Budget Deck: Kagero (Dauntless)

Acting all smug like

How long has it been since Dauntless was a thing? Like, Four Years?

God damn I feel old.

Dauntless is a really old favorite of mine. I love the card. He spiked up some time back with the release of the G-Legend Deck and Dragonic Overlord the Legend27, but has calmed back down to a stable price of $5-6, so I decided I'd be writing my next post about him. Conroe also got unbanned, so it gave all Kagero decks a buff.


The best part about Dauntless is that he's fully generic, giving any and all Kagero boss the ability to restand. Every. Single. One. And with all the Kagero Grade 3's that have been released over the years, you have plenty of options to go with.

First off is his Crossride, Dauntless Dominate Dragon "Reverse". Unsurprisingly, he has great synergy with Dauntless Drive. Dominate's skill has two extra chances to go off with Dauntless and can lead to some crazy amounts of retire, along with Vanguard Pressure. It's pretty devastating in card advantage against your opponent when used properly. And Dominate is less than a buck, so probably the cheapest Grade 3 that can work well with Dauntless that is effective.

In a Dauntless Dominate deck, Dominate Drive and Diable Drive are the first things to default to, being the Dauntless 12k and 10k beater respectively. Gojo is also be a solid choice, since you can rest him for filter then lock him for Dominate Dragon. Tanaz and Gyokuryu are both pretty amazing with Dominate, since he can mass retire for really cheap. If you decide to run those, 8k and 10k vanillas let you make magic numbers with Tanaz and Gyokuryu. Pokkle is there if you wanna unlock stuff.

The next card that most people use with Dauntless is Nouvelle Vague. Two 23k swings, both of which are unguardable by Grade 0s, is pretty effective as a finisher. Nouvelle-Dauntless was actually a very dominant deck at the time of it's release some years back, but was immediately hit by banning Conroe, taking away the consistency the deck used to have.

But wait. Guess who's back to legal status. Hue.

Productive criticism

only, please

Anyhow, Nouvelle's dedicated Grade 1 and 2, Roman and Critic, are both pretty amazing. Roman, with Conroe, takes away all the risks of not having a G3 in hand, since you can toolbox Roman with Conroe then use Roman to search out any G3 if you have a Nouvelle in hand. Critic is easy early retire, while you have a Nouvelle in hand. Berserk Lord Dragon is also a great card, since Nouvelle is a Grade 4 and can attack twice, triggering Berserk Lord twice.

Another unit that works pretty well in Dauntless, and actually is mixed in with Nouvelle sometimes, is Vortex Dragonewt. Breakriding Dragonewt over Dauntless, followed up by Dragonewt's Legion Persona lets you retire two units and swing for 36k twice, after your opponent has to take a damage check from the skill. You have to minus in hand pretty hard for that combo, but its pretty worth it.

Obviously run Newt's mate in a Dauntless Dragonewt deck. Gojo and Calamity are staples for speeding up Legion and drawing into the persona costs you need. Menance Laser is great for retires and Aethonic allows for more mileage out of Dragonewt.

The last main card that I think is worth a try in Dauntless is Heroic Saga. Heroic Saga's skill, in the first place, is pretty good. On-attack your opponent either retires one or he gets a bonus critical and guardbreak skill. But with Dauntless you get to use his skill twice. It's sorta dumb and sacky, but when it works it works.

Typical mass retire lineup for Heroic Saga. Twilight Arrow, Berserk Dragon, Sadegh, and the such. If they have no rearguards, they're forced to pick the option of facing a bonus Crit and Guardbreak. Guaranteeing bonus Crit and Guardbreak skill forces your opponent to drop excess amounts of cards to guard. Perfect Guards suddenly become discard two to nullify and a simple No-Pass GGuard requires another card in hand. Imahd is another card that can force excess cards from your opponent's hand, but he makes it so that you have to pay more attention to your counterblast.

Some say TheLegend27 can

check 9 Crits in a row

What not to run with Dauntless: The End and The Legend

While on paper they're amazing, the End and the Legend actually have backwards synergy with Dauntless. In the End's case, they can just let the End hit on first attack, forcing him to use Dauntless's breakride skill, then just guard the second. Yes, this is good during times that your opponent is already in lethal range of around 4-5, but even then they could just guard the first and second attacks just like any other unit that would work with Dauntless. In the Legend's case, on your Dauntless VG swing, your opponent could just intercept with rearguards, stopping any chance of the Legend's GB2 to go off. Again, just like End, this works when your opponent has at least one non-G2 rearguard in the front row. But, honestly, any decent player will see it coming a mile away so they'll make sure not to do so. And even then, when you get it off, you drive checked 9 times, putting you that much closer to deck out if they happen to survive.

Also, if you don't really give a damn and just wanna sack to victory, play Aleph and Dragonic Gaias. 26k two swings 3-4 Crit on each for the cheap cost of CB4, SB2, and running crappy vanillas. Lel.

G-Zone should be typical generic G-Zone for Kagero. 4 Nouvelles. As many Root Flares, Denials, and Taitens as you can afford. Throw in some Desires, Iresists, and Mustafas. Then Asyl to fill space.
                                                                                                        
Decklist: 

NOTE: This is only an example decklist and should only be used as a base. I recommended that you create your own decklist through your own testing. I found this decklist to fit me, but it is up to you to find a decklist that fits you.

Grade 0:

1x Lizard Soldier, Conroe

16x Triggers of Choice(0-4x Gattling Claw Dragon)

Grade 1:

4x Perfect Guard of Choice

4x Dragon Monk, Gyokuryu

4x Daible Drive Dragon

2x Dragon Monk, Gojo

Grade 2:

4x Dominate Drive Dragon

4x Bellicosity Dragon

3x Dragon Knight, Nehalem/Berserk Dragon

Grade 3:

4x Dauntless Drive Dragon

4x Dauntless Dominate Dragon, "Яeverse"

Grade 4:

4x Transcendence Divine Dragon, Nouvelle Vague L'express

4x Flame Emperor Dragon King, Root Flare Dragon(Optional)

1x Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Vortex Desire

1x Supreme Heavenly Emperor Dragon, Iresist Dragon

1x Divine Dragon Knight, Mustafa

4x Flame Emperor Dragon King, Asyl Orb Dragon

                                                                                                        

Effectiveness: 6/10

Price: $35-40

Competitive: Maybe

Final Words: Dauntless is such a nostalgic, cheap, fun build that could be somewhat competitive when built right. The restanding vanguard pressure itself can win games. If I were to say which version of Dauntless is best, it'd probably be Nouvelle because of how strong of a finisher Nouvelle is. If you like restanding vanguard pressure but don't have enough money to pay for Overlords, try out Dauntless. I promise you won't regret it.

Anyhow, see you in the next one!

-Robot