Gaona claimed the tournament with Monarch Hydro Banisher, a tempo-focused deck that combines the pressure of Hydrogeddon and Banisher of the Radiance with the removal and hand disruption provided by the Monarchs. The supplied replays document Gaona's duels against Jinzo, Orangebreaker, and Palacios on the road to the championship.
Watch All Six Duels
The full video contains all six tournament duels in chronological order: Jinzo vs. Gaona, Orangebreaker vs. Gaona, and the final between Palacios and Gaona.
Match 1: Jinzo vs. Gaona
Game 1 — Jinzo wins on Turn 9
Jinzo took the opening duel with a steady stream of battle damage. Banisher of the Radiance and Spirit Reaper established the early advantage on Turn 3, and the monster Jinzo then became the main finisher. Its direct attacks on Turns 5 and 7 pushed Gaona down to 2,000 LP. After paying 800 LP for a play on Turn 9, Jinzo attacked directly once more to end the game.
Final LP: Jinzo 6,200 — Gaona 0.
Game 2 — Gaona wins by surrender on Turn 12
Gaona answered with a more aggressive Monarch plan. Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch defeated Gigantes in battle, while Banisher of the Radiance added direct damage and restricted graveyard interaction. Later, Hydrogeddon cleared Yellow Gadget and Green Gadget in successive battle phases. With Jinzo reduced to 1,300 LP and Gaona still at 2,500, Jinzo surrendered on Turn 12.
LP at surrender: Jinzo 1,300 — Gaona 2,500.
Match 2: Orangebreaker vs. Gaona
Game 1 — Gaona wins on Turn 9
Orangebreaker opened with a Dinosaur strategy built around Jurassic World and Hydrogeddon, but Gaona immediately punished the first attack: Hydrogeddon ran into Gravekeeper's Spy and Orangebreaker took 100 battle damage. On the following turn, Gravekeeper's Spy and D.D. Warrior Lady attacked directly for a combined 2,700 damage.
Tribe-Infecting Virus then became the central threat. It connected directly on Turns 5 and 7 before delivering the final 1,600 damage on Turn 9.
Final LP: Gaona 4,800 — Orangebreaker 0.
Game 2 — Gaona wins on Turn 22
The second duel developed into a much longer resource battle. Gaona's Hydrogeddon won an early mirror battle and converted it into additional field presence, but Orangebreaker answered with a 2,200-point direct attack from Sabersaurus. The duel then slowed considerably as both players traded monsters and removal.
Gaona's sided Gilasaurus broke through for 1,700 damage on Turn 10. Jinzo eventually decided the game, attacking directly for 2,400 on Turn 20 and repeating the attack on Turn 22 for lethal damage.
Final LP: Orangebreaker 0 — Gaona 4,200.
- Gaona sided in: 2 Gilasaurus.
- Gaona sided out: 1 Banisher of the Radiance and 1 Gravekeeper's Spy.
- Orangebreaker: no Main Deck changes.
Recorded result: Gaona wins 2–0.
Final: Palacios vs. Gaona
Game 1 — Gaona wins on Turn 23
The first game of the final was a long control duel. Hydrogeddon gave Gaona the first major life-point advantage with direct attacks on Turns 7 and 9. Asura Priest continued the pressure, landing two more direct attacks and reducing Palacios to 1,400 LP by Turn 15.
Palacios prolonged the duel with Spirit Reaper, Sheep Tokens, and Thousand-Eyes Restrict, but Gaona kept removing each defensive layer. Tribe-Infecting Virus finally found a clear attack on Turn 23 and dealt the last 1,600 damage.
Final LP: Gaona 7,100 — Palacios 0.
Game 2 — Gaona wins by surrender on Turn 24
Palacios struck first with D.D. Warrior Lady, but Gaona quickly turned the duel around. Mobius the Frost Monarch attacked directly for 2,400, followed by an 1,800-point direct attack from Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer. By Turn 12, Palacios had been reduced to only 100 LP.
Palacios survived for several more turns, but Gaona retained control through Tribe-Infecting Virus and a succession of Monarchs, including Mobius, Thestalos, and Zaborg. Unable to build a path back into the game, Palacios surrendered on Turn 24.
LP at surrender: Palacios 100 — Gaona 2,500.
- Gaona sided in: 2 Gilasaurus.
- Gaona sided out: 2 Shrink.
- Palacios sided in: 1 D.D. Assailant, 2 Dust Tornado, 1 Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, 1 Lightning Vortex, and 1 Sakuretsu Armor.
- Palacios sided out: 1 Book of Moon, 2 Gravekeeper's Spy, 1 Mystic Swordsman LV2, 1 Nobleman of Crossout, and 1 Pulling the Rug.
Final result: Gaona wins 2–0 and becomes the tournament champion.
Why Monarch Hydro Banisher Won
Gaona's deck was able to change roles from game to game. Hydrogeddon punished smaller monsters and created immediate momentum; Banisher of the Radiance disrupted graveyard-based plans; and the Monarchs converted established monsters into high-impact removal and pressure. After siding, Gilasaurus added speed whenever a faster clock was more valuable than additional defensive cards.
The final also demonstrated the deck's staying power. Gaona could win quickly with direct attacks, but the same list remained effective through 20-turn control games. That flexibility carried Monarch Hydro Banisher through the tournament and earned Gaona the championship.
Tournament-Winning Decklist
Gaona's Monarch Hydro Banisher decklist.
