Beginner's Buying Guide
After completing every entry it became apparent that despite knowing how every part works, as well as what combos are best in the series, it could be a bit confusing for new bladers to decide what is absolutely needed. Especially when you're being inundated with Beyblades, part names, and strategies. Here you will find a concise breakdown of what purchases give you the most mileage in a competitive setting. Starting with HMS Beyblades that are useful right out of the box, to ones that have multiple useful components, a single useful component, or even purchases that should only really be made if there is a deep desire as adequate alternatives exist for less.
If you are totally new to HMS and want to have relative success at a tournament while understanding what is worth your money, this list is for you. Anything omitted from this guide is not necessary in a competitive setting and purely up to your discretion (such as middling Beyblades, recolours, or launcher grips).
The Necessities
You have the option to only buy a single HMS Beyblade, but you want to perform well at a tournament or see what the series has to offer. It is these four, no questions asked.
Incredible survivability right out of the box. Take it out, launch it, you have an honest shot at winning. It was so oppressive to OGs they wanted it banned. Truthfully, it isn't the big boogeyman they made it out to be, considering it is only mildly annoying in Tornado Balance, and a non-factor in Type S. Despite that, it is a Beyblade that commands respect for being amazing out of the box. A worthy single purchase, that depending on the stadium, can feel like an uphill battle.
Death Gargoyle MS/Dark Effigy MS
Features what is hands down the best attack AR in the game, period. The Circle Upper AR's value cannot be understated, it is in every type's top tier combo list, something that cannot be said for any other Beyblade of any other series. That isn't the whole reason it is a necessity though. Its RC also makes it viable for competitive settings right out of the box. It mixes aggression and stability like no other RC in the HMS series. Like Wolborg, it commands respect even uncustomized. Metal Change Core isn't as fast as Metal Flat Core, but it balances aggression and survivability very well. Deadly, and worthy of being picked if you can only choose a single HMS.
Should be noted that Dark Effigy MS is one of the few HMS Beyblades produced for China's Romance of Three Kingdom's which is still easily accessible online and available for a very cheap price. Considering Death Gargoyle MS would still be in this category at collector-tier prices, being able to get it for in-production prices is a no-brainer.
Another purchase that deserves to be considered is Advance Striker. The AR, Advance Attacker, is nearly as vicious as Circle/Samurai Upper, so if you're looking for an alternative to that AR and are an Attack-type fanatic, this is definitely the next-best option. The RC, Metal Flat Core is also a great alternative to rubber-based Attack RC's, at least for the top three ARs. It has more speed and aggressiveness than Metal Change Core, but not as much survivability or controllability. In general though, it is much more of a strictly "Attack" style RC, whereas Metal Change Core is more of a Compact RC. Out of the box, the duo of the AR and RC make for a pretty decent Attack type, slightly more aggressive than Death Gargoyle MS stock, though not quite as reliable.
Like Death Gargoyle MS, Advance Striker is one of the few HMS releases under the Three Kingdom Chinese branding, meaning it is also easily accessible for an incredibly reasonable price online. Because this release features two great Attack-oriented components, and works well out of the box, it also is a no-brainer purchase.
Just squeezing into this exclusive list is Jiraiya MS. A few things to note is that this is the most expensive Beyblade listed in this category, it can be troublesome to find, and out of the box it isn't quite at the same level as the previous three. It can honestly hold its own, though. The massive factors that outweigh its cost, rarity, and slight inferiority in stock form is that it features the only viable Defense RC in HMS, Bearing Core 2, and that its AR is a very strong Attack and Compact choice. It cannot be overstated just how good Bearing Core 2 is, finding a home in both Defense combos and even Balance combos (provided it is well-worn). Jiraiya Blade is a great AR that doesn't have the same level of consistency as Circle Upper or Advance Attacker, but it is powerful in its own right and can also be used to great success in Compact combos. To put it bluntly, if you want to get into Defense combos, you need Bearing Core 2, and while Jiraiya Blade is more on the "Good Pickups" end of the list, the fact both are found together make it a necessary early addition to any HMS blader's collection.
Wolborg MS, Death Gargoyle MS, Advance Attacker and Jiraiya MS.
Good Pickups
These Beyblades are great purchases, but either because of high cost or being only useful because of one key part make it so they are out of the running of "necessity". These beys have important, even crucial parts, to customizing HMS Beyblades, but not inherently great on their own nor should they be picked up before the previous four if you're min-maxing your competitive HMS collection. When looking at it from the point of "bang for your buck", these fall just short, despite how important one part is.
This might be a bit of a contentious pick since not only is MSUV being given equal priority to Dragoon MS on a beginner friendly list, but neither Grip Flat Core variation is being listed as a necessity. This might seem odd, but the fact is these two Beyblades come at a serious price, and for all intents and purposes, they are just their RCs. In the past Dragoon MS and MSUV weren't too expensive, nor all that difficult to obtain. This is no longer the case, and realistically, you need a minimum of two in case one RC breaks and you don't have new housing, or the rubber wears down to the point they are noticeably less effective. MSUV's Grip Flat Core (Ultimate Version) is significantly faster and in general the better choice regardless of stadium, but it is also much more expensive and takes a bit more practice. The only reason it is even considered equal to the regular MS release on a list primarily focused on beginner friendly purchases is because it really is just that good. If you want to see how good an Attack AR can be, Grip Flat Core (Ultimate Version) is the definitive experience.
