Welcome to Round 6! These Duelists are well on their way to a potential Top Cut finish, but there’s still a ways to go! From Toronto, ON, we have Dylan Fricker playing Sky Strikers. He’s facing Jose Maya, from Queens, NY, playing Branded Despia.

Duel 1

Maya started off with Gold Sarcophagus, banishing Tri-Brigade Mercourier. He activated Mercourier’s effect to add Albion the Shrouded Dragon to his hand, then used Albion’s effect, sending Branded Retribution to the Graveyard to draw a new card. He played Allure of Darkness, banishing Aluber the Jester of Despia. He Normal Summoned Guiding Quem, the Virtuous, sending Fallen of Albaz to the Graveyard. He activated Branded Fusion, sending another Fallen of Albaz and Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous to the Graveyard, and Fusion Summoned Albion the Sanctifire Dragon. Quem Special Summoned Cartesia, which used its effect to fuse with Quem for Granguignol the Dusk Dragon in Defense Position. Its effect sent Gimmick Puppet Nightmare to the Graveyard. He Set one back row card.

Fricker drew his card, and Maya used Albion the Sanctifire to Special Summon Gimmick Puppet Nightmare and Guiding Quem, giving the Gimmick Puppet to Fricker. Quem’s effect sent Albion the Shrouded Dragon to the Graveyard. Fricker moved to his Main Phase and played Upstart Goblin. He played Triple Tactics Thrust, but Maya had Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Fricker followed up with Triple Tactics Talent to draw two cards. He moved to the Battle Phase, sending Gimmick Puppet Nightmare to attack Albion, taking 2000 damage to get the Gimmick Puppet off the field. In Main Phase 2, he played Lightning Storm to destroy Albion – Maya’s other monsters were in Defense Position. Fricker played Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners!, destroying Maya’s Granguignol and Set Super Polymerization. Fricker played Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! next, adding Sky Striker Mecha – Shark Cannon and drawing a card. He played Shark Cannon, banishing Cartesia from Maya’s Graveyard. He Set two cards in his back row, and one in his Field Spell Zone.

Maya Normal Summoned Aluber the Jester of Despia, adding Branded in Red. He activated Branded Retribution from his Graveyard, adding Branded Fusion to his hand. He tried to play it, but Fricker used the last card in his hand – Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Maya played Branded in Red next, returning Fallen of Albaz from his Graveyard, and fusing it with Aluber for Lubellion the Searing Dragon. Lubellion discarded Allure of Darkness for its effect, and Quem’s effect targeted Albion the Sanctifire Dragon in the Graveyard. Fricker flipped Infinite Impermanence to negate Quem, then flipped Sky Striker Mobilize – Linkage!, sending Impermanence for the cost. He Special Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Kagari, and Lubellion’s effect fused Fallen of Albaz and Mercourier into Rindbrumm the Striking Dragon! Kagari’s effect activated, and Rindbrumm negated it, bouncing it back to the Extra Deck. Rindbrumm attacked directly, dropping Fricker to 3500 Life Points.

Fricker activated the Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole he drew! He flipped Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero, and used Multirole to send it to the Graveyard. Area Zero Special Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye. He Link Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Kaina and it targeted Rindbrumm. Rindbrumm negated Kaina and bounced it. Fricker used Raye’s effect to Special Summon from the Graveyard, and used it to play Kagari. Kagari returned Engage to the hand, and Quem Special Summoned Albion the Sanctifire Dragon. Maya then used Albion to Special Summon Albion the Shrouded Dragon and hand over Gimmick Puppet Nightmare once again. Now locked out of the ability to Special Summon, Fricker conceded the first Duel.

Duel 2

Fricker started with one back row card, and Normal Summoned Raye. He moved to the End Phase, then used Raye’s effect to Special Summon Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku. Shizuku searched for Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor.

Maya began with Lightning Storm to destroy spells and traps, and Fricker flipped Dimensional Barrier to shut down Fusion Monsters for the turn. Maya Normal Summoned Aluber, adding Branded Opening. He played Allure of Darkness and banished Despian Tragedy. Tragedy’s effect added another Aluber. He played Opening, discarding Fallen of Albaz to Special Summon Guiding Quem, the Virtuous. Quem sent Branded Retribution to the Graveyard. He passed without attacking.

Fricker played Afterburners to destroy Quem. He used Shizuku to play Kagari, and got back Afterburners to destroy Aluber as well. He Normal Summoned Raye and attack with both his monsters. He then used both to play Sky Striker Ace – Zeke, and then that for Shizuku. He Set three cards in his back row, and Shizuku added Engage to his hand.

Maya played Aluber, and Fricker used Widow Anchor to negate it. Maya played Branded Fusion, but Fricker had another Dimensional Barrier! Maya Set one back row card.

Fricker used Shizuku to play Sky Striker Ace – Hayate. At the start of the Battle Phase, Maya flipped Branded Opening, discarding Crossout Designator to Special Summon a third Aluber in Defense Position, and Fricker flipped Infinite Impermanence to negate it. Hayate attacked and destroyed the new Aluber. Then he played Kaina. He played Engage to get Multirole and draw a card. He played Multirole, and Kaina gave him 100 Life Points for each of these spells. He Link Summoned Kagari and got back Engage. He played it, searching for Widow Anchor and drawing another card. He Link Summoned Shizuku, activated another Multirole, and used his previous Multirole to Set three cards. Shizuku searched for Engage.

Maya played Branded Fusion. Fricker used Ash Blossom, but Maya had another Crossout Designator to negate it! Branded Fusion sent Fallen of Albaz and Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous, Fusion Summoning Albion the Sanctifire Dragon! It attacked Shizuku, and Fricker Special Summoned Raye. Aluber attacked Raye.

In Fricker’s Draw Phase, Maya used Albion the Sanctifire Dragon, giving an Albaz to Fricker and an Aluber to himself. Aluber’s effect activated just as the round timer ended. Fricker had a Life Point lead, meaning he would win this Duel.

Thus, this Match ends in a Draw!