Nobody saw this one coming! Our first NeoDraft tournament featuring
Force of the Breaker caught the players by surprise, with
15 duelists joining the event. Between the matches and the
pack openings, there was plenty to follow, including a couple of very nice
Ultimate Rare pulls.
Monarch decks picked up the wins in our first three featured matches,
but the final brought a different challenge:
Reasoning Gate / Destiny Board.
Here are the four videos, from the opening round to a three-game finish.
Round 1: EARTH Monarch vs. Dragons
The opening match paired EARTH Monarch with
Dragons. The Dragon player pulled
Lucky Iron Axe in Ultimate Rare, while the
EARTH Monarch player opened Goe Goe the Gallant Ninja.
EARTH Monarch took the match, giving Monarchs the
first win in our coverage. The Dragon player still had a nice
Ultimate Rare pull to take home!
Round 2 brought Gravekeepers up against
Unexpected Monarch. The Gravekeeper player found
Destroyersaurus in the pack, while Unexpected Monarch
pulled another Lucky Iron Axe, this time in
Rare.
Unexpected Monarch won the match, making it
another Monarch victory in the featured matches.
Two familiar decks met in Round 3: the
EARTH Monarch player from Round 1 and the
Unexpected Monarch player from Round 2.
EARTH Monarch pulled Volcanic Slicer, while
Unexpected Monarch opened
Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger in Ultimate Rare.
That was a very nice pack!
The duels were fast, and Unexpected Monarch came out on top.
After beating Gravekeepers and EARTH Monarch in our featured matches,
the same player was back for the final.
The final paired Reasoning Gate / Destiny Board
with Unexpected Monarch. The Reasoning player
pulled Sky Scourge Norleras, while the Monarch
player opened the Trap Card Triggered Summon.
How the strategy works:
Reasoning Gate / Destiny Board uses Reasoning
and Monster Gate to dig through the Deck,
potentially Special Summon monsters and load the Graveyard.
Sacred Crane turns a Special Summon into a draw,
while Dark Spirit’s Mastery can search
Destiny Board and, on a later turn, recycle
Board and Spirit Messages from the hand or Graveyard into fresh
cards. That lets the Destiny Board package support the draw
engine as well as offer its own win condition.
Chaos Sorcerer supplies removal, while
Dimension Fusion can bring back banished
monsters for both players and set up a big push.
Cyber-Stein adds another threat by summoning
a powerful Fusion, with Megamorph doubling
its original ATK when its controller has fewer LP than the opponent.
Unexpected Monarch won Game 1, but
Reasoning / Destiny Board answered by taking Game 2.
In the deciding duel, the Reasoning deck put its combos
together to win again, completing the comeback and taking
the final 2–1.
NeoGoat Pro Online • October 18, 2026 • 8 players • 3 rounds
Perales won the NeoGoat Pro mini tournament with EARTH Beatdown, finishing 3–0 in matches and 6–3 in games. Playing as breakerblue, he beat ARENA, Orangebreaker and panquecito by the same score: 2–1. Every round went to a deciding game, and Perales won all three.
His run had a little of everything: a 28-turn fight that ended with an unpleasant Marshmallon surprise, a Creature Swap play that brought out Injection Fairy Lily, and a freshly drawn Kycoo that ruined Orangebreaker’s plans for a 3000 ATK King of the Skull Servants.
Perales’s deck backed up Berserk Gorilla and Goblin Attack Force with extra attackers like Gigantes and The Rock Spirit. His smaller monsters did plenty of work, too: Mystic Swordsman LV2 dealt with set monsters, while D.D. Warrior Lady, D.D. Assailant and Exiled Force helped clear a path through the opposing field.
Round 1: Perales vs. ARENA
Result: Perales wins 2–1.
ARENA’s mix of Gravekeeper’s defenders, Don Zaloog and Chaos Sorcerer gave Perales several problems to work through. In the first game, Mystic Swordsman LV2 answered two of them: it removed Magical Merchant, then returned through Premature Burial to deal with a set Gravekeeper’s Spy. Heavy Storm later cleared three back-row cards as Perales took the opener.
Game 2 lasted 28 turns. Perales built an early lead, but Chaos Sorcerer and Don Zaloog helped ARENA fight back. With his own Life Points below 1000, Perales attacked a set monster with D.D. Warrior Lady—and found Marshmallon. Its 1000 damage ended the game and sent the match to a decider.
In Game 3, Nobleman of Crossout removed all three of ARENA’s Gravekeeper’s Spies, but Mirror Force wiped out Perales’s Gorilla and Goblin Attack Force. D.D. Assailant carried much of the pressure after that. Shield Crush and Heavy Storm cleared the way, Goblin returned through Premature Burial, and Perales recovered to take the match.
Round 2: Perales vs. Orangebreaker
Result: Perales wins 2–1.
Orangebreaker brought a Doriado / Skull Servant deck with a neat connection between its two halves: Advanced Ritual Art could send three Skull Servants to the Graveyard to summon Elemental Mistress Doriado. That enabled Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan while preparing a 3000 ATK King of the Skull Servants.
The engine got going in Game 1. Orangebreaker used Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan to draw two cards before Doriado fell in battle, then kept attacking with Manju and Tribe-Infecting Virus. A Heavy Storm cleared Perales’s defenses, and Orangebreaker took the first game.
Perales answered in Game 2 with repeated removal and pressure from his EARTH monsters. The Kings kept returning, but their shrinking Graveyard count made them easier to handle. Late in the game, Ring of Destruction stopped Gozuki’s attack and left Orangebreaker at 1100 LP. Perales took the game to force another decider.
A 400-Damage Attack That Cost the King 2000 ATK
Orangebreaker opened Game 3 with Manju, Doriado and all three Skull Servants in the Graveyard. The plan was to follow up with a 3000 ATK King on the next turn.
Then Perales drew Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer.
After Mystical Space Typhoon cleared the set Dust Tornado, Kycoo attacked Manju for 400 battle damage. That was enough to activate its effect and banish two Skull Servants. The King waiting in Orangebreaker’s hand was suddenly looking at 1000 ATK.
Orangebreaker summoned Tribe-Infecting Virus and discarded that King to destroy all Spellcasters—removing Kycoo, but also his own Doriado. Perales followed with Berserk Gorilla, while D.D. Warrior Lady banished Goblin Zombie before it could reach the Graveyard and search.
King eventually reached the field through Book of Life, but the missing Skull Servants still mattered. A Gorilla destroyed the 1000 ATK King; after it banished the last Skull Servant to revive itself at 0 ATK, D.D. Assailant destroyed it again. Perales went on to win the match. Orangebreaker had dealt with Kycoo, but the damage to his Graveyard had already been done.
Round 3: Perales vs. panquecito
Result: Perales wins 2–1.
The last round brought another EARTH matchup, with Giant Rat, Injection Fairy Lily and Creature Swap making the exchanges dangerous. Perales took Game 1 after working through Royal Decree and Lily. One useful sequence near the end turned Lily into two resources: he discarded her for Tribe-Infecting Virus to destroy Giant Rat, then banished her to summon The Rock Spirit.
