I've seen BS popping up here and there, is it actually decent? It's been pretty much dead in my meta since release.

I like it! Sounds like a solid build. I've never had great success with Beat but I've seen what it's capable of. Seeing how Zap is basically to Point what Accel is to Flat and Beat has always performed well on Point, I'm sure it'll work nicely. Let me know how it goes once you get some testing in!

Might sub in my favorite Wolf combo for the Rod, this at least has a little spice and has some weight to it.

I've also been practicing where in the stadium I launch and being more intentional of where I drop specific beys. I'm looking forward to trying out the Whale Wave build; I've been trying to make the blade work and I've felt pretty good about where I landed.

I'm also bringing a backup stable of beys in case anything I bring underperforms:

Knight Mail 7-60 Flat
Wizard Rod 3-60 Free Ball (of course 😂)
Phoenix Wing 9-60 Rush

I would normally have Silver Wolf 7-70 Hexa on deck but I'm letting someone try it out so I won't have access to it.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm coming into Beyblade X from a predominantly Magic: The Gathering background so Beyblade feels like an extremely affordable hobby comparatively. Personally, $60-100 for three boosters that I get to keep afterwards and possibly win prizes with feels reasonable.

This would be a good idea if TT Random Boosters were abundantly available in the shops that ran tournaments in the States. Unfortunately, the most likely scenario would include asking people to buy their own before hand and bring them.

I think this would be a meta pick for everyone involved for sure, but you still have a 2/3rd chance at something not so great. Still makes for a fair pick.

I know this would be a little cost-prohibitive for a number of players, but I think as a special event it would be a really interesting experiment.

Love that! I've been X-Finished by more than a few Rod 1-60 R so I know the potential is there!

I always love seeing Rod in an attack build! Does the height change gimmick seem to do much with Rod?

When competing, especially if there is prize support or player rankings on the line, the focus should be in building the strongest and most consistent deck for your playstyle. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the "be more unique" crowd don't play in many tournaments.

There's nothing wrong with playing off-meta in casual or even competing with something "unique," but telling someone it's more desirable to play a "unique" build over a meta build is telling them to take their opponent's fun and the spectators' enjoyment into account when preparing for a tourney.

When discussing beyblade through a competitive lense, I feel it's best to ignore the "be more unique" crowd.

No amount of meta data or testing by internet strangers will ever beat personal experience. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Glad it's working out for you.