Round 1: Dragontamer Zackery Biscardi VS Sam “Monster Hater” Cooper
We’re seeing a lot of Duelists running Dragons here, today, including Atlanta’s Zackery Biscardi. Long-time Duel fans may remember Biscardi from his performance with Gravekeepers, when Gravekeepers exploded at YCS Atlanta. His opponent this round is Palm Bay’s Samuel Cooper, piloting an Anti-Monster strategy. This could be an interesting Match, as Biscardi tries to break through with a flurry of Special Summons, and Cooper tries to keep him from doing it with cards like Thunder King Rai-Oh and Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo. Biscardi would have his work cut out for him.
Cooper opened our tournament with Pot of Duality, revealing Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo, Monster Reborn, and Thunder King Rai-Oh from the top of his Deck: he added Thunder King to his hand. He Summoned the Thunder King and Set 4 cards to his back row.
Biscardi had a hand of Dragon Ravine; Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon (REDMD); Pot of Duality; Dodger Dragon; and 2 Red-Eyes Wyvern. That Thunder King was locking down his Duality, but he activated Dragon Ravine, and discarded a Wyvern to send REDMD from his Deck to his Graveyard. He Normal Summoned Dodger Dragon, the removed it to Special Summon the REDMD from his hand: Cooper had Royal Oppression! He activated it, negating Biscardi’s Special Summon and destroying the REDMD. A solid opening was suddenly devastated: without the ability to Special Summon, Biscardi was in trouble.
Cooper attacked for 1900 Battle Damage with Thunder King next turn, then Set another Spell or Trap.
Biscardi drew Solemn Judgment – still no immediate help, but he Set it, and Set Red-Eyes Wyvern. He needed to draw Mystical Space Typhoon or Giant Trunade.
Cooper attacked to destroy Wyvern next turn.
Biscardi drew Giant Trunade! He activated it, and sent Cooper’s filled back row to his hand. He activated Dragon Ravine, Set Solemn Judgment, and discarded Pot of Duality for Ravine’s effect. That let Biscardi search his Deck for Delta Flyer, sending it to his Graveyard. In his End Phase he removed both of his Wyverns to Special Summon both of his Darkness Metal Dragons.
Cooper Normal Summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, and used its effect to destroy Dragon Ravine. He then Set 5 cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.
Biscardi drew Morphing Jar. He attacked Thunder King with a REDMD, and Cooper activated Forbidden Lance, reduing the Attack Points of Biscardi’s incoming Dragon: he’d miscalculated, and Thunder King was destroyed while the REDMD remained. The next Dragon attacked to destroy Breaker, and Biscardi Set Morphing Jar.
Cooper activated his second Pot of Duality, this time revealing Snowman Eater, Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo, and Dimensional Prison. He added Fossil Dyna to his hand and Set a monster – likely the Fossil Dyna.
Biscardi drew Light and Darkness Dragon, and Flip Summoned Morphing Jar to try and get a new hand: Cooper Chained Fiendish Chain, targeting Jar, and Biscardi Chained Solemn Judgment. Cooper Chained Seven Tools of the Bandit, negating Biscardi’s Solemn and ensuring that he’d negate the Jar’s effect with Fiendish Chain! Biscardi was in trouble: if he attacked into Fossil Dyna, he’d lose both of his Dragons. He Tributed a Dragon and Morphing Jar for Light and Darkness Dragon instead. Cooper knocked it down to 2300 ATK by activating Torrential Tribute. Light and Darkness attacked to destroy Fossil Dyna; it dropped to 1800 ATK to negate Fossil Dyna’s effect; and Red-Eyes attacked directly to reduce Cooper to 2100 Life Points.
Cooper drew to 3 cards in hand, with Oppression still Set in his back row. He flipped Oppression, losing it to Light and Darkness Dragon and knocking the Dragon down to 1300 ATK. He Normal Summoned another Breaker, bringing Light and Darkness Dragon down to 800 ATK, and then ran it over: Biscardi lost his field to Light and Darkness Dragon’s effect, but got to Special Summon another REDMD from his Graveyard. Cooper ended without Setting anything to his back row: that suggested his 2 in-hand cards were likely monsters.