Panquecito hit back in Game 2. Creature Swap traded his Giant Rat for Perales’s Berserk Gorilla. Gorilla attacked the exchanged Rat, whose effect brought Injection Fairy Lily onto panquecito’s field. Lily then attacked directly with her boost. The two attacks dealt 4000 battle damage, and panquecito went on to win with another Gorilla direct attack.
In the deciding game, D.D. Assailant landed three direct attacks after a Gorilla had already connected for 2000. Heavy Storm cleared Royal Decree and Shrink, while Exiled Force removed a set Lily. Panquecito dropped to 900 LP.
Panquecito paid 800 for Brain Control, took Assailant and tributed it for Mobius the Frost Monarch. Mobius targeted Bottomless Trap Hole, but Perales chained it to banish Mobius. With panquecito at just 100 LP, Perales summoned Kycoo on the following turn and secured the final game, completing his 3–0 finish.
Bonus Match: Orangebreaker vs. Victor Peluche — Dragons, Skull Servants, and a Costly Misclick
Victor Peluche won this match 2–1, taking the opening game with Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8 and Armed Dragon LV5 leading the attack.
Orangebreaker fought back in Game 2. Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan cleared three back-row cards, and a 4000 ATK King of the Skull Servants, alongside Doriado and Gozuki, helped push Victor down to just 600 LP. Then Orangebreaker nearly threw it away by trying to get fancy: he kept Heavy Storm in hand and attacked into Mirror Force, losing all three monsters. Fortunately for him, Card Destruction and Book of Life provided a way back, and he recovered to force a deciding game.
Game 3 brought an even more costly mistake. With Victor at just 350 LP, Orangebreaker summoned Manju and searched Doriado. According to Orangebreaker, he then accidentally activated Advanced Ritual Art, summoning the Doriado he had intended to discard for Lightning Vortex. That misclick cost him a potential winning line: clear Kycoo with Vortex, then attack directly with Manju.
Victor took full advantage. He tributed Kycoo for Horus LV6, activated Level Up! to bring out Horus LV8, and attacked Manju for 1600 damage—more than Orangebreaker’s remaining 1300 LP. Orangebreaker had survived his Mirror Force mistake in Game 2. This time, there was no recovery.
Three Deciders, Three Wins
Every opponent took a game from Perales, but he came through each decider. D.D. Assailant kept finding room to attack, Mystic Swordsman LV2 earned its place against ARENA’s defenses, and Kycoo delivered the most memorable interruption of the run. Sometimes, 400 damage hurts a lot more than the Life Point counter suggests.
An online rematch, a meeting between teammates, and a 2–0 finish for Chapa! On Tuesday, October 6, 22 players gathered at Cartoncito Cards for five rounds of NeoGoat. We have one featured match from every round, starting with Gaona against Palacios and ending with Gustavo Chapa’s Chaos Warrior against Claudio H’s Dino Zombie.
From the last match of the weekend’s online tournament to the first round at the store! Gaona and Palacios found themselves across the table from each other again, this time trading the online field for their physical cards at Cartoncito.
Gaona brought his Hydro Banisher Monarch deck, while Palacios stayed with Good Stuff. No waiting until the end of the tournament for this pairing—the rematch was how their Tuesday started.
Gaona took the win, getting through a familiar opponent to open his tournament.
Round 2 — Perales vs. Martinz: A Breakers Team Matchup
EARTH vs. Dark Scorpions Tech
Round 2 put two members of Breakers Team on opposite sides of the table. Perales brought an EARTH deck, while Martinz played a Warrior-style build with several Dark Scorpions.
The Warrior label only tells part of the story here. Martinz’s less expected card choices are a good reason to check out this recording, especially for anyone who enjoys seeing what players add around a familiar deck idea.
Being on the same team did not keep them from having to settle the match: Perales came away with the win.
Round 3 — Claudio H vs. Víctor Ahumada: Dinosaurs, Zombies, and Dragons
Dino Zombie vs. 🔥💧 Frost and Flame
Claudio H brought his Dino Zombie deck to the third featured match, facing Víctor Ahumada and an interesting build based on FIRE and WATER monsters, with Frost and Flame Dragon as its centerpiece.
That gives this recording a different flavor from the first two matches. Ahumada’s deck is worth a look for anyone curious about taking the FIRE/WATER route instead of another familiar pairing of attributes.
With two WATER monsters and one FIRE monster in the Graveyard, a player banishes all three to Special Summon Frost and Flame Dragon from their hand. They then discard a card to target and destroy an opposing monster, opening a path for an attack. A setup turn suddenly becomes a chance to push damage.
Claudio H won the match, putting Dino Zombie on the winning side of this encounter. Ahumada’s Frost and Flame build still gives us something interesting to explore in the recording.
Perales returned to our featured matches in Round 4, this time facing Gustavo Chapa. After watching his EARTH deck against Martinz’s Warrior-style build, we now get to see it against Chaos Warrior.
Two recordings of the same deck against different opponents make a nice comparison: same EARTH player, but a different matchup and a different result.
Chapa took this one, giving us the first of his two wins captured in the closing rounds. Next up for our coverage: Chaos Warrior against Claudio H’s Dino Zombie.
Our last recording brought together two players we had already seen win on camera: Chapa, coming off the featured match against Perales, and Claudio H, who had beaten Ahumada in Round 3.
Now it was Chaos Warrior against Dino Zombie to close the five-round event.
The recorded match result was 2–0 for Gustavo Chapa. No third game this time: Chapa took both duels against Claudio H and finished our tournament coverage with back-to-back match wins.
From Gaona and Palacios running it back at the store to the Breakers Team pairing, Ahumada’s Frost and Flame deck, and Chapa’s 2–0 finish, there is a little of everything in this Tuesday’s recordings.
Thanks to all 22 players who joined us at Cartoncito Cards! Pick a matchup, watch the games, and let us know which deck caught your attention.
On Sunday, October 4, 2026, we had 13 players
and four rounds in our online tournament on
NeoGoat Pro. Gaona finished in first place
with a 4–0 match record and an 8–2 game record.
He had to get through two matches that went to Game 3 before closing the
tournament with two straight 2–0 wins.
Watch Gaona's Full Tournament Run
This video includes all four of Gaona's matches in sequence,
from the opening round against Jinzo to the last round against palacios.
All ten games are included, so you can follow the whole run from start to finish.
Gaona started the tournament a game down. Thestalos and
Gravekeeper's Spy put him under pressure in the opener,
and he conceded after falling to 2,400 LP. He answered in Game 2 with
Mobius and Zaborg, with Jinzo conceding
after Gaona activated Brain Control.
In Game 3, Brain Control took a Green Gadget, which Gaona
immediately Tributed for his own copy of Jinzo.
That gave him a 2,400-point direct attack as early as turn two.
A few turns later, his opponent conceded, and Gaona had his first match win.
Round 2 — Gaona vs. Breaker: 2–1
Next came Breaker's WIND deck. Gaona took Game 1 after
using Soul Exchange to turn the opposing
Luster Dragon into a Tribute for Mobius.
