The Dragon Duel World Championship Qualifier (WCQ) was almost finished, and two youth Duelists were left to duke it out!  Everything was at stake here: the tournament, the title, and a seat in the Dragon Duel World Championship in Orlando this August.

Christian Xavier Suarez Espinoza is the Ecuadorean Dragon Duel National Champion, while Alvaro Fernando Soberon Tejada is the Peruvian Dragon Duel National Champion!  Both Duelists are running Monarchs, so this mirror match could be decided by luck, skill, or a combination of both.  Let’s get to it!

Soberon opened the Match with a single Set spell or trap.

Suarez had Eidos the Underworld Squire;  Mithra the Thunder Vassal; One for One; Return of the Monarchs; Domain of the True Monarchs; and Tenacity of the Monarchs.  He Summoned Eidos to attack for a quick 800 Battle Damage, with nothing else to do; no Monarchs at the moment.

Soberon didn’t seem to have much else either, and just Set a monster.

Suarez drew Domain of the True Monarchs; no help there.  He shifted Eidos to defense mode.

Soberon drew and activated Upstart Goblin, then revealed Thestalos the Mega Monarch to search Pantheism of the Monarchs with Tenacity of the Monarchs.  He discarded The Prime Monarch for Pantheism, drew two, and banished Pantheism to get The Monarchs Stormforth.  He banished Tenacity to Special Summon The Prime Monarch as a monster, then Flip Summoned Mithra the Thunder Vassal.  He Tributed both for Erebus the Underworld Monarch, sending Pantheism and Domain to his Graveyard to shuffle away a card from Suarez’s hand.  He attacked Eidos with Erebus, destroying it, and Set two cards to his backrow.

Suarez drew Mithra the Thunder Vassal and Set it, then activated Domain and Return.  Soberon Special Summoned his The Prime Monarch in the End Phase.

Soberon banished Pantheism to present three copies of Return of the Monarchs, adding one to his hand.  He activated it, then activated Domain of the True Monarchs, reducing Thestalos’ Level.  He Tributed away The Prime Monarch for it, discarding Suarez’s Tenacity of the Monarchs.  Thestalos attacked to destroy Mithra, and Erebus made a direct attack on Suarez’s Life Points.

Suarez finally got a Monarch!  He drew Erebus, and pitched it for One for One to Special Summon Edea the Heavenly Squire.  That got him Eidos the Underworld Squire, and he sent his Domain to the Graveyard to get Erebus back.  Soberon flipped The Monarchs Stormforth, then Escalation of the Monarchs, and Suarez Tributed both of his monsters for Erebus.  Soberon responded with Solemn Scolding!  Suarez banished Eidos to Special Summon Edea.

Soberon banished to Special Summon The Prime Monarch again, and Tributed it away with Domain for Ehther the Heavenly Monarch.  He yarded Return and Pantheism to Special Summon another Erebus and Suarez conceded!

Christian Xavier Suarez Espinoza hits dead draw after dead draw, unable to find a Monarch until it’s too late, while Alvaro Fernando Soberon Tejada makes an explosive set of plays!  We could be one Duel away from a new Dragon Duel Champion here in South America.

Suarez had Ehther the Heavenly Monarch; Erebus the Underworld Monarch; Kuraz the Light Monarch; Thestalos; and The Monarchs Stormforth.  He Set Stormforth.

Soberon activated Mystical Space Typhoon and Suarez Chained The Monarchs Stormforth.  Soberon Set one card to his backrow.

Suarez drew and Set Breakthrough Skill.

Soberon Special Summoned Super Quantum Red Layer, attacked for Battle Damage, and ended.

Suarez drew Pantheism of the Monarchs and passed.

Soberon flipped his Set Emergency Teleport, Special Summoning Super Quantum Blue Layer from his hand, of all places.  He searched his Deck for another Super Quantum Red Layer and discarded The Monarchs Stormforth for Pantheism of the Monarchs, drawing two cards.  He banished Pantheism to get Return of the Monarchs, activated it, and Tributed both of his Quantums for Erebus the Underworld Monarch; Suarez negated its effect with Breakthrough Skill, and Soberon resolved Red Layer, Blue Layer, and Return’s effects, getting Ehther the Heavenly Monarch and reviving his Blue Layer with Red Layer.  He Set one card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone to finish out.

Suarez drew Twin Twisters and discarded Pantheism of the Monarchs to destroy his opponent’s Emergency Teleport and Return, then banished Pantheism to get Tenacity of the Monarchs. He activated it, revealing Ehther to get The Monarchs Stormforth, then used it to Tribute away his opponent’s Erebus for his own.  Soberon negated its effect with Effect Veiler, but it still ran over his Super Quantum Blue Layer.

Soberon banished Pantheism to get Tenacity, then used it to search The Monarchs Stormforth.  Suarez Tributed his Erebus for Ehther the Heavenly Monarch, sent Pantheism and The Prime Monarch to his Graveyard to Special Summon Erebus from his Deck, and Soberon Tributed his opponent’s Ehther for one of his own.  He yarded Pantheism and The Prime Monarch, Special Summoned another Ehther, and returned it to his hand.  Suarez’s Erebus went back to his hand too.

Suarez drew Breakthrough Skill and banished Pantheism of the Monarchs to present two Tenacities and The Monarchs Stormforth.  He got a Tenacity, then activated it to Search Stormforth.  He activated it, Soberon Tributed his on-field Ehther for another, and he yarded Domain and Return to Special Summon Kuraz the Light Monarch.  He destroyed both of his monsters to draw two and deprive Suarez of Tribute.

Suarez pressed on, banishing to Special Summon his The Prime Monarch and Tribute Kuraz himself, destroying it to draw Majesty’s Fiend.  He Set Breakthrough Skill and Soberon Special Summoned his Prime Monarch again.

Soberon destroyed Breakthrough Skill with Mystical Space Typhoon, then banished Pantheism to present two Tenacities and Domain of the True Monarchs.  He got Tenacity, activated it to get Domain, played it, and then Tributed for Erebus the Underworld Monarch for game!  Suarez immediately threw out the handshake!

Christian Xavier Suarez Espinoza hits astoundingly poor draws in back-to-back Duels, and Alvaro Fernando Soberon Tejada swiftly capitalizes to win the tournament!  The Peruvian Dragon Duel Champion is now the South American Dragon Duel Champion, and Alvaro Fernando Soberon Tejada is headed to the World Championship in August!

Congratulations to both Duelists, and good luck to Soberon at the 2016 Dragon Duel World Championship!