The competition is getting fierce here at YCS Providence! Players are hoping for the chance to make it to Day 2, but in order to do so, they’ll need 19 points to do so. Both Ali Bader Ahmad Alwethaiqi and Alexandre Lebel are holding up pretty well, with 4-1 records going into Round 6. A victory here is absolutely crucial, and will greatly improve one Duelist’s chances of making it to Day 2, and maybe even the Top 32. It’s a battle of old vs. new, as Lebel is piloting his trusted Fire King strategy, while Alwethaiqi is playing a Fiendsmith Mitsurugi Ryzeal Deck that is incorporating several new cards from Alliance Insight. This Duel is sure to be an intense one! It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Lebel’s opening hand consisted of Fire King High Avatar Kirin, Fire King Courtier Ulcanix, Fire King Sanctuary, Pot of Extravagance, and D.D. Crow. 

Alwethaiqi won the die roll and chose to go first! He started by activating the effect of Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi in hand, Special Summoning and Tributing Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji, which allowed him to search for Mitsurugi Ritual. Next, he activated Mitsurugi Ritual, Tributing Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi from his hand to Special Summon Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi from the Deck, while searching for Mitsurugi Prayers. He then Normal Summoned Lacrima the Crimson Tears, sending Fiendsmith Engraver to the Graveyard, then activated Prayers, Tributing Murakumo to add Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Kusanagi. Alwethaiqi attempted to Special Summon back Murakumo and add Prayers back to hand, and while he was able to do the latter, Lebel activated the effect of D.D. Crow, banishing Murakumo from the Graveyard. 

Next, Alwethaiqi used Lacrima to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem, then used Requiem’s effect to Special Summon another Lacrima from the Deck! He used Lacrima and Kusanagi to Xyz Summon Number 60: Dugares the Timeless, and activated its effect to draw two cards and discard Fabled Lurrie, which he Special Summoned out of the Graveyard. He used Lurrie and Dugares to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Sequence, then activated Sequence’s effect, returning Lurrie, Engraver, and Lacrima to the Deck to Special Summon Fiendsmith’s Desirae! He used Desirae and Sequence to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Agnumday, then activated Agnumday’s effect to Special Summon back Lacrima. He then Special Summoned Ext Ryzeal by sending King of Feral Imps to the Graveyard and searched for Sword Ryzeal, then Special Summoned Sword and searched for Ice Ryzeal. He used Sword and Ext to Xyz Summon Ryzeal Detonator and attach it with Desirae, then Special Summoned Ice by sending Agnumday to the Graveyard. He used Lacrima and Ice to Xyz Summon Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir, then Set a card to his backrow and ended his turn. Alwethaiqi later noted that he misplayed during the turn, and that he should have shuffled back Requiem with Sequence instead of Lacrima, as the other Lacrima was still attached to Bagooska as material. 

Lebel drew Fire King Island for turn! At the start of the Main Phase, he activated Pot of Extravagance, and Alwethaiqi Chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! Next, Lebel activated Fire King Sanctuary, and Alwethaiqi Chained the effect of Detonator, detaching Desirae. Although Detonator could not destroy Sanctuary because Bagooska was on the field, Alwethaiqi activated Desirae’s effect, returning Sequence to the Extra Deck to send Sanctuary to the Graveyard. Next, Lebel activated Fire King Island and used its effect to destroy Fire King High Avatar Kirin from his hand and add Sacred Fire King Garunix to hand! He Special Summoned Garunix with its own effect, then used Kirin’s effect to Special Summon Fire King Courtier Ulcanix from hand and destroy Alwethaiqi’s face-down card. 

Next, Lebel used Garunix and Ulcanix to Link Summon Hiita the Fire Charmer, Ablaze, and activated its effect to Special Summon Alwethaiqi’s Ash Blossom out of the Graveyard. He used Hiita and Ash Blossom to Link Summon Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames, then entered the Battle Phase. He used Princess to attack Bagooska, but Alwethaiqi detached a material from Detonator to prevent Bagooska from being destroyed by battle. In Main Phase 2, Lebel activated Princess’ effect to Special Summon Ulcanix from the Graveyard, then ended his turn. 

