card, it'll be like you won! And you'll still be getting the Earth, Wind and Fire bonus for the rest of the game! Now that's some tricky card play...

As you can see, a lot of thought can go into what cards you pick for your Pyrus force, or any force for that matter. But there are lots of clues on the cards that will help, and by far the best way to figure out what works for you is to just keep trying new things. You might lose while you try out new strategies, but that's OK, as every loss should give you some clue as to how you can improve your strategy!

Runo is one unique 5th grader, and Haos is probably the most unique of all the attributes in Bakugan. Unlike the brute force of Subterra or the tricky movement of Aquos, Haos uses the power of light to win in surprise come-from-behind battles.

Haos is all about effects that favor the little guy, with powerful Ability cards and game changing Gate cards. Their Bakugan tend to have slightly lower G-Power than other attributes, but they more than make up for that with their top notch cards.

The Haos Bakugan

Haos Bakugan come in lots of flavors, for gameplay though, most are just as good as others. You'll want to take special care when picking your Bakugan though, as you might not want to use all your biggest G-Power Bakugan when playing Haos. So many of your special abilities involve coming from behind, that if you play just the biggest Bakugan you have, you might not be able to use your special powers!

The Gate Cards

Usually for Silver Gate cards, I recommend looking for a card that not only gives a great bonus for your attribute, but one that also doesn't give too high a bonus for anyone else. When I play Haos though, I tend to go for the biggest Haos bonus I can get without too much regard to what the other attributes gain. Haos allows for lots of flexibility when the game is in play, so I've almost always got options and I'll take the risk that the Gate card might give my opponent a decent bonus as long as I can guarantee that it gives me a BIG bonus. I like to play with Sunrise or Light-Burst.

For your Gold Gate card, you will likely want to include one that matches the shape of one or more of your Bakugan. Most of those gate cards give an extra bonus to the named Bakugan. However, there is a tricky one here that I really like to use, which is Skyress. Normally associated with Ventus, there is a Haos version of Skyress as well. One thing you'll find with Haos is that you rely on your Ability cards to win battles more than most, and the Skyress Gate card allows you to get those cards back. Ideally, this will be the second Gate card you put out, so that you'll get back all the Ability cards you've played in the first few battles.

For your Copper Gate card you've got some great choices. I would look at the cards like Tricky Gate and Duck and Win. Both of those cards give victory to the player with the lowest G-Power. There are a few other good choices here as well like Stand Your Ground to get your Ability cards back, G-Power Exchange to switch printed G-Powers, and if you have lots of cards in your hand Lockdown is a good choice too. The Copper Gate cards are really a strong spot for Haos.

The Ability Cards

For your Red Ability card, Runo's Throw is a good choice if you are using a wide variety of G-Power Bakugan. This card will make it easier for you to have the right Bakguan at the right time. Nothing worse than to be fighting over one of the "low Bakugan wins" Gate cards with your highest G-Power Bakugan! A Hand Up is another good choice as it gives a +50 G-Power bonus to the lowest printed G-Power Bakugan. Red Ability cards that give G-Power bonuses are pretty rare, so having access to this one here can be a real edge.

For your Blue Ability card, look for a big Haos bonus that you think you'll be able to use, like Bright Light or Flash. Remember that you will likely be starting below your opponent in G-Power, so go ahead and pick one of the harder to use ones. I also really like to use Predictable Opponent. Most players like to use a lot of Bakugan of the same attribute, and this card allows you to get a big G-Power bonus if your opponent goes down that path.

For your Green Ability card, you've got lots of good choices. The obvious choice of Haos is almost never going to be a bad one. Remember though that the best this card will do is get you to even with your opponent, you'll need something else working in order to win like a big Gate card bonus or another Ability card. Help From Friends can also be good if you think you'll be recycling cards from your used pile a lot. You can use all of your cards in an early battle, hopefully getting your opponent to use all of his to win. Then, after he wins, you take away his victory and pull a trick to get your cards back leaving your opponent with few options for the remainder of the game while you have all of yours! The monster card here though is Haos 2. This card by itself can give you the win if you already have 2 Gate cards in your used pile! Haos 2 might be the best Green Ability card in the game, and it is certainly a good one to put in any Haos force - just don't pick all the highest G-Power Haos Bakugan or you'll never get to play it!

More than most attributes, it takes some time and thought to put together a really good Haos force and it is critical that you play a few times so that you get a better feel for when certain cards should be played. With a Haos force, it's often OK (part of your strategy even) to let your opponent win a battle so that later on in the game, you'll have a big edge. One last note, you'll want to be extra careful with a Haos force when going up against a Subterra one, as many of the Subterra abilities can shut down your clever tricks if you're not careful.

While it is right for our heroes to fear Masquerade and his powerful Darkus attacks, there can be a strong pull to jump to the grim side of the game and pick up a few of those Darkus Bakugan yourself just to see what all the fuss is about...

