With two Rounds remaining in Day 1, the tournament floor is abuzz with discussion about one Deck: Kevin Paul’s Burning Abyss Fluffals.  Paul is riding the razor’s edge on a 4-1-1 record sitting at Table 25, effectively on the bubble, but the Oakville local’s Deck is so nuts we just have to get a look at it.

His opponent is Scarborough’s Sam Arunnaveesiri, piloting Domain Monarchs with a 4-1-1 record as well.  While most players sort of vaguely know about Paul’s Deck by this point, Arunnaveesiri is going to have to take some time and quickly learn what Paul’s cards do if he wants to win this one.  It’s doable, but it won’t be easy.

Arunnaveesiri won the roll and opened things up with one Set card to his back row.

Paul had a hand of Electromagnetic Turtle; Toy Vendor; Destiny HERO – Malicious; Fluffal Wings;  Blackwing – Zephyros the Elite and Twin Twisters.  He activated Toy Vendor, discarded Blackwing – Zephyros the Elite for Toy Vendor’s effect, and drew and discarded Fiendish Rhino Warrior.  Its effect kicked in and Paul sent Fabled Soulkius from his Deck to his Graveyard.  He activated Twin Twisters and discarded Malicious to destroy his opponent’s Return of the Monarchs. He activated the effect of Fabled Soulkius, sending his last two cards to the Graveyard to Special Summon it, then banished Malicious to Special Summon another Malicious.

Paul overlaid Malicious and Soulkius to Xyz Summon Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal, detached Soulkius to use Beatrice’s effect and send Fluffal Bear from his Deck to the Graveyard, then banished Wings and Bear together to draw one card – Edge Imp Sabres – and destroyed Toy Vendor to draw another card – Archlord Kristya.  He searched Dog with Toy Vendor, then Summoned Dog to search for Fluffal Bear, which he pitched to search another Toy Vendor.  He activated his second Toy Vendor, bounced it back to his hand to Special Summon Blackwing – Zephyros the Elite, and discarded Toy Vendor and Edge Imp Sabres to Special Summon Fabled Soulkius.  That triggered the second Toy Vendor, searching Paul’s third Fluffal Bear.

He entered his Battle Phase and attacked with Beatrice for 2500 battle damage, then Fluffal Dog for 1700, Zephyros for 1600, and Soulkius for 2200 Life Points.  “That is exactly game.”  And it was.

Sam Arunnaveesiri revealed his hand post-game: he had Eidos the Underworld Squire, Erebus the Underworld Monarch, that Return he’d Set as a desperate bluff, and double Ehther the Heavenly Monarch.  Poor dude was building a brick house in the residential zone of the municipality of Struggletown.

Meanwhile Kevin Paul GOES OFF, burning through two Toy Vendors and three Fluffal Bears on his way to the single most unique OTK field we’ve seen all day.

“If I didn’t hit Fiendish Rhino off of Toy Vendor that would’ve been an… okay-ish hand,” confessed Paul.  “I got pretty lucky.”

“I can’t even be mad,” laughed Arunnaveesiri.  “That’s really creative.”

Arunnaveesiri started Duel 2, pitching Return of the Monarchs for Pantheism of the Monarchs, drawing two cards and then revealing Erebus the Underworld Monarch for Tenacity of the Monarchs.  That got him another Return.  He banished Pantheism to present three cards from his Deck: The Prime Monarch, The Prime Monarch, and another Pantheism.  Paul gave him Pantheism, and he promptly activated it to discard Tenacity and draw two more cards.

He activated his third Pantheism next, pitching The Prime Monarch, and activated Return!  He banished Tenacity to Special Summon The Prime Monarch, activated Domain to make Erebus a Level 6, then Tributed Prime for Erebus to search for Ehther the Heavenly Monarch with Return.  Erebus sent Frost Blast of the Monarchs to the Graveyard along with another Domain, and Arunnaveesiri shuffled one card back from Paul’s hand: Fluffal Bear.  He Set one card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Paul had another Fluffal Bear; Tour Guide from the Underworld; Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; Fluffal Dog; and Frightfur Fusion.  He sent Fluffal Bear from his hand to his Graveyard to Set Toy Vendor from his Deck, activated it, and discarded Scarm to draw and discard Twin Twisters.

