We have Chris LeBlanc from the Boston area, returning after his win at YCS Minneapolis and using his Tearlaments Spright Deck, featuring the all-new Ishizu Fairy Monsters from Magnificent Mavens. He’s facing off against Anthony Rovero from Tuscan, Arizona, who’s chosen to pilot Exosisters today. Exosisters is a solid choice given its ability to disrupt Tearlaments reliance on the graveyard.

 Anthony won the die roll and chose to go first.

Rovero began by activating Exosister Pax to search Exosister Martha. He used Martha’s effect to Special Summon itself and Exosister Elis, overlaying the pair to Xyz Summon Exosister Kaspitell. Kaspitell was activated, but LeBlanc chained Tearlaments Havnis, sending Kashtira Fenrir, Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard and Nimble Angler. Chris then formed a chain with his effects, with Angler being Chain Link 2, and Havnis as link 1 to Fusion Summon.

Chris Summoned 2 Nimble Beaver, then both players sent 5, and LeBlanc triggered the effect of Tearlaments Scheiren! Scheiren was activated next, returning itself and Havnis back  to the Deck to Summon Tearlaments Kitkallos, activating its effect to send another Havnis to the Graveyard and get another Fusion Summon in motion. Havnis sent itself, another copy of Tearlaments Havnis, and Tearlaments Reinoheart into Tearlaments Kaleido-Heart! Kaleido-heart shuffled back Kaspitell, and LeBlanc was finally done resolving effects.

“Go ahead, it’s still your turn” LeBlanc said with a good-natured laugh from both.

Rovero pressed on, Summoning Exosister Stella to then Summon Exosister Sophia, triggering her effect to draw a card. He then overlaid the sisters to make Exosister Mikalis! He detached Sophia and added Exosister Returnia to hand with Mikalis’s effect. LeBlanc took a moment to read it, being somewhat unfamiliar with this strategy and confirmed the effect. Rovero then used Mikalis to banish LeBlanc’s Kaleido-Heart from the game, Then Rovero set 2 facedown cards to the back row, passing play over to LeBlanc.  

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LeBlanc drew for turn, having Instant Fusion, Spright Blue, and Nimble Angler in hand. After a moment of consideration, he linked the Tearlaments Kitkallos and a Nimble Beaver on the field to make a Spright Sprind. He declared its effect and Rovero chained Exosister Vadis, paying another 800, bringing himself to 6400 to Special Summon Exosister Sophia and Exosister Irene from the deck, giving him forms of disruptions on Leblanc’s grave, to try and slow down the avalanche of plays LeBlanc was preparing to do. LeBlanc resolved Sprind sending Tearlaments Merrli but didn’t use the effect, wanting to avoid givingRovero the ability to use his Exosisters. Then he Summoned Nimble Angler, Summoned Spright Blue from his hand, and chose not to use its effect.

He Link Summoned Spright Elf using Beaver and Angler, then proceeded to the Battle Phase. At the start of the Battle Phase, Anthony used Exosister Returnia paying another 800 LP to banish the Spright Elf, and Xyz Summoned Exosister Asophiel.

LeBlanc took a moment to confirm the effects of the monsters on field, before passing into Main Phase 2 and linking the Blue and Sprind into Gigantic Spright, using its effect to Summon Tearlaments Merli to send 3 cards to the Graveyard. He hit a Tearlaments Sulliek; that would normally be good, but thanks to Exosister Asophiel,LeBlanc couldn’t use his Graveyard effects.  

Rovero was up next, using Exosister Asophiel to bounce Gigantic Spright, and then Mikalis to add another Exosister Pax to hand. He then overlaid the Asophiel and Mikalis into Exosister Magnifica! LeBlanc saw the writing on the wall and knew he couldn’t overcome the immense pressure the Exosister Deck was putting on him; he conceded.

LeBlanc put up a respectable fight, but Rovero’s Exosisters take a commanding lead of tempo and Game 1.  

After some robust usage of their Side Decks on both sides of the table, and a large amount of thought being put into the choices for the next game, LeBlanc chose to go second.

Rovero started Game 2 by activating Necrovalley, following up with Exosister Pax to search Exosister Martha at the cost of 800 LP. Using Martha, he Summoned Exosister Elis just like last game. Overlaying the 2, he made Exosister Kaspitell, and detatched Elis to add Exosister Sophia. Then, he Normal Summoned Exosister Stella, and Special Summoned Exosister Sophia using Stella’s effect. He drew a bonus card, and then Xyz Summoned Exosister Mikalis!

