We’re in Round 3, and the VIP Duelists are joining the fray! Mario De Micco is fresh off his incredible performance at the North America WCQ, where he both won the WQP Playoff and Top 8’d the Main Event! Now he’s in his home town of Montréal, looking for a YCS Championship title with his Kewl Tune Deck. He’s facing Vinicius Curcio, who’s traveled all the way from São Paulo, Brazil! Curcio’s using Sky Strikers, a strategy that’s been on the rise since Ryan Yu’s phenomenal win at the NAWCQ.

Duel 1

Curcio won the roll and played first. De Micco had a hand of Kewl Tune Rotary, Kewl Tune Clip, Duelist Genesis, Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, and Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion.

Curcio began in the Draw Phase with Radiant Typhoon Vision, then Chained Sky Striker Mobilize – Linkage! to send Vision to the Graveyard and Special Summon Sky Striker Ace = Zero. Vision let him draw two cards and discard Sky Striker Special Maneuver – Lemnisgate!. He activated Zero’s effect, and De Micco Chained Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit to destroy it. Curcio added Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to his hand. He moved to the Main Phase and activated it to add Sky Striker Ace – Raye to his hand and draw a card. He Normal Summoned Raye, then Link Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Kagari to return Engage to his hand. He played Engage again, adding Linkage to his hand and drawing another card. He played yet another Engage, this time adding Lemnisgate and drawing once more. He Set a whopping five cards in his back row, then used Kagari to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Hayate. He used Hayate to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku. In the End Phase, Shizuku let him add Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones to his hand.

De Micco drew Kewl Tune Synchro. He played Duelist Genesis, adding another Kewl Tune Synchro to his hand, and Curcio activated Droll & Lock Bird. De Micco Chained Kewl Tune Synchro to add JJ “Kewl Tune” to his hand before Droll took effect. De Micco activated JJ “Kewl Tune”, then used Rotary’s effect to Normal Summon the Rotary. He used JJ, Tributing Rotary. Curcio had Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit to destroy the Field Spell and prevent it from resolving, and De Micco conceded!

Duel 2

De Micco began this time with Kewl Tune Synchro, Kewl Tune Rotary, Ghost Belle, Kewl Tune Mix, and Dominus Purge. Curcio made the first move, activating Mulcharmy Fuwalos. De Micco Normal Summoned Mix and added Kewl Tune Reco to his hand. He used Rotary’s effect to Normal Summon Reco, adding Kewl Tune Clip to his hand. He used Reco and Rotary to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune Track Maker, and activated both effects. Track Maker added Kewl Tune Synchro to his hand, and Rotary revealed Curcio’s hand: The Fallen & The Virtuous, Linkage, Lemnisgate, Raye, and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring; then added Kewl Tune Playlist to his hand. De Micco Set everything but Ghost Belle and Clip to finish the turn.

Curcio Normal Summoned Raye and used its effect to bring Zero to the field. He tried Tributing Zero for its effect, but De Micco negated it with Ghost Belle. Curcio actived The Fallen & The Virtuous, sending Albion the Branded Dragon to the Graveyard to destroy Track Maker. De Micco Chained Kewl Tune Clip from his hand. He Special Summoned Clip, then used it and Track Maker to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune Loudness War. Clip then temporarily banished Ecclesia and the Dark Dragon from Curcio’s Extra Deck. Curcio Set two back row cards and moved to the Battle Phase. He activated Linkage, sending a face-down The Fallen & The Virtuous to the Graveyard to Special Summon Hayate. It attacked Mix, De Micco flipped Kewl Tune Synchro, and Curcio used his last card in hand: Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. De Micco had known about the Ash Blossom thanks to Rotary, and Chained Loudness War, banishing Rotary to use the effect of returning Raye from the Deck to the Graveyard. Then, De Micco flipped his second Kewl Tune Synchro – Curcio conceded! He’d spent all his resources, and knew De Micco would be ending things next turn.

Duel 3

De Micco’s final opening hand was Reco, Mix, Harpie’s Feather Duster, and two copies of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.

Curcio led with Engage, adding Linkage to his hand. He Normal Summoned Raye, using it to bring Kagari to the field. He returned Engage to his hand, then played it again to add Sky Striker Ace – Roze to his hand. He used Kagari to Link Summon Hayate, then Special Summoned Roze. He used both monsters to Link Summon Camellia, which sent Lemnisgate to the Graveyard. He activated Linkage, sending Sky Striker Ace – Camellia to the Graveyard to bring Zero to the field. Zero put another Engage in his hand, and he played it – De Micco now negated it with Ash Blossom. Curcio simply activated another Engage, adding Linkage to his hand and drawing a card. He played Linkage, sending Zero to the Graveyard to bring Shizuku to the field. He Set a card in his back row, and Shizuku let him add Hornet Drones to his hand.

De Micco drew Mulcharmy Fuwalos, and activated its effect to start the turn. He played Harpie’s Feather Duster, and Curcio flipped Linkage to tag out Shizuku for Zero. De Micco drew Infinite Impermanence with his Fuwalos effect. Curcio activated Zero’s effect, then Chained Droll & Lock Bird since De Micco had drawn a card. De Micco Chained Infinite Impermanence to negate Zero’s effects. He Normal Summoned Reco, using it and the Mix in his hand to Synchro Summon Kewl Tune Remix in Defense Position.

Curcio Tributed Zero for its effect in the Draw Phase, and De Micco used Ash Blossom. Curcio used Forbidden Crown on Remix, then played Hornet Drones to Special Summon a Sky Striker Ace Token. He Link Summoned Kagari to get Engage back in his hand. Engage let him add Lemnisgate to his hand and draw a card. He played Pot of Desires next, drawing two more cards. He used Kagari to Link Summon Prototype Sky Striker Ace – Amatsu, then Set three cards in his back row.

De Micco drew Fuwalos. He passed the turn. In the End Phase, Curcio used Lemnisgate to recycle his many Link Monsters and Spell Cards, returning Kewl Tune Remix to the Extra Deck.

Curcio used Amatsu to Link Summon Kagari, adding Engage to his hand. He played Engage to get Linkage and draw a card. He played Linkage, De Micco Chained Fuwalos, and Curcio had Ash Blossom! De Micco had no cards in his hand or field, and offered the handshake!

Vinicius Curcio claims victory in this Match with Sky Strikers!