Welcome to Round 2 of YCS Pittsburgh! Hailing from Livonia, Michigan, we have Craig LeFevre with Misurugi! This is a pure Mitsurugi build, with no Yummy or Ryzeal cards included. He’s facing Alexandre Lebel, from Shawinigan, Quebec, using Jurrac Fire Kings! This is Fire Kings as you know and love them, packing the latest innovations to enable Jurrac Meteor during the opponent’s turn!

Duel 1

LeFevre won the dice roll and played first. Lebel had a hand of Mulcharmy Fuwalos, Sacred Fire King Garunix, Miscellaneousaurus, and two copies of Fire King Courtier Ulcanix.

LeFevre began by activating the effect of Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi, and Lebel responded with Fuwalos. LeFevre Special Summoned and Tributed Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji, and Lebel drew Fire King Sanctuary. LeFevre’s Saji put Mitsurugi Ritual in his hand. He played Mitsurugi Ritual, Tributing Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi from his Deck to Ritual Summon Habakiri from his hand. Murakumo’s effect put Mitsurugi Mirror in his hand. He played that, Tributing Habakiri to bring Murakumo forth from the Graveyard. Habakiri then returned to the field, adding Mitsurugi Prayers to his hand. He activated Prayers, Tributing Murakumo. He added Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Kusanagi to his hand, then took 800 damage to Special Summon it. Kusanagi put Prayers back in his hand, Mirror returned to the Deck. Murakumo put Mitsurugi Great Purification in his hand and returned to the field. LeFevre Normal Summoned Fuwalos, then stacked it with Kusanagi for a Defense Position Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir. Lebel’s Fuwalos let him draw his third Ulcanix. LeFevre Set two back row cards to finish.

Lebel drew Fire King High Avatar Kirin. He activated Fire King Sanctuary, and LeFevre flipped Great Purification by Tributing Habakiri. Sanctuary was negated and destroyed, and LeFevre’s Habakiri returned to play, putting Prayers in his hand. Lebel activated Kirin’s effect, destroying Ulcanix from his hand to Special Summon Kirin. Ulcanix’s effect brought Fire King High Avatar Garunix to the field. He then Normal Summoned Miscellaneousaurus. He used High Avatar Garunix and Miscellaneousaurus to Link Summon Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf, and LeFevre had D.D. Crow for Miscellaneousaurus! Lebel continued, using Sunlight Wolf and Kirin to Link Summon S:P Little Knight, finally banishing Bagooska. In the End Phase, LeFevre flipped Prayers, Tributing Murakumo. That let him take 800 damage to Special Summon Kusanagi from the Graveyard. Kusanagi returned Prayers to the hand, then Murakumo put Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Aramasa in the hand and returned to the field. Lebel used S:P Little Knight to temporarily banish itself and Kusanagi before Murakumo could destroy it.

LeFevre Normal Summoned Aramasa and declined to activate its effect. He sent Kusanagi to attack over S:P Little Knight, thanks to Habakiri weakening Lebel’s monster. Everything else attacked directly. Still in the Battle Phase, he activated Prayers Tributing Murakumo to revive Saji. Murakumo returned to the field with its own effect and attacked once more, ending the first Duel!

Duel 2

Lebel played first this time, with a rough hand of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, two copies of Sacred Fire King Garunix, and two copies of Jurrac Megalo.

In the Draw Phase, LeFevre activated Dimension Shifter! Lebel didn’t have much going with this hand either way, and simply passed the turn.

LeFevre activated Mitsurugi Prayers, adding Aramasa to his hand. He Normal Summoned it to add Habakiri to his hand, and activated its effect. He Special Summoned Saji and Tributed it, and Saji’s effect activated – Lebel used Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate it. LeFevre attacked directly with Aramasa, then Set one card in his back row.

Lebel drew Fire King Sanctuary! He activated it and placed Fire King Island on the field. He used Island’s effect, destroying Megalo and adding Kirin to his hand. Megalo sent Jurrac Astero from the Extra Deck to the Graveyard, and he Special Summoned Sacred Fire King Garunix. Garunix’s effect let him destroy Ulcanix from his Deck, and Ulcanix’s effect brought Fire King High Avatar Garunix to the field. He stacked the two Garunix monsters for Garunix Eternity, Hyang of the Fire Kings. Its effect destroyed Aramasa, and its other effect destroyed LeFevre’s bluffed Pre-Preparation of Rites. Garunix Eternity attacked directly to finish the turn.

