Returning To Action

Well, after nearly a year away from YGO, I've gone back to a tourney (as part of the process of returning to the game). And it was everything I expected it to be, including the ass kicking. I mean, I've missed more than a whole format. I was feeling a bit outdated. And despite that, I jumped into the tournament.

And once I arrived, I was lucky to learn we would be using the new format rules. So I went to the table, prepared my Gravekeepers and began my first round.

Round 1: VS Dragunity

It was a constant battle over who kept their field spell, with the first game being lost due to a swarm and game 2 went a bit back and forth, but I won. Then again, game 3 was just killer. I had learned about some new Xyz monsters and exactly why Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon went to 1. Holy crap! I did not see that coming!

0-1

Round 2: VS Lavals

First time ever facing these guys, so I was in for a bit of a surprise. At this point, my being away from this game and lack of knowing what the new cards did was affecting how I played. I probably could have made a few better decisions, but I still managed to get one small win during that match.

0-2

Round 3: VS Dark World

Halfway through the match, I realized Grapha and the other guys were basically unaffected by Necrovalley. At that time, it basically turned into an attempt to control him as best as I could. Fossil Dyna (main decked FTW) turned out to be the MVP in this one, but I still lost the match 2-1.

0-3

Round 4: VS Gishki

Finally, a deck I had previously played. My lack of good draws made this game go really slow, but I finally managed to get my match win. Not only that, but Fossil Dyna was once again the star of the bout.

1-3

Final Thoughts: I learned that many cards have been reprinted since I last played, so I might go get some cheap ones and see if I can do better in my next tournament. And perhaps next time, I might just bring out those rusty Gadgets out and let them have some fun.

I'm slowly making my way back into YGO, so I might even be a bit more visible on Dueling Network now that I'm getting rid of that rust. And who knows, maybe next tournament I can go back to 2-2? Too soon to tell. For now, it feels a bit good to be returning to a game and having fun with it.

Tournament Report: Wizard Locals 3/12

Another week, another local. Today's deck was Blackwings, as I was testing them out for the new format.

Round 1: vs Empty Jar FTK

It was over so fast, I was quite shocked to find myself so defenseless against it. None of my counters worked, but oh well...that's the magic of Empty Jar.

0-1

Round 2: vs Lightsworn

Duel 1 was lost quickly to double Judgment Dragon, but duel 2 was quickly over thanks to Light Imprisoning Mirror. Duel 3 was pretty much back and forth, but a well timed LIM and Icarus Attack won me this round.

1-1

Round 3: vs Infernity

If there was any time to love main-decking Delta Crow, it was today's match. In both duels, Delta Crow was the key card to victory, especially in duel 2 when I eliminated his entire backrow during the end phase in which he set it. A mixture of Rai-Oh, Kycoo, Delta Crow, and Crevice won this match.

2-1

Round 4: vs Dragunity

This is a match I have long waited for. Aklys was a real thorn on my side during the entire match, always finding ways to destroy everything in my field little by little. In the end, I managed to turn that around with DAD in both games. However, the match ended in style...I had DAD and Armor Master, with 1 set card while he had an empty field. He topdecked a Dux, which he planned to use to combine with Phalanx to make Brionac and clear field. The problem was, he didn't count on my set card being The Selection. Surprise side-decking won me the match on this one.

3-1

Overall, it was a pretty good tourney. Ended up placing 3rd, along with showing everyone that Blackwings are still alive and kicking.

Tournament Report: Wizard Locals 2/26

End of the format locals, oh it's on. I was struggling with which deck would go. I had Fish, Blackwings, and Gravekeepers all ready to go. My Blackwings were losing 3 Kalut, Goyo and 1 Book, Fish losing a Book, Goyo and Cold Wave, while my Keepers just lost 1 Book and 1 Tribute.

Decided with my keepers in the last second.

Round 1: vs Karakuri

Tough match indeed. It was a battle for who was going to keep using the respective field spells. All in all, forgetting to side deck System Down and bad draws led to my first defeat of the day.

0-1

Round 2: vs Samurai

First duel my friend got a bad hand, so it kinda sucked. Duel 2 I managed to gain control with Gozen Match (main deck) to pick up a quick win.

1-1

Round 3: vs Geartown

Another duel where control for the field spell was going to be crucial. However, this time I had the upper hand with Rai-Oh and a few other cards, as well as Royal Tribute sending the main Ancient Gears to the graveyard so Geartown couldn't get them.

2-1

Round 4: vs Chaos Stun

Very slow duel. We both had dead hands during most of the match, so it was kinda slow. We had a good laugh at our misfortunes on this matter, but overall, I managed to pick up the win thanks to Recruiter saving my ass in the last 2 duels.

3-1

In the end, I came up 5th for the second time. Noticing I'm mostly placing between 4th and 5th consistently each week. On another positive note, the Karakuri that beat me in round 1 is now under my possession...yeah! So it's time to test Karakuri Machina.

