Score Entertainment is preparing the fourth release for its Bleach Trading Card Game, The Bankai Expansion, which is due out in April.  Bankai is a massive 278-card expansion that features all new starter decks and an updated rule book, which makes it an excellent entry point for new players.  The pre-constructed 70-card Bankai Starter Decks (MSRP $11.99) come with two hi-tech guardian cards and two bonus Booster Packs.  The 10-card Bankai Booster Packs (MSRP $3.29) each contain one rare, three uncommon and six common cards.

The huge Bankai Expansion is composed of 85 commons, 75 uncommons, 60 rares, 4 ultra rares, 20 promos, 6 hi-tech cards and a 13-card Soul Society Briefing Subset featuring Squads 1, 6, 8 and 13.  The Bankai Expansion is the first Bleach TCG release to include special Echo cards, which have been autographed by voice actors from the Bleach anime series (which like the Bleach manga, is available from Viz Media).  One Echo card (out of a total of 15) will be included in every other box of the Bankai Expansion.

New elements of gameplay are going to be introduced with the Bankai Expansion.  For the first time players will be able to team-up to form Dual-Character Guardians to take on bigger threats, and many new Bankai abilities for guardians are introduced in the set, which also introduces the first 'keywords' in the Bleach TCG -- 'aggressive' for characters who are quick to attack, and 'defensive' for those who are more protective.