We’re in Round 10, with this Round and 2 more Rounds until our cut to Top 8. Christian Sagabaen from San Jose, California has a True Draco Deck, while his opponent, Alexandre Dalpe has made the trip from Montreal, Quebec, Canada and has a Pendulum Magician Deck with him. It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Dalpe won the roll and elected to go first. He started off with Foolish Burial, sending Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm from his Deck to his Graveyard. Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm then hopped out of the Graveyard, and its effect added Supreme King Gate Zero from his Deck to his hand. Dalpe then activated Upstart Goblin, drawing a card. He then activated Chronograph Sorcerer as a Pendulum Spell and used the effect to destroy itself and Special Summon Timegazer Magician. He used both monsters to Link Summon Heavymetalfoes Electrumite and used its effect to kick Astrograph Sorcerer from the Deck to the Extra Deck. He then activated Allure of Darkness, drawing 2 cards and banishing Supreme King Gate Zero from his hand. Next, Dalpe activated Wisdom-Eye Magician and Purple Poison Magician as Pendulum Scales. He used Wisdom-Eye Magician’s effect to have it destroy itself and activate Black Fang Magician. Heavymetalfoes Electrumite’s effects and Astrograph Sorcerer’s effects were Chained, allowing Dalpe to Special Summon Astrograph Sorcerer, search Purple Poison Magician from his Deck to his hand, and draw a card. He then activated Purple Poison Magician and proceeded to Pendulum Summon Purple Poison Magician and Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm from the Extra Deck. He then used Astrograph Sorcerer and Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm to Special Summon Supreme King Dragon Starving Venom from the Extra Deck. He used Supreme King Dragon Starving Venom’s effect to copy Heavymetalfoes Electrumite’s effect then used the copied effect to destroy the Purple Poison Magician in the Pendulum Zone and add back Astrograph Sorcerer from the Extra Deck, and that Astrograph Sorcerer was Special Summoned and used to add Purple Poison Magician from his Deck to his hand. He then used Purple Poison Magician and Astrograph Sorcerer to make a second Supreme King Dragon Starving Venom and its effect copied Heavymetalfoes Electrumite again, and the copied effect destroyed Black Fang Magician and picked up Astrograph Sorcerer, which was then Special Summoned and added Black Fang Magician from his Deck to his hand. He then used both Fusion Monsters to Xyz Summon Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy! He placed Purple Poison Magician and Black Fang Magician in the scales, Set 2 to the back row and passed.

Sagabaen had a hand of Cosmic Cyclone, True Draco Heritage, True King’s Return, Pot of Duality, and True Draco Apocalypse. He drew Pot of Desires. He activated Pot of Duality, revealing Pot of Desires, Dragonic Diagram, and Majesty Maiden, the True Dracocaster. He added Majesty Maiden to his hand and shuffled the rest back. He Set True Draco Apocalypse and Tributed it to Tribute Summon Majesty Maiden, the True Dracocaster. He used True Draco Apocalypse’s effect to destroy Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy. He then activated Pot of Desires, banishing 10 cards to draw Terraforming and Dimensional Barrier. He activated Terraforming to add Dragonic Diagram from his Deck to his hand. Sagabaen then activated Dragonic Diagram and Dalpe Chained Wavering Eyes. Sagabaen Chained Majesty Maiden, the True Dracocaster’s effect, then Chained Cosmic Cyclone to banish Dalpe’s Purple Poison Magician. Majesty Maiden’s effect added Ignis Heat, the True Dracowarrior from his Deck to his hand and Wavering Eyes only burned Sagabaen for 500 points of damage and destroyed the remaining Pendulum Spell. Sagabaen then activated True Draco Heritage and used the additional Normal Summon to Tribute True Draco Heritage for Ignis Heat, the True Dracowarrior. True Draco Heritage’s effect destroyed Dalpe’s Set Dragon Shrine. Majesty Maiden, the True Dracocaster attacked and destroyed Heavymetalfoes Electrumite. Ignis Heat, the True Dracowarrior attacked and destroyed Dalpe’s Astrograph Sorcerer. In Main Phase 2, Sagabaen activated Dragonic Diagram, destroying his on-field Maiden to add another True Draco Heritage to his hand, then activated the draw effect to draw Skill Drain, Imperial Order, and another Terraforming. He Set Imperial Order and Dimensional Barrier and passed.

Dalpe drew to 2 cards but they were no help so he conceded the Duel.

Duel 2

Dalpe elected for Sagabaen to go first.

