Here in Round 1, we’ll see two GTA locals go head-to-head, as Sorosh Saberian takes Nordics up against Eric Hennig’s Agents.  Saberian has remarked many times over the past week that the much-feared Agents strategy is actually a favorable match-up for his Nordic Deck, and now it was time for him to step up and prove it!

Hennig opened up the day with 3 Set cards to his back row, and used Pot of Duality to reveal The Agent of Mystery – Earth; The Agent of Creation – Venus; and Mystical Shine Ball.  He added The Agent of Creation to his hand, then Set a fourth card to his back row.  He Normal Summoned Venus to end.

Saberian had a hand of Dimensional Prison; Gorz the Emissary of Darkness; Super-Nimble Mega Hamster; Gleipnir, the Fetters of Fenrir; Torrential Tribute; and Tour Guide from the Underworld.  He Summoned Tour Guide and Special Summoned Sangan from his Deck in Defense Position.  He Set Gleipnir and Torrential, musing… “What kind of Agent Deck does that…?”  He Set Prison, and lost Gleipnir in the End Phase to Hennig’s Mystical Space Typhoon.

Hennig activated Venus’ effect next turn, Special Summoning a Mystical Shine Ball.  He Summoned another, then a third, and Saberian activated Torrential Tribute: Hennig activated Solemn Judgment to negate Torrential and keep his monsters.  He was down to 3250 Life Points.  He Normal Summoned Herald of Orange Light, and stacked 2 Shine Balls to Xyz Summon Gachi Gachi Gantetsu.  Hennig then Tuned Herald to the last Shine Ball, bringing out Armory Arm, and equipped it to Venus, boosting her to 3000 ATK.  Venus attacked Tour Guide, and Saberian flipped Dimensional Prison to banish Venus.  Saberian took a moment to count Hennig’s Graveyard, and Hennig ended.

Saberian drew another Tour Guide.  He had Tour Guide, Hamster, and Gorz in hand, and eventually Summoned the Tour Guide to go get his third copy in Attack Position.  He stacked two of them to Xyz Summon Leviair the Sea Dragon in Defense Position, then detached a Tour Guide to Special Summon Venus.  He stacked that with the third Tour Guide for Number 17: Leviathan Dragon, then detached a Tour Guide to boost it to 2500 ATK.  Leviathan attacked Gachi Gachi, but Hennig stopped the attack with Book of Moon.

Hennig drew to 2 cards in hand, then passed.

Saberian drew Caius the Shadow Monarch!  He Flip Summoned Leviathan, then Tributed Sangan for Caius, banishing Gachi Gachi Gantetsu!  Saberian got Effect Veiler from his Deck with Sangan’s effect, and when Leviathan attacked, Hennig flipped Mind Crush, discarding Saberian’s Veiler and freeing up his field so he could Summon Gorz the Emissary of Darkness!  Hennig Special Summoned an Emissary of Darkness Token (with 2000 ATK thanks to Leviathan), and Caius attacked over the Token to destroy it.  In Main Phase 2, Saberian detached from Leviair again to Special Summon Gachi Gachi Gantetsu, and turned Leviair to Attack Position. (!!WARNING!! You cannot Summon Gachi Gachi with Leviair because it does not have a Level! )

Hennig drew to 2 cards in hand, with Gorz on the field.  He moved to his Battle Phase and attacked over Leviathan for 700 Battle Damage.

Saberian drew Mystical Space Typhoon and Tributed Gachi Gachi and Leviair to Summon his own Gorz!  Saberian’s Gorz attacked to destroy Hennig’s Gorz, and Caius struck for game.

Sorosh Saberian loses his only Nordic card to a first-turn Mystical Space Typhoon, but presses through anyways thanks to three copies of Tour Guide from the Underworld!  Leviair and Leviathan give Saberian the Duel 1 victory.

Hennig started the second Duel with 2 Set cards to his back row.  He Summoned The Agent of Mystery – Earth to get The Agent of Creation – Venus from his Deck, then ended.

Saberian had Dark Hole; Leeching the Light; Book of Moon; Thunder King Rai-Oh; Super-Nimble Mega Hamster; and Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter.  He Summoned Thunder King and attacked into Dimensional Prison, losing his monster, then Set Book to finish out the turn.

Hennig attacked for 1000 Battle Damage with The Agent of Mystery, and Set another Spell or Trap.

Saberian drew Monster Reborn and Set Hamster.

Hennig flipped Royal Decree, which he’d Set the turn previous.  He Normal Summoned The Agent of Creation, and when Hennig activated its effect, Saberian Chained Book of Moon to turn Venus face-down.  Hennig Special Summoned a single Shine Ball in Defense Position.  “Not like I can do anything with it now.”

Saberian drew Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, and Flip Summoned Super-Nimble Mega Hamster to Special Summon Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts in face-down Defense Position.  Hamster attacked Venus, destroying it, and Saberian Set Ryko.

Hennig Normal Summoned another Venus!  He paid 500 Life Points to Special Summon a Mystical Shine Ball, then another 500 to Summon his third copy.  He Tuned everything but his last Shine Ball together for Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, banishing Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts and Saberian’s in-hand Leeching the Light, as well as the Book of Moon from his Graveyard.  Hennig banished Venus to Special Summon Hyperion; Special Summoned Kristya to get back his Agent of Mystery; then banished a Shine Ball to destroy Ryko with Hyperion’s effect.  Hyperion attacked over Hamster, and Trishula and Kristya made direct attacks.  Saberian was down to 1100 Life Points.

Saberian drew Bottomless Trap Hole, and activated Dark Hole to clear the field!  Hennig returned Kristya to the top of his Deck, now with 4 Fairies in his Graveyard: Saberian Special Summoned Hyperion with Monster Reborn and attacked, depriving Hennig of his fourth Fairy.  He Set Bottomless.

Hennig Summoned another Agent of Mystery next turn to get another Venus from his Deck: he had 3800 Life Points left.  He Set another Spell or Trap.

Saberian drew Tour Guide from the Underworld, and Summoned her to get another Tour Guide from his Deck.  He stacked the Tour Guides together to Xyz Summon Leviair, then detached to Special Summon The Agent of Creation – Venus.  Venus attacked into Earth; Hennig boosted its ATK with the effect of Honest; and Venus went down.  But Hyperion attacked over the boosted Earth, and Leviair made a direct attack.  Hennig had six Fairies in his Graveyard, so Kristya was likely a non-factor.

Hennig drew to three cards in-hand and Set a monster.

Saberian drew Sangan and Summoned it.  He then attacked with Hyperion to destroy Hennig’s face-down monster, which turned out to be The Agent of Creation – Venus!  That left Sangan and Leviair to attack and finish the Match.  “I didn’t even get to Summon any Nordics!” laughed a mildly vexed Saberian.

Sorosh Saberian scores a 2-0 victory over Eric Hennig’s Agents, even though he never got to use a single Nordic card!