Cody Gravelle is here from Niagara Falls playing Lightsworn today, he’s undefeated and looking to virtually lock himself into the top 16 by winning this match. His opponent is Josh Graham, an Orillia, Ontario native, who’s looking for the same thing. Both Duelists can’t win though, so something’s gotta give. Let’s see what happens in a throwback to an older format where Gladiator Beasts and Lightsworn were constantly at war.

Graham won the dice roll and decided to go first.

Graham started us off with three Set Spell or Trap Cards and a Gladiator Beast Laquari in Attack Position.
Gravelle’s hand was Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, Solar Recharge, Monster Reborn, Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner, Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress, and Cold Wave. He opened with Solar Recharge discarding Lyla, drawing Ehren, Lightsworn Monk and Trap Stun, discarding Honest and Card Trooper off the top of his Deck. He Set a card to each zone and ended.

Graham Summoned Gladiator Beast Murmillo, and at the start of the Battle Phase, Gravelle activated Trap Stun. Murmillo attacked Ryko and its effect destroyed Murmillo and sent the top three cards of Gravelle’s Deck to the Graveyard. One of those three cards was Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, which Gravelle Special Summoned. (Wulf is Special Summoned if it is sent from your Deck to the Graveyard). Graham passed after Setting a 4^th Spell or Trap Card.
Gravelle drew and activated Cold Wave, he then summoned Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner, discarding Ehren to Special Summon Lyla from his Graveyard. He then attacked Laquari with Wulf, and then attacked directly with both Lyla and Lumina for 2700 more damage. During his End Phase, Gravelle’s Lightsworn monsters sent more cards from his Deck to the Graveyard, one of which was another Wulf which he Special Summoned. (Most “Lightsworn” monsters send cards from your Deck to the Graveyard during the End Phase.)

Graham drew and Summoned Gladiator Beast Darius, which attacked Lumina and inflicted 700 damage. Darius activated its effect to swap out for Gladiator Beast Hoplomus in Defense Position. (Any Gladiator Beast that successfully battles can be returned to the Deck at the end of the Battle Phase. In turn, you can Special Summon a new one and activate its effect.)

Gravelle drew Cyber Dragon and activated Lyla’s effect to destroy Graham’s Set Solemn Warning, “Ouch” said graham. He summoned another Lyla but fell victim to Graham’s Set Bottomless Trap Hole. He then attempted to use Monster Reborn on Ehren but Graham responded with another Solemn Warning. He ended his turn and 3 more cards came off the top of his Deck.

Graham drew a card, Set his remaining cards in his Spell and Trap Card Zone, and ended.

Gravelle drew, and passed his turn, sending 3 more cards to the Graveyard.
Graham drew and Summoned Elemental Hero Prisma, immediately activating its effect to send Gladiator Beast Bestiari to the Graveyard. Gravelle Chained with the effect of Effect Veiler, targeting Prisma. Graham attacked the Defense Position Lyla with his Hoplomus, which allowed him to Summon Gladiator Beast Darius and use its effect to Special Summon Bestiari from his Graveyard. He returned his Gladiator Beasts to the Deck to Summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus to destroy Gravelle’s remaining two Wulfs. (Gladiator Beast Gyzarus is Summoned from the Extra Deck by returning Gladiator Beast Bestiari and any other Gladiator Beast to your Deck.)

Gravelle drew and ended his turn.

Graham drew and activated Prisma, sending Bestiari to the Graveyard once again. After spending a bit of time looking through Gravelle’s Graveyard, he summoned Darius and attacked with all three of his monsters for 5800 damage, leaving Gravelle at 1500 Life Points. He tagged his Darius for Gladiator Beast Equeste, adding Bestiari to his hand, and after contemplating some more, tagged Gyzarus for another Equeste (getting Murmillo back) and Darius (reviving Laquari). He then returned Darius, Laquari, and Equeste to his Deck in Main Phase 2 to Summon Gladiator Beast Heraklinos and ended his turn with 2 cards in hand and 2 Set Spell or Traps. (Gladiator Beast Heraklinos works like Gyzarus, except you have to return Laquari and two other Gladiator Beasts).

Gravelle drew to 2 cards in hand and conceded immediately.

Josh Graham scores a convincing game 1 victory!

