18 year-old Kevin Ward is playing a deck that is so strange that I need to see it in action. There are a lot of cool decks heading into this round with a 3-0 record: Protector Gadgets and a hand-manipulation deck packing three copies of Thestalos and Dark Red Enchanter are two of my personal favorites. But Ward’s deck is just as brilliant as it is strange: he’s playing a mix of Counter Fairies and Gravekeeper’s, and he’s been tearing apart Dark Armed Return decks all day. I really want to see what this is about.

His opponent is Daleepchan Sewnarine of Brooklyn, New York. At 27 years of age, he works at Whateverdot.com, the online branch of one of New York’s major gaming stores. He’s undefeated with a Dark Armed Dragon build that’s very similar to the one we saw Dale Bellido wield in round 1, complete with Dreadmasters and Dark Nephthys. Would Ward be able to prove his strategy effective against Dark Armed Dragon yet again, or would he crash out?

Ward got things started by discarding Gravekeeper’s Commandant to search Necrovalley from his deck. He set one card to his back row, activated Necrovalley, and summoned Bountiful Artemis! He was in good shape, with Dark Bribe set and Van’Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord in his hand.

Daleepchan activated Trade-In, discarding Darklord Zerato to draw two: Ward let it go, and I had to question the wisdom. Sewnarine then set two cards to his back row and ended. Ward summoned Gravekeeper’s Assailant next turn, attacked directly with Bountiful Artemis, and then attacked with Assailant. Sewnarine lost 3600 life points and Ward ended.

Sewnarine activated Reinforcement of the Army on the following turn, and then chained Mystical Space Typhoon targeting Necrovalley. Ward had to make a choice, and he let the Mystical Space Typhoon go through, losing Necrovalley. Reinforcement of the Army let Sewnarine get Dark Grepher from his deck, threatening the Artemis! Ward seemed to have made the wrong call.

Sewnarine summoned Grepher, then discarded Dark Nephthys for its effect with priority to kick Jinzo from his deck to his graveyard. He then summoned Dark Armed Dragon, and removed Darklord Zerato to destroy Ward’s Dark Bribe. It was all coming apart. Nephthys and Jinzo were removed to clear the field, Sewnarine activated Return from the Different Dimension and Ward scooped it up!

If only Ward had activated Dark Bribe when he had the chance! Dark Grepher proves to be just the card Sewnarine needed, giving him an easy win in game 1. Both duelists smokescreened and sided intently before starting game 2.

Ward set two cards to his back row and activated Necrovalley — no Artemis in sight, but he was holding Van’Dalgyon. Sewnarine activated Destiny Draw, discarded Destiny Hero – Dreadmaster, and drew two. Ward kept letting those draw spells go when he had counter traps available. Sewnarine set two cards to his back row and ended; Ward passed. Sewnarine passed back.

Two more cards hit Ward’s back row. “This is not looking pretty,” he admitted. Sewnarine activated Reinforcement of the Army, but Ward chained Magic Drain! Sewnarine discarded Dimension Fusion to force through Reinforcement of the Army and get Dark Grepher. He activated Mystical Space Typhoon next, targeting Necrovalley, and Ward considered his options: he had Solemn and Bribe set, but didn’t activate either. Dark Grepher hit the field, Sewnarine discarded Dark Nephthys, and searched out Dark Magician of Chaos from his deck, sending him to his graveyard. He summoned Dark Armed Dragon, Ward flipped Solemn Judgment, and the Dragon was sent to the graveyard. Since Ward knows how Van’Dalgyon works, he didn’t try to summon it. Always nice to see.

Dark Grepher made a direct attack and Ward was down to 2300 life points. Sewnarine set another spell or trap and ended.

Ward activated Lightning Vortex, and discarded his useless Burial from a Different Dimension to destroy Dark Grepher. He summoned Gravekeeper’s Commandant, attacked, and ended. “Your turn.” Sewnarine drew, with two cards set in his back row, plus two cards in hand. He flipped Raigeki Break, discarded Dreadmaster, and Ward flipped Dark Bribe! Van’Dalgyon fell from Ward’s hand, then destroyed Sewnarine’s last on-field card with its effect: Return from the Different Dimension. That left Sewnarine with two cards in hand after drawing for Bribe, while Ward had two monsters on the field and one card set in his back row. Ward had a fighting chance once again.

But Sewnarine activated Premature Burial targeting Dark Magician of Chaos, and used its effect to return Destiny Draw to his hand. Dark Magician of Chaos then attacked Gravekeeper’s Commandant, destroying and removing him. Ward had only 1100 life points, and Sewnarine set another card to his back row.

Ward set his topdecked card to his back row and ended. Sewnarine summoned Armageddon Knight, and Ward had to respond with Solemn Judgment: otherwise Dark Magician of Chaos would trade with Van’Dalgyon and clear the way for the Knight to hit for game. Dark Magician of Chaos traded anyway, leaving Ward topdecking while Sewnarine had more cards, and Sewnarine passed with one card set in his back row.

Ward topdecked Artemis and summoned it, attacking for 1600. Sewnarine topped Strike Ninja, attacked over Artemis, and Sewnarine passed. Ward set a monster, and Sewnarine activated Strike Ninja’s effect in the end phase, removing Dreadmaster and Dark Nephthys. Still in the end phase, Ward flipped Burial from a Different Dimension to send everything save Dreadmaster back to Sewnarine’s graveyard — including the Strike Ninja!

Next turn Sewnarine summoned Stratos, searched for Disk Commander, and discarded him for Destiny Draw. He sent Stratos to attack Ward’s set monster, Snipe Hunter, and then set one card to his back row. Ward’s topdeck next turn didn’t help him, and he was scooping a turn later.

Daleepchan Sewnarine dominates with the deck that treated Dale Bellido so harshly earlier today, while Kevin Ward’s Counter Gravekeeper build fails to maintain its undefeated record. I can’t help but wonder if that match would’ve gone differently if Ward had played to stop Sewnarine’s draw spells. Regardless, Daleepchan Sewnarine moves on undefeated, with a 4-0 record!