John Thompson
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (May 30/05) - Blue skies and balmy weather treated Iqalungmiut during the long weekend, yet a small clutch decided to spend their time lurking in the shadows, casting spells and summoning monsters.

Inside a dimly-lit room of the Frobisher Inn gathered a handful of players of Yu-Gi-Oh, the latest fantasy card craze.

Players duel one another with glittering card decks that portray heavily-armed ghouls, scaly dragons and sharp-toothed insects.

Tristan Campbell, 9, showed his favourite card: a blue-eyed white dragon. "It was one of the first cards I got," he said.

Since he began collecting about five years ago, he's built up a horde of over 300 cards, which come in packs of nine.

He also has 10 different rule books back at his house, to help him follow different strategies.

Sometimes a great deck doesn't get him far when he's playing against older kids, he said. "Yeah, my sister beats me all the time."

At another table, Silas Nakashuk, 22, said he liked the game best when it's short and sweet.

"I get a good feeling when I start and finish in one round," he said. Matches can last just a few moments, or stretch as long as 20 minutes.

The right cards can be worth a bundle of cash. Nakashuk has sold some for $60.

Nearby sits Joe Sageatook, 29, who won the last tournament when he defeated his opponent, who was just 10.

"I just used my smack-down card," he said.

He didn't feel bad about trouncing a competitor so many years his junior. Last time they played, Sageatook lost.

"He beat me pretty good that time."

The game isn't only popular in Iqaluit. Sageatook has seen posters advertising cards for sale in Cape Dorset, and he's heard of players in Iglulik as well.