Chris Csikortos is running X-Sabers without XX-Saber Ragigura, while Brandon Boyer is using Gladiator Beasts with Rescue Cat and Elemental Hero Prisma in it. Both of these Duelists are currently 4-0, but only one of them will advance undefeated.

Csikortos won the die roll and chose to go first. He opened up with XX-Saber Emmersblade, Cyber Dragon, 2 copies of Gravekeeper’s Spy, XX-Saber Fulhelmknight, and Pot of Avarice. He Set Spy and ended his turn.

Boyer started things off by Normal Summoning Rescue Cat. He Tributed it to take 2 copies of Gladiator Beast Samnite from his Deck and Special Summon them to the field in Attack Position. Then he Special Summoned Test Tiger and Tributed it to send a Samnite back to his Deck and Special Summon Gladiator Beast Bestiari in its place. He fused it with Samnite to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, activated its effect to destroy Csikortos’s face-down Spy, and attacked directly. Then he tagged out Gyzarus for a Gladiator Beast Laquari in Attack Position and a Gladiator Beast Hoplomus in Defense Position. He Set one card to his back row and ended his turn.

Csikortos drew Saber Hole next turn. Then he Special Summoned Cyber Dragon and Normal Summoned Fulhelmknight. Boyer activated Book of Moon to Set Fulhelmknight down before Csikortos could Synchro Summon a Level 8 monster. Csikortos attacked Laquari with his Cyber Dragon destroying them both, and Set Saber Hole before ending his turn.

Boyer started his next turn by activating Gladiator Proving Ground. He searched for Bestiati, Set it, fused it with Hoplomus to destroy Saber Hole and XX-Saber Fulhelmknight, and attacked Csikortos directly. He tagged out Gyzarus for Darius and Hoplomus, returning Laquari to the field with Darius’s effect. Finally, he fused all 3 of his monsters together for Gladiator Beast Heraklinos, Set a card to his back row, and ended his turn.

Csikortos drew a card and Set Emmersblade, immediately ending his next turn.

Boyer activated Reinforcement of the Army to start off his next turn, searching his Deck for Elemental Hero Prisma and adding it to his hand. He Summoned Prisma to the field, changed its name to Gladiator Beast Bestiari, Special Summoned Test Tiger from his hand, and Tributed it to send Elemental Hero Prisma back to his Deck. He Special Summoned Darius in its place and returned Gladiator Beast Bestiari from his Graveyard with Darius’s effect. He fused both of his Gladiator Beasts together to Fusion Summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus and activated its effect to destroy Csikortos’s Set Emmersblade. He attacked directly with both Gyzarus and Heraklinos, ending the Duel.

Both players dipped into their Side Decks and Csikortos was set to go first in the second Duel.

Csikortos opened up with Rescue Cat, X-Saber Airbellum, XX-Saber Faultroll, Gravekeeper’s Spy, Cold Wave, and Saber Hole. Nice start! He Set his Spy along with a Saber Hole, ending his turn.

Boyer Summoned Gladiator Beast Darius next turn. He attacked a Gravekeeper’s Spy with it, and Csikortos Special Summoned another copy from his Deck. Boyer tagged out his Darius to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Murmillo in Defense Position, and activated Murmillo’s effect to destroy a Spy. He Set one card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone before ending his turn.

Csikortos drew Giant Trunade next turn! He Summoned Rescue Cat, Tributed it to Special Summon 2 copies of X-Saber Airbellum from his Deck, and then Special Summoned XX-Saber Faultroll from his hand. He Tuned his on-field Gravekeeper’s Spy with X-Saber Airbellum to Synchro Summon X-Saber Urbellum. Then he activated the effect of his Faultroll to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum from his Graveyard. Faultroll attacked Murmillo, and Urbellum followed up with a direct attack, sending a card from Boyer’s hand to the top of his Deck. Next, Csikortos attacked directly with both copies of X-Saber Airbellum to strip Boyer’s hand of Gladiator Proving Ground and Gladiator Beast Laquari. Doomed to draw the card Csikortos sent to the top of his Deck with Urbellum, Boyer conceded. An explosive hand lets Csikortos push the Match to a final Duel!

Boyer chose to go first and started things off by activating Gladiator Beast Respite to return Gladiator Beast Retiari and Gladiator Beast Samnite to his Deck and draw 3 new cards. Then he Summoned Gladiator Beast Equeste and Set 4 cards to his back row before ending his turn.

Csikortos opened up with X-Saber Airbellum, Threatening Roar, 2 copies of Gravekeeper’s Spy, Battle Fader, and Gottoms’ Emergency Call. He Set a Spy, Set Gottoms’ Emergency Call and Threatening Roar, and ended his turn.

Boyer Summoned Elemental Hero Prisma next turn and changed its name to Gladiator Beast Bestiari by sending Bestiari from his Deck to his Graveyard. Then he fused it with Equeste to Fusion Summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus to destroy the 2 cards in Csikortos’s back row with its effect. Csikortos chained Threatening Roar and Gottoms’ Emergency Call was destroyed. Boyer ended his turn.

