Uriel 2
AKA: Ariel 2 (mistranslation, albeit a more sensible one based on the Katakana)
Confirmed name comes from its unique instructions in Random Booster 8, where the name is romanised Uriel 2 in a similar fashion to the confirmation of Orthrus.
Note: This Beyblade suffers from Gold Plastic Syndrome, making the plastic extremely fragile, worsening with time (at this point post-release, inserting base clips will usually snap them so it is often not even safe to assemble the Beyblade). As such, aside from the Tip, it should not be relied upon competitively.
Note: The Takara version of this part suffers from Gold Plastic Syndrome, making the plastic extremely fragile, worsening with time. As such, this version of the part should not be used competitively as it is unlikely to survive more than a few matches. Hasbro's release from Capricorn Strike G release is sufficiently durable, despite its softer plastic, to be used competitively.
Weight: 5.7g
Hits very hard in both Left- and Right Spin due to thick, angular contact points, comprising the back of the horns in Right and their up-tick protrusion in Left.
Relatively heavy recoil in either direction, but not so much as to be overwhelming given its significant power.
Powerful enough to be a competitive Hyper-Aggressive Smash Attack Ring in both Left and Right Spin.
However, for the Takara version, due to its extreme fragility it will struggle to make it through a match, let alone a tournament, making it perhaps the first part that can be considered non-competitive due to fragility, albeit only because there are other alternatives which work at least as well if not better (eg Mountain Hammer in Right Spin and Hayate Attack Ring in Left Spin). The Hasbro version may fare slightly better but is still apparently somewhat fragile and as such should not be relied upon.
The Hasbro version is made of a softer plastic which wears faster but is not breakage prone, and as such is a competitive Smash Attack part in both Left- and Right Spin.
Weight: 15.6g
Five-pointed star shape.
Heavy, with a compact weight distribution.
Relatively small size.
Holes at the tops of each star – this makes the main contact points thin, resulting in some fragility (notable for a Weight Disk, and perhaps making it a rightful fit for Uriel 2, with which it came).
Shape makes it suffer severe recoil as well as having a number of sides that suits three whole attack rings, none of which are at all useful (and furthermore, it only aligns with one one of these - Penta Wing).
However, Penta Wing alone saves it from truly being awful, with the synergy combined with suitable weight distribution making Star Attack a competitive Traditional Upper Attack Weight Disk, albeit exclusively with that AR.
Recoil issues negate any other usefulness for its heavy weight and compact distribution - even Heavy Attack is at least heavy enough to not be completely eclipsed by Ten Heavy
Spin Gear: Neo Right Spin Gear (Metal Weight Version)
Weight: 1.15g ea (total 2.3g)
Generally preferred to regular Right shells due to being compatible with all SG-Compatible bases, in particular for being compatible with Neo SG Cores and the Heavy Metal Core.
This means they are a necessity for Compacts, Weight Based Defense, Force Smash, Traditional Upper Attack and Driger V2 Combinations, at least aside from the rare occasions Left Spin is desired for one of these types, in which case Neo Left Shells are preferred.
Overall a crucial competitive part, but thankfully exceedingly common.
Weight: 2.5g
Only compatible with Neo Shells.
Has a cylindrical metal part in the centre to add weight
Slightly lighter than Magnecores, which limits its usefulness, even for Attack Types where the small difference between it and other cores in terms of weight means it generally fails to find a niche, or at least fails to stand out as significantly better in most cases.
This does not mean it is outclassed for all setups, however, odds are it provides the right mix of recoil control and speed for some setups, it is just that the difference it would be best by would inevitably be quite small.
Does still work well for Attack Types in general, despite usually being outperformed by other options the difference is quite minimal.
Weight: 1.03g each
An already fragile design made from extremely fragile plastic.
Some smash attack along with a fair amount of recoil, generally outperformed as an aggressive SP by Reverse Attack due to the latter.
Largely useless like all aggressive SP - weight distribution and lower recoil of Survivor Ring, Twin Guard and Cross Survivor (and even Defense Ring for its LAD and non-obstructive design) are much more useful for Attack Types and attacking with something other than the Attack Ring will always be worse than attacking with a decent Attack Ring (and while not necessary, overhanging Attack Rings such as Triple Tiger can provide more peace of mind).
Note: This part suffers from Gold Plastic Syndrome, making the plastic extremely fragile, worsening with time. As such, this part should not be used competitively as it is unlikely to survive more than a few matches.
Weight: 5.4g
Quite tall, and primarily used for housing SG Grip Change Base Tip, being the only base that allows this and an SG other than SG (Bearing Version 2) Casings.
Due to how aggressive and grippy its tip is (thus meaning the shock of impact must be absorbed by the Beyblade itself rather than dissipated through movement), the plastic's fragility is exemplified, and between this and use with aggressive SP (even Upper Attack) the Base is very prone to breakage.
Fragility aside, it is an excellent Attack BB with its own tip. Defense Ring should be used to elongate the BB's life by reducing stress on it, though this only goes so far.
Additional height over Defense Grip Base and SG (Bearing Version 2) + SG Grip Change Base Tip allows it to be more effective against Circle Survivor Defense, and the ability to use a Heavy Metal Core is a huge asset for many of the suitably aggressive ARs used to do so, such as Square Edge. This is the most notable attribute of the part metagame wise, and the reason its fragility is of greater concern than usual for the accuracy of the modern game.
