The Top 5 Best HMS Beyblade Combos (Heavy Metal System)

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In the first part of this series; we discussed what the Beyblade Heavy Metal System is as well as a summary of its history and competitive metagame. Now, we’ll dive into what the top 5 best Beyblade Heavy Metal System combos are.

Each of these five combos are among the best of the best and should be in serious consideration for any players looking to experience what the top performing combos of this generation were.

Note from Blader Kei: This series was largely written by WBO user and hms-db.com creator Dan. Huge thank you to Dan for reaching out and helping to make this happen! Editing, photos, and formatting by me.

Also, if you buy something through some of the links on this post, you won’t pay any extra, but I’ll get a small commission. This helps me keep things running. Thanks for your support!

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The Top 5 Best Beyblade Heavy Metal System Combos

With that out of the way, let’s get into the combos that are at the pinnacle of HMS.

These are our top 5 Best Beyblade Heavy Metal System Combos, in no particular order:

HMS Attack Combo: Samurai Upper, CWD Defense Ring and Grip Flat Core (Ultimate Version)

If there was a single unique combo that could define HMS, it would be this one. 

Attack Ring: Samurai Upper

Samurai Changer MS’ Samurai Upper Attack Ring is essentially an updated version of Death Gargoyle MS’ earlier Circle Upper.

It was given a slightly heavier weight, typically a full 2 grams heavier, clocking in at 21 grams alone. It was also given a sturdier and more aggressive plastic to supplement the shared metal frame (the metallic ‘skeleton’ of the AR that is your primary point of contact in battle), compared to Circle Upper, Samurai Upper was a direct upgrade in terms of raw attack power.

On a fast RC, you’ll see Samurai Upper throw opposing beyblades out with extreme ferocity, and in some cases, even well up into the air!

Weight Disk: CWD Defense Ring

Customize Weight Disk’s are not only used to add weight to Defense types, but also see use in Attack type combos as well, since giving them extra weight directly affects their knock-out power and ferocity positively.

Defense Ring in particular is conservative enough to not get in the way of Samurai Upper’s contact points, while giving the combo more weight to swing around. It also helps that CWD Defense Ring is found in Random Booster 2 Prize Bey Sea Dragon, which came with a heavier inner metal CWD mold (17 grams compared to the usual 15 grams). 

Running Core: Grip Flat Core (Ultimate Version)

Finally, not to be understated is the powerful yet rare Grip Flat Core (Ultimate Version).

This RC shares a similar relationship to the AR in this combo, being a direct upgrade of a previous release, the regular Grip Flat Core from Dragoon MS.

Dragoon MSUV saw updates to its AR, being slightly bigger with more metal, as well as its RC, which was overhauled in both size, shape and colour. Ultimate Version’s RC had been given roughly a full millimeter of extra diameter, with this increase in surface area making for an incredibly fast RC estimated to be nearly 130% of the speed of the original Grip Flat Core RC! With its iconic thicker red rubber tip, it was destined to produce spectacular knock-outs. 

The truth is, in the right hands, this Attack combo feels near invincible.

At times even wall saves aren’t enough for its opponents, as Samurai Upper can on many occasions knock them up and over it, given the dramatic speed and weight afforded to it by the rest of these parts.

While it can be a momentous task to overcome this combo, it isn’t impossible. Certain specialized Defense combos can put up a fair enough fight, and if Samurai Upper doesn’t secure a KO early on, it is likely to wither and exhaust itself well before a Bearing Core or Bearing Core 2 would. Late-game knock-outs are not uncommon for this combo, but not nearly reliable enough to bank on in a pinch.

The sheer power and upward trajectory of its Smash Attacks are nothing to downplay, and makes for an incredible match, it should be no surprise that this combo is the first to come to mind. HMS would not be the same game without this behemoth. 

Alternative Parts

• Circle Upper: While marginally less powerful, it is still the same metal frame that HMS Bladers have come to love. If you don’t have Samurai Upper, you can use Circle Upper to equivalent success, but perhaps with less late-game KOs.
• CWD Free Defense Ring: The alternative version to Sea Dragon’s CWD, this is a free-spinning and thick CWD with many thick protrusions. This CWD is often ideal for circumstances where an opponent’s combo relies on avoiding contact with its AR, and focuses on its own CWD to take the beating for it. By using it in Defense Ring’s stead, you’ll be prepared for contact high and low.
• Grip Flat Core: Given the rarity of Dragoon MSUV, the original is a much more economical choice, on top of being easier to control for beginners, at the cost of some added speed. 

