We’ve had lots of Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series (YCS) events in the past, and many seasoned Duelists attend as many as they possibly can. But not all Duelists in attendance this weekend are veteran competitors. Some of them are attending their first YCS ever! Take a look at some of the players competing in their first YCS tournament this weekend!

Ryan Strickler from Harrisonburg, Virginia played the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME a lot when he was younger, but just returned to the game about a year ago and started getting competitive. Now he’s 25 years old and ready to Duel in his first YCS! He wasn’t able to go to YCS Charlotte last month, and is now very excited to attend his first big YCS! Ryan is using a Swordsoul Tenyi Deck this weekend. “I like the consistency, different types of plays, and interaction with opponents,” Strickler says of his Deck. Strickler’s favorite card from his Deck is Tenyi Spirit – Vishuda.

Michael St. Germain from Bridgewater, Massachusetts is 28 years old and playing in his first YCS! His friends are experienced YCS competitors and strongly encouraged him to join them this weekend so that he can experience his first YCS event. “It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be,” he said. “There are a lot more people.” Players are often overwhelmed by the number of Duelists they see when they attend their first YCS event, but Michael came prepared. He’s playing a Sky Striker Therion Deck this weekend, featuring Therion “King” Regulus from Dimension Force. His favorite card in his Deck is Sky Striker Mecha – Shark Cannon.

Andrew Wilkins from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is 26 years old and competing in his first YCS event! He has been playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME since he was a kid and just recently got into competitive Dueling. “It’s a nice little vacation from graduate school,” he says. “This tournament seems really competitive and I’m surprised there are so many people here.” Andrew is playing a Swordsoul Tenyi Deck, fresh off of his 12^th place finish at a recent Philadelphia Regional Tournament in which he used the same strategy. His favorite card from his Deck is Swordsoul Strategist – Longyuan. “I like that it takes Life Points away from my opponent for free,” he laughed.

30-year-old Taylor Calabro from Manchester, New Hampshire is competing in his first YCS here in Hartford, Connecticut! Taylor played the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME when it was first released decades ago and started playing competitively in 2018. “I’m just a huge fan of the game,” Taylor says. “I love collecting and playing as much as I can. A YCS this close to me was too hard to pass up.” Taylor is using a Swordsoul Tenyi Deck this weekend, featuring his favorite card in his Deck: Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign – Chengying.

New and experienced players alike are competing here at YCS Hartford this weekend, but only one Duelist will win! Follow the coverage to keep up with the tournament!

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