Breaker fought back in Game 2: Slate Warrior and
Rising Air Current kept the pressure on, and Gaona
conceded at 800 LP.
The deciding game gave us one of the best plays of the run.
With Gravekeeper's Spy providing monsters on the field, Gaona summoned
Tribe-Infecting Virus, discarded Soul Exchange, and
destroyed both Sonic Ducks.
Spy and Tribe then attacked for a combined 2,800 damage,
leaving Breaker at 1,600 LP. The game continued for another couple of turns
before Breaker conceded, giving Gaona his second 2–1 win.
Round 3 — Gaona vs. claudio h: 2–0
Gaona's first 2–0 came against claudio h.
In Game 1, Zaborg and Jinzo landed a combined
4,800 direct damage in one Battle Phase,
setting up the first win of the match.
Game 2 was closer. Gaona fell to 1,600 LP, then used
Soul Exchange to Tribute claudio h's
Berserk Gorilla for Jinzo.
Lightning Vortex took care of Jinzo on the following turn,
but Gaona still found the finish: Breaker the Magical Warrior
came down and attacked directly for 1,900 damage.
Gaona moved into the last round at 3–0.
Round 4 — Gaona vs. palacios: 2–0
The first game against palacios was the longest of Gaona's
run, lasting 21 turns. One memorable exchange started
with Brain Control taking Don Zaloog.
Gaona used it to attack directly for 1,400 damage, discard
Mirror Force from palacios' hand, and then Tribute it
for Mobius.
palacios answered with Torrential Tribute, destroying
Mobius and keeping the game going.
Later, D.D. Assailant brought palacios down to just
200 LP. The concession came after Gaona summoned
Gravekeeper's Spy, putting him one game away from finishing undefeated.
In Game 2, Hydrogeddon destroyed
Blade Knight in battle, brought out another copy,
and the second Hydrogeddon attacked directly.
The match ended on turn eight: Smashing Ground
cleared a monster, then Gaona activated
Breaker the Magical Warrior's effect on a set card.
palacios conceded before the effect resolved, completing Gaona's
4–0 finish.
Congratulations to Gaona on first place!
There was plenty to watch along the way: Brain Control turning opposing
monsters into Tributes, Tribe clearing two Sonic Ducks, and Breaker
finding the final attack with Gaona down to 1,600 LP.
Thanks to everyone who joined us for another online tournament on NeoGoat Pro!
On September 29, 2026, we had 8 players at Cartoncito Cards
for 3 rounds of NeoGoat. This was a transition tournament:
players could use either the August 2026 banlist or the
October 2026 banlist. That gave us a chance to see decks
from both lists play against each other.
Round 1: Monarch vs. Rock
Our first match was Monarch using the October banlist
against Rock using the August banlist.
The Rock deck had a PACMAN-style plan, using monsters like
Golem Sentry and Medusa Worm to keep removing opposing
monsters. But it could hit hard too! Giant Rat brought out
Enraged Muka Muka, which kept reaching around 2400–2800 ATK
and dealing heavy damage.
The last duel had a really cool finish. The Rock player
cleared the Monarch player's monsters, but there was still
one face-down Spell or Trap to worry about.
The Rock player took the risk and summoned Megarock Dragon,
banishing 4 Rock monsters from the Graveyard. That gave it
2800 ATK, and its attack went through for exactly enough
damage to win the duel and the match!
Winner: Rock — August 2026 banlist.
Match 2: Dino Zombie vs. Good Stuff
Next was Dino Zombie using the August banlist against
Good Stuff using the October banlist. Dino Zombie took
the match, giving the August list another win in the
matches covered here.
Winner: Dino Zombie — August 2026 banlist.
Final Match: Pandemonium Archfiend vs. Monarch
The final match featured Pandemonium Archfiend using the
October banlist against an unexpected Monarch deck using
the August banlist.
The Archfiend deck brought Mist Archfiend, a new option
for October, and also played Card Destruction. The match
went to three duels, with Archfiends taking it 2–1.
Winner: Pandemonium Archfiend, 2–1 — October 2026 banlist.
A Ruling to Clear Up
There was a mistake with Archfiend of Gilfer and Pandemonium.
The Archfiend player used Foolish Burial to send Gilfer to
the Graveyard, then used Gilfer's effect to equip it to an
opponent's monster.
When that monster was destroyed by battle, the equipped
Gilfer was also destroyed. The player then used Pandemonium
to search for another Archfiend, thinking that Gilfer
counted because it had not been destroyed by battle.
The key detail is that Gilfer counts as an Equip Spell
while equipped. Pandemonium needs an Archfiend monster
to be destroyed and sent to the Graveyard outside of
battle. Since Gilfer was an Equip Spell when destroyed,
Pandemonium could not search in this situation.
The ruling was not checked by a judge at the time, so the
search went through during the match. From the next duel
onward, the correct ruling will apply: an equipped Gilfer
being destroyed does not give a search with Pandemonium.
On Sunday, September 27, 2026, we had
16 players and four rounds in our online tournament on
NeoGoat Pro, using the October 2026 banlist.
This time, we're following shadowefra's Warrior Chaos and
Dragon's Horus–Totem, from their opening rounds to the match
between them. Here are the two videos and a look at what happened along the way.
Shadowefra’s path— Warrior Chaos.
shadowefra brought Blade Knight, Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer and
Chaos Sorcerer. His first three opponents were Spellcaster,
Skill Drain Fiends and Gadget Monarch, the matches were long and full of stall cards.
Pepe's Spellcaster deck took the first duel, putting
shadowefra behind right from the opening round. He needed both remaining
games and managed to win them back to back, taking the match
2–1. No easy start for Warrior Chaos.
Round 2: vs. Chapa — Skill Drain Fiends
Chapa brought Skill Drain alongside
Mist Archfiend and Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode
Beast. This time, shadowefra won both recorded duels for a
2–0 result, getting through the Fiend matchup without
needing another deciding game.
Round 3: vs. Wabo — Gadget Monarch
Wabo had more than Gadgets and Monarchs waiting for him:
Messenger of Peace and Wall of Revealing Light
added another obstacle. Getting monsters onto the field was one thing;
getting to attack through that backrow was another.
shadowefra took game one, Wabo won game two, and they went to a decider.
shadowefra won the third duel to finish the match 2–1
and reach the last round at 3–0.
Dragon’s path — Future Fusion Horus
Dragon registered a build with Masked Dragon, Totem Dragon
and Horus the Black Flame Dragon, plus
Future Fusion and Dragon's Mirror to bring
out Five-Headed Dragon. Those big Fusion summons showed up
more than once during his matches.
In the first duel against claudio h,
Horus LV6 evolved into LV8 on turn three. Later,
Dragon's Mirror brought out Five-Headed Dragon
on turn nine, and Dragon won the opener. The match eventually went to
a third game, played in a separate room.
