We’re approaching the end of Day 1, and here in Round 7 we have two Duelists looking to secure their place in Day 2! Raudel Garcia traveled from Modesto, California to play a HERO strategy this weekend. He’s facing Roberto Busnelli, from Tijuana, Mexico, using Ritual Beasts!

Duel 1

Garcia started the Duel with Elemental HERO Stratos, Destiny HERO – Plasma, Favorite Contact, and two copies of Fusion Destiny. He Normal Summoned Stratos and added Vision HERO Faris to his hand. He discarded Plasma to Special Summon Faris, which put Vision HERO Increase in his back row. He Tributed Faris to Special Summon Increase, which then Special Summoned Vision HERO Vyon. Vyon sent Elemental HERO Shadow Mist to the Graveyard, and Shadow Mist’s effect put Elemental HERO Liquid Soldier in his hand.

Garcia used Vyon’s other effect, banishing Faris from the Graveyard to put Polymerization in his hand. He used Vyon and Increase to Link Summon Xtra HERO Infernal Devicer, using its effect to put Elemental HERO Neos in his hand. He Linked Infernal Devicer and Stratos to Summon Xtra HERO Wonder Driver, then played Polymerization! Garcia fused Neos and Liquid Soldier into Elemental HERO Flame Wingman – Infernal Rage. Liquid Soldier let him draw Forbidden Droplet and Destiny HERO – Malicious, and he discarded Malicious.

Infernal Rage’s effect let Garcia Tribute to bring Elemental HERO Sunrise to the field, getting him Miracle Fusion. He played it to fuse Infernal Rage and Neos into Wake Up Your Elemental HERO! Wonder Driver’s effect Set Miracle Fusion again, and Garcia flipped it to fuse Liquid Soldier with Infernal Devicer into Elemental HERO Absolute Zero! He Set Favorite Contact and Forbidden Droplet, then banished Malicious from the Graveyard to Special Summon another copy of Malicious.

With that Malicious on the field, Garcia played Fusion Destiny to send Destiny HERO – Denier and another Malicious from his Deck to the Graveyard for Destiny HERO – Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer! He used Wonder Driver and Malicious to Link Summon Xtra HERO Cross Crusader. It revived Denier, which put Plasma on top of his Deck. He used Cross Crusader’s other effect, Tributing Denier to add Plasma to his hand. He used Denier’s Graveyard effect, reviving it. He Tributed Denier, Cross Crusader, and Sunrise to Special Summon Plasma!

Busnelli had a hard act to follow. He started with Pot of Prosperity, banishing six cards from his Extra Deck. He added Ritual Beast Inheritance to his hand, activated it, and used its effect revealing Spiritual Beast Cannahawk. He added Spiritual Beast Tamer Lara to his hand and discarded it. Then Busnelli played Book of Eclipse! Garcia’s monsters all flipped face-down, and Busnelli continued by Normal Summoning Ritual Beast Tamer Elder.

That let him also Normal Summon Cannahawk. Garcia flipped Favorite Contact, returning Neos and Infernal Rage to the Deck to bring forth Elemental HERO Shining Neos Wingman! Its effect destroyed both of Busnelli’s monsters. Busnelli used Lara and Cannahawk from the Graveyard to play Ritual Beast Ulti-Nochiudrago, and Lara Special Summoned Spiritual Beast Rampengu. Rampengu activated, and Garcia Chained Forbidden Droplet by sending Absolute Zero to the Graveyard!

Droplet negated Rampengu. Absolute Zero’s effect then activated in the Graveyard, but Busnelli had Called by the Grave! He continued, tagging out Ulti-Nochiudrago to Special Summon Lara. He used Lara and Rampengu to play Ritual Beast Ulti-Cannahawk in defense. It put the banished Lara and Cannahawk into the Graveyard, adding Ritual Beast Steeds to his hand. Busnelli returned his banished Rampengu to Special Summon Nemeses Flag, and used its effect to get Archnemeses Protos.

Busnelli Special Summoned Protos by banishing Flag, Lara, and Cannahawk. He used Protos’ effect on DARK monsters, and it survived that effect with its own protective ability. Protos attacked the face-down Plasma. Busnelli Set a card in his back row. In the End Phase, the lingering effect of Book of Eclipse flipped up Garcia’s monsters, letting him draw Rivalry of Warlords and his own Book of Eclipse.

Garcia drew Vyon. In the Standby Phase, Busnelli used Ulti-Cannahawk to Special Summon Lara and Cannahawk. Garcia played his Book of Eclipse, and Busnelli Chained Ritual Beast Steeds to destroy Destroy Phoenix Enforcer and Wake Up, before everything flipped face-down. Phoenix Enforcer and Wake Up activated in the Graveyard, and Wake Up Special Summoned Stratos. Stratos got Garcia Neos, and he Normal Summoned Vyon. It sent Faris to the Graveyard.

