Round 9 Feature Match: Paulie Aronson Versus Matthew Pelletier
Paulie Aronson is back at the Feature Match table! We saw him take a decisive win in our Round 3 Feature Match with his Kashtira Deck, but here in Round 9 he’s up against Matthew Pelletier, who’s looking to take him down with Branded Despia! Both Duelists are 6-1-1 heading into the last round of the day, so this is a pretty important win for both competitors.
It’s time to Duel!

Pelletier elected to go first, kicking things off by activating Branded Opening in the Draw Phase. Pelletier discarded Gimmick Puppet Nightmare to Summon Aluber the Jester of Despia and got Branded Fusion to hand. In his Main Phase he activated Branded Lost and followed it up by Normal Summoning Blazing Cartestia, the Virtuous.Pelletier activated Branded Fusion, sending Fallen of Albaz and Despian Tragedy to Summon Lubellion the Searing Dragon. Lubellion was Chain Link 1 discarding Albaz, Chain Link 2 was Despian Tragedy, Chain Link 3 Branded Lost, and Chain Link 4 Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous. Pelletier Summoned Granguignol the Dusk Dragon to get Albion the Shrouded Dragon, as well as Aluber the Jester of Despia to hand, and Summoned Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon.
Granguignol let him get Albion the Branded Dragon to the Graveyeard, and he used Albion the Shrouded Dragon to send Branded Retribution and draw a card. He discarded The Bystial Lubellion searching Bystial Saronir. Pelletier proceeded to the End Phase. Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous was returned to his hand and Branded Expulsion was Set thanks to Albion, the Branded Dragon. What a turn!
Aronson’s hand was Kashtira Unicorn, Terraforming, Pressured Planet Wraitsoth, Pot of Prosperity, and 2 Kashtira Birth. During his Draw Phase, Pelletier activated Branded Expulsion, tributing Granguignol the Dusk Dragon and Summoning Fallen of Albaz to his field. He stuck Aronson with Gimmick Puppet Nightmare, locking him out of any Special Summons for the turn.
“Oh, thank you!” Aronson chuckled, noting that the Gimmick Puppet lock had happened to him 3 Rounds in a row. After a moment of consideration he conceded, knowing he couldn’t survive the following turn of attacks.

After a tremendous opening salvo, Matthew Pelletier emerges victorious in the first Duel, sweeping Game 1 with Gimmick Puppet Nightmare!
Aronson started Game 2 with a hand of Kashtira Fenrir, Kashtiratheois, Dimension Shifter, and 2 Kashtira Riseheart, leading with the Fenrir in Defense Position. He contemplated his next steps, deciding to follow up the Special Summon by activating his Dimension Shifter. Aronson got Kashtira Unicorn to hand thanks to Fenrir and activated Kashtiratheosis, Summoning a second copy of Unicorn.
Aronson searched Kashtira Birth with Unicorn and activated Kashtira Riseheart. He used Fenrir and Unicorn to Summon Kashtira Shangri-Ira, and used Kashtira Riseheart to banish Kashtira Big Bang as well as 3 cards from Pelletier’s Deck. In a new Chain, Aronson Summoned Fenrir in Defense Position with Big Bang and locked the Pelletier’s middle Monster Zone with Shangri-Ira. He Summoned Kashtira Arise-Heart using Kashtira Riseheartas material, before Normal Summoning Kashtira Unicorn after activating Kashtira Birth. He used Unicorn and Fenrir to Summon Number 89: Diablosis the Mind Hacker and Aronson got to look over Pelletier’s Extra Deck, pondering his banish.
“It’s very shiny!” chimed Aronson, admiring Pelletier’s incredibly sought-after Starlight Rares. After some consideration, Aronson banished Lubellion the Searing Dragon. Aronson activated Arise-Heart, Sangri-Ira and Diablosis, banishing additional cards. After locking 2 more Main Monster Zones, he used Kashtira Birth to Summon back Fenrir and passed play to Pelletier.
Pelletier was up, staring down a field full of powerful effects, and in his Standby Phase Aronson activated Kashtira Shangri-Ira, Summoning Kashtira Unicorn from his Deck, giving him another layer of interruption. Still in the Standby, Pelletier activated Branded Opening, discarding Aluber the Jester of Despia and grabbing another Aluber from his Deck. Arise-Heart was triggered due to cards being banished, and Aronson attached Radian the Multidimensional Kaiju from Pelletier’s banished Pile.
In his Main Phase, Pelletier tributed Aronson’s Shangri-Ira and Arise-Heart to Summon Kurikara Divincarnate! Thanks to Aronson’s shifter, he could activate the Kashiratheosis that was under Arise-Heart to grab Kashtira Unicorn. Pelletier fired back with Triple Tactics Thrust, searching Herald of the Abyss. The Herald was activated, Pelletier declared Psychic Type with DARK Attribute, and Diablosis the Mind Hacker was toast. Aronson was forced to banish his monster, and Pelletier attacked with his Kurikara over Fenrir. In Main Phase 2 Pelletier Summoned Aluber the Jester of Despia, fetching Branded Fusion. Aronson immediately activated Kashtira Unicorn and banished a second Lubellion the Searing Dragon.
Pelletier activated his Branded Fusion, banishing both Fallen of Albaz and Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous and Summoning Albion the Sanctifire Dragon, the brand-new Fusion Monster From Cyberstorm Access. He passed turn with quite a field.

