John Marchand has earned a reputation here in Canada for repeatedly impressive showings at Last Chance Regional events — we featured him in both 2006 and 2007. But now he’s in a whole new league, competing against a duelist that plays on a different level of competition — Dale Bellido.

Game 1

Bellido opened with Elemental Hero Prisma, Gladiator Beast Secutor, Gladiator Beast Laquari, Crush Card Virus, Cold Wave, and Torrential Tribute. He set Secutor and Torrential Tribute. Marchand fired back with Cold Wave, summoned Gladiator Beast Laquari, attacked over Secutor, and then tagged out to Gladiator Beast Bestiari. Bestiari destroyed Dale’s set Torrential Tribute, and play was to Dale.

He drew Elemental Hero Stratos, a spectacular topdeck. He summoned him, searched out Elemental Hero Prisma, and joked about pulling Disk Commander instead: “Adam Corn almost put that in his deck, actually.” Stratos attacked over Bestiari and Marchand was up.

He summoned Gladiator Beast Laquari, attacked, and flipped Book of Moon to turn down Stratos. Stratos was destroyed in battle, Laquari survived thanks to Book, and Marchand special summoned Gladiator Beast Secutor with Laquari’s effect. He set one card to his back row and ended.

It was Dale’s turn to activate Cold Wave! He summoned Gladiator Beast Laquari, attacked Secutor, then tagged out to Gladiator Beast Bestiari — it destroyed Marchand’s face-down Mirror Force. “Go ahead.”

Marchand summoned Elemental Hero Prisma, activated its effect to send Laquari to the graveyard from his deck, and then attacked over Bestiari. He ended with nothing in his back row. Dale made the same play next turn, summoning Prisma to send Laquari to his graveyard. He traded his Prisma for Marchand’s in battle, set a spell or trap, and ended with three cards in hand.

Marchand drew to three with nothing on the field. He activated Heavy Storm, destroying Dale’s bluffed Reinforcement of the Army — it seemed as if Dale had bluffed simply to bait Marchand into simplifying the game. Marchand summoned another Prisma, sent Bestiari to the graveyard, and attacked. Next turn Dale summoned another Prisma, and once again simplified the duel by sending his Prisma into Marchand’s. Both were destroyed.

Dale set another spell or trap, ended, and next turn Marchand summoned Stratos. “I’ll do a whole lot of nothing with his effect.” He had nothing left to search for. Stratos attacked, Marchand set Bottomless Trap Hole, and he lost it next turn to Dale’s Mystical Space Typhoon. Dale set a monster, set a spell or trap, and was still up a card once Marchand drew for his turn.

Marchand summoned Spirit Reaper, attacked with Stratos, and hit Dale’s Morphing Jar! Spirit Reaper then struck directly, forcing Dale to discard Heavy Storm from his freshly-drawn hand. A set spell or trap ended Marchand’s turn, just as Morphing Jar had ended Dale’s attempts at simplifying the game.

Dale set a monster, then activated Monster Reborn, targeting Marchand’s Laquari. Marchand nodded. “It’s good.” Dale sent Laquari to attack Spirit Reaper, and Marchand took the 1500 damage. Dale tagged out to Bestiari, targeted Marchand’s set Mystical Space Typhoon with Bestiari’s effect, and Marchand chained it: it targeted Dale’s set Crush Card Virus, which he chained! He tributed his Sangan to do so. Marchand lost his on-field Stratos, revealed his hand, lost Bestiari from it, and Dale got a copy of Sangan from his deck! He ended his turn setting another spell or trap. It was a huge, huge turn for Bellido.

Marchand drew Enemy Controller, revealed it, summoned Sangan, and sent it to attack Bestiari. He activated Controller, but Dale negated it with Solemn Judgment. Sangan smashed into Bestiari, went to the graveyard, and got Marchand a copy of Test Tiger. The duel stood at 5700 life points for Marchand, and just 2000 for Dale.

Marchand turned Spirit Reaper to defense mode and concluded his turn with three cards in hand. Dale ripped Test Tiger! He special summoned it, tributed it to send Bestiari back to his deck, and traded it for Gladiator Beast Darius. He brought out Darius, brought back Bestiari, and contact Fused both for Gyzarus. Gyzarus destroyed Spirit Reaper, attacked for 2400 damage, and Dale tagged out for double Darius, special summoning Gladiator Beast Bestiari and Gladiator Beast Laquari. He set one card and ended, not contact Fusing any of his monsters.

Darius came off the top of Marchand’s deck, and he lost it to Crush Card Virus. Marchand summoned Gladiator Beast Murmillo, but when he activated Premature Burial to target Gladiator Beast Bestiari Dale chained D.D. Crow! He chained Book of Moon to that, cutting Marchand off from the possibility of special summoning Test Tiger, and it was all over.

Dale Bellido captures Game 1, winning a hard fought mirror match with very similar play sequences over John Marchand.

Game 2

Marchand opened Game 2 by summoning Laquari, then setting two cards to his spell and trap zone. Dale got Elemental Hero Stratos with Reinforcement of the Army next turn, and when he summoned him to fetch Elemental Hero Prisma Marchand chained Bottomless Trap Hole. Dale had him beat though, chaining Enemy Controller to tribute Stratos, taking control of Laquari. Laquari made a direct attack, Marchand took the damage, and Dale sent Laquari back to Marchand’s deck to special summon Bestiari. Bestiari then destroy Marchand’s Mystical Space Typhoon, and Dale ended.

Next turn Marchand summoned Prisma, sent Gladiator Beast Laquari to his graveyard for its effect, and lost it Bottomless Trap Hole. He activated Monster Reborn to bring back Laquari, attacked, and tagged out for Bestiari. He played Swords of Revealing Light to finish out.

Dale drew Mind Control, holding Rescue Cat, Murmillo, Bestiari, and Prisma. He summoned Rescue Cat, tributed it, and special summoned two copies of Neo-Spacian Dark Panther! Both Panthers copied Marchand’s Bestiari, and he contact Fused them both for Gladiator Beast Gyzarus! Marchand’s field was wiped, Gyzarus attacked, and Dale special summoned Laquari and Darius. Darius got him Bestiari, he contact Fused Darius and Bestiari for Gyzarus, and passed with no set cards. It was a big turn with a risky finish, mitigated by Marchand’s low card presence: once he drew for his next turn, he had just two cards remaining.

He summoned one of them: Darius. He then attacked Book of Moon, turning Gyzarus face down, and attacked with Darius to destroy it. Darius was tagged out for Murmillo in defense mode, and Murmillo’s effect destroyed Laquari. “Your go.”

Bellido drew Mystical Space Typhoon, summoned Prisma, and ran over Murmillo. He set the Typhoon and ended — it was just a matter of time now. Marchand set his topdecked monster, activated Prisma’s effect to send Bestiari to the graveyard, then contact Fused for Gyzarus. Gyzarus destroyed Marchand’s face-down Sangan, sending him to his deck to pull Spirit Reaper. Gyzarus attacked for 2400 damage, tagged out for two copies of Darius, and each Darius brought back a monster: first Gyzarus, then Laquari. He set a spell or trap to end.

Marchand activated Cold Wave, set a monster, and Dale just revealed his in-hand Bestiari: Marchand scooped it up, knowing he’d have no answer to Gladiator Beast Gyzarus next turn.

Dale Bellido takes a 2-0 victory over John Marchand, moving on with a 3-0 record after a difficult Game 1!