Tournament Report: Wizard Locals 2/12

Another week, another tourney. But with the new Samurai released, it was hard to pick which deck I would take. But I inevitably decided to use Blackwings for once.

Round 1: vs Macro

Curses...

I managed to play one of the kids from the store that we took under our wing to help him improve. And improve he has, this isnt a pushover. This kid came at me hard with early Dimensional Fissure and Survivor plays. He maintained field presence and controlled the game so well, I was happy to see how he improved. But all in all, I managed to work around Macro to win the match, but it wasn't easy. It's good to help kids get better at this game, because then you have rewarding matches like this.

1-0

Round 2: vs Plant Synchro

Such a torture to play. Was playing against one of my teammates, and a heavy thinker at that. Game 1 was back and forth, with him summoning LADD first turn. Managed to work around all his threats and beat him for game. Game 2 was so intense, with a back and forth duel that got stalled with his Consecrated Light going against my Armor Master. Time ran out and by then he had more life than I did, and we had no time for a third game. So it was declared a draw.

1-0-1

Round 3: vs Scrap

All I can say...curse that Scrap Dragon! Game 1 was over pretty quickly thanks to a quick Shura swarm, but Game 2 had me losing quite fast thanks to Scrap Dragon. Game 3 was pretty much like the first, but back and forth with a quick Icarus Attack determining game.

2-0-1

Round 4: vs Blackwing

First mirror match ever...pretty difficult. Game 1 was over quick due to opponent having bad hand. Game 2 was a pretty much even match that I ended up losing due to a misplay with a Book of Moon and Rai-Oh. And Game 3 was just over too quickly to tell.

2-1-1

Overall, it wasn't so bad. I ended up placing 5th which is still not bad. I saw a few fixes I had to do here and there, but overall it was quite fun.

Tournament Report: Wizard Locals 2/5

Well, we couldn't have a Sneak Preview event due to the shipment being unable to arrive on time...cursed blizzards. But oh well, at least we managed to have another tournament.

This week I took my Gravekeepers

Round 1: vs Blackwing

My opponent expected me to bring back my Fish from last week's Top 4 round. But surprise, surprise! Game 1 I maintained early control with Valley and Rai-Oh, while allowing Descendant to clear backrow and Royal Tribute eliminating my Kalut worries. Game 2 pretty much went the same.

1-0

Round 2: vs Worms

Now this was a real treat for me, since it was my first time facing the deck. Offering to the Snake Deity kept slowing me down in both games, but ultimately Necrovalley and Recruiter helped me achieve game by controlling the Yagan/Xex combo to eliminate his field presence.

2-0

Round 3: vs Infernity

Oh dear, against my teammate and one of my best friends...AGAIN!!!! He eliminated my Fish last week and he did so this week too. Game 1 I maintained control, but a lucky Trunade allowed him to OTK. Game 2 was just shameful for me, horrible hand. But oh well, perhaps next week I can finally beat him. Beat him in casuals, but in tourneys he's freakin Yusei.

2-1

Round 4: vs Lightsworn

And if I face one of my best friends in one round, I'm bound to run into the other not too far off. Game 1 was won due to him taking advantage of my Tribute plays and followed with a quick JD after being searched by Sarcophagus. Game 2 I managed to control him the entire game, so he didn't have a chance to summon JD since it went away with Tribute. Game 3 pretty much went like game 1, but losing most of my control to Royal Decree.

2-2

Overall it was a pretty good tourney. Ended up 4th again, so I felt pretty satisfied with the results. Next week it's time for Blackwings to get some action, perhaps they might take me to 3rd place and above!

Tournament Report: Wizard Locals 1/29

While my last tournament I took Mausoleum Fish, I decided to take Frog Fish this time around and compare both decks during the tourney.

Round 1: vs Glads

Got paired up against my best friend on this one, so it was quite challenging. Game 1 was won via quick swarm, while game 2 was lost due to Gyzarus shenanigans. Game 3 was the real intense one, going back and forth between the duel with both sides pushing for game on occasions. Last minute Coelacanth topdeck won me game 3.

1-0

Round 2: vs Lockdown Burn

Don't dismiss it as weak, because this round was quite tough. Game 1 was won with first turn Coelacanth OTK, but game 2 was lost due to a misplay. Game 3 was quite intense, with both players down to less than 2000LP and any move could be definitive. Gungnir and Lava Golem won me that one with a lucky Pot of Avarice draw via Gold Sarcophagus.

2-0

Round 3: vs Gravekeepers

Game 1 was a little slow, with my opponent hacking away at my little defenses with Assailant and Descendant. However, a lucky Cold Wave and Coelacanth combo won me this one on both occasions for a 2-0 match.