Biscardi used REDMD to Special Summon Delta Flyer, and attacked with his monsters to win!
Samuel Cooper dominates the early game with Royal Oppression, but Zackery Biscardi fights his way back into the Duel after drawing the lucky Giant Trunade! Cooper would open the second Duel of the Match.
He started Duel 2 by Summoning Banisher of the Radiance and setting 2 cards to his back row.
Biscardi had Giant Trunade; Dodger Dragon; Mystical Space Typhoon; Delta Flyer; and 2 Exploder Dragons. “Blind Mystical Space Typhoon!” Biscardi destroyed Cooper’s Set Fiendish Chain, then Normal Summoned Dodger Dragon, attacking into Dimensional Prison. “The wrong one! No!” Biscardi laughed.
Cooper Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh, and attacked with both of his monsters for a combined total of 3500 Battle Damage.
Biscardi was down to 4500 Life Points, and drew Solemn Judgment. He Set it, then Summoned Exploder Dragon, ending his turn.
Cooper realized his Banisher was going to keep Biscardi from using the effect of Exploder Dragon, and ran it over to destroy it. He made a direct attack with Thunder King, lowering Biscardi to 600 Life Points.
Biscardi drew Red-Eyes Wyvern. He Summoned it, attacking to destroy Banisher. He chose not to bluff, refusing to Set his Trunade.
Cooper tried to Summon another Banisher, and Biscardi negated the Summon with Solemn Judgment: he had to in order to survive this turn. But Cooper had Monster Reborn! He brought back Banisher, and 2 swift attacks ended the Duel!
Samuel Cooper takes early control, as Zackery Biscardi guesses wrong with Mystical Space Typhoon and pays for it the entire Duel! One more Duel would decide the winner of this Match, and Biscardi would get to make his first opening of the day.
Biscardi had a hand of Exploder Dragon; Solemn Warning; Pot of Duality; Dimensional Prison; Red-Eyes Wyvern; and Book of Moon. He activated Duality, revealing Dark Hole, Dragon Ravine, and Dodger Dragon from the top of his Deck: he took Ravine. He activated it; discarded Exploder Dragon to send Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon to his Graveyard with Ravine’s effect; and Summoned Wyvern. He Set all 3 of his remaining cards to his back row to finish out.
Cooper tried to Normal Summon Thunder King, and Biscardi allowed it; when Thunder King attacked, Biscardi removed it with Dimensional Prison. Cooper Set 3 cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.
Biscardi drew Seven Tools of the Bandit and attacked for 1800 Battle Damage with Red-Eyes Wyvern. He Set Seven Tools.
Cooper activated Pot of Duality, revealing Book of Moon, Solemn Judgment, and Forbidden Lance: he took Solemn Judgment and shuffled the rest back. He Summoned another Thunder King, and this time Biscardi blocked it with Book of Moon, turning Thunder King face-down. Cooper Set a Spell or Trap, his fourth.
Biscardi drew Monster Reborn. He activated it, targeting REDMD: Cooper Chained Royal Oppression, and Biscardi didn’t chain Seven Tools, knowing his opponent had Solemn Judgment and not wanting to commit just yet. He attacked with Wyvern, and Cooper destroyed it with Mirror Force.
Cooper tried to Flip Summon Thunder King Rai-Oh: Biscardi responded with Solemn Warning, destroying it. Cooper had 2 cards left in his hand, and he Normal Summoned Mist Valley Falcon, returning a Spell or Trap to his hand. He attacked with it, then Set the card he bounced. The Duel stood at 4000 Life Points to 5400, with Cooper leading.
Biscardi drew and Set Solemn Judgment.
Cooper attacked again with Falcon, returning his Spell or Trap, and Setting it again. He Set a monster, then Set another card to his back row.
Biscardi drew another Dragon Ravine: no help. He discarded it for his on-field Ravine’s effect, sending Red-Eyes Wyvern to his Graveyard from his Deck. He tried to remove it to Special Summon REDMD in the End Phase, but when Cooper activated Royal Oppression’s effect to negate the Summon, Biscardi offered the handshake!
Zackery Biscardi overcomes Royal Oppression in the first Duel, but can’t get there in the third, and Samuel Cooper scores the win over Dragons!
