Sue Kozarevich entered the tournament with the most powerful monster in the game in her Deck. An unstoppable monster. A monster that every Duelist fears. Once drawn, Kozarevich can use this monster instantly declare victory. Kozarevich is playing the legendary Exodia, and is racking up wins so far today.

Her opponent, Christopher Bianco is running X-Sabers. His Deck’s power to discard cards with X-Saber Airbellum and XX-Saber Gottoms may make this a tough Match for Kozarevich, but if she can draw Exodia quickly, she may be able to snag an early victory.

Bianco started things off by Setting 3 cards in his back row and Setting a monster in Defense Position.

Kozarevich opened up with Upstart Goblin, Summoner Monk, 2 copies of Emissary of the Afterlife, Dark World Dealings, and Broww, Huntsman of Dark World. She activated Dark World Dealings to draw the Right Leg of the Forbidden One and discard Broww. Broww’s effect activated, and Kozarevich drew the Right Arm of the Forbidden One with Broww’s effect. Next, Kozarevich Summoned Summoner Monk and it switched into Defense Position. She pitched Upstart Goblin to Special Summon Emissary of the Afterlife from her Deck, but Bianco flipped Bottomless Trap Hole to remove it from the Duel.

Bianco flipped XX-Saber Darksoul next turn, and Normal Summoned XX-Saber Emmersblade from his hand. Next, he Special Summoned XX-Saber Faultroll. Faultroll attacked and destroyed Summoner Monk, and then Darksoul and Emmersblade attacked Kozarevich directly.

Kozarevich drew Foolish Burial next turn. She Set Emissary from her hand and passed.

Bianco Normal Summoned XX-Saber Fulhelmknight and Tuned it with XX-Saber Darksoul to Synchro Summon Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier. He pitched Darksoul from his hand to return Emissary to Kozarevich’s hand with Brionac’s effect. Next, he attacked directly with Emmersblade, Brionac, and Faultroll to drop Kozarevich down to 600 Life Points. In Main Phase 2, Bianco activated Faultroll’s effect to Special Summon XX-Saber Fulhelmknight from his Graveyard.

Kozarevich drew Burial from a Different Dimension next turn and conceded, knowing she wouldn’t survive another turn. It was unclear whether or not Bianco knew that he was up against an Exodia Deck, since he didn’t see any of the pieces, but he dipped into his Side Deck anyway and prepared for Duel 2!

Kozarevich began Duel 2 with Future Visions, Sangan, Broww, Pot of Duality, and 2 copies of Cyber Valley in her hand. She activated Pot of Duality, revealing Upstart Goblin, Broww, and Right Leg of the Forbidden One from the top of her Deck. She added the Exodia piece to her hand and shuffled the other 2 cards back into her Deck. Next, she Summoned Cyber Valley and activated Future Visions.

Bianco Set a monster and 2 cards to his back row before ending his turn.

Kozarevich drew Jar of Greed and Set it in her back row. Then she Set Sangan and passed to Bianco.

Bianco activated Nobleman of Crossout next turn to remove Kozarevich’s face-down Sangan from the Duel! He activated Mind Control next, to take control of Kozarevich’s Cyber Valley. He tried to Normal Summoned Consecrated Light, but it got removed from the Duel by Future Visions. Bianco flipped his face-down XX-Saber Darksoul next, and then activated Cyber Valley’s effect to remove Darksoul and Cyber Valley from play and draw 2 cards.

Kozarevich drew Mystic Tomato next turn. She activated her face-down Jar of Greed to draw Dark Eruption and then Set Mystic Tomato face-down. Play passed back to Bianco.

Bianco returned Consecrated Light to the field due to the effect of Future Visions, and then activated Nobleman of Crossout to remove Kozarevich’s face-down Mystic Tomato from the Duel. He Set a card to his back row and ended his turn.

Kozarevich drew Gold Sarcophagus next turn. She activated it, removing Mirror Force from her Deck so that she could reclaim it in 2 turns. Kozarevich Set a monster and ended her turn.

Bianco Set a monster and a card to his back row before switching Consecrated Light to Defense Position and passing.

Kozarevich drew a second copy of Future Visions. She Set Cyber Valley and ended her turn.

Bianco Summoned X-Saber Pashuul next turn, and it was removed from the Duel by Future Visions.

Kozarevich drew Plaguespreader Zombie and added Mirror Force to her hand thanks to her previously activated Gold Sarcophagus. She flipped up her Cyber Valley next, and then Set a monster in Defense Position. She Set Mirror Force before trying to end her turn, but in her End Phase, Bianco flipped Book of Moon to put Cyber Valley face-down.

Bianco returned X-Saber Pashuul back to the field in his next Standby Phase and then flipped 2 Darksouls face-up. Next, he Special Summoned XX-Saber Faultroll from his hand. He Tuned Pashuul, Darksoul, and Consecrated Light together to Synchro Summon Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, and then discarded Gorz the Emissary of Darkness from his hand to bounce Mirror Force to Kozarevich’s hand. Then he activated Faultroll’s effect to Special Summon Pashuul from his Graveyard. He Tuned Pashuul with Darksoul to Synchro Summon Naturia Beast. Next, he flipped Gottoms’ Emergency Call to Special Summon XX-Saber Darksoul and X-Saber Pashuul from his Graveyard. Then he Tuned Pashuul with Faultroll to Synchro Summon Stardust Dragon. Bianco attacked a face-down Broww with Naturia Beast, attacked a face-down Plaguespreader Zombie with Stardust Dragon, and attacked a face-down Cyber Valley with Brionac, destroying all 3 of Kozarevich’s monsters. In his End Phase, Bianco grabbed some X-Sabers from his Deck with the effects of his fallen Darksouls.

Kozarevich drew Call of the Haunted next turn. She Set it alongside Mirror Force and then activated Dark Eruption, but Bianco negated the Dark Eruption by sending 2 cards from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard with Naturia Beast.

On his next turn, Bianco pitched cards from his hand with Brionac’s effect to send all the cards that Kozarevich had on the field, back to her hand. Bianco Summoned XX-Saber Fulhelmknight next, and with more than enough ATK on the field to finish Kozarevich off, she conceded.

Kozarevich just couldn’t get her Exodia Deck running in this round, and Bianco was able to take an easy 2-0 victory over it with his X-Sabers.