Matthew Vanden Heuvel from Toronto, Canada is Dueling against Michael Ellis from Cumberland, Rhode Island in our Round 7 Feature Match! Vanden Heuvel is taking full advantage of the new cards in Dimension Force and using an Adventurer ABC Deck featuring new Therion cards including Therion “King” Regulus. Michael Ellis is using a more mainstream Despia Branded strategy. Both of these Duelists are currently undefeated with perfect 6-0 records, so their respective strategies are working well for them. Now they’re facing off in a Match that only one of them can win. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Matthew Vanden Heuvel opened up the first Duel with A–Assault Core, Therion Discolosseum, B–Buster Drake, Rite of Aramesir, and Wandering Gryphon Rider.

He started off by activating Rite of Aramesir to Special Summon an Adventurer Token and play Fateful Adventure. He then Special Summoned his Gryphon Rider from his hand and added Dracoback, the Rideable Dragon to his hand with the effect of Fateful Adventure. He activated his Therion Discolosseum and used it to add Therion “King” Regulus to his hand. He used the effect of his Fateful Adventure next, adding Water Enchantress of the Temple to his hand and discarding A–Assault Core. He then used his Regulus’s effect to Special Summon it and equip it with the A–Assault Core in his Graveyard. He Normal Summoned B–Buster Drake next, and then Special Summoned the Assault Core to his field. He sent Assault Core and Buster Drake to his Graveyard to Link Summon Platinum Gadget and used Buster Drake’s effect to add C–Crush Wyvern to his hand. He used his Gadget’s effect to Special Summon Crush Wyvern from his hand and then Special Summoned Water Enchantress from his hand. He sent his Water Enchantress and Crush Wyvern to the Graveyard to Link Summon I:P Masquerena and then used the effect of the Water Enchantress in his Graveyard. Finally, he banished Assault Wyvern, Buster Drake, and Crush Wyvern from his Graveyard to Special Summon ABC-Dragon Buster and ended his turn.

Ellis activated Branded Opening in his Draw Phase and Vanden Heuvel Tributed his Regulus to negate it. Ellis activated Frightfur Patchwork next, adding Polymerization and Edge Imp Chain to his hand with its effect. He then Normal Summoned Aluber the Jester of Despia and activated its effect. Vanden Heuvel shuffled his Gryphon Rider back into his Deck to negate the activation of the effect and destroy Aluber. Ellis activated Branded Fusion next, sending Fallen of Albaz and Despian Tragedy from his Deck to his Graveyard to Summon Lubellion the Searing Dragon in Defense Position. He used its effect as Chain Link 1, and used Tragedy’s effect as Chain Link 2. Vanden Heuvel Chained the effect of I:P Masquerena and sent it to the Graveyard along with Platinum Gadget to Summon Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess with 1600 ATK. Ellis added Ad Libitum of Despia to his hand and then Summoned Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon. He used Allure of Darkness to draw 2 cards and banish Edge Imp Chain next. Ellis activated the effect of Mirrorjade by sending Albion the Branded Dragon to his Graveyard, and Vanden Heuvel negated the effect with Apollousa. Ellis followed up by activating Polymerization and Vanden Heuvel Chained the effect of his ABC-Dragon Buster to discard Dracoback and banish Mirrorjade. Ellis activated the effect of his Mirror Jade and Vanden Heuvel Chained Dracoback to re-equip it to the Adventurer Token. Ellis Set a card to his back row and Vanden Heuvel disassembled his Dragon Buster back into Assault Core, Buster Drake, and Crush Wyvern. In the End Phase, Mirrorjade destroyed Vanden Heuvel’s Adventurer Token and Assault Core, Buster Drake, and Crush Wyvern, and Vanden Heuvel used the effects of his destroyed Assault Core and Buster Drake. Ellis used the effect of his Albion next, and Vanden Heuvel gave up Apollousa’s last 800 ATK to negate its effect.

Vanden Heuvel drew another C-Crush Wyvern and then used the effect of Fateful Adventure to add a Gryphon Rider to his hand and send C-Crush Wyvern from his hand to his Graveyard. Ellis flipped Branded Opening and discarded Allure of Darkness to Special Summon Aluber. He used Aluber’s effect to add Branded in Red from his Deck to his hand and then Vanden Heuvel activated Rite of Aramesir to Special Summon a Token. He Special Summoned Wandering Gryphon Rider next and then Normal Summoned C-Crush Wyvern. He banished Assault Core, Buster Drake, and Crush Wyvern from his Graveyard to Special Summon ABC-Dragon Buster and then used the Dragon Buster’s effect to banish Aluber. Direct attacks from Vanden Heuvel’s monsters wiped out all 8000 of Ellis’s Life Points!

Matthew Vanden Heuvel wins the first Duel with his Adventurer ABC Therion Deck!

Duel Two

Michael Ellis started off Duel 2 by activating Allure of Darkness to draw 2 cards and banish Despian Tragedy from his hand.

He used its effect to add Ad Libitum to his hand and then Normal Summoned Aluber and used its effect to add Branded Fusion to his hand. He activated it, but lost out to Vanden Heuvel’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! Ellis activated Polymerization next, fusing Aluber with Ad Libitum to Summon Despian Quaeritus. He then used Ad Libitum’s effect to Special Summon Tragedy and Set a card to his back row.