Darkus is all about surprising your opponent by taking away their options. Their Bakugan are of average G-Power, but if you can keep your opponent from maximizing his or her own Bakugan through control, it is pretty easy to stomp them into dust! Your Ability cards in particular can be stunningly frustrating for your opponents, crippling even the best-laid plans.

The Darkus Bakugan

Darkus Bakugan come in lots of flavors, for game play though, most are just as good as others. Unless you have a specific trick up your sleeve, you'll probably want to pick at least 2 high power G-Power Bakugan. You might want to pick one lower G-Power Bakugan in case your opponent is playing any tricky Gate cards that allow the lowest power Bakugan to win. You should have enough control over which Bakugan fight at which cards, that you can use your low-G-Power Bakugan to great effect if your opponent is playing tricky, and if he's not, you should be able to avoid using that low G-Power Bakugan in a battle at all.

The Gate Cards

Usually for Silver Gate cards, I recommend looking for a card that not only gives a great bonus for your attribute, but one that also doesn't give too high a bonus for anyone else. There are some other related tricks that I use sometimes when I play Darkus though. I often pick a card with a high Darkus bonus and a low highlighted bonus like Haunted Night or Dusk. This is because I plan to use another card that can change my opponent's attribute to the highlighted one (I'm telling you, Darkus can be so nasty...)

For your Gold Gate card, you will likely want to include one that matches the shape of one or more of your Bakugan. Most of those gate cards give an extra bonus to the named Bakugan. There is a really fun card in the third card release of Series 2 Bakugan called El Condor. I had mentioned before that it's sometimes a good idea to take at least 1 low G-Power Darkus Bakugan, and probably the best choice is the lower G-Power El Condor Bakugan, and then take it's matching card. This card has a low G-Power bonus for Darkus, but that's OK as you're not going to use it anyway, your opponent is! If your opponent is playing Aquos or Pyrus, you are going to get a HUGE advantage with this card's attribute bonus. If your opponent is playing Subterra or Ventus, just don't use your El Condor on the gate and leave the battle to one of your high G-Power Bakugan.

For your Copper Gate card you've got some great choices. There are several choices you might want to use that combo nicely with a low G-Power Bakugan, but be careful with Duck and Win and Tricky Gate as they have pretty big Darkus attribute bonuses. High Voltage can be really good for you and ugly for your opponent - just plan to lose the battle with your little Bakugan, and watch all of your opponent's Ability cards go to his used pile! High Voltage is a card that can be a real game changer.

The Ability Cards

The Red Ability cards are really the key strength for Darkus, and as such, you've got some fantastic choices. The cards are very situational, meaning they have to be at just the right time to get the most out of them, but wow are they good! There are three cards that you can play "before you roll a Darkus Bakugan" that deserve special attention. Masquerade's Throw is probably the best card to pick if you can't make up your mind or if you know your opponent is relying on his own Ability cards to win - this is particularly powerful against Haos and Ventus, who often needs really good Ability cards to win. Clean Slate is good if you aren't the greatest roller in the world. When your opponent has 2 standing Bakugan, this card is a nice reset. You can also use this card when your opponent has 1 Bakugan, but you know you can't beat it on the Gate card it's on. As a bonus, this card can put your opponent in a situation where he only has bad choices for which Bakugan to roll. Lastly, Masquerade's Launcher is extremely powerful when fighting on an opponent's Gate Card. If you have a higher G-Power Bakugan, just change your opponent's attribute to Darkus so you both get the same bonus!

For Blue Ability cards, I like to pick the ones I can use on my opponent's Gate cards like Power From Darkness. I also really like Triangle of Power as it combos so nicely with Clean Slate.

For your Green Ability card, there are good choices, but you'll want to make sure that the card fits with your overall strategy. For instance, Darkus 2 is a great card as long as you have picked Gate cards that make it work. Darkness to Victory deserves special notice because making your opponent play his Gate cards face up can be a huge advantage when deciding which Bakugan to roll and deciding when to play your other "Before you roll" Ability cards. Lastly, no talk of Darkus would be complete without mentioning the Doom Card . This card has a really good effect if played early, as you can get rid of one of your opponent's Bakugan for good, making it so that you never have to see it again in the rest of the game! For Darkus, the Doom card has an extra small G-Power bonus, but the real benefit for Darkus is that because you control so many elements of who fights who, the loss of a Bakugan is doubly bad for an opponent (imagine removing your opponent's low G-Power Bakugan from the game before it's had a chance to fight on the Gate cards meant for low G-power Bakugan - now what is your opponent going to do?)

Darkus is fun to play, but make no mistake it's evil. Losing to a Darkus force can be very frustrating for your opponent. Like all attributes though, it takes practice and time to get a handle on the more advanced tactics of when to play your cards. I find that when I win with Darkus, I win handily (often my opponent thinks it's close, but really they had no chance!), but when I lose, it's because of a mistake that I made more than any brilliant strategy of my opponent. I find that Darkus has some trouble against a straight forward fighting attributes like Subterra or Pyrus as they do not rely too much on a single trick to win the game.