Energy Layer - Unicrest

Unicrest, known in Japan as Unicorn, is an Energy Layer released as part of the Burst System. It debuted with the release of the Beyblade Custom Set Stamina & Defense on November 16, 2015.

TAKARA-TOMY
‘’’Weight:’’’ 8.3 grams

Unicorn is primarily a circular Energy Layer, featuring ten small protrusions that point counter-clockwise. Eight of these protrusions make up the “manes” of the two unicorns depicted in the layer, leaving the other two as the “horns”. Because of its relatively large diameter and Outward Weight Distribution (OWD), Unicorn has Stamina capabilities rivaling those of Neptune. However, these traits also work against it by increasing the rotational recoil the Layer takes during collisions – as Unicorn’s teeth are shorter than average, it is relatively easy to burst despite its unaggressive shape. Because of its tendency to burst, Unicorn is directly outclassed by Neptune, which has a similar amount of Stamina while also offering a higher amount of Burst Defense.

Hasbro
‘’’Weight:’’’ 8.2 grams

While the Hasbro version of Unicorn, Unicrest, is identical in shape, it has been slightly altered, causing it to perform differently than its Japanese counterpart. The most notable change is one that affects all of Hasbro’s Burst System releases: the use of a slope on the underside of the Layer to manage the burst mechanic rather than teeth. Unicrest’s relatively steep slope means that it experiences a significant increase in Burst Defense compared to Unicorn, however, due to the lighter materials used by Hasbro and the additional plastic added to the center of the Energy Layer, its Stamina has been lowered to a level comparable to that of Kerbeus K2.

Overall
While the Takara Tomy version has excellent Stamina, it bursts too easily to warrant use in a competitive situation over other options such as Neptune and Deathscyther. Conversely, the Hasbro version is difficult to burst, but does not measure up to Wyvron in terms of Stamina. As a result, neither Layer is worth purchasing aside for collection purposes.

Takara Tomy

 * B-22 Beyblade Custom Set Stamina & Defense (white)
 * BG-02 Random Layer Collection Vol. 2 (black)

Hasbro

 * B9492 Valtyrek Unicrest Dual Pack