Andrew Hadfield, hailing from Toronto, ON, is here today piloting a fan-favorite Deck: Pure Gold Pride! His opponent, Jet Xiao is joining us from Los Angeles, CA playing Vanquish Soul Springans. Both Duelists are 9-2, so a win secures them a slot in the Top 64, and a loss may end their run. It’s an important match, and both are in good spirits and eager to play.

It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Hadfield started with a hand of 2 copies of Tour Guide from the Underworld, Cosmic Cyclone, Gold Pride – Start Your Engines!, and Ready Fusion. He Normal Summoned Tour Guide, which Summoned Gold Pride – Captain Carrie from the Deck, then he activated his Ready Fusion to Summon Fusionist. Fusionist and Tour Guide were used to Xyz Summon Gold Pride – Chariot Carrie, he used its effect to add Gold Pride – Better Luck Next Time! to his hand, and sent Gold Pride – Nytro Head the Graveyard. Better Luck Next Time! was activated next, and Hadfield added Gold Pride – Leon to his hand, taking 1500 damage. He Summoned Leon and used its effect to Special Summon Gold Pride – Nytro Head from the Graveyard. He Set 2 cards to his back row, and before the end of the Main Phase, Xiao had Nibiru, the Primal Being! Nibiru was Summoned to Xiao’s field, and Hadfield was given a Primal Being Token. Hadfield passed with the Token and his Set cards remaining on his field.  

Xiao activated Stake Your Soul, revealing Springans Branga to Summon Vanquish Soul – Razen. Xiao activated Razen’s effect to add a Monster Card from the Deck to his hand, and Hadfield chained Gold Pride – Start Your Engines! in response, revealing 2 copies of Gold Pride – Leon and a Gold Pride – Captain Carrie from the Deck, Summoning Leon, and Destroying Xiao’s Razen while he added Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love to his hand. In a new Chain, Hadfield Summoned Captain Carrie from the Graveyard with Leon’s effect, and activated Captain Carrie to add Gold Pride – Start Your Engines! to his hand. Xiao went to end the Main Phase and Hadfield activated Gold Pride – Leon to Synchro Summon Gold Pride – Star Leon! On its Summon, Captain Carrie was banished alongside 2 more Gold Pride cards to Boost Star Leon by 1500 Attack Points. Xiao Normal Summoned Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love and added Vanquish Soul – Continued to hand. It was activated and Summoned Vanquish Soul – Razen in Defense Position. Xiao continued by Link Summoning Rock of the Vanquisher using Mad Love and immediately activated Rock of the Vanquisher’s effect to add back Dr. Mad Love to hand from the Graveyard. In response to Razen’s effect to reveal DARK and FIRE Attribute monsters, Hadfield chained Gold Pride – Star Leon to gain the Attack Points of Razen and destroyed it due to the difference in Life Points.

Xiao shot back with Great Sand Sea – Gold Colgonda! He activated its effect discarding Springans Branga, but Hadfield chained his Set Cosmic Cyclone to banish the Field Spell, stopping Xiao from Summoning a Springans monster. Xiao attacked Gold Pride – Star Leon with his Rock of the Vanquisher, and then he attacked with Nibiru, the Primal Being leaving him at just 100 Life Points. In Main Phase 2, Xiao Special Summoned Kashtira Fenrir, and added Kashtira Riseheart to hand, then quickly Summoned it. Riseheart was activated to banish another Fenrir from the Deck and 3 cards from Hadfield’s Deck, before Xyz Summoning Number 11: Big Eye with his 2 Kashtira monsters. He activated his Big Eye, targeting Hadfield’s Primal Being Token, and passed play, but during his End Phase, Hadfield returned Gold Pride – Star Leon to Summon Gold Pride – Leon from the Graveyard and drew Gold Pride – The Crowd Goes Wild!.

Hadfield drew Gold Pride – Roller Baller for turn, and activated Gold Pride – the Crowd Goes Wild! revealing Roller Baller to add Gold Pride – Leon to his hand, then Special Summon his Gold Pride – Roller Baller taking 1500 damage. He activated Roller Baller’s effect to Fusion Summon Gold Pride – Pin Baller and activated the Pin Baller to Equip both the Token and Number 11: Big Eye. Hadfield moved to the Battle Phase and attacked for game!