In that deciding duel, Dragon used a different deck,
featuring Reasoning, Monster Gate and Cyber-Stein rather
than his registered Horus–Totem list. Cyber-Stein brought
out King Dragun on turn one, followed by another King
Dragun through Metamorphosis on turn three.
On turn five, Premature Burial revived Fusilier Dragon,
and the turn also included Reckless Greed and
Reasoning into Jinzo before Dragon won the duel.
The match was initially recorded as a 2–1 win, but
that deck change would lead to his disqualification later in the event.
Round 2: vs. Gaona — Hydrogeddon / Banisher Monarch
Gaona won the opening duel. Dragon answered in game two,
where Totem Dragon returned to the field and turn nine
featured Horus LV6 alongside a
Five-Headed Dragon summoned through Dragon's Mirror.
Dragon took that game, sending the match to a third duel.
The decider lasted 32 turns. Dragon activated
Future Fusion on turn ten, used
Pulling the Rug on turn eleven, and summoned
Five-Headed Dragon through Future Fusion on turn fourteen.
Even that was not the end of the game: there was still a long way to go
before Dragon finally won and took the match 2–1.
Round 3: vs. panquecito — Red-Eyes / Future Fusion
panquecito brought a Red-Eyes / Future Fusion
deck, so this time there were Dragons on both sides. Dragon won both
recorded duels, with the second featuring a particularly big turn.
Future Fusion was activated on turn two and brought out
Five-Headed Dragon on turn six. Then
Dragon's Mirror summoned another one that same turn.
Apparently, one Five-Headed Dragon was not enough.
Final Round : Shadowefra vs. Dragon
The last round brought Warrior Chaos against Horus–Totem.
In the opening duel, Dragon used Exploder Dragon, brought
back Totem Dragon and evolved Horus into
LV8. Brain Control also appeared during
the game, which Dragon won.
After that first duel, Dragon was disqualified for the deck change
in his round-one decider against claudio h. shadowefra was awarded
the match and became the tournament champion.
Congratulations to shadowefra! Thanks to everyone who
joined the tournament. Enjoy the matches, and see you at the next
NeoGoat event!
Three rounds of NeoGoat at Cartoncito Cards, with Chaos,
Zombie, Good Stuff, and a Pyro deck making an appearance at the featured
table. Chaos came out on top in the final match, but Pyro had a good run,
keeping attacks away with Solar Flare Dragon and finding
a burn finish when it needed one.
All three featured matches from our September 24, 2026
tournament are below.
Round 1 — Chaos vs. Zombie
The opening round featured Chaos against Zombie.
Chaos took the match, getting its evening started with a win before
returning to the featured table for the final round.
Match winner: Chaos.
Round 2 — Pyro vs. Good Stuff
Round 2 brought a different matchup:
Pyro against Good Stuff. This time, having monsters
ready to battle was not always enough.
On several occasions, Pyro established a Solar Flare Dragon
lock, leaving Good Stuff unable to attack. Getting around
that setup became a recurring problem, and Pyro took the match.
A pretty good showing for a deck doing something different from
the usual Chaos and Monarch game plans.
Match winner: Pyro.
Round 3 — Chaos vs. Pyro
The final round paired Chaos against Pyro, and this
one went to three games. Pyro had a rough start, found a way back
into the match, and then needed one more win to finish the job.
Game 1 — The wrong cards to remove
Game 1 was painful for Pyro, which kept running into Chaos's bluffs.
First, Heavy Storm was met with
two copies of Jar of Greed and Scapegoat,
all chained in response. Not exactly the back-row clear Pyro
was hoping for.
Then Breaker the Magical Warrior went after another
set card: another Jar of Greed, chained again.
Next came Exiled Force to remove a face-down
monster, only to find Sinister Serpent.
Pyro kept committing removal without getting much out of it.
Chaos took the first game.
Game 2 — Every little bit counts
Pyro fought back in Game 2, gradually chipping away at Chaos's
Life Points. There was no need for one huge hit when those smaller
amounts of damage were adding up.
The finish came through Bonfire, which searched
Solar Flare Dragon. Its burn effect delivered
the remaining damage, giving Pyro the game and tying the match
at 1–1.
Game 3 — Chaos takes the decider
After Pyro forced a third game, the deciding duel went Chaos's way.
This time, luck was on Chaos's side, and it closed out the match
2–1.
Match winner: Chaos, 2–1.
Wrapping Up
Chaos won the final match, but Pyro gave us some good moments along
the way: repeated Solar Flare Dragon locks against Good Stuff,
followed by a Bonfire search that finished a game against Chaos.
And that first game of the final? Sometimes the set card really
is just another Jar of Greed.
Thanks to everyone who joined us at Cartoncito Cards.
Enjoy the matches!
NeoDraft: Forbidden brought 28 players together for five rounds of one of the weirdest NeoDraft events so far.
With cards like Sixth Sense, Yata-Garasu, Graceful Charity, Monster Reborn, Confiscation, Fiber Jar and plenty of other normally forbidden cards showing up during the day, matches could change direction very quickly.
Round 1 was probably the most Archfiend match possible: Mazera DeVille vs a pure Archfiend deck, with both players using Pandemonium.
Early in the match, the Archfiend player lost Archfiend General and his Kings to Torrential Tribute, but Pandemonium immediately helped replace the lost monster. During Main Phase 2, Last Will brought out an Archfiend Heiress, and on the following turn two Archfiend Kings hit the field to start the comeback.
We even got to see Dark Necrofear in action later in the duel.
Game 2 had another very NeoDraft moment. The Mazera player was preparing to Special Summon Mazera DeVille, but the opponent used Ring of Destruction on the monster needed for the play and stopped it before Mazera could arrive.
From there we saw cards like Last Will, Card Destruction and Magician of Faith, followed by yet another Card Destruction. The pure Archfiend deck eventually took the match.
Round 2 - Gadgets vs LIGHT
Round 2 featured Gadgets against a LIGHT-based deck.
The LIGHT player managed to use Sixth Sense, but missed the dice call. We also saw Trap Dustshoot and even Yata-Garasu enter the game.
Sixth Sense showed up again later... and failed again. This time the miss sent five cards from the top of the deck to the Graveyard instead of giving the huge draw.
Despite all the Forbidden Draft nonsense going around, Gadgets stayed consistent enough to take the match.
Round 3 - Dino Zombie vs EARTH
Round 3 was Dino Zombie vs EARTH.
The first duel already gave us two classics that normally have no business being legal together: Graceful Charity and Monster Reborn. Dino Zombie took the first game.
Game 2 brought Trap Dustshoot and Card Destruction into the mix, and this time EARTH answered back to tie the match.
The deciding duel had Magician of Faith on the Dino side and, more importantly, Fiber Jar on the EARTH side.
And yes, Fiber Jar actually resolved.
Both players had to basically restart the duel with fresh hands, but the reset was much better for Dino Zombie. EARTH never really recovered from the new hand, and Dino took Game 3 and the match.
Round 4 - Dino Zombie vs Gadgets
Dino Zombie returned for Round 4, this time against Gadgets.
