Alvarado won the opening roll, and started the match off with a set spell or trap card. Chin summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, but lost it to Torrential Tribute. He set a spell or trap himself and ended, passing play back to Alvarado.

He activated Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying Sakuretsu Armor, and hit directly with Pyramid Turtle for 1200 damage. He set a spell or trap, ended, and Chin shook his head, setting a card to each zone. Alvarado attacked with the Turtle, hit Newdoria, and both monsters were destroyed: “Yours,” he said, passing.

Chin set a monster and passed right back. Alvarado summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, fired its token to break Torrential Tribute, and attacked into Chin’s set Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. It got hit, Chin drew another card, he drew for his turn, and set a card to each zone again. Alvarado nailed his set monster, Mystic Tomato, with Nobleman of Crossout, and hit directly with Breaker again.

Graceful Charity came off the top of Chin’s deck and he activated it, following up with Confiscation to reveal Mirror Force, Cyber Dragon, Tsukuyomi, and Enemy Controller in Alvarado’s hand. Looking at his own hand of Tsukuyomi, Magician of Faith, and Chaos Sorcerer, Chin decided to discard Alvarado’s Cyber Dragon. He set a monster to finish his turn.

Alvarado attacked with Breaker again, hitting Magician of Faith and giving back Chin’s Graceful Charity. Chin activated Graceful, discarded Enemy Controller and Book of Moon, and special summoned Cyber Dragon. The Dragon attacked, but Alvarado destroyed it with Sakuretsu Armor — Chin had been trying to bait out the Mirror Force, and had failed. He set a monster, another Dekoichi, and Alvarado attacked it with Breaker on the following turn. In main phase 2 Alvarado set another spell or trap to back up Breaker, and play was to Chin.

He drew into Cyber-Stein and set Mystic Tomato. “Go,” he announced, passing play back to Alvarado. Alvarado summoned Tsukuyomi, turned down and flipped up Breaker, and sent Tsukuyomi to attack — Chin destroyed both attackers with Mirror Force. He then flip summoned Mystic Tomato and hit for 1400 directly, daring Alvarado to flip his own Mirror Force. He didn’t, so Chin set another monster to conclude his turn.

Alvarado summoned Chaos Sorcerer, and used its effect with priority to remove Mystic Tomato from the game. Chin took it on the following turn with Snatch Steal, and attacked directly. The life points were 4300 to 4200, with Alvarado leading by a mere 100 LP. Chin summoned Tsukuyomi, turned Sorcerer face down to destroy Snatch Steal, and passed.

Alvarado did nothing, just passing back with his one set back row card. Chin flip summoned Chaos Sorcerer and attacked, finally drawing out the Mirror Force; Sorcerer was destroyed. Chin set a monster, Alvarado set a spell or trap, and Chin destroyed it with Heavy Storm; it was Enemy Controller. Chin flip summoned Magician of Faith, took back Graceful Charity with its effect, used it, discarding Cyber Dragon and Dekoichi, and summoned Tsukuyomi. Tsukuyomi’s effect turned down the Magician of Faith, and the moon diviner then attacked directly to bring Alvarado down to 3200 LP.

He summoned Asura Priest, the one out that could disrupt Chin’s entire setup! The Priest first cleared out Cyber-Stein, but Alvarado didn’t attack the Magician of Faith. He instead used Creature Swap, trying to trade his Asura Priest for Magician of Faith, but Chin chained Scapegoat! Alvarado unwillingly gave over his Priest for a Sheep token, set a spell or trap, and passed.

Chin flip summoned Magician of Faith, brought back Heavy Storm, activated it, tributed his Magician of Faith for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, and blew away Alvarado’s Sheep token with Zaborg’s effect. He then special summoned Chaos Sorcerer and both monsters attacked for game!

Michael Chin takes game 1 from Anthony Alvarado with a classic Scapegoat play, stopping the Creature Swap / Asura Priest combo!

Both duelists took some time to side deck, and Alvarado moved with an uncharacteristic torpidity. He clearly wasn’t happy about the first duel, but was handling his loss like a gentleman.

Alvarado opened the second duel with Confiscation, revealing Chin’s hand: Cyber Dragon, Newdoria, Sangan, Enemy Controller, and Book of Moon. Sangan was discarded, Alvarado set a spell or trap, and ended.

Chin summoned Spirit Reaper, but ran it into Sakuretsu Armor. Book of Moon turned it face down to save it on the chain, and Chin set a spell or trap. Alvarado set a card to each zone to match him and passed back. Chin set a monster, Alvarado passed, and Chin passed. Alvarado summoned Exiled Force, attacked with it into Chin’s Spirit Reaper, then tributed to destroy Chin’s set monster — Newdoria. For Alvarado, it must have looked like one roadblock gone on his path to success in this duel. He ended.

“What is that face down?” asked Chin, thinking aloud. He set a monster and ended, seeming to radiate confidence. Alvarado set a monster too, ended, and Chin passed back. Alvarado flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, took his card for its effect, and flip summoned Magician of Faith to return Confiscation back to his hand. He activated it, revealed Chin’s hand of two Chaos Sorcerer, Reinforcement of the Army, Cyber Dragon, and Heavy Storm, and discarded one of the Sorcerers. Dekoichi attacked to reveal a second Spirit reaper, Tsukuyomi hit the field to turn down Magician of Faith, and Snatch Steal blew away one of the Reaper. Alvarado ended, taking his Tsukuyomi back to his hand and leaving himself with six cards in hand. A perfect turn.