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HMS Stamina Combo: Circle Upper, CWD Reverse Defenser, Bearing Core

Attack Ring: Circle Upper

If you remember, we mentioned that certain parts are just so good at a multitude of things that they find themselves in multiple typings and categories. Death Gargoyle MS’ Circle Upper is one such part. 

Circle Upper makes for a dangerous Stamina-oriented AR because its circular shape concentrates weight on the outer edges, meaning it can last a long time, as well as not being a noisy enough design to prevent ample precession at low RPM.

The more conservative plastic portion of the AR is also not as prominent as Samurai Upper’s, meaning slightly less recoil and nearly zero plastic contact, save for a small portion of the gargoyle heads on either side.

Against other stamina types, it is not uncommon for Circle Upper to knock-out its opponents, or dish out such hard hits that the opponent’s spin is close to completely depleted. In cases where neither occurs, the overall safe weight distribution and design of the AR allows it to clutch out victory through great precession.

It should be noted that Circle Upper comes in two mold variations, the first being a thinner metal frame that is more prone to wobbling, and the second being a thicker and more fortified version identical to Samurai Upper’s that is slightly heavier.

The first mold can be found in early releases of Circle Upper, and the second was released by Takara-Tomy starting with HMS Random Booster ACT 3 and by Hasbro. Both molds work equally well; if you prefer wobbling, the first mold is preferred.

Weight Disk: CWD Reverse Defenser

This combo in particular employs CWD Reverse Defenser for added weight, while not impeding on its spin-time. It is a very versatile and thick CWD, comparable to CWD God Ring in size, shape, and application.

The reason for its inclusion isn’t because it drastically improves spin time, but to add weight to the combo. Its rounded shape means that it won’t be meaningfully disrupted during deep precession upon contact with the stadium.

The added weight, decent wobbling, and Life After Death properties make for a slightly easier time staying in the stadium, staying alive, and add a bit more power in attacking other Stamina combos.

One slight problem with this CWD is that it was only available in recoloured versions of Dranzer MF found in Random Booster 5, making it a little tricky to get your hands on.

Running Core: Bearing Core

Bearing Core is a staple part of any Stamina combo in HMS, and is easily as definitive a part as Samurai Upper or Circle Upper.

Despite following in the footsteps of Wolborg’s before it, Bearing Core’s tip is more similar to Burning Kerberous’ Double Bearing Core SG. The tip is wide and comes to a soft point at the center, while being attached to a metal shaft with a ball-bearing within the RC, allowing it to spin freely and independently from the rest of the Beyblade.

Found in Wolborg MS’ booster, picking this up is a must for all HMS Bladers.

It cannot be overstated just how much better Bearing Core’s endurance is compared to any other RC in the HMS series, it simply cannot be worked around in a pure stamina battle. If Samurai and Circle Upper were meta-defining ARs for HMS, Bearing Core was a meta-defining RC.

If you want a qualified Stamina type beyblade that can take a bit of a beating while dishing out some decent attack in its own right, this is right up your alley.

Alternative Parts

• Samurai Upper: Despite having slightly more recoil thanks to the plastic surrounding the metal frame, Samurai Upper is a perfectly fine alternative to Circle Upper if you do not have one. They perform similarly enough, just like in Attack combos.
• Circle Wide: As you’ll see later on, Circle Wide is a common and effective Weight Disc, being a bit lighter and easier to KO, but has a slight edge in LAD ability.
• It should also be mentioned, there is simply no alternative to Bearing Core, because it is so instrumental and one of a kind.

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HMS Balance (Compact) Combo: Jiraiya Blade, CWD Defense Ring, Metal Change Core

Not often talked about in HMS, yet was incredibly prevalent in the early days of Plastics, is the Compact combo. This unique style of Beyblade relies on a few characteristics: decently heavy weight, said weight being centralized, and typically a high RPM with low-friction BBs/RCs.

The rationale for this setup is simple: you produce a very well-balanced combo that can either slowly whittle away at the opposing beyblade, and win through the fact it is simply much more well balanced, or in more aggressive cases, outright knockout.

