Starstrike Blast has a lot of cards that strengthen a lot of different Decks, but Quickdraw Synchron Decks got one of the biggest pushes of the bunch. With Quickdraw taking second place at YCS Philadelphia just six weeks ago, and among the 5 most popular Decks at the last few events, it was already a powerhouse. But now, with the addition of powerful Main Deck cards like Glow-Up Bulb and Tuning, plus new Synchro Monsters like Formula Synchron and Shooting Star Dragon (which is seeing a ton of play today), Quickdraw Duelists are definitely at their strongest.

While some competitors are sure to imitate successful Quickdraw Decks from past tournaments, many are also taking the Quickdraw concept in wild new directions. We’ll see some of the more traditional builds later in the tournament, but for now, Samuel Elicker’s Deck is drawing a lot of attention. Elicker has taken the standby cards from familiar Quickdraw builds and brought the strategy back to its 5D’s roots, creating a competitive character-themed Deck. One that taps the Dueling style of the legendary Turbo Duelist Yusei Fudo.

Elicker’s gameplan? “I’m gonna REV IT UP at the YCS!”

Monsters:

3 Tuningware

3 Quickdraw Synchron

3 Cyber Valley

2 Dandylion

2 Junk Synchron

1 Caius the Shadow Monarch

1 Glow-Up Bulb

1 Debris Dragon

1 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter

1 Level Eater

1 Qullbolt Hedgehog

1 Sangan

1 Card Trooper

1 Effect Veiler

.

Spells:

2 Tuning

2 Inferno Reckless Summon

2 Pot of Avarice

2 Enemy Controller

2 Mystical Space Typhoon

1 Card Destruction

1 Mind Control

1 Monster Reborn

1 Giant Trunade

1 Dark Hole

1 One for One

.

Traps:

1 Mirror Force

1 Torrential Tribute

1 Solemn Judgment

1 Dark Bribe

2 Royal Decree

.

Extra Deck:

2 Junk Destroyer

2 Formula Synchron

1 Nitro Warrior

1 Drill Warrior

1 Road Warrior

1 Armory Arm

1 Stardust Dragon

1 Black Rose Dragon

1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier

1 Ally of Justice Catastor

1 Shooting Star Dragon

1 Chevalier De Fleur

1 Scrap Dragon

A lot of familiar Quickdraw cards are here. Quickdraw Synchron of course, plus Debris Dragon, Dandylion, and all the other monsters that Quickdraw Duelists tend to play. But it’s the additions he’s made to this Deck that give it its Fudo flavor: Tuningware, Junk Synchron, and Quillbolt Hedgehog were all played by Yusei, and they open up a ton of new plays here that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

Elicker was more than happy to discuss some of those strategies. For instance, if he opens a Duel with Quickdraw Synchron, Dandylion, and Tuningware, he can draw several cards while Synchro Summoning the 3000 ATK Road Warrior:

1. Discard Dandylion to Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron. Special Summon Dandylion’s 2 Fluff Tokens.

2. Normal Summon Tuningware, then use its effect to Tune it to Quickdraw and a Fluff Token. That’ll Synchro Summon RoadWarrior, and lets Elicker draw a card with Tuningware.

3. From there, he’ll use Road Warrior’s effect to Special Summon Cyber Valley from his Deck, removing the Valley and his second Fluff Token to use Valley’s effect and draw 2 cards.

With that combo, Elicker can unleash Road Warrior, while keeping 6 cards in hand for his next move. Though 3-card combos aren’t always easy to put together, Elicker has so many of them that his Deck offers him lots of combo opportunities. He also puts an emphasis on plays that let him draw more cards, and he can search out Quickdraw with his Tunings.

Elicker can use One for One and Dandylion to thin and draw multiple cards from his Deck at once. By discarding Dandylion for One for One, he can Special Summon 2 Fluff Tokens, plus Glow-Up Bulb from his Deck. Tuning the Bulb to a Fluff Token lets him Synchro Summon Formula Synchron and draw a card. He can then use the Bulb’s effect to Special Summon it from his Graveyard, making another Formula Synchron (and scoring another draw). “I still have my Normal Summon,” explained Elicker, “and I’ve replenished the cards in my hand with Formula’s draws.” From there, his Normal Summon can be used for Synchro Material and almost any Synchro Summon imaginable.

One more play Elicker’s keen on? “Quickdraw, Dandylion, and Debris Dragon can get me Stardust Dragon, and lets me destroy a lot of cards with Junk Destroyer.” By discarding Dandylion to Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron, Elicker gets 2 FluffTokens. He’ll then Normal Summon Debris Dragon, Special Summon Dandylion, and Tune for Stardust Dragon. With a total of 3 Fluff Tokens, he’ll tune them all to Quickdraw and Summon Junk Destroyer. The result? Thanks to Junk Destroyer’s effect, Destroyer will be “blowing up 3 cards all the while being protected by Stardust in his rampage of destruction.” Elicker’s own words!

A lot of these big plays are possible in a less creative Quickdraw deck, but the added focus on draw power with cards like FormulaSynchron, Tuningware, and Cyber Valley means that those flashy plays are often going to be easier to bring together. Knowing the combos is one thing – actually having the right cards at the right time can be a lot tougher. Elicker’s built his Deck with that in mind, and has tried to grab every opportunity at a combo that he can find.

So how does it work? Apparently pretty well. Elicker told us a bit about his biggest matchups. “The biggest thing I need to do to overcome Blackwings is to destroy their initial back row cards. If I can deal with those, the Deck is easy for me to beat down and destroy. X-Sabers; aggression is a lot easier for this Deck to disrupt than Blackwings. Torrential Tribute or Effect Veiler and they go down much faster than Blackwings.” And Gladiator Beasts? “It’s a shut out. My deck has a lot of ways to stop Gladiators from attacking: Cyber Valley, Enemy Controller, Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, and Mirror Force. With the amount of draw power I have, it’s really hard for Gladiator Beasts to establish themselves.”

And what about a matchup with a more conventional Quickdraw Deck? “I’ve found that their biggest monster is usually Tytannial, so when I Summon Road Warrior they’re left with few options except to waste cards for a Black Rose Dragon. I Side Deck for Quickdraw, too.”

We’ll look at more Quickdraw Decks later this weekend once we see which ones stand out from the crowd, but for now, Elicker’s Yusei-themed Deck is a very cool entry into the tournament. Elicker’s an experienced Duelist, and when experience and fandom collide, flashy Decks like this one are often the spectacular result!