John Francis Chew and Brian Edward Winarski are facing off in Round 1 of the North America WCQ! They’re playing two fan favourite Decks; Chew is playing the Light and Darkness Ritual Deck, a strategy featuring revamped versions of Black Luster Soldier and Magician of Black Chaos, primarily consisting of cards from the brand new set, Chaos Origins. Meanwhile, Winarski is playing the Blue-Eyes Deck, a strategy that has been quite popular over the last couple of years, especially combined with cards like Primite Lordly Lode and Primite Dragon Ether Beryl. We’re starting off with a classic matchup, but only one Duelist will start off their North America WCQ experience with a victory. It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Chew opened with WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils, two copies of Ragged Records of Rites, and two copies of Griffoh. 

Winarski won the die roll and chose to go first! He started off the Duel by Normal Summoning Primite Dragon Ether Beryl and Setting Primite Lordly Lode to his backrow. Here, Chew activated the effect of Griffoh, discarding it to Set Mind Shuffle to his backrow. Chew activated Mind Shuffle, using its effect to search for and discard Skull Archfiend of Chaos. He then activated the effect of the Skull Archfiend, sending Light and Darkness Ritual from his Deck to the Graveyard to search for Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos. Next, Winarski activated Lordly Lode, searching for Primite Drillbeam. He used Ether Beryl to Link Summon Spirit with Eyes of Blue and search for Mausoleum of White, then activated the Mausoleum and used its effect to send Blue-Eyes White Dragon to the Graveyard. He followed up by activating the effect of Maiden of White, placing True Light to his backrow face-up. From here, he activated the effect of Spirit, allowing him to Special Summon both Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Maiden of White from the Graveyard!

Winarski activated the effect of True Light, Setting Wishes for Eyes of Blue to his backrow. He then used his additional Normal Summon to bring out Sage with Eyes of Blue and search for Effect Veiler! Next, Winarski used Maiden and Blue-Eyes to Synchro Summon Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon. He activated Wishes for Eyes of Blue, discarding Drillbeam and searching for Roar of the Blue-Eyed Dragons and another copy of Sage. He then activated the Roar, Special Summoning another Blue-Eyes White Dragon from his Deck, and banished Wishes from the Graveyard to equip Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to Blue-Eyes White Dragon. From here, he used Sage and the second Blue-Eyes to Synchro Summon another Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon! He used the effects of the two copies of Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon, Special Summoning Crimson Dragon and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Spirit Dragon, then used the effect of Crimson Dragon to bring out Stardust Sifr Divine Dragon! Finally, Winarski activated the effect of Bystial Magnamhut, banishing Skull Archfiend of Chaos from Chew’s Graveyard, and searched for another copy of Primite Dragon Ether Beryl during the End Phase. 

Chew drew another copy of WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils for turn! He started his turn in the Draw Phase, activating the effect of Mind Shuffle, but Winarski Chained the effect of Ultimate Spirit Dragon to negate it. Chew then proceeded to the Main Phase, and activated the effect of Light and Darkness Ritual in his Graveyard, adding both it and Griffoh back to hand. Next, he activated Ragged Records of Rites, revealing Light and Darkness Ritual to search for Black Chaos! On resolution, Winarski activated the effect of Droll & Lock Bird, and Chew Chained WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils, searching for Diabellstar the Black Witch. Chew activated Light and Darkness Ritual, sending Griffoh from his hand to the Graveyard to Ritual Summon Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos. He activated its effect, adding Light and Darkness Ritual back to hand; Winarski Chained Effect Veiler, but Chew Chained the effect of Mind Shuffle to return the Magician of Dark Chaos back to hand and Special Summon Black Chaos! 

Chew activated Light and Darkness Ritual to bring out the Magician of Dark Chaos once again! He activated the Magician of Dark Chaos’ other effect, banishing Winarski’s Ultimate Spirit Dragon, then used Black Chaos’ effect to banish Sifr Dragon and Magnamhut as Winarski used True Light to Set another copy of Wishes to his backrow. Chew Special Summoned Diabellstar the Black Witch from hand and Set Deception of the Sinful Spoils to his backrow. Here, Winarski knew that he didn’t have the resources to make a push on his following turn, and conceded the first Duel.

Duel 2

Chew opened with Mulcharmy Fuwalos, Pot of Sloth, Diabellstar the Black Witch, WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils, and Black Chaos. 

Winarski chose to go first once again! During the Standby Phase, Chew activated the effect of Mulcharmy Fuwalos. Winarski once again started off by Normal Summoning Primite Dragon Ether Beryl and Setting Primite Lordly Lode to his backrow, then activated Lode and searched for Primite Drillbeam. He then activated Wishes for Eyes of Blue, discarding Drillbeam and searching for Maiden of White and Majesty of the White Dragons! He returned Drillbeam to his backrow, then activated Mausoleum of White, using its effect to send a copy of Blue-Eyes White Dragon to the Graveyard. Winarski used the effect of Maiden to place True Light to his backrow face-up, then activated the effect of Ether Beryl, Tributing it to send a second copy of Blue-Eyes White Dragon from his Deck to the Graveyard. He activated the effects of True Light and Primite Lordly Lode, Special Summoning two copies of Blue-Eyes White Dragon from his Graveyard, then used the two to Link Summon Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres. Finally, he Set three cards to his backrow and ended his turn. 

