Jack Hoyt and Brandon Miotke are both running X-Sabers in today’s Dragon Duels. They fought through 5 rounds of swiss and 2 rounds of elimination to make it into the finals here. Hoyt went completely undefeated, while Miotke has one loss from the swiss rounds. You may remember Brandon Miotke as the winner of previous Dragon Duels, including the Dragon Duel in New Jersey that awarded him a Dark End Dragon prize card. But Jack Hoyt is a rising star, sure to make this a memorable Match.

The winner here will be awarded a free trip to Japan, to attend Jump Festa, the huge SHONEN JUMP convention. So both Duelists will definitely be giving it their all!

Both players wished each other luck before the Match. Jack Hoyt won the dice roll and chose to go first. Hoyt opened up with Giant Trunade, 2 copies of XX-Saber Darksoul, XX-Saber Boggart Knight, X-Saber Airbellum, and Book of Moon. He Set a Darksoul and Book of Moon before ending his turn.

Miotke Set 1 card to each zone and ended.

Hoyt drew Torrential Tribute next turn. He Summoned XX-Saber Boggart Knight in Main Phase 1 and activated its effect to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum from his hand. Miotke flipped Torrential Tribute to clear the field! Hoyt lost a Darksoul and Mitoke lost his Sangan. Miotke searched his Deck for Rescue Cat with the effect of Sangan. Then Hoyt Set his Torrential Tribute in Main Phase 2 and ended his turn.

Miotke Normal Summoned Rescue Cat next turn. He Tributed it to Special Summon 2 copies of X-Saber Airbellum from his Deck. Hoyt flipped Book of Moon to put one of them face-down, preventing Miotke from Special Summoning Faultroll. But then Mitoke activated Gottoms’ Emergency Call to Special Summon Hoyt’s X-Saber Airbellum and Boggart Knight! Boggart Knight and both copies of X-Saber Airbellum attacked directly and Hoyt discarded his hand due to the effects of the Airbellumss. Hoyt dropped down to 2900 Life Points after the attacks. X-Saber Airbellum was destroyed in the End Phase due to the Cat’s effect.

Hoyt drew Heavy Storm next turn and conceded, knowing the X-Saber Airbellum and Boggart Knight would finish him off next turn.

Jack Hoyt will be going first in Duel 2!

Hoyt opened up with Cold Wave, X-Saber Airbellum, XX-Saber Boggart Knight, Royal Decree, and 2 copies of XX-Saber Faultroll. He Set Decree and ended his turn.

Miotke activated Giant Trunade next turn. Then he Summoned Summoner Monk, switched it to Defense Position with its effect, and discarded Mind Control to Special Summon Rescue Cat from his Deck. He Tributed the Cat to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum and XX-Saber Darksoul from his Deck. “Do you have 2 Faultrolls?” Hoyt asked. Miotke laughed. “I wish I did!” Darksoul and Airbellum attacked directly, and Hoyt randomly lost an X-Saber Airbellum from his hand due to the effect of Miotke’s Airbellum. In Main Phase 2, Miotke Tuned Summoner Monk with X-Saber Airbellum to Synchro Summon Arcanite Magician in Attack Position. He Set a back row and ended his turn, letting Darksoul get destroyed by the effect or Rescue Cat and searching his Deck for a XX-Saber Fulhelmknight to add to his hand with Darksoul’s effect.

Hoyt drew another copy of X-Saber Airbellum next turn. It was time for him to make his play! He activated Cold Wave and then Summoned XX-Saber Boggart Knight to the field. He used its effect to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum from his hand and then Special Summoned 2 copies of XX-Saber Faultroll! He Tuned XX-Saber Boggart Knight with X-Saber Airbellum to Synchro Summon X-Saber Urbellum! Then he activated one copy of Faultroll to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum from the Graveyard and Tuned it with the Faultroll to Synchro Summon XX-Saber Gottoms. Then he activated the other XX-Saber Faultroll to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum in Attack Position. Gottoms attacked over Arcanite Magician, and then XX-Saber Faultroll, X-Saber Urbellum, and X-Saber Airbellum attacked directly. Miotke only had 3 cards in his hand, so Urbellum’s effect didn’t activate, but Airbellum nailed Heavy Storm from Miotke’s hand. In Main Phase 2, Hoyt Tributed Airbellum and Urbellum to make Miotke discard his hand of Torrential Tribute and Fulhelmknight.

Miotke drew a card and passed, still under Cold Wave.

Hoyt drew another copy of Royal Decree next turn. He Set it and ended his turn, without attacking with XX-Saber Gottoms or Faultroll.

Miotke Set a second card on his next turn, and Hoyt flipped Royal Decree in Miotke’s End Phase.

Hoyt attacked directly with XX-Saber Gottoms next turn. Miotke only had 1100 Life Points, and couldn’t withstand the attack. He revealed his face-down Mirror Force and Gottoms’ Emergency Call before scooping up his cards and shuffling for Duel 2.

A cautious play around Mirror Force allows Jack Hoyt to win the second Duel and push the Match to a third Duel!

Brandon Miotke will be going first in Duel 3!

He started things off by Summoning Boggart Knight and setting a back row before ending his turn.

Hoyt started off with Royal Decree, Mirror Force, Solemn Judgment, Rescue Cat, Sangan, and Book of Moon. He Set Decree, Mirror Force, and Solemn Judgment in his Spell and Trap Card Zone before Setting Sangan and ending his turn.

Miotke activated Mind Control next turn and took control of Hoyt’s Sangan. He wasn’t too thrilled about it. He attacked directly with Boggart Knight and Hoyt lost 1900 Life Points. He Set a monster in Main Phase 2 and ended his turn, giving Sangan back to Hoyt.

