Welcome to Round 2! This time we’ve got Jackson Rauch, packing a Madolche Deck! Madolche had been a very strong contender earlier this year, but fell out of popularity. They’ve still got a lot of great options, however, and Rauch is ready to put them to the test against Ulises Reyes’s Burning Abyss Deck! The Burning Abyss monsters are among the most popular strategies lately, especially with their new Synchro Monster, Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss, from The New Challengers.

Duel 1

Reyes Special Summoned Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, then Normal Summoned Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He Xyz Summoned Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss in Defense Position, using its effect to send 2 Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss and Alich, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to the Graveyard. He Set three cards to his back row.

Rauch’s opening hand was Madolche Hootcake, Madolche Magileine, Fire Hand, 2 Trap Stun, and Dimensional Prison. He Set Fire Hand and his Trap Cards.

Reyes used Dante again, sending Karma Cut, Rubic, and Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to the Graveyard. Their effects activated, sending Dimensional Prison back to Rauch’s hand and Special Summoning Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He flipped Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss, Rauch used Trap Stun, Reyes flipped The Traveler and the Burning Abyss, and Rauch used another Trap Stun! Cir and Dante activated, getting Fire Lake to his hand and Special Summoning Dante. Reyes Normal Summoned Tour Guide From the Underworld, which Special Summoned Scarm, Maleranche of the Burning Abyss. He Xyz Summoned another Dante, and it detached Scarm to send Tour Guide, Compulsory Evacuation Device, and Calcab to the Graveyard. The powered up Dante attacked Fire Hand, and they destroyed each other. Rauch Special Summoned Ice Hand in Defense Position, and Dante returned Graff to Reyes’s hand. Dante attacked Ice Hand, then switched to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase. In the End Phase, Scarm gave Reyes a Tour Guide.

Rauch drew Fire Hand. He Normal Summoned Madolche Magileine, searching out Madolche Mewfeuille. He stacked Magileine and Ice Hand for Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer, and it bounced away Dante so it could attack directly. Rauch Set Dimensional Prison to finish.

Reyes played Tour Guide to bring out Graff. He Xyz Summoned Dante, detaching Graff to send Mystical Space Typhoon, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, and Scarm to the Graveyard. Graff’s effect brought out Cir. Reyes sent Dante to attack, Rauch flipped Dimensional Prison, and Reyes Chained Fire Lake to destroy Castel. He used his Burning Abyss’s effects to revive Dante and add Fire Lake to his hand. Dante attacked directly, and Reyes Set two back row cards. In the End Phase, Scarm’s effect gave him Graff.

Rauch drew Ice Hand! The Hands aren’t nearly as good when you draw them all… Rauch proceded by Normal Summoning Madolche Mewfeuille, which Special Summoned Madolche Hootcake. Reyes used Phoenix Wing Wind Blast to put Hootcake on top of the Deck, discarding Graff. That let Reyes Special Summon Cir. In the End Phase, Reyes used Fire Lake to take out Mewfeuille, and his Burning Abyss effects added Fire Lake to his hand, and Special Summoned Rubic.

Reyes flipped The Traveler and the Burning Abyss, and Special Summoned Dante, Graff, and Cir.

Reyes Synchro Summoned Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss, using Graff, and Graff gave him Scarm. Next, he Xyz Summoned Dante, and Rauch knew he was done for!

Ulises Reyes takes the first game, with an endless flow of monsters from the Burning Abyss!

Duel 2

Rauch started with a hand of 2 Madolche Chateau, Madolche Anjelly, Madolche Messengelato, and Madolche Magileine. He played Magileine to add Madolche Mewfeuille to his hand, then activated Chateau.

Reyes used Foolish Burial, sending Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. That let him Special Summon Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He Normal Summoned Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Synchro Summoned Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss! Cir’s effect brought back Graff. Virgil’s effect discarded Alich, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to send Chateau to the Deck. Virgil destroyed Magileine in battle, and it was shuffled back into the Deck. Graff attacked directly.

Rauch drew Magileine. He played Mewfeuille, Special Summoned Anjelly, and Tributed it to Special Summon Madolche Hootcake. That banished Anjelly to bring out Messengelato, which gave him Madolche Ticket. He Xyz Summoned Leviair the Sea Dragon, and detached Mewfeuille to bring back Anjelly. He played Ticket, then Xyz Summoned Madolche Queen Tiaramisu! Tiaramisu returned the Madolche in his Graveyard to put Graff and Virgil back into the Deck! Rauch used Ticket to Special Summon Anjelly, then played Chateau. Leviair, Anjelly, and Tiaramisu attacked to leave Reyes with 2000 Life Points, to Rauch’s 5900.

