Yacine Sahli from Montreal, Canada and Eric Meltz from Austin, Texas are facing off in Round 1 of the North America World Championship Qualifier with two fan-favorite Decks.  Sahli is using a Deck built around the new Light and Darkness Ritual from Chaos Origins, which features various versions of the classic Magician of Black Chaos and Black Luster Soldier. Meltz, on the other hand, is using a HERO Deck, inspired by popular characters from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. Only one of these Duelists can prevail in the first round. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Meltz started off Duel 1 and Sahli activated the effect of Mulcharmy Purulia in his Standby Phase. Meltz proceeded by activating E – Emergency Call in the Main Phase and added Miracle Ejector from his Deck to his hand.

He activated its effect by sending Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin from his Deck to his Graveyard and Special Summoned the Ejector, allowing Sahli to draw a card from Purulia’s effect. Next, Meltz used his Ejector’s on-field effect to add EN Shuffle from his Deck to his hand. He activated it, and Sahli Chained the effect of Mulcharmy Fuwalos. Meltz returned the Ejector to his Deck and Special Summoned Elemental HERO Stratos, allowing Sahli to draw a card from Fuwalos’s effect. Meltz used his Stratos’s effect to add Vision HERO Faris from his Deck to his hand. He activated its effect by sending Destiny HERO – Malicious from his hand to his Graveyard, and Special Summoned the Faris. Sahli drew a card from Purulia’s effect and Meltz used Faris’s effect to place Vision HERO Increase in his Spell & Trap Card Zone. He used Increase’s effect by Tributing Faris and Special Summoned it. He activated its effect to try to Special Summon a monster from his Deck, but lost out to Sahli’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Next, Meltz activated Reinforcement of the Army and used its effect to add Masked HERO Fountain from his Deck to his hand. He revealed it from his hand to activate its effect and Special Summon Vision HERO Vyon, allowing Sahli to draw another card. Meltz used Vyon’s effect to send Elemental HERO Shadow Mist from his Deck to his Graveyard, and used Shadow Mist’s effect to add Masked HERO Dusk Crow from his Deck to his hand. He then banished Faris from his Graveyard to use Vyon’s effect and added Polymerization from his Deck to his hand. He sent Increase and Vyon to the Graveyard to Link Summon Xtra HERO Cross Crusader, allowing Sahli to draw a card. He then used its effect to Special Summon Malicious from his Graveyard. He then used Cross Crusader’s other effect to Tribute Malicious and add Masked HERO Furnace from his Deck to his hand. He then activated the effect of Dusk Crow in his hand by banishing Vyon from his Graveyard. He Special Summoned it and Sahli drew a card. Next, he activated Furnace’s effect by revealing it from his hand. He added Mask Change from his Deck to his hand and then discarded Fountain. He used Fountain’s effect to Set Mask Change from his Deck to his field. Next, he Normal Summoned Destiny HERO – Denier, allowing Sahli to draw a card from Purulia’s effect. He then sent Denier and Cross Crusader to the Graveyard to Link Summon Xtra HERO Infernal Devicer, allowing Sahli to draw another card from Fuwalos’s effect. He used its effect to reveal Elemental HERO Shining Neos Wingman from his Extra Deck to add Elemental HERO Neos from his Deck to his hand. Next, he sent Dusk Crow and Infernal Devicer to the Graveyard to Link Summon Xtra HERO Wonder Driver, allowing Sahli to draw another card. Meltz then activated Polymerization to fuse the Stratos on his field with the Neos in his hand. He Summoned Elemental HERO Flame Wingman – Infernal Rage, allowing Sahli to draw another card from Fuwalos’s effect. He used the effect of Elemental HERO Flame Wingman – Infernal Rage to add Favorite Contact from his Deck to his hand. Sahli then activated the effect of Griffoh from his hand to Set Mind Shuffle from his Deck. Meltz activated Mask Change targeting the Infernal Rage, and Sahli Chained Mind Shuffle and activated its effect. He added Black Chaos from his Deck to his hand and discarded Diabellstar the Black Witch. Mask Change resolved, and Infernal Rage was replaced with a Masked HERO Blast on the field, linked to Wonder Driver. Sahli drew another card since Meltz Special Summoned from the Extra Deck. Meltz used the effect of Wonder Driver, and Sahli Chained the effect of the Diabellstar in his Graveyard. Sahli sent Skull Archfiend of Chaos from his hand to his Graveyard to Special Summon the Diabellstar, and Meltz Set Polymerization from his Graveyard. In a new Chain, Shali activated the effects of his Skull Archfiend and Diabellstar. He Set WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils from his Deck and added Black Luster Soldier – Soldier  of Light and Darkness from his Deck to his hand. Meltz activated the effect of a Malicious in his Graveyard to banish it and Special Summon another copy from his Deck. He then flipped Polymerization and fused Malicious with the Furnace in his hand to Special Summon Elemental HERO Sunrise from his Extra Deck, allowing Sahli to draw another card. Meltz then used Furnace’s effect to Special Summon Furnace from the Graveyard, and used Sunrise’s effect to add Miracle Fusion from his Deck to his hand. He activated Miracle Fusion and fused Dusk Crow and Fountain from his Graveyard to Special Summon Contrast HERO Chaos, allowing Sahli to draw another card. Next, Meltz banished another Malicious from his Graveyard to Special Summon one from his Deck, allowing Sahli to draw another card. Meltz banished EN Shuffle from his Graveyard to return Shadow Mist and Aqua Dolphin from his Graveyard to his Deck and draw a card. Meltz Set the card he drew to his back row and then ended his turn. In the End Phase, he used Masked HERO Blast to return Mind Shuffle to Sahli’s hand, leaving him with 17 cards in his hand, compared to the 9 cards on Meltz’s field. He shuffled 2 random cards from his hand into his Deck as a result of the effects of the Mulcharmies he used earlier in the turn.

