Going into Round 10, Devin Djuricin is undefeated with a 9-0 record. Andrew Fredella, however, is 8-1 and needs to win here to be guaranteed a spot in the Top 32. Djuricin is running a Frog Monarch Deck, while his opponent, Andrew Fredella, is running X-Sabers.

Fredella won the dice roll and opened up with Mind Control, Mystical Space Typhoon, XX-Saber Fulhelmknight, Foolish Burial, and 2 copies of XX-Saber Darksoul. He Set XX-Saber Darksoul and Mystical Space Typhoon, ending his turn.

Djuricin activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Fredella’s Set Mystical Space Typhoon and then Special Summoned Cyber Dragon. He used it to attack Fredella’s Set Darksoul and then Set a monster. He ended his turn, visibly disappointed with his hand.

Fredella searched his Deck for XX-Saber Faultroll in his End Phase due to Darksoul’s effect. He drew X-Saber Airbellum in his Draw Phase and then activated Mind Control on Fredella’s Set monster. It was a Treeborn Frog! There wasn’t much he could do with it. He flipped it up, Set Darksoul, and ended his turn, giving the Frog back to Djuricin.

Djuricin Tributed his Treeborn Frog to Summon Jinzo next turn! Cyber Dragon attacked Fredella’s Set Darksoul and then Jinzo attacked directly. In Main Phase 2, Djuricin fused Jinzo with Cyber Dragon to Fusion Summon Chimeratech Fortress Dragon so that Fredella couldn’t do it himself. “This is so bad,” he said. During the End Phase, Fredella added XX-Saber Boggart Knight from his Deck to his hand with Darksoul’s effect.

Fredella drew another Fulhelmknight during his next Draw Phase. Then he Normal Summoned Boggart Knight, activated its effect to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum from his hand, and Special Summoned XX-Saber Faultroll. He activated Faultroll’s effect to Special Summon Darksoul in Attack Position and then attacked Chimeratech Fortress Dragon with Faultroll. Airbellum attacked next, nailing a Heavy Storm from Djuricin’s hand. Fredella followed up with attacks from Darksoul and Boggart Knight, knocking Djuricin down to 4000 Life Points. He played Foolish Burial next in order to send X-Saber Palomuro from his Deck to his Graveyard. Then he Tuned Faultroll and Airbellum together to Summon XX-Saber Gottoms. He launched Darksoul and Boggart Knight to take the last 2 cards out of Djuricin’s hand: Soul Exchange and Enemy Controller. Djuricin had nothing left. Fredella searched his Deck for Faultroll in the End Phase with the effect of Darksoul and Djuricin was up.

Djuricin Special Summoned Treeborn Frog next turn and passed. Fredella Summoned Fulhelmknight and it was all over! Fulhelmknight attacked and destroyed Treeborn Frog, allowing Fredella to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum from his Graveyard. Then, direct attacks from Airbellum and XX-Saber Gottoms ended the Duel!

Djuricin will be going first in Duel 2! He opened up with a weak hand once again, and passed his turn without making a play.

Fredella opened up with XX-Saber Faultroll, XX-Saber Boggart Knight, My Body as a Shield, Book of Moon, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, and Gottoms’ Emergency Call. He Set Book of Moon and ended his turn.

Djuricin activated Nobleman of Extermination to remove Book of Moon from the game, Summoned Treeborn Frog, and attacked for 100 damage. He ended his turn. Fredella drew a card and passed right back to Djuricin, who attacked again with Treeborn Frog and ended his turn.

Fredella drew Upstart Goblin next turn and activated it to draw XX-Saber Boggart Knight from his Deck. He Set Phoenix Wing Wind Blast and ended his turn.

Djuricin drew a card and then Fredella discarded a Boggart Knight to activate Phoenix Wing Wind Blast. He sent Treeborn Frog to the top of Djuricin’s Deck in his Standby Phase. Djuricin Set a back row and ended his turn.

Fredella drew Mind Control and passed to Djuricin, who Set a monster and passed right back to him.

Fredella drew a card, activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Djuricin’s Set Mystical Space Typhoon, and ended his turn.

Djuricin drew a card and passed. He had 7 cards in his hand during his End Phase and had to discard Soul Exchange from his hand.

Fredella Summoned XX-Saber Boggart Knight next turn activated its effect to Special Summon XX-Saber Fulhelmknight from his hand. Then he activated Mind Control to take control of Djuricin’s Set Treeborn Frog and flip it. Next, he Special Summoned XX-Saber Faultroll. Then he Tuned Treeborn Frog to Fulhelmknight in order to Synchro Summon Armory Arm. He activated Faultroll’s effect to try to Special Summon Fulhelmknight from his Graveyard, but Djuricin discarded D.D. Crow to remove the Fulhelmknight from play. Next, Fredella Special Summoned another XX-Saber Faultroll and Special Summoned Boggart Knight from his Graveyard with its effect. He attacked directly with Armory Arm, then both copies of Boggart Knight. Faultroll attacked directly next, and Djuricin Special Summoned Gorz from his hand in Defense Position along with a 2400 DEF Token! He survived all of the attacks thanks to the 1000 Life Points he gained from Upstart Goblin.