Csikortos flipped his Gravekeeper’s Spy next turn to try to Special Summon another copy from his Deck, but Boyer negated the Summon by flipping Royal Oppression and paying 800 Life Points! Then he Set another copy of Spy from his hand and ended his turn.

Boyer attacked the Spy with Gyzarus next turn, and Csikortos Special Summoned a third copy from his Deck. Boyer ended his turn, and Csikortos drew Rescue Cat. Unfortunately, with Royal Oppression face-up, it was no help. He Set a monster and ended his turn.

Boyer attacked Csikortos’s face-up Gravekeeper’s Spy with Gyzarus to destroy it and Set a monster before ending his turn.

Csikortos drew and activated Heavy Storm next turn, but Boyer negated it with Solemn Judgment! Csikortos Set a monster face-down and ended his turn.

Boyer attacked and destroyed Csikortos’s Set X-Saber Airbellum before ending his next turn. Then Csikortos drew and Set XX-Saber Emmersblade.

Boyer Summoned Elemental Hero Stratos to search for Elemental Hero Prisma, attacked Emmersblade with Stratos, and flipped Gladiator Beast War Chariot to negate Emmersblade’s effect. Then he attacked and destroyed a face-down X-Saber Airbellum with Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, ending his turn.

Csikortos drew Mystical Space Typhoon next turn and added it to his hand of Rescue Cat and Battle Fader. He was in a tough spot, but it wasn’t over yet! He Set Mystical Space Typhoon and ended his turn.

Boyer Set a card to his back row, switched Gladiator Beast Gyzarus to Defense Position, and attacked directly with Elemental Hero Stratos. Csikortos dropped down to 6200 Life Points. Csikortos drew Threatening Roar next turn, Set it, and ended.

Boyer drew a card and attacked with Stratos again. He ended his turn and play passed to Csikortos, who drew and Set Ryko before passing back to Boyer.

Boyer switched Gladiator Beast Gyzarus to Attack Position, attacked Ryko with Elemental Hero Stratos, and flipped Chariot to negate Ryko’s effect. Gyzarus attacked next, and Csikortos tried to Special Summon Battle Fader from his hand. Boyer paid 800 Life Points to try to negate the Summon. But Csikortos activated his Set Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Royal Oppression and the Battle Phase ended! In Main Phase 2, Boyer flipped Gladiator Beast Hoplomus, Special Summoned Test Tiger, and sent Hoplomus back to his Deck with Test Tiger’s ability. He Special Summoned Darius from his Deck and returned Bestiari to the field with Darius’s effect. He fused his Gladiator Beast Bestiari with Gladiator Beast Darius to Summon a second Gyzarus from his Extra Deck, and activated its effect to destroy both of Csikortos’s cards.

Csikortos drew Summoner Monk next turn and conceded, unable to do anything with his in-hand Cat and Monk.

Royal Oppression proves decisive in a close 2-1 Match, as Brandon Boyer’s Gladiator Beast Deck triumphs over Chris Csikortos’s X-Sabers!

See what our panel of experts had to say after the Duel.

Jason Grabher-Meyer (The Old Man of Dueling)

You can’t bluff Gladiator Beasts. We saw Chris Csikortos learn this the hard way, Setting cards to his Spell & Trap Card Zone that he had no chance of using:
1. Csikortos Set Saber Hole in the First Duel even though his only X-Saber monster was face-down. Boyer ignored the bluff and destroyed Saber Hole and another card with Gladiator Beast Gyzarus.
2. He Set Saber Hole again to start the second Duel, pairing it with a Set Gravekeeper’s Spy. Boyer ignored the bluff once more, attacking with Gladiator Beast Darius.
3. Csikortos opened up the last Duel Setting Gravekeeper’s Spy, Threatening Roar, and Gottoms’ Emergency Call. Csikortos knew he couldn’t use that Call for a while because he only had 1 X-Saber in-hand. But he Set the Call anyways, losing both Call and Roar next turn to Gyzarus.
If you give Gladiator Beasts the chance, they’ll pick you apart one card at a time.

Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
In Duel 2, Csikortos opened up with an amazing hand, consisting of XX-Saber Faultroll and an easy way to Summon it. With it, he was able to swarm the field and overwhelm Boyer for a quick victory. With the release of XX-Saber Darksoul and XX-Saber Boggart Knight, building up explosive hands like the one Csikortos started with will be easier than ever for X-Saber Duelists. Strong plays like the one Csikortos was able to make are likely to become more common.

Michael McTavish (Top 8 Finalist – 2009 Canadian National Championship)
While Boyer did end up winning the game, his big opening move on game 1 was a little overzealous. He used  both his Rescue Cat and Test Tiger just to get rid of one face-down monster. A better move might have been to just attack with both Samnites, and maybe end with a Gyzarus on his side of the field. This would let him keep his Test Tiger in his hand and eliminate his opponent’s field. He would give up doing 2400 damage to his opponent. But he would still be in total control and have a backup plan ready and waiting, so it would have been worth it.