Sahli drew Skull Archfiend of Chaos and added it to his hand of 15 other cards. In the Draw Phase, Meltz flipped Mask Change targeting Destiny HERO – Malicious. He sent Malicious to the Graveyard to Special Summon Masked HERO Dark Law in Attack Position. In the Main Phase, Sahli Special Summoned Black Chaos from his hand by returning Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos from his hand to his Deck. He activated Black Chaos’s effect to banish 2 cards, and Meltz Chained Blast’s effect to return Sahli’s face-down WANTED to his hand. Sahli banished Dark Law and the face-down Favorite Contact with Black Chaos’s effect, and Meltz conceded, realizing he had let Sahli draw too many cards with the effects of his Mulcharmies.

Duel Two

Meltz started off Duel 2 and Sahli activated the effect of Griffoh in the Draw Phase by discarding it. He Set Mind Shuffle from his Deck and immediately activated it. He used its effect to add Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos from his Deck to his hand and discard Skull Archfiend of Chaos. He activated the Skull Archfiend’s effect by sending Light and Darkness Ritual from his Deck to his Graveyard, and Meltz Chained Called by the Grave to banish the Skull Archfiend and negate its effect. In the Main Phase, Meltz activated the effect of Furnace in his hand and added Polymerization from his Deck to his hand before discarding a card. He then activated Polymerization to fuse Furnace with Neos in his hand and Summon Elemental HERO Sunrise. He used the effects of Furnace and Sunrise to add Miracle Fusion from his Deck to his hand and Special Summon Furnace from the Graveyard. Next, he banished Malicious from his Graveyard to Special Summon another from his Deck. He sent Furnace and Malicious to the Graveyard to Link Summon Cross Crusader. He used its effect to Special Summon Malicious from his Graveyard and then used its other effect to Tribute Malicious and add Miracle Ejector from his Deck to his hand. he Special Summoned it from his hand by sending Aqua Dolphin from his Deck to his Graveyard and added EN Shuffle from his Deck to his hand. He activated it and returned Miracle Ejector to his Deck to Special Summon Elemental HERO Stratos. He activated Stratos’s effect to add Vision HERO Vyon from his Deck to his hand. He Normal Summoned it and used its effect to send Miracle Ejector from his Deck to his Graveyard, and then used Ejector’s effect to banish Light and Darkness Ritual from Sahli’s Graveyard. Next, he sent Sunrise and Cross Crusader to the Graveyard to Link Summon Xtra HERO Wonder Driver and then used Vyon’s effect by banishing Cross Crusader from his Graveyard to add Polymerization from his Deck to his hand. He activated Miracle Fusion and banished Miracle Ejector and Sunrise from his Graveyard to Special Summon Elemental HERO Flame Wingman – Infernal Rage linked to Wonder Driver. He activated the effects of Wonder Driver and Infernal Rage to Set Miracle Fusion from his Graveyard to his field and add Favorite Contact from his Deck to his hand. He sent Stratos and Infernal Rage to the Graveyard to Link Summon Infernal Devicer and then activated Miracle Fusion. He banished Neos and Infernal Rage from his Graveyard to Summon Elemental HERO Thunder Giant – Voltic Thunder and then Tributed it to Special Summon Stratos from his Graveyard. He used Stratos’s effect to add Dusk Crow from his Deck to his hand. He Special Summoned it and then used its effect to add Fountain from his Deck to his hand. Meltz activated Polymerization to fuse Fountain with Furnace and Summon Contrast HERO Chaos. He used Fountain’s effect to Set Mask Change from his Deck and then activated Fusion Destiny! He sent Destiny HERO – Denier and Destiny HERO – Malicious from his Deck to his Graveyard to Special Summon Destiny HERO – Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer. In the End Phase, he used his Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer’s effect to destroy the Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer and Mind Shuffle and then activated the destroyed Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer’s effect to bring a HERO back in the next Standby Phase.

