After a disappointing “Curse of the Feature Match” defeat in his Round 1 face-off earlier today, Spirit Wing Duelist Ramon Mera proceeded to win out! Mera won 7 consecutive Matches, and now he’s 7-1 with his trademark Blackwing strategy. “I lost first Round in Charlotte, too,” said Mera, “and then I won out from there.” His opponent this round is James Wade, piloting Six Samurai. Both of these Duelists would love to head into the final Swiss Rounds tomorrow with an 8-1 record.

Wade started the Match with a handshake and 3 Set back row cards.

Mera had Allure of Darkness; Black Whirlwind; Smashing Ground; Dimensional Prison; Blackwing – Bora the Spear; and Breaker the Magical Warrior. He Summoned Breaker, and Wade turned it face-down with Book of Moon. Mera thought a moment, then Set Dimensional Prison, but he lost it to Mystical Space Typhoon in his End Phase.

Wade Normal summoned Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan, then Special Summoned Grandmaster of the Six Samurai. Both monsters attacked and Breaker was destroyed.

Mera drew Monster Reborn. Allure of Darkness got him Spirit Reaper and Torrential Tribute, and he removed Bora for Allure’s effect. He Set Spirit Reaper, then Set the remaining 4 cards in his hand to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Wade attacked with Kizan, bouncing off Spirit Reaper. He Set a Spell or Trap. This was exactly what Mera’s Deck is supposed to do.

Mera drew Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor and passed.

Wade Set a Spell or Trap.

Mera drew Mystical Space Typhoon and Set it.

Wade passed.

Mera drew another Mystical Space Typhoon. “Reaper is really annoying,” remarked a vexed Wade. Mera flipped his Set Smashing Ground, destroying Grandmaster: Wade returned it to his hand with its effect. Mera Set his second Typhoon.

Wade took a brief peek at his Extra Deck, then passed.

Mera drew Blackwing – Kalut the Moonshadow and Normal Summoned Vayu. He turned Reaper to Attack Position and attacked Kizan with Vayu. Wade removed it with Dimensional Prison. Reaper was left in vulnerable Attack Position, but Mera still had Torrential Tribute Set. Did Wade have Musakani Magatama?

Wade activated Gateway of the Six, and when Mera Chained Mystical Space Typhoon he Chained Magatama to negate Typhoon. He Summoned Kagemusha of the Six Samurai, and Mera flipped Torrential Tribute. He’d succeeded in drawing out that Magatama, and Wade lost his Kizan and Kagemusha!

Mera drew Blackwing – Blizzard the far North, but he didn’t have any Blackwings in his Graveyard to use with its effect. He activated Monster Reborn to target Spirit Reaper, though, forcing Wade to Chain Solemn Warning. Mera had 2 cards in hand with 2 cards Set in his back row.

Wade drew to 4 cards in hand, with Gateway and a Set Spell or Trap on the field. He Summoned Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki, and Mera destroyed Gateway of the Six with his second Mystical Space Typhoon. Wade pressed on. He Special Summoned Grandmaster, and then made direct attacks with both Samurai monsters. Mera was down to 2100 Life Points.

Mera drew Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn. He flipped Black Whirlwind, then tried to Normal Summon Sirocco. Wade had just 1 Set card left, but when he revealed it to be Solemn Judgment and negated Sirocco’s Summon, Mera conceded the Duel!

Ramon Mera is forced onto an early defense and plays it to a tee, but that he finds himself unable to play out of as Wade keeps him from having an attacker for the vast majority of the Duel. One more win like that, and Wade would be sitting pretty heading into Day 2.

Mera opened with Blackwing – Blizzard the far North; Thunder King Rai-Oh; Pot of Duality; Monster Reborn; Solemn Warning; and Icarus Attack. Duality revealed the top 3 cards of his Deck: Blackwing – Bora the Spear, Royal Oppression, and another Blizzard. He added Oppression to his hand, then Summoned Thunder King. He Set 3 cards to his back row.

Wade Special Summoned Cyber Dragon, telegraphing a Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Mera’s Royal Oppression. Mera let it go, not stopping the Summon with Oppression nor Thunder King Rai-Oh. Cyber Dragon ran the Thunder King over, and in Main Phase 2 Wade used Shien’s Smoke Signal to search his Deck for Kagemusha of the Six Samurai. He Normal Summoned it, and Synchro Summoned Black Rose Dragon. Mera responded with Solemn Warning! Wade Set 2 cards to his back row.

Mera drew Dimensional Prison. He Set Blizzard and Tributed it for Icarus Attack, destroying Wade’s Warning and making him Chain his Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Royal Oppression. Monster Reborn let Mera Special Summon his Thunder King Rai-Oh for an attack, and he Set his Prison.

Wade destroyed Thunder King with Dark Hole, and swung with Kizan into Dimensional Prison.

Mera drew Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn, now reduced to topdecking.

Wade drew to 2 cards and passed.

