The North America Dragon Duel Championship is underway! We’re here in Round 3 with two undefeated Dragon Duelists: Luis H., from Texas, up against Gregory L., from Pennsylvania. This Match pits Sky Strikers against Branded!

Duel 1

Luis began the first Duel with Radiant Typhoon Vision, Sky Striker Mobilize – Linkage!, Sky Striker Ace – Raye, and two copies of Forbidden Crown. He played Vision to draw Droll & Lock Bird and another Linkage, discarding Crown. Gregory activated the effect of Mulcharmy Fuwalos. Luis Normal Summoned Raye and used its effect to bring forth Sky Striker Ace = Zero. Its effect put Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! in his hand, and he used that to add Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to his hand. He played Linkage, and Gregory had a second Fuwalos! Zero was tagged out for Sky Striker Ace – Kagari, getting Engage back in hand. He played it to get Sky Striker Special Maneuver – Lemnisgate! and draw Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion. He Set all his Spells. In the End Phase, Gregory used Bystial Magnamhut to banish Raye from the Graveyard. When Magnamhut hit the field, Luis negated its second effect with Ghost Belle.

Gregory activated the effect of Albion the Shrouded Dragon, sending Branded in High Spirits to the Graveyard and drawing a new card. Luis activated his Droll & Lock Bird. Gregory Normal Summoned Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous, and Luis flipped Forbidden Crown to lock it down. Gregory played Branded Fusion! From his Deck he fused Fallen of the White Dragon and Tri-Brigade Springans Kitt into Albion the Branded Dragon. He activated Albion’s and Kitt’s effects, and Luis used Widow Anchor to negate and gain control of Albion. He then flipped up Linkage to tag out Kagari for Zero. Kitt brought Fallen of the White Dragon to the field, and Zero brought Raye and Sky Striker Ace – Roze to the field, destroying Fallen of the White Dragon. Fallen of the White Dragon’s effect finally resolved, bringing another Incredible Ecclesia to the field. He used Incredible Ecclesia’s effect, Tributing it to Special Summon Fallen of Albaz, discarding Gold Sarcophagus for its effect. Luis Chained Raye’s effect, then flipped Lemnisgate! Albion and Albaz were returned to the hand, and Kagari hit the field. That let Luis get Engage back in his hand. Gregory continued, with Nadir Servant. He sent Titaniklad the Ash Dragon to the Graveyard to add Fallen of the White Dragon from his Graveyard to his hand. He Special Summoned Fallen of the White Dragon by sending Albion the Branded Dragon to the Graveyard. He moved Magnamhut to Attack Position, and it attacked to destroy Kagari. Luis Special Summoned Raye from his Graveyard in Defense Position, and Fallen of the White Dragon destroyed Raye in battle. Gregory Set one card in his back row. In the End Phase, Titaniklad brought Guiding Quem, the Virtuous to the field, which sent Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous to the Graveyard. Albion Set The Fallen & The Virtuous. High Spirits, Cartesia, and Incredible Ecclesia all returned from the Graveyard to his hand.

Luis drew his own copy of The Fallen & The Virtuous. He switched Roze to Attack Position, and Gregory used Incredible Ecclesia to Special Summon Fallen of Albaz. Gregory discarded High Spirits for Albaz’s effect, but Luis used The Fallen & The Virtuous to destroy Albaz before it could fuse, sending Albion to the Graveyard. Luis used Roze to Link Summon Prototype Sky Striker Ace – Amatsu. He activated Engage to add Raye to his hand, and drew Radiant Typhoon Vision. He sent Amatsu to attack, using its effect to destroy Quem and itself. Luis Normal Summoned Raye next, and Link Summoned Kagari. That put Engage back in his hand, and he played it to find Linkage and draw Droll & Lock Bird. He activated Vision to draw Reinforcement of the Army and The Fallen & The Virtuous, discarding Fallen. He played Linkage, and Gregory flipped up Branded Retribution to negate it! Luis played Reinforcement of the Army, adding Roze to his hand. He used Kagari to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Hayate, then Special Summoned Roze. He then used Hayate and Roze to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Zeke! It banished Fallen of the White Dragon until the end of Gregory’s turn. He used Zeke to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku, and its effect put Widow Anchor in his hand. Then, his previously sent Albion Set The Fallen & The Virtuous on the field. Gregory flipped up The Fallen & The Virtuous to send The Dragon that Devours the Dogma to the Graveyard. He used Dogma’s effect to add The Fallen & The Virtuous to his hand, then returned High Spirits and Incredible Ecclesia to his hand as well.

Gregory played High Spirits, discarding Incredible Ecclesia and sending Granguignol the Dusk Dragon to the Graveyard to add Fallen of the White Dragon to his hand. Luis activated Droll & Lock Bird. Gregory sent Ecclesia and the Dark Dragon to the Graveyard to Special Summon Fallen of the White Dragon. He used Ecclesia and the Dark Dragon’s effect in the Graveyard, targeting Luis’s The Fallen & The Virtuous, and Luis Chained it to destroy Incredible Ecclesia. Gregory Normal Summoned Albaz, discarding Branded Open to fuse with Shizuku into Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon, and used its effect to banish Raye. He used Retribution to get Branded Fusion back in his hand. He played that to bring  forth Albion the Branded Dragon. He activated its effect, and Luis conceded!

Duel 2

Luis started this time with Reinforcement of the Army, Raye, Forbidden Crown, Pot of Desires, and Solemn Accusation. He led with Reinforcement of the Army to get Roze. He Normal Summoned Raye and Special Summoned Roze, using both for Sky Striker Ace – Azalea. He played Desires to draw Raye and Vision. He played Vision for Ash Blossom and Upstart Goblin, discarding Crown. He played Upstart to draw Triple Tactics Talent. He Link Summoned Shizuku, and Set Accusation. Shizuku put Linkage in his hand. He played Linkage to swap Shizuku for Zero, and Zero put Engage in his hand.

