April is here, which means the start of the second Kaiba Corporation (KC) Cup of 2021. The KC Cup is a Duel Links-sanctioned tournament held regularly, and in this format, duelists are pitted against each another in online play. So, how will this KC Cup work? Let’s go over what you need to know about the KC Cup for April 2021.
How it works
The KC Cup is split into two stages: a qualifying stage (Stage 1) and a primary stage (Stage 2). To advance to the primary stage, duelists need to hit DLv. 20 to reach Stage 2.
In Stage 2, duelists will take on each other in online play. DP is the key in Stage 2, as the DP score will determine your final ranking in the KC Cup. Players gain DP for each win, while each loss will force a duelist to lose DP.
Placement for Stage 1 will depend on what rank you finished in Ranked Duels for the season ending on March 31. The rank placement breakdown is as follows:
- Rookie & Bronze – DLv. 1
- Silver – DLv. 3
- Gold – DLv. 5
- Platinum – DLv. 7
- Legend & King of Games – DLv. 10
Players who are in DLvs. 2-15, 17, and 20 can’t be demoted to a lower level.
Players receive rewards for each preliminary rank that is reached in the KC Cup. If you start at a rank higher than DLv. 1, you should receive all the rewards for the lower levels in your inbox.
Players who hit King of Games will automatically qualify for Stage 2 and do not need to hit DLv. 20 in Stage 1.
Best decks
Right now, Blue-Eyes is the king of the metagame. Blue-Eyes cards litter the top of the Popularity Rankings, so there’s a strong chance that you will see a lot of Seto Kaiba and his ace monster throughout the KC Cup. And for a good reason, too, as the Blue-Eyes engine is quite powerful at the moment, thanks to its ability to pop cards and get high ATK monsters out quickly.
Other decks that have potential this month include the following:
- Thunder Dragon
- Water Xyz
- Lunalight
- Star Seraph
- Lightsworn
- Cyber Dragon
- HERO
It’s also worth noting that Harpies are making a big comeback thanks to new support cards launched in recent weeks. We’ll have deck builds for Harpies at a later date.
Two decks that have taken a big hit are Noble Knights and the Desperado Barrel Dragon builds. The last skill nerf was not particularly kind to those two builds, so don’t expect to see many of those cards.
When is Stage 2?
Stage 1 will technically end on April 19 at 12:59 AM EST, but you’ll most likely want to hit Stage 2 by April 16 at 12:59 AM EST. Stage 2 begins at 1:00 AM EST on April 16, and will conclude at 12:59 AM EST on April 19.
The individual who finishes in first place in their particular region will automatically receive an invitation to the KC GT 2021 Main Tournament Championship. This tournament will take the place of the 2021 Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship, which was canceled in April. Those who don’t finish first will receive a combination of UR, SR, and R tickets and Gold.
