Curtis Bowles is here today running Counter Fairies, with Pot of Duality recently released as well as Chivalry and Solemn Warning, a lot of people have been saying Counter Fairies have received a huge boost. Bowles is attempting to prove it this weekend, and opposing him in this round is Quickdraw Dandywarrior Duelist, Julian Calia.

Bowles won the dice roll and decided to go first.

Bowles’ Opening hand was Solemn Warning, Thunder King Rai-Oh, Divine Wrath, Morphing Jar, Mirror Force, and Dark Bribe. He Set 4 Spell or Trap Cards alongside Morphing Jar and ended his turn.

Calia set one monster and one Spell or Trap Card.

Bowles drew, Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh and Calia chained Bottomless Trap Hole, Bowles chained Dark Bribe to negate it, allowing Calia to draw a card. The extra card didn’t matter, because Bowles then flipped Morphing Jar, they both discarded their hands and drew 5 new cards. Bowles had Pot of Duality, Van’Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord, Spirit Reaper, Burden of the Mighty and Chivalry. He attacked Calia’s face-down Night Assailant with Thunder King Rai-Oh (Night Assailant’s effect was used to destroy Thunder King) and finished by attacking directly with Morphing Jar.

Calia set one monster and 3 Spell or Trap Cards before passing back to Bowles.

Bowles drew Monster Reborn and Normal Summoned Spirit Reaper, he then attacked Calia’s Set Ryko with Morphing Jar. Ryko’s effect activated, targeting the Reaper, but Bowles chained Chivalry to negate the Ryko and destroy it. Bowle’s tried to attack directly with Spirit Reaper, but Calia activated Call of the Haunted targeting Gorz the Emissary of Darkness. Bowles Chained Solemn Warning and paid 2000 Life Points to negate the Call, but Calia chained Solemn Judgment paying 3650 of his own. The Chain resolved and Gorz was Special Summoned. Bowles declined to continue his attack and activated Pot of Duality in Main Phase 2, choosing to add Bountiful Artemis to his hand. He activated Burden of the Mighty.
Calia drew and attacked Morphing Jar with Gorz, but Bowles activated Dimensional Prison, removing Gorz from play. Calia Set another card to each Zone and ended.

Bowles drew Thunder King Rai-Oh and Summoned Bountiful Artemis. He attacked Calia’s face-down Ryko with Artemis, but when Ryko tried to activate Bowles Chained Divine Wrath discarding Van’Dalgyon and drawing a card for Artemis. He then attacked directly with both Jar and Reaper dealing 1000 damage and discarding a Super-Nimble Mega Hamster from Calia’s hand.

Calia drew a card for his turn and immediately activated Mystical Space Typhoon on  Bowles’ face down Mirror Force (His last face down Spell or Trap). He then looked through his Graveyard before Normal Summoning Debris Dragon targeting Night Assailant for its effect. He then Synchro Summoned for Black Rose Dragon (4+3=7) and used its effect to destroy all cards on the field.

Bowles drew a card, Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh, activated Monster Reborn and Calia promptly Conceded.

Bowles wins game 1 with a flurry of Counter Traps and a devastating Morphing Jar flip. Calia will have to step it up if he wants to move on with a good chance of making top 16!

Calia decided to go first in game 2

He set two Spell or Trap CArds and a monster and ended.

Bowles had Cyber Dragon, Morphing Jar, Bountiful Artemis, Dimensional Prison, Starlight Road, and Honest. He Summoned Cyber Dragon and attacked Calia’s face-down Sangan. Calia searched Card Trooper to his hand, Bowles Set Artemis, Dimensional Prison, and Starlight Road, and ended his turn.

Calia Summoned Card Trooper and activated its effect to discard 3 cards from the top of his Deck to the Graveyard to boost its ATK to 1900. He then sent Card Trooper and Bowles’ Cyber Dragon to the Graveyard to Summon Chimeratech Fortress Dragon. He attacked Bowles’ face-down monster but Bowles activated his Set Dimensional Prison. Calia then Summoned his own Cyber Dragon in Main Phase 2.

Bowles drew for his turn, Summoned Honest, and Calia activated Torrential Tribute, this allowed Bowles to activate Starlight Road and Summon a Stardust Dragon to from his Extra Deck! He attacked Cyber Dragon with Stardust and attacked directly for 1100 with Honest. He then added Honest back to his hand in Main Phase 2, Flip Summoned Bountiful Artemis, and Set Dark Bribe before ending.

