We’re in the Top 8 of the Advanced Format Main Event at YCS Montréal! Duelists have been competing all weekend long, and we’re down to eight Duelists competing for the title of YCS  Montréal champion! Both Michael Joseph Albanese and Dave Vecht are playing the Kewl Tune Deck, a strategy that has been popular all weekend long. Let’s find out who will be moving on to the Top 4! It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Vecht won the die roll and chose to go first! He opened with two copies of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Kewl Tune Cue, Kewl Tune Clip, and Synchro Overtake. He started by activating Overtake, but was met by Albanese’s Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion! Next, Vecht Normal Summoned Cue and activated its effect, Special Summoning Kewl Tune Rotary from the Deck. He used Ash Blossom and Rotary to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune Track Maker, then used their effects to look at Albanese’s hand of Kewl Tune Cue, The Fallen & The Virtuous, Kewl Tune Reco, and Duelist Genesis, as well as search for both JJ “Kewl Tune” and Kewl Tune Synchro. From there, Vecht activated JJ, then activated its effect, Tributing Cue, then Special Summoning Kewl Tune Reco from the Deck and searching for Kewl Tune Mix. He used his additional Normal Summon to bring out Mix and add Cue back to hand, then used Mix and Cue to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune Remix! He looked at the top two cards of Albanese’s Deck, banishing Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion and returning Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to the top. Finally, Vecht Set a card to his backrow and ended his turn.

Albanese started by activating Duelist Genesis, searching for Synchro Overtake. He then Normal Summoned Kewl Tune Reco and searched for Kewl Tune Rotary. Here, Vecht activated the effect of Remix. Albanese Chained The Fallen & The Virtuous, targeting Vecht’s Track Maker, and Vecht Chained Kewl Tune Synchro; Albanese had Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, but Vecht activated the effect of Kewl Tune Clip as Chain Link 5! To resolve the Chain, Vecht used Clip and Track Maker to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune Loudness War, then resolved the effect of Remix to Special Summon Mix, add Cue back to hand, then use Mix and Reco to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune RS! In the following Chain, Vecht used the effect of Mix to destroy Albanese’s Reco. Albanese followed up by activating Synchro Overtake, but Vecht Chained the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! Finally, Albanese activated the effect of Kewl Tune Rotary, revealing Cue then Normal Summoning it. He activated its effect, but Vecht activated Loudness War’s effect as Chain Link 2, banishing Mix from his Graveyard, as well as RS’s effect as Chain Link 3, negating Cue’s effect! With no other pushes, Albanese conceded the first Duel.

Duel 2

Vecht opened with Pot of Prosperity, Kewl Tune Mix, Dominus Impulse, and two copies of Dominus Spark.

Albanese chose to go first this time! He Normal Summoned Kewl Tune Reco and activated its effect, but Albanese Chained Dominus Purge. Albanese then used Reco and Effect Veiler to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune Track Maker! He used Track Maker’s effect to search for JJ “Kewl Tune”, then activated it, and used its effect to Tribute Track Maker and search for Kewl Tune Cue. He used his additional Normal Summon to bring out Cue and Special Summon Kewl Tune Mix, then used Mix’s effect to search for Kewl Tune Rotary. Albanese then used Rotary and Cue to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune Track Maker! He looked at the top two cards of Vecht’s Deck, banishing Kewl Tune Synchro and returning Dominus Purge to the top of Vecht’s Deck, then looked at Vecht’s hand and searched for Kewl Tune Synchro. Albanese then activated Kewl Tune Synchro, searching for Kewl Tune Mix, then used Mix and Track Maker to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune Loudness War. Afterwards, he used the remaining Mix on his field and Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion from hand to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune Remix. Finally, he Set two cards to his backrow. During the End Phase, Vecht activated Dominus Spark, banishing Albanese’s Loudness War; Albanese Chained the effect of Loudness War, banishing Rotary from the Graveyard, which allowed him to look at Vecht’s hand and search for another copy of Kewl Tune Synchro.

Vecht drew another copy of Purge for turn. He started his turn by activating Pot of Prosperity, excavating Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Mulcharmy Fuwalos, Effect Veiler, Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion, Infinite Impermanence, and Kewl Tune Rotary from the top of his Deck. He chose to add Effect Veiler to hand. Afterward, Albanese activated the effect of Remix, Tributing it to Special Summon Kewl Tune Mix and add Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion back to hand. However, when Albanese activated the effect of Kewl Tune Mix, Vecht Chained Dominus Purge! Vecht followed up by Normal Summoning Kewl Tune Mix, but was unable to activate its effect, so Albanese immediately activated The Fallen & The Virtuous, sending Albion the Branded Dragon to the Graveyard to destroy Mix. Vecht Set a card to his backrow and ended his turn. During the End Phase, Albanese Set another copy of The Fallen & The Virtuous to his backrow.

