One of the decks that I was surprised to see under-represented here this weekend was the new Macro Cosmos. Take a Scout Plane build of Macro Cosmos, add Cyber Valley, Allure of Darkness, and Van’Dalgyon, and a new and improved Macro Cosmos build is what you get. And yet, almost no one is playing it here today for a wide variety of reasons.

The one person doing well with the deck that I have found is Kevin Alvarado. A Chicago player from the recognized Team Kamikaze, he traveled here this weekend all the way from Illinois to compete. With an X-1 record he’s up against 21 year-old Rocky Alvarez, a member of Team Gamebreakers sponsored by Ft. Worth’s R&A’s Card Shop. Alvarez is playing a Dark deck with Escape from the Dark Dimension, and this match might demonstrate some of the reasons why players have shied away from Macro Cosmos in the face of that new trap.

Alvarez opened up the match with Reinforcement of the Army, searching his deck for Elemental Hero Stratos and then using him to search out Destiny Hero – Dasher from his deck. He then activated Allure of Darkness, drawing two and removing Dasher. Another Reinforcement of the Army let him get Armageddon Knight, a tell-tale sign of what Alvarez was running.

He played yet another Allure of Darkness, and this time paid for it by removing Armageddon Knight. He set a spell or trap and ended.

Now it was Alvarado’s turn to play Allure of Darkness, removing D.D. Survivor from play after drawing. He activated Reinforcement of the Army, fetched another Survivor from his deck and then summoned him. He set three cards to his back row and ended. In the end phase Alvarez flipped Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, discarded Treeborn Frog for its effect, and sent one of Alvarado’s set cards to the top of his deck.

Alvarado summoned Banisher of the Radiance and attacked. When his opponent flipped Scapegoat, Alvarado flipped Dark Bribe to negate it, and both attacks hit. He had 4000 life points to his opponent’s 3600, and he set his last card to his back row. Alvarez was fading below the point of being able to activate Dimension Fusion, but all he had removed were his Armageddon Knight and Dasher. Not an impressive lineup.

He special summoned Treeborn Frog and activated Dimension Fusion — Dark Bribe negated it! He was down to 1600 life points and was now in serious trouble. He set a monster, set Escape from the Dark Dimension and ended.

Van’Dalgyon attacked Treeborn Frog, Alvarado activated Enemy Controller and turned the Frog to attack mode! Van’Dalgyon ran it over and the first duel came to an abrupt halt.

Kevin Alvarado takes a gamble, giving up serious card presence to summon and protect Van’Dalgyon, The Dark Dragon Lord and winning because of it! Both duelists did some side decking.

Alvarez opened with Reinforcement of the Army yet again moments later, searching out Stratos and summoning him for Disk Commander. He set one card to his spell and trap zone, considered setting a second, and then ended instead. Alvarado fired back, activating Allure of Darkness and then removing Van’Dalgyon to pay for it. “Well, that sucks,” he noted. He had clearly hoped to draw into a different Dark monster. He summoned Cyber Valley, set three cards to his back row, and ended his turn: “You may go.”

He flipped Trap Dustshoot in his opponent’s draw phase, revealing Snipe Hunter, Spirit Reaper, Disk Commander, Raiza the Storm Monarch, Torrential Tribute, and Destiny Hero – Fear Monger.  He sent Raiza back to Alvarez’s deck, the hands-down choice in this situation. Alvarez summoned Spirit Reaper, attacked with Stratos, and Alvarado removed Cyber Valley to end the battle phase. “Go,” replied Alvarez.

Reinforcement of the Army let Alvarado bring out D.D. Survivor, and he flipped Macro Cosmos to back it up. Survivor attacked Stratos, both monsters traded, and both were removed from play. Alvarado ended and brought back his Survivor. If he had a set negation card he was in a great position.