He then used Vyon’s other effect, banishing Faris to search Polymerization. He played it to fuse Neos and Stratos into Infernal Rage, getting him Favorite Contact. He Flip Summoned Shining Neos Wingman. It attacked and destroyed Protos and burned Busnelli for 2500 damage in the process. Infernal Rage destroyed Cannahawk, and Vyon attacked Lara. Vyon lost the battle, but this kept Busnelli from drawing off the Book of Eclipse effect. Garcia Set Favorite Contact and Rivalry of Warlords.

Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer returned to the field in Busnelli’s Standby Phase. Garcia flipped Rivalry of Warlords, locking Busnelli into Psychic-types! Busnelli didn’t have an answer and that was it for the first Duel!

Duel 2

Busnelli began the second Duel with Ritual Beast Inheritance, revealing Spiritual Beast Apelio. He added Cannahawk to his hand, sending Apelio to the Graveyard. He Normal Summoned Cannahawk and activated its effect, banishing Spiritual Beast Tamer Lara from the Deck. Lara’s effect let him Special Summon Elder. He used both his monsters to play Ulti-Cannahawk. Its two effects activated in sequence, Special Summoning both Cannahawk and Lara, then putting Elder in the Graveyard and adding Wen to Busnelli’s hand.

Cannahawk banished Busnelli’s Rampengu from the Deck. He used his monsters to Link Summon Ritual Beast Ulti-Kimunfalcos, banishing Apelio to Normal Summon Ritual Beast Tamer Wen. Wen Special Summoned the banished Rampengu, which banished Ritual Beast Ulti-Gaiapelio from the Extra Deck to send Spiritual Beast Tamer Winda to the Graveyard. Busnelli used Wen and Rampengu for a new Ulti-Cannahawk. He used both of its effects, Special Summoning Apelio and Wen, putting Rampengu in the Graveyard and searching Ritual Beast Tamer Lara. He banished Winda and Cannahawk from the Graveyard to play Ulti-Nochiudrago, then used it to Special Summon Winda.

Busnelli stacked Winda and Apelio for Infernal Flame Banshee, adding Nemeses Flag to his hand. He Special Summoned Flag by returning Gaiapelio to the Extra Deck. Flag let him put Nemeses Corridor in his hand. He used Banshee and Wen to Link Summon Haggard Lizardose. Its effect banished Banshee, and Banshee’s effect brought it back to the field. Busnelli used Flag, Banshee, and Lizardose to Link Summon Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess! He banished Banshee, Lizardose, and Winda to Special Summon Archnemeses Protos. Protos’ effect shut down DARK monsters. Busnelli activated Corridor, returning Lizardose to the Extra Deck to Special Summon Corridor in Defense Position. He Set one card to his back row and passed play.

Garcia had a hand of Vision HERO Faris, Forbidden Droplet, A Hero Lives, Destiny HERO – Malicious, and Polymerization. He drew Vision HERO Vyon. Garcia played A Hero Lives, paid 4000 Life Points, and Chained Forbidden Droplet. Droplet sent Malicious and A Hero Lives to the Graveyard, negating Busnelli’s Apollousa and Ulti-Kimunfalcos.

A Hero Lives resolved, and Garcia Special Summoned Elemental HERO Stratos. That got him Elemental HERO Liquid Soldier. Polymerization came next, fusing Liquid Soldier and Faris into Sunrise. Sunrise got him Miracle Fusion, and Liquid Soldier’s effect let him draw Mask Change and Forbidden Droplet, (he discarded Droplet). Garcia played Mask Change, swapping Stratos out for Masked HERO Blast. Both its effects activated, targeting Protos and Busnelli’s Set card. Busnelli Chained it – Book of Eclipse!

Garcia Normal Summoned Vyon, sending Elemental HERO Shadow Mist to the Graveyard. Shadow Mist got him another Stratos and Vyon’s effect banished Faris to get Garcia a new Polymerization. He activated it, fusing Stratos with Sunrise for Infernal Rage, and he added Favorite Contact to his hand. Garcia used Vyon and Infernal Rage to Link Summon Wonder Driver. He played Miracle Fusion, fusing Blast and every HERO from his Graveyard into Wake Up Your Elemental HERO!

Wonder Driver Set Mask Change on the field. Wake Up could attack three times, and gained 2700 ATK! Garcia sent Wake Up to attack the halved Ulti-Kimunfalcos for over 4000 battle damage, plus 1800 burn damage. He then sent Wake Up to attack Apollousa to end the Duel!  

Raudel Garcia is victorious with his HERO Deck!