We’re nearing the end of Day 1 in the North America Dragon Duel Championship! Hailing from Texas, it’s Luis H., playing Mitsurugi Ryzeal! This strategy has proven to be worth the hype, performing very well in this tournament as well as in the WCQ. Luis is facing Virginia Duelist Roman O., using Mikanko! This strategy is capable of explosive turns, and takes advantage of the fact that most Duelists prefer to take the first turn – giving the Mikanko Duelist the first Battle Phase.

Duel 1

Roman won the dice roll and chose to play second, with a hand of Double-Edged Sword, Ohime the Manifested Mikanko, Lava Golem, Nadir Servant, and Mikanko Fire Dance.

Luis began by… passing the turn! Either his hand was purely reactive, or he may have already heard what Deck Roman was using.

Roman drew Forbidden Droplet, and Luis activated Mulcharmy Purulia in the Standby Phase. Roman played Nadir Servant, and Luis used Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate it. Roman activated Ohime’s effect, adding The Great Mikanko Ceremony to his hand, and discarding Lava Golem. He played Ceremony to Special Summon Ohime, letting Luis draw with Purulia’s effect. He then activated Ceremony’s effect in the Graveyard, sending Hu-Li the Jewel Mikanko to the Graveyard. Luis negated Ohime with Infinite Impermanence. Roman continued, using Fire Dance to Special Summon Hu-Li from the Graveyard, then Special Summoned Luis’s Ash Blossom back to Luis’s field in Attack Position. Roman equipped Double-Edged Sword to Ash Blossom. He attacked Ash Blossom with Hu-Li, dealing a total of 4000 damage thanks to the combination of Hu-Li and Double-Edged Sword! Roman Set Forbidden Droplet to finish the turn.

Luis played Mitsurugi Prayers, Tributing Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji. He added Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi to his hand, then Special Summoned Saji by taking 800 damage. He added Mitsurugi Ritual to his hand with Saji’s effect. He activated Habakiri’s effect to Special Summon Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Kusanagi, Tributing Ash Blossom. Kusanagi returned Prayers to his hand. He Xyz Summoned Ryzeal Duo Drive, using its effect to add Ext Ryzeal and Sword Ryzeal to his hand. He Special Summoned Ext, sending Vallon, the Super Psy Skyblaster to the Graveyard. Vallon destroyed Roman’s Forbidden Droplet, and Ext put Sword in Luis’s hand. He played Mitsurugi Ritual, Tributing Habakiri to Ritual Summon Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi from his Deck. Murakumo’s effect activated to destroy Roman’s monsters, Habakiri added a Prayers to the hand, and Roman Chained Ohime’s effect – Murakumo negated it since Roman had no cards in hand. Luis Special Summoned Sword and added Ice Ryzeal to his hand. He Xyz Summoned Ryzeal Detonator, attaching Vallon as a material. He Normal Summoned Ice, which brought Star Ryzeal to the field. Star put Ryzeal Cross on the field, and he activated it. He Xyz Summoned Number 60: Dugares the Timeless, using its effect to draw two cards and discard a Habakiri. He Special Summoned Node Ryzeal, then stacked Duo Drive and Dugares for Eclipse Twins. Node sent Eclipse Twins to the Graveyard to revive Ice, and Eclipse Twins brought Duo Drive back with Dugares attached. He stacked Node and Ice for Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir in Defense Position! He Set one back row card and passed the turn, unable to find a way through the Fire Dance equipped Hu-Li.

Roman drew Mikanko Water Arabesque and equipped it to Bagooska. He activated its effect, and Luis had Ash Blossom to negate it.

Luis detached Node from Bagooska. He used Ryzeal Cross to put some Ryzeal monsters back and draw a card.  He passed.

Roman drew Ha-Re the Sword Mikanko. He activated Arabesque, Luis responded with Murakumo, and Chained to that with Prayers Tributing Murakumo. He added Habakiri to his hand, but Murakumo was still negated by Bagooska since it was in Defense Position when it activated. Arabesque resolved, bouncing away Bagooska and Special Summoning a Ha-Re from the Deck. Roman activated Ha-Re’s effect, and Luis knew it was all over, conceding to save time in the round.

