Spark Dragon, ~14g.

• Spark Dragon is a unique AR to the HMS series, with a central metal piece as the metal Frame no wider than a Circle Heavy, and a free-spinning plastic component. It original came with thin pieces of sandpaper and flint to stick onto both independent pieces and earn Spark Dragon its name.

• The central metal piece weighs around 10g while the plastic component is around 4g alone.

• Despite its unique design and being reminiscent of Plastics' Sub-Attack Ring, Spark Dragon is utterly useless as any kind of spin-stealer or Stamina type in general, where you would think such a gimmick would be useful.

• Spark Dragon's design generates far too much recoil for Stamina combos, and often enough after the first few big hits, the AR has drained itself of so much RPM that it can barely put up a fight.

• It does not have meaningful Smash Attack for general Attack combos, or high enough recoil to warrant use on something like Grip Flat Core (Ultimate Version) as a potential all-or-nothing single hit combo like Seagon Attacker. 

• Spark Dragon as an AR fails to meet any real win condition with reliability.

Best Possible Combo:

AR: Spark Dragon (Either Spin)

WD: CWD Free Defense Ring (with Metal CWD found in RBA2)

RC: Grip Flat Core (Ultimate Version)

Game Plan: Even though Spark Dragon is not a very viable Attack AR, compared to its performance as both a Defense and Stamina-oriented AR, this is its best option. Spark Dragon simply cannot take what it dishes out. Launch this combo in a flower pattern with your preferred method as hard as you can. With any luck, you can land one solid blow to eliminate the opposing combo before becoming completely inert.

CWD Free Survivor, ~17g.        

• Fairly narrow and relatively light free-spinning plastic CWD component. Hovering in at the mid 1g range on its own. For specific weights of this and every other HMS part, visit the HMS Weight Comparison page.

• Traditionally this has been used for Stamina-oriented combos as a way to add weight and not hinder Life-After-Death.

•  While thanks to the metal component this CWD would add a decent chunk of weight to a Stamina combo over a Circle Wide, Free Survivor is at best an alternative for CWD Reverse Defenser.

• CWD Free Survivor doesn't weigh as much, and its design isn't quite as useful as CWD Reverse Defenser for dealing with hits on an AR like Metal Ape for example. 

• In general, there isn't something CWD Free Survivor does that CWD Reverse Defenser cannot.

• If you lack CWD Reverse Defenser, there is definitely no harm in using Free Survivor for your Stamina set ups, as it is still marginally more useful than the other conservative but inert plastic CWD components. 

• As for its use in Defense, or a wall-style combo in particular, Free Survivor does not have the width nor the weight required to be effective. 

Best Possible Combo:

AR: Circle Upper (Either Spin)

WD: CWD Free Survivor (with Metal CWD found in RBA2)

RC: Bearing Core

Game Plan: The plan for this combo is to launch flatly and stay in the stadium for as long as possible. In general, Circle Upper can either outlast or knock out any other Stamina combo, and it can certainly hold its own against Defense. Attack is a large issue, and while the additional weight from the CWD helps, it usually will not be enough to keep it in the stadium for long.

CWD Free Saucer, ~17g.

• Noticeably larger diameter, nearing the edge of Circle Upper's Metal Frame. Weighs in at a solid 2g, marginally heavier than Thunder Dragon's other CWD option.

• Suffers a similar fate as CWD Free Survivor, CWD Reverse Defenser does anything you'd want Free Saucer to do for Defense as well as Stamina.

• Likely the best place to use it, if not as an alternative for CWD Reverse Defenser on Stamina combos, is Attack types.

• Decent weight, still managing to have a small enough diameter to not hinder Circle Upper and Samurai Upper, both very useful traits. CWD Defense Ring may be preferred for its static design, but Free Saucer isn't really far behind. 

Best Possible Combo:

AR: Samurai Upper (Right-Spin)

WD: CWD Free Saucer (with Metal CWD found in RBA2)

RC: Grip Flat Core (Ultimate Version)

Game Plan: Knock things out of the exits, simple as that. Free Saucer gives you marginally more weight (0.04g) and similar enough performance to CWD Defense Ring that you can't make a case to not use it if you want to. It is a fair alternative.

Metal Weight Flat Core, ~3g.

• Essentially a slight twist to Gaia Dragoon MS' Flat Core RC. In Takara's case this meant a wider tip and metal center to triple its weight. In Hasbro's this just meant a metal center.

• The Takara version is faster, but a bit harder to manage. Hasbro's version is not as fast, but has controllability more in line with the original Flat Core. See the Running Core Variations page for more insight.

• If you are someone who prefers a bit more survivability, but either lack or dislike Metal Flat Core, MWFC may be a decent option. 

• Not typically preferred over the likes of Metal Flat or Grip Flat, but MWFC is not a terrible option, especially if it is all you have in the way of aggressive RCs.

Best Possible Combo:

AR: Samurai Upper (Right Spin)

WD: CWD Defense Ring (with Metal CWD found in RBA2)

RC: Metal Weight Flat Core

Game Plan: With this combo you have less to worry about in terms of being out-spun immediately by just about anything, you just have to worry about your own recoil being your undoing. Similar to Metal Flat Core, MWFC has little grip on the stadium, meaning your combo is more likely to be knocked out than it would be on a rubber RC. The only way to try and counteract this is to launch in a way that leads your combo in the direction of a wall while making contact with the opponent. That would allow for your Beyblade to get a wall save when theirs may not. It is highly risky, in the end luck based, and not typically recommended. With that said, this RC is a lot easier to control when you're just starting out with HMS.