Starting things off for Team America is Paul Levitin. Lazaro Bellido from Team Canada stared him down from the other side. Unfortunately, their match went underway without my supervision. Because nobody took notes or recorded the entire event, the coverage is not present for their match. However, observers remarked that Paul was playing a heavily teched out Apprentice Magician engine that also used Robbin Goblin to provide steady pressure. Lazaro fell under the weight of multiple Graceful Charitys and Confiscations, he remarked, and thus a rather flaccid Match 1 was determined.

Paul Levitin defeats Lazaro Bellido.

Match 2 also went underway without my supervision. Matt Peddle faced Paul Levitin and defeated him 2-0. I'm sure he can recount the details of the match, but I arrived and took a seat midway through the second game between Conspire and Robert Morgan. I'll begin from there, arming you with the knowledge that Peddle cruised to victory in the first game.

Matt Peddle defeats Paul Levitin.

Match 3: Matt Peddle Versus Rob Morgan, Peddle up a game 1-0. We join the action a few turns in.

Morgan Turn One: With a spent Old Vindictive Magician, Treeborn Frog, and face-down monster on his side versus a single spell/trap set on Peddle's board, things looked good. Morgan plays Graceful Charity, discarding Morphing Jar and Spirit Reaper. With five cards in hand and many floaters versus Peddle's five total resources (four in hand, one set s/t), Morphing Jar is definitely not necessary. Morgan attempts to summon Tsukuyomi to turn the OVM down, and is crushed by Torrential Tribute. Conspire has 7150 life points to Morgan's 7000 points. I deduce that the filthy OVM got in a hit somewhere along the line.

Peddle Turn Two: Instead of committing to the field, Peddle sets a new spell/trap and passes.

M3: Morgan returns the Frog, summons Breaker which hits Enemy Controller. He passes.

P4: With many unplayable cards in hand, Peddle sets yet another spell or trap and passes. He officially concedes the +1 to Breaker.

M5: Breaker gets in for 1600. Morgan then sets a s/t.  5550-7000, Morgan leading.

P6: Peddle has the opening to summon his own Breaker. He takes a pause to decide whether to break the s/t or attack first. With no field and much to lose, he decides to break the s/t (which is Deck Devastation Virus) and then cancel Breakers.

M7: Morgan summons Spirit Reaper on the clear field and declares an attack. Peddle does not activate his Book of Moon face-down, and discards Mirror Force from hand. 5250-7000

P8:  Peddle Brain Controls the Reaper. He then sets a monster. 4450-7000.

T9: Morgan tributes his Frog for Zaborg, pulling the +1 on the face-down Spirit Reaper. He then attacks for 2400, and Peddle is in trouble.  2050-7000.

T10: Peddle sets a monster and passes. He clearly has an unworkable hand and is plaing quite passive.

T11: Morgan summons Giant Orc, plays Crossout, and attacks for game.

Robert Morgan takes game two. After a heart-warming handshake, Peddle opens the pivotal game three. This is the first full game I've been witness to, so expect top notch analysis from this point on.

Peddle Turn One: Peddle has a hand of monsters with Mirror Force and Heavy Storm. He sets a Tomato and keeps the Force with Mobius, Spirit Reaper, and Cyber Dragon in hand.

M2: Morgan plays Confiscation. He discards Spirit Reaper. He next plays Graceful Charity, discarding Treeborn Frog and Mystical Space Typhoon. We're beginning to enter either lucksack or cheating territory. Calm Peddle observes the scene as Morgan sets one of each. Magician of Faith is possible, as are other flip effect monsters. 8000 7000, Peddle.

P3: Peddle plays Heavy Storm with Mobius in hand. Morgan chains DDV to his face-down Giant Orc, a huge play that also reeks of fishy stacking. Peddle loses his fresh Tsukomi draw and a Tomato from hand. Morgan had incorrectly played Confiscation the turn before with Frog in hand alread, discarding Reaper. Since he ended up DDVing next turn, the Confiscation was wasted. Does this matter with such a godly hand? Probably not. Anyways, Peddle has officially lost the duel

M4: Morgan sets a monster and passes.

