Twenty year-old Bobby Brake hails from right here in Dallas, Texas. Bobby is here today playing an innovative Karakuri build that looks to capitalize with all sorts of combos, focused on Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X “Bureido”. His opponent is seventeen year-old William Erker, who traveled here this weekend from St. Louis, Missouri to compete with his Plant Synchro Deck. If Brake can go off quickly here, he’ll have no problem scoring the win. But if the Duels become longer contests they may fall in the favor of Erker, as he builds his Graveyard and the combos that go with it.

Erker opened the Match with Thunder King Rai-Oh and Set 3 Spell/Trap Cards.

Brake had a hand of Cold Wave, Solemn Warning, Solemn Judgment, Monster Reborn, and 2 Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotives. He Set a Dekoichi, Warning, and Judgment.

Erker drew for his turn and destroyed Brake’s Judgment with Dust Tornado. Thunder King attacked, destroyed Dekoichi, and Brake drew Swift Scarecrow. Erker tried to Summon Lonefire Blossom in Main Phase 2, but the Summon was negated by Solemn Warning. A Set Spell or Trap ended the turn.

Brake drew Dark Hole and Set his second Dekoichi.

Erker attacked the Dekoichi with Thunder King, and this time Brake got Karakuri Strategist mdl 248 “Nishipachi”.

Brake drew another Nishipachi next turn, and passed.

Erker attcked for 1900 Battle Damage with Thunder King, dropping Brake to 4100 Life Points. Erker still had 8000. He activated Call of the Haunted, Special Summoned Lonefire Blossom, and attacked. In Main Phase 2 he Tributed Lonefire to Special Summon Dandylion from his Deck.

Brake drew Machine Duplication, and after a bit of thought he activated Dark Hole. Dandylion and Thunder King were destroyed, Special Summoning 2 Fluff Tokens. Brake Summoned Nishipachi, used its effect to turn a Fluff Token to Attack Position, and then activated Monster Reborn, targeting Dekoichi. Erker turned Nishipachi face-down with Book of Moon, and Dekoichi attacked the Fluff Token for 1400 Battle Damage.

Erker drew to 4 cards in hand, with Call of the Haunted and a Set Spell or Trap Card on the field, plus 1 Fluff Token. He Tributed the Fluff Token for Caius the Shadow Monarch, removing Nishipachi from the game, and attacking over Dekoichi. He Set another Spell or Trap.

Brake drew Limiter Removal and passed.

Erker activated Monster Reborn, Special Summoned Thunder King, attacked, and Brake blocked with Swift Scarecrow.

Brake drew Gold Sarcophagus, but far too late for it to be of use. He Summoned Nishipachi, turned Caius to Defense Position, and Special Summoned another Nishipachi from his Deck with Machine Duplication: there was nothing else he could do. Thunder King went to Defense Position, Nishipachi attacked it, and Limiter Removal helped take Thunder King down. But Nishipachi’s boosted 1000 ATK wasn’t enough to destroy Caius as well. Brake removed Cyber Dragon from his Deck with Gold Sarcophagus in Main Phase 2, then lost both of his Karakuris in the End Phase to Limiter’s effect.

Erker Normal Summoned Debris Dragon next turn, Special Summoned Dandylion, and tuned them together for Black Rose Dragon. He Special Summoned 2 Fluff Tokens, attacked with both of his monsters, and that was the Duel!

Rough draws cost Bobby Brake the first Duel – and the element of surprise! William Erker takes a methodical Duel 1 victory. The pressure was on for Brake.

Brake started with a hand of D.D. Crow, Pot of Duality, Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, Karakuri Watchdog mdl 313 “Saizan”, Karakuri Strategist mdl 248 “Nishipachi”, and Karakuri Soldier mdl 236 “Nisamu”.

He activated Duality, choosing between My Body As A Shield, Machine Duplication, and another Nisamu. He added Duplication to his hand, then Set Nisamu.

Erker activated Charge of the Light Brigade, sending Pot of Avarice, Limit Reverse, and Jowgen the Spiritualist to his Graveyard from the top of his Deck, on his way to searching out Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter. He Summoned Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo, attacked, and destroyed Nisamu, stopping its Special Summon ability with Fossil Dyna’s effect! 2 Set Spell or Traps finished Erker’s turn.

Another Pot of Duality saw Brake choosing Cold Wave over another Nisamu and Dekoichi. He Set Dekoichi.

Thunder King attacked Dekochi, and Erker made a direct attack with Fossil Dyna.

Brake Set a card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone, then Set a monster.

Erker shifted Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo to Defense Position, attacked with Thunder King to destroy Saizan, and Set another monster.

Brake drew Swift Scarecrow and passed.

Erker turned Fossil Dyna to Attack Position, then attacked directly with both the Dyna and Thunder King.

Brake drew Cyber Dragon and Set another monster.

Thunder King attacked, running over Nishipachi, and Fossil Dyna scored another 1200 Battle Damage. Erker Set another monster.

Brake Set another Spell or Trap, then Set a monster.

Erker Flip Summoned Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, destroying Solemn Warning. He Flip Summoned Card Trooper, sent 3 cards (including Dandylion) to his Graveyard to boost its ATK, and attacked D.D. Crow with Card Trooper. When Ryko attacked, Brake blocked with Swift Scarecrow.

“I’ve got four outs,” commented Brake. He drew Machine Duplication, which wasn’t one of them. He Set Black Salvo, then Set everything else he had to his back row. Erker boosted Card Trooper, attacked, and Brake conceded.

Bobby Brake just can’t put together his combos, pinned down under what may become one of the defining cards of the weekend: Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo. William Erker takes the first Match of the day, sweeping Brake in a 2-0 victory!