Ivan Artiga is a local Duelist from Raleigh, North Carolina and he put his heart and soul into the Deck he’s using this weekend – and it’s built around the Dark Magician! He tested the Deck extensively, and has been extremely enthusiastic about using it. He’s running a small Kashtira engine in his Deck to support his strategy, but the Deck is overwhelmingly reliant on Artiga’s Dark Magician cards. Now he’s facing off against Chanz Elliott from Jersey City, New Jersey. Although Elliott is using a Branded Despia Deck, he does use Dark Magician in his Deck too, allowing him to Fusion Summon Red-Eyes Darkness Dragoon. Both of these Duelists are currently 2-0 at the 2023 North America WCQ with Dark Magician in their Decks, and now they’re facing off! It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Elliott chose to go first and started off the Match by using the effect of Albion the Shrouded Dragon in his hand.

He sent Fallen of Albaz from his Deck to his Graveyard, returned Albion to his Deck, and drew a card. Next, he activated Branded Fusion! He sent Despia Tragedy and Fallen of Albaz from his Deck to his Graveyard to Fusion Summon Lubellion the Searing Dragon and discarded Gimmick Puppet Nightmare to use its effect. He used Tragedy’s effect to add Guiding Quem, the Virtuous from his Deck to his hand and then returned Fallen of Albaz and Lubellion to his Deck to Fusion Summon Mirrorjade the Ice Blade Dragon. He Summoned Guiding Quem next, and used its effect to send Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous from his Deck to his Graveyard. Next, he activated Nadir Servant. He sent Albion the Branded Dragon to his Graveyard, added Fallen of Albaz to his hand, and used Quem’s effect to Special Summon Cartesia. He Set a card to his back row and then moved into his End Phase. In the End Phase, he used Albion’s effect to Set Branded in Red from his Deck to his field.

Artiga opened up Duel 2 with Magician’s Salvation, Kurikara Divincarnate, Magicians’ Souls, Dark Magician, and Kashtira Unicorn. He drew Soul Servant for his turn and then Special Summoned Kashtira Unicorn in his Main Phase. Elliott immediately used his Mirrorjade’s effect to banish the Unicorn and then used Blazing Cartesia’s effect to fuse it with a Fallen of Albaz in his hand. He Summoned Albion the Sanctifier Dragon and used the effects of Albion the Sanctifier Dragon and Quem. Quem Special Summoned Cartesia, and then Albion the Sanctifier Dragon’s effect Special Summoned Tragedy to Elliott’s field and Gimmick Puppet Nightmare to Artiga’s field! Next, Artiga activated Magician’s Salvation to Set Eternal Soul from his Deck to his field. He Normal Summoned Magicians’ Souls next and used its effect to send Magician’s Salvation from his field and the Soul Servant in his hand to his Graveyard and draw 2 cards. He picked up Terraforming and another Dark Magician, and then used Terraforming to add Secret Village of the Spellcasters to his hand. Artiga Set the Secret Village to his Field Spell Card Zone and then passed his turn. In the End Phase, Elliott flipped Branded in Red and Fusion Summoned Guardian Chimera. He used the effect of a Tragedy and the Chimera, adding Ad Libitum of Despia to his hand with Tragedy, destroying 2 cards with Guardian Chimera, and drawing a card with Chimera. He continued by using the effect of the Albion the Branded Dragon in his Graveyard to add Branded Fusion to his hand, and it was over moments lataer!

Elliott switched his monsters into Attack Position and then attacked with all of them to wipe out all 8000 of Ivan Artiga’s Life Points!

Chanz Elliott takes the first Duel with his Branded Deck!

Duel Two

Ivan Artiga started off Duel 2 with Soul Servant, Magician’s Salvation, Illusion of Chaos, and 2 copies of Dark Magician.

He activated the effect of Illusion of Chaos to add Timaeus the United Dragon to his hand and return a Dark Magician from his hand to the top of his Deck. He then used Magician’s Salvation to Set Eternal Soul from his Deck and activated the effect of Timaeus the United Dragon! He sent Magician’s Salvation to the Graveyard to Summon it and then used its effect to fuse it with the Dark Magician in his hand and Fusion Summon Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon! He activated Soul Servant to put Magician’s Rod on top of his Deck. Then, he banished the Soul Servant to draw it and Normal Summoned his Magician’s Rod! He used its effect to add Dark Magical Circle to his hand and activated it to look at the top 3 cards of his Deck. He saw 2 Bystials and a Red-Eyes B. Dragon and returned them to the top of his Deck.

