Ramon Mera has done it again. His “Spirit Wings” Blackwing Deck has made the Top 32 back-to-back, 2 YCS tournaments in a row! Mera’s Blackwing strategy uses double Spirit Reapers to slow down the Duel and harass his opponent’s hand, giving him an edge against Decks like Samurai. But now he’s up against Day 2 veteran Billy Brake! This is Brake’s third Top 32 appearance in a row, and he’s once again made the cut with X-Sabers.

Brake opened the Match with a hand of 2 Seven Tools of the Bandit, XX-Saber Darksoul, XX-Saber Emmersblade, Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, and Giant Trunade. He Set both Seven Tools and Emmersblade.

Mera Summoned Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame, and Special Summoned Blackwing – Bora the Spear. Shura attacked to destroy Emmersblade. Brake Special Summoned another Emmersblade, and Mera Special Summoned Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor. Bora attacked the second Emmersblade, and Brake Special Summoned XX-Saber Fulhelmknight from his Deck. In Main Phase 2, Mera destroyed it with Smashing Ground! He Tuned Vayu to Bora to Synchro Summon Magical Android, then Set 2 cards to his back row. He gained 600 Life Points in his End Phase.

Brake drew Trap Stun. This was his third piece of Trap negation out of 7 cards so far, not counting Giant Trunade. He Set Darksoul.

Mera attacked with Shura, destroying Darksoul and Special Summoning Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind from his Deck. Android and Gale both made direct attacks, dropping Brake to 3900 Life Points. Mera Tuned Gale to Android, and Synchro Summoned Stardust Dragon! Brake forgot his Darksoul effect.

Brake drew Mind Control and activated Giant Trunade. He had to get that Gorz on the field. Mera chained Icarus Attack, Tributing Shura to destroy both copies of Seven Tools. Brake passed.

Mera Summoned Blackwing – Blizzard the far North, Special Summoning Bora from his Graveyard to Synchro Summon Blackwing Armed Wing. Stardust attacked, Brake Special Summoned Gorz from his hand, and an Emissary of Darkness Token, but Mera attacked over Gorz with Armed Wing by discarding Blackwing – Kalut the Moonshadow!

Brake had 400 Life Points left. He drew and tried to Summon X-Saber Pashuul, looking to make a play with his Mind Control, but Mera negated the Summon with Solemn Warning. Brake attacked over Blackwing Armed Wing with his Emissary of Darkness Token, but he was conceding moments later as Mera removed Vayu and Armed Wing from his Graveyard for Blackwing Armor Master.

Billy Brake draws a selection of cards of little use against Blackwings, and Ramon Mera builds to an unstoppable momentum! Brake would have to win 2 straight to stay alive in this tournament.

Brake opened with a hand of Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, X-Saber Airbellum, Solemn Warning, Mystical Space Typhoon, Book of Moon, and Reinforce Truth. He Set everything but Gorz.

Mera Set a monster, then Set 3 cards to his back row. Brake activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Mera’s Typhoon in the End Phase.

Brake drew and Set a Spell or Trap.

Mera Set a monster.

Brake drew Torrential Tribute and Set it.

Mera passed.

Brake drew Solemn Judgment and passed.

Mera Set a third monster.

Brake drew Super-Nimble Mega Hamster and Flip Summoned X-Saber Airbellum. He responded with Torrential Tribute, and Mera lost his D.D. Warrior Lady, Blackwing – Blizzard the far North, and Spirit Reaper. Brake Set Reinforce Truth, and Set Hamster.

Mera passed, and Brake flipped Reinforce Truth in the End Phase, Special Summoning X-Saber Pashuul.

Brake drew Mind Control, then activated Trap Stun! He Flip Summoned Super-Nimble Mega Hamster and Special Summoned XX-Saber Darksoul in face-down Defense Position. Next he Tuned Pashuul and his Hamster to Synchro Summon Naturia Barkion. Barkion attacked for 2500 Battle Damage.

Mera Normal Summoned Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind, and halved Barkion’s ATK and DEF. Gale attacked, but Brake turned his Barkion face-down with Book of Moon to erase the ATK and DEF modification. Gale slammed into Barkion’s renewed 1800 DEF.