Also one of two viable Blade Bases for Force Smash due to its aggression, height, grip, low recoil and weight (especially with its compatibility with the Heavy Metal Core), though its stamina is a little lacking, requiring a slightly more aggressive playstyle than Customize Grip Base.
Height and narrow tip aperture without the LAD provided by Customize Grip Base mean it is an outclassed choice for SG (Full Auto Clutch Version) Shaft, but it can still be used effectively.
With its tip in Sharp Mode, SG Grip Change Base is the best Blade Base for Grip Defense in theory, thanks to passable LAD, smooth design, and good weight. In practice, its fragility makes it basically unusable, leaving Defense Grip Base as the only viable option.
While strongly discouraged due to extremely high chance of shattering the Blade Base, the extremely high speed and SP+HMC compatibility make it technically one of the best bases for offensively-focussed Driger V2 customs.
Unfortunately, as time has passed and they have become more fragile, SG Grip Change Base can no longer truly be recommended for ANY use, as even with Defense Ring it will likely fail within a few battles. This has a notable impact on the metagame and raises some interesting questions around whether a metagame is more accurate with or without reproductions...
Weight: 0.24g
Unique rubber for the series (somewhat similar to HMS's Grip Flat Core (Ultimate Version)).
Rubber is a little hard at first, but generally very effective at gripping the dish.
Two tips - Sharp for Defense Mode, Flat for Attack Mode (very similar to both surfaces of Defense Grip Base's Tip).
When used in SG Grip Change Base, needs to be used with a Neo SG Core as the Rubber Sharp tip does not fit inside a Regular SG Core Part's opening.
More commonly used in the casings of SG (Bearing Version 2), which is considered legal usage of the part, as this is less fragile. This results in a shorter height which can help against some opponents but makes the setup less effective against Circle Survivor Defense. This also precludes the use of Neo Cores, most notably a Heavy Metal Core. This is nonetheless an excellent competitive choice.
However, while fragile to the point of not being practical for use in a tournament thanks to extreme fragility issues with its plastic, SG Grip Change Base allows for a height that makes it perhaps the best counter to Circle Survivor Defense - it does hold a unique place in the metagame which is unfortunately largely a void due to its fragility. In the scope of the metagame, putting fragility aside, this is arguably the most effective Attack Blade Base in the game, but unfortunately in reality it may as well not exist.
Attack Mode:
One of the fastest tips in plastic: on par with Defense Grip Base (tip inverted), though it wears slightly faster. Faster than Grip Base when slide shot (Grip Base Stalls at higher speed than either, but has poorer recoil control and stalls too easily), with as much controllability as one could ask for at that speed (a good plastics attack user should only take a couple launches to adapt, maybe none at all if they're used to Defense Grip Base already).
Initially the rubber is slightly hard, but after a bit of usage it becomes grippier and has exceptional recoil control for an attack tip due to high grip, making it one of two tips suitable for Hyper Aggressive Attack setups, alongside Defense Grip Base, generally being the more capable with rotational recoil. This makes it an excellent choice with the likes of Hayate Attack Ring and a must-have for Scissors Arm if trying to use it competitively.
Due to high grip and recoil control, tends to put more stress on other parts (in addition to its high speed), which can cause more damage to Attack Rings. Generally this isn't an issue unless a part already has serious fragility issues, though parts with crippling rotational recoil even on this tip are also probably best avoided (personal experience with Cybernetic Dragon bending out of shape and being rotated past the threading of the SG after impact with a very heavy opponent).
While an incredible part, it's rarity, price and fast wear, alongside how closely matched Defense Grip Base is means the latter is a much more practical option, even for Attack fanatics.
Defense Mode:
Very similar to Defense Grip Base, slightly taller but compatible with less recoil-prone bases (though only in its own fragile base can it be used with an HMC)
Much like Defense Grip Base, it takes hits exceptionally well, better in Same-Spin than Opposite, but can be outspun by less aggressive Attack Types such as those on Customize Grip Base Tip. It does have better LAD and lower recoil than Defense Grip Base however.
With access to lower recoil Blade Bases it would then be fantastic - were it not unable to use a Heavy Metal Core without a Base that shatters if you look at it the wrong way (or take it out of the packaging the wrong way...)
Unfortunately without access to an HMC it is not a competitive part - which makes our current reflection of the original metagame somewhat distorted.
In theory a very competitive part. In practice, it doesn't work out due to external factors.
Overall
Uriel 2 has a number of extremely powerful parts all for Attack Types, including the Best tip (perhaps the most vital part of Attack Customizations), and is likely a very effective Beyblade out of the box (and even moreso with only minor customizations). Of course, this is largely irrelevant because Takara only released this high-speed, high-stress Beyblade in a single color which renders it horribly fragile (and the other parts include a relatively fragile weight disk and a tip that wears down quite quickly), while Hasbro only released the Attack Ring (and it is unknown whether or not they fixed the problem in that release. It can only be assumed this is the work of an absolute sadist.
Between this, Uriel 2's rarity and price, and the availability of much more affordable alternatives to its parts, this Beyblade is best left to collectors, and even for them it is perhaps not a good long term investment, as gold plastic syndrome can cause breakage even in completely untouched pieces. Like all of us, one day, Uriel 2 will crumble to dust...