Despite Xiao having some good offense, Hadfield took Game 1 in style!

Duel 2

Xiao started game 2 Summoning Kashtira Fenrir, adding Kashtira Riseheart to hand with Fenrir’s effect. He activated Springans Watch next, adding Great Grand Sea – Gold Colgonda to his hand and quickly activating it. He discarded Springans Branga to Summon Springans Merrymaker and used its effect to send Springans Captain Sargas to the Graveyard from his Deck as well, really setting up his plays! Branga and Sargas both activated their effects to attach themselves to Merrymaker, which was used to Xyz Summon Gigantic “Champion” Sargas. Xiao added Tally-Ho! Springans to hand with Sargas’s effect, then activated it, detaching 3 materials to add to Springans Branga, then Special Summon it from the hand, then Summoned Springans Captain Sargas and another Branga from his Graveyard. On the Summon, Xiao returned his Field Spell to hand with Gigantic “Champion” Sargas’s effect then Xyz Summoned Coach King Giantrainer! He used Giantrainer to draw Nibiru, the Primal Being, Springans Watch, and Vanqish Soul Heavy Borger, inflicting 1600 damage to Hadfield’s Life Points. He used his 2 Rank 8 monsters to Summon Number F0: Utopic Future, which was quickly used to Summon Number F0: Utopic Draco Future. Xiao used Springans Branga to banish itself and Springans Merrrymaker to add Tally-Ho! Springans from his Deck to his hand. He Set 2 to his back row, and passed turn with 6 cards in hand. What a turn!

Hadfield had a hand of Gold Pride – Captain Carrie, Gold Pride – Roller Baller, Harpie’s Feather Duster, Cosmic Cyclone, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, and Dark Ruler No More. He activated Harpie’s Feather Duster and Xiao chained Tally-Ho! Springans to add Springans Brothers to hand and Summon Springans Captain Sargas from the Graveyard. Hadfield followed up with Dark Ruler No More, then Special Summoned Gold Pride – Captain Carrie since his Life Points were lower than Xiao’s.

Captain Carrie added Gold Pride – Start your Engines! from the Deck to his hand, and he Normal Summoned Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, using his monsters to Xyz Summon Gold Pride – Chariot Carrie. Chariot Carrie added Gold Pride – Better Luck Next Time! to his hand. Hadfield attacked Xiao’s Sargas with Carrie, taking 500 damage, then in Main Phase 2 he Summoned Downerd Magician, then Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS – Sky Thunder, detaching 2 materials to clear Xiao’s field!

Gold Pride – Better Luck Next Time! was activated next to add Gold Pride – Leon to Hadfield’s already powerful hand, and he took an additional 1500 damage. He paused, then after some thought, Summoned Gold Pride -Roller Baller, Set 2 to his back row, but when he attempted to leave the Main Phase, Xiao used Nibiru, the Primal Being again. Hadfield fired back with Gold Pride – Leon, Summoning Gold Pride – Captain Carrie with its effect, and Synchro Summoned Gold Pride – Star Leon and destroyed Nibiru with its effect since his Life Points were lower. Then in the End Phase, Star Leon was returned to the Deck, giving Hadfield Gold Pride – Leon on the field. That triggered the effect of Gold Pride – Better Luck Next Time! Which drew him Evenly Matched, and play was over to Xiao.

Xiao took a moment to contemplate his plays, before activating Book of Eclipse to Set Hadfield’s Gold Pride – Leon. He activated Great Grand Sea – Gold Golgonda, and when he discarded for Golgonda’s effect, Hadfield had Cosmic Cyclone, shutting down that line of play. Xiao activated Springans Brothers to Special Summon his Springans Captain Sargas from the Graveyard but was met by Gold Pride -Start Your Engines! which destroyed Sargas, and Hadfield Summoned Gold Pride – Roller Baller. Xiao normal Summoned Springans Pedor, which prompted Hadfield to activated Gold Pride – Roller Baller to Fusion Summon Gold Pride – Pin Baller, and Xiao conceded!

Despite a good showing, Hadfield zoomed past the competition with his Gold Pride Deck, locked into the Top 64!