This Round 10 Feature Match pits Bobby Chambers’ Blackwing Deck against Luis Aldama’s Gladiator Beasts. This is typically a tough matchup for Gladiator Beasts, and Chambers’s 2 copies of Cards for Black Feathers will help him draw Royal Oppression to make things even harder. But some solid play from Aldama may lead him to overcome his worst matchup.

Aldama won the dice roll and chose to go first. He Set 2 cards to his back row and Set a monster in Defense Position before ending his turn.

Chambers opened up with 2 copies of Blackwing – Bora the Spear, Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame, Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn, Royal Oppression, and Cards for Black Feathers. He activated Cards for Black Feathers by removing Bora from his hand, and drew Solemn Judgment and Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor with its effect. He Summoned Shura next and used it to attack Aldama’s face-down monster. Aldama flipped Book of Moon to stop the attack and put Shura face-down. Chambers Set Solemn Judgment and Royal Oppression in Main Phase 2 before ending his turn. He lost Royal Oppression in his End Phase when Aldama flipped Dust Tornado. It was a great hit that would easily affect the outcome of the Duel. Aldama Set a back row with Dust Tornado and he was up once again.

Aldama Set a second card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone. Then he flipped his face-down Gladiator Beast Samnite and Normal Summoned Gladiator Beast Murmillo. Aldama attacked and destroyed Chambers’s Set Shura with Samnite and then attacked directly with Murmillo. He tagged out his 2 Gladiator Beasts to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Bestiari and Gladiator Beast Laquari from his Deck. He used the effect of Bestiari to destroy Chambers’s Set Solemn Judgment. He ended his turn.

Chambers drew Brain Control next turn and used it to take control of Aldama’s Gladiator Beast Laquari. He declared an attack on Gladiator Beast Bestiari with Laquari, but Aldama flipped Book of Moon to turn the Laquari face-down and stop the attack. Chambers Tributed Laquari to Summon Sirocco in Main Phase 2.

Aldama Special Summoned Test Tiger next turn and Tributed it to send Bestiari back to his Deck. He swapped in Gladiator Beast Murmillo to destroy Sirocco with its effect and then attacked directly. He tagged out Murmillo to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Equeste from his Deck and returned Laquari to his hand with the effect of Equeste.

Chambers Summoned Shura next turn. He used it to attack over Equeste and Special Summon Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind from his Deck with Shura’s effect. He Tuned Shura to Gale in Main Phase 2 to Synchro Summon Blackwing Armor Master before ending his turn.

Aldama Normal Summoned Darius next turn and then activated Call of the Haunted to Special Summon Test Tiger from his Graveyard. Next, he Tributed his Tiger to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Murmillo from his Deck. He used the effect of Murmillo to destroy Chambers’s Blackwing Armor Master, attacked directly with Murmillo, and tagged out to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Hoplomus in Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase.

Chambers drew and Set Royal Oppression next turn. He Set Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor in Defense Position before ending his turn.

Aldama switched Gladiator Beast Hoplomus to Attack Position next turn and Summoned Gladiator Beast Darius in Attack Position. Darius attacked over Chambers’ Set Vayu and Hoplomus scored a direct attack. He tagged out Darius first, and when Chambers tried to negate the tag with Royal Oppression, Aldama flipped Trap Stun to negate it! Aldama Special Summoned Gladiator Beast Retiari from his Deck to remove Vayu from Chambers’s Graveyard. Then he tagged out Gladiator Beast Hoplomus to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Bestiari from his Deck in Attack Position and destroy Chambers’ stunned Oppression.

Play passed to Chambers, who Summoned Bora and attacked Bestiari with it next turn. He Set Icarus Attack in Main Phase 2.

Aldama Summoned Gladiator Beast Laquari next turn and attacked Bora with it, but Chambers flipped Icarus Attack to Tribute Bora and destroy Aldama’s Gladiator Beast Laquari and Gladiator Beast Retiari. Aldama ended his turn.

Chambers passed his next turn after drawing.

Aldama Normal Summoned Gladiator Beast Secutor next turn and followed up by Special Summoning Test Tiger from his hand. He sent Secutor Back to his Deck to Special Summon it again, and then attacked directly with Secutor. Secutor recruited Gladiator Beast Equeste and Gladiator Beast Laquari from his Deck to the field. Aldama used the effect of his Equeste to return Gladiator Beast Bestiari from his Graveyard to his hand with its effect. He ended his turn.

Chambers drew Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn next turn. He Summoned it to the field and attacked over Secutor, dealing 1600 points of damage to Aldama. He Set Bottomless Trap Hole and ended his turn.

Aldama Set Gladiator Beast Bestiari next turn. He revealed it and fused it with Equeste to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, choosing to destroy only the back row Bottomless Trap Hole. Chambers chained it, removing Gladiator Beast Gyzarus from the game. Laquari attacked over Sirocco, destroying it and dealing 100 points of damage to Chambers. Aldama passed.

Chambers drew a card and Normal Summoned Sirocco in Attack Position next turn. He promptly ended his turn and Aldama attacked over it again with Laquari before Setting one card to his back row and passing his turn.

Chambers drew and Summoned Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North next turn. He activated its effect to Special Summon Blackwing – Bora the Spear from his Graveyard. Then he Tuned Bora to Blizzard in order to Synchro Summon Goyo Guardian, but Aldama flipped Bottomless Trap Hole to remove it from the game. Chambers conceded, knowing Laquari would finish him off next turn.

