Budgeting Beysics

Hey Bladers! I haven't been making posts here in a while due to being busy outside of the blog. I'm still going to continue with this and see where it goes, as I liked presenting ideas and receiving feedback from those who read. However, it looks like Burst is nearing its end with Sparking though we are not sure if that's truly the case yet. Once Burst ends, I do intend to continue the blog if I have ideas for it, and I might even switch up topics to maybe cover older beyblade incarnations or shift to another product, but I'll inform you if/when it comes to that. Additionally, as we are well into Beyblade Burst Sparking, I will be going through some of my older posts and making updates as I see necessary, so feel free to take a look and leave a comment if you want me to cover anything or respond directly to a question you may have related to the post. Once again, thanks to those that continue to provide their support and I hope you continue to enjoy my blog. 

       One of the reasons I find beyblade enjoyable is due to it being accessible for almost any price range. Collectors can invest in the long term and build their way up from starters to rare editions of their beys and have multiple copies for playing with some and showcasing others. More competitive players can find forums and secondary markets to find the best molds possible, and can also invest in multiple copies to test these molds on their own. While there are ways to dive into the market for players with the money to spend, beyblade is fairly cheap to get into and invest in the long term. 

Seriously though, most anime bladers have mastered the art of the budget

What is Budgeting?

In the simplest terms, budgeting means that you have set aside a specific amount of money to spend for a specific expense. Budgeting is a necessity for most people since you want to get the most value for whatever you choose to invest in and make sure that you have money for other needs or wants you may have. I would personally define that value as getting the most enjoyment out of the game as possible with the budget you have given yourself. In broader terms, however, I'm going to give the average monetary budget a range starting from roughly 50-100$ USD, which you can convert into your respective currency. This is roughly the amount I would say is needed to get into the game from scratch, buying either two beyblades to battle with, two launchers, and a beystadium, or a starter set that comes with all the items previously stated. 

        Just because you operate on a budget doesn't mean you are locked out of playing competitively either. More recent sets include a higher quality of parts that make it very easy to assemble competitive combos on a budget, and the secondary market also tends to have most beys in stock at reasonable prices aside from rare or limited items.

        After that, if you want to further invest in the game it would be around 10-20$ for each bey or part you want, saving more for buying certain sets.  For casual play, you can also choose to just stay with the basics if you're on the fence about investing further into the game, or get extra beys as you like so long as it's within the budget you've given yourself. Your budget can also vary beyond this for several reasons which are completely fine. I'm giving this estimate from my experience with the game, and the advice I'll give is still applicable beyond this range so use it to your discretion.

Tip #1: Generally avoid beys that rely on being kept in a certain condition/Keeping your parts in good condition

For budget purposes, you would want to avoid having to re-buy certain beys or parts that have worn down beyond an optimal or usable condition. Therefore, getting beys that don't need to be kept in mint condition or have to get to a certain stage of wear for optimal use lets you save money in the long runs since you'll be able to focus more on expanding the collection with new parts over repeats more often. This one generally applies to parts that use rubber since it wears down faster than any other material, but it also applies to parts made of POM since it will wear down as well. Concerning types, that would take out a lot of attack options since most use rubber tips to cover the stadium quickly. However more recent rubber molds are made of a harder material that doesn't wear out as quickly, so it's possible to keep it for longer if you maintain it well. 

    To save on money you can minimize how often you use those parts so that you can keep using them over a longer period of time. That also applies to any part in general since it's when you use the bey that it will begin to wear down. Keeping your parts separate when you aren't using them also helps them last longer, and organizing them in a container will help you have a spot to use outside of your stadium maintaining its condition as well. 

Tip #2: Focus around beys that will improve your existing collection

While there are a variety of parts to consider for testing and making interesting combos, on a budget you're probably not going to be able to try anything and everything, and thus whenever you want to add to your collection, it's important to consider what will either make what you already have better or make up for weaknesses your current collection has. Firstly, this doesn't mean you can't choose something you genuinely want even if it doesn't synergize with what you already own. If you like something then, by all means, go for it, it's your money after all and therefore you have the final say. 

