Table of Contents
Welcome to our Dragon Ball Super Card Game Fusion World Meta Tier List! In this meta report, we will look at the best Leaders and decks of the Awakened Pulse (FB01) Season 1 metagame.
Meta Overview
Fusion World's digital online client has impacted everyone's opinion quite a bit over the last week, as the grindy aspect of an open ladder has pushed different decks to shine compared to tournament play.
Green remains the top, or second-best color at worst so far, with FB01-071 and FS03-01 still looking like powerhouses. FB01-070 is ranked quite low due to its signature synergy being worse than both of the Saiyan's ability to abuse FB01-087. Then, it still appears there is little reason to pick the Android synergy right now, apart for enjoying that specific synergy.
Yellow is the second color one could consider at the top, with FS04-01 making quite an impression once a refined build was found. Now, all three Leaders are using some pieces of the Ginyu Force arsenal, except Frieza and FB01-105 are more flexible in how they operate, hence their better ranking compared to FB01-104.
Red is kind of the middle color, with FB01-001 Blue getting closer to a tier one spot as time passes. Ginyu was adapted against by many, such as FB01-025 in several red builds, or Broly gaining some popularity over Son Gohan, which opened the door for the Universe 7 deck to become the aggressive reference. The other two leaders are solid, but lack that one thing they excel at, it seems. Compared to Frieza and Cooler for example, Goku and FB01-002 are missing this little explosion (the Ginyu package) which can make the difference in contested matches. Then, they are solid when it comes to fighting a resources based battle, but can struggle once they fall behind in a match, or have to turn on the jets to finish a green opponent.
Lastly, we have Blue, which is still struggling overall, although we are starting to see some packages of cards emerge, and be used across all three leaders. Considering FB01-039 is the glue to making those synergies work, you'll understand why FB01-035 is one tier above the other two in this report. We aren't there yet when it comes to comparing to Yellow or Green, but FS02-01, FB01-035 and FB01-036 are slowly gaining momentum, in particular thanks to their ability to rush a green opponent efficiently.
Overall, the online client allowed many, many more games to be played, but the results have not been so different from what tournaments taught us at the end of February. Yellow feels like the most improved so far, and definitely the high-profile color currently. However, Green is still looking crazy good, while Red and Blue have not reached their peak yet.
Happy Meta Tier List everyone!
DBS Fusion World Meta Tier List
| Tier | Deck |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 🟢 Son Gohan : Childhood 🔽 🟡 Frieza 🔼 🟢 Broly 🟡 Cooler 🔼 |
| Tier 2 | 🔴 Son Goku (Universe 7) 🔽 🟡 Ginyu 🔽 🔴 Son Goku (Super Saiyan) 🔼 🔴 Beerus 🔵 Goku Black |
| Tier 3 | 🔵 Vegeta 🟢 Android 17/Android 18 🔵 Trunks : Future |
Disclaimer and Tier Explanations
Tier 1: Decks shaping up the early metagame and looking dominant in tournaments and digital play so far. Their synergies are either solid overall, or match very well against other very popular opponents. Typically, other decks might think about including some sort of tech cards to edge out against these builds.
Tier 2: Good decks, able to compete with the right build, but lacking a little something compared to the tier above. It can be a difficult matchup holding them back, a lack of raw power to dominate most opponents, or simply some play-patterns they can't answer efficiently.
Tier 3: Absent from competitive play from a lack of confidence from the player base, or posting poor results so far. Decks in this last tier either haven't found their right list, or simply don't have present the same upside as the other leaders in their color.
There aren't any deck trackers or official data being released about the DBS Card Game Fusion World online client so far. As such, this report is crafted based on scanning social media, looking at tournament results, and testing the lists posted by those who achieved the God rank already.
This report isn't perfect, but we are working to better it with each release. Hopefully, it can still help elevate your knowledge about the game.
Tier 1
Son Gohan : Childhood
Broly and Frieza also make a compelling case for the #1 spot, but I feel like the perfect Gohan draw is the strongest thing possible in Fusion World right now. FB01-087 is way too strong in this deck, and with FB01-088 to find it plus FB01-092 to give a second ramp tool to the deck, the card comes down too soon and too often.
