While “Dark Simorgh” and “Archlord Kristya” from Stardust Overdrive are getting a ton of buzz here on the tournament floor, another group of monsters are quietly making an impact here in Columbus. Gemini monster support from Stardust Overdrive has turbo-charged established Decks like Plants , while creating other new Decks entirely. Shane Davis is playing one of those new Decks and the results are very impressive.

The strategy is pure Beatdown: high-ATK monsters that are easy to Summon, minimal Special Summoning, and plenty of support cards to keep bigger threats off the table. Beatdown Decks were popular in the early days of Dueling, and modern versions like Chaos Beatdown are still competitive today. But by harnessing the power of Gemini monsters, Davis has unlocked a group of new cards that turn Beatdown into something completely different, unleashing powerful plays no other Deck can wield. Here’s what it looks like:

From the start of his first turn, Davis can go on the offensive. Three copies of “Crusader of Endymion” and “Elemental Hero Neos Alius” are the main cards of his attack, and both monsters (along with his “Future Samurai”) are LIGHT Attribute Gemini monsters. That means Davis can play “Honest” to take out bigger monsters, but it also means he can take advantage of new cards from Stardust Overdrive.

“’Gemini Counter’ has so much potential,” explained Davis. “Spell negation has always been popular. We’ve had different options in the past like “Dark Bribe” and “Magic Drain,” but their flaws have been too risky for my liking.” Opponents can always buy their way out of “Magic Drain” by discarding a Spell Card, while “Dark Bribe” gives your opponent a card to replace the one it negates. But “Gemini Counter” is different: it negates a Spell Card just by flipping a Gemini monster you control face-down. The flip is an effect, not a cost, too – so if “Gemini Counter” is negated itself, Davis will keep his monster face-up.

“I love opening with a Gemini monster, “Gemini Counter,” and support like “Bottomless Trap Hole”,” “Skill Drain,” or “Royal Oppression.”” An opening like that means big trouble for some of the most popular Decks in a tournament like this one. “Mystical Space Typhoon” and “Heavy Storm” are two of the most common threats to Continuous Trap Cards like “Skill Drain” and “Royal Oppression,” but with “Gemini Counter” to negate those Spell Cards, Davis’ opponents may have serious trouble.

The Gemini tricks don’t end there. Davis is also playing three copies of Stardust Overdrive’s new Quick-Play Spell “Gemini Spark,” which lets him Tribute a Gemini monster to destroy any card in play and draw a new card. If Davis Summons a Gemini monster and his opponent responds with “Bottomless Trap Hole”,” Davis can Chain “Gemini Spark” and Tribute the Gemini monster he was about to lose anyway. Then he gets to draw, destroy one of his opponent’s cards, and leave Davis with a surprise edge over his opponent. The same trick works against cards like “Dimensional Prison,” “Mirror Force,” and “Book of Moon.”

Once a monster is sent to the Graveyard for “Gemini Spark’s” cost, “Future Samurai’s” ability comes online. “Future Samurai” can remove a monster from Davis’ Graveyard to destroy any face-up monster. That gives the deck another way to deal with bigger problems like “Colossal Fighter” or “Blackwing – Silverwind the Ascendant,” and ensures that Davis makes a lot of direct attacks.

Ironically, “Future Samurai” is the only Gemini monster Davis seeks to Normal Summon a second time to get its effect. “Crusader of Endymion” and “Elemental Hero Neos Alius” are in the Deck more for their 1900 original ATK than for their Gemini Summon abilities.

Davis’ Deck is simple, aggressive, and packs a lot of cards his opponents aren’t going to know how to deal with. The surprise factor gives him an edge in today’s field, while his keen preparation for match-ups like Lightsworn and Zombies may give him a serious advantage. This Deck is easy to build, easy to play, and could shock a lot of competitors in this tournament.