Toronto’s Kyle Mistysyn is twelve years old, and is here undefeated in the last Round of the Sunday Dragon Duel!  Mistysyn is running Twilight, while his opponent – Massacheussett’s Jack Hoyt – is playing X-Sabers.  This could be Mistysyn’s first-ever Dragon Duel win, but Jack Hoyt is tough competition: he’s won nine Dragon Duels before, and this might be his tenth victory.

Both Duelists shook hands, and Hoyt wished his opponent good luck.

Hoyt started the Match with a Set monster and Set card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Mistysyn had a hand of Ogre of the Scarlet Sorrow, Lightning Vortex, Card Trooper, Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, and 2 Royal Decree.  He Set Decree, Summoned Card Trooper, and sent Monster Reborn, Charge of the Light Brigade, and Book of Moon to his Graveyard.  Card Trooper attacked, destroying Hoyt’s Super-Nimble Mega Hamster, and the Hamster Special Summoned XX-Saber Darksoul in face-down Defense Position.

Hoyt Tributed his face-down Darksoul for Vanity’s Fiend, and attacked Card Trooper for a total of 2000 Battle Damage.  Mistysyn drew a card for Card Trooper’s effect, and Hoyt Set another Spell or Trap before using Darksoul’s effect to add XX-Saber Faultroll to his hand.

Mistysyn drew Solar Recharge.  He activated Royal Decree, discarded his extra Decree to activate Lightning Vortex, and Hoyt’s Vanity’s Fiend was destroyed.  Mistysyn discarded Wulf, Lightsworn Beast for Solar Recharge, drew Dark Grepher and Giant Trunade, and sent Judgment Dragon and Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress to the Graveyard.  He Summoned Dark Grepher, attacked for 1700 Battle Damage, and ended.

Hoyt Normal Summoned XX-Saber Boggart Knight, Special Summoned X-Saber Pashuul, and Special Summoned XX-Saber Faultroll, using its effect to bring Darksoul back from his Graveyard.  He Tuned Pashuul to Darksoul to Synchro Summon Naturia Beast (3+2=5), attacked Dark Grepher with Faultroll, and then made a direct attack with Boggart Knight.  He declared an attack with Naturia Beast next: Mistysyn Special Summoned Ogre of the Scarlet Sorrow in Defense Position!  It hit the field with 1900 ATK and 1000 DEF, mimicking the ATK and DEF of Boggart Knight.  Naturia Beast attacked the Ogre to destroy it, and Mistysyn had 3400 Life Points.  Hoyt got another Boggart Knight with his Darksoul’s effect.

Mistysyn drew another Lightning Vortex.  He activated Giant Trunade, Hoyt Checked his Graveyard, and he let the Trunade go, not negating it with Naturia Beast’s effect.  Mistysyn Set Sangan and Royal Decree, ending.

Hoyt Summoned X-Saber Pashuul, Tuned it to Boggart Knight, and Synchro Summoned XX-Saber Hyunlei (4+2=6) to destroy his opponent’s Royal Decree.  He then Special Summoned Pashuul back with Faultroll’s effect, Tuned Pashuul and Faultroll together, and Synchro Summoned Red Dragon Archfiend (6+2=8).  Red Dragon attacked Mistysyn’s Sangan, Mistysyn searched his Deck for Battle Fader, and Hoyt forced him to Special Summon it by attacking with Hyunlei.  Battle Fader’s effect ended the Battle Phase, and Hoyt destroyed Battle Fader with Saber Slash.  He Set 2 Spell or Trap Cards, and lost his Naturia Beast to Red Dragon Archfiend’s effect!

Mistysyn drew Jain, Lightsworn Paladin, and discarded her for Lightning Vortex: Hoyt turned his Dragon face-down with Book of Moon, but lost Hyunlei.  Mistysyn ended, out of cards.

Hoyt Normal Summoned XX-Saber Emmersblade, Flip Summoned Red Dragon Archfiend, and attacked with both to win the Duel!

Jack Hoyt takes the first Duel, mounting an aggressive pace against Kyle Mistysyn from the get-go.  Both competitors made careful use of their Side Decks as they prepared for Duel 2.

Mistysyn started with a hand of Pot of Avarice, Celestia, Lightsworn Angel, Lightning Vortex, Sangan, Monster Reincarnation, and Honest.  He Set Sangan.

Hoyt Set a monster.

Mistysyn drew and activated Charge of the Light Brigade, sending Giant Trunade, Tuner’s Scheme, and Necro Gardna to his Graveyard to get Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner from his Deck.  He Summoned Lumina, attacked, and destroyed Hoyt’s XX-Saber Darksoul, then sent Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Mirror Force to his Graveyard with Lumina’s effect.  Hoyt got XX-Saber Faultroll from his Deck with Darksoul.

Hoyt activated Dark Hole, destroying Lumina and Sangan: Mistysyn got Brain Jacker from his Deck, and Hoyt took a moment to read it. (Brain Jacker’s Flip Effect lets it equip to an opponent’s monster. You get to take control of that monster but your opponent gains Life Points on each of his turns.)  Hoyt then Normal Summoned Boggart Knight, Special Summoned X-Saber Pashuul and Faultroll, Special Summoned Darksoul, and Synchro Summoned Naturia Beast (3+2=5).  Boggart Knight, Naturia Beast, and Faultroll all attacked, dropping Mistysyn to 1500 Life Points.  Hoyt got XX-Saber Fulhelmknight from his Deck in the End Phase.

Mistysyn drew Judgment Dragon!  He didn’t have enough Lightsworn in his Graveyard to Summon it, but had Lightning Vortex, Monster Reincarnation, and Pot of Avarice in-hand to force Naturia Beast’s effect.  He activated Monster Reincarnation, discarding Celestia, Lightsworn Angel: Hoyt let it go, and Mistysyn took back his Lumina.  Mistysyn followed up with Lightning Vortex, discarded Brain Jacker, and Hoyt sent Boggart Knight and Saber Slash to his Graveyard to negate the Spell with Naturia Beast.  He negated Pot of Avarice next, leaving Mistysyn to Summon Lumina and end.  He sent Book of Moon, Jain, Lightsworn Paladin, and Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior to his Graveyard.  He needed to survive until next turn to Summon Judgment Dragon.

Hoyt brought back Darksoul with Faultroll, and Normal Summoned Fulhelmknight.  He Tuned them together for Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier (3+3=6), discarded Torrential Tribute to bounce away Lumina, and he attacked directly with XX-Saber Faultroll to win the Duel!

Jack Hoyt is now a ten-time Dragon Duel winner!

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)
Mistysyn made a great play in the first Duel.  When Hoyt attacked Sangan with Red Dragon Archfiend, Mistysyn searched his Deck for Battle Fader with Sangan’s effect.  Battle Fader kept Hoyt’s Naturia Beast from attacking, and that meant Red Dragon Archfiend’s effect would destroy it in the End Phase.  That freed Mistysyn of Naturia Beast’s Spell-stopping effect, and let Mistysyn battle back with Lightning Vortex on the following turn.  Make sure you always understand the effects of your opponent’s cards: sometimes you can use those effects to your advantage.

Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
Hoyt made awesome use of Naturia Beast in this Match. Naturia Beast is easy for X-Saber Duelists to Synchro Summon, especially with the rising popularity of X-Saber Pashuul. Hoyt Tuned X-Saber Pashuul with XX-Saber Darksoul to Synchro Summon it, and used it to lock up the Duel. Hoyt was able to stop Mistysyn’s Lightning Vortex and Pot of Avarice, shutting him out of the Duel.

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