One could raise an eyebrow at the lack of FB01-089 in the deck, especially with Yellow making a push right now. You could definitely play the card instead of FB01-140 and some extra cards. Yet, unless you are unless a lot of pressure, playing FB01-087 and just holding the fort until the big cards get you in the clear looks to be slightly stronger overall.
Amongst those big cards, FB01-140 is the most flexible one, as apart from a very aggressive yellow opponent, you shouldn't have that much too clear. Plus, FB01-078 helps push for lethal with its double strike ability.
Overall, Son Gohan isn't the leader to beat anymore, and we are seeing much more diversity, especially with more of Yellow around. Yet, when the draws align, Son Gohan : Childhood remains the leader able to get out of almost any kind of situation, be it an imposing sea of battle cards, or one huge hit coming its way.
Frieza
Frieza was discussed as a sleeper pick early in the tournament meta, and the online mode has revealed how strong the leader could be. Particularly since the Ginyu package was added to the deck (FB01-109, FB01-109 and a third card from the Ginyu Force, this one varying from a leader to another), Frieza has been a menace.
Based on its very high tempo play style, the yellow villain looks dominant against every other leader based on entering a value war. Indeed, once awakened, Frieza is able to get so much value out of its battle cards, it typically will be able to function with less than most leaders. Plus, it also has one of the best early games with tons of 20,000 cards to rely on (FB01-124, FS04-12) in addition to being able to dictate the trades with FS04-11.
While green has the simpler game plan to understand and develop, yellow, and Frieza in particular is emerging as the most flexible, and more importantly, tempo oriented synergies to explore.
Broly
Certainly the most played leader currently, and the best one to reach the God rank on a free to play challenge, Broly is playing almost the same deck as Son Gohan, but has a slightly weaker awakening. The 25,000 base power were great against Ginyu, and Broly is regarded as stronger against yellow in general compared to Son Gohan. However, when it comes to their head to head, or even containing the red or blue leaders, Broly feels a bit weaker, hence why it only comes in third.
If we were to compare the two green powerhouse from a gameplay standpoint. I would say Son Gohan is a little more flexible, and more resilient to the big hits your opponent typically goes for to close the match. Broly on the other end, is stronger during the course of the match, but can't put up with as much punishment when the game is on the line. Then, the legendary Saiyan requires a bit more creativity during the whole course of the match, making it a little harder to pilot overall.
Cooler
Cooler and Frieza have a very similar relationship to Broly and Son Gohan, in the sense that Cooler will play almost the same deck, but do things have different upsides. Basically, Cooler is a stronger attacker, which has its upsides against green leaders, but doesn't have the same ability to outvalue its opponent against the rest.
Then, while Cooler was on its way to beat his brother in the green dominated metagame. The emergence of the aggressive builds, Ginyu first, then Frieza and now Goku Blue isn't that good for Cooler.
It still is a great leader overall, but it might need to find its own thing in order to become the best Yellow leader.
Tier 2
Son Goku (Universe 7)
If you don't have four copies of FB01-139, you can include more of FS01-12 if you see a lot of Broly. Cards which help to Awaken fast are never bad, while FB01-027, FP-006 or FB01-016 have their merit in other matchups. You could replace with FS01-09 if you wanted a 4-cost card.
We are getting really close to a Red leader making it into Tier 1, as the Universe 7 synergy is reporting very solid results from the digital client. Indeed, while Ginyu was the first aggressive build to shake up the metagame, it was quickly adapted against, with more of Broly and FB01-025 seeing play in red decks.
Even if it packs less explosive ability to develop on the board compared to its Yellow counterpart, Goku Blue is unmatched when it comes to harassing the opponent constantly with 20,000 or 25,000 power cards. FB01-139 is a great card for sure, but the real star for the deck is FB01-015 as it truly embodies what the deck is all about: Awaken fast, limit opposing development, keep the pressure on.