Chin summoned Mystic Swordsman LV2 and rammed the Magician of Faith, but his attacked was deflected by Enemy Controller. He tributed Mystic Swordsman LV2 with Enemy Controller, took Alvarado’s Dekoichi, and smacked it into the Magician: Alvarado took back Confiscation. Chin set a spell or trap, sent back the Dekoichi, and passed.

Alvarado tributed the Dekoichi for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, destroying Spirit Reaper, and then attacking directly. It was 6000 to 5600, with Alvarado now leading as he considered activating Confiscation. He went for it, revealing Chaos Sorcerer, Cyber Dragon, and Reinforcement of the Army. Sorcerer bit the dust and Alvarado ended with only Zaborg on the field.

Chin activated Reinforcement of the Army to search his deck for Exiled Force — it or D. D. Warrior Lady would take out Zaborg, but Exiled would do it without risking life points. Chin special summoned Cyber Dragon, brought down Exiled to clear the way, and hit directly with the Dragon, leaving one card in his hand and one spell or trap set. He ended.

Alvarado brought out a Cyber Dragon of his own, and then summoned Tsukuyomi to turn Chin’s Cyber face down. Alvarado’s Cyber Dragon hit Chin’s, Tsukuyomi attacked directly, and Alvarado passed after setting a spell or trap.

“My god, I need a miracle,” said Chin, drawing. He activated Heavy Storm, special summoned Cyber Dragon, rammed it into Alvarado’s, and set a spell or trap.

Alvarado drew, activated Graceful Charity, played Heavy Storm, and didn’t flinch as Chin flipped Scapegoat on the chain. “Asura?” asked Chin. Alvarado shook his head, but special summoned Chaos Sorcerer to remove a Sheep token. He summoned Tsukuyomi, turned Sorcerer face down, attacked a token, set a spell or trap card and ended. Chin topdecked Nobleman of Crossout, and used it to remove Alvarado’s Sorcerer from the game! He passed with two Sheep left on the field. Alvarado set a monster and passed back. Chin drew into Graceful Charity and activated it, drawing Royal Decree, Sakuretsu Armor, and Zaborg. He kept the only live card: Sakuretsu. Next turn Alvarado flip summoned Magician of Faith, took back Heavy Storm, used it, and attacked a token with Magician of Faith. Chin drew and passed. Alvarado summoned Tsukuyomi, turned his Magician of Faith down, special summoned Chaos Sorcerer, and a turn later it was all over; Chin topdecked Nobleman of Crossout and couldn’t find a way to block or destroy Chaos Sorcerer, falling to its second attack.

Anthony Alvarado presses the match to a third and final duel.

Both duelists began playing at a ridiculous pace as the time ticked down. Chin opened with a set monster, Alvarado set a card to each zone, and Chin summoned Mystic Swordsman LV2. He tried to attack Alvarado’s set monster with the Swordsman, but Book of Moon flipped from Alvarado’s back row to block the attack. Chin ended his turn, Alvarado flip summoned his Spirit Reaper, summoned Tsukuyomi to put it face down again, and used Nobleman of Crossout on the face down monster of Chin’s that he knew not to be Mystic Swordsman LV2. It was Mystic Tomato and it was removed from play. Tsukuyomi then attacked the face down Mystic Swordsman LV2, destroying it.

Chin special summoned Cyber Dragon, normal summoned Exiled Force, tributed it to destroy Alvarado’s set Spirit Reaper, and then attacked directly with Cyber Dragon. When Chin passed, a flurry of cards ensued from both players and the result was the Cyber Dragon hitting the graveyard and Alvarado passing with a set Magician of Faith.

Chin summoned Asura Priest, attacked Alvarado’s set Magician of Faith, and Alvarado took back Creature Swap from his graveyard. He summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, broke Chin’s set Sakuretsu Armor, and attacked directly for 1600 damage.

Chin set a card to each zone and passed, but Alvarado activated Scapegoat in Chin’s end phase, claiming his four Sheep tokens. He then flipped Heavy Storm, switched a Sheep to attack, activated Creature Swap to take Chin’s set Reaper, then attacked directly for 1600 with Breaker again. Alvarado set a spell or trap, Chin set a monster, Alvarado activated Nobleman of Crossout to remove the set monster (Spirit Reaper) from the field and hit for another 1600 with Breaker.

Asura Priest came down, first attacking Alvarado’s Breaker — he blocked it with Magic Cylinder, but Priest hit again, wiping out Breaker, the Sheep, and finally running itself aground on Spirit Reaper. Chin then passed, with nothing on the field. Time was called and three turns remained.

Alvarado didn’t need three turns. He unleashed Chaos Sorcerer, tributed his Reaper for Cyber Dragon, and that was it! Chin couldn’t deal with both attackers, and the duel ended as Chaos Sorcerer struck directly.

Anthony Alvarado pulls out the match win after taking a loss in the first duel, moving on with a 6-1 record!