Prize bey for RBA2, this release has an incredibly versatile and important CWD, Defense Ring, with a 17g metal core along with a decent plastic frame that serves Attack types, Balance Types, and Defense types well. The AR and RC are pretty mediocre, but this is a decently affordable purchase that is a competitive staple for three types, earning it a place here. While technically you can substitute Defense Ring's plastic frame for something else in most combos without a massive difference in performance, the heavier metal CWD core is not easily replaced. Definitely a great purchase if you're a competitive blader who wants an edge anywhere you can get it.
The Free Defense Ring CWD found in RB5 is actually incredibly good for Attack, too, given you expect to play against God Ring or Reverse Defenser combos, but isn't so useful for the other types, nor does it feature the 17g metal component. For this reason, only RBA2 Sea Dragon is in this category. The RBA5 version would be under "Supplementary Picks".
Grip Flat Core, Grip Flat Core (Ultimate Version), CWD Defense Ring
Supplementary Picks
These are the Beyblade's that work best supplementing an already existing collection. This usually means there is only one seriously good piece in them worth getting, with the rest of it ranging from mediocre to not competitive at all. Compared to the above tier, the parts listed here aren't quite as crucial. These parts combined with an already established collection really take your competitiveness to the next level, though, so they stand out.
The recoloured releases of Dranzer MF feature a different CWD, Reverse Defenser, which is an amazing component for a variety of combos, though mostly seeing use in Defense/Stamina type setups. The rest of Dranzer MF is competitively negligible, unfortunately, but CWD Reverse Defenser's use cannot be overstated. It performs at minimum equal to CWD God Ring in Defense combos, which is a feat by itself. CWD Reverse Defenser is also highly versatile, and could potentially see use in any combo-type. Because it is essentially CWD God Ring, but slightly less recoil-prone, and less expensive, it should be prioritized first.
While the Black variation of RBA4 Dranzer MF features the key Reverse Defenser CWD, it is incredibly rare and expensive. It is unlikely you will find it for a reasonable price, and you are better off putting that money into a yellow variation or even Shining God MS.
Coming in at nearly a full gram heavier than Circle Upper, Samurai Changer MS' Samurai Upper has been a staple AR choice for HMS bladers since its release. For all the same reasons Circle Upper is praised. There simply isn't anything this Metal Frame design can't do. Despite the slight weight difference, the two perform identically. Samurai Changer MS falls short in the RC department, unfortunately. The Samurai Upper AR is definitely crucial, but isn't needed over Circle Upper. If you have the means, picking this up won't hurt, but you're only really getting it for the very competitive AR. Death Gargoyle MS has the full package, is available for a much cheaper price, and does all the same things. For this reason Samurai Changer MS is merely supplemental.
Magical Ape is in a unique spot where it isn't technically hyper-rare, but scarce enough that finding it for its actual value is a bit tricky. While the gimmick it showcases is fun, and it features a revision of Flat Core, the release only exists as an AR when viewed through a competitive lens. Metal Ape is a great Defense, Stamina and Compact AR that also hadn't gotten a lot of recognition previously, but works wonders. It is highly competitive in each of these types, meaning you can't really go wrong with using it. Because it is so versatile, it is definitely worth a purchase, but it finds itself this low on the priority list since, again, it is tricky to find. If you prefer using docile Beyblade types in general, Metal Ape is a good AR to add to your repertoire, as it sprinkles in a bit of recoil to make things interesting without compromising its endurance. Had it been more easily accessible, it would easily find itself higher on the list.
Driger MS has more or less been brought back from the dead. Metal Upper was completely dropped as an Attack AR when Circle Upper arrived on the scene. This was a bit unfair though, as Metal Upper is a legitimately good AR in its own right, despite not being quite as consistent. While Driger MS can be found for relatively cheap, it shouldn't be considered a must-have. Similar to the rest of the Beyblades in this category, it is only good for one component, and even then this component relies on other releases to function well. Since Metal Upper is more or less tied to Grip Flat Core and Grip Flat Core (Ultimate Version), it cannot be recommended any higher than this. It simply isn't versatile enough. If you do have those RCs, though, it is well worth a purchase and belongs in your competitive collection.
CWD Reverse Defenser, Samurai Upper, Metal Ape, Metal Upper
Luxury Buys
This category features rare Beyblades that for one reason or another cannot seem to be found for a reasonable price, but also have important parts. Because of how key one of their components is, it cannot go without mention, but it really is far too expensive for its own good.
Shining God MS was the very last release of this poorly-received Beyblade series. It also features one of the most hyped up CWDs in the game: CWD God Ring. For a good while this was the only really competent and exclusively Defense-oriented CWD. Unfortunately, a lot of the hype and mystique of the component is washed away when you realize CWD Reverse Defenser does everything for less. For this reason, while CWD God Ring is a highly competitive part, it isn't worth the price tag associated with Shining God MS. Only consider getting this Beyblade if you have ample funds, and with full knowledge that CWD Reverse Defenser is a cheaper and identical alternative that in some situations, works better.
Initially Dragoon MSUV was going to be keeping Shining God MS company on this list, and while it may do so in the future (depending on scarcity down the line), for right now, this is essentially the "Shining God" section.
CWD God Ring