Gregory led with Pot of Sloth, and Luis flipped Accusation, paying 3000 Life Points to banish all copies of Pot of Sloth from Gregory’s Deck. Gregory played High Spirits, and Luis used Ash Blossom. Gregory used The Fallen & The Virtuous, sending Titaniklad to the Graveyard to destroy Zero. Luis brought Raye back to the field. Gregory Set two cards in his back row. He activated Titaniklad’s effect, and Luis responded with Raye to bring Zero to the field. Gregory Special Summoned Guiding Quem, which sent Incredible Ecclesia to the Graveyard. He returned that to his hand. Luis used Zero, bringing Roze and Raye to the field and destroying a Set The Fallen & The Virtuous.

Luis drew another Solemn Accusation, then used both monsters to Link Summon Zeke, and it was hit by Forbidden Crown. Luis played Engage to get Linkage and drew Sky Striker Mecha – Shark Cannon. He Set Accusation, Linkage, and Widow Anchor.

Gregory Normal Summoned Aluber the Jester of Despia, which let him find Branded Fusion. He played it, but Luis hit it with Solemn Accusation for 1500 Life Points. Luis then flipped up Linkage, tagging Zeke out for Zero. Gregory used Quem and Aluber for The Three Champions of Swordsoul. Its effect put Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous in his hand. Then, he used The Three Champions to attack, but Linkage had given Zero 1000 ATK! Gregory was unphased by losing the battle, and continued by using Fallen of the White Dragon to Special Summon Incredible Ecclesia. He used both monsters to Synchro Summon Ecclesia and the Dark Dragon, and used its effect to Special Summon Guiding Quem. Quem sent Tri-Brigade Springans Kitt to the Graveyard, and Luis responded with Shark Cannon to banish Fallen of the White Dragon from the Graveyard. Kitt brought The Three Champions back to the field.

Luis drew Engage! He played it to search up Widow Anchor and draw his third Accusation. He used Zero’s effect, Gregory Chained Ecclesia and the Dark Dragon, and Luis Chained Widow Anchor to negate and steal it. Zero destroyed Quem and brought both Roze and Raye to the field. He sent Ecclesia to collide with The Three Champions. Then, he used Talent to reveal Gregory’s hand two copies of Cartesia, putting one back in the Deck. He used Raye to playe Kagari, which put Engage in his hand. He used Engage to get Lemnisgate and draw Desires. He used Roze and Kagari for Sky Striker Ace – Camellia. Finally, he Set Accusation and Lemnisgate.

Gregory used the Graveyard effect of Ecclesia and the Dark Dragon, banishing Luis’s Set Solemn Accusation. Gregory Set a monster and a back row card. In the End Phase, Luis flipped Lemnisgate to return both of Gregory’s cards to the hand. That gave him the opening he needed to end this Duel and even the score!

Duel 3

Luis began the final Duel with Pot of Desires, Upstart Goblin, Engage, and two copies of Pot of Sloth.

Gregory started with Fallen of the White Dragon, sending Titaniklad to the Graveyard. Fallen’s effect let him Special Summon Incredible Ecclesia, and he used that for The Golden Swordsoul. He Synchro Summoned Ecclesia and the Dark Dragon. He used that to Special Summon Quem, and had Quem send Tri-Brigade Springans Kitt to the Graveyard, which Special Summoned Incredible Ecclesia. He Synchro Summoned The Three Champions of Swordsoul, which revived Fallen of the White Dragon and put Cartesia in hand. He Special Summoned Cartesia, and fused it with Fallen of the White Dragon for Granguignol. It sent Diabellze the Original Sinkeeper to the Graveyard. He Normal Summoned Aluber to get The Fallen & The Virtuous. He used that to Special Summon Diabellze, and Set two cards. Ecclesia and the Dark Dragon returned in the End Phase.

Luis drew Linkage. Due to Diabellze, he was forced to Set each of his Spell Cards before activating them. He Set and played Upstart to draw Lemnisgate. Then he Set and played Sloth, and Gregory flipped Solemn Judgment to negate it. He Set Lemnisgate, and Gregory used Diabellze to destroy the Set Lemnisgate and his own Aluber. Luis now played his second Pot of Sloth, since the first was negated.

He drew a ton of cards, put several back, and wound up with a hand of Triple Tactics Talent, Forbidden Crown, and two copies of Engage. He played Engage to get Raye in hand and drew Desires. He played another Engage to find Widow Anchor and draw The Fallen & The Virtuous. He used Desires to draw Shark Anchor and Engage! He played Engage to get another Widow Anchor and draw Raye. He played Talent to take control of Ecclesia and the Dark Dragon. He Normal Summoned Raye, and used both monsters to play Azalea. Its effect destroyed Diabellze. Gregory used The Fallen & The Virtuous to Special Summon Diabellze. Azalea attacked and destroyed it. In Main Phase 2, Luis used The Fallen & The Virtuous to send Albion to the Graveyard and destroy Quem. He used Azalea to Link Summon Kagari and return Engage. He played that to get Lemnisgate, and drew Radiant Typhoon Vision. He played that to draw Linkage and Desires, then Linkage brought Zero to the field. Engage got Lemnis, and he returned all of Gregory’s field to the Extra Deck. He Set four back row cards, and Albion’s effect activated to get another card. Gregory knew he wasn’t making a comeback from this, and offered the handshake!

Luis H. takes this Match with Sky Strikers!