UNION ARENA: Every Code Geass Vol. 2 Deck, Ranked
Code Geass set the bar quite high as one of the earliest and also best UNION ARENA sets of its time.
Back in those days, Purple Code Geass absolutely dominated high level competitive events, and for a brief time following the release of Code Geass Vol. 2, many considered the upgraded Lancelot to be the best deck in the format.
However, things have shifted greatly in the UNION ARENA English meta. Since those halcyon days when Code Geass ran the show, these decks have largely fallen out of discussion for the top tier. Indeed, today really only Lancelot has the trappings of a top deck, with the rest being mid-tier at best.
Yet, choosing to play a deck isn’t just about playing something that’s competitive: maybe you just want to build a deck around your favorite part of your favorite anime? With that in mind, let’s dive into my up-to-date ranking of each and every Code Geass deck.
#9 Cupid Day Crisis
Speaking of playing deck’s for fun: that’s entirely what this deck is all about. Indeed, it’s almost a brand new deck, plenty of its core pieces were there in set 1 but not with enough fire power to make it truly its own deck. Now, in Vol. 2 Cupid’s Day Crisis is a deck in-and-of-itself – one that looks to leverage the events in your discard to pay off in big ways.
For starters, your two strongest removal tools become super powered by just having three-four events in the discard. Meanwhile, you have other powerful draw effects that can be activated when you’ve hit either the two or four threshold, including one-cost Shirley and two-cost Lelouch.
However, it’s four-cost Anya that really starts to take off with this strategy, becoming a 4000 BP impact character. And don’t forget Raid Shirley – a character capable of additional draw and bringing back events (even specials) from the sideline.
It’s not Code Geass’s strongest deck. It’s not even close. But it’s strong enough, fun, and capable of insane draw to give you a good time at your local event.
#8 Blue Shen Hu
Blue Shen Hu is an interesting deck with some intriguing combos that players desiring complexity should enjoy. With decent draw and a three-cost Tianzi that lets you keep the cards you discard with your draw effects from Shen Hu, the only problem with this deck is that it functions as a jack of all trades, master of none. Although it has removal, stun, multi-attack and draw, it’s capabilities in each of these categories is mid-tier. Decks that make their way into the S-tier for UNION ARENA typically excel at one thing above all else – indeed they are the best at one specific area of the game, giving them an edge in the competitive meta.
As such, Blue Shen Hu feels like a deck destined for the B-tier, despite how much potential is inarguably here.
#7 Four Holy Swords
Even in the base set, Four Holy Swords was an intriguing deck with some incredible combos. It’s biggest issue was how many triggerless cards it was forced to run, making its ability to come back based on life triggers difficult compared to most upper-tier decks. Post Vol. 2, however, that’s been fixed, and this budget friendly build feels like it has the tools it needs to combo its way to victory for a very affordable price.
#6 Red Ashford Academy
Admittedly, Red Ashford Academy changes very little with the second volume. However, the deck was still strong enough to make top 16 at Gen Con – the first ever UNION ARENA English Version regional event.All we’re really getting in the Vol. 2 to help the strategy is the Gino Weinberg character card.
Capable of switching another character to active the same way the Ashford Academy Site card does could help give this deck additional gas, and it doesn’t hurt that the effect is packaged in with a 4000 BP character.
#5 Order of Black Knights
Blue Black Knights may not be a top tier deck, but I’ve seen it do some impressive things in the right hands. It has a lot of power going into the meta, including solid resting effects, freezing, and a special that lets you either remove a character or rest them. Additionally, one-cost C.C. is one of the strongest low-cost Nullify Impact characters in the game.
There’s plenty of consistency in this deck. The cards themselves and let you take advantage of a really solid lineup of combos based on resting characters on the opposing field and opening up holes in their defenses while also unlocking additional effects.
For those looking for a different take on a C.C./Lelouch deck than the Purple Black Knights, Blue Code Geass could be the right fit for them.
