It’s Round 13, and we’re approaching our Top 8 cut. These Duelists are on the bubble, so a win is necessary for a shot at the Top 8. Jib Braithwaite is here from Charlotte, NC, playing an Artmage Deck fueled by Ars Magna and Power Patrons. His opponent is Yair Brito, from Baltimore, MD, playing Clown Crew with a Light and Darkness Ritual supporting cast.

Duel 1

Braithwaite won the dice roll and played first, with a hand of Hey, Space Trunade!, Ars Magna “Citrinitas”, Artmage Pact -Awakening-, Artmage Impasto -Recapture-, and Artmage Finmel.

He Set Recapture, then used Finmel and Awakening to Special Summon Artmage Non-Finito, using its effect to Set Artmage Academic Arcane Arts Acropolis. He activated Citrinitas, adding Medius the Pure to his hand. He flipped up Acropolis, using it to Normal Summon Medius the Pure. Medius brought Jupredo the Shademachine Power Patron to the field, and he used both monsters to Link Summon Purification Power Patron. Jupredo added Prohibited Power Patron Portal – Terminus to his hand. He activated that to send Nervedo the Shadebeast Power Patron to the Graveyard and add Vidolium the Unstable Power Patron of Unity . He activated that in his Pendulum Zone, using its effect to destroy it and Special Summon Nervedo. Vidolium’s effect added Theorealized Medius to his hand. He Special Summoned Theorealized Medius and added Theorealize Liberation. He used Medius the Pure’s Graveyard effect, returning Purification Power Patron to Special Summon Medius. He activated Theorealize Liberation to Special Summon Artmage Power Patron from his Deck. He used that to fuse with Medius into Artmage Diactorus. Artmage Power Patron’s effect added Artmage Vandalism -Assault-. Since Medius was banished due to its effect, Theorealized Medius added Ars Magna the Corruption and the Purification.

Braithwaite used Diactorus and Nervedo to Link Summon a new Purification Power Patron. He used its effect to add Theorealize Past Lull, and Nervedo’s effect Special Summoned Junoldo the Shadespirit Power Patron. He used Junoldo and Purification to Link Summon Exceed the Pendulum. Junoldo returned Vidolium to his hand, and Exceed returned Junoldo. He played them in his Pendulum Zones, and Pendulum Summoned Nervedo and Jupredo. He used Acropolis’s effect, discarding Past Lull to add Artmage Graflare to his hand. He Special Summoned it, and its effect Set Artmage Varnish -Alteration-. He used that to add Artmage Litera. He used Jupredo, Purification, Theorealized Medius to Link Summon Mediclius the Extraordinary Power Patron. That let him use Junoldo’s effect, destroying it to draw Nervedo and The Great Gallant Bandit, discarding Ars Magna Corruption. He Special Summoned Litera, adding Awakening back to his hand. He banished Past Lull from the Graveyard to Special Summon Diactorus. He Set Awakening and passed the turn.

Brito started with Phara the Primordial Goddess’s effect, revealing Small World. He played the Small World next, banishing Clown Crew Biancaviso from his hand and Skull Archfiend of Chaos from his Deck, adding The Great Gallant Bandit to his hand. He Tributed Mediclius and Diactorus to bring Great Gallant to the field. Braithwaite used Litera’s effect to bring Diactorus back to the field, returning Litera to his hand. Brito played Concours de Cuisine (Culinary Confrontation), giving Braithwaite a Patissciel Couverture while bringing Poissonniere de Nouvelles to his field. Poissonniere added Clown Crew Flair to his hand. He used Flair’s effect, and Braithwaite flipped Recapture, banishing Patissciel Couverture to negate and destroy Flair. Brito sent The Great Gallant Bandit to attack and destroy Graflare, which survived thanks to its effect. Brito thought a moment and knew he wasn’t overcoming Braithwaite’s opening setup, and conceded this Duel.

Duel 2

Braithwaite started this Duel with a hand of Mulcharmy Fuwalos; Theorealized Medius; Hey, Space Trunade!; The Great Gallant Bandit; and Theorealize Liberation.

Brito started this Duel with Ragged Records of Rites, adding Griffoh to his hand. He used that to Set Mind Shuffle, and he flipped it up to add Skull Archfiend to his hand and discard it. Skull Archfiend sent Light and Darkness Ritual to the Graveyard and added Magician of Dark Chaos – Black Chaos to his hand. He returned Light and Darkness Ritual and Skull Archfiend to his hand, and played the Ritual Spell, banishing Griffoh to Ritual Summon Magician of Dark Chaos. He banished that to Special Summon Dark Magician of Destruction and added Dark Magicial Curtain. He played that, and Braithwaite Chained Fuwalos. Witch of the Black Forest came out of the Curtain, and Braithwaite drew Pendulum Treasure. Brito used Flair’s effect to add Clown Crew Rehearsal and discarded Skull Archfiend. He used Rehearsal to add Clown Crew Biancaviso and Clown Crew Malabrisme to his hand, Tributing Witch of the Black Forest. Witch’s effect added Droll & Lock Bird to his hand. He used Malabrisme to Special Summon Clown Crew Cappello and Clown Crew Fiends, and Braithwaite drew Past Lull from Fuwalos. Brito banished Rehearsal from the Graveyard to Ritual Summon Flair, Tributing Cappello, and Cappello’s effect brought Clown Crew Diabolo to the field – Braithwaite drew another Pendulum Treasure with Fuwalos. Brito used Diabolo and Fiends to Tribute Summon Biancaviso. Diabolo Set Clown Crew Soiree Operatons, Fiends Set Clown Crew Matinee Operatics, and Biancaviso let him draw two cards. He flipped up Matinee, then played Small World, banishing Black Chaos from his hand and Fydraulis Harmonia from his Deck to add Phara the Primordial Goddess to his hand. He used Skull Archfiend’s effect in the Graveyard, recycling some of his cards to Special Summon Skull Archfiend. In the End Phase, with Matinee’s effect, he drew three cards and Set one in his back row. He had far too many cards in his hand, and discarded two copies of Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit in the End Phase.

