Joaquin Rinaldi Petroni from Argentina was this year’s South American WCQ winner and competed in this year’s World’s Championship in Orlando, Florida. Now, South America’s top Duelist is piloting his Pendulum-based strategy against Francisco Javier Guzman Nieves and his D/D Deck. Which Duelist will prevail? We’re about to find out. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Rinaldi opened up Duel 1 with Magical Abductor, Majespecter Unicorn – Kirin, Performapal Radish Horse, Pot of Desires, and Kumongous, the Sticky String Kaiju.

He activated Magical Abductor in his Pendulum Zone and then used Pot of Desires to banish the top 10 cards of his Deck face-down and draw 2 cards, adding a Spell Counter to his Abductor. Next, he activated Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon in his Pendulum Zone, adding another Spell Counter to the Abductor. He Set Radish Horse and then destroyed his Odd-Eyes in the End Phase, sending it to his Extra Deck and adding Majespecter Raccoon – Bunbuku from his Deck to his hand with its effect.

Guzman activated Pot of Desires, banishing the top 10 cards of his Deck face-down to draw 2 cards. He Summoned D/D Savant Kepler and then used its effect to add a Dark Contract with the Gate from his Deck to his hand. He activated Dark Contract with the Gate, allowing Rinaldi to add a Spell Counter to his Abductor, and then used Kepler’s effect to add D/D Necro Slime to his hand. Next, he activated Allure of Darkness to draw 2 cards and banish Necro Slime from his hand. He activated another Allure of Darkness next, drawing 2 more cards and banishing D/D Swirl Slime from his hand. He Set a card to his back row and then passed his turn.

Rinaldi drew a card and then removed 3 Spell Counters from his Magical Abductor to add Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer from his Deck to his hand. He activated Luster Pendulum in his Pendulum Zone and used its effect to destroy his Abductor and add another copy from his Deck to his hand. He Flip Summoned Radish Horse next, and then Normal Summoned Magical Abductor. He combined Radish Horse with Abductor to Summon Diamond Dire Wolf, and then used his Wolf’s effect to have it destroy itself and target Guzman’s Mystical Space Typhoon for destruction. Guzman Chained Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Magical Abductor, sending it to the Extra Deck. Next, Rinaldi activated Majespecter Raccoon – Bunbuku and Majespecter Unicorn – Kirin in his Pendulum Zones and Pendulum Summoned Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Magical Abductor from his Extra Deck. Then, he Tuned them together to Synchro Summon Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer, and used its effect to Special Summon Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer from his Deck in Defense Position. He used Ignister Prominence’s effect to destroy D/D Savant Kepler and shuffle Dark Contract with the Gate back into Guzman’s Deck before attacking.

Guzman activated another Dark Contract with the Gate and used its effect to add D/D/D Oblivion King Abyss Ragnarok to his hand. He activated it in his Pendulum Zone and then activated the effect of his D/D Swirl Slime. Rinaldi Chained Maxx “C” and Guzman fused the Slime with a D/D/D Oblivion King Abyss Ragnarok in his hand to Summon D/D/D Oracle King d’Arc from his Extra Deck. Rinaldi drew a card thanks to Maxx “C”. Next, Guzman used the Pendulum Effect of his Ragnarok to Special Summon another Ragnarok from his Graveyard, and thanks to D/D/D Oracle King d’Arc, he gained 1000 Life Points instead of losing 1000 Life Points. Rinaldi drew another card thanks to Maxx “C”. Next, Guzman activated One for One by discarding Maxx “C”. He Special Summoned Kepler from his Deck and used its effect to add Dark Contract with the Witch from his Deck to his hand. Rinaldi drew another card with Maxx “C”’s effect. Guzman attacked Master Pendulum with King d’Arc to destroy it and then Set 2 cards to his back row.