Alvarez summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior and destroyed Macro Cosmos! Spirit Reaper went to defense mode, a second spell or trap hit Alvarez’s field and he ended. Alvarado activated Dimensional Fissure next turn, then tributed D.D. Survivor for Raiza the Storm Monarch! He threatened to send Spirit Reaper back to the top of Alvarez’s deck, but he flipped Torrential Tribute instead. Alvarado ended, brought back his Survivor, and play was to Alvarez.

He set a monster and ended. Alvarado was gaining some visible momentum, and summoned D. D. Scout Plane. D.D. Survivor attacked and smacked into Alvarez’s set monster — Gravekeeper’s Spy! Alvarez brought out another, Alvarado set a second spell or trap, and ended.

Alvarez tributed one Spy for Mobius the Frost Monarch, and Alvarado lost Dimensional Fissure and Mirror Force. Mobius attacked D.D. Survivor, but Alvarado flipped Macro Cosmos! D.D. Survivor was removed from play instead of being lost to the graveyard, and he returned yet again in the end phase.

Alvarado set a monster, turned D.D. Survivor and Scout Plane to defense mode, and ended. Alvarez tributed his other Spy on the following turn to spin away Macro Cosmos with Raiza the Storm Monarch, and both D.D. Survivor and Scout Plane were attacked and destroyed! Alvarado set his last two cards, one to each zone.

Alvarado flipped Macro Cosmos, and Alvarez summoned Snipe Hunter, discarding Fear Monger to the removed from play pile to miss an attempt at destroying Cosmos. He discarded and removed Disk Commander next, targeting Macro Cosmos once more and this time destroying it. Mobius attacked one face-down monster, another Scout Plane. Raiza attacked Alvarado’s face-down Banisher of the Radiance and Snipe Hunter attacked directly. Alvarado was topdecking.

“And I’ll topdeck into . . . !” He peeked at his next card . . . “Into my scoop phase!” Alvarado grinned and swept up his cards, conceding. The match stood at 1 duel a piece, and more side decking ensued.

A series of disciplined Monarch plays and a dearth of negation on Alvarado’s side of the table leaves Alvarez the decisive victor, pressing this match to a third duel!

“Good luck,” offered Alvarado as the game began. He set two cards to his back row and flipped one next turn: Trap Dustshoot. It revealed Alvarez’s hand of Jinzo, Raiza the Storm Monarch, Mobius the Frost Monarch, Allure of Darkness, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, and Giant Trunade. Alvarado sent back Jinzo. He set Wind Blast, but lost it to Mystical Space Typhoon in the end phase.

Alvarado summoned D.D. Survivor, attacked for 1800 damage, and played Dimensional Fissure! He set one spell or trap to finish out. Alvarez drew into Dimensional Fissure, set it, set Giant Trunade, and then activated a desperate Allure of Darkness! He drew two cards but couldn’t find a Dark monster: he had to discard his entire hand! He ended up removing two copies of Raiza the Storm Monarch plus Mobius the Frost Monarch. It seemed like a crushing series of events, but he then flipped Giant Trunade, removing the one unknown set spell or trap from the field and clearing it for Dimension Fusion. Both Raizas and Mobius hit the field! “That was awesome!” Mobius ran over D.D. Survivor and the two Raizas attacked directly. Alvarez had his three Monarchs and nothing else to Alvarado’s four cards in hand. It was 4200 to 2600, with Alvarez leading.

Alvarado activated Dimensional Fissure next turn, summoned D. D. Scout Plane and tributed it for Enemy Controller. He took one Raiza, banged it into the other to remove both and then set one spell or trap. In the end phase he brought back his D. D. Scout Plane in attack mode.

Alvarez topped into Heavy Storm! It wiped the field, and Mobius wiped out D. D. Scout Plane. Alvarado drew next turn, set a card to each zone, and ended. Mobius attacked, hitting Alvarado’s set Breaker the Magical Warrior, and a turn later he was swinging for game. Alvarez pumped his first and gave a celebratory “Woo!” He really couldn’t believe his luck, and neither could Alvarado.

Rocky Alvarez chalks one up for Team Gamebreakers and R&A’s Cards, moving on with an X-1 record!