This last part is really what red is all about, and Goku Blue being the best of the three leader at pressuring its opponent, the reason it is ranked higher. The goal isn't necessarily to end the game quickly, even if you might want to hurry a bit against a green opponent. Instead, the important game mechanic to control is initiative, as this is what drives the card advantage battle. If your opponent is forced to constantly use combo cards to stay afloat, you will eventually win even if they still have most of their health.
Similarly, if they accept the hits to draw some cards, you are getting them closer to being forced to protect against every single attack you throw their way. Plus, it is fairly easy to protect your cards from their attacks, as they can't combo on offense as they are need the power to defend themselves.
FB01-023 and the two green cards (FB01-140, FB01-078) really are the only things to have to worry about. They are very punishing, but if you get a good start, you can play around those, and refill with several cards on the next turn.
Ginyu
Ginyu got many players to the god rank in the digital client already, and might be the easier deck to pick up and grind the ranks with. However, contrary to a Son Gohan, Broly or Frieza, Ginyu doesn't have the flexibility to adapt when the metagame tries to counter it. FS04-15 was a nice way to play around FB01-025 in the red decks, but more of Broly really did Ginyu dirty, even with a few FS04-03 to help close the deal.
Depending on where the metagame is headed, I could see Ginyu be a great pick to punish greedy opponent, or take advantage of a lot of Son Gohan in a tournament. As for ladder play, the yellow leader definitely fits of mold of great decks to grind, featuring a fast-paced gameplay, repeatable from a game to another. Yet, it is important be mindful of its environment to truly get the most out of Ginyu right now.
Son Goku (Super Saiyan)
FB01-025 is a tech card for the Universe 7 and Ginyu decks. If you aren't seeing too many of those, you can either throw Frost as energy or use as combo, replace it with FS01-06 to help awaken or another match-up based card.
The Red Starter Deck leader is compared to the Universe 7 build by a few, claiming its flexible awakened ability has more upsides. While this would be true if there was more of blue or red opponents on the ladder, this green and yellow environment really rewards an aggressive playstyle, not looking to drag the game for too long.
Unfortunately with this deck, you will often build a nice card advantage compared to your opponent, as this most of what this deck is about. Unfortunately, you can't do much against certain cards, such as FB01-140, FB01-078 or just match Frieza's ability once it gets going. Then, Super Saiyan Goku needs to be play as a two-speed deck. First, build card advantage while awakening and limiting your opponent development. Then, go for the kill and act like you are an aggressive build, looking to harass their opponent with multiple hits per turn, leveraging that card advantage you build previously.
I have no doubt a balanced metagame, with a little bit of everything would see the Red Starter Deck leader shine. Unfortunately, this isn't the environment we live in for now.
Beerus
This might be the most debatable ranking on the list, as I know many hold Beerus in high esteem. To be fair, if Frieza keeps gaining momentum the way it does, Beerus might be much stronger soon, as it is one of the few leaders able to take out active battle cards reliably. Unfortunately for Beerus, the story is quite different when there is a green leader on the other side of the table, as Broly is difficult to rush down once awakened.
Plus, Beerus isn't that good against aggressive decks, the deck packing strong abilities rather than a ton of high combo power cards. the 20,000 power helps a bit to attack battle cards early on in the match, but not drawing feels like too big of a draw back for the extra 5,000 thousand power, which can often be found through FS01-02 5,000 and FB01-004 10,000 anyway.
Inside the Red color then, we have three leaders which are all looking to dominate the card advantage battle. Goku Blue does it through constant pressure, Super Saiyan Goku is the flexible one, trying to adapt to its opponent, and Beerus is on the control side of things, leveraging power afflictions to build its advantage. Depending on the structure of the metagame, I could any of the three be on top, yet, the current environment seems to favor those with an ability to close the game, rather than kill an extra few battle cards.
Goku Black
Blue isn't in a great spot right now, mostly because throwing cards back in your opponent's hand isn't as good as just taking them out. Indeed, the fact they can't play them as combo later on is one hurdle, but the fact blue doesn't have a lot of cards with solid power for their cost is the bigger problem.
FB01-039 is kind of the exception to that rule, as it often leads to a 40,000 power alongside a 25,000 or 30,000 power one. Then, while Vegeta and Trunks have started to use the same trick, only the real Goku Black is able to get it done by turn four, and bring a massive amount of pressure onto their opponent.