Rovero then used Mikalis’ effect to get Exosiser Vadis to hand again, looking to set up the same powerful field as last game, loaded with disruptions. He wasn’t done though: he Summoned Exosister Magnifica using both Xyz Monsters, setting 2 cards facedown and passing play over to LeBlanc.

LeBlanc started off with a hand of Evenly Matched, Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard, Agido the Ancient Sentinel, Mudora the Sword Oracle, and Tealaments Scheiren, he drew for turn, drawing Keldo the Sacred Protector. He wasted no time, declaring his Battle Phase and looking to clear the field with Evenly Matched. However, Rovero had Set Rotation to set a copy of Necrovalley to LeBlanc’s field and Secret Village of the Spellcasters to his own! Unable to activate his card, LeBlanc moved to Main Phase 2, and considered his choices for a moment. He activated Mudora the Oracle Sword, discarding Kelbek for its effect. Rovero chained Exosister Vadis to Summon Exosisters Irene and Sophia, and LeBlanc declared for both players to send 5 from the Deck to the Graveyard. LeBlanc sent 3 Tearlaments cards and another Kelbek: he used Agido from his hand as Chain Link 1, Tearlaments Havnis as Chain Link 2, and Tearlaments Scheiren as Chain Link 3. After a moment of consideration Rovero used Mikailis as link 4 to send her back, and link 5 as well to banish Havnis from LeBlanc’s Graveyard, stopping the Fusion Summon.

The chain resolved with Havnis banished, Merli and Scheiren as the materials for Tearlaments Kitkallos and then Summoned Agido, Summoning back Kelbek from the Graveyard. Kitkallos was Chain Link 1, Rovero chained Sophia as Chain Link 2, and Irene as Chain Link , to Xyz Summon. He Summoned Exosister Gibrine and Exosister Asophiel over his Exosisters. Now LeBlanc was locked out of his grave effects for the remainder of the turn.

LeBlanc then resolved Tearlaments Kitkallos, choosing to add Tearlaments Sulliek to hand. He mulled over his Extra Deck options for a moment, before normal Summoning a Tearlaments Scheiren from hand and Link Summoning Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy!

Dharc Summoned back Rovero’s Dimension Shifter that was sent earlier by LeBlanc’s effects, then used Kitkallos’ ability to Summon back Scheiren. He looked over the field before linking off Agido and Dimension Shifter for I:P Masquerena. He then Set 2 face-down cards, and Summoned Spright Elf with a left-over monster, and Dharc. With that, Rovero banished Scheiren in the End Phase with Mikailis and play was back to him!

Rovero drew and attempted to use Exosister Gibrine to target LeBlanc’s I:P, but couldn’t due to Spright Elf’s protective effect! Undeterred, he used Asophiel to target Spright Elf to try and return it to the Extra Deck. LeBlanc chained Elf targeting Dharc, and then Chained I:P Masquerena to make Spright Sprind. Sprind activated, sending Tearlaments Merli to the grave and Chris activated Merli to return Kitkallos and itself to make a Tearlaments Rulkallos.

Rovero Pushed forward, using Mikalis but getting stopped by the set Tearlaments Sulliek! LeBlanc sent Rulkallos for its effect and then Summoned it back, before Rovero Summoned Zoroa, the Magistus of Flame! Upon attempting its effect to Special Summon, LeBlanc chained Tearlaments Rulkallos to negate and destroy it by sending Tearlaments Sulliek, which then added Tearlaments Havnis with Sulliek’s effect.

Rovero boosted his monsters using Exosister Gibrine’s effect, made another Mikailis and attacked with the previous copy that was boosted, to swing over Rulkallos. He attacked over Sprind with the new Mikailis and took a moment to consider if attacking Dharc was worth it, since it would allow LeBlanc to add a monster to hand. Rovero ultimately chose to attack, LeBlanc was knocked down to 3580 LP to Rovero’s 6400 and added Tearlaments Scheiren to hand with Dharc. At the end of the Battle Phase, LeBlanc flipped over the set Evenly Matched, to banish Rovero’s Secret Village. Rovero set 1 facedown and passed play back to LeBlanc.

