Sky Strikers got a bit of a boost with the new Forbidden & Limited List moving Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to 2-per-Deck, and it bog buffed again with the release of Sky Striker Ace – Azalea in Battles of Legend: Monstrous Revenge. The Deck’s back in competition this weekend, and Dylan Fricker’s managed to take Raye, Roze, and the rest of the squad all the way to the Top 16.

His opponent this Round is Enzo Velasco, piloting a Kashtira Deck that’s adapted for the new era of Limited Arise-Heart. With one Deck powered up for the current Advanced Format and the other notably nerfed, it might be interesting to see which one moves on to the Top 8.

Fricker opened the Match with Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero, Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye, targeted it with Area’s effect and Chained Raye’s ability. He Special Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Kainaand revealed 3 cards from the top of his Deck: Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole, Lightning Storm, and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. He took the Multirole, then tagged out Kaina for Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku. He activated Multirole, then used Shizuku’s effect in the End Phase to get Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor. He used it on Shizuku, then Set with Multirole.

Velasco activated Pressured Planet Wraitsoth, and Chained Dimension Shifter. He searched Kashtira Fenrir, activated Kashtiratheosis, Summoned Kashtira Unicorn, and used its effect, losing out to Widow Anchor. He activated Fenrir’s effect to get Kashtira Riseheart, Special Summoned it, entered Battle and attacked Shizuku with Riseheart with 1900 ATK. Fricker Special Summoned Raye and Fenrir attacked it. Fricker used Fenrir’s effect on Multirole.

He made Kashtira Shangri-Ira in Main Phase 2 and locked one of Fricker’s Monster Zones. He Summoned Fenrir and used Wraitsoth targeting Area Zero to destroy it, then overlaid for another Shangri-Ira, upgrading it into Kashtire Arise-Heart. He activated Pot of Prosperity for 6, got Ash Blossom, and used Ariseheart’s effect to attach Kashtiratheosis. He Set a card to his back row to end.

In Fricker’s Standby Phase, Velasco used Shangri-Ira to Summon a Fenrir. Fricker moved to his Main Phase and activated Harpie’s Feather Duster. When Velasco flipped the Set card and revealed it to be Forbidden Lance, which he used to target Ariseheart, Fricker conceded. 

Enzo Velasco plays a strong turn going second, opening with Dimension Shifter and comboing off to go wide with double Shangri-Ira into Arise-Heart. Dylan Fricker can’t get over the wall, and Velasco’s now just 1 win away from the Top 8!

Velasco opened the second Duel with Terraforming, searching Pressured Planet Wraitsoth. He played it to get Kashtira Unicorn, searched Kashtiratheosis, played it to target Kashtira Unicorn, Summoned Fenrir, and used it to go fetch another Unicorn. He Special Summoned Kashtira Riseheart to banish Kashtiratheosis, overlaid everything, and made Kashtira Arise-Heart. He activated Pot of Prosperity to banish 6 cards from his Extra Deck and picked Forbidden Lance. He attached Infinitrack Goliath to his Arise-Heart and Set 1 card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Play was to Fricker. He activated Pot of Desires to banish 10 cards and draw 2, then activated Triple Tactics Talent and Chained Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor. He Normal Summoned Raye, swapped her out for Sky Striker Ace – Hayate and attacked. He Sent Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to the Graveyard wth Hayate. When Fricker tried to move to Main Phase 2, Velasco detached from Arise-Heart, and while its effect was negated it let him send Garura, Wings of Resonant Life to the Graveyard for a draw. 

Fricker moved to Main Phase 2. He activated Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole, tagged out Hayate for Sky Striker Ace – Kagari, got back Engage and activated Sky Striker Mobilize – Linkage! He Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Kaina and played Engage to search Sky Striker Ace – Roze. He drew a card, activated Terraforming to search… nothing, because his target was banished… and tagged out for Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku, Special Summoning Sky Striker Ace – Roze. He used both to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Zeke, banished Arise-Heart with its effect, and Set a card to move to his End Phase. He used Multirole to Set Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor and Engage from his Graveyard.

Velasco Summoned Kashtira Unicorn and ran into Called by the Grave, with Fricker targeting the previous Unicorn. Velasco activated Kashtira Birth, Summoned Kashtira Fenrir, activated its effect and Fricker flipped Anchor, taking the Fenrir. Velasco activated Birth to banish Fricker’s Raye, Linkage, and Roze from his Graveyard.  He activated Pressured Planet Wraitsoth, searched Kashtira Riseheart, Special Summoned it, banished the top 3 cards from Fricker’s Deck, and Xyz Summoned Dark Armed, the Dragon of Annihilation to attack and destroy Zeke. In Main Phase 2, Velasco detached from Dark Armed to destroy Fricker’s Set Engage, banished Kashtiratheosis to get back a Birth, and detached to destroy Multirole. He Set 1 card to finish out. And that was it! Velasco got back his Fenrir and his Arise-Heart, Fricker checked his next card, and he conceded the Match then and there.

Sky Strikers hit some turbulence, and Enzo Velasco moves on to the Top 8 with Kashtira!