Welcome to YCS Niagara Falls! We have 773 players here today plus 12 VIPs looking for the title of YCS Champion! Our Round 1 is at Table 368 where we have last year’s YCS Niagara Falls champion, Gabriel Vargas from Toronto, Ontario and his pure Thunder Dragon Deck taking on Cecil Martin from Syracuse, New York and his Sky Striker Deck. Can the YCS Champion continue his winning ways in Niagara Falls?  We’re about to find out! It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Vargas won the roll and elected for Martin to go first. Martin started with Foolish Burial Goods, sending Metalfoes Fusion from the Deck to the Graveyard. He sent it back to the Deck with its effect and drew a card. He then activated Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones to Special Summon a Sky Striker Ace Token, then sent the Token away to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku. He Set 2 to the back and in the End Phase, Martin added Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! from his Deck to his hand with Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku’s effect.

Vargas activated Pot of Desires, banished the top 10 and drew Thunder Dragonhawk and Gold Sarcophagus. He Normal Summoned Denko Sekka, an excellent card in matchups with lots of Set cards (like Sky Striker). Then Vargas activated Gold Sarcophagus, banishing Thunder Dragonroar from the Deck. He tried to use Thunder Dragonroar’s effect to Special Summon a Thunder Dragon monster from the Deck but Martin chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate it. Vargas then activated Thunder Dragonhawk to Special Summon the banished Thunder Dragonroar. Roar went to the Graveyard to Special Summon Thunder Dragon Colossus from the Extra Deck. Colossus attacked over Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku and Denko Sekka attacked directly to bring Martin to 5400 LP.

Martin drew to 3 cards in hand but had to pass.

Vargas Normal Summoned Batteryman Solar and Martin conceded, unable to play out of Denko Sekka and Thunder Dragon Colossus.

Duel 2

Martin elected to go first. He started with Upstart Goblin, drawing a card and giving Vargas 1000 LP, bumping him up to 9000. He activated Foolish Burial Goods, sending Metalfoes Fusion from the Deck to the Graveyard. Martin used Metalfoes Fusion’s Graveyard effect, sending it back to the Deck and drawing a card. He then activated Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, adding Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole from his Deck to his hand. He then activated Pot of Desires, banishing the top 10 cards to draw 2 more. Martin then Normal Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye, sent it to the Graveyard to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari. He activated Sky Striker Ace – Kagari’s effect to bring Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! back to his hand and Vargas chained Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay in his hand to Special Summon it, draw 2 and send 1 card in his hand back to his Deck while Martin took the Engage in his Graveyard back to his hand. He then activated Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole followed by Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, adding Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor and drawing another card. Martin Set 3 cards to the back, traded his Sky Striker Ace – Kagari for Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku. In the End Phase, Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku’s effect added Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero from his Deck to his hand.

Vargas drew Thunder Dragondark. He Normal Summoned Denko Sekka! Martin now couldn’t activate his 3 Set cards. Vargas followed up with Instant Fusion to Special Summon Thousand-Eyes Restrict from the Extra Deck to the zone Martin’s Shizuku was pointing to. He used Thousand-Eyes Restrict’s effect to absorb Martin’s Shizuku. Vargas then activated Thunder Dragon’s effect, discarding one from his hand to add another from his Deck to his hand, then discarded the second to add the third. Vargas then discarded Thunder Dragondark, discarding it to add another copy of it from his Deck to his hand. He activated Thunder Dragonhawk, discarding it to Special Summon the Thunder Dragondark from the Graveyard. He sent Thousand-Eyes Restrict and Thunder Dragondark to the Graveyard to Link Summon Beat Cop from the Underworld. Martin activated Artifact Lancea and Vargas activated Thunder Dragon Fusion, sending Thunder Dragonhawk and 2 Thunder Dragons from the Graveyard back to the Deck to Fusion Summon Thunder Dragon Titan and Martin extended the handshake!

Gabriel Vargas starts the YCS off strong with a 2-0 victory over Cecil Martin’s Sky Strikers!