Gadgets opened with Confiscation, looked at the Dino player's hand, found Raigeki sitting there and immediately got rid of it. Probably the correct reaction to seeing Raigeki in someone's opening hand.
Several turns later, the table stopped for a ruling discussion involving Spirit Reaper and Book of Moon. The question was whether simply targeting Spirit Reaper with Book would cause it to destroy itself.
The judge eventually clarified the interaction: Book of Moon resolves and flips Spirit Reaper face-down, so Reaper does not destroy itself afterward while face-down.
Gadgets eventually lost the first duel.
In Game 2, Dino had Witch of the Black Forest while the Gadget player used Card Destruction. Dino was able to take advantage of Witch going to the Graveyard and searched Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch.
The duel continued for quite a while after that, but Dino Zombie eventually closed it out and won the match 2-0.
Round 5 - Dino Zombie vs Chaos
The final recorded match was Dino Zombie vs Chaos.
Game 1 had a few Forbidden cards appear without really getting a chance to do anything. Dino found Magician of Faith, but it was removed by Nobleman of Crossout. Chaos had a Dark Hole ready, but it got caught by Heavy Storm before it could matter.
Instead, the less flashy cards ended up doing the work. Sabersaurus and Vampire Lord kept putting pressure on the Chaos player, and Dino Zombie took the first duel.
Game 2 brought Last Will for Dino and Card Destruction for Chaos, but this time Chaos managed to control the board with Chaos Sorcerer and tied the match.
Game 3 turned into a long Skill Drain game.
Dino opened well with Skill Drain, which was especially annoying for a Chaos deck full of small Flip Effect monsters. Skill Drain stayed on the field for basically the entire duel, while Vampire Lord worked particularly well under it: after being destroyed by Torrential Tribute, Vampire Lord could still return from the Graveyard.
The problem was that Dino was also spending a lot of Life Points on Solemn Judgment.
Eventually Chaos found an opening. The Chaos player took a Vampire Lord with Brain Control, Special Summoned a Chaos Sorcerer, attacked over Tribe-Infecting Virus, and then Chaos Sorcerer attacked directly for the remaining damage.
Chaos won the deciding duel and the match.
Dino still had a Last Turn among his cards, while Chaos had Butterfly Dagger - Elma, so even at the end there were still some very Forbidden Draft cards waiting around.
One Last Ban Before Going Home
The duels were finished, but NeoDraft: Forbidden still had one last part of the event left.
The central player in the final standings had the chance to choose a card to be Forbidden for the next NeoGoat banlist.
Of course, everyone in the store immediately started yelling suggestions.
After listening to the noise around him and thinking about it for a moment, the player made his choice:
Pyramid Turtle is Forbidden.
Pyramid Turtle will therefore move to the Forbidden section of the October 2026 NeoGoat banlist.
With the new ban decided, prizes were distributed and NeoDraft: Forbidden came to an end.
Five rounds, 28 players, Fiber Jar actually resolving, two failed Sixth Senses, Raigeki getting Confiscated, a Spirit Reaper ruling debate, and finally an entire store yelling card names at the guy who had to decide what to ban.
Fifteen duelists, four rounds, and only one player left undefeated.
Linares finished Win a GGP 12 with a perfect 4–0 record,
winning seven of the eight games that were actually played.
Win a GGP 12 was played on September 20 using the
NeoGoat August 2026 card pool, with 15 players joining
another four-round NeoGoat Pro tournament.
Linares' run included a couple of long games, several Monarch exchanges,
some important Metamorphosis plays and a very convenient Dark World
interaction in Round 3.
The 4–0 Run
Round 1 — vs. Breaker
Game 1: Breaker opened with Summoner Monk and had Book of
Moon available to protect it, but Linares quickly developed the field with
Unexpected Dai into Insect Knight and Breaker the Magical Warrior.
Linares cleared the back row and started applying pressure. Breaker tried
to respond with another Summoner Monk, Rapid-Fire Magician and Ookazi, but
the game ended during a Toon Table of Contents sequence before the comeback
could really get going.
Only this game was actually played. The match was later recorded as
2–0 after Breaker did not return for Game 2.
Round 2 — vs. Lacho
Game 1: Lacho got the Zombie engine moving early, going
from Pyramid Turtle into Vampire Lord. Linares answered with Unexpected Dai,
Tribe-Infecting Virus and Brain Control, even using Vampire Lord during his
own push.
Lacho tried to rebuild with Book of Life, Premature Burial and D.D. Assailant,
but Mirror Force stopped the comeback and Linares closed the game shortly
after.
Game 2: this became the longest duel of the tournament,
reaching 40 turns.
Soul Exchange and Thestalos started the grind, while Royal Decree, Zaborg
and Dark Balter the Terrible helped Linares stay in the game. Balter also
managed to negate a Heavy Storm during the middle of the duel.
Linares eventually dropped to 1000 LP and still had to deal with Injection
Fairy Lily. Thousand-Eyes Restrict helped slow the game down, and the final
sequence involved Torrential Tribute, Sand Moth returning to the field and
Premature Burial bringing back Mobius for the final 2400 damage.
Result: Linares 2–0
Round 3 — vs. palacios
Game 1: palacios started generating value with Dekoichi and
Tsukuyomi and also stopped Linares' first serious push with Mirror Force.
Linares stayed in the game with Scapegoat, The Rock Spirit and Zaborg until
the field finally opened up. Breaker helped clear the way and Brain Control
provided the extra monster needed for the finishing push.
Game 2: palacios answered back. Gravekeeper's Spy into Jinzo
put Linares on the defensive, while two Pulling the Rug
stopped a Thestalos and a Mobius before they could resolve.
Breaker the Magical Warrior eventually connected for the final 1900 damage
and sent the match to Game 3.
Game 3: another long duel. Linares started with Royal Decree
and used Soul Exchange to summon Mobius, but the game turned into a 30-turn
resource battle with Book of Moon, Brain Control, Tribe-Infecting Virus and
The Rock Spirit all seeing play.
The deciding moment came when palacios summoned
Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch and randomly discarded
Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World from Linares' hand.
Since Goldd had been discarded by the opponent's card effect, it came
straight onto Linares' field. palacios conceded shortly after, giving
Linares the only match of the tournament that went to Game 3.
Result: Linares 2–1
Round 4 — vs. Nikito
Game 1: Nikito opened the Gravekeeper plan with Necrovalley
and Gravekeeper's Assailant, but Torrential Tribute cleared the first field.
From there, Spirit Reaper started removing cards from Nikito's hand and
Mobius the Frost Monarch became the main threat. Nikito eventually fell to
500 LP and paid half of that with Solemn Judgment to stop Metamorphosis.
It bought some time, but Linares eventually fought through Bottomless Trap
Hole and Book of Moon, brought Mobius back with Call of the Haunted and
connected for the last 2400 damage.
Game 2: Nikito got the better start with Giant Trunade,
Necrovalley and 2100 early damage.
Linares answered by turning Sinister Serpent into
Thousand-Eyes Restrict with Metamorphosis, giving him a way
to control the field and slow down Nikito's Gravekeeper pressure.