Sagabaen started off with a hand of Card of Demise, Amano-Iwato, Terraforming, True Draco Heritage, and Disciples of the True Dracophoenix. He Normal Summoned Amano-Iwato to stop Dalpe from activating any monster effects while it was face-up. This let him activate Terraforming without fear of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. He then activated Dragonic Diagram, Set 2 cards, then activated Card of Demise, drawing another Terraforming, Master Peace, the True Dracoslaying King, and another Card of Demise. He activated Dragonic Diagram, destroying the Set Disciples of the True Dracophoenix to add Majesty Maiden the True Dracocaster from his Deck to his hand. He activated another Terraforming to add a second Dragonic Diagram from his Deck to his hand. He then activated the Set True Draco Heritage, then activated the new copy of Dragonic Diagram. He used True Draco Heritage’s extra Tribute Summon, Tributing it to Summon Majesty Maiden, the True Dracocaster. He then used Dragonic Diagram’s effect, destroying Majesty Maiden, the True Dracocaster to add Disciples of the True Dracophoenix to his hand, which was activated. He used the effect to shuffle a Disciples of the True Dracophoenix, True Draco Heritage, and Maiden from the Graveyard to the Deck to draw Cosmic Cyclone. He then Set Cosmic Cyclone and Card of Demise, then used the additional Summon from Disciples of the True Dracophoenix to Tribute it and Amano-Iwato to Summon Master Peace, the True Dracoslaying King.

Dalpe activated Pendulum Call, discarding Wisdom-Eye Magician to add Oafdragon Magician and Purple Poison Magician to his hand. He activated Allure of Darkness, drawing 2 cards and banishing Supreme King Gate Zero. He then activated Pot of Desires, banishing 10 cards to draw 2 cards. He placed Oafdragon Magician and Harmonizing Magician in the Pendulum Zones but Sagabaen activated Cosmic Cyclone to banish Harmonizing Magician. He Set a monster and passed.

Sagabaen drew Dimensional Barrier. He Set it, then activated the face-down Card of Demise; but Dalpe Chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate it. Master Peace, the True Dracoslaying King attacked into and destroyed the face-down Purple Poison Magician. Its effect destroyed Dragonic Diagram and Dalpe also Summoned Astrograph Sorcerer from his hand and added another Purple Poison Magician from his Deck to his hand.

Dalpe Normal Summoned Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm which prompted Dalpe to activate his Set Dimensional Barrier declaring Pendulum. Dalpe then placed Purple Poison Magician in the Pendulum Zone. He then used Oafdragon Magician’s effect to try and pick up a monster from his Extra Deck; but Sagabaen Chained Master Peace, the True Dracoslaying King to destroy Oafdragon Magician. In the Battle Phase, Astrograph Sorcerer attacked into Master Peace, the True Dracoslaying King and Dalpe used Purple Poison Magician’s Pendulum effect to boost Astrograph Sorcerer’s ATK.

Sagabaen drew True Draco Apocalypse, Set it, and passed.

Dalpe drew, attacked with both monsters, and passed.

Sagabaen drew Majesty Maiden, the True Dracocaster. He Tributed True Draco Apocalypse to Summon her, and then used True Draco Apocalypse to destroy Astrograph Sorcerer. Majesty Maiden, the True Dracocaster then attacked and destroyed Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm.

Dalpe activated Supreme King Gate Zero to a Pendulum Zone. Sagabaen Chained Majesty Maiden, the True Dracocaster’s effect, but Dalpe chained Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit to destroy Maiden. He then Normal Summoned Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm and that was enough to end the second Duel!

Duel 3

Sagabaen elected to go first. He started with a hand of Dreiath III, the True Dracocavalry General, Disciples of the True Dracophoenix, Pot of Desires, Imperial Order and Solemn Judgment. He activated Pot of Desires first, banishing 10 cards and receiving nothing in return, since Dalpe had Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! He Set Disciples of the True Dracophoenix and Tributed it for Dreiath! He Set Solemn Judgment and Imperial Order and passed.

Dalpe activated Allure of Darkness, Sagabaen Chained Imperial Order, Dalpe Chained Twin Twisters, discarding Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, and Sagabaen Chained Solemn Judgment! This Duel was moving very quickly!

Sagabaen drew Dragonic Diagram and had to pay 700 Life Points for Imperial Order. He attacked with Dreiath. He Set Dragonic Diagram to the Field Zone and passed.

Sagabaen paid 700 for Imperial Order. Dalpe Set monster and passed.

Sagabaen drew Skill Drain. He paid another 700 LP for Imperial Order and attacked and destroyed the face-down monster.

Dalpe drew and passed.

Sagabaen drew Terraforming and took another 700 LP, bringing him down to 500 LP. There was nothing he could do to get rid of Imperial Order and he didn’t have enough ATK points to end it this turn so he extended the handshake. (The Feature Match Judge and I spoke to Christian after the match. He believed that Imperial Order would have forced him to zero LP on Dalpe’s next Standby Phase so he conceded the match at this point. We corrected him with the info that Imperial Order will only force you to zero LP if you have exactly 700 LP. If you have less than 700 LP, Imperial Order will destroy itself. I asked Dalpe about what his hand looked like at the end of the Duel and he was holding a number of Spells including Foolish Burial and Pot of Desires. The Duel may have gone differently but this one ended with a premature concession.)

Alexandre Dalpe wins the Match!