Bobby Chambers will be going first in Duel 2! Both players Side Decked and play began shortly after.

Chambers opened up with Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North, Icarus Attack, Blackwing – Kalut the Moon Shadow, Blackwing – Bora the Spear, Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame, and Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn. He Summoned Shura and Set Icarus Attack before ending his first turn.

Aldama Set one monster in Defense Position along with 2 Spell or Trap Cards in his back row and ended his turn. In his End Phase, Chambers flipped Icarus Attack, Tributing Shura to destroy Aldama’s Set Torrential Tribute and Waboku.

Chambers drew Book of Moon next turn. He Normal Summoned Sirocco and Special Summoned Bora from his hand. Then he activated Sirocco’s effect to pump Bora up to 3700 ATK and used it to attack Aldama’s face-down Equeste. He dropped to 5500 Life Points. Chambers Set his newly drawn Book of Moon before ending his turn.

Aldama Set a monster in Defense Position next turn and passed.

Chambers Summoned Blizzard and activated its effect to Special Summon Shura from his Graveyard. He Tuned Shura to Blizzard to Synchro Summon Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier. Then he discarded Blackwing – Kalut the Moon Shadow to return Aldama’s Set Monster to his hand and attacked for the win with Bora, Sirocco, and Brionac to end the Duel!

The Match pressed on to a third Duel! Aldama will be going first.

Aldama started things off by setting one monster and one back row.

Chambers opened up with Allure of Darkness, Cards for Black Feathers, Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor, Dark Armed Dragon, Blackwing – Kalut the Moon Shadow, and Icarus Attack. He activated Allure of Darkness to draw Bora and Heavy Storm. He removed Dark Armed Dragon from his hand with its effect. Then he activated Cards for Black Feathers, removing Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor from his hand to draw Dust Tornado and Royal Oppression. He activated Heavy Storm to destroy Aldama’s Set Bottomless Trap Hole, then Summoned Blackwing – Bora the Spear. He attacked Aldama’s face-down Consecrated Light with Bora, and Aldama took no damage thanks to the effect of Consecrated Light. Chambers Set Icarus Attack in Main Phase 2 before ending his turn.

Aldama Summoned Gladiator Beast Samnite next turn. He Special Summoned Test Tiger and Tributed it to send Samnite back to his Deck and tag-in Murmillo. He used Murmillo’s effect to try to destroy Bora, but Chambers Chained Icarus Attack to destroy Murmillo and Consecrated Light. Aldama Set 1 card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone before ending his turn.

Chambers Set 2 cards to his back row and passed his next turn to Aldama, who Set 1 card to his back row and ended. Chambers flipped Dust Tornado in his End Phase to destroy Aldama’s newly Set Book of Moon.

Chambers passed his next turn without making a play.

Aldama Summoned Elemental Hero Prisma next turn and activated its effect to send Bestiari from his Deck to his Graveyard and change Prisma’s name. Then, he Special Summoned Test Tiger from his hand.  Chambers thought for a while and flipped Royal Oppression, paying 800 Life Points to negate the Summon of Test Tiger. Aldama passed.

Chambers Summoned Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn next turn and attacked with it, but lost his monster to Aldama’s Mirror Force. He Set Dust Tornado in Main Phase 2 and ended his turn.

Aldama attacked directly with Prisma and then Set 2 cards to his back row. He lost his newly Set Torrential Tribute in his End Phase when Chambers flipped Dust Tornado.

Chambers Summoned another copy of Sirocco next turn and used it to attack and destroy Prisma. Aldama lost 300 Life Points in the battle.

Aldama drew a card and passed his next turn to Chambers, who Summoned Shura in Main Phase 1. Shura and Sirocco attacked Aldama directly, dropping him down to 3900 Life Points.

Aldama Summoned Gladiator Beast Laquari next turn and passed. Chambers thought about flipping Icarus Attack in his End Phase to destroy Laquari and Aldama’s back row, but chose not to do it.

Instead, next turn, Chambers Set Kalut and Tributed it with Icarus Attack to destroy Laquari and Chariot. Shura and Sirocco attacked directly, dropping Aldama to just 100 Life Points. Chambers Set Bottomless Trap Hole before ending his turn.

Aldama Set Test Tiger and Waboku next turn and passed to Chambers.

Chambers boosted his Shura’s attack with Sirocco’s effect and attacked Aldama’s face-down monster. Aldama flipped Waboku to protect the Set Test Tiger and Chambers ended his turn.

Aldama drew a card and conceded next turn, unable to destroy Chambers’s monsters.

Chambers wins the Match with a 2-1 victory – a classic Blackwing triumph over Gladiators.

Post-Event Analysis!
See what our panel of experts had to say about this Duel after the event was over.  

Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
Aldama shifted Consecrated Light from his Side Deck to his Main Deck against Chambers’s Blackwing Deck. Consecrated Light is a strong Side Deck choice against Blackwings since it prevents a Blackwing Duelist from Summoning or attacking with any of his Blackwings. Without drawing cards like Icarus Attack to take it down, it can severely hinder a Blackwing Deck. Consecrated Light is also an extremely strong card against Infernity Decks, since it prevents Infernity Monsters from being Summoned. If you’re running a Deck that doesn’t depend on a lot of DARK monsters, you may consider using Consecrated Light in your Side Deck. If you are running a Deck with a lot of DARK monsters in it, you should consider including some cards in your Side Deck that can take down Consecrated Light, including non-DARK monsters like Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter.

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