Time for Gladiator Beasts versus Lightsworn! Earlier today, we showed you Roy St. Clair’s tech-heavy Gladiator Beast Deck. St. Clair’s deck seeks to exercise extreme control over a speed-heavy field. A.J. Searcy is undefeated so far today with a pure Lightsworn deck.

Searcy started things off with Gold Sarcophagus, removing Judgment Dragon from his Deck so he could add it to his hand 2 turns later. He Summoned Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid, ended, and sent Giant Trunade and Honest to his Graveyard.

St. Clair opened with a hand of Gladiator Proving Ground, Dust Tornado, Gladiator Beast War Chariot, Gladiator Beast Laquari, D.D. Crow, and Book of Moon. He Summoned Laquari, and attacked Aurkus, but lost the battle due to a second Honest! St. Clair took 1200 Battle Damage, lost his Laquari, Set Book, and ended.

Searcy attacked for 1200 damage with Aurkus, dropping St. Clair to 5600 Life Points. He Summoned Ehren, Lightsworn Monk, then sent Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid, 2 Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior, Celestia, Lightsworn Angel, and Necro Gardna to the Graveyard. He’d get his Judgment Dragon from Gold Sarcophagus next turn.

St. Clair drew Bottomless Trap Hole. He activated Proving Ground, searched his Deck for Gladiator Beast Laquari, Summoned it, and attacked to force Necro Gardna’s activation. He Set War Chariot, Set Bottomless Trap Hole, and had exactly what he’d need to shut down Judgment Dragon – provided Searcy couldn’t eliminate Laquari or activate any Spell and Trap removal.

Searcy took his Judgment Dragon into his hand, and activated Cold Wave! Then he Tributed Ehren for Celestia, Lightsworn Angel, sending Card Trooper, Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress, and Threatening Roar to his Graveyard. He attacked with Celestia and Aurkus, not using the Judgment Dragon. He sent Threatening Roar and Foolish Burial to the Graveyard in the End Phase.

St. Clair drew and Summoned Gladiator Beast Equeste. Equeste attacked Aurkus, destroying it, and St. Clair sent Equeste back to the Deck to Summon Gladiator Beast Murmillo. Murmillo’s effect destroyed Celestia, and St. Clair Set a third Spell or Trap.

Searcy Special Summoned Judgment Dragon, and activated its effect, but St. Clair Chained Gladiator Beast War Chariot. Judgment Dragon was destroyed! Searcy Set Plaguespreader Zombie and ended.

St. Clair flipped the Zombie face-up next turn by attacking it with Murmillo, then tagged out to Equeste, taking back his Chariot. He Set the Chariot, then Set Book of Moon.

Searcy pounded him with Heavy Storm next turn, destroying St. Clair’s 4 face-down cards! Next, Charge of the Light Brigade got Searcy Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner from his deck. He Summoned her, discarding Wulf to try and Special Summon him, but St. Clair Chained the effect of D.D. Crow, removing Wulf before it could be Special Summoned. Searcy sent Torrential Tribute, Pot of Avarice, and Lyla to the Graveyard in the End Phase.

On his turn, St. Clair Summoned Gladiator Beast Bestiari. He attacked over Lumina with it, attacked directly with Equeste, and tagged Bestiari out to Special Summon another Gladiator Beast Equeste. He took back his Chariot again, tagged out his first Equeste, and brought out Gladiator Beast Darius. Darius brought back Laquari, and St. Clair used them all to bring out Gladiator Beast Heraklinos. He Set War Chariot, safe from a potential Judgment Dragon but with nothing else left in-hand!

Searcy drew Judgment Dragon! He Special Summoned it, traded it off against Heraklinos in battle, and ended.

St. Clair made the next big play, drawing Rescue Cat! He Summoned it, sent it to the Graveyard, and Special Summoned Test Tiger and Gladiator Beast Samnite. He Tributed Test Tiger, tagged Samnite out for Secutor, made a direct attack, and Special Summoned Gladiator Beast Equeste and Gladiator Beast Laquari from his deck. Equeste got him back his other Laquari, and he Fused everything for another Gladiator Beast Heraklinos.

Searcy passed next turn and took 2 game-ending attacks from Heraklinos and Laquari moments later.

Roy St. Clair loses 4 cards to a mid-game Heavy Storm, but wins the first Duel with not 1, but 2 copies of Gladiator Beast Heraklinos! Side Decking was brief on both sides of the table, and we quickly headed to the second Duel!

Searcy opened up with Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress, Setting 2 cards to his Spell & Trap Card Zone before sending Celestia, Lightsworn Angel, Honest, and Necro Gardna to his Graveyard.