LeBlanc drew Triple Tactics Talent for turn and activated Tearlaments Scheiren after a brief consideration. He sent 2 copies of Evenly Matched and a Super Polymerization with Scheiren’s effect, and activated Keldo targeting Dharc, Sprind, and Elf to put them back in the Extra Deck before normal Summoning Havnis.

Rovero fired back with Mikailis’s effect, targeting Havnis to banish it from the field. LeBlanc activated Triple Tactics Talent, with the intention to take a monster, and Rovero chained Mikailis to trade it off for Gibrine! LeBlanc ultimately chose to take the new monster, and link Summoned Dharc yet again, bringing back Dimension Shifter once more. He then linked those 2 off to make Spright Sprind again, sending Nimble Angler. Angler Summoned 2 Nimble Beaver from the Deck, and LeBlanc overlaid into Gigantic Spright, using it to Summon Spright Blue. Blue added Spright Jet, who was Summoned, and added Spright Smashers. Then LeBlanc linked the remaining Beaver with the Spright Blue for Spright Elf, using Elf to bring back I:P Masquerena and proceeded to the Battle Phase. After a flurry of attacks, he reduced Rovero to 2200, and then used Smashers to banish the facedown Evenly Matched that Rovero had as well as his Spright Jet and passed play back.

Rovero drew for turn and activated Lightning Storm calling monsters! LeBlanc Considered his options and used Elf to target Nimble Angler, as well as I:P Masquerena for Accesscode Talker! Since the Accesscode was made with I:P it couldn’t be destroyed by Storm, and he targeted I:P to boost Accesscode Talker by 2000 ATK after his other monsters were destroyed.

With only 1 card left in hand, Rovero conceded; Game 3 would start with less than 9 minutes left in the Round.

A serious back and forth, but LeBlanc manages to pull off a strong victory, pushing us to a third and final Duel!

Rovero chose LeBlanc to play first. LeBlanc opened with Keldo the Sacred Protector, Agido the Ancient Sentinel, Kashtira Fenrir, Tearlaments Scheiren, and Forbidden Droplet. He Summoned Fenrir and added another copy of it to his hand, then activated Keldo to discard Agido, prompting Rovero to use his Ghost Sister & Spooky Dogwood! LeBlanc then had both players send 5 cards to the Graveyard, dumping nothing of note. He set 1 card face-down and passed play.

Rovero led his turn with a Pot of Prosperity, banishing 6 to reveal Exosister Martha, Exosister stella, Exosister Sophia, Evenly Matched, another Pot of Prosperity, and Exosister Returnia. He considered what to search, before getting Exosister Stella, and after a brief pause Rovero entered his Battle Phase and used Evenly Matched! LeBlanc banished his Keldo to return 2 Agido and a Nimble Beaver to Deck from the grave, and banished his Fenrir.

In Main Phase 2, Rovero used Exosister Martha to Summon from hand, and Summoned Exosister Elis from his Deck. He overlaid them to make Exosister Kaspitell, detaching to get another Exosister Martha to hand. After some confirmation of the effects, Rovero normal Summoned Stella. Rovero activated Stella’s effect and LeBlanc chained Forbidden Droplet, sending Tearlaments Scheiren from his hand to negate Stella, and Rovero passed play back. LeBlanc drew Instant Fusion for turn and Summoned Kashtira Fenrir. He realized he didn’t have a third copy and pressed on.  He used Instant Fusion to Summon Tearlaments Kitkallos and used it to get Tearlaments Reinoheart.

From there he Summoned the Reinoheart using its effect to send Merrli to the Graveyard. LeBlanc went to the Battle Phase, attacking with Fenrir and using it’s effect to banish Stella! Then he used Reinoheart to attack directly. In Main Phase 2 he used Kitkallos to bring back Merrli by targeting itself and then used both Kitkallos and Merrli to send a total of 8 cards to the Graveyard. He hit Tearlaments Havnis and Nimble Angler, using Havnis to Summon Tearlaments Rulkallos, and Angler to Summon a single Nimble Beaver from his Deck.

LeBlanc summoned Gigantic Spright, Summoning Red Resonator and targeting the Rulkallos. After using Red’s effect targeting Gigantic Spright, he went to 10000 LP (to Anthony’s 5600). He Summoned Dharc, then linked Dharc with Red Resonator into Spright Elf, I:P Masquerena, and passed. With nothing he could do and the clock being at 12 seconds, Rovero couldn’t come back.

LeBlanc wins in a close match, heading off with a 2-0 record!

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