Chapter 207. Sky Striker Step Three: Lethal Routes! Accesscode Breakthrough and Linkage Four Slashes!
Not only did the Duelists of the LINK-dominated world think this way.
Even Seto Kaiba and Kite Tenjo—who always chase high ATK and raw power—were thinking the same thing.
Four Link 1 Sky Striker monsters!
They all have 1500 ATK.
A mere 1500!
In the DM world,
even low-Level Normal Monsters at times aren't worth running anymore!
Sometimes raw ATK really does solve everything!
The simplest, most brutal way is to clear boards through battle!
Even if Sky Striker's Link 1s can climb, how high can they really go?
Even if they can attack directly, how much damage can they actually push?
Now,
they were all starting to doubt Sky Striker's OTK potential!
Sky Striker player: "Next are several other Sky Striker Link Monsters—just a quick look!"
Sky Striker player: "You won't run many copies!"
Sky Striker player: "They mainly shine at key moments!"
"And when you go for game, you may need them!"
"Link 2! 'Sky Striker Ace - Zeke'!"
"2 monsters, including a 'Sky Striker Ace' monster!"
"When Link Summoned: target 1 face-up monster on the field; banish it until your opponent's next End Phase."
"Once per turn, send 1 card you control to the GY; this card gains 1000 ATK."
"In other words, it can hit 2500 ATK!"
"Link 2! 'Sky Striker Ace - Azalea'!"
"2 LIGHT and/or DARK monsters."
"If Special Summoned: target 1 card on the field; destroy it, then if you have 3 or fewer Spells in your GY, send this card to the GY."
"Once per turn, at the start of the Damage Step, if this card battles: you can banish 1 Spell from your GY; destroy that opponent's monster."
"Link 2! 'Sky Striker Ace - Camellia'!"
"2 Effect Monsters!"
"Once per turn, if you have 3 or fewer Spells in your GY: send 1 'Sky Striker' card from your Deck to the GY."
"If this card is sent to the GY: target 1 monster your opponent controls; Special Summon this card to your opponent's field and send that target to the GY. Control of this card returns to its owner during this turn's End Phase."
"Link 3! 'Sky Striker Ace - Azalea Temperance'!"
"2+ monsters, including a Link Monster!"
"If this card is Special Summoned: you can banish 1 Spell from your hand or GY, then target 1 monster your opponent controls with 2500 or less ATK; treat it as an Equip Spell and equip it to this card."
"When this card is destroyed by battle: you can Special Summon 1 other 'Sky Striker' monster from your hand or GY."
"These are all cards you can include—but you can also consider not playing them!"
"After all, as a Link deck!"
"Sky Striker can also run 'Accesscode Talker', etc.!"
Indeed!
Judging by these Sky Striker monsters alone,
they feel completely different from the four core Spells!
They're still Link 2s and easy to field,
but their effects skew more offensive!
They're nothing like the four core Spells that search/recover "Sky Striker" cards,
then chip you for a little damage here and there!
The former gives you a sense of outflanking tactics.
The latter hits you with intense pressure!
You can really feel the difference!
Sky Striker player: "After seeing these, once you've learned the first two steps above,"
Sky Striker player: "we can proceed to Step 3!"
Sky Striker player: "That is—the Sky Striker lethal-combo tutorial!"
"First, for lethal routes!"
"I split them into two kinds: in-archetype lethal, and Accesscode Talker lethal!"
"Once you learn these two—plus the first two Sky Striker steps—"
"your Sky Striker is basically online!"
"Let's start with the off-axis finish—Accesscode Talker!"
"When you're sure you can suppress the opponent and have lethal, then you execute the kill combo!"
"Let's watch a clip from one of my matches!"
"Think about it: if it were you,"
"how would you use this hand to OTK the opponent?"
As soon as the Sky Striker player finished,
the tutorial cut to an ordinary-looking Duel scene!
The opponent was a Number/Utopia player!
They had taken the first turn.
After building a board,
the Utopia player controlled three monsters:
"Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy," a Spell negate!
"Number 99: Utopia Dragonar," with 2 materials and the ability to pull monsters!
"ZS - Utopic Sage," which can set up destruction!
No back row.
Going second was the Sky Striker player!
After drawing, they had 5 cards:
"Reinforcement of the Army," "Sky Striker Mecha - Hornet Drones," two copies of "Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor," and one "Sky Striker Mecha - Shark Cannon"!