St. Clair had Waboku, 2 Gladiator Beast Equeste, Gladiator Beast Retiari, Gladiator Beast Laquari, and Bottomless Trap Hole,. He Summoned Laquari, and tried to attack, but the attack was stopped by Threatening Roar. He Set Bottomless and Waboku.

Searcy activated Giant Trunade, but St. Clair Chained Waboku. Searcy Summoned Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior, Set 2 cards to his back row again, then attacked with Garoth, seeming to forget about Waboku. Garoth bounced off Laquari harmlessly, St. Clair tagged out for Gladiator Beast Bestiari, and destroyed Searcy’s Royal Oppression! Searcy ended, sending Cold Wave, Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, Pot of Avarice, Royal Oppression, and Solar Recharge to his Graveyard. No draws with Garoth, though he did Special Summon Wulf.

St. Clair Set Equeste next turn, tagged Equeste and Bestiari back to his Deck, and Special Summoned Gladiator Beast Gyzarus! He targeted Lyla and Searcy’s face-down Beckoning Light for destruction, Searcy Chained the Beckoning Light, and he discarded Plaguespreader Zombie (his only in-hand card) to take back Celestia. Gyzarus attacked, Searcy removed Necro Gardna to stop the attack, and St. Clair Set 2 cards to his back row to finish the turn. He still had 2 more cards in-hand.

Searcy drew to 2 cards in-hand, with Garoth and Wulf on the field. He placed a card on top of his Deck to Special Summon Plaguespreader Zombie. He Tuned it to Garoth for Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, and discarded Celestia for Brionac’s effect, but St. Clair responded by Chaining Gladiator Beast War Chariot! Brionac was destroyed, its effect was negated, and Searcy ended.

St. Clair Summoned Gladiator Beast Retiari, attacked Wulf with Gyzarus, and made a direct attack with Retiari. He tagged Retiari out for Gladiator Beast Equeste, took back his War Chariot, and then tagged Gyzarus back to the Deck to bring out Laquari and Retiari, removing Garoth from Searcy’s Graveyard. He then sent everything back to the Deck for Gladiator Beast Heraklinos. He Set Chariot, Set Shrink, and had 1 card left in-hand for Heraklinos’ effect.

Searcy drew to 1 card in hand, Set a monster, and ended.

St. Clair drew Murmillo, Summoned it, and attacked with Heraklinos, destroying Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid. Murmillo made a direct attack, then tagged out for Gladiator Beast Retiari, which removed Aurkus.

Searcy drew and passed.

St. Clair drew another War Chariot. Retiari made a direct attack, Heraklinos made a direct attack, and Searcy Special Summoned Gorz the Emissary of Darkness. When its effect activated to Summon an Emissary of Darkness Token, St. Clair Chained Gladiator Beast War Chariot to destroy Gorz and negate the effect. It was all over a turn later!

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

Jason Grabher-Meyer (The Old Man of Dueling)
After recovering from a brutal Heavy Storm, St. Clair thought through his situation, saw that his opponent could still win by drawing Judgment Dragon, and did everything he could to create a field that a lucky Judgment Dragon wouldn’t get through: Gladiator Beast Heraklinos with Gladiator Beast War Chariot. Sure enough, Searcy topdecked that Judgment Dragon the very next turn, and was forced to trade it for Heraklinos in battle! Alot of Duelists would’ve conceded after losing 4 cards Heavy Storm. St. Clair fought through it, played it tight, and made all the right moves to take the win. 

Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
In Duel 2, Searcy Set 2 cards in Main Phase 1 and lost one of them to the effect of St. Clair’s Gladiator Beast Bestiari in his Battle Phase. It’s usually a good idea to Set your Spell and Trap Cards in Main Phase 2 against Gladiator Beast Duelists, since battling a Gladiator Beast that your opponent can protect and tag-out will render him able to destroy your Spell and Trap Cards on the turn you Set them.

Searcy attacked St. Clair’s Gladiator Beast Laquari with Garoth and lost the Royal Oppression he Set in Main Phase 1 as a result. Royal Oppression is a great card against Gladiator Beast Duelists since it can negate the effect of a Gladiator Beast every time it tries to tag-out. Even though he forgot about St. Clair’s Waboku, Searcy still may have been able to win the Duel if he hadn’t Set his Royal Oppression before attacking.

P.J. Tierney (Duelist from across The Pond)
Sometimes, a Duelist has to throw caution to the wind and make a very risky play. During Duel 1, St. Clair had 4 cards Set in his back row, and any one of them could have been Starlight Road or Solemn Judgment. Most Duelists would hold back on their Heavy Storm, expecting it to be negated if they played it, but Searcy was unfazed, and got the big payoff when all 4 of St. Clair’s cards were destroyed.

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