Alwethaiqi switched Bagooska and Detonator to Attack Position, then activated Bonfire, adding Ice Ryzeal to his hand. He Normal Summoned Ice and activated its effect to Special Summon Sword Ryzeal, which allowed him to add Ext Ryzeal to his hand. He used Sword and Bagooska to Link Summon S:P Little Knight, banishing Promethean Princess, then proceeded to the End Phase.

Lebel drew another Pot of Extravagance for turn! He switched Ulcanix to Attack Position and entered the Battle Phase, attacking S:P Little Knight with Ulcanix. Ulcanix was destroyed, and in the Damage Step, Lebel Special Summoned Garunix from the Graveyard and Fire King High Avatar Garunix from the Deck. He activated Sacred Fire King Garunix‘s effect to destroy Fire King High Avatar Kirin from his Deck, then activated Kirin’s effect to Special Summon Ulcanix and attempt to destroy the opponent’s Ryzeal Detonator, though Alwethaiqi detached a material from it to protect it. Still in the Damage Step, Lebel activated Ulcanix’s effect on the field, destroying High Avatar Garunix to add Legendary Fire King Ponix to hand, then Special Summoning Ponix and searching for Fire King Sky Burn. Then, Sacred Fire King Garunix attacked over S:P. In Main Phase 2, Lebel activated the effect of Island, destroying Ponix to add another Fire King High Avatar Kirin to his hand. He Set Fire King Sky Burn to his backrow and ended his turn. During the End Phase,  Alwethaiqi activated Lacrima’s effect, Special Summoning Fiendsmith’s Agnumday from the Graveyard, then activated Agnumday’s effect to bring out Fiendsmith’s Desirae. 

During Alwethaiqi’s Standby Phase, Lebel activated Ponix‘s effect to add it to his hand, then activated High Avatar Garunix’s effect to Special Summon it from the Graveyard and destroy all other monsters on the field! Since Desirae was sent to the Graveyard, Alwethaiqi activated Desirae’s effect to send Lebel’s face-down Sky Burn to the Graveyard. He then activated Prayers, Special Summoning Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Kusanagi, then activated Kusanagi’s effect to add Saji back to hand. He Normal Summoned Saji and searched for Prayers, then used Saji and Kusanagi to Link Summon Moon of the Closed Heaven. Here, Lebel activated the effect of Fire King High Avatar Kirin in his hand, destroying Garunix. Knowing that Lebel would be able to destroy Moon and prevent him from pulling off any of his combos, Alwethaiqi conceded the first Duel. 

Duel 2

Alwethaiqi actually chose to go second! Lebel’s opening hand consisted of Fire King Sanctuary, Fire King Island, Mulcharmy Fuwalos, Fire King High Avatar Kirin, and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. 

He started his turn by activating Fire King Sanctuary, placing Fire King Island from his hand. He activated Island’s effect, destroying Fuwalos in his hand to search for Fire King Courtier Ulcanix. On resolution, Alwethaiqi chose to activate the effect of Mulcharmy Purulia, but Lebel Chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! Lebel Normal Summoned Ulcanix, activating its effect to destroy Fire King High Avatar Kirin from hand and search for Sacred Fire King Garunix. He Special Summoned Garunix, then activated its effect to destroy Fire King Avatar Arvata from his Deck. He activated Arvata’s effect, Special Summoning Kirin from the Graveyard, and Alwethaiqi chose to activate the effect of Mulcharmy Fuwalos! Lebel used Garunix, Kirin, and Ulcanix to Link Summon Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames, allowing Alwethaiqi to draw a card. He attempted to activate Princess’ effect, but Alwethaiqi Chained Infinite Impermanence, and so Lebel ended his turn. 