Mera drew Gorz the Emissary of Darkness!

Wade Summoned Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki, and used its effect to Special Summon Kagemusha of the Six Samurai from his hand. He Tuned them together to Synchro Summon Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En, Special Summoned Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan, and attacked with both, right into Gorz! Mera Special Summoned a 2500 ATK Emissary of Darkness Token.

Mera drew another Blizzard. He attacked with the Token to destroy Kizan, then ran over Shi En with Gorz, destroying both Samurai. Wade had nothing left.

Wade drew and Set a Spell or Trap.

Mera drew Allure of Darkness and activated it, drawing Spirit Reaper and Torrential Tribute. He removed Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn. He turned Gorz to Defense Position and attacked with the Emissary of Darkness Token, dropping Wade to 2700 Life Points. Mera had 1500 Life Points left himself, and he Set Spirit Reaper. A Set Spell or Trap ended his turn.

Wade Summoned another Kizan and attacked to reveal Spirit Reaper.

Mera drew Blackwing – Bora the Spear. He shifted Gorz to Attack Position, and Gorz and the Emissary of Darkness Token ended the Duel!

A lucky Gorz comes through for Ramon Mera, saving the Duel and keeping him in the Match!

To start off Duel 3, Wade used Shien’s Smoke Signal to get Kagemusha of the Six Samurai from his Deck, and Summoned Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki to Special Summon Kagemusha. He Tuned them together to Synchro Summon Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En, then Set a Spell or Trap.

Mera had Thunder King Rai-Oh; Gorz the Emissary of Darkness; Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North; Spirit Reaper; Solemn Warning; and Gozen Match. He Set Spirit Reaper.

Wade Normal Summoned Spirit of the Six Samurai, equipped it to Shi En, and rammed into Spirit Reaper, harmlessly.

Mera drew Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind! He Normal Summoned it, and used its effect to halve Shi En’s ATK and DEF. Mera Tuned his monsters together for Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, and discarded Thunder King Rai-Oh to bounce away Shi En to the Extra Deck! Wade lost his Shi En, and his Spirit! Brionac attacked into Mirror Force, but Mera may have made the opening he needed. He ended with an empty field, so Gorz was locked and loaded. He had 4 cards in hand.

Wade drew to 4 cards himself, and activated Reinforcement of the Army to get Kagemusha from his Deck. He ended.

Mera drew Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn. He Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh and attacked for 1900 Battle Damage, dropping Wade to 6100 Life Points. He Set Solemn Warning.

Wade revealed Cyber Dragon, and Mera Tributed Thunder King to negate the Summon. Mera tried to Summon Kageki, and Mera blasted it immediately with Warning, completely negating its Summon. Wade Set a Spell or Trap.

Mera Normal Summoned Blizzard and Special Summoned Gale, attacking with Blizzard for 1300 Battle Damage. He Set Gozen Match.

Wade activated Dark Hole to clear the field, then Set his last 2 cards: a monster and a Spell or Trap.

Mera drew Magic Drain. He tried to Normal Summon Sirocco, and Wade stopped the Summon with Solemn Judgment. Mera Set Magic Drain.

Wade Flip Summoned Kagemusha, and Normal Summoned Kizan. Mera was trapped: Wade would Synchro Summon Naturia Barkion, and Mera’s Trap Cards would prevent him from Special Summoning his Gorz. Sure enough, Wade Synchro Summoned Barkion, and attacked for 2500 Battle Damage.

Mera drew Blackwing – Bora the Spear. After a moment’s thought, he Set it.

Wade attacked with Barkion, and Mera flipped Gozen Match. Wade negated it, and Bora was destroyed.

Mera drew Mystical Space Typhoon next and Set it. Now he could destroy his own Magic Drain to free his field and unleash Gorz. He had 3500 Life Points to Wade’s 2400.

But Mera wouldn’t have to destroy his own Drain! Wade activated Shien’s Smoke Signal, and when Mera flipped Magic Drain, Wade discarded Six Samurai United to force his Smoke Signal through. He got Mizuhu from his Deck and attacked with her. In response, Mera flipped Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Musakani Magatama, and when he took 1600 Battle Damage from Mizuho, Mera Special Summoned Gorz! He lost his Emissary of Darkness Token to Barkion.

Mera drew Dark Hole and attacked over Mizuho. He Set Dark Hole.

Wade drew and Set a Spell or Trap.

Mera drew Solemn Warning but he didn’t have 2000 Life Points to pay for it. He spent a moment inspecting Wade’s Graveyard, then attacked over Barkion! Wade’s Set Spell or Trap couldn’t save him. Mera Set Warning, and Wade flipped Mystical Space Typhoon in the End Phase to destroy the bluffed Warning. When Wade revealed his next draw to be Giant Trunade, he conceded the game to Mera!

Ramon Mera battles out of a Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En opening to capture the third Duel, and moves to Day 2 with an 8-1 record! What a way to bring Day 1 to a close!