Chew drew Mulcharmy Purulia for turn! In the Draw Phase, Winarski activated the effect of True Light, Special Summoning Blue-Eyes White Dragon from his Graveyard, as Chew activated WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils to search for Diabellstar the Black Witch. Chew proceeded to Main Phase 1 and Special Summoned Diabellstar from hand, Setting Deception of the Sinful Spoils to his backrow. He activated Deception and used its effect, Tributing the Diabellstar, and Winarski Chained the effect of the Hieratic Seal, returning Deception to Chew’s hand before it could resolve its effect! Winarski Special Summoned Bystial Druiswurm from his Deck. Chew followed up by activating the effect of Black Chaos, discarding it to place Mind Shuffle to his backrow face-up. However, when he activated its effect, Winarski Chained Primite Drillbeam, banishing the Mind Shuffle! Finally, Chew activated Pot of Sloth, trying to draw a better card to push through Winarski’s board, but Winarski Chained Dominus Purge! With that, Chew realized he could not push through Winarski’s board, and conceded. We’re going to a game three!

Duel 3

Chew chose to go first in the pivotal game three, and opened with Diabellstar the Black Witch, Infinite Impermanence, WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils, Black Chaos, and Griffoh. He started in the Draw Phase, activating the effect of Griffoh to place Mind Shuffle to his backrow. He activated Mind Shuffle, using it to search for and discard Skull Archfiend of Chaos, then used the Archfiend’s effect to send Light and Darkness Ritual to the Graveyard and search for Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos. Still in the Draw Phase, Chew activated WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils and searched for Diabellstar the Black Witch. In Main Phase 1, Chew Special Summoned Diabellstar the Black Witch and Set Deception of the Sinful Spoils to his backrow. He activated Deception, then banished Diabellstar to Special Summon Dark Magician of Destruction and search for Magician’s Souls! He Special Summoned Souls by sending Black Chaos from his Deck to the Graveyard, then activated Deception’s effect, Tributing Black Chaos from hand to search for The Hallowed Azamina. He used Souls to Link Summon Relinquished Anima, then activated Hallowed to Special Summon Azamina Mu Rcielago and search for another copy of WANTED. 

Chew used Anima and Rcielago to Link Summon Cross-Sheep! He added Hallowed back to hand, then activated it once again, sending WANTED to the Graveyard to Special Summon Azamina Ilia Silvia. He used Light and Darkness Ritual’s effect to add it and Griffoh back to hand, then Normal Summoned the Griffoh. He activated Light and Darkness Ritual, Tributing Griffohto Special Summon Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos and add Light and Darkness Ritual back to hand! Here, he activated the effect of Cross-Sheep, allowing him to draw and discard two cards, as well as Special Summon back Magicians’ Souls from the Graveyard. He used Souls and Cross-Sheep to Link Summon Protectcode Talker, then used Protectcode and Dark Magician of Destruction to Link Summon Firewall Dragon! Chew banished Cross-Sheep and Anima from his Graveyard to bring back Protectcode, then used Firewall’s effect to add Diabellstar back to hand. He brought back the Skull Archfiend from the Graveyard, used Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos and Firewall to Link Summon S:P Little Knight. He also used Protectcode and Skull Archfiend to Link Summon A Bao A Qu, the Lightless Shadow, and used its effect to bring back Firewall Dragon! Finally, he banished WANTED from his Graveyard, returning Deception to the bottom of his Deck to draw Super Polymerization! He Set two cards to his backrow and ended his turn. 

Winarski once again began his turn by Normal Summoning Primite Dragon Ether Beryl and Setting Primite Lordly Lode to his backrow. He used Ether Beryl to Link Summon Spirit with Eyes of Blue and search for Mausoleum of White, as Chew used the effect of Firewall Dragon to return Spirit and his own Griffoh to their respective hands. Winarski activated the face-down Lordly Lode, and Chew Chained the effect of A Bao to destroy Lode before it could resolve its effect. Next, Winarski activated Wishes for Eyes of Blue, discarding another copy of Primite Dragon Ether Beryl to search for Maiden of White and Roar of the Blue-Eyed Dragons! He activated the Mausoleum, then used Maiden’s effect to place True Light to his backrow. He activated Roar, Special Summoning Blue-Eyes White Dragon from his Deck, then brought back Maiden of White from the Graveyard! Here, Chew activated Super Polymerization, using Winarski’s two monsters to Fusion Summon Mudragon of the Swamp. Afterwards, Chew used the effect of Diabellstar the Black Witch in the Graveyard, sending Firewall Dragon to the Graveyard to Special Summon Diabellstar and Set Deception of the Sinful Spoils to his backrow. Chew used Mudragon’s effect, changing its Attribute to Dark. Winarski activated Roar, but it was quickly met by Chew’s Dominus Impulse! Finally, Winarski activated Triple Tactics Talent. Chew Chained the effect of Ilia Silvia, but Winarski Chained Called by the Grave! He drew two cards, but they weren’t the right cards to help him push through Chew’s board, so he conceded.

Chew starts off the tournament with a victory in Round 1!