LeFevre simply Set a monster and passed the turn. In the End Phase, Lebel used Astero’s effect in the Graveyard, banishing it and Megalo to bring forth Jurrac Meteor! Its effect destroyed everything, and Lebel used Sanctuary to protect his Island, destroying another Megalo in his hand. Meteor blew everything else up! The destroyed Megalo sent another Astero to the Graveyard, Garunix Eternity brought Ulcanix to the field, and Sacred Fire King Garunix returned to the field. LeFevre’s Night Sword Serpent returned to the field as well. In a new Chain, Ulcanix destroyed a Sacred Fire King Garunix from his hand to add Legendary Fire King Ponix to his hand. Sacred Fire King Garunix destroyed Fire King Avatar Arvata from his Deck. Arvata revived the other Garunix. Lebel Special Summoned Ponix from his hand, which added Fire King Sky Burn to his hand. The Garunix brought forth by Arvata was destroyed in the End Phase.

Lebel drew Super Polymerization. He used Island, destroying Ponix to add Fire King Avatar Rangbali to his hand. He Special Summoned Sacred Fire King Garunix from the Graveyard and Rangbali from the hand. That was enough ATK to end the Duel, and LeFevre conceded!

Lebel has fended off the Dimension Shifter opening to bring us to a third Duel!

Duel 3

Lebel began the final Duel with a hand of Super Polymerization, Ponix, Sanctuary, Sacred Fire King Garunix, and Fuwalos.

LeFevre started with Pre-Preparation of Rites, adding Habakiri and Mitsurugi Mirror to his hand. He used the effect of Habakiri, and Lebel responded with Fuwalos – LeFevre had Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate it! Habakiri brought Saji to the field and Tributed it. Saji’s effect then put Mitsurugi Ritual in his hand. He activated Triple Tactics Talent to look at Lebel’s hand! He sent Super Polymerization back to the Deck. LeFevre continued, using Mitsurugi Ritual to Tribute Kusanagi and Night Sword Serpent from his Deck to bring Habakiri from his hand. Night Sword hit the field, and Kusanagi returned Mitsurugi Ritual to his hand. He played Mitsurugi Ritual, Tributing Habakiri to bring Murakumo from the Deck. Habakiri returned to the field, adding Mitsurugi Prayers to his hand. He activated Prayers, Tributing Murakumo. That let him add Aramasa to his hand, taking 800 damage to Special Summon it. Aramasa’s effect put a Habakiri in his hand, and Murakumo returned to the field, putting Prayers in his hand. He activated Triple Tactics Thrust to Set Different Dimension Ground from his Deck! He Set two more back row cards, then used Aramasa and Night Sword to Link Summon I:P Masquerena.

Lebel drew Dominus Impulse. In the Draw Phase, LeFevre flipped Different Dimension Ground. Lebel Normal Summoned Ponix, and LeFevre responded with Murakumo’s effect. Lebel chose not to discard anything, letting his Ponix be negated. LeFevre activated I:P Masquerena’s effect, and Lebel responded with Dominus Impulse to shut it down. He played Sanctuary next, putting Fire King Island on the field. He used Island’s effect, destroying Ponix to add Fire King High Avatar Kirin to his hand. He then activated the effect of Sacred Fire King Garunix. It hit the field and destroyed Fire King High Avatar Garunix from his Deck, gaining half its ATK. He went to the Battle Phase and attacked Murakumo. LeFevre flipped Prayers, taking 800 damage to Special Summon Kusanagi from the Graveyard. Kusanagi returned Prayers to his hand. Murakumo then put another Prayers in his hand and returned to the field. Murakumo’s other effect then destroyed Sacred Fire King Garunix.

LeFevre wasted no time, attacking directly with everything. He used Prayers, Tributing Murakumo to revive his Saji. The Tributed Murakumo returned to the field and attacked once more, and Lebel offered the handshake!

Craig LeFevre takes this Match with Mitsurugi!