Philadelphia’s Francisco Shawn Brown-Santos is 4-0 here in Day 1 with a dedicated Cyber Dragon deck, packing Cyber Dragon Core, Cyber Dragon Drei, Power Bond and all the fixin’s.  His opponent is North Carolina’s Patrick Owen James, also undefeated and piloting Sylvans.  Fast becoming a common sight here at the top tables Sylvans are really coming into their own in this event, but Brown-Santos is looking to break the streak for at least one Sylvan player right here, right now.

James opened with Lonefire Blossom, Special Summoning Sylvan Hermitree to excavate the top card of his Deck: Sylvan Komushroomo.  He drew a card for Hermitree’s ability, then Set one card to end.

Brown-Santos had a hand of Cyber Dragon Core; Trap Stun; Reckless Greed; Cyber Repair Plant; Cyber Dragon; and Machine Duplication.  He Special Summoned Cyber Dragon and Normal Summoned Cyber Dragon Core.  Brown-Santos used its effect to search his Deck for Cyber Repair Plant, then activated Machine Duplication targeting Cyber Dragon Core to Special Summon two more regular Cyber Dragons from his Deck!

Brown-Santos then overlaid two of his Cyber Dragons to Xyz Summon Constellar Pleiades.  “That’s fine,” responded James.  Brown-Santos bounced Hermitree with Pleiades, but when Brown-Santos attacked with Pleiades James discarded the Hermitree for Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, spinning Pleiades back to the Extra Deck.  That left Brown-Santos free to make direct attacks with Cyber Dragon and Core, and in Main Phase 2 he played Repair Plant to search out Cyber Dragon Drei.  He Set three cards to finish his turn.

James Summoned another Lonefire Blossom for another Sylvan Hermitree!  He used its effect to excavate Kuribandit, drawing a card but failing to trigger any other effects in the process.  James had five cards left in hand.  He considered his options for a moment and then attacked slamming 2300 Battle Damage over Cyber Dragon Core.  “Your turn.”

Brown-Santos drew Maxx “C” and Summoned Drei, using its effect to make it a Level 5.  He overlaid it with his remaining Cyber Dragon to Xyz Summon Cyber Dragon Nova, then flipped his Set Cyber Repair Plant.  That let him search his Deck for another Cyber Dragon Drei, then added a regular Cyber Dragon back to his Deck.  Brown-Santos detached Drei from Cyber Dragon Nova, trying to take back a Cyber Dragon, but lost out to James’ Chained Effect Veiler.  “Go ahead.”  Brown-Santos couldn’t get through that Hermitree.

James Normal Summoned Sylvan Princessprout, then Tributed it to send Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos to his Graveyard, stacking it.  Hermitree then excavated the Princessprout for a draw, and James brought Princessprout back to the field as a Level 8… but not before Brown-Santos could respond with the effect of Maxx “C”, drawing another Maxx “C” in the process.  Princessprout came back at Level 8 and James overlaid it with Hermitree for Alsei, the Sylvan High Protector.  Brown-Santos got another draw, but James got to call Sylvan Charity – he hit Maxx “C” instead, sending it to the Graveyard, and then used Alsei’s effect to bounce away Cyber Nova.  James backed it up with one Set Spell or Trap Card.

Brown-Santos banished Cyber Dragon Core, Special Summoning another Core with the effect of the first.  He flipped Reckless Greed to draw Upstart Goblin and Swift Scarecrow.  He had six cards in hand now.  Brown-Santos continued, Normal Summoning another Drei ever so momentarily, making Core a Level 5 before James could turn Drei face-down with Book of Moon.  Brown-Santos activated Machine Duplication on the Cyber Dragon Core, Special Summoning back that one recycled Cyber Dragon he’d placed back in his Deck minutes before, and overlaid for Cyber Dragon Nova again!  He detached Cyber Dragon for Cyber Dragon Nova’s effect, reviving a Cyber Dragon, and then attacked with Nova, banishing his on-field Cyber Dragon to press Nova Dragon over Alsei.  Alsei was destroyed in battle and Brown-Santos Set one card to his backrow.

James activated Soul Charge!  He targeted his two Sylvan Hermitree, the Sylvan Princessprout, and Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos, and Brown-Santos Chained the effect of Maxx “C”: he drew a card while James went to 2500 Life Points.  He Tributed Princessprout to Excavate Sagequoia and stack Princessprout with its effect, then excavated Princessprout with Hermitree to draw a card and return Princessprout to the field.  He then activated Mount Sylvania, and discarded Hermitree to stack a card with Sylvania’s effect, placing Sylvan Marshalleaf on top of his Deck.  He excavated it with the second Hermitree, drawing for Hermitree and then resolving Marshalleaf’s effect to destroy the face-down he knew to be Brown-Santos’ Set Cyber Dragon Drei.  He overlaid for Number 11: Big Eye, took control of Cyber Dragon Nova and Xyz Summoned Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand.  He Set one card to his back row and ended.

Brown-Santos couldn’t draw due to Reckless, but was sitting on six cards in hand.  James flipped a Reckless of his own, and Brown-Santos killed the effort with a Chained Trap Stun!  Brown-Santos gave James an extra 1000 Life Points with Upstart Goblin, drew another one, and activate it next in the sequence.  James was up to 4500 Life Points.  Brown-Santos Set another card to his backrow.  He activated Foolish Burial to yard Cyber Dragon Core from his Deck, then Set another Spell or Trap.  In the End Phase, Mount Sylvania sent Sylvan Sagequoia to the Graveyard and James had no target.