#4 Knights of the Round
Knights of the Round is a deck that looks so good on paper but feels…not so good in practice. Another combo-heavy deck, this one lives and dies by how many combos it is able to set up, making it extraordinarily week going into any deck with with even just a modicum of removal capabilities.
As such, the deck failed to get virtually any exposure competitively when the set originally came out. Since then, it’s fallen out of the meta almost entirely.
Learn out more about my custom Lancelot/Knights of the Round hybrid deck list.
#3 Pizza
Code Geass Pizza essentially defines the meme deck in UNION ARENA. As funny as the core mechanic is, it’s still laughably good enough to win you a tournament. During the Code Geass Vol. 2 Rare Battles, I even saw players win a few UNION RARE cards piloting it. Indeed, I myself won one of my first Rare Battles ever running my own custom build.
So what’s Pizza all about? Well, it’s truly is built around the “Pizza” mechanic, with players hastily attempting to fuel their sideline with as many “Pizza” affinity cards as possible to access some seriously strong combos.
The main goal here is to power up the two-AP C.C. who rapidly becomes one of the strongest characters in the game. However, with the additions it got in Vol. 2, it became a deck that could bring some heat without just waiting on the late game payoff. Cards like Raid C.C. add utility to this deck, while Lelouch brings powerful removal. Indeed, C.C.’s Raid even has a free play effect, making her relatively forward thinking for the set.
While clearly not not an S-tier deck, Pizza is a ton of fun and much stronger than its meme-tier status would have you think.
#2 Purple Black Knights
Code Geass Vol. 2 may be the UNION ARENA set that proved more isn’t always better. Despite getting a ton of new support added to the Purple energy color, players essentially ditched the upgrades and kept running with Vol. 1 Purple Code Geass.
And admittedly, it makes sense. While the 2-AP focused cards released in Vol. 2 are fun, they’re not really the best. Cod Geass Purple works better in its boiled down form – essentially the one we got in the first set. If we ever get a Code Geass Vol. 3, maybe it will get some help?
Who knows. But for those wanting to include the upgrades available in Vol 2, the deck above is your best best (or something like it).
They key new focus here is a stronger emphasis on two-AP characters, especially the powerhouse five-cost Lelouch.
This five-cost Lelouch works as a combination of the two different two-AP Lelouch cards we got in the first set. By combining the best effects of both of those cards into one single card (and then some), we unlock much more value for the copies added to the deck.
Making it easier to play 2-AP characters is the new three-energy cost Kallen with two energy gen, a draw “When Played” effect, and an additional effect that reduces the cost of the next two-AP card you play from your hand.
Not only does this make it easier to play your Lelouch, it also makes combining your effects easier with your special – a card that always was something of a sore thumb because of its two-AP cost from hand.
Finally, there’s a brand new Guren model available for raiding in this deck. At only a three-cost, this Raid provides considerable versatility to an otherwise top heavy deck with plenty of five-energy cost characters. Use Guren to swoop in, take big attacks, or even close out games thanks to its “cannot be blocked by 4000 or more” effect.
It’s a ton of utility that ultimately failed to bump Code Geass Purple back up to the top of the meta. But I can attest from personal experience that they are certainly fun combos to play with.
Learn more about how to play my custom Code Geass Purple deck.
#1 Green Lancelot
Lancelot is by far the strongest deck in Code Geass. It’s the only deck that can still compete into the massively competitive UNION ARENA English meta. And honestly it has much of the hallmarks of the top tier deck. While players don’t want to play this deck much competitively anymore, I think that’s more of a matter of taste than really a reflection on the deck itself.
While it does have some glaringly bad matchups (especially into Red Kenshin), otherwise the deck is solid. It still has one of the strongest characters in the game – the powerful eight-cost Air Cavalry. It has strong free-play effects via Cornelia’s Raid. And it hits its energy curve surprisingly quickly thanks to its sheer number of strong two energy generating characters.
If you’re looking for the strongest Code Geass deck, Lancelot is the winner by a mile.