Gravelle decided to go first in Game 2. His hand this time around consisted of Charge of the Light Brigade, Plaguespreader Zombie, Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness, and two copies of Trap Stun. He activated Charge, sending Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, Card Trooper, and Monster Reborn in order to search out Jain, Lightsworn Paladin, which he summoned to the field. He then Set one card to his backrow and ended his turn, sending two more cards from his Deck to the Graveyard. (One of which was Necro Gardna, which can be removed from the Graveyard from play to negate your opponent’s next attack!)

Graham started off with a quick Mystical Space Typhoon on Trap Stun, then he summoned Elemental Hero Stratos, and activated its effect to add Elemental Hero Prisma to his hand, He then attacked with Stratos, but Gravelle removed his Necro Gardna from play to negate the attack. Graham then entered Main Phase 2, Setting two Spell or Trap Cards and activating Swords of Revealing Light.

Gravelle drew Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter on his next turn, and after thinking for a moment he Set it along with Trap Stun and ended his turn.

Graham started his turn by summoning Prisma, sending Gladiator Beast Bestiari to the Graveyard, he then activated Monster Reborn to bring Bestiari back to the field, he then Summoned Gladiator Beast Gyzarus with Prisma and Bestiari to destroy Gravelle’s Ryko and Trap Stun. He attacked Wulf with Gyzarus and attacked Jain with Stratos, destroying them both, before swapping Gyzarus for Gladiator Beast Laquari and Gladiator Beast Retiari (Which removed Jain from Gravelle’s Graveyard from play) and activating Dimensional Fissure in Main Phase 2.

Gravelle drew Honest and contemplated the situation he was in. He Set Honest and ended.

Graham drew, attacked Honest with Laquari, and attacked directly for 1200 damage. Gravelle activated Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness in response to this attack, Graham then swapped Retiari for Bestiari, destroying his own Swords of Revealing Light, and also swapped Laquari for Retiari once again, removing a Wulf in Gravelle’s Graveyard from play. He then fused for Gyzarus, destroying both Gorz and the Emissary of Darkness Token. He ended with one card in hand, two Set Spell or Trap Cards, Dimensional Fisure, and Gyzarus.

Gravelle drew to 3 cards in hand. He activated Nobleman of Extermination on Graham’s face down Solemn Warning, removing two more from his Deck! Too little, too late though, as Gravelle simply had no follow up with only a Plaguespreader Zombie and Wulf in his hand. After looking desperately at his Graveyard for an answer, he ended his turn.

Graham drew, Attacked with Gyzarus for 2400 damage, and swapped it once again for Retiari (removing Celestia) and Laquari.

Gravelle drew Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid on his turn, summoned it, and crashed it into Retiari before ending his turn.

Graham drew, did some calculations, and summoned Prisma. He attacked with both monsters for 3800 damage, leaving Gravelle at 300 Life points.

Gravelle Special Summoned Cyber Dragon next turn, he then Normal Summoned Plaguespreader Zombie, but when Graham responded to that summon by using his face down Book of Moon on Cyber Dragon, Gravelle offered the handshake! (Cyber Dragon can be Special Summoned from your hand if your opponent controls at least 1 monster and you don’t.)

Josh Graham sweeps the match 2-0 with Gladiator Beasts!

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)
Graham made a nice play in the second Duel.  Faced with Gravelle’s Gorz and its Emissary of Darkness Token, he took the opportunity to tag out for Gladiator Beast Bestiari.  He had to destroy his own Swords of Revealing Light (since Bestiari’s destruction effect is mandatory), but doing so let him Summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, destroying Gorz and the Token monster.  The Gorz was Gravelle’s last big monster, and he conceded a few turns later. 

Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
Graham put his Swords of Revealing Light to great use in the second Duel! It prevented Gravelle’s Jain, Lightsworn Paladin from attacking and let Graham set up some big plays. Right before the effect of Swords of Revealing Light expired, Graham was even able to use it as a target for the effect of his Gladiator Beast Bestiari. This enabled him to tag in Bestiari without destroying one of his more useful Spell or Trap Cards. Then, he was able to use Bestiari to Fusion Summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus and destroy Gravelle’s Gorz the Emissary of Darkness and Emissary of Darkness Token.

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