He Normal Summoned Tour Guide, Special Summoned Fiendish Rhino Warrior, and tried to move to his End Phase.  Arunnaveesiri fired back with The Monarchs Stormforth, Chained Prime’s revive effect, and Tributed Prime and Tour Guide for Ehther the Heavenly Monarch.  He searched for Majesty’s Fiend with Return of the Monarchs, sent The Monarchs Stormforth and Tenacity of the Monarchs to the Graveyard with Ehther, and then Special Summoned another Erebus from his Deck.  Paul got Edge Imp Sabres with Scarm’s effect, and Arunnaveesiri bounced one of his two copies of Erebus back to his hand.

Arunnaveesiri drew to five cards in hand, banished Tenacity to Special Summon The Prime Monarch, and used Domain to make his Erebus a Level 6 monster.  He Tributed Prime for Erebus, searched for Ehther with Return, and used Ehther to send Domain and Stormforth to the Graveyard.  Erebus shuffled away Fiendish Rhino Warrior and Arunnaveesiri attacked for game!

“I’ll go first, since I think if I go second I’m still gonna start with five cards,” remarked Paul.  “Might as well play uninterrupted.”  He paused.  “Famous last words.”  Both Duelists shook hands to begin the last Duel.

He opened the final Duel with Fluffal Dog; Fluffal Bear; Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; Edge Imp Chain; and Edge Imp Sabres.  He sent Bear to the Graveyard to Set Toy Vendor, flipped it up, and Normal Summoned Fluffal Dog to search for Fluffal Wings.  He discarded Wings for Toy Vendor, drew and discarded Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and used its effect to Special Summon Scarm. Scarm was destroyed since Fluffal Dog was on the field.

He banished Wings and Bear to draw Electromagnetic Turtle, then destroyed Toy Vendor to draw Instant Fusion.  Toy Vendor’s effect got him another Fluffal Bear, and he ended his turn and added Archfiend Heiress from his Deck to his hand with Scarm’s effect.  Paul then discarded Edge Imp Chain since he had seven cards in hand.  That let him search for Frightfur Fusion, bringing him to seven cards again, giving him the opportunity to discard Edge Imp Sabres.

Arunnaveesiri drew to six cards for his first turn, then Special Summoned Mithra the Thunder Vassal, giving Paul a Vassal Token.  He activated Return of the Monarchs, activated The Monarchs Stormforth, and Tributed Fluffal Dog away with Mithra to Tribute Summon Ehther the Heavenly Monarch.  He searched for Thestalos the Mega Monarch, and then sent The Prime Monarch and Pantheism of the Monarchs to his Graveyard to Special Summon another Ehther from his Deck with the effect of his first Ehther.  He banished Pantheism to present three Domain of the True Monarchs from his Deck, added one to his hand, and activated it.  He used it to downsize Mega Thestalos, Special Summoned his Prime, and Tributed it for Thestalos, revealing Paul’s hand.

Arunnaveesiri looked through Paul’s hand and eventually chose to discard Paul’s Frightfur Fusion.  Arunnaveesiri attacked to destroy the Vassal Token, then made two direct attacks to drop Paul to 2400 Life Points.  He activated Foolish Burial in Main Phase 2 to send Edea the Heavenly Squire to his Graveyard, getting back his Stormforth, and Set one card to his backrow before taking his Ehther back to his hand.

Play was to Paul.  He drew Archfiend Eccentrick.  “Well, I searched that previous card for nothing.”  He activated it and destroyed Domain, then dumped Fluffal Bear to search for Toy Vendor.  He activated it, discarded Electromagnetic Turtle for Toy Vendor, and drew and discarded Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He stacked Cir to the top of his Deck to revive Edge Imp Sabres, then activated Instant Fusion.  He dropped to 1400 Life Points to Special Summon Elder Entity Norden, and Arunnaveesiri Chained The Monarchs Stormforth to Norden’s effect.  Paul revived Fluffal Bear and Arunnaveesiri revived his Prime.  Once Prime hit the field Arunnaveesiri responded with Ehther the Heavenly Monarch, Tributing Norden and Prime to Summon Ehther.  He sent Pantheism of the Monarchs and Frost Blast of the Monarchs from his Deck to his Graveyard to Special Summon Erebus the Underworld Monarch, and Paul ended his turn to search for Fiendish Rhino Warrior with Scarm.

Arunnaveesiri revived his Prime as time was called.  He activated Domain to make Erebus Level 6 and Tributed Prime for it, searching for Majesty’s Fiend with Return and then using Erebus’ effect to shuffle away Paul’s Electromagnetic Turtle from his Graveyard.

That was it for Paul, who knew he had no way to survive Arunnaveesiri’s onslaught.  Sam Arunnaveesiri captures another win, clinching his seat in the Top 128 tomorrow for Day 2!