Hoyt drew Bottomless Trap Hole next turn. Then he flipped Royal Decree and Miotke let it resolve. He Summoned Rescue Cat next and Tributed it to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum and XX-Saber Darksoul from his Deck in Attack Position. He Flip-Summoned his Sangan and Tuned all 3 of his monsters together to Synchro Summon Mist Wurm! He activated its effect and returned all 3 of Mitoke’s cards to his hand. He searched his Deck for XX-Saber Emmersblade and added it to his hand with the effect of Sangan. Then Mist Wurm attacked directly and Miotke dropped down to 5500 Life Points. In the End Phase, Hoyt seached his Deck for XX-Saber Fulhelmknight and added it to his hand with the effect of his Darksoul.

Miotke Summoned XX-Saber Boggart Knight next turn and activated its effect to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum. Hoyt flipped Book of Moon to turn the Airbellum face-down. Mitoke Set a back row and ended his turn.

Hoyt drew Thunder King Rai-Oh next turn. Then he Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh and attacked over Boggart Knight with Mist Wurm. Next, he attacked and destroyed the Defense Position X-Saber Airbellum with Thunder King Rai-Oh.

Mitoke Summoned XX-Saber Boggart Knight next turn and activated its effect to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum from his hand. Then he Special Summoned XX-Saber Faultroll and Hoyt negated the Summon by Tributing his Rai-Oh. Hoyt prepared for the Faultroll throughout the entire Duel by not letting Miotke get 2 face-up X-Sabers on the field, and his postponement paid off. Miotke ended his turn.

Hoyt drew Cold Wave next turn. Then he Normal Summoned XX-Saber Emmersblade. He used Mist Wurm to attack Boggart Knight and Miotke dropped down to 4300 Life Points. XX-Saber Emmersblade attacked X-Saber Airbellum next, and Hoyt lost 300 Life Points. Hoyt Special Summoned Boggart Knight from his Deck with the effect of Emmersblade and used Boggart Knight to attack and destroy X-Saber Airbellum. Hoyt ended his turn.

Miotke Summoned XX-Saber Darksoul next turn. Then he activated Saber Slash to destroy Mist Wurm. He ended his turn.

Hoyt drew Giant Trunade next turn. He Summoned XX-Saber Fulhelmknight to the field and attacked over Darksoul with it. Then he attacked directly with his other X-Saber and Miotke dropped to 900 Life Points. Hoyt activated Giant Trunade in Main Phase 2 and then Set all 4 of his in-hand Trap Cards to his back row. In Hoyt’s End Phase, Miotke searched his Deck for XX-Saber Emmersblade with the effect of Darksoul and added it to his hand.

Mitoke Set a monster in Defense Position and then Set 2 cards to his back row next turn. Hoyt flipped Royal Decree in the End Phase to prevent Miotke from using any Trap Cards he may have just Set.

Hoyt drew another copy of Royal Decree next turn. Then he attacked Miotke’s Defense Position Emmersblade with Fulhelmknight and Special Summoned XX-Saber Darksoul from his Graveyard with its effect. Miotke Special Summoned another copy of Emmersblade from his Deck in Defense Position. Boggart Knight attacked Emmersblade next, and Miotke Special Summoned a third copy of Emmersblade from his Deck in Defense Position. Hoyt Tuned Darksoul with Fulhelmknight in Main Phase 2 and Synchro Summoned Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier! He discarded Royal Decree from his hand to bounce Emmersblade back to Miotke’s hand and in his End Phase, Hoyt searched his Deck for X-Saber Pashuul and added it to his hand with the effect of Darksoul.

Miotke had 2 cards in his hand and 2 face-down Spell or Trap Cards, but was staring down a Brionac and Boggart Knight as well as a Royal Decree and 3 Set back rows on Hoyt’s side of the field. He drew a card for turn and then Normal Summoned Emmersblade. He rammed it into Boggart Knight and lost 600 Life Points, dropping down to just 300 Life Points! He Special Summoned Fulhelmknight in Defense Position with the effect of Emmersblade and ended his turn.

Hoyt drew XX-Saber Faultroll next turn. He used Brionac’s effect to discard Cold Wave and send XX-Saber Emmersblade back to Miotke’s hand, then attacked directly with Brionac and ended the Duel!

Some amazing plays by Jack Hoyt allow him to defeat Brandon Miotke with a 2-1 victory and win a free trip to Japan!

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)
Hoyt knew that his Cold Wave wasn’t going to win him the Duel right away, but he used it to build his field and do some major damage to Miotke’s hand. Miotke had Mirror Force Set. It would’ve let him make a comeback after Cold Wave’s effect ended, but with Royal Decree in-hand, Hoyt didn’t go for game on the following turn. Instead, he Set Decree, ended, and flipped it a turn later to make sure he had the Duel in the bag! Royal Decree is a powerful Side Decked card in the X-Saber mirror Match, and Hoyt played it perfectly. 

Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
Patience is a virtue that not all Duelists possess, but in this Match, Jack Hoyt proved that he has it. Hoyt had XX-Saber Gottoms and XX-Saber Faultroll on the field against Miotke’s lone back row and declined to attack or Summon because he had Royal Decree in his hand. Hoyt Set the Decree instead, deciding to push for victory next turn. By then, he wouldn’t have to worry about Mirror Force or Torrential Tribute. Sure enough, Hoyt’s play paid off. Miotke had Mirror Force face-down. If Hoyt had attacked with all of his monsters instead of just Setting Royal Decree and ending his turn, he would’ve lost his field and maybe even lost the Match. Hoyt weighed his options and rightfully determined that the chance Miotke had Torrential Tribute or Mirror Force face-down outweighed the chance of Miotke being able to mount a comeback on his next turn. Decisions like those define champions.