Albanese started his turn in the Draw Phase by activating Kewl Tune Synchro! He searched for Kewl Tune Cue, then Normal Summoned it and activated its effect. Vecht Chained Effect Veiler, but Albanese responded with Called by the Grave! Albanese resolved Cue’s effect to Special Summon Kewl Tune Track Maker from the Graveyard, allowing him to search for another copy of Kewl Tune Synchro. He then Normal Summoned Reco and added Mix back to hand. Here, Vecht activated Dominus Spark, targeting Albanese’s Reco, but Albanese Chained Kewl Tune Synchro! Vecht was unable to stop Albanese from swarming the field with Kewl Tune monsters, so he conceded.

Duel 3

Vecht opened the final Duel with Dominus Purge, Pot of Prosperity, Kewl Tune Synchro, Called by the Grave, and Fydraulis Harmonia. In the Draw Phase, Vecht activated Kewl Tune Synchro; Albanese responded with the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, and Vecht Chained Called by the Grave! Vecht resolved Kewl Tune Synchro to search for Kewl Tune Cue. In the Standby Phase, Albanese activated the effect of Mulcharmy Purulia. Vecht activated Pot of Prosperity, excavating Kewl Tune Rotary, Kewl Tune Clip, Kewl Tune Cue, Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, and two copies of Effect Veiler from the top of his Deck, then chose to add Rotary to hand. He activated the effect of Rotary, then Normal Summoned Cue and activated its effect. In response, Albanese Chained the effect of Mulcharmy Fuwalos! Vecht Special Summoned Rotary from hand, but Albanese drew a card anyways due to the effect of Purulia. Vecht used Rotary and Cue to Synchro SummonKewl Tune Track Maker, then used their effects to look at Albanese’s hand, then search for two copies of Kewl Tune Synchro. Finally, Vecht Set three cards to his backrow and ended his turn.

Albanese started his turn by Normal Summoning Kewl Tune Reco and searching for Kewl Tune Rotary, as Vecht activated the effect of Fydraulis Harmonia, Special Summoning it, destroying Reco, and sending Golden Cloud Beast – Malong to the Graveyard. Next, Albanese activated the effect of Rotary, revealing Mix in hand, then Normal Summoned Mix and searched for Kewl Tune Cue. Albanese then used Mix on the field and Reco from hand to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune RS! He activated the effects of Mix and Reco to destroy Vecht’s Track Maker and face-down Kewl Tune Synchro, respectively. Vecht Chained the Kewl Tune Synchro, but Albanese followed up by activating the effect of RS. In response, Vecht activated his other copy of Kewl Tune Synchro! He searched for Rotary, then used Rotary and Track Maker to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune Loudness War. In a new Chain, Vecht used Track Maker’s effect to return RS to the Extra Deck, as well as Rotary’s effect to look at Albanese’s hand of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, JJ “Kewl Tune”, Kewl Tune Synchro, Kewl Tune Rotary, and Kewl Tune Cue, then search for a copy of JJ “Kewl Tune”. Albanese activated JJ, then used his additional Normal Summon to bring out Cue and Special Summon Reco from the Graveyard. He used Cue and Rotary to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune Track Maker, then activated the effects of his Kewl Tune monsters to look at the top two cards of Vecht’s Deck, banishing Kewl Tune Cue and returning Kewl Tune Mix to the top; look at Vecht’s hand; and search for two copies of Kewl Tune Synchro. Meanwhile, Vecht activated Loudness War’s effect, banishing Track Maker from his Graveyard to return Albanese’s Track Maker to the Extra Deck. Albanese activated Kewl Tune Synchro, and Vecht Chained Dominus Purge! Albanese activated his second copy of Kewl Tune Synchro, searching for another copy of Kewl Tune Reco, then used the two copies of Reco to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune Loudness War. Albanese proceeded to the Battle Phase and used his Loudness War to attack Vecht’s Loudness War, then Set a card to his backrow and ended his turn.

Vecht drew Kewl Tune Mix for turn! He activated JJ, but Albanese Chained the effect of Loudness War, banishing Reco from his Graveyard to destroy JJ. Vecht then Normal Summoned Kewl Tune Mix and activated its effect, but was met by Albanese’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! He switched Harmonia to Defense Position and ended his turn. During the End Phase, Albanese activated Kewl Tune Synchro, searching for Kewl Tune Cue. 

Albanese began his turn by Normal Summoning Kewl Tune Cue! He brought back Kewl Tune Reco from the Graveyard, then added Kewl Tune Rotary back to hand. He used Rotary and Cue to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune Track Maker, then searched for another copy of Kewl Tune Rotary and returned Called By the Grave to the bottom of Vecht’s Deck. Albanese used Track Maker and Loudness War to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune B2B, then used the effect of Track Maker to return Mix to Vecht’s hand. Finally, Albanese activated The Fallen & The Virtuous, destroying Harmonia, then attacked Vecht’s Life Points directly twice with each of his Kewl Tune monsters to wipe out Vecht’s Life Points.

Albanese is moving on to the Top 4 here at YCS Montréal!