Tournament Report: Runner-Up of the BCS 25/26 Chicago (Rosemont), IL

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Bill has been playing Weiss for about 4 and a half years, since stores started opening back up in 2021 after the pandemic. He plays a mix of both EN and JP formats. Bill has had a handful of top cuts at BCS over the past few years, including a Top 8 in Rosemont 2 years ago, a Top 8 in Houston, and a Top 16 in Rosemont last year. Now onto the interview!

Melanie Lynette (ML): How did the event go for you? Was there anything specific that you'd like to share from the start?

Bill Dang (BD): Losing Round 1 was a little stressful since that meant I couldn't afford to make any mistakes, but I managed to win 6-0 after that to guarantee making it in to Top Cut. Surprisingly, a lot of deck variety in Swiss, and I didn't fight the same set twice until Top 4, which was nice to see.

Winning Decklist:

BushiNavi Code: 4PC68

https://decklog-en.bushiroad.com/view/4PC68

ML: What was your match up and how did Round 1 go for you?

BD: I lost against Goddess of Victory: NIKKE: 4 Comeback (Door)/ 4 Standby. Unfortunately I started the day off paired up against a friend, Aaron of Ohio Weiss. We had a pretty even early game, but I started falling behind in the mid-game when I couldn't clear his board fast enough. I hit Level 3 first and played down double Mai finisher to try and kill him from Level 2, but I only hit one climax total off of both Mai's. Aaron blocked everything else, so I dealt a total of 2 damage and a refresh penalty. I lived for another turn, but didn't have the resources left to present any meaningful damage or get around rest counter, so I ended up losing the game.

ML: What was your match up and how did Round 2 go for you?

BD: I won against Rascal Does Not Dream Series: 8 Comeback (Door). My opponent couldn't draw any climaxes or play their Level 1 combo. So they were just slowly bleeding hand and resources for the entire game while I got to sit there and pile up everything I needed. With their lack of resources or filtering all game, they couldn't present a finisher climax combo at 3. I finished out the game next turn.

ML: What was your match up and how did Round 3 go for you?

BD: I won against The Quintessential Quintuplets: 8 Comeback (Door) Itsuki. I got a big lead in the early game after my opponent had a bad start, but they started to stabilize a little in the mid-game. I ended up eating some awkward packets of damage at 2 despite being stock and memory compressed which evened up the damage. Then my opponent managed to field double finisher the next turn. After the first Itsuki hit 2 climaxes off the Moca ability they were able to present lethal damage, but I managed to block and swing back with double Mai. Double Mai somehow only hit 1 climax total again and they lived, but my compression finally paid off and I triple blocked lethal vanilla swings to secure a victory the next turn. A very close and scary game, and I definitely got lucky to not have my tournament run end here.

ML: What was your match up and how did Round 4 go for you?

BD: I won against Freiren: Beyond Journey’s End: 8 Gate (Pants). This deck was running the Trial Deck Finisher. I forgot what happened this game and forgot to take notes on this one, to be honest.

ML: What was your match up and how did Round 5 go for you?

BD: I won against Bang Dream!: 4 Gold Bar/ 4 Comeback (Door). My opponent couldn't do their Level 1 combo after not having any change targets in their waiting room, and ultimately started falling behind in damage after that while I set up memory and resources. I ended up being ahead for most of the game, and after eating a pocket of damage at 2, clocked myself up to 3 to end the game with double Mai.

ML: What was your match up and how did Round 6 go for you?

BD: I won against That Time I Was Reincarnated as a Slime 4 Comeback (Door)/ 4 Gate (Pants) Rimuru/Mjurran. I fought against one of my DFW locals, Cameron. A very even game with a consistent back and forth flow; overall just a very normal game of Weiss. I managed to block and live his Level 3 turn and ended the game with double Mai.

ML: What was your match up and how did Round 7 go for you?