    But as an example, let's say that you're starting with Brave Valkyrie and Rage Longinus and that you want to add some more beys after losing to a friend who was able to make Perfect Phoenix from both Revive and Dead Phoenix. Since it was a defense type that beat your attack types, one option is to consider purchasing a stamina type as an attempt to directly counter the combo or use heavier parts to increase the impact of your attack types. Obtaining Glide Ragnaruk would allow you to experiment with both options since the wheel disk is the heaviest in the game which you can use with 1S on either of the beys you already own, while with Revolve you can test stamina based combos as well. Thinking critically about what you purchase based on what you already have can help you make decisions that will satisfy you in the long run, while also ensuring that you develop a good pool of parts that will let you build more successful combos. 

Tip #3: Outline reasonable goals for yourself and your collection

One of the most important things for developing any hobby is to find motivation for it beyond your initial interest. To that end and for the sake of a budget, having a set of goals you want to accomplish can go a long way to finding more enjoyment with what you currently have to avoid the temptation of going outside your budget to constantly look for something new. These goals should also be manageable for yourself and your current collection so that you will have a more positive outlook towards accomplishing these goals, and reflecting on what you have learned to do since you started investing in the game.

       Goals for yourself would be things like developing techniques and figuring out customization options with your current collection and don't require anything beyond what you have currently to apply what you've learned, and you can apply these goals in the long term based on however you build your collection from there. Goals for your collection would again be something like identifying shortcomings in your collection, or for fun trying to collect based on a theme like color or materials. This goes a long way not just for beyblade, but any hobby you choose to get into. Setting these goals either in a list or as milestones as you start getting into the hobby can help make it more enjoyable as it lets you more clearly track your progress in the game. 

Budgeting is quite fun and rewarding once you figure out how to go about it since you're simultaneously finding a way to do the things you enjoy and also manage your money to do other things as well. Whether it's going to be a long term plan to stay invested in a hobby at a reasonable price, or a stepping stone until you've earned enough to spend more liberally, learning how to operate on a budget is a good skill to pick up at some point, and with these tips and other ideas you may have or may encounter, I hope you'll be able to enjoy the game at whatever price range fancies you.

 

Just remember to have a good time doing it

Recoil

It's not like this irl but it does feel like it sometimes

Due to the nature of the game, there are various aspects of physics that one can use to their advantage when playing, and while I've mentioned some of these concepts in past articles, I haven't gone over any in full. So I'll be doing some of that to help things make more sense as I cover and expand on other topics, starting with the one for today, recoil.


What is Recoil?

Starting off with the definition, recoil is a backward movement caused by the force of impact. In terms of beyblade, this refers to the backward movement from colliding with an opponent's bey or from hitting the stadium wall. While one can't control how every clash plays out, they can make adjustments and choices to adjust it in their favor more often.

The most direct way to adjust recoil for your bey is by figuring out what type of contact you want it to have by selecting a layer that fits your needs. Generally, the closer the layer is to being a circle, the less recoil it will have, and the further away you move from this and give the bey defined edges, the more recoil it will have.

Rounder layers, like Dread, have less recoil because when it takes a hit, the force of the impact is dispersed more evenly across the beyblade as there aren't as many weak spots where a hit will more severely knock back the bey, so they're used more often in defensive or stamina based combos, while beys that have more prominent edges like Venom are used in attack based combos since they want to force the impact onto their opponents, going on the offensive to avoid the risk of getting hit themselves. Some layers use different materials which also affect recoil either by adjusting the weight and how it's distributed or by adjusting friction to make it harder or easier to apply/receive recoil. These two factors can actually be applied to the bey as a whole, so I'll explain how each one affects recoil in general.

Friction in relation to Recoil

You have not known true fear until you've unexpectedly faced someone with a fresh Judgement base

Friction is the resistance to motion of one object moving relative to another. For beyblade, this refers to how much or how little a bey will move against the stadium and also against a bey it collides with.

