Setting up

Both players choose a Leader from their deck at the same time, without seeing the other's choice, and place it face up on their altar.

The Leader is now a Soul on the field like any other: active, in a line, with its effects working.

Chance decides who is Player A and who is Player B.

Both players shuffle their decks. Player A draws 10 cards, Player B draws 9.

Player B takes the first turn of the duel (6.5.1).

Right after drawing the opening hands, before any recruiting, each player may mulligan: lay aside any number of cards from their hand and draw as many new ones from the deck.

Only then are the laid-aside cards shuffled back into the deck, so a player never draws a card they just laid aside. If the deck holds too few cards, the rest are drawn after the shuffle.

Both players decide without seeing the other's choice. A player may keep their whole hand; a player who mulligans nothing draws nothing.

After the mulligan the players take turns recruiting, starting with Player A: Player A gets 4 rounds and Player B 3. In each round the player recruits one Soul or passes.

The normal recruiting rules apply (5.3.1). Ranks, the slot directly above and Frozen work as in any turn.

Static effects already apply, and effects that trigger on recruiting trigger as usual: a Soul with Reinforcement may use it.

Before the first turn there is no turn player. Where a rule needs one (the order of triggers, who holds priority first), it is the player who acted last, usually the player who just recruited.

Player B takes turn 1. From then on the players take turns.

Souls recruited before the first turn count as recruited in an earlier turn: they may attack in their controller's first turn, if the Escalation Spiral allows it (8.1.1).