Vanden Heuvel drew a card and then had 2 copies of Super Polymerization, Union Hangar, Union Driver, and Fateful Adventure in his hand. He activated Union Hangar to add B-Buster Drake to his hand and then activated Fateful Adventure. He used its effect to add Water Enchantress to his hand and activated its effect by discarding it. Ellis flipped Branded in Red, and then Ellis Chained Super Polymerization by discarding a Super Polymerization! He fused together Ellis’s 2 monsters to Summon his own Predaplant Dragostapelia and then Ellis resolved the effect of his Branded in Red. He added Ad Libitum to his hand and fused it with Tri-Brigade Mercourier to Summon Masquerade the Blazing Dragon. Ellis used the effects of Quaeritis, Tragedy, Mercourier, and Ad Libitum, and Vanden Heuvel used the effect of Fateful Adventurer to get Dracoback. Ellis added Fallen of Albaz and Aluber to his hand. Vanden Heuvel used the effect of the Water Enchantress in his Graveyard to add a Rite of Aramesir to his hand and then activated it, losing 800 Life Points for each card effect he activated due to the effect of Masquerade. He Summoned a Token and then equipped it with Dracoback. He used the Dracoback’s effect to try to return Masquerade to the Extra Deck. Ellis Chained Aluber’s effect, and Vanden Heuvel Chained his Dragostapelia’s effect to try to negate the effect of Quaeritis. Quaeritis Chained its effect. Vanden Heuvel Normal Summoned B-Buster Drake next and then used Union Hangar’s effect. He then equipped Union Driver to Buster Drake and then banished Union Driver for its own effect to equip Assault Core from the Deck to his Buster Drake. He then Special Summoned Assault Core to his field and sent Assault Core and Buster Drake to the Graveyard to Link Summon Platinum Gadget. He used Buster Drake’s effect to add C-Crush Wyvern to his hand and then used Platinum Gadget’s effect to Special Summon Crush Wyvern. Next, he used his Token and Crush Wyvern to Link Summon I:P Masquerena and then banished Assault Core, Buster Drake, and Crush Wyvern from his Graveyard to Special Summon ABC-Dragon Buster. Masquerena attacked and destroyed Aluber, and then the Predaplant attacked and destroyed Quaeritis. Direct attacks from ABC-Dragon Buster and Platinum Gadget dropped Ellis down to 3400 Life Points.

Ellis drew a card and then used the effect of the Tragedy in his Graveyard to Set Branded Fusion. Vanden Heuvel used the effect of Masquerena and disassembled is ABC-Dragon Buster to Special Summon Assault Core, Buster Drake, and Crush Wyvern to the field. He sent Masquerena, Platinum Gadget, Assault Core, and Buster Drake to the Graveyard to Link Summon Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess and then used the effects of Assault Core and Buster Drake to return a Buster Drake to his hand from his Graveyard and add a Crush Wyvern from his Deck to his hand. He activated Branded Fusion next, sending Fallen of Albaz and Albion the Shrouded Dragon from his Deck to his Graveyard to Summon Titaniklad the Ash Dragon with 3700 ATK! He used it to attack and destroy Apollousa, inflicting 500 points of damage to Vanden Heuvel’s Life Points. Next, he Normal Summoned Fallen of Albaz and discarded Fairy Tail – Snow to try to use its effect; but Vanden Heuvel Chained the effect of his Dragostapelia to negate it. Ellis used his Albion’s effect to send Branded Opening to his Graveyard and then Set a card to his back row before passing.

Vanden Heuvel drew Wandering Gryphon Rider and then used his Fateful Adventure’s effect. He added Water Enchantress to his hand and then discarded it. He banished it from his Graveyard to add Rite of Aramesir to his hand next, and then activated Rite of Aramesir to Special Summon an Adventurer Token. He Special Summoned Wandering Gryphon from his hand next, and then Normal Summoned B-Buster Drake. He used Union Hangar’s effect to equip it with A-Assault Core and then send Buster Drake and Crush Wyvern to the Graveyard to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix. He activated the effects of Knightmare Phoenix, Buster Drake, and Assault Core. He discarded Crush Wyvern from his hand to target a face-down Crossout Designator, which Ellis Chained to banish Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring from his Deck. Vanden Heuvel continued his turn by banishing Assault Core, Buster Drake, and Crush Wyvern from his Graveyard to Special Summon ABC-Dragon Buster and used its effect. He discarded a card to banish Titaniklad and Ellis used Aluber’s effect from his Graveyard to Special Summon it and negate the Gryphon Rider’s effect. Ellis attacked with Knightmare Phoenix and Dragostapelia to clear Ellis’s field and then attacked directly with Dragon Buster; but Ellis blocked the attack by banishing 7 cards from his Graveyard to Special Summon Snow in Defense Position! He tried to use its effect, but Vanden Heuvel negated it with Dragostapelia! ABC-Dragon Buster continued its attack to destroy Snow, and then direct attacks from Wandering Gryphon Rider and the Adventurer Token finished off Ellis’s 2500 Life Points!

Matthew Vanden Heuvel takes a 2-0 victory over Branded Despia using his Adventurer ABC Therion Deck and advances in the tournament with a 7-0 record!