There’s over 4200 Duelist in attendance, competing for the chance to become the champion of the largest Trading Card Game tournament ever held. But every big victory starts with 1 small step, and the smallest step a Duelist can take in making it to the finals is a Round 1 win. Check out Tables 1 through 4 as the Duelists at these tables take their first step to becoming a YCS Champion!

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At Table 1, Ricardo Calzada’s Chaos Deck Defeated Jonathan Ayon’s Monarchs 2-0!

“Oops” Moment of the Round: In Duel 1, Ayon discarded a Swap Frog to Special Summon a different Swap Frog from his hand, but forgot about Swap Frog’s effect and didn’t kick a Frog from his Deck to his Graveyard. Then Ayon Summoned another Swap Frog and didn’t use its effect either. So Ayon’s opening field had 2 Swap Frogs, but no Treeborn Frogs in the Graveyard. Ayon managed to Summon a Jinzo by Tributing his Swap Frog later on, but Calzada eventually banished Jinzo with Caius and sealed the Duel while Ayon was vulnerable without a Treeborn Frog in his Graveyard.

In Duel 2, Ayon finally kicked a Treeborn Frog from his Deck to his Graveyard with Swap Frog; but Calzada banished the Treeborn Frog later in the Duel by using Caius’s effect. That left Ayon unable to Summon the rest of the Tribute monsters in his hand: Jinzo, Mobius the Frost Monarch, and Light and Darkness Dragon. If Ayon had used Swap Frog’s effect to return it to his hand earlier in the Duel, instead of letting it get destroyed in battle by leaving it on the field, Ayon may have been able to get a second Treeborn Frog into the Graveyard. But unable to do that, Ayon’s plays were limited.

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At Table 2, Anthony Suarez used his Infernities to Defeat Cynthia Moore’s Gadgets 2-0!

In Duel 1, Moore was able to apply continuous pressure with her Gadgets and managed to use Bottomless Trap Hole to banish Suarez’s Infernity Archfiend; but Suarez eventually turned the Duel around when he drew Infernity Inferno! He eventually used Call of the Haunted to Summon Infernity Archfiend and combo off to Summon Void Ogre Dragon, Hundred Eyes Dragon, and Infernity Archfiend with 2 copies of Infernity Barrier and an Infernity Break in his back row. At that point, the Duel was sealed.

In Duel 2, Suarez used Tour Guide From the Underworld to Summon Infernity Necromancer and Xyz Summon Wind-Up Zenmaines. He leaned on Zenmaines throughout the Duel and Set a full back row for protection. He eventually drew an Infernity Archfiend, but lost out to Moore’s Side Decked Debunk; but he later used Infernity Inferno to send another Archfiend to the Graveyard, and from there was able to pull his Infernity Combos together. Moore tried to pin down Suarez with Thunder King Rai-Oh before the combos could go off, but a key Infernity Break that destroyed Rai-Oh led Suarez directly to victory.

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At Table 3, Derek Burdine’s Wind-Ups defeated Johnathan Lovett’s Skill Drain HERO Deck 2-0!

In Duel 1, Burdine sent 3 cards from Lovett’s hand to his Graveyard before Lovett had a turn! He also completed his first turn with a Zenmaines, Utopia, and a back row card on the field. Lovett was left with Skill Drain and Solemn Warning, but drew Pot of Duality on the following turn, adding a Torrential Tribute to his hand with it. He Set all 3 of his Traps before passing. Burdine attacked with Utopia, and Lovett drew Honest next turn. Lovett Summoned it and used Torrential Tribute. He tried Chaining Skill Drain to negate Zenmaines’s effect so that it would be destroyed by the Torrential; but Burdine flipped Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Skill Drain and keep his Zenmaines on the field, where it could destroy Solemn Warning in the End Phase. Burdine ended up winning the Duel with some help from Zenmaines and a Number 30: Acid Golem created by Tour Guide.

In Duel 2, Lovett used Super Polymerization to combine a Neos Alius threatened by Bottomless Trap Hole with Burdine’s Wind-Up Rabbit, and Summon Elemental HERO Gaia with Skill Drain face-down. Burdine had Solemn Judgment face-down, but couldn’t use it against Super Polymerization. (After the Duel, Burdine told me that he wishes he had Set an in-hand Mystical Space Typhoon instead of the Solemn Judgment, in case Lovett had Gemini Spark. If Lovett had Gemini Spark, Lovett would’ve Chained it to the Bottomless Trap Hole that threatened Neos Alius, targeting Burdine’s back row. Burdine wouldn’t want to Chain Solemn Judgment to negate the Gemini Spark, but would’ve liked to Chain Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Lovett’s back row.) Burdine used Wind-Up Rat to try to Summon Rabbit from his Graveyard next turn, and when Lovett flipped Skill Drain, Burdine Chained Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy it. Once again, a Mystical Space Typhoon used against a Skill Drain won the Duel for Derek Burdine!

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At Table 4, Kevin Ong’s Wind-Up Deck defeats Horacio Magana’s Malefic Town Deck 2-0!

In Duel 1, Ong managed to send 3 cards from Magana’s hand to his Graveyard by using the Wind-Up Hunter loop. He ran into a Magic Cylinder and took some damage later on, but was able to protect his monsters from big monsters including Malefic Cyber End Dragon and Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon by using Traps like Bottomless Trap Hole, Fiendish Chain, and Torrential Tribute. Magana eventually ran out of monsters, allowing Ong to win the Duel with a swarm led by Number 20: Giga-Brilliant.

In Duel 2, Magana Set Skill Drain and Magic Cylinder and was able to Summon Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon. Ong was trapped while Skill Drain was face-up, but eventually drew Heavy Storm and used it to destroy 3 of Magana’s back rows and his Malefic Cyber End Dragon! From there, Ong was able to turn the Duel around and take the victory.

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Ricardo Calzada, Anthony Suarez, Derek Burdine, and Kevin Ong are moving on with 1-0 records!