Battle Spirits has been resurrected in the form of the Battle Spirits Saga, rebuilding the original Japanese card game from scratch. With the benefit of hindsight and the renewed interest that reboots always bring, Battle Spirits can finally click with Western audiences the way it failed on its first run.
Of the three main card types, Nexus cards have the most passive role on the field, being primarily effect-based like magic and zoned like spirits. Even if Nexus cards aren’t as flashy or game-ending as magic or elementals, any good player will want to utilize their effects to gain an edge in battle.
10 volcanic canyon
Volcanic Canyon is a card whose usefulness can last until the end of the game. Thanks to a level 1 effect that allows you to draw an extra card for each active draw step. Draw cards are one of the most important tools for establishing card advantage, so Volcanic Rift should be at the top of your list to get on the field as quickly as possible.
Its level 2 effect is fine. It’s pretty balanced without you being intrusive to use it. 1,000 BP is nothing to scoff at, and when applied to all spirits, opponents will find they have fewer options against your armies.
9 blessed cathedral
If you’re running a deck full of yellow elementals, Blessed Cathedral is a passive boost that gives you an advantage regardless of the battle outcome. When one of the yellow spirits is destroyed, this card allows you to gain an extra core with level 1 and draw a card with level 2.
Level 1 doesn’t require a core, so it’s usually difficult to destroy this card with core removal methods. When playing against you, they must choose to allow you to gain card advantage or utilize your soul advantage.
8 Netherworld Depth
If a card like Blessed Cathedral suppresses aggression, Netherworld Depths will hamper your defenses. At level 1, you can draw a card whenever your opponent’s soul is depleted. This can happen when your opponent uses their soul for just about anything. Level 2 then completely destroys any blocking spirits when attacking.
Thankfully, the powerful level 2 depends on how many cores you need to spend. Because you can’t destroy blocking spirits without at least 3 of them. Still, Netherworld Depths is a card you should be targeting the moment you see it, as the card advantage it affords is not to be taken lightly.
7 scorched battlefield
Despite the scorching environment its name and art suggest, the Scorched Battlefield is a great tool for snowballing with aggressive maneuvers. The extra 1,000 BP for every attack turn gives you an edge when controlling down blows, and if you succeed in hitting your opponent’s life directly, you’re rewarded with some card advantage.
This isn’t completely exaggerated, given that it’s unlikely to do direct life damage more than a few times. The deeper you dig into your opponent’s defensive line, the more options you have. That extra card could mean everything when it comes to ending the game for good.
6 Fortress Metropolis Nauman City
For defensive players, Fortress Metropolis Naumann City is the card for turning an active battle into a war of attrition. The level 1 effect of this nexus allows this card to count as three white symbols when summoning a mechanical beast that costs 6 or more. Then, when it’s your opponent’s turn, all spirits receive a 1,000 BP boost.
Since the Machine Beast archetype is already inherently defensive, this combination essentially forces a quick and cheap unit to join the field and hold the defense. Otherwise, the cost of summoned spirits is particularly high, so you can use stored cores to get the most out of their effects.
5 Altar of Stars
Star Altar is a great option for both setup and aggro decks, giving the strongest players and those who play a little more risk an advantage. When a spirit with a soul core is destroyed, the core is not sent to reserve and is placed on another spirit. Then, at level 2, you can drain the Star Altar in exchange for the Star Dragon card being blocked and then refreshed.
For setups, this is a very useful tool for getting your core from one spirit to another, especially in the short term. Aggressive decks allow you to unleash more mental strength against enemies without fear of losing momentum.
4 Purple Smoke Valley
Purple Smoke Valley is a solid option for letting your opponent spread their resources thin. Not only does core removal allow you to draw a card when destroying a soul, but a soul possessed with the Curse keyword cannot be blocked by a soul with only one core.
These stipulations force opponents to invest more cores than absolutely necessary in order to avoid building card advantage through core removal or rendering weak spirits useless.
three soap bubble lake shore
Soap Bubble Lakeside has a particularly niche use case, but it does its job well, making it a must-have when building decks that focus on quantity rather than quality. If your deck is full of cards of similar cost, a level 1 effect can cause each destroyed card to be replaced with a card of similar value.
Level 1 only applies if it costs 3 or less, so it shouldn’t be forced into decks that rely on expensive souls. The possibility of being immediately sent to the trash shouldn’t be taken to chance. Tier 2 effects make it easier to challenge defensive decks as spread strategies tend to be weaker.
2 castle piercing the sky
Heaven-Piercing Castle is a type of card that can take a specific archetype and give it broader appeal. In general, cards with block effects tend to be heavy on defense, but Level 2 of Heaven-Piercing Castle gives those cards free cores to reward their attacks.
The cores rewarded with attacks are taken from the trash, essentially increasing the spirit’s defense while broadening the reserve pool. Also, the opportunity to counter draw with level 1 is a tool to prevent enemy card advantage.
One Rocket City
Rocket City’s level 1 armor is worth keeping up for a full buff to any playstyle, but it’s level 2 where this card shines. For every card your opponent draws outside of their draw phase, they must also discard one.
It cannot be overstated how important it is to limit your opponent’s options, so having a card that can completely deny your opponent a card advantage is a good option. Depending on your deck type, you might be able to push your opponents with their best cards. Be careful to use this only when you know they will thrive more with rich cards than with certain cards.