It is a bit of an all-in kind of strategy, but this is the best Blue has to offer right now. All three leaders are based on being explosive right off the bat, and then stopping their opponent from developing as they keep throwing their cards back to their hand. This only works if you have enough pressure on the table to close the match before you run out of cards. Goku Black is simply the best at bringing that necessary pressure through difficult to remove battle cards.
Tier 3
Vegeta
Vegeta is more flexible than Goku Black, as it doesn't have to run an army of Zamasu for the deck to function properly. Yet, it's development onto the board is also weaker, as there aren't any cards with more than 15,000 power in the first two turns. This means, any time you want to attack the opposing leader, which is something at least FS02-06 wants to do to trigger its ability, you know they will be targeted by a leader hit on the following turn.
Blue has access to a lot of combo cards thanks to FB01-056 and FS02-03 fetching them back from your drop. It is the latter card which makes FB01-039 a worthy inclusion by the way.
Yet, even if you can stay below seven cards while not running out for a while, Vegeta needs to close the deal sooner rather than later. Indeed, the deck cannot interact with a card with cost superior to five, kind of an obstacle with green being the most popular color. Indeed, once FB01-078 start double striking you every turn, you can quickly grow tired of it.
Overall, I would consider blue as a whole a work in progress. The way to bring more pressure has been identified, leading to Vegeta greatly improving its match-up into green leaders. Plus, the mechanic of returning cards back in hand can also work against Frieza, as a play-around to not being able to attack into their cards.
The puzzle is slowly assembling, and Vegeta being able to hit for 35,000 every turn could be the biggest beneficiary of a metagame rewarding the Blue playstyle. If the synergies around FB01-039 show they can work even when we have to wait until turn six to play it, blue could pull an amazing comeback before the next expansion comes around.
Android 17/Android 18
As said in the introduction, Android 17 isn't necessarily a bad leader to run, but has no upsides compared to the other two in Green. Then, if we are discussing about which leaders have the most upsides in the current metagame, the androids simply have nothing that Broly or Gohan can't do better.
As such, unless you enjoy the synergies around the Androids, or have a particular love for those characters, it is hard to recommend the third green leader in the current set of things.
Trunks : Future
I don't think I have faced one Trunks on the digital client yet, nor have seen anyone talk about it while scanning the various communities around the game. Same for tournament play, the only result I could find about Trunks is a second place at a Celebration Event in the USA. Otherwise, whenever the blue leader is listed in a tournament, it does not appear in the top cut.
It's not like Goku Black and Vegeta are demolishing the competition either but they at least have won a few shop tournaments each, and you can face either while playing online.
Then, Trunks naturally falls to the last place on the list, because there is barely a thing to discuss about the leader. He is widely regarded as the one you should not play with so far, and honestly is only included because we are ranking all twelve leaders for now.
Closing Words
If Blue still has a long way to go, Red is positioning itself to play spoiler in the Green against Yellow war. So far, even if Frieza is the hot leader in the game, Green still keeps the top spot in my opinion thanks to having two of the top three leaders in the game.
I am not sure exactly when the next report will be, as I don't plan to making those on a specifically scheduled basis. Rather, a new one will be crafted when the situation calls for it, or there are new cards or a ban list affecting the metagame. Then, if you are reading this days after it was published, keep in mind the game is still very young, and we are never safe from someone finding a genius idea which would change the fate of a leader, or a color.
So far, the fact that tournament, physical play are showing the same strong leader compared to the online game isn't a good sign for the ability of the Blue leaders to make a comeback. Yet, the synergy around FB01-039 outside of Goku Black is brand new, so who knows where it'll take the Blue team. Same for Red, which appear to be a flexible color, and one most suited to adapt to various situations. Maybe the Universe 7 deck will be enough to make Green decrease in popularity, and be the start of a grand shift in the established forces.
When that happens, I will make sure to once again scan all the possible sources of information, and report it on this very website. Until then, feel free to join me on Twitter if you are interested in my free to play experience on the game, or simply would like to get in touch, and remember to have some fun.
Good Game Everyone!
