Here’s a look at the top 4 tables in the first round!

At Table 1: Andrew Pickens’s Anti-Monster deck defeated Darren Choi’s Skill Drain HERO deck (2-1)
Pickens had geared his deck to specifically counter decks like Inzektors and Dino Rabbit. At one point he tried attacking directly with Spirit Reaper, only for Skill Drain to shut it down. Pickens just was not prepared to deal with a HERO deck using his current cards. He sided in many cards for the next Duel to help him counter Skill Drain and the rest of Choi’s strategy: Night Beam, Bottomless Trap Hole, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Cyber Dragon among others.

In Duel 2, Pickens went for Maestroke the Symphony Djinn while Choi had Skill Drain up. Maestroke’s big DEF kept him in the Duel for a while. Eventually, Pickens was able to use a Dark Hole + Heavy Storm combo to wipe the field, including Choi’s five back row cards! He said he’d be afraid of Starlight Road, but had to go for it anyway. He ended up finishing the Duel with a Number 39: Utopia summoned by Monster Reborn while Skill Drain was out.

In Duel 3, Choi had his Elemental HERO Stratos and Elemental HERO Neos Alius both banished by two D.D. Warrior Ladies! He was unable to recover with his monsters banished, now unable to use his Miracle Fusion.

At Table 2: Khadeem Eleazer’s Inzektors defeated Jon Zober’s Dragons (2-0)
Both Duelists agreed that this Match went quite quickly because Eleazer’s Inzektor combos were just to quick and too powerful. In one Duel, Eleazer had a Wind-Up Zenmaines on the field. Zober saw its stats and decided to use Monster Reborn to revive Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attacking over Zenmaines… without reading the card! He regretted his decision quickly after. Let that be a lesson, Duelists! Always read the cards your opponent is playing – it could easily mean the difference between a win and a loss.

At Table 3: Tyrome Cox’s Dino Rabbit deck defeated Christopher Greenwood’s X-Sabers (2-1)
Greenwood was using a very different version of X-Sabers than what we’re used to seeing. His did not use XX-Saber Fulhelmknight, XX-Saber Faultroll, or Gottoms’ Emergency Call in the Main Deck. He did, however, max out on X-Saber Airbellum and Horn of the Phantom Beast!

In Duel 1, Cox was able to take the game with a combination of Heavy Storm and Rescue Rabbit. Duel 2 saw Greenwood completely controlling the game with Fiendish Chains, Solemn Warnings, XX-Saber Boggart Knight with Horn of the Phantom Beast. Boggart Knight kept destroying monsters, giving Greenwood free cards.
In Duel 3, Greenwood had every answer he needed to counter Cox’s plays, but he messed up because he only had an hour of sleep last night! When Cox summoned Evolzar Dolkka, Greenwood could have used Bottomless Trap Hole but just forgot. Had he done that, he would have been able to use a combination of Boggart Knight, Horn of the Phantom Beast, Mystical Space Typhoon, and two Forbidden Lance to get through Cox’s field. Greenwood still felt confident about the rest of the day though, and was certain he’d make it to Day 2 despite his loss here. Always remember to show up fully rested at a YCS!

At Table 4, Daniel Misner’s Blackwings defeated Lester Siu’s Dragunities (2-1)
Misner won Duel 1 simply by using two Thunder King Rai-Ohs, attacking repeatedly. Rai-Oh is especially powerful against decks like Dragunity, shutting down cards like Dragon Ravine.

In the second Duel, Misner started with Pot of Duality, getting Icarus Attack. He set that and a Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame. Siu shot back with a swarm of cards! He used Mind Control to deprive Misner of his Icarus Attack fodder. He was able to summon Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier and Hieratic Dragon King of Atum, which summoned Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon. When that got hit by Effect Veiler, it was simply returned to his hand by Blackwing – Zephyros the Elite, then summoned again! The Duel was finished right then and there.

The third Duel had Misner start with two Effect Veiler, a Thunder King Rai-Oh, and Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning. He eventually drew into Shura, but it was banished by Bottomless Trap Hole. Though he was unable to summon his Black Luster Soldier, he was able to use both Effect Veilers on two Dragunity Dux, shutting down Siu’s strategy completely.