EB01 Eternal Nexus marks itself as the first Extra Booster for the Gundam Card Game. For the uninitiated, an Extra Booster is a mini set that will typically release in-between major set releases, often with an alternate theme to a standard booster. In EB01's case, it's a collab set themed around the mobile gacha game SD Gundam G Generation Eternal, releasing 1 month before the anniversary set GD05 Freedom Ascension.
EB01 is a ~90 card 3-colored set (Blue, Green, and White) that is releasing alongside a dedicated Blue White starter: ST10 Generation Pulse. The set has a focus on expanding multiplayer options for the Gundam Card Game, but does also provide some neat deck options for 1v1.
Being a collab set with SD Gundam, a broad level appeal for the set will inevitably fall on your opinions regarding the chibi forms of our usually epic mobile suits, and specifically their incarnation in G Generation Eternal where most of the keyarts are direct rips from the mobile game. Personally I think the way the key arts have been handles have largely looked fine, and for those that do enjoy the collab, having card versions of their set home screen suit is probably exactly what they're looking for. That said I wouldn't fault those who say the art direction is not their cup of tea— bar the alt arts which I think are genuinely gorgeous!
Aesthetics aside, the cards in EB01 are entering a meta largely unchanged since GD03, that's to say the dominance of Aggro decks such a BP Ping, with a myriad of control decks that try to starve them off to win in the late game. Most decks live at 2 extremes of the speed spectrum of the game to see success, so where does that put our chibi contenders?
The answer is somewhere in the middle, with a slight lean to aggro. The entire set omits series related traits and links (at times to a card's detriment) in lieu of generic G Generation links, as well as the 3 unit types in the mobile game: Attack, Durability, and Support. This leaves the G Gen cards as largely parasitic, not being able to be incorporated nor incorporate out of archetype cards seamlessly with additional built in synergy.
So while we aren't getting much built in support from the previous 4 sets, the upside is that the decks can be built to be incredibly consistent with their ability to link, which is a strategy we've seen in the past with both Academy and Vultures having a ton of generic links. Those strategies have largely been fine but have never been in a position to be decks I'd ever recommend to take to a NTC or higher level event with serious expectations of success. G Gen decks however do buck that trend in that the wide breath of options is much larger than those previous strategies, and a few key cards really push the archetype to success.
Anyone who's had the joy of facing a Unicorn deck as they get into their late game understands the frustrations of dealing with infinite Banagher Links link plays as they can keep sending the pilot back to hand with Unicorn Gundam (Unicorn Mode). Whilst Chall is certainly not Banagher, as she doesn't draw a card, she also bounces back to deck with any link. This means that once you're in a position in a game where you have the units to secure 2+ on curve links back to back, the ability to do so consistently is incredibly powerful. She shines most when you consider the game ending boss monsters that the G Gen decks have available.
Being able to setup game winning positions with Hi-Nu Gundam (EX) or Gundam Exia (EX) and close out with a High-Maneuver Strike Freedom Gundam (EX) is a surprisingly consistent strategy, with the caveat that you have to get there against aggro of course.
The aggro matchup is arguable the most difficult thing to overcome with this deck. In isolation, Blue and Green don't have amazing generic tools that can be provided to the deck from outside the set, leaving white to do the heavy lifting in that department. Thankfully, the ability to run pilots that link with most of the deck does mean that it's easier to swing link plays that shift the tempo of the game.
In this respect, I do believe the Green-White combination to be the strongest of the 3 available for this archetype. At the top end, Gundam Exia (EX) requires less setup than Hi-Nu Gundam (EX) and can self destroy if the situation calls for it perfectly setting up for the Strike Freedom Gundam (EX). From there our surrounding package leans into having some defense and pressuring the opponent with breach in the midgame to secure that late game close.
In my limited testing, the below deck provided me a relatively good winrate against a variety of decks in the meta, with the sore points inevitably being the aggro matchups.
This deck operates largely like any midrange deck, with the caveat that half the time you feel like you're cheating because you're linking every single turn with a high level of consistency, which is something that is currently not well facilitated in the Gundam Card Game.
Going blue does give you the ability to draw more cards via Unlocking the Development Diagram and potentially hold onto a board easier with the myriad of Repair effects in the set, but largely it feels like the blue cards in this set are the ones more heavily catered towards multiplayer play with effects that function best at a table of multiple players.
That being the case, how does EB01 impact multiplayer in the Gundam Card Game?
To expose my bias, I am not the biggest fan of Multiplayer formats in the current iteration of the Gundam Card Game. I'm of the opinion that the card design in the game doesn't facilitate interesting multiplayer play. You're playing largely mediocre effects (even in 1v1!) in a fashion that doesn't really play towards a win. It's a format largely dictated by kingmaking, where your goal is to be as quiet as possible until other players start to kamikaze themselves and open up the way for you to scoop up the win.
Did that bias change with an entire set dedicated largely to expanding Multiplayer play...? Eh?
I think EB01 is a step in the right direction; cards like Narrative Gundam A-Packs (EX) are legitimately neat, and Gundam Barbatos 1st Form are exactly the type of cards needed power level wise to accommodate a multi player format. That said, you're still in a position where you can't play towards a game winning board position or combo, because nothing in the format is powerful enough in the context of multiplayer to secure a win. You largely still have to just advocate for a homie win to whoever wants to concede it your way if they themselves can't win, and that means games feel largely flat.
That said I do like the direction they're taking with making dedicated efforts to improve the format, instead of just saying the Gundam Card Game supports multiplayer play and does nothing with it past that.
So where does that leave the overall verdict for EB01 Eternal Nexus and ST10 Generation Pulse?
That is a weird question to answer, given that EB01 will never actually have its chance to shine in a silo given there's no big competitive events to test its mettle before the release of the incredibly powerful looking GD05. Nevertheless, I feel comfortable giving EB01 / ST10 the verdict of META!
The top-end closing power of the GW deck legitimately surprised me, to a degree that I think a lot of players will be caught by surprise if they don't see it coming, and I appreciate the steps it takes to making multiplayer better, even if small.