Seeing this board,
the old-guard Duelists immediately began organizing their plan by the Sky Striker three-step!
With "Reinforcement" and Hornet Drones,
a Link 1 Sky Striker start was guaranteed.
Two Widow Anchors meant negation/control.
One Shark Cannon meant reviving from the opponent's GY.
This hand! Quite good!
But OTK 8000 LP in a single turn?
Wouldn't that be a bit hard?
Yugi Muto: "Feels unlikely to OTK. If it were 4000 LP I'd bet on it."
Jaden Yuki: "Mr. Yugi, really? Don't forget Accesscode Talker!"
Yusei Fudo: "True—but even with Accesscode, facing three monsters, one turn to OTK is tough, no?"
Yusaku Fujiki: "Perhaps that Shark Cannon is the breakthrough?"
The Duelists in the chat blew up with debate.
Some believed there was no way to OTK.
Naturally, some insisted it was certainly possible.
They just didn't know the precise activation order for these Spells!
Two negations.
Do you fire into Titanic Galaxy first?
Or hold them for whatever Dragonar might summon?
Brain-burn! Too much!
They just couldn't find the line to OTK!
This kind of endgame board state is brutal!
Sky Striker player: "Alright, I trust you experts now have an idea!"
Sky Striker player: "Here's my line! Watch closely!"
Sky Striker player: "This also tests your sense of proper Sky Striker Spell sequencing."
"First, I activate 'Reinforcement of the Army'!"
Utopia player: "Chain Link 2—'Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy'!"
Utopia player: "I negate your 'Reinforcement of the Army'!"
Sky Striker player: "Chain Link 3—'Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor'!"
Sky Striker player: "I negate your Titanic Galaxy!"
Utopia player: "Chain Link 4—'Maxx 'C''!"
Sky Striker player: "Chain Link 5—'Sky Striker Mecha - Hornet Drones'!"
Sky Striker player: "I Special Summon a 'Sky Striker Ace Token'!"
Sky Striker player: "Resolve!"
"'Reinforcement' resolves; I add 'Sky Striker Ace - Roze' from my Deck!"
"I Normal Summon 'Sky Striker Ace - Roze'!"
"I Link Summon with Roze and the Token!"
"Link 2! 'Sky Striker Ace - Zeke'!"
"Zeke's effect: banish your 'ZS - Utopic Sage' until your next End Phase!"
Utopia player: "Chain Link 2—'Number 99: Utopia Dragonar'!"
Sky Striker player: "Chain Link 3—'Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor' to negate!"
Sky Striker player: "Chain Link 4—'Sky Striker Mecha - Shark Cannon'!"
Sky Striker player: "Resolve!"
"Shark Cannon: I Special Summon your 'Maxx 'C'' from your GY to my field!"
"Widow Anchor: after negation, with 3 Spells in GY, I take control of your 'Number 99: Utopia Dragonar'!"
"CL1: Zeke successfully banishes ZS - Utopic Sage!"
"At the same time, I trigger 'Sky Striker Ace - Roze' in the GY and Special Summon her!"
"Roze + Zeke → Link Summon!"
"Link 3! 'Knightmare Unicorn'!"
"Unicorn + 'Maxx 'C'' → Link climb!"
"Check Link arrows!"
"—!"
"Link 4! 'Accesscode Talker'!"
"Accesscode effect: I choose 'Knightmare Unicorn' in the GY!"
"Since Unicorn's Link Rating is 3, Accesscode goes to 5300 ATK!"
"Now the opponent only has Titanic Galaxy left!"
"I banish a Link from the GY by Attribute and pop Titanic Galaxy!"
"At this point, the opponent's field is empty."
"The lethal OTK is done!"
"First swing—'Accesscode Talker'! 5300 damage!"
"Second swing—'Number 99: Utopia Dragonar'! 3000 damage!"
"Duel over. Victory secured!"
Stunned!
Everyone was stunned!
Duelists across all worlds
were staring, slack-jawed, at this compact Sky Striker → Accesscode Talker lethal line!
Wait, what?!
He actually got lethal?
No way?!
Against Utopia!
There were three monsters—including a negate!
And that still got OTK'd in one go?!
DM world.
Seto Kaiba's eyes widened in disbelief!
Even though the final blows weren't by Sky Striker monsters,
you can't deny: without Sky Striker,
there's no way this happens!
This is the power of Sky Striker Spells!