Brake drew Mirror Force, and took Gale with Mind Control! He Flip Summoned Darksoul, and when Mera responded with Chain Disappearance Brake negated it with Barkion. Mera tried to turn Darksoul face-down with Book of Moon, but Brake negated it with Solemn Judgment! Brake Synchro Summoned Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth. Barkion attacked. Mera flipped Dimensional Prison. and Barkion negated it. Mera thought he could Special Summon Gorz now that he’d cleared his back row of the Prison, but Brake’s last Set card was Solemn Warning! Barkion and Gaia Knight attacked to win the Duel for Brake.

Billy Brake sets up the perfect turn, and takes Mera down bit by bit with a perfect string of negation cards! This last Duel would decide who was headed to the Top 16.

Mera opened with Allure of Darkness, drawing 2 cards and removing Blackwing – Blizzard the far North. Pot of Duality let him choose between Dark Armed Dragon, Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame, and Spirit Reaper. he added Reaper to his hand and shuffled the rest back. He Set 3 cards to his back row and Set a monster.

Brake had Cyber Dragon, Super-Nimble Mega Hamster, X-Saber Pashuul, Solemn Judgment, Book of Moon, and Mind Control. He Set Hamster, then Set 2 cards to his back row, losing Book of Moon in his End Phase to Mystical Space Typhoon.

Mera Normal Summoned Blackwing – Bora the Spear, and Flip Summoned Spirit Reaper. Mera attacked with Bora, but it couldn’t destroy Super-Nimble Mega Hamster! Brake Special Summoned XX-Saber Darksoul and Mera attacked it. Brake got XX-Saber Boggart Knight with Darksoul’s effect in the End Phase.

Brake drew Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror. He Summoned Boggart Knight, activated its effect, and Mera Chained Royal Oppression. Brake Chained Solemn Judgment to negate Oppression, and Special Summoned his Pashuul! He Tuned Pashuul to Boggart Knight for XX-Saber Hyunlei, and destroyed Mera’s Dimensional Prison with her effect. Hyunlei attacked over Bora, and Brake Set Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror.

Mera activated Monster Reborn, Special Summoning Brake’s Pashuul to Tune it to Spirit Reaper. He Synchro Summoned Ally of Justice Catastor, and Normal Summoned Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind. He activated Gale’s effect to halve Hyunlei’s ATK and DEF. Gale attacked to destroy Hyunlei, and Catastor attacked to destroy Hamster. Mera Tuned Gale to Catastor in Main Phase 2, Synchro Summoning Stardust Dragon and Setting his last card to his back row.

Brake Set XX-Saber Emmersblade.

Mera attacked it next turn with Stardust Dragon, and Brake Special Summoned XX-Saber Darksoul in Defense Position.

Brake drew Enemy Contoller, holding Cyber Dragon and Mind Control with Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror Set. He Tributed Darksoul for Enemy Controller. took Stardust Dragon. and attacked for 2500 Battle Damage. He Tributed Stardust for Cyber Dragon, then got X-Saber Pashuul in his End Phase with Darksoul’s effect.

Mera Set a monster.

Brake drew Mystical Space Typhoon and destroyed Mera’s Dimensional Prison. Mind Control let Brake take Mera’s face-down Blackwing – Kalut the Moonshadow, and he Flip Summoned it! He Normal Summoned Pashuul, too, and had to think long and hard about Gorz… “You’d have to have topdecked it,” reflected Brake, “Because you drew and Set.” He took a deep breath before making his decision. “I guess if you have it, you have it.” He Tuned Kalut to Pashuul to Synchro Summon Catastor, then flipped Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror. Catastor and Cyber Dragon attacked and Mera was defeated!

Another impressive showing lands Ramon Mera and Spirit Wings in the Top 32, but Billy Brake battles back from defeat in the first Duel to claim victory! Brake is headed to the Top 16.

Here’s what our expert(s) had to say:

Erik Mishtar (Modern day pharaoh)

While there was a good chance that Brake would have lost the first Duel of this Match no matter what he did, forgetting to use the effect of his XX-Saber Darksoul didn’t help his cause. Don’t forget to use your Darksouls! This also applies to the new T.G. monsters that have similar effects to XX-Saber Darksoul. They aren’t mandatory effects, so you have to make sure you remember to use them so that you don’t lose them… or the Duel!

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