Aquatic Assault, Raging Onslaught, Silent Barrage, and Heavy Dominion each give a genuinely playable foundation, but none of the four are built to be the final, optimized version of their strategy.
Turning any of these starter decks into a competitive build doesn't require a full rebuild from scratch.
This guide covers a general upgrade approach that applies across all four decks, with specific notes on where each one benefits most.
None of this requires buying a full booster case to get started.
Playing several games with a starter deck exactly as it comes in the box reveals its actual weaknesses far more reliably than reading a card list and guessing. This step is easy to skip in the excitement of a new deck, but it's the single most valuable one.
Taking simple notes on which matchups feel hardest is the fastest way to identify where an upgrade will actually matter.
The real gap between a starter deck and a competitive one usually comes down to a handful of specific cards, not a wholesale replacement of the full 50. Targeting three to five genuinely weak slots for upgrades is a realistic, budget-conscious starting point.
Resisting the urge to replace cards that are merely unexciting, rather than actually underperforming, keeps the upgrade process focused and affordable.
Because Link pairings unlock enhanced effects and instant-attack, upgrading a deck's Pilot-Unit pairings is often the single highest-value change available before touching anything else, regardless of which of the four starter decks is being upgraded. A strong Link pairing frequently outperforms a raw stat upgrade.
Researching which specific Pilot cards synergize with each deck's own headline Unit, Char's Z'Gok, Gundam Epyon, Qubeley, or The-O, is a natural starting point for this specific upgrade path.
Aquatic Assault benefits most from strengthening its Blue card-draw engine, Raging Onslaught from adding Red finishing power, Silent Barrage from deepening its Green ramp into Bit and Funnel threats, and Heavy Dominion from reinforcing White's defensive tools to survive into its late game. Each deck's own core identity should guide which upgrades actually make sense.
Upgrading against a deck's own strategy, rather than importing a generic power card from outside its color pair, tends to produce a more coherent finished build.
Buying singles targeted at specific identified weaknesses is typically more cost-effective than buying full booster boxes hoping to pull the right cards by chance. Spreading these purchases across a season, rather than one large upfront spend, keeps the process manageable.
Reassessing the deck after every one or two upgrades, rather than adding several changes at once, makes it easier to tell which specific change actually helped.
As a starter deck accumulates a handful of genuinely valuable upgrade cards, its protection needs scale up accordingly, since a single damaged Legend Rare can cost more to replace than the deck's original $15.99 price. Double-sleeving these specific cards is a simple, cheap insurance step.
A dedicated storage solution for a growing card pool, separate from casual bulk cards, keeps valuable upgrades from getting lost or damaged as a collection expands.
At some point, a heavily upgraded starter deck may hit a ceiling where a full rebuild around a different core strategy makes more sense than continuing to patch the original list. Recognizing that point, rather than endlessly adding upgrades to a fundamentally maxed-out shell, saves both money and frustration.
Starting a second deck from scratch, once a first one feels fully realized, is often a more satisfying next step than over-investing in a single build indefinitely.
Watching how other players upgrade the same starter deck, whether at a local shop or in online community discussion, often surfaces upgrade ideas that wouldn't come from playtesting alone. This is especially useful in a game young enough that no single upgrade path has become an obvious default yet.
Adapting someone else's approach to fit a personal playstyle, rather than copying it exactly, tends to produce a build that actually feels satisfying to pilot.
Keeping a simple record of which cards have been swapped in and out, and why, makes it much easier to reverse a change that didn't work out as expected. This kind of lightweight tracking also helps when discussing a build with other players for feedback.
Revisiting this record every few sets, as new cards release, keeps the upgrade process from stalling out once the obvious first changes are done.
No, a handful of targeted upgrades is usually enough.
Usually a strong Link/Pilot pairing specific to the deck's headline Unit.
Singles targeted at identified weaknesses are typically more cost-effective.
Playtest the starter deck first and target its actual, observed weaknesses.
As your upgrades add up, your storage should scale with them. EVORETRO's Magnetic Card Deck Storage Box keeps a growing pool of singles organized as your build evolves.
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