If your bey has less friction against the stadium, it can move and spin more freely at the cost of also taking the risk of getting knocked out easily. Bearing on top of it's namesake having ball bearings, also has a free-spinning tip made of POM that has less friction against the stadium to maximize spin time, making it an excellent tip for stamina types, though it's easier to knockout combos that use the driver due to the reduced friction. This also doesn't mean that beys which have more grip against the floor can't move as much either. Flat rubber tips for drivers like Xtreme are used more commonly for attack types since the wide surface area of a flat tip, along with the added grip from the rubber allows them to more violently push against the stadium to build up speed, while also preventing them from getting knocked back from the force of their attacks. Rubber can also be used defensively, such as the Keep driver, so that the bey is not knocked back as far, if at all when taking a hit from an opponent.

Rubber can also be used on layers for offensive or defensive applications of recoil as well. Judgement is an example of offensive use where it's designed to generate a lot of recoil from the impact of the ridge's shape along with the grip preventing the energy of the impact from being overly dispersed. Defensive applications of rubber are used for layers like Poison to cushion the impact of attacks, or for spin equalization such as Wizard, where the grip of the rubber helps to take the momentum from the opponent, converting more of the energy from the impact into spin power instead of simply dealing with the results of recoil. In addition to friction, weight and weight distribution can also be used to adjust recoil.

Weight and Weight Distribution in relation to Recoil

Just because something is the heaviest does not mean it's the best

Weight refers to how heavy the overall beyblade is, while weight distribution is how the weight is balanced across the bey as it spins. Both apply to recoil as the heavier your bey is, the harder it is for it to move and be moved across the stadium, while weight distribution affects how your bey deals  and recovers from blows. However, some combos will utilize parts that are lighter as they favor reduced friction at the cost of being knock-out prone, such as stamina-based combos. The difference in weight among the individual parts of a combo will also affect burst resistance, so using parts that are lighter can help to improve it as well. Metal sections are a common way to increase the weight of various parts, such as the metal dragon heads on Zwei which are used to apply more force against the opponent's bey. Having a heavier layer can also improve burst resistance. If your disc and driver setup is heavier than the layer and there's no additional features in the combo to aid with burst resistance, the disc/driver combo is more likely to have momentum separate from the layer as it collides with the opponent's bey, making it easier to burst. If the layer setup is lighter than the disc and driver, this effect can be somewhat reduced. 

Discs being the main metal section of the bey will generally have the largest effect on both weight and weight distribution. Currently, the most popular discs fall in the heavier section, such as the recent GT disks like Blitz and Sting, or core discs like 10, 0, and 00. This makes sense as beyblades become heavier in general as they're improved upon, but lighter disks are also still used for the reasons I covered earlier as well. Disc frames are also used to add extra weight as necessary. The stars under the discs also cause minor adjustments to weight distribution, so depending on that along with how you place it in your bey, you can affect the overall balance of your combo. Try placing the disc in a different configuration if you find that's it's not spinning as smoothly as you want it to. By balancing the weight among your parts and adjusting it for even weight distribution as it spins, you can have a more well rounded combo that can handle recoil better, or more specifically have it handled the way you want it to more often.

Xcalibur is actually pretty cool layerwise for emphasizing this concept

Recoil is a very important factor to consider when making your combos as this is a game where you'll be having two or more tops clash against each other. Making the most of how it's applied and using that knowledge to your advantage can help to improve your customization skills, and put you ahead of others when it comes to battling. 

Burst Layer Systems

Welcome to not just a new year, but a new decade...

Looking forward to what the new year will bring

It's kind of crazy to me that 2019 is already over and that a decade has also ended with it. Seeing as I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, so let's take a look through each of the different systems applied to Beyblade Burst. Like the previous series, Beyblade Burst starts off by featuring the new mechanics of the overall series that they wish to showcase, before making the system more in-depth through new gimmicks that allow more options for customizing beys and figuring out how to use them in battle.

For Burst, each system is named in regards to how the layer has changed over the course of the series' run, though other parts may have had minor changes or new features as well that we'll also go over in lesser detail. 

One thing to note is that Hasbro's system operates differently than Takara Tomy as there are some changes between both groups. Mainly, Hasbro's locking system doesn't use teeth on the layer, instead using slopes that are less tight. I'll also briefly cover the Slingshock and Hypersphere systems when I go over Cho-Z and GT respectively. 


Let's begin by taking a look at the Single Layer System.



