Logan Djuiricin is undefeated here today in Round 6, piloting Frog Monarchs to a great success so far in this tournament. The deck plays Substitoad, Treeborn Frog, and Swap Frog to fuel Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, Caius the Shadow Monarch, Raiza the Storm Monarch, and Light and Darkness Dragon, a strategy that’s taken several Duelists to undefeated and 4-1 records so far today.

Amongst them is Devin Djuiricin, Logan’s brother, and this round they’re getting side-by-side Feature Matches as they attempt to prove the strength of their shared strategy! Both brothers are playing identical builds of the same Deck, making this a really unique situation.

Logan’s opponent, Luis Poma, is playing a Machine Deck that’s not your average Gadget Deck, as you will see.

Logan opened the Match with Battle Fader, Soul Exchange, Nobleman of Extermination, Light and Darkness Dragon, Swap Frog, and Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch. He Normal Summoned Swap Frog, activated its effect to send Treeborn Frog from his Deck to his Graveyard, and returned it to his hand.

Poma Summoned Green Gadget, searched his Deck for Red Gadget, and added it to his hand. He attacked with the Gadget, and Logan considered Special Summoning his Battle Fader before deciding to take the Battle Damage. Poma set a card to his back row and ended.

Logan drew Substitoad, Special Summoned Treeborn Frog from the Graveyard, and activated Nobleman to target Poma’s face-down Book of Moon. He Chained it, turning his Gadget face-down. Logan Tributed Treeborn Frog for Thestalos, made Poma discard Red Gadget with Thestalos’ effect, and attacked Green Gadget. Poma was up.

Red Gadget got him Yellow Gadget and he destroyed Thestalos with Smashing Ground. Red Gadget attacked, Logan Special Summoned Battle Fader, and Poma Set a Spell or Trap. Next turn Logan Special Summoned Treeborn Frog again, and with 2 monsters to Tribute he Summoned Light and Darkness Dragon! The Dragon attacked over Red Gadget and Logan ended with 4 cards in hand.

Poma drew to 4 cards, with 1 more Set in his Spell & Trap Card Zone. He double-checked the text on Light and Darkness Dragon, shuffled his hand, and mulled over his options. He Summoned Yellow Gadget and the Dragon negated its effect, dropping to 2300 ATK. Poma then Set a second Spell or Trap.

Logan drew Treacherous Trap Hole, and attacked Yellow Gadget, and Poma’s Mirror Force dropped its ATK to 1800, as Yellow Gadget was destroyed by the attack. Poma took 600 Battle Damage, but the number of cards he was losing was more important than the Life Points. He Summoned Jinzo – Returner, a surprising card to see! He attacked directly for 600 damage.

“I’m confused. Did you just want to do 600 damage?” Logan was kind of boggled, both at the play, and at seeing Returner in the first place. “Attack it?” Light and Darkness Dragon destroyed Jinzo – Returner in battle. It then negated Pot of Avarice next turn, and Poma dropped it to 800 ATK by Summoning Machina Gearframe. Gearframe attacked over Light and Darkness Dragon, then the Dragon’s effect Special Summoned Thestalos back from the Graveyard. Poma just had 1 Set card in his back row, Gearframe, and 1 in-hand card.

Logan drew to 7 cards in-hand and Special Summoned his Treeborn Frog again. Poma had just 4300 Life Points left, and Logan had Brain Control and Enemy Controller. Thestalos attacked over Gearframe for 600 damage and Logan Set the Controller.

Poma activated Future Fusion! He used its effect to send 3 Jinzo, 2 Jinzo – Returner, Machina Fortress, and Cyber Dragon to the Graveyard, declaring Chimeratech Overdragon. He Special Summoned 2 copies of Jinzo, taking down Treeborn Frog with the first and trading the second for Thestalos in battle. The remaining Jinzo was destroyed in the End Phase and Poma ended.

Logan Normal Summoned Swap Frog, sent another Treeborn Frog from his Deck to his Graveyard, and attacked for 1000 damage with Swap Frog. Poma passed. Logan had 2 Soul Exchanges, Substitoad, Enemy Controller, Brain Control, Swap Frog, and Treacherous Trap Hole in-hand, with Swap Frog and another Enemy Controller on the field. He Summoned a second Swap Frog, attacked with both, and Poma was down to 700 Life Points.