T5: Peddle tops Crossout, removing Morgan's Magician of Faith. We have now seen Confiscation, Magician of Faith, DDV+ its tribute, Graceful Charity, and Treeborn Frog. He passes.

T6: Morgan now plays Sangan. We've seen all of the best cards in his deck. Sangan pokes for 1000, then Morgan sets a s/t and passes. 7000 7000.

T7: Peddle draws Twin Headed Behemoth, which is sent to the graveyard.

T8: Sangan attacks for another 1000. 6000 7000

T9: Peddle accidentally flashes his drawn Enemy Controller, then passes.

T10: Morgan sets a monster and attacks for another 1000. 5000 7000

T11: Peddle summons Cyber Dragon. He then tribute summons for Mobius, hitting a Torrential Tribute. Mobius attacks the face-down OVM. Peddle passes with two cards in hand.

T12: Morgan summons Apprentice Magician in an attempt to keep up a steady stream of damage. Peddle realizes this, so it and Sangan attack into Mirror Force. Sangan grabs Magical Merchant.

T13: Peddle draws Sakuretsu Armor. He summons Sorcerer, removing Frog, then sets Sakuretsu Armor.

T14: Not surprisingly, Morgan has the Snatch Steal. Sorc attacks for 2300, then Morgan sets a monster and passes. 2700 7000.

T15: Peddle gains 1000, then sets a s/t and passes. He'll refuse to Saku his own Sorcerer until it kills him.  3700 7000

T16: Sorcerer attacks, and Morgan passes. Knowing the predicament that Peddle is in, unable to destroy his own Sorcerer, Morgan is content to simply push through steady damage. 1400 7000

T17: Peddle draws Brain Control with Snatch Steal in hand. He gains 1000, then Snatches Morgan's Chaos Sorcerer. With three s/ts down, this counts as an overextension but Peddle has no choice. It attacks the face-down Merchant, which mills Mirror Force. The game is rapidly slipping from Conspire's grasp. 2400 7000.

T18: As expected, Morgan plays his own Chaos Sorcerer after gaining 1000 from Snatch Steal. He removes Peddle's Sorcerer, then sets two s/ts. 2400 8000.

T19: Peddle plays Brain Control to remove Morgan's Sorcerer. He then plays Confiscation, dropping himself to 600. Out of Crossout, Jar, and Orc, he decides to get rid of the Morphing Jar. 600 8000

T20: Morgan summons Giant Orc which attacks into Sakuretsu Armor.

T21. Peddle passes with one card in hand. Morgan passes as well.

T23: Peddle sets Sangan with Graceful Charity in hand.

T24: Morgan plays Crossout on Sangan and passes.

T25: Peddle draws Cyber Dragon and plays Graceful Charity. He discards Cyber and Swap, keeping Apprentice and Zaborg. He then sets Apprentice, and Morgan passes.

T27: Peddle sets a monster, Morgan plays Scapegoat at the end phase.

T28: Morgan moves a goat to attack and plays Swap. Peddle has the perfect counter play, using Enemy Controller on his face-down Frog to take the attack goat, swapping it back for the defense goat. Morgan then plays his second Crossout on Apprentice Magician.

T29: Peddle topdecks Mobius. He sacrifices Frog, targetting Morgan's two s/ts. One is Controller, chained to Mobius. The other is Force.

T30: With three cards in hand, Morgan sets a monster and moves his goat to defense position.

T31: Peddle returns Frog in attack mode. He tributes for Zaborg which kills Reaper, and hits two goats.

T32. Again, with three cards in hand, Morgan summons Asura Priest and uses Enemy Controller to switch the goat token to attack position. The 1700 damage causes game.

Robert Morgan makes numerous misplays (including missing the fact he had game on turn 30), but rides the strength of the god hand to victory!