Pulling the Rug later stopped a Zaborg, but Mirror Force and Tribe-Infecting
Virus helped Linares take control again. Tribe and Insect Knight stayed on
the field long enough to finish Game 2 and secure the tournament.
Result: Linares 2–0
Round 1 note: the official result is 2–0 because the second
game became a no-show win. Only one duel from that match was actually played,
so Linares' record across the eight games that were played was
7–1.
Watch the Tournament
The tournament matches are also available on the NeoGoat YouTube channel.
Linares didn't just finish 4–0. He also faced the players who finished
second and third during the final two rounds.
The only game he dropped all tournament was Game 2 against palacios.
He won the other seven played games and finished as the only undefeated
player in the event.
All eight played games were saved through NeoGoat Pro, so we have the full
tournament run instead of just the final standings.
Another deck worth checking out from the event was
pepe same's 47-card Magician build.
The deck mixes Spell Counters, Magical Exemplar, the Apprentice Magician
engine and several classic Spellcaster cards. It is not the usual tournament
build, but there are plenty of interesting old-school cards working together
here.
Main Deck — 47 Cards
1 Dark Magician
1 Dark Magician of Chaos
1 Mind on Air
2 Magical Marionette
3 Skilled Dark Magician
3 Magical Exemplar
1 Breaker the Magical Warrior
3 Gravekeeper's Spy
1 Tsukuyomi
1 Old Vindictive Magician
3 Apprentice Magician
2 Copycat
2 Nobleman of Extermination
1 Heavy Storm
1 Pot of Greed
1 Upstart Goblin
3 Spell Power Grasp
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
2 Magical Dimension
1 Level Limit - Area B
2 Arcane Barrier
1 Premature Burial
2 Magician's Circle
2 Dark Renewal
1 Mirror Force
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Ring of Destruction
1 Gravity Bind
1 Call of the Haunted
1 Rivalry of Warlords
Extra Deck — 2 Cards
1 Five-Headed Dragon
1 Thousand-Eyes Restrict
Side Deck — 15 Cards
2 Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer
2 Messenger of Peace
3 Sakuretsu Armor
3 Pulling the Rug
2 Rivalry of Warlords
2 Royal Decree
1 Dark Magic Attack
Match notes were reconstructed from the eight saved NeoGoat Pro replays
and the official Win a GGP 12 tournament results.
Win a GGP 11 belonged to Claudio H. He completed all five rounds undefeated in matches and dropped only one duel, piloting a 42-card Zombie/Dinosaur hybrid whose strangest card was also one of its most important: Sabersaurus.
This was not Normal Monster beatdown. Unexpected Dai turned an empty field into a free 1900 ATK body without spending the Normal Summon. Sabersaurus could immediately apply pressure, stand beside Don Zaloog or a toolbox Warrior, become Tribute material for Jinzo, Thestalos or Vampire Lord, and later supply the EARTH monster needed to summon Gigantes. Around that compact package, Pyramid Turtle and Book of Life gave the deck a second axis that demanded completely different answers.
The champion’s formula: begin with efficient one-for-one exchanges, convert Unexpected Dai into an extra body, then choose the threat the position demands. The deck never has to win the same way twice.
The final podium
ChampionClaudio H
Runner-upnegro jariozo
Third placeLUIS
The road to first place
Round
Opponent
Result
Defining moment
1
Victor peluche
2–0
Thestalos in Game 1; Don Zaloog in Game 2
2
Tego
2–1
D.D. Warrior Lady answered Last Warrior; Lightning Vortex sealed Game 3
3
Josele
2–0
An 18-turn grind followed by a fast Dai–Don–Thestalos line
4
negro jariozo
2–0
Book of Life rebuilt Game 1; Brain Control broke the Jinzo board in Game 2
5
Meme
2–0
Gigantes converted a battle trade into the decisive back-row swing
Round 1 · Claudio H 2–0 Victor peluche
A patient opening and a ruthless finish
Game 1 became the longest duel of the opening match. Victor’s Bottomless Trap Hole removed Breaker the Magical Warrior early, but Claudio refused to overextend. Heavy Storm later opened the field for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, which stripped Book of Moon from Victor’s hand and cleared Fusilier Dragon in battle. Victor rebuilt through Reasoning into Armed Dragon LV5, yet Claudio answered and eventually found Unexpected Dai. Sabersaurus and D.D. Assailant took control of the board, and the duel ended on Turn 16.
Game 2 showed the deck’s faster face. Unexpected Dai produced Sabersaurus, Hyper Hammerhead kept combat awkward, and the two sides traded Mirror Forces. Breaker cleared a key Call of the Haunted, then Reinforcement of the Army found Don Zaloog. Don connected, discarded Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6 and helped push Victor down to 400 LP before the game ended on Turn 10.
Round 2 · Claudio H 2–1 Tego
The only loss—and the tournament’s best recovery
Tego presented the most explosive combo deck Claudio faced. In Game 1, Metamorphosis converted Fusilier Dragon into The Last Warrior from Another Planet. D.D. Warrior Lady immediately fought through the lock by banishing both herself and Last Warrior. Claudio followed with Unexpected Dai for Sabersaurus and Reinforcement of the Army for Don Zaloog; Don removed another Fusilier from Tego’s hand, and Heavy Storm ended the resistance.
Game 2 was Claudio’s only defeat of the tournament. Tego assembled a succession of large threats through Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8, The Creator, Dark Magician of Chaos and finally Gatling Dragon. Two heads on Gatling Dragon’s three coin tosses cleared Horus LV4 and Spirit Reaper. Claudio used Soul Exchange to Tribute Gatling Dragon for Ryu Kokki, and Kokki later banished Dark Magician of Chaos in battle, but Tego still found the final attack on Turn 13.
The deciding game was an excellent reset. Tego reached Horus LV8 early, but Mirror Force removed both Horus and King Tiger Wanghu. Pyramid Turtle then recruited Ryu Kokki, which traded with King Dragun, while Don Zaloog attacked Tego’s remaining resources. On Turn 13, Lightning Vortex discarded an otherwise dead Unexpected Dai and removed Horus LV4. The game ended there, and Claudio escaped the round 2–1.
Round 3 · Claudio H 2–0 Josele
Winning the long game, then winning quickly
Game 1 lasted 18 turns and proved that Claudio’s build could survive a real resource war. Unexpected Dai supplied Tribute material for Thestalos, which removed Tribe-Infecting Virus from Josele’s hand and inflicted damage. Don Zaloog repeatedly attacked Josele’s hand and Deck, while Mirror Force, Ring of Destruction and Sakuretsu Armor forced both players to rebuild. Book of Life revived Pyramid Turtle for the last stretch, and Heavy Storm cleared the path for the finishing attacks.
Game 2 compressed the same plan into seven turns. Unexpected Dai summoned Sabersaurus, Reinforcement of the Army searched Don Zaloog, and Don immediately discarded another Tribe-Infecting Virus. Claudio later Tributed Don for Thestalos, removing Mobius the Frost Monarch from Josele’s hand, then upgraded Thestalos into Jinzo. Josele’s Mystical Space Typhoon stopped Premature Burial from extending the field, but Jinzo still switched off the Trap Cards and the match ended before another battle could develop.
