Beyblade Wiki
Register
Advertisement
This article is about the Hasbro version. For the Takara Tomy version, see Energy Layer - Arc Bahamut.

Balkesh B3 is an Energy Layer released by Hasbro as part of the Burst System as well as the SwitchStrike System. It debuted in western countries with the release of the SwitchStrike Starter Pack Balkesh B3 2Bump Atomic.

Description

Hasbro's Balkesh B3 is a left-spin Defense Type Layer based on Takara Tomy's Arc Bahamut Layer. It is virtually identical to its Takara Tomy counterpart, featuring six clockwise blades with gaps in between them, as well as the sub-layer gimmick intact. A dragonic head sits below the God Chip, representing the Bahamut, a monster from Arabic folklore. As part of the SwitchStrike System, Balkesh B3 features a gimmick: the Layer features a movable sub-layer. When a Balkesh B3 combination is three-quarters of the way to Bursting, the sub-layer moves, filling in the six gaps between the blades. This is intended to reduce recoil with its rounder shape; in practice, the reduction in gap depth is too miniscule to impact performance.

Balkesh B3 has very high Burst Resistance due to its tight slopes; it is in fact much higher than that of its Takara Tomy counterpart, Arc Bahamut. Arc Bahamut combinations suffer from low Burst Resistance due to the short teeth of the Layer; Balkesh B3's high Burst Resistance turns this weakness into another of the Layer's strengths. Furthermore, the left-spin nature of Balkesh B3 reduces recoil against right-spin opponents due to the Layers acting akin to gears when colliding at similar spin speeds, which heavily reduces the rate of Bursts. As such, this Layer features excellent Defense in Opposite-Spin matches. Even in Same-Spin matches, the weight of the Layer and the shape of the blades increase its already high Burst Resistance, especially when paired with a Driver that has strong Burst Resistance.

This combination of factors makes Balkesh B3 a much safer choice than Arc Bahamut for Defense Combinations. Balkesh B3 continued to be a highly competitive Layer choice in the WBO's Burst Format throughout 2019, over a year after its release. It was not until the release of Takara Tomy's Superking Layer System in 2020 that Balkesh B3 fell into disuse within the format. Its high performance also led to its ban from the WBO's Burst Limited Format; Balkesh B3 is one of four Hasbro Layers that are banned from the format. Balkesh B3 is one of the most competitively viable Layers ever released by Hasbro; as such, it is a must-have in the WBO's Hasbro Only Format.

Overall

Balkesh B3 is too light to compete with heavier Dynamite Battle Layers in the format.

As such, Balkesh B3 is not recommended for the Burst Format.

Although featuring high Defense performance, Balkesh B3 falters in Same-Spin matches against heavier Gatinko Layers.

As such, Balkesh B3 is not recommended for the Burst GT Format.

Balkesh B3 is not legal in the WBO's Burst Limited Format.

Balkesh B3 is not legal in the WBO's Burst Classic Format.

Products

Hasbro

Gallery

Hasbro

Trivia

References

Advertisement