In Main Phase 2, Fredella equipped his Faultroll with Armory Arm and then Set Gottoms’ Emergency Call and My Body as a Shield to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

On Djuricin’s next turn, he activated Heavy Storm to get rid of all of Fredella’s back rows. Then, he Summoned Swap Frog to kick a Treeborn Frog to the Graveyard. Next, Gorz destroyed one Faultroll and the Emissary of Darkness Token destroyed the other one, destroying itself in the process. In Main Phase 2, Djuricin bounced the Swap Frog back to his hand and Set a back row, ending his turn.

Fredella drew a monster and Set it next turn.

Djuricin attacked Boggart Knight with Gorz next turn, dropping Fredella to 6700 Life Points. Fredella drew Cold Wave and activated it. Djuricin chained Dust Tornado to destroy the Cold Wave. Fredella flipped XX-Saber Emmersblade next, Special Summoning XX-Saber Ragigura from his Deck in Defense Position. He returned Faultroll to his hand with Ragigura, Special Summoned it in Defense Position, and activated its effect to Special Summon an Emmersblade in Defense Position.

Djuricin Special Summoned Treeborn Frog next turn and Tributed it for Caius, removing XX-Saber Emmersblade from play. Then Caius destroyed Faultroll in battle and Gorz attacked over Boggart Knight. Fredella drew Saber Slash next turn and instantly conceded.

Fredella will be going first in Duel 3! He opened up with XX-Saber Ragigura, XX-Saber Boggart Knight, Dust Tornado, Mind Control, XX-Saber Fulhelmknight, and Saber Slash. He Set Dust Tornado and ended his turn.

Djuricin passed without making a play and Fredella drew Fulhelmknight next turn. He Summoned Boggart Knight to the field and activated its effect to Special Summon Fulhelmknight. When Fulhelmknight tried to attack directly, Djuricin Special Summoned Battle Fader! In Main Phase 2, Fredella activated Mind Control to take control of Battle Fader and Tuned it with Fulhelmknight to Synchro Summon Armory Arm. He ended his turn.

Djuricin activated Soul Exchange next turn and Tributed Fredella’s Boggart Knight to Summon Caius. He removed Armory Arm from play with Caius’s effect and ended his turn.

Fredella Summoned Ragigura and returned Boggart Knight to his hand on his next turn. Then he activated Saber Slash to destroy Caius and attacked for 200 damage. He passed to Djuricin, who activated Heavy Storm to destroy Fredella’s Dust Tornado and then Special Summoned Cyber Dragon. Cyber Dragon attacked Ragigura, and Fredella took 1900 damage.

Fredella drew X-Saber Airbellum next turn. He Summoned Boggart Knight and then used its effect to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum. He Tuned them together to Synchro Summon X-Saber Urbellum and then attacked over Cyber Dragon. Djuricin Special Summoned Tragoedia in Defense Position after taking 100 damage. Fredella Set a card and ended his turn.

Djuricin switched Tragoedia to Attack Position and then activated Creature Swap! He gained control of Urbellum and attacked over Tragoedia.

Fredella Summoned Fulhelmknight and Set Starlight Road next turn, before passing to Djuricin, who Set a back row and passed right back.

Fredella Summoned XX-Saber Emmersblade next turn and Tuned it to Fulhelmknight, in order to Synchro Summoned Goyo Guardian! Goyo tried to attack Urbellum, but Djuricin switched it to Defense Position with Enemy Controller.

Fredella passed to Djuricin, who attacked the Defense Position Goyo Guardian with Urbellum and destroyed it. He passed to Fredella, who passed right back without making a play.

Djuricin Set a monster before scoring a direct attack with Urbellum and ending his turn.

Fredella Set a monster next turn and ended. He was having trouble dealing with his own copy of X-Saber Urbellum.

Djuricin attacked Fredella’s Set monster with Urbellum. It was Boggart Knight, and got destroyed in battle.

Fredella drew another card next turn and passed without making a play.

Djuricin Tributed his 2 Set monsters for Light and Darkness Dragon next turn and it was all over! Urbellum and Light and Darkness Dragon attacked Fredella directly, ending the Match!

Djuricin triumphs with a 2-1 victory over X‑Sabers, ending the Swiss Pair rounds with a perfect 10-0 record! Fredella finished with an 8-2 record, still holding on to a chance of a Top 32 finish with X-Sabers.

Post-Event Analysis!
See what our panel of experts had to say about this Duel after the event was over. 

Jason Grabher-Meyer (The Old Man of Dueling)
This match saw some tight play on both sides of the table, but in the third Duel, Djuricin may have left an opening. While Fredella controlled Armory Arm and XX-Saber Boggart Knight, Djuricin activated Soul Exchange to Tribute Boggart Knight and Summon Caius the Shadow Monarch. He then removed Armory Arm from the game with Caius’ effect. Armory Arm is relatively useless in the Graveyard, while X-Sabers like Boggart Knight can be brought back with a number of different cards. If Djuricin had switched things around, and Tributed Armory Arm and removed Boggart Knight from the game, Fredella wouldn’t have been able to retrieve Boggart Knight the following turn with XX-Saber Ragigura.

Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
In Duel 1, Djuricin Tributed his Treeborn Frog for Jinzo while he had Cyber Dragon on the field and immediately realized his mistake. He noticed Fredella could fuse his 2 monsters together for Chimeratech Fortress Dragon and needed to fuse them himself so that Fredella wouldn’t be able to do it. To Djuricin’s credit, he made the best possible play in his efforts to recover from this mistake.

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