Thomas Morran is a staple competitor of the Toronto Dueling scene, while his opponent this round is Montreal’s Ruo Chen Mo!  Montreal competitors have bene tearing up this tournament all day long, and Mo’s undefeated record with Shaddolls was no exception.  But Morran was running Burning Abyss, currently the second most-successful Deck in the tournament.  Would Mo steal another win for the Montreal contingent, or would Morran remain undefeated to represent Toronto in Day 2?   Morran won the roll and decided to go first.  He opened up the Match with a hand of Caius the Shadow Monarch; Raigeki Break; Mystical Space Typhoon Breakthrough Skill; and Tour Guide from the Underworld.  He Summoned Tour Guide to use its effect, Special Summoning Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck and overlaying for Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss.  He detached Graff to send Mystical Space Typhoon, Dimensional Prison, and Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck to his graveyard!   He Special Summoned Graff from his Graveyard and Scarm from his Deck to make another Dante, then detached Graff to send Book of Moon, Breakthrough Skill, and Allure of Darkness to his Graveyard.  He Set three cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone, then used Scarm’s effect to search out another Cir.     Mo drew a card with Upstart Goblin, giving Morran 1000 Life Points.  He Set a monster, then activated Shaddoll Fusion to send cards from his Deck to his Graveyard for his Fusion Summon: he fused Shaddoll Squamata and Outstanding Dog Marron, Fusion Summoning El Shaddoll Construct!  Mo built the Chain with Marron’s effect as Chain Link 1, Construct’s effect as Chain Link 2, and Squamata’s effect as Chain Link 3: he sent Shaddoll Falco, then Shaddoll Beast to the Graveyard, then shuffled Marron back into his Deck with its ability.  That let him draw a card with Beast and Special Summon Falco in face-down defense position.     Unperturbed, Morran began whistling Abba’s 1976 pop hit, ‘Fernando.’  Mo attacked Dante with Construct, destroying it, and Morran used Dante’s effect to get back Scarm.  Mo Set four cards to his back row.  In the End Phase, Morran blasted Mo’s Super Polymerization with Raigeki Break, discarding his Cir to bring back Dante.   Morran drew Soul Charge and detached Graff from Dante, to send Caius, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Phoenix Wing Wind Blast to the Graveyard.  That let him Special Summon Scarm off Graff, and he pressed on Tributing the Graff for Caius!  Caius’ effect banished El Shadoll Construct, and Morran turned his boosted Dante to Attack Position.  He attacked with it, swinging at the first face-down monster of the two Mo had set: Shaddoll Hedgehog.  That got him Shaddoll Fusion, and Caius attacked Mo’s Shaddoll Falco, letting him revive Shaddoll Beast face-down.  Morran moved to his End Phase and used Scarm to grab another Tour Guide from the Underworld.   Mo Flip Summoned Shaddoll Beast for its effect, and Morran responded by negating it with Breakthrough Skill.  Mo followed up, discarding Shaddoll Hedgehog for Super Polymerization!  That let him fuse his Beast and Morran’s Caius, Fusion Summoning El Shaddoll Winda.  He used Beast’s graveyard trigger effect to draw two and discard Shaddoll Dragon; targeted Morran’s Set Mystical Space Typhoon; and Morran Chained it to destroy Mo’s face-down Vanity’s Emptiness.  Mo activated Shaddoll Fusion next, sending Outstanding Dog Marron and Shaddoll Falco to his Graveyard from his Deck, to Fusion Summon El Shaddoll Construct.  He hadn’t quite realized Winda would keep him from Special Summoning with Falco, but he did get to return his Marron to his Deck again.  Construct attacked to destroy the Dante that Morran had Special Summoned from the Graveyard; Morran got back his Cir; and Mo ended his turn without attacking with Winda.   Morran drew Foolish Burial.  He was holding Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; Tour Guide from the Underworld; Soul Charge; and Foolish Burial.     He activated Foolish Burial to send Cir to his Graveyard, Special Summoning back his second Dante and Setting a monster.   Mo Summoned Shaddoll Squamata and sent Winda to attack Morran’s Set Scarm.  Construct attacked next, Morran took back Cir when his first Dante hit the Graveyard, and MO passed again.   Morran drew Raigeki Break and Set it, along with Soul Charge.  He ended his turn and Mo sniped the Break with Mystical Space Typhoon, then activated Sinister Shadow Games to destroy Soul Charge, by sending Shadoll Dragon to the Graveyard.  Defenseless and with fewer than twenty minutes remaining in the Round, Morran opted to concede and move things to Game 2 as quickly as possible.     Thomas Morran makes a big opening to kick off Game 1, but Ruo Chen Mo slowly takes control of the Duel and builds a seemingly insurmountable field, all before picking apart his opponent’s defenses card by card, all at once!  Mo was now just one win away from a guaranteed 6-2 finish at worst for Day 1.   Morran was unfazed.  He made small talk during the Side Decking process and took to whistling again, this time giving us all a peppy rendition of ‘Mr. Sandman’ as he power-shuffled his Deck.  He opted to go first.   He had a hand of Caius the Shadow Monarch; Rank-Up-Magic Astral Force; Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; and Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.  He Set Scarm.   Mo Summoned Mathematician to send Shaddoll Squamata, then Shaddoll Falco to his Graveyard.  He Set a monster and Set two cards to his backrow.   Morran drew another Graff, then Tributed Scarm for Caius to banish the face-down Shaddoll Falco for 1000 burn damage.  In the End Phase, Morran used Scarm’s effect to search out Tour Guide from the Underworld.   Mo Set a monster.   Morran drew Mystical Space Typhoon and Summoned Tour Guide; Mo responded by flipping And The Band Played On, but Morran Chained Mystical Space Typhoon!  That led Mo to Chain the effect of Maxx “C” in response, drawing him a card when Morran eventually Special Summoned Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.  He ended his turn, unwilling to feed Mo anymore cards via that Maxx “C”.   Mo Flip Summoned Shaddoll Dragon, bumping Scarm back to Morran’s hand.  He then Normal Summoned another Dragon, overlaying for Number 66: Master Key Beetle.  He attacked with it to destroy Caius the Shadow Monarch, then ran over Tour Guide with Mathematician.  He Set two cards to his backrow, then protected one by detaching a Material from Key Beetle.   Morran drew Dimensional Prison and tried to Special Summon Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss with its effect, but Mo locked him down by Chaining Vanity’s Emptiness.  Morran Set Dimensional Prison, ended, and lost the Prison to Mo’s Mystical Space Typhoon.   Mo attacked once more, again pressing with Mathematician and Key Beetle: this time Morran dropped to 3400 Life Points.   Morran drew Deep Dark Trap Hole, Set a monster, and Set two cards to his backrow.  Mo blew away his Deep Dark Trap Hole with Mystical Space Typhoon in the End Phase.   Mo attacked Morran’s Set Scarm with Key Beetle, then made a direct attack with Mathematician.  Morran searched Cir with Scarm’s effect, and when he drew no help next turn he conceded the Match.   Thomas Morran hits a trap-starved set of draws and simply cannot overcome Ruo Chen Mo, who plays a tight game and makes all the right choices with his Mystical Space Typhoons to take the Match!  Mo moves on 6-0 with Shaddolls.