                                                                 Single Layer System

Valkyrie Wing Accel

The single layer system is the most simple in design, having only three parts to work with being the Layer, Disc, and Driver. While none of the layers in burst are simplistic with various shapes and protrusions, the single layers are the most basic as it is just one piece with no actual gimmick other than how the ridges affect spin duration, balance, and recoil when making contact with other beys. 

The discs all had different names that either directly refer to their design or refer to the gimmick the disc is theoretically supposed to apply. Drivers are named in a similar fashion as discs, but their gimmicks were more prominently featured and worked more often than the ones discs had.

Dual Layer System

Victory Valkyrie Boost Variable

The Dual Layer system expanded on what the single layer left behind by making the layers thicker as they were split into two, the clearer section being one layer set upon the more colored one. The designs were better developed, but there was still a lack of notable gimmicks. Discs and Drivers were designed in the same fashion as the single layer system, but the drivers did have more defined gimmicks, such as variable's evolution function where the driver gets faster as you use it and the rubber spikes wear down. 

God Layer System

God Valkyie 6 Vortex Reboot

The God Layer system, also labelled as the Switchstrike system under Hasbro is where we see the systems truly differentiate from each other. The main feature of the God Layers is that they have actual gimmicks aside from just the layer's design. Though not all work as intended the changes that came from this made the battles more dynamic than the previous layer system. Each layer could also be adjusted by either changing the God Chips which rest in the center of the bey (though standard ones are mainly aesthetic with no real change to overall performance), or they could be replaced with Metal God Chips which added weight.

Discs also changed as they started to be labelled with numbers referring to how many protrusions come out, and the numbered disks could be further customized by adding a Disc Frame which affected weight distribution and spin time among other factors. Drivers continued to improve with new gimmicks, or ones that mimicked gimmicks found in older series, such as how Ultimate Reboot or Zeta reflect Final Drive and Delta Drive from Metal Fight respectively.

Cho-Z System

Cho-Z Valkyrie Zenith Evolution

The Cho-Z (Chō-Zetsu or Super Z in english) Layer system further changed the game as the layers featured die-cast metal sections for increased weight, which resulted harder hits as beys battle. They also continued to implement gimmicks like the God System, though Cho-Z beys that were released early on did not feature them. Most layers had 3 slots that cause the bey to be unbalanced, which could be fixed with the use of a level chip that fits under the layer into said slots, though it was also harder to obtain early on due to only being available through special releases or events. 

There was also subsection of layers that featured the "Cho-Z Awakening System" where if the bey is launched hard enough, protrusions called the "Cho-Z Wings" will extend outward, also releasing a set of points inside the bey that prevent it from unlocking to the point of bursting, referred to as "Burst Stoppers." These layers were incompatible with level chips as the bottom of the layer was covered to hold the components of the awakening system.

The discs were still generally numbered and compatible with frames, and there were also new frames and discs developed that worked with ones from the previous systems. The drivers also continued to develop, and "Dash Drivers" (marked by an apostrophe, such as Destroy') came into play. These drivers were generally releases of older drivers with a stronger spring to add to burst resistance, and were marked with a red ring on top instead of the normal white one. 


Hasbro's release of Cho-Z, the Slingshock system, diverges the most from its Japanese counterpart in comparison to its take on the other systems. First, there was a lack of metal used in most of the layer releases, as the metal (and rubber in some cases), was replaced with plastic, making it less impactful compared to Cho-Z line and also came at the cost of the main gimmicks of some beys. 

Secondly there was more of a focus on designing the beys to be specifically used with Slingshock Beystadiums, which featured rails a bey could ride along for a direct attack on opponents in the center of the main battle area. This was done by giving the drivers the ability to switch into "Slingshock Mode" which was essentially a flat tip designed for aggression for more chances to ride the rails. Some beys did come in the Switchstike line where they kept their original gimmicks, but these still mainly used plastic which lowered the effectiveness compared to Takara Tomy products.

GT Layer System

Slash Valkyrie Blitz Power Retsu

Next is the GT (Gatinko or Serious in english) Layer system, which adds more to amount of customizable parts currently among the burst line. The layer is now divided into three parts:

The GT Chip: Has teeth used to lock the bey together. Different chips have different teeth. 

