It’s very possible that no competitor traveled further here this weekend, than Benedikt Junk!  Despite living in Dusseldorf Germany, Junk is a regular here at North American YCS events, and this weekend he’s piloting a strategy that most competitors won’t be Side Decking for – Dark Worlds, with The Dark Creator.

But his opponent’s also playing a relatively rogue strategy – Infernities!  Fernando Ariel Toro is from right here in Chicago, and he’s looking to keep the YCS title here in the Windy City this weekend.  Both competitors are playing Dark Decks, and both are undefeated thus far.  An explosive pace would favor Toro’s strategy, but if Junk can draw him into a long grind game he’d easily win with his repeated destruction effects and draw tricks.  Let’s see who’d come out on top!

Toro opened the match with Summoner Monk, turning it to Defense Position and then pitching Instant Fusion for its effect: Toro Special Summoned Armageddon Knight from his Deck and sent Infernity Archfiend from his Deck to his Graveyard.  He Set two cards to his backrow, then activated Inzektor Launcher to send his Infernity Necromancer to his Graveyard.  He then Special Summoned Archfiend and Necromancer with Launcher’s effect, and searched out Infernity Barrier with Archfiend, setting it.

He overlaid Armageddon Knight and Archfiend for Number 66: Master Key Beetle, protecting one of his face-downs with Key Beetle’s effect. That detached his Archfiend, and he Summoned it back with Infernity Necromancer to search another Necromancer.  He overlaid with Archfiend again, this time for Lavalval Chain, detaching Archfiend to send Stygian Street Patrol from his Deck to his Graveyard to Special Summon his second Infernity Necromancer from his hand.  He used it to revive Infernity Archfiend, getting another Barrier, and Setting it.

Junk had Snoww, Unlight of Dark World; Deck Devastation Virus; Tragoedia; Upstart Goblin; Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World; and The Gates of Dark World.  Upstart got him Mystical Space Typhoon, and he promptly conceded.

Fernando Ariel Toro scores an explosive Turn 1 opening with a massive field, backed by double Infernity Barrier and two more face-downs in his backrow!  Benedikt Junk knows a losing endeavor when he’s stuck in one and immediately goes for his Side Deck.

Junk opened Game 2 with Mystical Space Typhoon; Deck Devastation Virus; Bottomless Trap Hole; Tour Guide from the Underworld; Snoww, Unlight of Dark World; and Broww, Huntsman of Dark World.  He spent a moment checking his Extra Deck, then Set Typhoon, Bottomless, and the Virus.

Toro Summoned Armageddon Knight to kick Stygian Street Patrol to his Graveyard, then attacked for 1400 Battle Damage.  He Set two cards to his backrow.

Junk drew Maxx “C” and Normal Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld, Summoning a Broww from his Deck.  He overlaid for Ghostrick Alucard, targeting Toro’s Mystical Space Typhoon for destruction: Toro Chained it, destroying Junk’s Bottomless Trap Hole, and Junk ran over the Armageddon Knight for 400 damage.  “Must be nice…”

Toro Set a monster.

Junk drew Dark Smog.  He activated Alucard’s effect, targeting Toro’s face-down Soul Drain, and Toro Chained it.  Junk Set Dark Smog.

Toro Normal Summoned Summoner Monk, turned it to Defense Position, then Flip Summoned Stygian Street Patrol.  He overlaid it with the Monk to Xyz Summon Number 66: Master Key Beetle, but Junk destroyed his Soul Drain with Mystical Space Typhoon.  Key Beetle attacked Alucard to destroy it.  Junk went to 5900 Life Points.  Toro had 6600.  In the End Phase, Junk pitched Snoww for Dark Smog, banishing Stygian Street Patrol and searching The Gates of Dark World.

Junk drew another Mystical Space Typhoon and activated Gates, pitching Broww and banishing Snoww to draw a total of two cards.  He Summoned Tour Guide to search and Summon another Broww from his Deck, then overlaid to Xyz Summon Wind-Up Zenmaines.  He ran it into Key Beetle, detached Tour Guide to keep Zenmaines alive, then Set one Spell or Trap.  He destroyed Key Beetle with Zenmaines in the End Phase.

Toro shuffled his hand a moment, thinking through his options before Normal Summoning Infernity Archfiend.  He attacked Zenmaines, knocking off its last Xyz Material: Junk destroyed the Archfiend.

Junk drew another Gates and banished Broww to discard Tour Guide, drawing Thunder King Rai-Oh.  He Summoned it, then swung with Zenmaines and Thunder King to lower Toro to 3200 Life Points.

Toro Set two cards to his back row and Summoned Infernity Necromancer with one card left in hand.  He activated Street Patrol’s effect, Junk Chained Maxx “C”, and Toro Summoned another Necromancer!  He activated the effect of one to bring back Archfiend, giving Junk another draw with Maxx “C”, then played Transmodify to trade that Necromancer for another Archfiend.  He overlaid for Number 50: Blackship of Corn, forcing Junk to use Thunder King’s effect to remove both from the field.  When Toro targeted Archfiend for revival with Necromancer, Junk Chained Dark Smog’s effect pitching Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World, and Toro scooped his cards!

Benedikt Junk takes an explosive controlling role in the second Duel, overpowering Fernando Ariel Toro with a series of clutch Dark Smog plays and some aggressive maneuvering!  Game 3 would decide which of these two Dark decks would move on undefeated into Round 8 – the penultimate Round of Day 1.

Toro started with a handshake, then Set two cards and activated Archfiend Palabyrinth.  Reinforcement of the Army got him Dark Grepher, which he Summoned to toss Archfiend Heiress from his hand, sending Stygian Security to his Graveyard.  He banished Street Patrol to Special Summon Infernity Archfiend, searching his Deck for Infernity Necromancer.  He Xyz Summoned Lavalval Chain, detached Archfiend to yard another Street Patrol, then Special Summoned Infernity Necromancer.  That brought him back his Archfiend, which got him Infernity Barrier, which he promptly set.  He banished Necromancer for Palabyrinth’s effect, Special Summoning another Infernity Archfiend from his Deck, getting Infernity Launcher!  He activated it, then overlaid for a second Lavalval Chain, sending Necromancer to his Graveyard.  Launcher brought back his Archfiend and Necromancer, getting him Infernity Break, which he naturally Set.  “Your go.”

Junk had Tour Guide from the Underworld; Dust Tornado; The Dark Creator; Upstart Goblin; The Gates of Dark World; Broww, Huntsman of Dark World.  Upstart got him another Upstart, which got him Trade-In.  He activated Gates to try and destroy Palabyrinth, but lost it to Infernity Break on the Chain!  He Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld, Special Summoned a Broww, then Xyz Summoned Ghostrick Alucard.  He activated its effect to force Barrier, destroying Alucard.  Junk then pitched The Dark Creator for Trade-In to draw two cards; he now had two Dust Tornado, both of which he Set.

Play was to Toro, who drew for his turn.  “Show me another Barrier and I’ll scoop,” offered Junk.

“Really?”

Junk confirmed that he meant it, and Toro flipped his second Barrier, revealing his other backrow cards as well: Dimensional Prison and Instant Fusion.  Junk conceded!

Two explosive Turn 1’s seal the Match for Fernando Ariel Toro’s Infernities, blowing Benedikt Junk’s Dark Worlds onto the X-1 bracket!  Toro moves on undefeated!