Reyes played The Monarchs Stormforth, Tributing Tiaramisu to play Vanity’s Fiend! It destroyed Leviair in battle. Reyes Set a card to his back row.

Rauch drew Madolche Magileine. He put Anjelly in Defense Position and Set Messengelato.

Reyes destroyed Anjelly in battle, but Chateau just returned Anjelly to the hand while Ticket gave Rauch Mewfeuille. Reyes Set another back row card.

Rauch drew Solemn Warning. He Set it and Anjelly.

Reyes destroyed Messengelato, it went back to the hand, and Rauch got Anjelly with Ticket. Reyes Set a monster.

Rauch drew Bottomless Trap Hole and Set it. Messengelato destroyed the Set Scarm in battle, and Reyes got Graff.

Reyes destroyed Messengelato with Vanity’s Fiend, and Rauch searched with Ticket to get Madolche Magileine. Reyes Set a monster and back row card.

Rauch drew Instant Fusion. He played Messengelato yet again, destroying Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss in battle.

Reyes destroyed Messengelato again, but Chateau just returned it once more, and Rauch’s Ticket gave him Mewfeuille. Reyes Set a back row card.

Rauch drew Trap Stun. Messengelato came down, destroying Scarm. In the End Phase, Rauch had to discard Magileine. Reyes’s Scarm got him Rubic.

Reyes attacked Messengelato again. This time, Rauch didn’t use Chateau to return Messengelato, but let it return itself to the Deck. Then, he used Ticket to get Messengelato. He was required to use Ticket if able, but he also wanted to keep a few monsters in the Deck to use with Hootcake and Anjelly – this was the compromise. Reyes Set a fourth back row card to finish.

Rauch drew Breakthrough Skill! This could be the way out he needs! He Set it and Messengelato.

Vanity’s Fiend destroyed Messengelato, and it returned to the Deck before Ticket put it back in the hand.

Rauch drew Hootcake. He flipped Breakthrough Skill, and Reyes played Mystical Space Typhoon on Ticket. Rauch Normal Summoned Mewfeuille, Reyes Chained Vanity’s Emptiness, and Rauch Chained Trap Stun! Mewfeuille Special Summoned Hootcake, which banished Anjelly from the Graveyard to Special Summon Messengelato. That gave him a Chateau. Rauch Flip Summoned Anjelly, then used Instant Fusion for Dragoness the Wicked Knight! He Xyz Summoned Leviair the Sea Dragon, which returned Anjelly to the field. He stacked both Anjelly for Tiaramisu! That returned two Madolche from his Graveyard to the Deck, shuffling back Vanity’s Fiend and a face-down card. Rauch sent his four monsters attacking into Reyes’s empty field, ending this Duel with a bang!

Reyes had control with Vanity’s Fiend for practically the entire game, yet Rauch managed to fight through it and Vanity’s Emptiness for a huge finish! The score is even, so the final Duel will settle it all!

Duel 3

Reyes started off with three back row cards and a Set monster.

Rauch’s hand was Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror, Trap Stun, Flying “C”, Instant Fusion, Madolche Mewfeuille, and Dimensional Prison. He Set his traps, losing Dimensional Prison to Mystical Space Typhoon in the End Phase.

Reyes flipped Scarm, then Normal Summoned another Scarm, and Rauch activated Flying “C”! The monsters of the Burning Abyss cannot be on the side of any other monsters, so they were destroyed! Reyes tried to use one of his Scarm effects, but it was negated by Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror!

Rauch drew another Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror and Set it.

Reyes destroyed Trap Stun with Mystical Space Typhoon, then Tributed Flying “C” for Majesty’s Fiend! He attacked directly.

Rauch drew Madolche Magileine and passed.

Reyes attacked with Majesty’s Fiend.

Rauch drew Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying Vanity’s Emptiness. Instant Fusion gave him Karbonala Warrior, and he Normal Summoned Madolche Magileine. He stacked them for Cairngorgon, Antiluminescent Knight, but lost it to Phoenix Wing Wind Blast! Next turn, Reyes attacked with Majesty’s Fiend to finish the Match!

Ulises Reyes is the winner, with Burning Abyss!