So strong! Too strong!
ZEXAL world.
Seeing this, Yuma Tsukumo and Astral twitched at the corners of their mouths!
They had thought, this time with Utopia,
Sky Striker wouldn't be able to break through!
But not only did it break,
it OTK'd you on top!
Can you believe that?
"It really works! That Sky Striker Accesscode line is cracked!"
"5300, plus non-chainable pops!"
"Yeah, that's a problem!"
"Almost forgot Accesscode is a Link 4!"
Kite Tenjo drew a sharp breath!
He'd been puzzling out a lethal route.
Now he was just numb!
So this endgame board… was that easy?
VRAINS world.
Yusaku Fujiki, Go Onizuka, and Spectre were floored!
They had thought Sky Striker's kill pressure might be lacking.
But after watching this,
Yusaku couldn't keep a straight face!
Right—how strong is Accesscode?
If anyone knows, he does!
Don't be fooled by Sky Striker running just one main-deck monster!
Its Spells can roll out Link Ratings!
Climbing to Link 4 is no problem at all!
No wonder it can kill so easily!
It's Accesscode!
No wonder!
So the only question left—
is how Sky Striker's in-archetype line seals the game!
Sky Striker player: "Now that you understand the Accesscode line,"
Sky Striker player: "as long as you can really threaten lethal,"
Sky Striker player: "you can use Sky Striker's Spells to do all sorts of unexpected things!"
"For example, reborn an opponent's GY monster; or if your opponent controls a strong beater!"
"All of these can contribute to lethal numbers!"
"Next is how Sky Striker's own axis finishes!"
"It's actually simple!"
"As long as you completely clear the opponent's monsters,"
"'Linkage! Four Slashes' wins in a single turn!"
"We Normal Summon 'Sky Striker Ace - Raye'!"
"Enter Battle Phase—first slash, 1500!"
"Raye tags out into 'Sky Striker Ace - Hayate'!"
"Second slash, 1500; send 'Sky Striker Ace - Roze' to the GY!"
"Activate Quick-Play Spell 'Sky Striker Mobilize - Linkage!'!"
"Choose 'Sky Striker Ace - Hayate'; Link Summon 'Sky Striker Ace - Kagari'!"
"Because LIGHT and DARK are present in the GY, 'Linkage!' grants +1000 ATK!"
"And due to Kagari's own effect, we add back the 'Linkage!' we just used!"
"Final ATK becomes 2500! Third slash!"
"Activate 'Linkage!' again, turning Kagari into 'Sky Striker Ace - Shizuku'!"
"Shizuku is also 2500 with the LIGHT/DARK check!"
"Fourth—game over, easy OTK!"
"If you're worried 'Upstart Goblin' may have given the opponent LP, we can go five slashes!"
"If you have 'Sky Striker Ace - Roze' in hand, it's doable!"
"Normal Raye, first slash 1500!"
"Raye → Hayate, second slash 1500!"
"Hayate sends Roze from Deck to GY!"
"Activate 'Linkage!' to make Kagari and add back 'Linkage!'!"
"Kagari, third slash, 2500!"
"Use 'Linkage!' again, Kagari becomes Shizuku!"
"Shizuku 2500, fourth!"
"Trigger the Roze in hand to Special Summon!"
"Roze, fifth slash! 1500!"
"Take the Duel!"
Two slashes of 1500 totals 3000!
Two slashes of 2500 totals 5000!
Hold on—wait—
not a point more or less!
It's exactly 8000 LP!
Perfect math!
You really can,
when the opponent is empty-board,
cleanly finish with four slashes!
A clean 8000 LP kill!
No way!
After doing the math,
and combining it with the "Linkage! Four Slashes" combo shown in the short video,
the old-guard Duelists across the worlds were completely stunned!
Those who had thought Sky Striker's ATK was too low—Seto Kaiba, Kite Tenjo, and the rest—got slapped hard by reality!
They never imagined!
Sky Striker!
Could actually OTK an empty board with ease!
And it's mainly just a few Link 1 bodies!
The difference lies in—
Spell selection,
and the order of monster entries, etc.!
And for the end board,
you still finish on Shizuku to ensure Spell search!
If you somehow miss lethal, you can rebuild on the following turn!
So this is the Sky Striker deck?
The deck that can advance to disrupt—or retreat to kill through Accesscode or in-archetype "Linkage! Four Slashes"?!
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