Elliott activated Cosmic Cyclone and paid 1000 Life Points to banish Eternal Soul. Next, he activated another Cosmic Cyclone and gave up 1000 more Life Points to banish Dark Magical Circle. He Normal Summoned Guiding Quem next and activated its effect; but Artiga used his Dragoon’s effect and discarded Illusion of Chaos to negate the activation of Quem’s effect and destroy it. Next, Elliott activated Nadir Servant. He sent Despian Luluwalilith from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard and added Fallen of Albaz from his Deck to his hand. In his End Phase, he used Luluwalilith’s effect to Special Summon Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous from his Deck.

Artiga drew Bystial Druiswurm and then used his Dragoon’s effect. Elliott Chained the effect of his Cartesia to fuse a Fallen of Albaz and a Blazing Cartesia in his hand and Summon Granguignol the Dusk Dragon. Dragoon’s effect destroyed it and Elliott took 2500 points of damage. Finally, Magician’s Rod attacked and destroyed Elliott’s on-field Blazing Cartesia, and a direct attack from Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon wiped out the remainder of Chanz Elliott’s Life Points!

Ivan Artiga wins the second Duel with his Dark Magician Deck!

Duel Three

Chanz Elliott started off Duel 1 with the effect of Albion the Shrouded Dragon. He sent Fallen of Albaz from his Deck to his Graveyard, returned Albion to his Deck, and drew a card. Next, he Normal Summoned Aluber the Jester of Despia and used its effect to add Branded Fusion to his hand. He activated Branded Fusion and sent The Bystial Lubellion and Fallen of Albaz from his Deck to his Graveyard to Summon Albion the Branded Dragon. He used its effect to fuse his Aluber with a Fallen of Albaz in his Graveyard and Summon Lubellion, and then used Lubellion’s effect to Fusion Summon Mirrorjade. Next, he Tributed his Albion to Special Summon The Bystial Lubellion from his Graveyard and used its effect to place Branded Lost from his Deck to his Spell & Trap Card Zone face-up. Elliott Set a card to his back row and then entered his End Phase. He used the effect of the Albion the Branded Dragon in his Graveyard to Set Branded in Red from his Deck to his field.

Artiga opened up Duel 3 with Bystial Baldrake, Harpie’s Feather Duster, Kashtira Fenrir, and 2 copies of Dark Magical Circle. He drew Illusion of Chaos for his turn and then activated Harpie’s Feather Duster! Elliott Chained Branded in Red targeting a Fallen of Albaz in his Graveyard, but Artiga Chained the effect of the Bystial Baldrake in his hand to banish the Fallen of Albaz and Summon the Baldrake! Elliott’s entire back row, including a face-down Book of Eclipse, was sent to the Graveyard. Next, Artiga activated Dark Magical Circle. He looked at the top 3 cards of his Deck, but couldn’t add any of them to his hand. He used Illusion of Chaos’s effect next. He added Magicians’ Souls to his hand and returned a Dark Magical Circle from his hand to the top of his Deck. He used the effect of Magicians’ Souls next and sent Dark Magician from his Deck to his Graveyard and Special Summoned the Dark Magician. He activated the effect of Dark Magical Circle targeting Mirrorjade, and Elliott Chained Mirrorjade’s effect to send Rindbrumm the Striking Dragon from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard and banish Baldrake before Mirrorjade was banished. In a new Chain, he used Rindbrumm’s effect. He banished Rindbrumm to Special Summon a Fallen of Albaz from his Graveyard. He used its effect by discarding Triple Tactics Thrust, and Fusion Summoned Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon by fusing the Fallen of Albaz on his field with the Dark Magician on Artiga’s field! Next, Artiga Special Summoned Kashtira Fenrir. He activated its effect to add Kashtira Unicorn to his hand and then entered his Battle Phase. He attacked The Bystial Lubellion and banished it face-down with Fenrir’s effect.

But it was all over on the next turn! Elliott used his Dragoon’s effect to destroy Fenrir and inflict 2400 points of damage to Artuga’s Life Points. He Summoned Aluber the Jester of Despia next, and Artiga conceded!

Chanz Elliott uses Ivan Artiga’s on-field Dark Magician as a Fusion Material to Summon his own Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon and win the third Duel of the Match! Chanz Elliott advances 3-0 in the WCQ, but Ivan Artiga is still 2-1 with his Dark Magician Deck and maintaining hope for a Day 2 finish!