Six Pegasus League Deck Challenge Tournaments were held here today, and now we are about to witness the Top 4 of Deck Challenge Tournament #3. Jorge Escamilla is playing the most popular Deck of the “New Year’s Resolution” format here today – X-Sabers! But his opponent Esteban Flores is playing a powerful strategy that’s seeing far less play, and is taking competitors by surprise – Gemini monsters. Only one of these Duelists could move on, and we were about to find out who would claim victory and proceed to the finals.

Escamilla started the Match by activating “Charge of the Light Brigade,” sending “Mystical Space Typhoon,” “Mirror Force,” and “Summoner Monk” to the Graveyard to search his Deck for “Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter.” He discarded it for “Solar Recharge,” drew 2 cards, and sent “X-Saber Airbellum” and “Mind Control” to his Graveyard off the top of his Deck.

He discarded “XX-Saber Ragigura” for “One for One,” Special Summoning another Ragigura from his Deck in Defense Position. He took back the first Ragigura with the on-field copy’s effect. He Set a Spell or Trap to finish.

Flores had “Hand Destruction,” “Kunai with Chain,” “Magic Cylinder,” “Evocator Chevalier,” “Supervise,” and “Gemini Scorpion.” He activated “Hand Destruction,” sending “Kunai with Chain” and “Supervise” to his Graveyard and getting “Woodland Archer” and “Dark Valkyria.” Escamilla discarded Ragigura and another Airbellum. Flores Summoned “Gemini Scorpion,” used its effect to Special Summon Valkyria, attacked Ragigura with the Scorpion, and made a direct attack with Valkyria. He Set a Spell or Trap to end.

Next turn Escamilla Special Summoned “XX-Saber Gardestrike”! He activated “Giant Trunade,” Chained his Set “Gottoms’ Emergency Call,” and Special Summoned “X-Saber Airbellum” and Ragigura from his Graveyard! Ragigura brought his second Airbellum back to his hand and he Normal Summoned it. Gardestrike attacked “Dark Valkyria,” one Airbellum was traded in battle to destroy Scorpion, and the second Airbellum made a direct attack, forcing Flores to discard “Magic Cylinder.” Another Set card to the back row finished Escamilla’s turn.

Flores Normal Summoned “Evocator Chevalier,” attacked Airbellum, and destroyed it. Escamilla Normal Summoned “XX-Saber Fulhelmknight,” turned Ragigura to Attack Position, and attacked over Evocator with Gardestrike. Ragigura and Fulhelmknight both made direct attacks and play was back to Flores. He activated “Reinforcement of the Army” to get another “Gemini Scorpion” from his Deck.

He Summoned “Woodland Archer,” then Tributed it to get another “Evocator Chevalier” from his Deck. He Normal Summoned “Gemini Scorpion,” Special Summoned Evocator, and destroyed Fulhelmknight in battle. Next turn Escamilla Summoned “Mist Valley Soldier,” Tuned it to Ragigura for “Ally of Justice Catastor,” and destroyed both of Flores’ monsters. Flores Set a monster, Set his last card to his Spell & Trap Card Zone, and lost “Gemini Spark” to “Mystical Space Typhoon” in the End Phase.

Catastor attacked, hitting “Gemini Summoner”! “Gemini Summoner” survived Catastor’s attack, but was lost moments later to Gardestrike. A turn later Escamilla was attacking for victory!

Jorge Escamilla captures the first Duel! Both competitors dove into the second Duel instantly.

Flores opened with “Mist Valley Shaman,” “Reinforcement of the Army,” “Gemini Spark,” “Book of Moon,” “Krebons,” and “Evocator Chevalier.” Reinforcement got him “Gemini Scorpion,” which he Normal Summoned to Special Summon Evocator. He Set Book, Set “Gemini Spark,” and ended with a secure field.

