Things are really starting to heat up here at the North America WCQ! For this round’s feature match, we have two undefeated Duelists that are hoping to make it to Day 2, and eventually, the Top 64 cut. Both players are playing decks that have the ability to play on either player’s turn; Aaron Brauer is playing Vanquish Soul, a Deck that just received some amazing new support in Duelist’s Advance in Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue and Vanquish Soul, Start!, while Joseph Miskowiec is playing Fire Kings, a fan favourite that was revitalized with the release of Fire King Courtier Ulcanix in Rage of the Abyss. Only one of these Duelists will be moving on with an undefeated record. It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Brauer won the die roll and chose to go first! He opened with Mulcharmy Fuwalos, Pot of Prosperity, Vanquish Soul Razen, Bystial Baldrake, and Triple Tactics Talent. He started his turn by Normal Summoning Vanquish Soul Razen and activating its effect, adding Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue to his hand. On resolution, Miskowiec activated the effect of Mulcharmy Fuwalos! Next, Brauer activated Triple Tactics Talent, revealing Dominus Impulse, Fire King Sky Burn, and two copies of Sacred Fire King Garunix in his opponent’s hand, and he chose to have Miskowiec return Impulse to the Deck. He then activated Pot of Prosperity, excavating Vanquish Soul Jiaolong, D.D. Crow, Mulcharmy Fuwalos, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Vanquish Soul Razen, and Rescue-ACE Fire Attacker, and chose to add Ash Blossom to his hand. Brauer used Razen to Link Summon Rock of the Vanquisher, then activated Rock’s effect to add Razen back to his hand and ended his turn. 

Miskowiec began his turn by activating Fire King Sanctuary, placing Fire King Island to his side of the field. He activated Island’s effect, destroying one of the Garunix in his hand and searching for Fire King High Avatar Kirin, then Special Summoned the other Garunix from his hand. In response, Brauer Chained the effect of Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue, Special Summoning it. Miskowiec activated Garunix’s effect to destroy Fire King Courtier Ulcanix from his Deck, then activated Ulcanix’s effect to Special Summon Fire King High Avatar Garunix from his Deck. 

On resolution, Brauer activated the effect of Rock, Special Summoning Razen from his hand and searching for Vanquish Soul Caesar Valius. He then activated Razen’s other effect, destroying the Garunix in Razen’s column, then activated Hollie Sue’s effect, taking control of Miskowiec’s Avatar Garunix. Brauer also activated the effect of Caesar, returning Razen to the hand to Special Summon Caesar, and Miskowiec responded by activating the effect of Fire King High Avatar Kirin, destroying Garunix and Special Summoning Kirin.

Miskowiec proceeded to the Battle Phase, and used Kirin to attack Caesar. Kirin was destroyed in battle, and Miskowiec activated Kirin’s effect to Special Summon Garunix from the Graveyard and destroy Caesar. He then used Sacred Fire King Garunix to attack the Fire King High Avatar Garunix that Brauer had taken control of, then activated the effect of the destroyed Avatar Garunix to Special Summon another Fire King High Avatar Kirin from his Deck and attacked Razen. Finally, Miskowiec used Garunix and Kirin to Xyz Summon Garunix Eternity, Hyang of the Fire Kings and destroy all other monsters on the field, Set a card to his backrow, and ended his turn. 

Brauer drew Stake Your Soul! for turn! He started his turn by activating it and Special Summoning Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love, allowing him to add Vanquish Soul, Start! to his hand. He then activated Mad Love’s other effect, revealing Hollie Sue and Baldrake in his hand to try and return Garunix Eternity to the Extra Deck, but Miskowiec Chained Fire King Sky Burn, destroying both Mad Love and Garunix Eternity. This allowed Miskowiec to activate the effect of Garunix Eternity, Special Summoning Fire King Courtier Ulcanix and Fire King High Avatar Kirin back to the field, as well as trigger the effect of Sacred Fire King Garunix to Special Summon itself out of the Graveyard. He used Garunix’s effect to destroy Fire King Avatar Arvata from the deck and destroy Fire King High Avatar Kirin, and activated Ulcanix’s effect to search for Legendary Fire King Ponix. Finally, Miskowiec Special Summoned the Ponix and searched for another copy of Fire King Sky Burn, while also using Arvata’s effect to Special Summon Avatar Kirin from the Graveyard. Miskowiec was able to successfully establish a field full of monsters during Brauer’s turn, and without enough additional ways to push through, Brauer conceded the first Duel. 

Duel 2

Brauer opened the second Duel with Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue, Stake Your Soul!, Triple Tactics Talent, Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love, and Vanquish Soul Jiaolong. He started by activating Stake Your Soul!, Special Summoning Vanquish Soul Razen from the Deck and searching for Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue. Next, he used Razen to Link Summon Rock of the Vanquisher, and in response to the summon, Miskowiec activated the effect of Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay, Special Summoning it, drawing two cards, and returning one back to his Deck. Brauer then activated Triple Tactics Talent, revealing his opponent’s hand of Fire King Courtier Ulcanix, Sacred Fire King Garunix, Legendary Fire King Phoenix, Fire King Sky Burn, and Crossout Designator, and chose to return Ponix to the opponent’s Deck. Brauer then activated Rock’s effect, adding Razen back to his hand, then Normal Summoned Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love, searched for Vanquish Soul, Start!, and activated it. He Special Summoned Hollie Sue by revealing Razen, then activated the effect of Start, targeting Hollie Sue and adding Vanquish Soul Heavy Borger to hand. He activated Borger’s effect, returning Mad Love to hand, and proceeded to the End Phase. During the End Phase, he activated the effect of Start to Set Vanquish Soul Snow Devil from his Deck to his backrow, activated Borger’s effect and drew a copy of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, then ended his turn. 

