Michael McTavish is a local Canadian, competing in the YCS with a Banishment Deck. His Deck has favorable match-ups against several of the most popular Decks in the field this weekend, including Twilight and Plants. Unfortunately for McTavish, his Round 1 opponent is Tuan Pham – a Toronto-local who entered the YCS with Gladiator Beasts. Gladiator Beasts are a tough match-up for McTavish, who will do everything he can to overcome this early disadvantage.

McTavish opened up Duel 1 with Solemn Warning, Dimensional Fissure, Starlight Road, Book of Moon, and 2 copies of Mystical Space Typhoon. He activated Dimensional Fissure and then Set Starlight Road, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Solemn Warning.

Pham Set 2 cards to his back row and tried to Summon Thunder King Rai-Oh; but McTavish flipped Solemn Warning and paid 2000 Life Points to negate its Summon.

McTavish drew Mirror Force next turn. He Set it along with another Mystical Space Typhoon and then passed.

Pham Summoned another Thunder King Rai-Oh next turn. He attacked directly with it, and McTavish dropped down to 4100 Life Points.

McTavish drew Return from the Different Dimension. He ended his turn with no monsters to Summon.

Pham Set a monster and declared a direct attack with Thunder King Rai-Oh. McTavish flipped Mirror Force to destroy and banish the Rai-Oh.

McTavish drew Reinforcement of the Army next turn! Finally, he’d be able to get a monster! He activated it to search his Deck for D.D. Survivor, then flipped his 2 face-down copies of Mystical Space Typhoon. The first one destroyed a Dimensional Prison, and the second one targeted a Mystical Space Typhoon; Pham Chained the Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy McTavish’s face-down Starlight Road. D.D. Survivor attacked Pham’s face-down monster next, revealing it to be Gladiator Beast Hoplomus! “My worst Matchup,” McTavish said. McTavish lost 300 Life Points in the battle and then Pham tagged out his Gladiator Beast Hoplomus to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Bestiari from his Deck and destroy Dimensional Fissure with its effect. McTavish Set Book of Moon and Return from the Different Dimension before ending his turn.

Pham Set Gladiator Beast Murmillo next turn and then fused it with his Bestiari to Summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus! He activated Gyzarus’s effect to target and destroy McTavish’s D.D. Survivor and Return from the Different Dimension. He attacked with Gyzarus next, but McTavish flipped Book of Moon to put Gyzarus face-down and block the attack.

McTavish drew and activated Pot of Duality next turn, revealing Dark Hole, Rose, Warrior of Revenge, and Mind Crush from the top of his Deck. He took the Dark Hole and shuffled the other 2 revealed cards back into his Deck. McTavish activated the Dark Hole to destroy Gyzarus before ending his turn.

Pham activated Gladiator Proving Ground next turn to search his Deck for Gladiator Beast Darius. He Normal Summoned it and attacked directly, dropping McTavish down to 2100 Life Points. At the end of the Battle Phase, Pham tagged out his Darius to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Laquari from his Deck.

McTavish drew Macro Cosmos from his Deck on the next turn and then conceded, realizing he was unable to win the Duel.

A rough start for Michael McTavish gives Tuan Pham an easy victory in Duel 1! McTavish will be going first in Duel 2!

McTavish opened up Duel 2 with D.D. Survivor, 2 copies of Bottomless Trap Hole, Dimensional Fissure, Swallow Flip, and Cyber Dragon. He Set Swallow Flip and ended his turn.

Pham Set 2 cards to his back row and Set a monster.

McTavish drew Macro Cosmos and then activated Dimensional Fissure. He Special Summoned Cyber Dragon and attacked with it, revealing Pham’s face-down Gladiator Beast Hoplomus. At the end of the Battle Phase, Pham tagged out his Hoplomus to Summon Gladiator Beast Murmillo from his Deck, and used Murmillo’s effect to try to destroy Cyber Dragon; but McTavish flipped Swallow Flip to negate Murmillo’s effect and destroy it. McTavish Set 2 copies of Bottomless Trap Hole in Main Phase 2 before ending his turn.

Pham Set a third card to his back row and passed.

McTavish drew Reinforcement of the Army next turn. He Summoned D.D. Survivor. He attacked directly with D.D. Survivor, and Pham dropped to 6200 Life Points. When Cyber Dragon attacked, Pham flipped Dimensional Prison to banish it.

Pham Special Summoned Cyber Dragon next turn. He attacked and destroyed D.D. Survivor, allowing it to be banished, and then activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Dimensional Fissure. In his End Phase, McTavish Special Summoned D.D. Survivor.

McTavish drew Monster Reborn next turn. He Set Macro Cosmos and then ended his turn.

Pham attacked D.D. Survivor with Cyber Dragon and McTavish flipped Macro Cosmos so that his Survivor would be banished. Pham Set a card to his back row and McTavish Special Summoned D.D. Survivor in his End Phase.

McTavish drew Reborn Tengu next turn. He activated Reinforcement of the Army to search his Deck for Rose, Warrior of Revenge and then Normal Summoned her; but Pham flipped Bottomless Trap Hole to banish Rose from the Duel.

Pham attacked D.D. Survivor again with Cyber Dragon, dropping McTavish down to 7100 Life Points. D.D. Survivor was banished, and McTavish Special Summoned it back to the field in the End Phase.

McTavish drew Solemn Judgment next turn and Set it.