The effect of Poma’s Future Fusion resolved, bringing Chimeratech Overdragon to the field! It promptly destroyed Poma’s Set Heavy Storm, Bottomless Trap Hole, and Future Fusion, destroying itself in doing so. Poma had 2 cards left. He Normal Summoned Machina Gearframe, searched Machina Fortress from his Deck with Gearframe’s effect, and attacked a Substitoad.  Logan let the attack through and the Substitoad was destroyed. Poma Set a card to his Spell & Trap Card Zone.

Logan laughed, drawing a third Enemy Controller. He activated Brain Control to take control of Gearframe, Poma Chained Solemn Judgment, and Logan finished the Duel with Enemy Controller, taking Gearframe to attack directly and end the Duel!

Logan Djuiricin devastates Luis Poma in the first Duel, claiming a decisive victory with more cards than you can shake a frog at! Both Duelists did some extensive Side Decking before starting the second Duel.

Poma got things started with a single Set card to his Spell & Trap Card Zone. Logan had Substitoad, Battle Fader, Raiza the Storm Monarch, Caius the Shadow Monarch, Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, and Light and Darkness Dragon! He Summoned Swap Frog, sent Treeborn Frog to the Graveyard with Swap Frog’s effect, and attacked into Book of Moon! With Treeborn Frog in the Graveyard and Battle Fader as protection and Tribute fodder for Light and Darkness Dragon, Logan’s hand seemed nearly unbeatable.

Poma Special Summoned Cyber Dragon, attacked Swap Frog, and Set another card to his back row. “Poor Swap Frog!” joked Logan. Next turn he Special Summoned Treeborn Frog, Tributed for Caius, removed Cyber Dragon from play, and attacked into another Book. “I knew it was another Book!” Poma Set another Spell or Trap, ended, and Treeborn Frog came back.

“This seems mighty greedy” laughed Logan. He Tributed Treeborn Frog for Thestalos, and sent his opponent’s Jinzo to the Graveyard! He Flip Summoned Caius, attacked with it, then attacked with Thestalos for 4800 damage! He had Enemy Controller, Raiza, Light and Darkness Dragon, and 2 Battle Faders still at the ready.

Poma Summoned Green Gadget, got Red Gadget with its effect, and destroyed Caius with Smashing Ground. Logan drew System Down, Special Summoned Treeborn Frog, and paid 1000 Life Points to remove all the Machine monsters from the game with System Down – Poma lost Green Gadget, plus the Jinzo from his Graveyard. Logan Tributed Treeborn for Raiza, Poma negated the Summon with Solemn Judgment, and Thestalos struck for the win against an empty field!

“That was dirty,” remarked a nearly-giddy Logan. “I opened with the most broken hand! I’m sorry!” He revealed his opening hand to Poma, shook his hand, and both Duelists began de-Siding for their next round.

Logan Djuiricin is now 6-0 with Froggy Monarchs!

See what our panel of experts had to say after the Duel.

Jason Grabher-Meyer (The Old Man of Dueling)

Poma might have had an easier way to burn through Djuiricin’s Light and Darkness Dragon. He used Yellow Gadget, Mirror Force, Jinzo – Returner, Pot of Avarice and Machina Gearframe, before attacking the weak Dragon with Gearframe.
Instead, he could have just let the Dragon negate his Yellow Gadget’s effect, Summoned Machina Gearframe, given up Gearframe’s effect, and attacked to trade his 1800 ATK Gearframe for the 1800 ATK Dragon in battle. Then he could’ve used both his Mirror Force and Pot of Avarice, and kept Jinzo – Returner for later.

Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
Djuricin’s Deck can easily put Treeborn Frog into the Graveyard to set up strong Tribute Summons that allow him to take control of the Duel. Poma may have considered using D.D. Crow in his Side Deck to remove Treeborn Frog from Djuricin’s Graveyard, restricting the plays he can make.