3-0

Round 4: vs Infernity

The roughest match of the day, dueling against yet another one of my best friends. So my Fish shenanigans weren't a surprise here either. Game 1 was lost real quick due to both a bad hand and Infernity was better set up during this one. Game 2 was my time to shine, disrupting my opponent's swarm attempts with 2 copies of enemy controller and then ending the game with Shooting Star Dragon. Game 3 went just like the first, getting beat quickly due to inferior setup on my part. Also, first loss of the day.

3-1

Top 4: vs Blackwing

Game 1 was over quickly due to a bad hand, but Game 2 went quite smoothly with the Cold Wave/Coelacanth OTK for a quick win. Game 3 was going the same way, until Intercept Wave ruined my OTK by being chained to my Mist Wurm. Stayed with no hands and managed to stall with a wall of frogs, but I couldn't recover on time.

3-2

Ended up placing 4th today, which really wasn't all that bad. Had a lot of fun and really got to see how Frog Fish did in this environment when compared to Mausoleum Fish. But hey, I walked out with the new double deck box with the Crimson Dragon logo in the back.

Tournament Report: GW Local

Well, it looks like the local tournaments are making a comeback, even though it might be slow. While I did find out about it last minute, I decided to enter with my Blackwings to give them a try.

Round 1: VS Gato (Infernity)

Game 1 I opened with Thunder King and Oppression, so I pretty much had great control through the entire duel.

Game 2 was quite the opposite, got the OTK and bad...

Game 3 was pretty much back and forth, but in the end his Infernities proved to me too much for me to handle there...

Match 2: VS Lightsworn

A blast from the past, I faced the deck I once destroyed every week when I had Vanity Gadgets. I wanted to see if my Blackwings could take them on.

Duel 1 was a quick victory for me, but the other 2 duels weren't exactly the best games I have played.

The third round I won by bye, so it was pretty much 1-2 for the day. Not the best tourney, but that happens from time to time to everyone...

But I wasn't the only one down on luck...Casper managed to make it to the final round, but would his luck prevail?

Pokemon DS Tournament Report

Well, the inaugural Pokemon DS Tournament at Game Wizard is behind us and it's time to report.

Bueno, ya el primer torneo de Pokemon serie DS en Game Wizard ha pasado y es tiempo para reportar.

For all those players in Puerto Rico who are seeking to battle their pokemon, this is the place to go on saturdays.

Todos esos jugadores en Puerto Rico que buscan un lugar donde batallar sus pokemon, este es el lugar para ir.

Now then, time to report...

Ahora, el reporte...



As you can see in the video, my team and I were prepared. However, a new wave of pros turned the competition to a new level.

Como ven en el video, mi equipo y yo llegamos preparados. Como sea, nada nos preparo contra la nuva ola de jugadores profesionales que crearon un nuevo nivel para esta competencia.


While only 2 of us made it into the Top 4 (not me), Casper finished the tournament at second. Therefore showing to be the surprise factor of the group.

Mientras solo 2 de nosotros llegamos al Top 4 (yo no llegue), Casper termino segundo en el torneo, demostrando que es el factor sorpresa del torneo.

Let's see if the following weeks are just as intense.

Vamos a ver si las proximas semanas siguen igual de intensas.

Regional Report 6-13-10 San Juan

Well, the last regional of the year (that we know of) is behind us, and it's time to look back and see what has happened during yesterday's tourney.

For those of you who didn't see the last regional report, I ended up placing at 27th with Gadgets, so I decided to repeat the same issue yesterday.

I took KillSwitch to see how far I could go, considering that the Top 32 players were going to get a nationals invite this time. And I wanted that vacation.

Round 1: VS Random Spellcaster

Simple duel, controlled the game from early on.

Won 2-0

Round 2: Vs Blackwings

Game 1 was quite intense, but I ended up losing via destruction of my Oppression.

For Game 2, I switched to Rock Stun via side deck, but got Dustshoot'ed in turn 1, losing my Guardian as well as my entire advantage.

Lost 0-2

Round 3: VS Drill Plants

Royal Oppression and Fossil Dyna worked wonders in this duel. However, the Gadgets were the real stars as the little guys kept destroying all the Fluff Tokens during the entire game.

Won 2-0

Round 4: VS X-Sabers

This was one deck I knew from the inside out, so I felt good going into this match. My best friend runs this deck and I practiced against him the night before and did quite well, so this new opponent was going to see how well I knew the deck.

However, I lost due to random tech that only my best friend used. My opponent used Mind Control on my set Fossil Dyna in a field full of special-summoned monsters.

Lost 0-2

I was already 2-2 and quite anxious, since I knew most of my games weren't going as well. But I knew I could still keep going.

Round 5: VS Gladiator Beasts

Game 1 I lose due to Gyzarus, and I hear my opponent saying "so you're playing Machina..." as he side decks. And with that, I switch to Rock Stun.