Pham attacked D.D. Survivor again on his next turn, and after it was banished, it returned to the field in the End Phase.

McTavish drew Dark Hole next turn and activated it. Pham’s Cyber Dragon and his own D.D. Survivor were banished. Next, McTavish Normal Summoned Reborn Tengu. He attacked directly with his Tengu, dropping Pham down to 4500 Life Points. In McTavish’s End Phase, D.D. Survivor was Special Summoned back to the field.

Pham Normal Summoned Gladiator Beast Laquari next turn, but McTavish flipped Bottomless Trap Hole to banish it.

McTavish drew Mystical Space Typhoon. He attacked directly with Reborn Tengu and D.D. Survivor, dropping Pham down to 1000 Life Points. McTavish Set Mystical Space Typhoon before ending his turn.

Pham activated Mystical Space Typhoon next turn, targeting and destroying McTavish’s face-down Solemn Judgment! Next, he activated Heavy Storm, obliterating McTavish’s Macro Cosmos, Bottomless Trap Hole, and Mystical Space Typhoon! Pham lost his own Gladiator Beast War Chariot and Dimensional Prison. Pham had 3 cards left in his hand. He activated Gladiator Proving Ground to search his Deck for Gladiator Beast Laquari and Summoned it to the field. Pham Set 1 card to his back row and then attacked Reborn Tengu with his Laquari. McTavish lost 100 Life Points and Special Summoned another Tengu from his Deck. At the end of the Battle Phase, Pham tagged out his Laquari to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Hoplomus in Defense Position.

McTavish drew Card Guard next turn. He Summoned it to the field and then mixed his D.D. Survivor with Reborn Tengu to Xyz Summon Number 39: Utopia! McTavish tried to put a Guard Counter on Utopia, but Pham flipped Gladiator Beast War Chariot to destroy Card Guard and negate its effect. Next, McTavish activated Monster Reborn to Special Summon Reborn Tengu from his Graveyard. Number 39: Utopia attacked and destroyed the 2400 DEF Hoplomus, and then Reborn Tengu attacked directly, wiping out the last 1000 of Pham’s Life Points.

Michael McTavish manages to keep D.D. Survivor on the field for nearly the entire Duel, and uses its presence to dominate Duel 2! Tuan Pham will be going first in Duel 3!

Pham started off the third Duel by Setting 1 card to his back row and ending his turn.

McTavish opened up with Enemy Controller, Solemn Warning, Bottomless Trap Hole, Mystical Space Typhoon, Macro Cosmos, and Reinforcement of the Army. He activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Pham’s face-down Dimensional Prison, then activated Reinforcement of the Army to search his Deck for D.D. Survivor and add it to his hand. He Summoned D.D. Survivor and attacked directly, dropping Pham down to 6200 Life Points. McTavish Set Bottomless Trap Hole before ending his turn.

Pham activated Smashing Ground to destroy D.D. Survivor and then Normal Summoned Gladiator Beast Laquari; but McTavish flipped Bottomless Trap Hole to banish the Laquari.

McTavish drew Reborn Tengu next turn. He Summoned it and attacked directly, dropping Pham down to 4500 Life Points. McTavish Set Enemy Controller and Solemn Warning before ending his turn.

Pham activated Gladiator Proving Ground to add a Gladiator Beast Laquari from his Deck to his hand. He attempted to Normal Summon it, but McTavish flipped Solemn Warning and gave up 2000 Life Points to negate its Summon.

McTavish drew Dimensional Fissure next turn. He activated it and then attacked directly with Reborn Tengu, dropping Pham down to 2800 Life Points.

Pham activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy McTavish’s face-down Enemy Controller, then Summoned Gladiator Beast Bestiari. He attacked Tengu with Bestiari, and then used Forbidden Lance in the damage step to drop Tengu down to 900 ATK. Tengu was destroyed, and McTavish Special Summoned another copy from his Deck. At the end of the Battle Phase, Pham tagged out his Bestiari to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Equeste from his Deck in Defense Position. He used Equeste’s effect to add Gladiator Beast Laquari from his Graveyard to his hand and then ended his turn.

McTavish drew D.D. Survivor next turn and Summoned it. He attacked Equeste with his Tengu in order to banish it, and then attacked directly with D.D. Survivor to drop Pham down to 1000 Life Points. McTavish Set Macro Cosmos before ending his turn.

Pham activated Gladiator Proving Ground next turn, using its effect to add Gladiator Beast Hoplomus from his Deck to his hand. He subsequently Set his Hoplomus and ended his turn.

McTavish drew Mirror Force next turn. He Set it and then ended his turn.

Pham Summoned Gladiator Beast Laquari and attacked Tengu with it; but McTavish activated Mirror Force to destroy and banish the Laquari. Pham Set a card to his back row before ending his turn.

McTavish drew Dimensional Fissure and passed.

Pham Set a card to his back row and passed.

McTavish drew and Normal Summoned Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind! He Tuned it with D.D. Survivor to Synchro Summon Black Rose Dragon, then activated its effect! Pham activated Torrential Tribute, and after all monsters were destroyed by Torrential Tribute, the field was cleared by Black Rose Dragon! McTavish Special Summoned another Tengu from his Deck with his fallen Tengu’s effect, and one direct attack later, Pham’s last 1000 Life Points were eliminated!

Michael McTavish overcomes his worst match-up to advance in the tournament with a 1-0 record! A strong start for McTavish’s Banishment Deck!