Elijah Green won the first Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series tournament of the year, taking home the title at YCS Charlotte back in April. At that event, he was running Adventure Prank-Kids. But today he’s in the Top 16 with one of the newest Decks in the tournament scene: the revamped Marincess theme, powered up with new cards from Legendary Duelists: Duels From the Deep.

But his opponent is Jorge Gonzalez, running a Deck that’s maybe even more surprising: Adventure Plunder Patroll! We’ve seen Plunder Patroll pop up a few times this year, in a smattering of Top Cuts in National Qualifiers. This is the first time we’ve seen the Deck this weekend, but unfortunately Gonzalez was found to have a Deck list error right before this round – Plunder Patroll Shipshape Ships Shipping and Plunder Patroll Shipyarrrd have very similar names – and now he had a Game Loss for this Round.

That meant Green would have 1 win heading into the Match, but Gonzalezalez would get to decide who’d go first and who’d go second. Neither player would be able to Side Deck until after Game 2. So let’s see how this goes.

Green opened with a hand of Nibiru, the Primal Being, Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, Marincess Wave, Marincess Blue Tang, and Marincess Sea Horse. He started with Blue Tang, activating its effect to send Marincess Sleepy Maiden to the Graveyard. He Link Summoned Marincess Blue Slug, and used its effect, targeting Marincess Sleepy Maiden, with Blue Tang as Chain Link 2. He revealed Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Effect Veiler, and Marincess Dive, taking Dive. He Special Summoned Sea Horse, Linked it off for Marincess Sea Angel, and searched Marincess Battle Ocean. 

He Linked his two Link Monsters for Marincess Coral Anemone, used its effect targeting Blue Tang, and Special Summoned Blue Tang to the field. Green continued, activating Battle Ocean, then Dive: since he controlled Battle Ocean, Green could Special Summon Marincess Pascalus to the field. He stacked it with Blue Tang to Xyz Summon Bahamut Shark, and used it to Special Summon Toadally Awesome! 

Green Link Summoned Marincess Marbled Rock, and built the resulting Chain with Battle Ocean at Chain Link 1, and Anemone at Chain Link 2, targeting Blue Tang. He got Sea Horse back and attached all three of his previous Link Monsters from his Graveyard, to Marbled Rock.

He Linked Marbled Rock away moments later, with Bahamut Shark to Link Summon Marincess Aqua Argonaut. Battle Ocean went off again, attaching Coral Anemone, Slug, and Sea Angel to Aqua Argonaut. “I’ll pass turn to you.”

Gonzalez Tributed Green’s Aqua Argonaut away for Radian, the Multidimensional Kaiju! That Triggered Coral Anemone’s effect, getting him back Marincess Sleepy Maiden. Gonzalez Special Summoned Bluebeard, the Plunder Patroll Shipwright and Linked it away for Salamangreat Almiraj. He attempted to activate the effect of Blackeyes, the Plunder Patroll Seaguide, targeting Bluebeard. Green considered his options, and decided to negate it with Toadally Awesome… But Gonzalez banished Toadally Awesomewith Called by the Grave! That meant he got back his Bluebeard. He Linked Seaguide to Almiraj, Link Summoned Blackbeard, the Plunder Patroll Captain, and Special Summoned Bluebeard. 

Gonzalez entered his Battle Phase and activated Blackbeard’s effect targeting Bluebeard. Green Chained Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, destroying Blackbeard, but the effect still worked: he Special Summoned Plunder Patrollship Moerk! Gonzalez pushed Bluebeard to his Spell and Trap Card Zones and drew a card for Moerk’s effect. He moved to Main Phase 2, Set a card to his backrow, and activated Foolish Burial to send Water Enchantress of the Temple to his Graveyard. He banished it, searched Rite of Aramesir and attempted to end his turn. 

Green blasted him with Nibiru, the Primal Being before he could finish out, clearing the field and Tributing Radian and Moerk. The Primal Being Token hit the field with 3800 ATK and 5000 DEF. Gonzalez passed. 

Green drew Cynet Mining . Gonzalez flipped Plunder Patroll Booty, changing Nibiru’s Attribute to FIRE. He Special Summoned Blackbeard and used its effect, still in the Draw Phase, to target Blackbeard itself. That let him trade out Blackbeard for Plunder Patrollship Lys, and he drew a card with Blackbeard’s effect. Gonzalez let Green proceed to his Standby Phase, then his Main Phase.

Green attempted to leave his Main Phase, but Gonzalez used Lys to Special Summon Blackbeard from his Spell and Trap Card Zone! Green sent Nibiru to attack and destroy Lys. He moved to Main Phase 2, banished Marincess Pascalus for its effect, got back Marincess Dive, played it, and Special Summoned another copy of Marincess Pascalus from his Deck! He used its effect on Summon to Special Summon Marincess Blue Tang, and sent Marincess Springirl to his Graveyard from his Deck. 

He Linked away Marincess Blue Tang to Link Summon Marincess Blue Slug, targeting Marincess Springirl, and missed on all his reveals for Blue Tang’s effect. “We were always whiffing…” he remarked, rolling with it.  Green activated the effect of Marincess Sleepy Maiden, targeted Ocean and Special Summoned it, then Link Summoned Marincess Coral Triangle. Battle Ocean loaded it up with Marincess Coral Anemone, Marincess Blue Slug, and Marincess Sea Angel. Cynet Mining let him pitch Marincess Sea Horse to search his Deck for another Marincess Springirl, and he banished Blue Slug from his Graveyard to Special Summon it. He followed up the first Springirl by Normal Summoning another Springirl, and overlaid them both for Number 4: Stealth Kraken!