Escamilla blasted his “Gemini Spark” with “Mystical Space Typhoon,” Summoned “Mist Valley Soldier,” and attacked into “Book of Moon.” Flores Summoned another Evocator, attacked “Mist Valley Soldier” with “Gemini Scorpion,” and made two direct attacks with his Evocators for a total of 3800 damage. Escamilla Set a monster as his only remaining move.

Flores Summoned “Krebons,” Tuned it to Scorpion, and Synchro Summoned “Flamvell Uruquizas”! Uruquizas attacked, pushed 1100 damage through Escamilla’s Defense Position Ragigura, and the two Evocator’s ended the Duel.

Esteban Flores wins Duel 2, pushing this Match to a third and final Duel!

Escamilla got Duel 3 started with “One for One,” discarding “XX-Saber Ragigura” to Special Summon another copy from his Deck. The on-field Ragigura sent the other copy back to Escamilla’s hand, and he Normal Summoned Airbellum.

Flores had “Magic Cylinder,” “Gemini Spark,” “Birthright,” “Mystical Space Typhoon,” “Evocator Chevalier,” and “Blazewing Butterfly.” He Summoned Evocator, attacked Airbellum, and Set 2 cards to his Spell & Trap Card Zone. Escamilla Set 2 cards to his back row too, and lost one to “Mystical Space Typhoon” next turn: “Solar Recharge.” Flores Summoned Blazewing, attacked into “Mirror Force,” and Chained “Gemini Spark” to destroy Ragigura and draw a card. He Set 2 more cards to his back row to finish.

Escamilla Special Summoned “XX-Saber Gardestrike,” then Normal Summoned “Rescue Cat.” He sent it to the Graveyard to Special Summon 2 “X-Saber Airbellum,” then attacked with one of them: Flores responded with “Birthright,” Special Summoning “Evocator Chevalier.” When Gardestrike attacked Evocator, Flores responded with “Magic Cylinder,” dealing 2100 damage and keeping his Evocator on the field! Escamilla Tuned an Airbellum to Gardestrike in Main Phase 2 to Synchro Summon “Colossal Fighter,” then Set a Spell or Trap to end. Play was to Flores.

He turned Evocator to Defense Postion, Set 2 more cards to his Spell & Trap Card Zone, and ended with “Knight of the Red Lotus” as his last card in hand. Escamilla Normal Summoned Ragigura, took back another copy from his Graveyard, and attacked with “Colossal Fighter” – Flores responded with “Mirror Force,” destroying both monsters!

Flores Summoned “Gemini Summoner” next turn, attacked with Evocator, and Escamilla bounced it away with “Compulsory Evacuation Device.” The Summoner attacked for 1500 damage. Escamilla Normal Summoned “XX-Saber Fulhelmknight,” ended, and Flores activated Summoner’s effect in the End Phase to Summon Evocator. Next turn he Normal Summoned “Gemini Scorpion,” attacked with Summoner, and Escamilla negated the attack. Evocator attacked Fulhelmknight to destroy it and Scorpion made a direct attack. The Duel stood at 1700 Life Points to 7500, with Flores leading.

Escamilla Summoned “Mist Valley Soldier,” attacked, and Flores turned the Soldier face-down with “Book of Moon”! Next turn he attacked the Soldier, then swung for victory with Evocator!

What a steamrolling! Esteban Flores is on his way to the finals of his Pegasus League Deck Challenge flight! His opponent? Ryan Spicer!

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Post-Event Analysis!
See what expert had to say about this Duel after the event was over.

Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)

In both Duel 1 and Duel 3, Escamilla activated “One for One” on his first turn to Special Summon “XX-Saber Ragigura” from his deck and return to his hand the Ragigura he discarded. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to use the Ragigura as anything more than a weak defender from attacks. “One for One” can be a powerful card in X-Saber Decks because it helps flood the field with X-Sabers to make it easier to Summon “XX-Saber Faultroll.” Special Summoning Ragigura later in the game also gives an X-Saber Duelist a choice of more X-Sabers to return from the Graveyard. Escamilla may have been better off holding on to his “One for One” until later in the game, when the choice of plays he could make with it wouldn’t be so limited.

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