Games 2 and 3 were dominated by the Sandman/Grand Mole combo, bouncing his set Glads and attacking directly with Sandman.

Won 2-1

Round 6: Vs Froggy Monarchs

This deck was too much...I tried to gain control during the duel, but I came up short due to Monarchs overpowering.

Lost 0-2

Round 7: VS Froggy Monarchs (Again)

Simply put, lost due to a lapse in judgment on my part...I was already frustrated with the entire situation.

Lost 0-2

Round 8: Infernity

WTF was Infernity doing in the bottom tables at the last round? Either way, I planned to make my last match a victorious one.

Game 1 I got OTK'd at turn 2, enough said...

Game 2 I won via Big Burn.

Game 3 I lost due to bad hands...

And so, I lost 1-2.

The entire record of the tournament was 3-5, not a good showing. Last night's tourney was the most aggressive one I have even been to. Never before have I gotten this bad of a beating at a tournament. Looks like this format, while indeed slower, is just way more aggressive than I thought...

Frogs are dominating here at a local level, along with X-Sabers...way too much for one to handle. My entire group came prepared, but we all came up short...

Oh well, perhaps next year...

Regional Report 3-14-10 in San Juan

Well, my very first regional is in the books. And it's been quite an experience, I have to admit. I was expecting it to be a cutthroat environment, but I really found it to be a fun environment where everyone (or mostly everyone ) is having a good time.

After all was said and done, I ended up getting into the Top 32, placing at 27th amongst nearly 130 players. I was quite impressed, to say the least. Gadgets really showed they have what it takes.

Round 1:

Gizer Gadgets VS Gigavise

Pretty back and forth match. Royal Oppression really saved me on this one, as well as my brand new Fossil Dyna Pachicephalo. I had some trouble with the constant remove from play engine it had, but in the end I was able to trump it with Rai-Oh. Won the match 2-1.

Round 2: VS Glads

Oh wow...I just got beat on this one. It's not even funny. It was the first time a Glad deck beat my Gadgets, but I went down with one heck of a fight. Sadly lost 0-2 on that one.

Round 3: VS Fortune Ladies

This was the most annoying match of the day. Future Visions slowed me down on so many levels it wasn't funny. Fossil Dyna helped me clear the field of all the FL's, while the gadgets slowly swarmed the field. Went into overtime to tie-break, but won the match 2-1.

Round 4: VS Blackwings

I knew it was inevitable, so I did the best I could to keep up. In the end, bad hands were my downfall, along with the swarm of 3 synchros. Lost 0-2 once again.

I was pretty much upset, since I was 2-2 and my chances for Top 16 looked slim. But I kept going.

Round 5: VS Blackwings

...again, seriously? I took a deep breath and got back into it. It was a pretty back and forth match, with Raih-Oh and Consecrated Light maintaining control of the field while the gadgets did their thing. Won 2-1 on that one.

Round 6: VS MOAR BLACKWINGS

This was truly the ultimate test. Same as before, maintained control with Rai-Oh and Consecrated, along with some assistance from the Trap Holes. Won 2-1 also.

Round 7: VS Anti-Meta Gadgets

Round 7 was strange. It was a mirror match against a deck that was about 90% identical to my own build (sad about that). Rai-Oh was the deciding factor in this game, along with the first set of mind games I play with my opponent. Won 2-0

Once that was done, they went straight to the Top 8 match, but I was happy to see I got 27th.

Rai-Oh proved to be quite helpful despite the logical contradiction in relation with Gadgets. But I guess I'm eating my own words. I learned it can be quite useful if you get the timing right.

Also, Widespread Dud has proven to be quite the excellent card. It turned the tables in every match it was played (nearly every round it saw play). And even though I had 1 lone copy in my deck, it proved to be quite useful.

Overall, that was my regional experience. Decklist coming soon...

Tournament Report

Game Wizard tournament 1/30/10

First Place

Player: Anthony
Deck: Gladiator Beasts

Second Place:

Player: Neos
Deck: Blackwing

Third Place

Player: Casper
Deck: Moja

Fourth Place:

Player: (can't remember name)
Deck: Gemini

And a notable mention goes to the player who got 5th, who could have won it if the machine would have picked him for the top 4:

Player: Julio
Deck: Norleras Twilight

Tournament Report

This new section is meant to show players how the meta in Puerto Rico is behaving by giving some tournament reports from my locals. The tournaments are held on a weekly basis, and this article will pick up the top 4 players/decks from that tournament.


Game Wizard Tournament: 1/16/2010

1st place:
Deck: Twilight
Player: Norberto

2nd place:
Deck: Krystiasworn
Player: Jesus

3rd Place:
Deck: Lightsworn
Player: Hector Ortiz

4th place:
Deck: Absolute Zero
Player: (currently forgot his name)