During Miskowiec’s Standby Phase, Brauer activated the effect of Borger again, this time drawing another copy of Stake Your Soul! Miskowiec Normal Summoned Fire King Courtier Ulcanix. In response to the effect, Brauer activated the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, but Brauer Chained Crossout Designator! Miskowiec resolved Ulcanix’s effect, destroying the Sacred Fire King Garunix in his hand and searching for Fire King High Avatar Kirin. On resolution, Miskowiec activated the effect of Ponix, Special Summoning it and searching for Fire King Sanctuary. He activated Sanctuary and placed Fire King Island from his Deck to the field, then activated the effect of Island, destroying the Kirin in his hand and searching for Fire King Avatar Arvata. Miskowiec activated the effect of the Garunix and Kirin in his Graveyard, and Brauer responded with Vanquish Soul Snow Devil! Snow Devil destroyed Phantazmay, Kirin, and Ulcanix, then Miskowiec Special Summoned Garunix and Arvata and destroyed Brauer’s Vanquish Soul, Start! In the next Chain, Miskowiec activated Ulcanix’s effect to Special Summon Fire King High Avatar Garunix from the Deck

In a new Chain, he Special Summoned the Garunix from his Graveyard In response, Brauer activated Vanquish Soul Snow Devil, revealing Hollie Sue, Razen, and Mad Love from his hand, destroying Phantazmay, Kirin, and Ulcanix, as Miskowiec resolved his Chain to Special Summon Arvata and Garunix, as well as destroy Brauer’s Start. In the next Chain, Miskowiec activated Ulcanix’s effect to Special Summon Fire King High Avatar Garunix from his Deck, as well as Garunix’s effect to destroy another Arvata from the Deck; Brauer Chained the effect of Hollie Sue, attempting to take control of one of Miskowiec’s monsters, but Miskowiec negated Hollie Sue’s effect by Chaining the Arvata’s effect and destroying Garunix. Miskowiec resolved Arvata’s effect and Special Summoned Fire King High Avatar Kirin, as Brauer Special Summoned Vanquish Soul Jiaolong. Miskowiec used Garunix and Kirin to Xyz Summon Garunix Eternity, Hyang of the Fire Kings, but did not activate its effect, since Snow Devil prevents Brauer’s monsters from being destroyed by card effects for the turn. Miskowiec entered the Battle Phase and used Garunix Eternity to attack Borger, then Set a card and ended his turn. During the End Phase, Brauer activated Jiaolong’s effect, changing Garunix Eternity to Defense Position. 

Brauer drew Vanquish Soul Caesar Valius for turn! During the Standby Phase, Miskowiec added Legendary Fire King Ponix back to his hand. Brauer started by activating Stake Your Soul!, Special Summoning another Vanquish Soul Jiaolong out of the Deck. In response to the summon, Miskowiec activated Fire King Sky Burn, attempting to destroy Garunix Eternity and Hollie Sue, but Brauer Chained the effect of Caesar Valius, Special Summoning it and returning Hollie Sue to his hand. Garunix Eternity was still destroyed, allowing Miskowiec to Special Summon Kirin and Ulcanix from the Graveyard, as well as the Ponix from his hand. He used Ponix’s effect to search for another Sky Burn, and used Ulcanix to destroy Kirin and search for another Kirin. Brauer Chained the effect of Caesar, attempting to destroy Fire King Island, but Brauer used the effect of Fire King Sanctuary to destroy Ponix instead. Miskowiec then resolved Kirin’s effect, Special Summoning Arvata and destroying Caesar, then Special Summoned another Sacred Fire King Garunix from his hand and destroyed another Ponix from his Deck. 

Next, Brauer Normal Summoned Vanquish Soul Razen, adding the third Vanquish Soul Jiaolong to his hand. He activated Razen’s effect, destroying the Arvata in its column, and his opponent activated the effect of the destroyed Arvata to Special Summon Fire King High Avatar Garunix from the Graveyard. Brauer used the two copies of Jiaolong on the field to Xyz Summon N.As.H. Knight! In response to the summon, Miskowiec activated the effect of Sanctuary, allowing him to use Ulcanix and Garunix to Xyz Summon Garunix Eternity and destroy all monsters on the field. Brauer used Hollie Sue’s effect, Special Summoning it, then activated its effect to take control of Miskowiec’s Garunix Eternity since it was the only monster on the field, but Miskowiec Chained Fire King High Avatar Kirin. Brauer took control of Kirin, used Kirin and Hollie Sue to Link Summon S:P Little Knight, then ended his turn. 

Miskowiec added Ponix from the Graveyard to his hand, as well as Special Summoned Fire King High Avatar Garunix from the Graveyard. Brauer attempted to activate S:P’s effect to banish both monsters, but Miskowiec Chained Fire King Sky Burn to destroy them both instead! This allowed Miskowiec to activate the trigger effects of Ponix and Garunix. Realizing that Miskowiec would be able to push for a huge amount of damage this turn and having no way to stop him, Brauer conceded. 

And with that, Miskowiec secures the victory and moves onto the next round with a 4-0 record!