Duel 2

Luis chose to play second this time. Roman began with Fire Dance, Droll & Lock Bird, Double-Edged Sword, Dimensional Barrier, and Water Aarabesque. He thought a bit, and Normal Summoned Droll & Lock Bird. He equipped it with Water Arabesque, but Luis had Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate it! Roman Set Dimensional Barrier.

In the Draw Phase, Roman flipped Dimensional Barrier calling Rituals. Luis activated Purulia from his hand, then Normal Summoned Sword and added Ext to his hand. He Special Summoned Ext by sending Duo Drive to the Graveyard, and Ext added Node to his hand. He Xyz Summoned Duo Drive, attaching the other Duo Drive from his Graveyard. He used its effect to add Ice and Sword to his hand. He Special Summoned Sword, then Special Summoned Ice by sending Droll & Lock Bird to the Graveyard. He Special Summoned Node, and Node’s effect sent Infinite Impermanence to the Graveyard to revive a second Sword. He used Node and a Sword to Xyz Summon Detonator, attaching Droll. He used his other Ryzeals to Xyz Summon Dugares, and its effect doubled Detonator’s ATK! Luis moved to the Battle Phase and ended the Duel on his first turn!

Duel 3

Roman chose to play second, and had a hand of Nadir Servant, Ohime, Hu-Li, Fire Dance, and Mulcharmy Fuwalos. He activated Fuwalos in Luis’s Draw Phase, but Luis had Called by the Grave to banish and negate Fuwalos.

Luis played Mitsurugi Ritual, Tributing Saji and Kusanagi to Ritual Summon Murakumo from the hand. The Tributed monsters put Mitsurugi Ritual and Mitsurugi Prayers in his hand. He played Mitsurugi Ritual to bring Habakiri from the Deck, Tributing Murakumo. Murakumo put Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Aramasa in his hand and returned to the field. He Xyz Summoned Divine Golden Shadow Dragon Dragluxion, which put Seventh Tachyon in his hand. He played Seventh Tachyon, revealing Number 104: Masquerade to put Ice Ryzeal in his hand. He Normal Summoned Ice, which brought Sword to the field. Sword put Star Ryzeal in his hand. He Xyz Summoned Duo Drive, detaching Dragluxion’s materials to add Node Ryzeal and Ext Ryzeal to his hand. He Special Summoned Star by detaching one of Duo Drive’s materials, and put Ryzeal Cross on the field. He flipped up Cross, then Special Summoned Ext by sending Eclipse Twins to the Graveyard. He Xyz Summoned Gagaga Cowboy in Defense Position, with 13 minutes on the clock. He burned for 800 damage, then Special Summoned Node. Node sent Cowboy to the Graveyard to revive Sword, and he Xyz Summoned Detonator. Detonator attached Eclipse Twins as a material. He used Cross to put two Ryzeals back and draw a card. He Set four cards in the back row to finish, with no cards in hand.

Roman drew Ha-Re. He started with Nadir Servant, sending Elder Entity N’tss to the Graveyard to add Dogmatika Maximus to his hand. He activated the effect of N’tss targeting Cross, and Luis negated N’tss with Cross’s effect, detaching from Duo Drive. Roman Special Summoned Maximus, activating its effect. Luis activated Detonator and Infinite Impermanence to both negate and destroy Maximus. Roman used Ohime’s effect, adding The Great Mikanko Ceremony to his hand and discarding Ha-Re. He played Ceremony to Special Summon Ohime… but he played it in the Infinite Impermanence column! Ceremony was negated, but still went to the Graveyard. That let him banish Ceremony to send Mikanko Dance – Mayowashidori to the Graveyard. Luis activated Prayers, taking 800 damage to Special Summon Murakumo in Defense Position. Roman used Mayowashidori, and Luis negated it with Mitsurugi Great Purification, Tributing Murakumo. Luis then activated Murakumo’s effect, adding a new Prayers to his hand and reviving Murakumo. Roman played Fire Dance, and Luis Chained Detonator to destroy it. Roman Normal Summoned Hu-Li and passed.

Luis switched his monsters to Attack Position, and negated Hu-Li with an Infinite Impermanence. He attacked with everything to secure the Match!