Round 4 · Claudio H 2–0 negro jariozo
Beating the eventual runner-up
The first duel was a chain of precise answers. Claudio’s Exiled Force removed Giant Rat; negro jariozo used Royal Decree to protect The Rock Spirit from Bottomless Trap Hole; Claudio answered with Heavy Storm, then turned Gigantes into Tribute material for Ryu Kokki. After opposing removal traded with Kokki and Breaker, Book of Life brought Ryu Kokki back and banished Exiled Force from the opposing Graveyard. Spirit Reaper stripped Tsukuyomi from the hand, and Ring of Destruction stopped a final Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer attack.
Sabersaurus dealt repeated damage in Game 2 before the duel moved into a much denser exchange. Soul Exchange let Claudio Tribute an opposing Mystic Swordsman LV2 for Vampire Lord, which survived Torrential Tribute by returning on the next Standby Phase. Negro jariozo eventually Tributed Gigantes for Jinzo and destroyed Vampire Lord, but Claudio untapped with Tribe-Infecting Virus and Brain Control. Brain Control targeted Jinzo, and the duel ended there: a 2–0 victory over the player who would finish second.
Round 5 · Claudio H 2–0 Meme
One final conversion from tempo to inevitability
Unexpected Dai appeared twice in Game 1. The second copy was the critical one: Sabersaurus became Tribute material for Jinzo, allowing Claudio to clear Blade Knight without worrying about the back row. Meme answered with D.D. Warrior Lady to banish Jinzo and added Breaker the Magical Warrior, but Claudio’s final turn produced Gigantes and Don Zaloog together. Gigantes traded with Breaker, threatening to wipe the remaining Spell and Trap Cards, and the game ended during that battle.
Game 2 was short but interactive. Claudio used Unexpected Dai for Sabersaurus, attacked through Dekoichi and watched Meme establish Chaos Sorcerer. Pot of Greed found more material, Smashing Ground removed the first Sorcerer, and Shrink won the next combat for Meme. The official replay records Claudio as the winner on Turn 5, completing the 2–0 sweep, the undefeated match record and the title.
Watch all five rounds
The complete replay presentation contains every game from Claudio H’s winning run.
Unexpected Dai broke the Normal Summon economy. Claudio could add 1900 ATK, then still Normal Summon Don Zaloog, a Warrior answer or a Tribute monster. Eight Dai activations appear across the eleven replays, including two in the first game of the final round.
The recruiters made removal productive. Pyramid Turtle converted battle into Spirit Reaper or Ryu Kokki, while Giant Rat provided another route into the EARTH and Warrior toolbox.
Every large monster solved a different problem. Thestalos attacked the hand, Jinzo switched off Traps, Vampire Lord returned after destruction, and Ryu Kokki fought the biggest monsters in the field.
The combat math was never safe. Two Shrink and one Rush Recklessly let ordinary attackers trade above their printed stats. D.D. Warrior Lady, D.D. Assailant, Hyper Hammerhead and Exiled Force punished opponents for committing a single boss monster.
The Side Deck could change the rules of a matchup. Soul Exchange answered established bosses; Banisher of the Radiance and Skill Drain attacked Graveyard and effect-heavy strategies; Royal Decree punished Trap decks; and King Tiger Wanghu threatened low-ATK engines.
The empty Extra Deck is part of the appeal. Claudio did not win by assembling one spectacular combo. He won by making more useful plays than the opponent, turn after turn, from the first free Sabersaurus to the last well-timed Brain Control.
Champion decklist
Claudio H · Zombie / Dinosaur · 42 Main · 0 Extra · 15 Side
Monsters — 21
3 Sabersaurus
1 Ryu Kokki
1 Jinzo
1 Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch
1 Vampire Lord
1 Gigantes
1 Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer
1 D.D. Assailant
1 Tribe-Infecting Virus
1 Breaker the Magical Warrior
1 D.D. Warrior Lady
1 Hyper Hammerhead
1 Don Zaloog
1 Giant Rat
3 Pyramid Turtle
1 Exiled Force
1 Spirit Reaper
Spells — 14
2 Unexpected Dai
2 Book of Life
1 Heavy Storm
1 Reinforcement of the Army
1 Pot of Greed
1 Lightning Vortex
1 Smashing Ground
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
2 Shrink
1 Rush Recklessly
1 Premature Burial
Traps — 7
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Mirror Force
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Sakuretsu Armor
1 Ring of Destruction
1 Call of the Haunted
Side Deck — 15
1 Mobius the Frost Monarch
1 Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch
1 King Tiger Wanghu
2 Banisher of the Radiance
1 Cipher Soldier
2 Soul Exchange
1 Nobleman of Crossout
1 Brain Control
1 Book of Moon
1 Enemy Controller
1 Royal Decree
2 Skill Drain
Replay note: This chronicle was reconstructed from eleven complete NeoGoat YRPX replay traces covering all five rounds. Card actions, game winners and turn counts follow the recorded duel timelines. The published deck entry is dated September 6, 2026.
Chapa's road to the Win a GGP 9 title: recruiter battles, recycled resources, and the damage that kept adding up.
Champion: Chapa • Deck: FIRE Midrange
A 100-ATK monster becomes the target of a winning attack. A discarded Solar Flare Dragon comes back to hand, only to pay for another board-clearing effect. And a Thunder Dragon in the opponent's hand becomes the last 500 damage of a duel. Chapa's Win a GGP 9 run had plenty of moments that explain why this FIRE deck is more than a collection of monsters sharing an Attribute.
His first-round win was administrative: Arena did not arrive in time. The action covered here begins in round two, with seven saved games across the matches against Nikito, Costeño, and KrlosPollo. Some of those games were played in player-created manual rooms, so their room labels alone do not tell the whole tournament story.
The winning list
The published list has 40 Main Deck cards: 18 monsters, 16 Spells, and 6 Traps. Its threats range from Spirit of Flames and Blazing Inpachi to Solar Flare Dragon, Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, and the Lonefire Blossom–Sylvan Hermitree package. UFO Turtle, Bonfire, Unexpected Dai, and Oil keep those threats accessible or help rebuild after removal.
Click the image to enlarge it. Use the decklist page below to download the playable .ydk file.
On the decklist page, choose Download Deck to save the .ydk and test the list in NeoGoat Pro. The page also lists one Extra Deck card and six reconstructed Side Deck cards; the latter are not proof that the original sideboard contained only six.
The route to the title
Round
Opponent
The story
1
Arena
No-show win; no played duel is credited to this round.
2
Nikito
Three games against Dragons and a demanding Trap lineup.
3
Costeño
FIRE's recovery tools against Chaos and hand pressure.
4
KrlosPollo
A grinding fight against Plants, EARTH threats, and Monarchs.
Replay coverage: three of the seven files reproduce through a recorded win. Four stop before a terminal result, so the descriptions below stop at the last recoverable action. Chapa's title and the first-round no-show are organizer-confirmed; incomplete recordings are not used to invent finishing turns.