BD: I won against Hololive Production: 4 Gate (Pants) / 4 Stock Soul Mumei/Kanata. This one was a very long and strenuous game. After he fielded triple Kanata, I was struggling to clear them off the board, so he ended up looping combo over and over to keep healing down and compressing. I managed to not fall too far behind by looping heals myself (far fewer than triple Kanata, though), refreshing with the 2/1 event multiple times, and with a few lucky blocks managed to stabilize the game state. I think we each had 3 or 4 turns each at Level 2 that game. After hitting level 3, I fielded double Mai, but couldn't get the kill due to rest counter, which I forced him to use on my last attacker in the hopes of throwing his hand away meaning less resources to try and kill me with. That ended up working out since I lived, and managed to barely get the kill next turn. A very close game that easily could've snowballed the other way, but luck turned up on my side to secure my spot in top cut.

ML: And after deck checks, top cut! How did Top 16 go?

BD: I won against Nazarick: Tomb of the Undead (Overlord) 4 Comeback (Door)/ 4 Gold Bar. My opponent was Roy (BCS 24-25 Tampa 1st Place). I tried to play an aggressive early game, slamming climaxes every turn I could, to try and rush us to the mid game and prevent as much stalling as possible. I managed to hit him to Level 2 just before I started running low on steam, at which point he fielded Ainz with 4 markers. The next turn I end up triggering 4 climaxes in 5 triggers on an almost-fresh deck while looping my level 1 combo, and I thought I was going to die right there. He couldn't find a 2nd bar climax, instead slamming a door, and his level 1 combo next to Ainz. I hit level 3 and swung back with double Mai finisher, but can't kill and only send him from 3-0 to 3-6. A door trigger let me pump a Mai over punch range and reverse Ainz, clearing the markers, and I live the swing back of double Ainz with burn 1s. After having to awkwardly play around rest counter, he blocks my first 2 swings, but I trigger a soul for lethal on the third swing and get the win. A very close and terrifying game, but very well played.

ML: And next, Top 8. What was your match up?

BD: I won against Attack on Titan 4 Comeback (Door)/ 4 Gold Bar. This was the first and only deck I fought that day that I was unfamiliar with. Overall it was a fairly even game, but when Level 3 came around I couldn't find a climax no matter how hard I dug. So I resorted to healing down since I was compressed after so much digging with no climaxes found. Thankfully, he didn't field his finisher that turn, only having one Musashi and two vanillas. I had to dig through half my deck again next turn, and only barely found my finisher climax. I slammed double Mai finisher to end the game.

ML: On to Top 4 then. What was your match up?

BD: I won against Bang Dream!: 4 Gold Bar / 4 Comeback (Door). A pretty normal game to start, but I ended up eating a whole level in the mid game, sending me to Level 2 when I wasn't very prepared. After brainstorming twice and only hitting one climax, then not triggering any, I ended turn with 4 cards in deck, all 4 of them climaxes, and not enough stock or hand to be set up for level 3. Absolutely terrified of Buns For Luck, I breathed a sigh of relief as he started attacking without stock swapping me. After triple blocking, despite not being set up completely for level 3, I decided to send it and go for the kill anyways. I felt healing down and stalling a turn wouldn't be enough, so I fielded double Mai without the memory condition and managed to win from 2-4.

ML: And then, Finals! What was your match up?

BD: I lost against Goddess of Victory: NIKKE 4 Comeback (Door) / 4 Standby. (Opponent: Carmen.) Before the game had even started I drew 3 climaxes, then another 2 more climaxes after mulligan. With the stress of a world's invite gone at that point, I accepted it for what it was and that all my luck from the earlier rounds had caught up to me, and just played without stressing about it. The game ended up being a complete wash after it just got worse and worse, with me having to clock-draw-pass on my second turn, and then taking too long to find a Riki (meaning my Level 1 combo didn't have the memory condition and I couldn't clear Modernia off the board). Ultimately, I triggered the last climaxes in my deck at Level 2 to eat 10 straight damage and die. An anti-climactic and kind of disappointing (but also mildly amusing) end to the day, but it do be how it be.

ML: Congratulations on your accomplishment! Are there any final reflections or shout outs you would like to share?

BD: Shout outs to the DFW Weiss Crew for being great practice partners (and putting up with me running random JP decks half the time) and just being overall great people to hang out with. Also, Aaron and the Ohio Weiss people, y'all are cool.

ML: And that concludes our interview with BCS 25/26 Runner-Up Bill Dang! A special thanks to Bill for sharing with us! Congratulations to all who topped and good luck at Worlds in 2026!

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