James banished Lonefire Blossom and Komushroomo from his Deck to Special Summon Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos, then Normal Summoned Spore!  He Tuned it with Blaster to unleash Stardust Dragon, then attacked directly with Cyber Dragon Nova!  Brown-Santos was down to 3600 Life Points, and when James attacked Stardust Dragon, Brown-Santos activated Swift Scarecrow’s ability, which James nullified by activating Felgrand’s effect, targeting itself!

…But Brown-Santos had another Swift Scarecrow!  He Chained that to the Felgrand’s ability, outplaying Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand, and forcing James to move to Main Phase 2!  He banished Sagequoia to Special Summon Spore at Level 8, then overlaid it for another Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand!  “Go ahead.”

Brown-Santos had nothing next turn: the Life Point dichotomy between him and James simply wasn’t enough to make A Hope For Escape useful, and moments later  Brown-Santos was scooping to get to Game 2!

A promising starting play with Machine Duplication for three Cyber Dragons, turning into a Constellar Pleiades, seems to bode well for Francisco Shawn Brown-Santos.  But it all comes crashing down, and James manages to sneak back into the Duel and then take a commanding win!  Could he pull it off again?

Brown-Santos had a hand of Cyber Dragon; Cyber Dragon Core; Cyber Dragon Drei; Cyber Eltani; Foolish Burial; and Machine Duplication.  He opened with Cyber Dragon Core to search Cyber Repair Plant, then activated Machine Duplication for two more Cyber Dragons – real ones, at Level 5 with 2100 ATK.  He overlaid them at Level 5 to Xyz Summon Constellar Pleiades, then Set two cards to his backrow to support it.  “I end my turn.” Brown-Santos sounded confident.

James activated Sylvan Charity, drawing three cars and revealing two to put back on top of his Deck: Sylvan Sagequoia and another Charity.  Knowing that just two and a half minutes remained, and seeing that he had a terrible hand, James decided to concede the second Duel entirely!

Patrick Owen James sees no luck off his Sylvan Charity, and concedes Game 2 rather than draw things out!  We were headed to Game 3, with just moments left in the Duel.

James opened the third and final Duel with Lonefire Blossom, Special Summoning another and then using that to Special Summon Sylvan Hermitree.  He activated Soul Charge!  That got him back both of his Lonefire Blossoms just as time was called: he sacked off one to Special Summon Sylvan Princessprout, then used the next to bring out a second copy of Hermitree.  He Tributed Princessprout for her effect, stacking it, then excavated it with Hermitree’s ability to draw a card and bring Princessprout back at Level 7.  Sylvan Charity got him three more draws, and he revealed another Princessprout and Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos, adding them both back to the top of his Deck.  The second Hermitree let James excavate his second Princessprout for a draw, and he banished both Lonefires for Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos, reviving it to overlay it with the first Princessprout: he Xyz Summoned Orea, the Sylvan High Arbiter.  James then overlaid both Hermitrees for Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand and Set two cards to his back row.

Five turns remained!  Brown-Santos had Ice Hand; Cyber Dragon; Traptrix Trap Hole Nightmare; two Cyber Dragon; and Maxx “C”.  As soon as the game state was open James pitched Maxx “C” for its effect; he really wanted Brown-Santos to do as little as possible here so he could recover the Life Point deficit he’d created with his Soul Charge.  He’d have two turns to make up that LP.  Brown-Santos Set Ice Hand and Traptrix Trap Hole Nightmare.

James drew for his turn, then drew two more with Reckless Greed.  He excavated three cards with Orea: Book of Moon, Mount Sylvania, and Sylvan Marshalleaf.  He bounced away Brown-Santos’ Nightmare, destroyed Ice Hand, and lost his Vanity’s Emptiness to Ice Hand’s effect!  Brown-Santos Special Summoned Fire Hand, and when James banished to Special Summon Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos Brown-Santos responded with Maxx “C” to draw.  But James pressed on, Summoning Effect Veiler to Synchro Summon Stardust Dragon.  It ran over Fire Hand, negated its effect, and James swung for 2800 direct damage twice with his Felgrand and his Orea!  He Set a card and brought back his Stardust Dragon, giving Brown-Santos another draw.

Brown-Santos was down to 2400 Life Points.  He drew for his turn and James flipped another Reckless Greed.  Brown-Santos Special Summoned Cyber Dragon; Normal Summoned Cyber Dragon Core; and searched out Cyber Repair Plant with Core’s effect.  He activated Machine Duplication on Core to Special Summon one more Cyber Dragon, then overlaid both for Constellar Pleiades.  He needed to make up a 3600 Life Point deficit across the next two turns, as well as simply escape defeat from Orea, Felgrand, and Stardust Dragon next turn.  He detached to bounce away Stardust… and James had Effect Veiler!  Stardust remained on the field and Brown-Santos, unfazed, looked at his Extra Deck for some sort of out.  He overlaid Pleiades with Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger, swung over Stardust and destroyed it.  In Main Phase 2 he got Cyber Eltanin with Cyber Repair Plant, then banished for to bring out Eltanin and activate its effect.  James responded, chaining Felgrand’s effect to stop Brown’s gambit.  Brown Set three cards to his back row.

James couldn’t draw due to Reckless Greed, so he moved to Main Phase 1 and used Orea’s effect, whiffing entirely on his three excavations – he hit no Plants whatsoever.  He banished Hermitree and Stardust to revive Blaster, then moved to his Battle Phase.  He attacked Pleiades with Orea, and Brown-Santos let it go, losing his Pleiades.  Felgrand attacked to destroy Eltanin, and Blaster attacked for game!

Patrick Owen James takes the definitive win in Turn 4 of time, with his opponent’s Life Points under lock!  James moves on with a 5-0 record, undefeated with Sylvans.