I specifically chose this match because I already knew what Nareg was running today: a new, fast-paced Magical Explosion deck featuring Kuraz the Light Monarch. I asked Nareg to sit on my side of the table so that I could criticize his every play, something I tend to do whenever I hear someone is running Destiny Hero – Diamond Dude. He would be hard-pressed to impress me with his play but he was most certainly up for the challenge!
Game 1
Nareg won the die roll, 6 to 2. He opened with Magical Explosion, Premature Burial, Destiny Draw, Reinforcement of the Army, and two copies of Monster Gate — a very promising hand. He activated Reinforcement, searched for Elemental Hero Stratos, used Stratos to search out Destiny Hero – Disk Commander, and discarded that Disk Commander for Destiny Draw. Dark Magician of Chaos and Kuraz were added to his hand. He activated Premature Burial on Disk Commander and Kyle did not have a D.D. Crow to put on the chain! Nareg picked up Destiny Hero – Dogma and another Monster Gate from the top of his deck. He activated Monster Gate at the cost of Disk Commander only to hit a Diamond Dude — Divine Sword was lost in the process. Nareg activated the Dude’s effect, hitting Card Destruction. With no more plays immediately available to him, Nareg ended his turn with six cards in hand.
Kyle started off with a set spell or trap and a set monster. He finished with another set spell or trap after some consideration. He passed it over to Nareg who seemed in complete control of the match. Kyle would have to do a little bit more than setting if he wanted to stay alive in this match.
Nareg drew Monster Reborn. He activated Divine Sword – Phoenix Blade’s effect and removed Dogma and Disk Commander in order to return it to his hand. He then activated Diamond Dude’s effect again, this time hitting Reasoning. He then tribute his Diamond Dude for Kuraz, targeting both of Kyle’s back-row cards. Kyle chained Crush Card Virus, tributing Spirit Reaper — he lost Heavy Storm in the process. Nareg lost Destiny Hero – Dogma and Dark Magician of Chaos in from hand . . . but that was exactly what he needed to activate his Monster Reborn, targeting the recently pilfered Dark Magician of Chaos!
Nareg mumbled to himself, “Fifteen spells . . . and I still have Card Destruction.”
Dark Magician of Chaos got back Reborn and he used it to special summon Elemental Hero Stratos — Stratos searched Diamond Dude. He activated Monster Gate next, tributing his Dark Magician of Chaos. He hit D.D.M. – Different Dimension Master. He discarded Divine Sword for D.D.M.’s effect in order to special summon Dark Magician of Chaos, which retrieved A Feather of the Phoenix. Dogma and Diamond Dude were removed from the graveyard and Divine Sword was returned to Nareg’s hand. He activated the Feather next, discarding the Divine sword to put Magical Explosion on top of his deck.
Nareg went on the attack! D.D. Master, Stratos, and the Magician made direct attacks on Kyle’s life points. Nareg then set a card and activated Diamond Dude’s lingering Card Destruction effect to draw two cards, including the Explosion the Feather had put on top of his deck earlier in his turn! It was way more than overkill though, as Nareg took the opportunity to flip not one, but two Magical Explosions in Kyle’s draw phase!
Nareg Torossian takes game 1 with style! I’ll be honest; I am so tempted to run Diamond Dude right now.
Game 2
Kyle started us off in Game 2; he did so with two spell or trap cards and a set monster. His passive play didn’t reward him much last game and we would soon see if it would work out for him in this one. He passed it over to Nareg.
He activated Allure of Darkness, removing Jinzo. He activated E – Emergency Call next, pulling Stratos from his deck and quickly summoning him to the field. He searched for Diamond Dude. He activated another Allure, drawing into Lightning Vortex and Monster Reborn, removing Diamond Dude. He followed up with Reasoning next, leaving Kyle to run the numbers; after some deliberation, he called 6. Malicious fell off the top and went into the graveyard but Nareg didn’t seem to care. Instead, he opted to just attack with Stratos now, prompting Kyle to activate his Crush Card Virus! D.D. Crow was tributed as the cost, and Crush destroyed the on-field Stratos and an in-hand D.D. Master. Nareg ended his turn.
Kyle drew, activated Gladiator Proving Ground, and searched out Gladiator Beast Darius. Nareg noted that this was the first indication throughout the match that Kyle was actually running Gladiator Beast — he didn’t seem surprised. Kyle summoned the Darius, attacked, and tagged out for Laquari, dishing out first blood in the game. He ended his turn; little did he know that it would be his last.
Nareg drew Magical Stone Excavation for his turn, as was revealed for Crush’s effect. He activated Monster Reborn and targeted Different Dimension Master, but Kyle thwarted his plans with a Solemn Judgment! Nareg had the answer though in the form of his topdecked Magical Stone: he discarded Divine Sword and Vortex and targeted Monster Reborn. Monster Reborn brought back the Dimension Master — Nareg was persistent in trying to win this turn! He removed Stratos and Malicious for Divine Swords effect, discarded it for D.D. Master to special summon Jinzo from the remove from play pile, and finished it all up with his last in-hand card, Brain Control, on Kyle’s 2100 ATK Laquari! That was it! Nareg Torossian defeats Kyle Degraaf in a stunning display of the effectiveness of a Dimension Fusion-less Magical Explosion deck! With only one more round to go today, Nareg looks like a very promising bid to Top 16 today!