Alwethaiqi started his turn by activating Bonfire, searching for Ice Ryzeal. He Normal Summoned Ice, activated its effect to Special Summon Ext Ryzeal and search for Sword Ryzeal, then used Ice and Ext to Link Summon Moon of the Closed Heaven. After a flurry of summons, he found himself with Fiendsmith’s Agnumday on the field and Fiendsmith Desirae in the Graveyard. He Special Summoned Sword and Ext, then made Ryzeal Detonator and proceeded to the Battle Phase. He attacked directly with Detonator and Agnumday, then activated Agnumday’s effect to bring out Desirae and reduce Lebel’s Life Points to zero!

Duel 3

Lebel’s opening hand consisted of Fire King Island, Pot of Prosperity, Droll & Lock Bird, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, and Solemn Judgment. He started his turn by activating Pot of Prosperity, revealing Fire King Sky Burn, two copies of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Sacred Fire King Garunix, Dominus Impulse, and Fire King High Avatar Garunix. He chose to add Sacred Fire King Garunix to his hand. He then activated Island, destroying Ash Blossom in his hand to search for Legendary Fire King Phoenix, then activated Garunix’s effect in hand, as Alwethaiqi responded with Mulcharmy Purulia! Lebel’s Garunix destroyed Fire King Courtier Ulcanix from his Deck, and he Special Summoned Ponix from his hand, searching for Fire King Sky Burn. Ulcanix brought High Avatar Garunix to the field, and he then used the two different Garunix to Link Summon Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf. He then used Ponix to Link Summon Relinquished Anima directly underneath Sunlight Wolf, allowing him to add Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring back to hand. Finally, he used Anima and Sunlight Wolf to Link Summon Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames, activated Princess’ effect to Special Summon Ulcanix from the Graveyard, and activated Ulcanix’s effect to destroy Princess and search for Fire King Avatar Arvata. He Set two cards to his backrow and ended his turn. 

Alwethaiqi started off his turn in the Draw Phase by activating Mitsurugi Prayers, Tributing Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi from hand to add Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi to hand. He then activated Murakumo’s effect, searching for Mitsurugi Ritual. Next, he activated Fiendsmith’s Tract, adding Fiendsmith Engraver to hand and discarding Fabled Lurrie. As Alwethaiqi Special Summoned Lurrie, Lebel activated the effect of Droll & Lock Bird, as well as the effect of Promethean Princess in the Graveyard to destroy Ulcanix and Lurrie! Alwethaiqi then activated Mitsurugi Ritual, Tributing Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Kusanagi and Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji to Ritual Summon Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi! He added Prayers back to his hand, then Normal Summoned Lacrima the Crimson Tears, sending Fiendsmith in Paradise to the Graveyard, then used Lacrima to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem, but Lebel negated the summon with Solemn Judgment! Alwethaiqi Set a card and ended his turn. 

Lebel started by Normal Summoning Fire King Avatar Arvata, then went straight to the Battle Phase as time was called in the round! Once there, he activated Fire King Sky Burn, attempting to destroy Arvata and Murakumo, and Alwethaiqi Chained Prayers, Tributing Murakumo to add Habakiri and Special Summon Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji. With Arvata destroyed, Lebel activated Arvata’s effect to Special Summon Fire King High Avatar Garunix, and Sacred Fire King Garunix’s own effect to Special Summon itself, as Alwethaiqi searched for Mitsurugi Ritual and Mitsurugi Prayers and Special Summoned Murakumo. In the next Chain, Alwethaiqi’s Murakumo destroyed all monsters on Lebel’s side of the field, as Lebel’s Garunix destroyed Kirin in the Deck. Finally, Kirin’s effect let Lebel Special Summon Fire King HIgh Avatar Garunix and attempted to destroy Murakumo, but Alwethaiqi Tributed Saji instead. Lebel had Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to meet the Fiendsmith in Paradise, but it was too little, too late! Paying half of his Life Points to activate Solemn Judgment proved to be too costly, as he was unable to inflict enough damage during the Battle Phase to put himself ahead. As Alwethaiqi had higher Life Points at the end of the Battle Phase, he was declared the winner. 

Alwethaiqi will be moving on with a 5-1 record, one step closer to making it to day 2 here at YCS Providence!