Green used the Kraken’s effect and destroyed Blackbeard, dropping Gonzalez to 6200 Life Points. Green then Linked Triangle and Nibiru to Link Summon Marincess Great Bubble Reef. He got back Blue Tang with Anemone, then equipped Argonaut, Angel, and Anemone to Bubble Reef. “I will pass turn.”

Gonzalez drew to four cards in hand. Green used the effect of Bubble Reef to draw a card in Gonzalez’s Standby Phase and Bubble Reef gained 600 ATK. “Nothing else in the Standby,” noted Green. Between its printed ATK, its ATK boosting effect, and Battle Ocean, Bubble Reef now had 5200 ATK.

Gonzalez tried to move into his Battle Phase and Green destroyed another monster with Stealth Kraken. Gonzalez took 1900 damage from the effect. Gonzalez activated Rite of Aramesir, Special Summoned his Adventure Token, searched Fateful Adventure, and activated it. He activated Triple Tactics Talent, and took control of Bubble Reef! It dropped to 3200 ATK, no longer boosted by Marincess Battle Ocean. Gonzalez Normal Summoned Bluebeard and used Fateful Adventure to search Dracoback, the Rideable Dragon. He got Wandering Gryphon Rider next, equipped Dracoback to his Adventurer Token, and used Dracoback to bounce away Stealth Kraken! He Special Summoned Wandering Gryphon Rider, and equipped Bluebeard with Emblem of the Plunder Patroll! He sent it to his Graveyard and Special Summoned Plunder Patrollship Brann with 3000 ATK! With the Token, Bubble Reef, Gryphon Rider, and Brann all set to attack, that was all Green needed to see!

Jorge Gonzalez battles back from a Game Loss penalty to win Game 2, running an absolute clinic on how to play Plunder Patroll! Both Duelists were now one win away from a seat in the Top 8, or one loss removed from a seat in the crowd. 

Green opened with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Marincess Sea Horse, Marincess Blue Tang, and two copies of Infinite Impermanence. He Normal Summoned Blue Tang, used its effect to send Sleepy Maiden to the Graveyard and Link Summoned Blue Slug. Blue Tang’s effect flipped Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, Marincess Wave and Marincess Dive. Green took the Wave, then Special Summoned Sleepy Maiden to Link Summon Marincess Coral Anemone. That got him back his Blue Tang. 

He Link Summoned Marincess Sea Angel, searched Marincess Battle Ocean, activated it, and Link Summoned Marincess Marbled Rock. The Anemone got him back Blue Tang and Battle Ocean equipped Marbled Rock with all three previous Link Monsters. Marbled Rock got Green back his Sleepy Maiden, he Special Summoned Sea Horse, and he Link Summoned Marincess Aqua Argonaut, using Battle Ocean to re-equip the Link Monsters.  He Set both copies of Infinite Impermanence to end.

Gonzalez had Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju to Tribute away Aqua Argonaut! Anemone got Green back his Sea Horse. Then Gonzalez activated Lightning Storm, destroying both of Green’s Infinite Impermanences! Green reeled in disbelief: “There’s no way you thought I’d make you go second!” 

Gonzalez Special Summoned Wandering Gryphon Rider, Normal Summoned Whitebeard, the Plunder Patroll Helm, and Link Summoned Blackbeard, the Plunder Patroll Captain. He searched Redbeard, the Plunder Patroll Matey, and used Triple Tactics Talent to take control of Dogoran! He attacked with Redbeard, then Blackbeard, and tried to use Balckbeard’s effect… but Green shut it down with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! Gonzlez Linked Blackbeard and Dogoran to make another Blackbeard and ended.

Green drew Marincess Pascalus. He Normal Summoned it, used its effect, and Special Summoned Blue Tang to search his Deck for Marincess Springirl, sending it to the Graveyard. Green Special Summoned Sleepy Maiden, Gonzalez tagged his Blackbeard out for Plunder Patrollship Brann, and he drew a card for Blackbeard’s effect. He then used Redbeard’s effect tot Special Summon another Brann! 

Green Linked off Blue Tang for Marincess Blue Slug, took back Springirl, and got Marincess Dive with Blue tang’s effect. He used Springirl to banish Marincess Aqua Argonaut, Special Summoned Springirl, and overlaid it with Pascal for Bahamut Shark, Special Summoning Toadally Awesome. He Link Summoned Coral Anemone next, used it to Special Summon his Blue Tang, then activated Dive to Special Summon Springirl. He overlaid Springirl and Blue Tang for Number 4: Stealth Kraken, used its effect, and popped one of the Branns.  

Green went into Marincess Coral Triangle, used Anemone to get Marincess Battle Ocean and activated it again. He Special Summoned Sea Horse and Linked away Coral Triangle for Bubble Reef! Battle Ocean loaded it up with Links, Green went to battle, and attacked with his 4600 Bubble Reef to destroy the remaining Brann! Stealth Kraken did another 1900 damage, and Toadally Awesome did 2200. Gonzalez was down to 550 Life Points, and when he saw his next card, he had no choice but to concede!

An errant Game Loss turns into a surprisingly competitive Match! Elijah Green narrowly triumphs over Jorge Gonzalez, as Marincess defeat Plunder Patroll. Green is headed to the Top 8, now just three Matches away from the title of 2022 North America Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Champion!