Toppa Awaken

Toppa Awaken (突破覚醒 ; Toppa Kakusei) is a keyword introduced in SD66, currently exclusive to Top Buddy, Aibou. The keyword is worded as follows:
* / [LV1][LV2] Flash - You can put any number of cores from your Reserve/Field to a "Scarlet Flame" family Spirit/Nexus you control. (Once per Turn: Same Name) When cores are put via this effect, your counter +1. Also, if it's your Attack Step, your counter +1. 
While the name's literal meaning is closer to "breakthrough awaken", considering that it is exactly the same as Toppa Bashin's name (馬神突破), and a keyword that exclusively belongs to Toppa's partner, Aibou, which comes in a dream deck themed around Toppa, Toppa's name is used instead of the literal meaning. 
The keyword itself is a remake of the original Awaken keyword, but with multiple breakthroughs like what the effect name implies. Unlike the original keyword which can only moves cores from the Field, Toppa Awaken allows player to move cores from their Reserve as well. Apart from Spirit, the effect also now covers Nexuses. This allow more interactive uses with LV2 effects of Nexuses when cores are short. Another strong point is also how unlike previous awaken effects that are printed on the cards themselves, Toppa Awaken is printed on the Contract card and it's an effect that works while Aibou is in . This means that instead of relying on the spirits you summoned to have awaken for you to move cores to them, you can move cores to Spirits/Nexuses that fulfill the condition even if the cards themselves do not possess such keyword. Being an effect that can be activated in Soul State and without step or turn limitations, it also means a player can freely move cores between their Reserve and Spirits/Nexuses of the designated family, opening up more ways to make use of cores outside Main Step. 
Apart from the breakthroughs on the core-moving aspect, being a new keyword introduced in Contract era, the effect also comes with counter-generating ability. The flexibility of adding one counter in flash that can be done during Main Step and opposing Attack Step, or two counters during own Attack Step, even when Aibou is in Soul State, provides a stable counter-generating method for Top Buddy, Aibou's deck. While there are turn limitations for the counter gain, it is well-covered by the stability and flexibility of the effect. 
For its downside, the effect limits its targets to Scarlet Flame family Spirits/Nexuses, balancing out the fact that it enables the player to move cores around all their Spirits, Nexuses and Reserve. Like previous awaken effects, the effect also only move cores to one Spirit or Nexus at a time, instead of multiple Spirits/Nexuses, meaning that it can't be used to save multiple Spirits that are going to become depletion targets on the next Flash. Despite so, the merits basically outshine everything, and allow the keyword to act as a core mechanic of Aibou's deck. 
== Related Articles ==
* Awaken
Category:2nd tier effects