The Layer Weight: Another metal (or rubber in the case of Gen) part that adds more weight to the bey in addition to the disc.

The Layer Base: The main part of the layer that makes contact with the opponent's bey. Has tabs to hold the other layer parts together, and different layers also have different heights that the GT chip rests upon, affecting the tightness of the lock.

This drastically increases how much one can change up their bey as each part changes a various aspect of performance from burst resistance to weight distribution at a greater level. 

Another subsystem has also been released, the "Mugen (Infinite) Lock System." This keeps the layer as a singular piece but now the bey can click infinitely without bursting through normal conditions. The only way to burst this kind of bey is by first getting it to rotate so that the center shows red and then hitting a tab that causes the final click to happen, resulting in a burst.

At this point previous discs and frames have been re-released, but GT has also released new discs that are named and designed similarly to those from the single and dual layer era with plastic mimicking the use of disk frames that can have various gimmicks, however they are more developed with increased weight and additional features to stand out among the other generations.

Drivers have continued to develop with new designs, as well as older drivers being made more relevant with Dash Versions. GT has also given us two electric drivers, Hybrid and Ignition' that change performance mid-battle depending on your launch power.

Hasbro's release of the GT system is labelled as Hypersphere. Like their Slingshock lineup, Hypersphere layers continue to use plastic as the main component with little to no metal, as the layer weights are fused with the base and are made of plastic painted to look like metal. The GT chips are still customizable, but with the use of slopes there isn't much of a change to performance.

The GT discs have also been used, but changed by removing the plastic sections leaving only the metal portion of the disc, reducing weight and adjusting performance in the process. This was done because of the hypersphere mechanic, which in similar fashion to slingshock, means that the system is designed to be used with a specific stadium, being the Hypersphere Stadium that has a deeper bowl design for the main play area with ridges that beys with more mobility can reach. The tips have also been changed to suit this with what I'd call a "weeble-esque" design that is rounded to suit the stadium.

Superking (Sparking) Layer System 

Brave Valkyrie Evolution' 2A

SuperKing, which can be read as Sparking, is the current system following GT in beyblade, breaking up the layer once again, but now in such a way that it includes the disc. The layer is now broken up into four parts:

Chip: Similar to the GT chip in that it has the main "face" of the beyblade. Different chips are weighted differently and occasionally have gimmicks like the inclusion of metal.

Chip Core: Small piece that attaches in the center of the chip. Provides slight differences in weight and and may have slopes at different heights which affect the tightness of the bey.

Ring: Main contact point of the bey similar to the layer base of GT and holds the other parts of the layer together.

Chassis: The main metallic portion of Sparking beys that also has teeth that the driver locks on to like those in previous layers and on the GT chip. There are two types of Chassis, single chassis which are lighter and can have a regular disc attached to complete the bey, and dual chassis which also take the role of the disc and thus don't need one when putting a bey together. 

The inclusion of Chassis allows one to mix up their options a bit more, but is not as backwards compatible as other incarnations since all Sparking beys require a chassis to operate, and Chassis can't be attached to previous layer systems. However, discs and drivers from sparking work as normal and are generally interchangeable with all incarnations. The term sparking also refers to the new Sparking Launcher, a beylauncher with a stronger string with material that rubs against a guard inside of the launcher when pulled, generating cold sparks. 

Here are links for parts under each generation:

Single and Dual: https://beyblade.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Burst_System_parts

God: https://beyblade.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_God_Layer_System_parts

Cho-Z: https://beyblade.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Cho-Z_Layer_System_parts

GT: https://beyblade.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Gatinko_Layer_System_parts

Sparking: https://beyblade.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Superking_Layer_System_parts


Overall, the Burst line is very interesting to look at in comparison to older series because it's able to build off of what previous series have done, while also playing around its main mechanic and using it to go beyond what has been done in the past as well (I don't mean that the older series are worse by any means, but I do like Burst the most at the time of writing this).

They managed to expand upon what they started with to the point where it feels not just like each part is important to how a bey performs overall, but that each part you choose to customize actually changes how the bey will perform as well, and there's no one aspect that seems less significant than another. I've really enjoyed playing around with it and can't wait to see what they do with it next.