What makes these combos so attractive is their general safety. If you haven’t a clue what you’re going to be up against, you really can’t go wrong with a compact, it performs decently well against the other types. This is part of the reason they were relied on so heavily in Plastics.

Attack Ring: Jiraiya Blade

Jiraiya Blade is the heaviest HMS AR, only equaled by Samurai Changer’s Samurai Upper, weighing in at 22g.

It is also fairly small in diameter, and while its weight is mostly distributed across the outer portion of the AR, it is highly stable, works well in both spin directions, and is very, very aggressive. This AR is critical to the Compact combo, mixing aggression, conservative design, and stability perfectly.

Compared to its Metal Ape counterpart, it can handily defeat Stamina and Defense combos via knockout or destabilization, rarely leaving much to chance.

Weight Disk: CWD Defense Ring

Standard to the majority of HMS combos, Defense Ring is the choice you make when you want a safe and reliable CWD.

It is highly compact, allowing for ARs to have great contact point exposure, and it is also stock to the heaviest metal CWD component, 17g as opposed to the general 15g found outside of RB2 Sea Dragon releases. In the case of this combo, all of its attributes perfectly compliment the Compact, and is a great choice for Jiraiya Blade.

Running Core: Metal Change Core

Finally we have the RC, the part holds this combo together (in part literally, and figuratively). 

Metal Change Core is a versatile RC that is able to both be highly aggressive and docile within the same match, and flipping between the two at the drop of a hat. This makes it unpredictable in some cases, but it can be mastered through practice. 

On top of that, because it is metal, it also produces a lot less friction than a traditional Attack type RC, meaning the combo will be spinning for longer. Mixing all these characteristics together help create the definitive RC for Compacts in the HMS series.

By Banking, Catapulting/Slide Shooting you are able to ensure early game aggression that Jiraiya Blade craves, but not sacrificing a lot in the ways of survivability, so if the AR fails to generate a knockout, you can potentially win via destabilization/out-spin.

Alternative Parts

• Metal Ape: Truthfully, Metal Ape (from Magical Ape MS) is slightly inferior to Jiraiya Blade. It lacks the raw power that you may need, depending on stadium type, to knock out Bearing Core based combos, which completely removes a potential win condition Jiraiya Blade would have. Metal Ape does have a similar weight (roughly 20g), and it is even more condensed, which is technically a good thing for a less aggressive Compact. With that said, aggression is rewarded in HMS like no other series, so while Metal Ape can be considered an alternative, Jiraiya Blade takes the cake.
• Circle Heavy: This is a fairly economical Weight Disk option that gives you decent weight (roughly 16g), and an even more centralized weight distribution. While the RC is a staple, the WD can vary depending on your preference. Circle Heavy makes sure there is zero form of contact point obstruction, and an even more condensed distribution. You may also want to consider a more defensive option like CWD Reverse Defenser, which boasts a similar weight to CWD Defense Ring, but a larger perimeter to defend the Compact just a little bit better.

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HMS Defense Combo: Metal Ape, CWD God Ring, Bearing Core 2

Attack Ring: Metal Ape

While not historically considered for Defense types, you’ll find that Magical Ape MS’ Metal Ape AR is one of the most compact and circular AR’s available in the HMS series.

Because of this, it is an incredible choice for Defense combos that rely on nearly exclusive CWD contact to mitigate recoil.

Weight Disk: CWD God Ring

A thicker and large CWD like Shining God MS’ CWD God Ring makes it so that most opposing Beyblade’s major point of contact will be made not with Metal Ape, but with the smoother plastic CWD.

This allows for the force to be slightly better dispersed, and the combo will not be so easily knocked around. Made possible because of Metal Apes incredibly small size, this form of wall-style Defense is incredibly effective in nullifying all but the absolute best that Attack has to offer.

This slight nullification of smash attack is only helped by the fact that all typical Attack RC’s are on average quite short. This means the only way for the attacker to get a clean hit on the Metal Ape AR is through a sequences of hits that push it out towards the stadium’s tornado ridge, and then once more when the attacker has made its way towards the combo from higher above, and the height disparity is no longer in effect.

If you use the regular flower pattern on a static Defense combo in the center of the stage, you won’t often get the clean AR-on-AR hit you need to land a strong enough hit to propel it out of the stadium, so either successive hits or one huge hit will be all that take this combo down.