Round 2 — Nikito: finding a way through the back row
Game 1: FIRE under pressure
Nikito's opening game put Chapa on the defensive. Luster Dragon and Giant Orc supplied pressure, while Bottomless Trap Hole interfered with Chapa's summons. A later direct attack by Tribe-Infecting Virus left Chapa at just 100 LP. His next Tenkabito Shien was met by Solemn Judgment. The recoverable sequence reaches an Oil activation, but not a terminal win message—an important limit on what this file can tell us.
Game 2: a vanilla monster does the finishing
The second game showed another side of the deck. Nikito brought out Luster Dragon and Goblin Attack Force, then established Skill Drain. Chapa answered the developing board with Torrential Tribute and used Molten Destruction to make his ordinary FIRE bodies much more threatening. UFO Turtle attacked for 1,900, and a sided-in Bottomless Trap Hole removed Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast.
After a later Fusilier hit back, Chapa used Bonfire and Smashing Ground, then summoned Blazing Inpachi. With the Field Spell boosting it to 2,350 ATK, Inpachi landed a direct attack that left Nikito at 1,250 LP. Its next direct attack ended the game. This was not a complicated combo finish: removal plus a large Normal Monster was enough.
Game 3: the slow burn, then the swap
The deciding recording is the most distinctive of the match. Early exchanges included UFO Turtle and Masked Dragon recruiting replacements, followed by Chapa using Lonefire Blossom to reach Sylvan Hermitree. Nikito's Mirror Force answered that threat, but Chapa rebuilt with Charcoal Inpachi and Solar Flare Dragon.
Solar Flare delivered six separate 500-damage End Phase hits before Nikito finally removed it. A key chain along the way involved Solar Flare, Dust Tornado, Royal Decree, and Solemn Judgment. Nikito survived that exchange, but paying for Solemn and absorbing more burn left little room for error.
With another Royal Decree established, Chapa changed Charcoal Inpachi to Attack Position and activated Creature Swap. Nikito received the 100-ATK Inpachi; Chapa received Twin-Headed Behemoth, tributed it for Thestalos, and attacked his own former monster. The resulting 2,300 battle damage ended the duel.
Round 3 — Costeño: Oil keeps the engine running
Game 1: rebuilding after Torrential
Costeño's Chaos deck interrupted Chapa's first attempt to establish two Solar Flare Dragons with Torrential Tribute. Chapa shifted immediately to a different threat: Spirit of Flames attacked directly for 2,000, and Blazing Inpachi later added another 1,850.
The game continued through Book of Moon, Heavy Storm, and Don Zaloog. Chapa rebuilt again, this time with Tribe-Infecting Virus and Breaker the Magical Warrior. Their direct attacks reduced Costeño to 750 LP, while Chapa still had 8,000. That is where the available reconstruction stops; it preserves the pressure, not the final action.
Game 2: one Solar Flare, two discard costs
The second game was less comfortable. Chaos Sorcerer and Don Zaloog gave Costeño both field presence and hand pressure, and Chapa fell to 3,400 LP. His response was a particularly good demonstration of why Oil belongs in this list.
Chapa summoned Tribe-Infecting Virus, discarded Solar Flare Dragon, and destroyed Chaos Sorcerer. He then activated Oil, recovering that Solar Flare Dragon and Blazing Inpachi. Discarding the recovered Solar Flare paid for a second Tribe activation, this time removing Don Zaloog. Tribe followed with a direct attack. Oil had turned a spent monster into another removal effect while also replenishing Chapa's hand.
Later, Solar Flare Dragon supplied the damage. Two turns of direct attacks and End Phase burn took Costeño from 4,200 LP to just 200. Chapa then tributed Solar Flare for Thestalos. The Monarch discarded Thunder Dragon, and the resulting 500 effect damage ended the duel without requiring another attack.
Round 4 — KrlosPollo: recovering from 1,900 LP
Game 1: both players have the Plant engine
The final-round opponent appears as krlos in the replay files. His list combined Plant access with EARTH threats and Monarchs, creating a matchup in which Chapa was not the only player able to turn Lonefire Blossom into a much larger monster.
One striking exchange came when KrlosPollo used Brain Control to take Chapa's Lonefire Blossom, then used it to access his own recruiter sequence. Chapa answered on the following turn with Oil and another Lonefire line into Sylvan Hermitree. Later, Torrential Tribute reset the field, and another Oil helped Chapa rebuild with Blazing Inpachi.
Neither player escaped the grind untouched. The recording eventually reaches a Ring of Destruction exchange involving Legendary Jujitsu Master, leaving Chapa at 1,800 LP and KrlosPollo at 2,000. The file does not preserve a reproducible finish beyond that position.
Game 2: Breaker reopens the game
Chapa established an early Thestalos, but KrlosPollo fought back with Royal Decree, Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, and then direct attacks from D.D. Survivor and Gigantes. By the end of that assault, Chapa was down to 1,900 LP.
Breaker the Magical Warrior was the turning point in the preserved sequence. Chapa first used its boosted ATK to defeat D.D. Survivor, then spent the counter in Main Phase 2 to destroy Royal Decree. His Traps were available again: when KrlosPollo summoned his own Breaker on the next turn, Chapa answered with Bottomless Trap Hole.
Chapa rebuilt with Thestalos and Solar Flare Dragon. A direct Thestalos attack and Solar Flare's End Phase damage brought KrlosPollo down to 2,600 LP. Chapa then added a second Solar Flare, and Thestalos attacked over Hydrogeddon for another 800. The last recoverable position has Chapa still at 1,900 and KrlosPollo at 1,800, with Chapa's two Solar Flares and Thestalos established.
The recording stops there, before those End Phase effects or a final result can be reconstructed. What it does show is the recovery: from facing lethal pressure to rebuilding a field that threatened damage through both battle and effects. Chapa went on to take the tournament title; the missing final actions are not filled in here.
What this run says about FIRE
The memorable finishes came from different cards, but the games shared a few recurring patterns:
Recovery mattered as much as the opening. Oil repeatedly helped Chapa keep playing after removal or turn discarded monsters into fresh resources.
The deck could change its plan. It won a recorded game with a Molten Destruction–boosted Normal Monster, another with Creature Swap and Thestalos, and another with Thestalos's effect damage.
Small amounts of burn changed the endgame. Solar Flare's 500-damage increments narrowed the opponent's options and made later attacks or discard damage decisive.
Sideboard tools had visible impact. Bottomless Trap Hole and Royal Decree appear in the post-side games, helping Chapa contest large summons and demanding back rows.
That is the appeal of Chapa's winning build: it is a FIRE deck with several ways to finish a game, and enough recovery to keep looking for one after its first threat is answered.
Watch the run & try the deck
Watch the recorded games below, then download the list and test it in NeoGoat Pro. Pay particular attention to the Creature Swap finish against Nikito and the Oil–Tribe sequence against Costeño: they show how much work a seemingly modest card can do in this deck.