Sahli opened up Duel 2 with Skull Archfiend of Chaos, Griffoh, Black Chaos, WANTED, and Celtic Mystic. He drew Called by the Grave for his turn and Meltz activated Mask Change in the Draw Phase to Special Summon Dark Law in place of Vyon. Sahli then activated Called by the Grave to banish Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer from the Graveyard, and then Meltz Special Summoned Denier with the effect of the previously activated Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer. He used Denier’s effect to return the banished Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer to his Extra Deck. Sahli Normal Summoned Celtic Mystic and activated its effect. He revealed his hand, drew 3 cards, and then immediately conceded after realizing he wouldn’t be able to mount a comeback.

Eric Meltz wins the second Duel with his HERO Deck!

Duel Three

Sahli opened up Duel 3 with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Pharaonic Advent, Skull Archfiend of Chaos, Mind Shuffle, and Ragged Records of Rites.

He activated Ragged Records of Rites. He revealed Light and Darkness Ritual from his Deck and added Griffoh from his Deck to his hand. He activated its effect to discard it and Set Mind Shuffle from his Deck, then flipped Mind Shuffle and activated its effect to add Celtic Mystic from his Deck to his hand. He discarded Skull Archfiend of Chaos and activated its effect by sending Light and Darkness Ritual from his Deck to his Graveyard. He added Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos from his Deck to his hand with Skull Archfiend’s effect. He used the effect of the Light and Darkness Ritual in his Graveyard to return it to his hand along with Griffoh then Normal Summoned Celtic Mystic and used its effect. He revealed his hand, then drew 3 cards and discarded Griffoh and Mind Shuffle from his hand. He then Special Summoned Pharaonic Advent from his hand in Defense Position by Tributing Celtic Mystic. He activated Light and Darkness Ritual, banishing Griffoh from the Graveyard to Ritual Summon Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos. He used its effect to return Ragged Records of Rites from his Graveyard to his hand. Next, he activated the effect of Skull Archfiend of Chaos in his Graveyard to Special Summon it to his field by returning Light and Darkness Ritual, Celtic Mystic, and Mind Shuffle from his Graveyard to his Deck. He activated the effect of his Advent by Tributing Skull Archfiend of Chaos and added Anti-Spell Fragrance from his Deck to his hand. He Set 3 cards face-down in his Spell & Trap Card Zone then ended his turn.

Meltz drew a card Sahli flipped Anti-Spell Fragrance in the Standby Phase, rendering him unable to activate Spell Cards.

Meltz immediately conceded, revealing his hand of four Spell Cards, Vision HERO Faris, and Vision HERO Increase.

Yacine Sahli takes the victory in Round 1 using his Deck built around Light and Darkness Ritual!