New York’s Honorable Michael Smith-Grant won his first round match using the Deck we profiled earlier this morning: Mini-Monkey Samurais. Packing double the Tuners of most Samurai Decks, Grant’s variant uses Shien’s Squire and X-Saber Pashuul with Reinforce Truth, creating a Synchro-centric Samurai build. His opponent is Jon Terry, a Dallas native running Dragons. Terry’s build is explosive, but it also packs Koa’ki Meiru Drago, which could keep Grant from some of his best Synchro Summons, like Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En.

Terry started the Match with Koa’ki Meiru Drago, revealing another Drago from his hand in his End Phase.

Grant had Reinforce Truth, Book of Moon, Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki, 2 Shien’s Smoke Signal, and Kagemusha of the Six Samurai. He activated Book of Moon to turn Drago face-down; Normal Summoned Kageki; and used its effect to Special Summon Kagemusha. He Tuned them together to Synchro Summon Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En! Grant attacked to destroy Drago; Set Reinforce Truth and Smoke Signal; and ended.

Terry destroyed Smoke Signal with Mystical Space Typhoon, then Set a monster and 2 cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone. In the End Phase, Grant activated Reinforce Truth to Special Summon Kagemusha of the Six Samurai from his Deck.

Grant drew Solemn Judgment next turn, and used Smoke Signal to search Hand of the Six Samurai from his Deck. He Summoned Hand, Tributed Kagemusha to destroy his opponent’s Masked Dragon, and attacked with Hand and Shi En for a combined total of 4100 Battle Damage. He Set Judgment.

Terry Summoned his second Drago, and when Grant responded with Solemn Judgment Terry Chained Seven Tools of the Bandit! Drago attacked to destroy Hand of the Six Samurai. Terry revealed Red-Eyes Wyvern.

Shi En attacked to destroy Drago, and Grant Set the card he’d drawn for the turn’s Draw Phase: Giant Trunade.

Terry Summoned Red-Eyes Wyvern, activated Monster Reborn, and Grant negated it with Shi En’s effect! Terry Set another Spell or Trap. Next turn, Grant flipped Giant Trunade, Special Summoned Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan, and attacked with both monsters for victory!

Honorable Michael Smith-Grant’s Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En hits the Duel early and shapes it from the get-go! Jon Terry has no recourse, and the first Duel goes to Grant’s Mini-Monkey Samurais!

Terry started the second Duel with Gold Sarcophagus, removing Future Fusion from his Deck so he could claim it 2 turns from now. A deadly card for a Dragon Duelist, Future Fusion can Summon Five-Headed Dragon, and build a Duelist’s Graveyard. Terry Set 2 cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone, Summoned Red-Eyes Wyvern, and removed it to Special Summon Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon.

This time around, Grant had Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan, Kagemusha of the Six Samurai, Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki, Shien’s Smoke Signal, Gateway of the Six, and Royal Oppression. Smoke Signal got him Hand of the Six Samurai from his Deck, and he activated Gateway. He Normal Summoned Kageki, used its effect to Special Summon Hand of the Six Samurai. He activated its effect to Tribute Hand, but Terry Chained My Body As A Shield to respond! “This would be the perfect time to have a Shien’s Squire,” remarked Grant. He Special Summoned Kizan and added his fifth and sixth Bushido Counters to Gateway. He then removed 4 to go get Grandmaster from his Deck, and Special Summoned it. Gateway went to 4 Bushido Counters, and Grant removed all 4 of them to boost Grandmaster to 3100 ATK. It attacked over Red-Eyes, and Kageki attacked for 1700. Grant Set Royal Oppression.

Terry activated Cold Wave and passed, trying to at least stop Gateway. Grant Summoned Kagemusha of the Six Samurai, Tuned it to Kageki for Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En, and attacked with Grandmaster, then Shi En to finish the Duel and the Match!

We don’t get to see Shien’s Squire in action, but we do get to see Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En devastate 2 consecutive Duels! Jon Terry puts up a valiant fight with his Dragon Deck, but it’s Grant’s Synchro-heavy Samurai Deck that takes the Match.