Aronson was up, drawing Triple Tactics Talent and staring Down a 4500 attack Kurikara, an Aluber the Jester of Despia and an Albion the Sanctifire Dragon. He activated Kashtira Unicorn adding Kashtiratheosis and commented that he really didn’t like Albion because it couldn’t be targeted. Aronson Summoned Kashtira Fenrirwith his Kashtira Birth and snagged Scareclaw Kashtira with Fenrir. Aronson used Kasthiratheosis to Summon another Fenrir, then Summoned Scareclaw Kashtira banishing Kashtiratheosis from the Graveyeard. Theosis gave him another Unicorn in hand, and he mused aloud that he was on 3 Summons, very aware of the danger Nibiru, the Primal Being posed to him. Unicorn and Fenrir were used to Summon Number 11: Big Eye. Aronson targeted Kurikara with Big Eye, and Pelletier chained Albion the Sanctifire Dragon to Summon Aronson’s Unicorn to his field, and sent Shifter to Aronson’s feld. Aronson used Talents to see Pelletiers hand and with that, Pelletier conceded!
With his huge Turn 1 picked apart, Aronson still found a way to win Game 2, pushing us to one more Duel to decide the Match!
Pelletier started Game 3, and Aronson activated Dimension Shifter in his Draw Phase. Pelletier was unfazed, activating Fusion Deployment and Summoning Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous. He followed up with Aluber the Jester of Despia, searching Branded Fusion, and activated Blazing Cartesia to Summon Granguignol the Dusk Dragon. Pelletier banished Gimmick Puppet Nightmare with Granguignol and ended.
Aronson drew and had a hand of Pot of Desires, Pot of Prosperity, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, and 2 Kasthiratheosis. In Aronson’s Draw Phase, Pelletier had Branded Expulson, trading his Granguignol to stick Aronson with Gimmick Puppet Nightmare. Pelletier Summoned Aluber searching Branded Lost. Aronson activated Pot of Desires, drawing Kashtira Riseheart and PSY-Framegear Gamma, ending there.
Pelletier activated Gold Sarcophagus, banishing Tri-Brigade Mercourier! He searched Guiding Quem, the Virtuous with Mercourier and Summoned Quem, sending Fallen of Albaz to the Graveyeard. He activated Branded Lost, and used Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous to Special Summon itself, then used its effect to Fusion Summon Despian Quaeritis with Cartesia and Aluber. On Quaeritis’s Summon he brought out Cartesia with the effect of Quem, and got Albion the Shrouded Dragon with Branded Lost. He fired off Branded Fusion and was stopped by Aronson’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Pelletier pressed on, activating Albion the Shrouded Dragon sending Branded Retribution, and drawing another card, keeping his momentum going!
He attacked Gimmick Puppet NIghtmare with Quaeritis and dealt 3000 damage, then Summoned Aluber with Branded Opening, discarding another Aluber. In response to Pelletier activating Aluber’s effect, Aronson chained PSY-Framegear Gamma, ending the play entirely. Pelletier used Branded Retribution from the Graveyeard to get back Branded Fusion and passed.
Aronson drew Infinite Impermanence and activated it right away, targeting Blazing Cartesia to prevent any Fusion Summons. He continued by banishing 6 cards with Pot of Prosperity, adding Pressured Planet Wraitsoth, and Pelletier activated Guiding Quem to Summon Fallen of Albaz from the Graveyard. Aronson wasn’t slowing down, activating Pressured Planet to search Fenrir and Summoning it immediately. Aronson activated Kashtiratheosisnext, Summoning Kashtira Unicorn. He added Scareclaw Kashtira with Fenrir and Kashtira Birth with Unicorn, really just giving a clinic on how strong Kashtira can be when it goes off uninhibited.
Aronson played on, Summoning Kashtira Riseheart and banishing Unicorn to banish 3 cards from Pelletier’s Deck. He Summoned Scareclaw Kashtira and attempted to end the Main Phase, when Pelletier activated Despian Quaeritis to reduce Aronson’s monsters attack to 0. Continuing his Main Phase, Aronson Summoned Kashtira Arise-Heart with 3 monsters, then activated Kashtira Birth and normal Summoned Unicorn. He followed up by activating Arise-Heart to banish Quaeritis face-down. In a new Chain, he activated Arise-Heart and Pelletier chained Aluber in the Graveyeard to negate Kashtira Unicorn!
Ariseheart was gifted a Kashtira Big Bang and Birth Summoned back Kashtira Fenrir. Aronson went into the Battle Phase, attacking Blazing Cartesia with Arise-Heart. He sent Fenrir to attack Fallen of Albaz and banished Aluber face-down, then Unicorn hit Guiding Quem for 700 damage. Scareclaw Kashtira attacked directly for 1450 LP, and in Main Phase 2 Aronson Summoned a second Kashtira Arise-Heart using his remaining 3 monsters to finish out.
Pelletier was up, drawing and playing Branded Fusion. Aronson chained his Arise-Heart effect to banish Branded Lost face-down, and Pelletier Summoned Lubellion the Searing Dragon before conceding. With the flood of effects and interactions hurled his way, Pelletier just couldn’t deal damage and chose to end the Duel as time was called!