This was the Table 1 from my dreams. Both of these duelists had used alternative recruiter monsters to win their way to undefeated records, and now they were going head-to-head for a guaranteed Day 2 qualification. Joe Hletko was fresh off a victory over Robert Morgan, and Belser had just finished laying waste to Mike Pianka. Both of these duelists are stars on the rise.
“I’ll go first,” announced Hletko, summoning Mystic Tomato and setting a spell or trap. Belser summoned D. D. Warrior Lady, attacked, and both monsters were removed from the field. He set a spell or trap and ended, and Hletko was up. He passed back immediately, and Belser surveyed his hand: he had no monsters, but was holding onto Graceful Charity. He passed back, waiting for a better opportunity to use it.
He paid for his ambition. Hletko dropped Confiscation, revealing Snatch Steal, Royal Decree, Mirror Force, Call of the Haunted, and the Charity in Belser’s hand. Sure enough, Belser lost the Charity he’d been so keen on keeping. Hletko passed, Belser set a monster, and Hletko used Graceful Charity himself. He discarded Enemy Controller and Pot of Avarice, special summoned Cyber Dragon, summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, and broke Scapegoat with Breaker’s counter: Belser chained it, claiming his four Sheep tokens. Cyber Dragon attacked his set monster, Magician of Faith, and Belser took back his Graceful Charity! Breaker attacked a Sheep token and play went to Belser.
He activated the Graceful Charity immediately this time around, and discarded two copies of Ryu Kokki. He’d planned to special summon them, not tribute for them, so they were dead draws. He set two spell or trap cards and ended, sitting behind his wall of Sheep.
Cyber Dragon and Breaker destroyed one token each on the following turn, and Hletko set two back row cards, leaving himself with three set spell or trap cards. He ended his turn.
Belser tried to take control of Cyber Dragon with Snatch Steal, but Book of Moon turned the Cyber face down. Mystical Space Typhoon targeted one of Hletko’s set cards, but it was Rush Recklessly, and Hletko chained it to target Breaker. Belser flipped Call of the Haunted, but Hletko chained Royal Decree. Hletko literally had answers to everything Belser was trying to do!
Belser activated Nobleman of Crossout to get rid of the Cyber Dragon, aiming to save himself some damage on the following turn. Hletko kept the pressure up though, and used Reinforcement of the Army to search his deck for his lone copy of Don Zaloog. He summoned it, Breaker hit the last Sheep token, and Don attacked directly to force the discard of Mirror Force from Belser’s hand. Belser attacked Don with Cyber Dragon on the next turn, and he activated Book of Life in main phase 2, removing Don Zaloog from Hletko’s graveyard and special summoning Ryu Kokki. But it simply wasn’t enough. A turn later Hletko activated Snatch Steal, took the Kokki away, and it was all over.
“Well, that was embarrassing,” remarked Belser. “I’m kind of wishing I didn’t get a feature match now.”
Both duelists did some side decking and shuffling. Hletko was just one game away from making Day 2!
Belser opened with a set card to each zone, and Hletko attacked into his set D. D. Warrior Lady with Mystic Tomato—both were removed. “Dejà vu!” shouted someone from the side lines. He activated Confiscation, revealed Belser’s hand of Mystic Tomato, Spirit Reaper, Cyber Dragon, and Call of the Haunted, and discarded the Reaper. He set two back row cards and passed.
Belser brought down Mystic Tomato and attacked, scoring 1400 damage. Hletko passed, took another 1400 damage, and Belser set a second spell or trap. Hletko activated Reinforcement of the Army, pulled Exiled Force with it, summoned Exiled, and tributed it away to destroy the Tomato. Belser summoned another next turn, but Torrential Tribute destroyed it. Belser set a third spell or trap and ended.
“Charity” announced Hletko, activating Graceful Charity. He discarded Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, then Book of Moon, and activated Heavy Storm! “I already had the Heavy,” he said, noting that he didn’t draw it off the Graceful. He lost his own Royal Decree, but destroyed three of Belser’s cards before passing. Belser hit him with a Reaper, but next turn Hletko special summoned Cyber Dragon, tributed it for Zaborg, blew away the Reaper, and hit directly for 2400. Belser set a monster, but Reinforcement of the Army fetched D. D. Warrior Lady for Hletko and she attacked the set monster: it was Sangan, and she removed it to the Different Dimension, allowing Zaborg to hit again!