Braithwaite drew a new Fuwalos. He played Hey, Space Trunade!, and Brito Chained Soiree Operations to add Biancaviso to his hand. Trunade then returned Biancaviso and the mystery back row card, and Brito had to put two cards on the bottom of his Deck. Brito now banished Soiree Operations to Tribute Summon Biancaviso, using Skull Archfiend and Dark Magician of Destruction. Skull Archfiend added Magician of Dark Chaos to his hand, and Biancaviso let him draw two cards. Braithwaite now Tributed Brito’s Biancaviso for The Great Gallant Bandit. He played Pendulum Treasure to place Nervedo in his Extra Deck, using its effect to Special Summon Artmage Power Patron. Brito now used Mind Shuffle to add Black Luster Soldier – Soldier of Light and Darkness to his hand and discard Phara. He activated Phara’s effect, but Braithwaite negated it with Gallant Bandit. He continued with Past Lull to Special Summon Medius the Pure, which Special Summoned Junoldo. He activated Theorealized Medius’s effect to Special Summon it and add Past Lull. Brito used Droll & Lock Bird, and Braithwaite Chained Liberation to add Nervedo to his hand. He played it in his Pendulum Zone. Then, he used Artmage Power Patron’s effect, fusing it with Medius the Pure into Diactorus. Brito activated Nibiru, the Primal Being! Braithwaite received a 7900 ATK/ 6500 DEF Primal Being Token in Defense Position. That giant monster would be no help after losing the rest of his field, and Braithwaite conceded!

Duel 3

Braithwaite began the final Duel with a hand of Acropolis, Theorealized Medius, Theorealize Past Lull, Junoldo, and Nervedo.

He led by sending Nervedo and Acropolis to the Graveyard to Special Summon Artmage Non-Finito, which Set Recapture. He played Junoldo in his Pendulum Zone, then Special Summoned Theorealized Medius.  That triggered Junoldo’s effect, destroying it to let him draw Artmage Finmel and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, discarding Finmel. He used Past Lull to Special Summon Medius the Pure, which brought Jupredo to the field. He used Jupredo and Medius to Link Summon Purification Power Patron, and Jupredo added Terminus to his hand. He played that, sending Nervedo to the Graveyard to add Vidolium. He activated Vidolium in his Pendulum Zone, using its effect to destroy itself and Special Summon Nervedo from the Graveyard. Vidolium then added Artmage Power Patron to his hand. He Special Summoned Medius the Pure from the Graveyard by returning Purification Power Patron.

Braithwaite Normal Summoned Artmage Power Patron and used its effect to fuse with Medius for Diactorus. Artmage Power Patron added Artmage Varnish -Alteration-. Since Medius the Pure was banished from its own effect, Theorealized Medius added Ars Magna the Corruption and the Purification. He banished Ars Magna Corruption to add Citrinitas. He used Nervedo and Theorealized Medius for another Purification Power Patron, using it to add Past Lull to his hand. Nervedo’s effect let him Special Summon Artmage Graflare. He played Alteration to Set Acropolis from his Graveyard, then activated Citrinitas to add Medius the Pure to his hand. He used Acropolis’s effect, discarding Past Lull to add Artmage Litera, then Special Summoned it and added Finmel from his Graveyard. He Special Summoned Finmel and drew another Artmage Power Patron. He used Finmel and Purification Power Patron to Link Summon Mediclius the Extraordinary Power Patron. He used Acropolis’s additional Normal Summon to play Medius the Pure, then played Nervedo in his Pendulum Zone.

Brito wasted no time activating Super Polymerization! He discarded Clown Crew Finale to fuse Litera, Diactorus, and Non-Finito into Nerva the Power Patron of Creation. He played Hey, Space Trunade!, and Braithwaite Chained Liberation to Special Summon Nervedo. Trunade then returned Graflare and Nervedo to the hand, and Braithwaite returned Artmage Power Patron and Nervedo to the bottom of the Deck. Brito used Nerva to Tribute Summon Biancaviso and draw a card. He banished Finale from the Graveyard, Tributing Poissonniere de Nouvelles from his hand to add Cappello. Poissonniere’s effect put itself in his Pendulum Zone, and he played Cappello in his other Pendulum Zone. Its effect sent Rehearsal to the Graveyard, then he Special Summoned Cappello from the Pendulum Zone. He moved to the Battle Phase, sending Biancaviso to destroy Medius the Pure. In Main Phase 2, he Set his last two cards in the back row.

Braithwaite started his turn, and Brito immediately flipped Mind Shuffle to try and get more plays going. Braithwaite negated it with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, and Brito offered the handshake!

Jib Braithwaite is the victor with Artmage Power Patrons!