Running Core: Bearing Core 2

While the duet of Metal Ape and God Ring are great for reducing the power of Attack combos, they both hinge on the strength of Jiraiya MS’ Bearing Core 2 keeping it locked onto the stadium via traction generated by its free-spinning rubber tip.

Without its rubber tip, even that dispersion of force would not be enough to keep a Defense combo in the stadium, especially with the prevalence of either Samurai Upper and Circle Upper in Attack combos.

Given that it is free spinning as well, you can also expect decent survivability from it too, and while it may not be on the level of the original Bearing Core, it is nothing to scoff at.

An absolute unit of a combo, this is the type of Beyblade you take when you want to stay in the stadium at all costs. It does a great job of thwarting just about anything that doesn’t use Samurai Upper or Circle Upper (even then it does still have a chance at winning), but make sure to not run into any Stamina types, as it has abysmal endurance by comparison.

Alternative Parts

• Samurai Upper: With the caveat that you have a more docile Bearing Core 2, Samurai Upper makes for a good Defense AR that has the ability to counter-attack at times. While it doesn’t make as great use of the CWD like Metal Ape does, it is definitely a good option if you prefer this style of Defense.
• CWD Reverse Defenser: Similar to CWD God Ring, it is a thick and rounded CWD that can take hits very well while not hindering the balance or stamina of the Defense combo. It is marginally easier to find for similar performance. 
• It should be mentioned there is no adequate alternative to Bearing Core 2, as no other RC fulfills its specific function as well, if at all.

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HMS Balance Combo: Samurai Upper, CWD Free Defense Ring, Bearing Core 2

For a long time variations of this combo have been considered standard “Defense” type beyblades, as they had an astounding ability to thwart Attackers. While that is true, it is evident that with a worn-down Bearing Core 2, you can achieve a very aggressive attack-like pattern.

If you possess a Bearing Core 2 that can produce such a pattern, the combo above looks a lot more like a Balance type than a regular Defense type. In fact, for that reason, despite being last on the list, it is nearly as dangerous as the first combo on the list. 

Attack Ring: Samurai Upper

Samurai Upper, as we have described, has incredible power to it, with the ability to propel opponents out of the stadium with minimal effort. Because of how aggressive it is, coupled with its good weight distribution and decent survivability, it is the perfect choice for an aggressive Balance combo. 

Weight Disk: CWD Free Defense Ring

CWD Free Defense Ring is chosen because it adds extra weight, while also providing a little extra smash attack from below, just in case you might run into a wall-based Defense combo. 

The clashing of the two CWDs, without impeding on Samurai Upper’s ability to make contact, is very helpful to that matchup in particular. Underrated and underutilized, in a world where God Ring’s and Reverse Defenser’s exist, it never hurts to have a little extra power.

Running Core: Bearing Core 2

Bearing Core 2 is what this combo is founded on, as previously mentioned.

With an aggressive pattern, its innate grip and survivability make for an incredibly dangerous combo that can go toe to toe with Attack types, while also outspin (via wall-save spin-depletion) or knock-out both Stamina and Defense types. This aggressiveness is most noticeable when the tip is worn down to a good, but not illegal, degree. Almost like Beyblade Burst’s “awakening” system.

This combo is one to be reckoned with, to say the least, so don’t be fooled into thinking that because it is at the end of this list, it is worse relative to everything else mentioned. Or worse, thinking that because your opponent is using a Bearing Core 2 with Samurai Upper, you won’t be pelted out of the stadium all the same.

If you’re looking for a combo that can seemingly do it all, get yourself these parts, and wear down that Bearing Core 2 just a bit.

Alternative Parts:

• Circle Upper: because they are so similar, your success with this style of Balance combo should not be significantly different with either AR.
• CWD God Ring: If you prefer a bit of a meatier CWD that gives the combo more of a defensive feel, this is a fair choice. Free Defense Ring is by no means a defense-oriented CWD on its own, and relies on the grip of Bearing Core 2 and slightly smaller diameter than Samurai Upper to get away with its recoil.

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Blader Feedback: Your Favourite HMS Combos?

While this list isn’t exhaustive–you can find other ideas on things like the WBO HMS winning combos archive–we did our best to provide a definitive group of influential and competent combos available in the HMS series. When you think of the best of the best, combos like the ones on this list should come to mind.

Join in on the conversation by commenting below your favourite combos, components, or anecdotal HMS experiences.