WCQ National Championship: Greece 2022 | 1st Place | HERO Deck Profile | Stefanos Fostieris

Did you think that you would be able to win this national championship?
The truth is that I went to this pan-Hellenic mainly to have fun. In the three previous national games that I played from 2017-2019, I only managed to reach the top 32, and all three times playing the best Deck of each Format. So this year I just said to play one of my favorite Deck even if it was not considered Meta.

Which duel against which deck made it most difficult for you?
The most difficult Match-Up was the only Match I lost to Swiss against Dragunity. My side was not very well prepared and I do not know much about Match-Up. Game 3 I did Super Polymerization a Draguinity Knight-Gae Dearg with my Elemetal Hero-Stratos for Elemental Hero-Great Tornado leaving him with only one hand card. Then he just did Normal Summon Draguinity Dux, called almost all of his Extra Deck, and got me OTK.

At what age did you go to your first tournament? What impressed you there and what place did you got?
I first went to Locals in 2012 when I was 14 years old. Within 5 rounds I managed to do 2-3 with a very average Six Samurai Deck. It was the first time I realized how much the game had evolved because until then I was just playing for fun with friends without knowing what Meta is.

When did you start doing Yu-Gi-Oh?
I started playing YuGiOh in 2006 when I first saw the anime on TV. For 6 years I only played casually with friends and from 2012 and after I went to my first Local I deal with the competitive side of the game.

What is your favorite Yu-Gi-Oh card and why?
My favorite card is Valkyrie Brunhilde. When I was little and watching the anime for the first time the archetype that impressed me the most was Valkyries. It was one of the few Deck in Duel Monsters that was an archetype and not a combination of random cards. Many years later when it was announced that Valkyries would be coming out on Shadows in Valhalla I remembered all the nostalgia of my childhood. On the day of the release I bought all the cards and it was a lot of fun playing with Deck at the Locals.

Do you think that Yu-Gi-Oh is really a child’s toy? If not, what would be the answer to those who think they are children?
Those who say that YuGiOh is for kids just have not played the game at all and are the same people who would say that Blue-Eyes White Dragon is the most powerful card in the Game. By the way, the game has now become too complicated for children to learn easily. That’s why Konami released Speed Duels and will soon be doing Rush Duels at TCG to give kids a chance to play a much simpler version of the game.

How much money have you spent on card purchases?
I can not estimate how much money I have spent in so many years but it is definitely too much.

What advice would you give to people who are just starting to play Yu-Gi-Oh?
For new players who want to get into the game I suggest starting with a Deck that teaches you the fundamentals of the game but is also good enough to win. I especially believe that the best Deck to start with is Salamangreat. It is a mid-ranged Deck that is quite easy to learn and teaches you very important concepts of the game such as card advantage and resource management.

Do you think you will be able to beat the European Championship?
I will do my best to do well in the European Championship as well. After all, my dream in this game is to play one day in the world so my goal is to reach the European qualifying final.

Source: GreekYugiohFans.gr