As our Sunday Dragon Duel was just getting started, we took a look at the action in the first round.

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At Table 1: Frank Forliano vs. Dakota Watts

In Duel 1, Forliano used XX-Saber Boggart Knight to summon X-Saber Pashuul. After Watts Set several back row cards on his own turn, Forliano used his X-Sabers to summon XX-Saber Hyunlei! That wiped out Watts’s  defenses. Forliano summoned several more Synchro Monsters and finished the Duel from there.

XX-Saber Faultroll was the star of Duel 2, as it used its effect over and over, helping to summon Hyunlei, Stardust Dragon, Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, and more. Forliano’s X-Sabers went on to a 2-0 win over Watts’ beatdown Deck. Forliano showed us how cards like Faultroll are more powerful the longer they’re allowed to be on the field, continually giving their controller free monsters.

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At Table 2: Carson Vitosh (age 12) vs. Marcus La Vespa (age 9)

The first Duel featured Vitosh’s Gladiator Beasts repeatedly using their effects to tag in and out, with each one using a different effect to control the game.

It was the 2^nd Duel where we got to see some of Vitosh’s more interesting choices. Early on, he Special Summoned Photon Thrasher, using its high ATK to defeat monster after monster. A bit later on, Vitosh Synchro Summoned Blackwing Armor Master! He was able to do this by using a copy of Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind in his deck. Armor Master can be a difficult card to deal with, and it can actually be used in any deck featuring Gale.

In the end, Vitosh’s Gladiator Beasts achieved a 2-0 win over La Vespa’s Gravekeeper Deck.

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At Table 3: Michael Sakowicz (age 10) vs. Alan Phung (age 12)

Phung began the first Duel by summoning  Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En, Grandmaster of the Six Samurai, and Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan on his first turn! Sakowicz was able to play through it, however, by using Elemental HERO Neos Alius and Honest to take Shi En down! Later in the Duel Sakowicz used Monster Reborn to take his opponent’s Shi En, and used it to finish him off.

The second Duel had Phung swarm the field with Samurai again, only to be stopped by Sakowicz’s Super Polymerization! Phung’s own Kizan was used to give Sakowicz an Elemental HERO The Shining, which took down the rest of the Samuai, giving Sakowciz’s HERO Deck a 2-0 win.

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At Table 4: Rio Lara (age 12) vs. Huang Changyuan (age 11)

Lara commanded the first Duel, summoning Scrap Dragon on his first turn, and followed it with Scrap Twin Dragon on the next turn! Changyuan’s Chaos Dragon deck just couldn’t keep up with all the destruction offered by Scrap Dragon.

Lara managed to Summon Scrap Dragon in his first turn once again next Duel! Changyuan tried to hold him off with Ordeal of a Traveller, but Lara managed to call correctly. Scrap Dragon refused to attack after that, instead using its effect to destroy card after card. Eventually Scrap Twin Dragon came out again, getting Ordeal off the field and securing the Duel for Lara.

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Congratulations to Rio Lara, Carson Vitosh, Michael Sakowicz, and Frank Forliano!