Joseph Writer Anderson Podcast

In this episode, we'll be looking at the upcoming UNION ARENA set, Solo Leveling. We'll be diving deep into prerelease market trends and what they say about this set and the future of UNION ARENA sets.

Additionally, we'll be diving into the new decks coming out in Solo Leveling, and the current UNION ARENA meta as well as predictions for post set launch.

Helpful links: 

UNION ARENA tier list: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/union-arena-tier-list-english-version

Every Solo Leveling deck: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/union-arena-every-solo-leveling-deck

UNION ARENA: Solo Leveling hype explained: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/solo-leveling-is-the-most-hyped-union-arena-set-to-date

Take a trip through the UNION ARENA LCQ/Finals from a competitor's perspective. Catch the vibe for this hyper challenging event and get an inside look at my X-2 run with Purple Progressive that landed me solidly in the top 32 at the LCQ in Vegas to qualify for the first ever UNION ARENA Championship North America Finals.

Get the play-by-play for my LCQ run via the blog.

What happens when you take Purple SAO to an Evangelion dominated case tournament? In this episode, I'll be taking you through the play-by-play of the 28 player Evangelion case tournament I took 3rd at. Playing my beloved Purple Progressive deck, I fought through battle after battle against Evangelion decks.

Get insights into the post Evangelion meta from this large UNION ARENA tournament, and check out the full article below for even more insights including the top placing decks and an interview with the tournament winner: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/i-topped-an-evangelion-case-tournament-heres-how-it-went

Purple Progressive deck guide episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVwxBWmd8Fk&t=1029s

Special thanks to Constellation Collective for supporting the competitive UNION ARENA scene, and shoutout to both Drewtabulous and Tayxia for inviting me to the epic event!

Lastly, don't be like me and play with dirty sleeves – pick up your sleeves from TCGPlayer via my link: https://partner.tcgplayer.com/19aM39

#UNIONARENA #SwordArtOnline #Evangelion

In this episode, we'll be going over my custom Purple Progressive build that I've been topping tournaments with, and looking at actionable insights to help you pilot this underrated deck to victory. Additionally, I'll be sharing my perspective on a few UNION ARENA updates regarding the lack of a restriction to the one-cost Yuna card as well as alleged changes likely to come to how UNION ARENA Rare Battles are conducted. Check out these helpful links for more info:

In-depth guide to the Purple Progressive deck: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/sword-art-online-purple-progressive-deck

More info on the news updates: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/yuna-not-restricted-in-english-version-and-updates-to-rare-battles

#SwordArtOnline #UNIONARENA

In this episode, we'l be going over the events of Sword Art Online Vol. 28, as well as diving into the latest SAO news including the announcement of Sword Art Online Vol 28, the latest Unital Ring manga volumes released in both Japanese and English, a look at a cool illustration for Shonen Ace, as well as updates about the upcoming Sword Art Online anime.

Helpful links to related Sword Art Online news and commentary:

Unital Ring full arc review: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/sword-art-online-unital-ring-complete-overview

More info on the Vol. 29 announcement and anime updates: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/sword-art-online-vol-29-is-coming-soon

Another look at the Shonen Ace cover plus manga updates: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/sword-art-online-covers-shonen-ace-with-a-gorgeous-illustration

A complete look at Sword Art Online Vol. 2 UNION ARENA: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/union-arena-sword-art-online-vol-2-card-list

Dive into the powerful decks coming out in the strongest UNION ARENA set to date: Evangelion! We'll be looking at the top decks from this set as well as looking at how the cards cut from the English Version will impact the UNION ARENA meta. Helpful links: NA Tier List post SAO Vol. 2 and Evangelion: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/union-arena-tier-list-english-version Every Evangelion deck ranked: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/union-arena-every-evangelion-deck-ranked Complete Evangelion card list: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/union-arena-evangelion-card-list SAO Vol. 2 decks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G-Uakvbya4&t=1912s

In this episode, we’ll be diving into everything you need to know about UNION ARENA: Sword Art Online Vol. 2 including:

The best decks

Top chase cards

Winner cards and promos

And more.

Learn more via the blog:

Every SAO Vol. 2 deck in detail: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/union-arena-every-sword-art-online-vol-2-deck-ranked

Full card list in English to date: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/union-arena-sword-art-online-vol-2-card-list

Affiliate link to purchase products: https://partner.tcgplayer.com/YROJEB

The journey to 9 Asuna Winner Cards: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/can-i-get-nine-asuna-union-arena-winner-cards

In this episode we'll be going over the questions YOU sent in about all things UNION ARENA. This includes things like:

-optimizing in-game choices for best outcomes

-how to build a good UNION ARENA deck

-the future of the meta

-when it's best to go first or second

-buying boxes vs. singles And more!

Thanks to everyone for this incredible journey in 2025 and for a lot more to come next year!

TCGPlayer affiliate link: https://partner.tcgplayer.com/09gdrO

Helpful links:

https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/union-arena-qa-with-joseph-writer-anderson

https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/bleach-thousand-year-blood-war-gets-union-arenas-first-vol-3

Bandai dropped a ton of information this week for what's to come in 2026 including two brand new sets, upcoming set release dates and events, upcoming Rare Battles and prizing, as well as spoilers for Sword Art Online Vol. 2 and Evangelion. In this episode, let's discuss these updates in more detail and what they mean for the very bright future ahead for UNION ARENA in 2026. Learn more via the blog on my site: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/union-arena-drops-rezero-and-100-girlfriends-and-other-major-news See the full UNION ARENA English Release Schedule here: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/upcoming-union-arena-tcg-releases

Dive into each and every deck in UNION ARENA: Demon Slayer Vol. 2 in the latest episode from the podcast. From the noble fields where the Hashira do battle, to the real debut of the Demon King in the arena, this expansion has it all. Which deck will end up on top? Listen and find out! Every Demon Slayer Vol. 2 deck ranked: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/union-arena-every-demon-slayer-vol-2-deck-ranked-1 UNION ARENA NA Tier List: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/union-arena-tier-list-english-version Rulings, new title, and other news: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/union-arena-a-new-title-rule-change-and-rukia-zero New winner cards: https://www.josephwriteranderson.com/blog/union-arena-2026-winner-cards-vol-1-revealed