Calia drew for his turn and Summoned Debris Dragon once again, targeting Card Trooper with its effect. Card Trooper sent the top 3 cards from Calia’s Deck to the Graveyard (but didn’t gain any ATK) and afterwards, Calia Synchro Summoned for Black Rose Dragon (4+3=7), activating its effect to destroy all cards on the field. Bowles activated his Stardust to negate Black Rose and Calia was forced to activate Dark Hole in Main Phase 2, Bowles chained Dark Bribe, letting both of them to draw a card, and Calia ended.

Bowles attacked directly for 1600 next turn and then Set a monster, and 2 Spell or Trap Cards.
Calia drew to 4 in hand and Set one card in each Zone before ending.

Bowles drew and Summoned Honest. Calia activated Trap Hole, and Honest was destroyed. Bowles flipped his face down Morphing Jar, allowing them to both draw 5 new cards. He activated Mystical Space Typhoon on Calia’s Set Spell or Trap which he chained (Dust Tornado) to destroy one of Bowles’ Traps. Bowles set 2 more Spell or Trap Cards.
Calia drew, Set one Spell or Trap CArd, and activated Pot of Avarice, sending Debris Dragon, Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, Cyber Dragon, Sangan, and Lonefire Blossom back to his Deck to draw 2 cards. He Set one more Spell or Trap Card.

Bowles drew Divine Wrath and attacked Calia’s face down Super-Nimble Mega Hamster with Morphing Jar, taking 1100 damage. Calia activated the Hamster’s effect, but Bowles chained Divine Wrath. He drew a card with Bountiful Artemis and then attacked directly with it to score 1600 damage.

Calia drew and sent Dandylion to the Graveyard to Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron and get two Fluff Tokens. He then activated Mind Control on Morphing Jar and Synchro Summoned Junk Archer (5+2=7). Bowles used Solemn Warning to negate the Summon and drew a card.

Bowles drew for his turn and Summoned Bountiful Artemis which Calia removed from play with Bottomless Trap Hole. Bowles attacked a Fluff Token and ended.

Calia drew and passed his turn.

Bowles drew, Summoned Spirit Reaper and attacked directly with it and Artemis for 1900 damage total, discarding Tytannial, Princess of Camellias from Calia’s hand.

Calia drew for his turn, Special Summoned Cyber Dragon, and attacked Spirit Reaper. Bowles removed it from play with Dimensional Prison. Calia sent Light and Darkness Dragon to the Graveyard to Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron and ended.

Bowles drew and activated Pot of Duality, choosing Solemn Judgment. He then attacked Quickdraw with Artemis and attacked directly with Spirit Reaper.

Calia drew, Set a Spell or Trap Card, and ended.

Bowles Tributed Spirit Reaper for Cyber Dragon and Calia activated Trap Hole to try and destroy it. Bowles would have none of it and Chained Solemn Judgment! That let Bowles Summon Van’Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord with its own effect, which then destroyed Calia’s last Set card, and Calia immediately conceded.

Bowles devastates with a huge flurry of massive counters, if he can do that a few more times today he’ll be guaranteed a spot in Day 2!

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)
Bowles played really aggressively Duel 1: when he had Artemis, Thunder King, and Van’Dalgyon in hand, with Divine Wrath Set, he Summoned Artemis and attacked into Calia’s Ryko.  Bowles had to use Divine Wrath then and there, discarding Van’Dalgyon (its effect can’t activate in the Damage Step).  If he’d just Summoned Artemis and ended, Calia probably would’ve Flip Summoned Ryko next turn, then Bowles could’ve negated Ryko’s effect with Divine Wrath, Special Summoned Van’Dalgyon, and used its effect to bring back Thunder King.

Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
It’s important to be aware of Morphing Jar throughout a Duel. A lot of Duelists are Setting a bunch of cards to their back rows, even without Morphing Jar, so it’s becoming more difficult to get a read on when your opponent Sets Morphing Jar. But a lack of caution can cost you a Duel. When Calia lost his entire hand to Morphing Jar in Duel 1 and Bowles replenished his hand, the Duel was as good as over.

Click here to check out the next feature match.