A turn later it was the same thing. Belser set Asura Priest, but Hletko cleared it out with Breaker the Magical Warrior and hit with Zaborg. Belser special summoned Cyber Dragon, hit Breaker, and then activated Creature Swap to trade his Dragon for Hletko’s Zaborg! It was a huge play that equalized the field and kept Belser in the match.
Hletko set a monster, Belser ran over his own Cyber Dragon with Zaborg, Hletko flip summoned his set Don Zaloog, summoned Sasuke Samurai #4, and attacked into Zaborg. The entire match would come down to a coin flip. Hletko tossed a quarter into the air and waited for it to land, calling heads.
It came up tails.
Sasuke crashed into Zaborg, Hletko took 1200 damage, and moments later Zaborg was running over Don. Hletko set a monster, but when Belser tributed his Zaborg for another, fresher copy of the Thunder Monarch, Hletko’s fate was sealed.
Belser forces the match to a third duel, and earns himself a bit of breathing room!
Hletko opted to open the third and final game. He did so by summoning Shining Angel and setting a back row card. Belser activated Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying his opponent’s Smashing Ground, and then summoned Mystic Tomato. He rammed it into Hletko’s Angel, prompting him to search for another, and pulled Newdoria. Newdoria smacked into Angel and destroyed it with its effect. He set a spell or trap and passed.
Hletko did the same, passing back after setting a spell or trap. Belser set a monster, then Hletko special summoned Cyber Dragon, and normal summoned Tomato. He then activated Creature Swap, but Belser chained Enemy Controller to take the Tomato and block Hletko’s intended play! When Swap resolved, it traded Hletko’s Tomato back to him for Cyber Dragon, leaving Belser with the long end of the proverbial stick!
But Hletko had a solution to the problem. He ran his Tomato into the Dragon Belser had pilfered, and pulled another Tomato. He then used the Tomato in his graveyard as the Dark component of Chaos Sorcerer’s special summoning requirement in main phase 2, and used its effect to remove the stolen Cyber Dragon!
Belser activated Graceful Charity, discarding Magician of Faith and Asura Priest. He summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, used its token to destroy Hletko’s set Nobleman of Crossout, and then removed for his own Sorcerer. He removed Hletko’s Sorcerer from the game, set a spell or trap, and passed.
Hletko topped into Graceful Charity! He activated it, discarded, and tried to Snatch Steal the Sorcerer, but Enemy Controller tributed Sorcerer for Hletko’s Tomato. Hletko set a spell or trap, and Breaker swung on the Tomato—Hletko brought out Sangan. Belser set another monster to end his turn.
Sangan attacked Belser’s set monster: Spirit Reaper. Hletko then set a monster and passed. Belser attacked the Sangan with Breaker the Magical Warrior, dropping Hletko down to 6500 LP, and Hletko used Sangan’s effect to fetch Spirit Reaper from his deck. Belser summoned Tsukuyomi, trying to turn down his Spirit Reaper, but Enemy Controller was chained to destroy it before Tsuki could work its magic. Creature Swap traded Tsukuyomi for Hletko’s Magician of Faith, and Belser ended.
Hletko set Heavy Storm—it was revealed as a bluff, when Belser used Magician of Faith to retrieve his Mystical Space Typhoon and destroy it. Tsukuyomi turned Magician of Faith face down, Breaker and Tsukuyomi attacked, and Belser passed. Hletko had nothing—he was forced to pass back, and a turn later Belser reused his Graceful Charity, again turning Magician down with Tsukuyomi and attacking twice. He set a spell or trap and ended.
Hletko set a card to each zone, but Dust Tornado destroyed his back row card. Nobleman of Crossout removed his monster, and Belser attacked for game on the next turn!
Darian Belser heads to Day 2, packing a Chaos Zombie deck!