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The Gate Cards
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. If you want some general advice on how to pick Ability cards, check out the article here.
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!
Next Up: Attribute Strategies
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