Rinaldi activated Terraforming to add Sky Iris to his hand and then used Ignister Prominence’s effect to destroy Ragnarok in Guzman’s Monster Card Zone and shuffle a face-down back row into Guzman’s Deck. Next, he activated Ignister Prominence’s effect to Special Summon Master Pendulum from his Deck in Defense Position. He activated Sky Iris next, and used its effect to destroy Bunbuku, sending it to his Extra Deck, and add Performapal Odd-Eyes Unicorn from his Deck to his hand. He activated Pot of Desires next, banishing the top 10 cards of his Deck face-down to draw 2 cards. He activated Twin Twisters, discarding Terraforming to destroy Guzman’s two cards in his back row. Next, Rinaldi activated Odd-Eyes Unicorn in his Pendulum Zone, and Pendulum Summoned Magical Abductor, Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer, and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon from his Extra Deck. Next, he Tributed Guzman’s King d’Arc to Special Summon Kumongous, the Sticky String Kaiju to Guzman’s field in Attack Position. He combined his Magical Abductor with Master Pendulum to Xyz Summon Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon and used its effect to drain half of Kumongous’s Attack Points. He Normal Summoned Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer next, and then attacked Kumongous with Odd-Eyes, increasing Odd-Eyes’s ATK by 1500 with the effect of the Unicorn in his Pendulum Zone. Sorcerer attacked and destroyed Kepler next, and then direct attacks from Odd-Eyes, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, and Ignister Prominence finished Guzman off!

Rinaldi takes the first victory thanks to some massive Pendulum Summons!

Duel Two

Guzman started off Duel 2 by activating Allure of Darkness to draw 2 cards and banish D/D Savant Thomas from his hand.

He activated Foolish Burial to send D/D/D Oblivion King Abyss Ragnarok from his Deck to his hand and then activated an Abyss Ragnarok in his Pendulum Zone. He used the effect of the D/D Swirl Slime in his hand to fuse it with D/D Savant Thomas to Summon D/D/D Oracle King d’Arc from his Extra Deck, and then used the effect of the King Abyss Ragnarok in his Pendulum Zone to Special Summon another copy from his Graveyard. He gained 1000 Life Points thanks to the effect of King d’Arc. He Set a card to his back row before ending his turn.

Rinaldi opened up with Terraforming, Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer, Majespecter Raccoon – Bunbuku, Magical Abductor, Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer, and Pot of Desires. He activated Magical Abductor and then used Terraforming to add Sky Iris to his hand and add a Spell Counter to his Abductor. Next, he activated Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer in his Pendulum Zone and used its effect to destroy Guzman’s Abyss Ragnarok. He activated Sky Iris next, putting another Spell Counter on Magical Abductor. He destroyed Master Pendulum with Sky Iris to add Performapal Odd-Eyes Unicorn to his hand, and then removed 3 Spell Counters from Abductor to add Archfiend Eccentrick from his Deck to his hand. He placed it in his Pendulum Zone and then used its effect to destroy it along with Guzman’s face-down Dark Contract with the Witch. Next, he Normal Summoned Majespecter Raccoon – Bunbuku and used its effect to add Majespecter Unicorn – Kirin to his hand. He activated Pot of Desires next, banishing the top 10 cards of his Deck to draw 2 cards and add another Spell Counter to his Abductor. He Pendulum Summoned Kirin, Master Pendulum, Radish Horse, and Luster Pendulum to his field next, and used Radish Horse’s effect to increase Kirin’s ATK by 500 and reduce King d’Arc’s ATK by 500. He Tuned Radish Horse with Luster Pendulum next, Synchro Summoning Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer from his Extra Deck. He used its effect to Special Summon Master Pendulum from his Extra Deck in Defense Position, and then used Ignister Prominence’s effect to destroy Ragnarok and return King d’Arc to Guzman’s Deck. Next, he combined both Master Pendulums to Xyz Summon Majester Paladin, the Ascending Dracoslayer, and then Summoned Dinoster Power, the Mighty Dracoslayer. He used Dinoster Power’s effect to Special Summon Master Pendulum back from his Graveyard, and then direct attacks from all of Rinaldi’s monsters wiped out all of Guzman’s Life Points!

South American WCQ Champion Joaquin Rinaldi Petroni uses his Pendulum Monsters to take a quick victory over Francisco Javier Guzman Nieves’s D/D Deck!