12-year-old Kyle Chen from Tallahassee, Florida finished the Swiss rounds with an 8-2 record using Gladiator Beasts. His opponent, Luke Patterson, took his Scrap Deck to a 9-1 finish. Historically, Scrap Decks have had trouble beating Gladiator Beasts due to the constant threat of Gladiator Beast Murmillo and Gladiator Beast Retiari, but now that Patterson’s Scrap Deck is packing the 3 copies of Reborn Tengu that Gladiator Beast Decks frequently struggle against, Patterson might actually have the edge in this Match.

Patterson started off the Match by Summoning Scrap Beast and Setting 2 cards to his back row.

Chen opened up with Gladiator Beast Laquari, Gladiator Beast Darius, Thunder King Rai-Oh, Mirror Force, Forbidden Lance, and Gladiator Beast War Chariot. He Normal Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh, then Set Forbidden Lance, Mirror Force, and Gladiator Beast War Chariot in his back row. He ended his turn without attacking the Scrap Beast.

Patterson Normal Summoned Scrap Chimera and Tuned it with Scrap Beast to Synchro Summon Scrap Dragon. When Chen negated the Summon and destroyed Scrap Dragon by Tributing his Rai-Oh, Patterson used Scrap Dragon’s effect to Special Summon Scrap Chimera from his Graveyard. Chimera attacked directly and Chen took the damage. Patterson Set a card to his back row and ended his turn.

Chen drew and Summoned Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind next turn, and activated its effect to try to halve the ATK and DEF of Scrap Chimera; but Patterson flipped Fiendish Chain to negate Gale’s effect! In Chen’s End Phase, Patterson flipped Call of the Haunted and Special Summoned Scrap Beast from his Graveyard.

Patterson Tuned Scrap Beast with Scrap Chimera to Synchro Summon Scrap Dragon next turn. He activated its effect to destroy his own Call of the Haunted and Chen’s face-down Mirror Force. Then he attacked Gale, destroying it in battle and causing Chen to lose 1500 Life Points.

Chen drew Solemn Judgment next turn. He Set it and then tried to Normal Summon Gladiator Beast Laquari, but Patterson flipped Solemn Warning to negate the Summon!

Patterson Set a monster and then activated his Scrap Dragon’s effect to destroy the Scrap Goblin he had just Set, and destroy Chen’s face-down Solemn Judgment. He used the Goblin’s effect to return Scrap Chimera to his hand, and then he Set a card to his back row in Main Phase 2.

Chen drew Forbidden Lance next turn and Set it. He Summoned Gladiator Beast Darius to the field before ending his turn.

Patterson Normal Summoned Scrap Chimera and tried to activate its effect, but Chen flipped Gladiator Beast War Chariot to negate the effect and destroy the Chimera. Next, Patterson used Scrap Dragon’s effect to destroy his own face-down Scrapyard and Chen’s Attack Position Darius. One direct attack from Scrap Dragon wiped out Chen’s last 2000 Life Points and gave Patterson the Duel 1 victory!

An early Scrap Dragon spells doom for Kyle Chen, as the Dragon picks off his cards one at a time. Chen will be going first in Duel 2!

Chen opened up with Gladiator Beast Murmillo, Compulsory Evacuation Device, Bottomless Trap Hole, Dimensional Prison, Dimensional Fissure, and Pulling the Rug. He Set Murmillo, activated Dimensional Fissure, and then Set all 4 of his Trap Cards.

Patterson activated Pot of Duality to reveal Monster Reborn, Reborn Tengu, and Scrap Orthros from the top of his Deck. He added Monster Reborn to his hand and shuffled the other 2 cards back into his Deck. He Set 3 cards to his back row and ended his turn.

Chen drew Book of Moon and then Flip Summoned Gladiator Beast Murmillo. He attacked directly with Murmillo and Patterson dropped down to 7200 Life Points. At the end of the Battle Phase, Chen tagged out his Murmillo to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Bestiari from his Deck, and used its effect to destroy Patterson’s face-down Monster Reborn!

Patterson Normal Summoned Reborn Tengu next turn, and Chen flipped Bottomless Trap Hole to remove it from the Duel. Patterson Special Summoned another copy from his Deck, which he used to attack Bestiari. Chen flipped Dimensional Prison this time, and Patterson Special Summoned another Tengu from his Deck. When that Tengu attacked Bestiari, Chen flipped Compulsory Evacuation Device to return it to Patterson’s hand.

Chen drew Gladiator Beast War Chariot next turn. He attacked directly with Gladiator Beast Bestiari and tagged it out at the end of the Battle Phase to Summon Gladiator Beast Laquari. Then he Set Book of Moon and Gladiator Beast War Chariot. In Chen’s End Phase, Patterson flipped Dust Tornado to destroy the newly Set Book of Moon.

Patterson had 5 cards in hand with 1 card in his back row, and Chen had a 2100 ATK Laquari, 2 face-down cards in his back row, and a face-up Dimensional Fissure. Patterson activated Scrapyard to search his Deck for Scrap Goblin and add it to his hand. He Summoned it to the field and then activated Mind Control to take control of Gladiator Beast Laquari! Next, he Tuned his Goblin with Laquari to Synchro Summon Black Rose Dragon, and activated its effect to destroy all of Chen’s cards! He Set a back row and passed.

Chen drew and Set Compulsory Evacuation Device.

Patterson flipped his face-down Scrapyard next turn and searched his Deck for a Scrap Beast to add to his hand. He Normal Summoned it and then Special Summoned Scrap Orthros from his hand. Patterson used his Orthros’s effect to destroy Scrap Beast, and then Special Summoned Meklord Emperor Granel from his hand with 2850 ATK. Orthros attacked Chen directly, and then Granel attacked directly, dropped Chen down to 3450. Patterson Set a card to his back row before ending his turn.

Chen drew Thunder King Rai-Oh next turn. He Summoned it to the field and then ended his turn.

Patterson flipped Dust Tornado next turn to try to destroy Chen’s face-down Compulsory Evacuation Device, but Chen Chained it to return Granel to Patterson’s hand. Next, Patterson Normal Summoned Reborn Tengu and Tuned it with Scrap Orthros to Summon Scrap Dragon. Chen negated the Summon and destroyed Scrap Dragon by Tributing Rai-Oh, and Patterson used his Dragon’s effect to Special Summon Orthros from his Graveyard. Orthros attacked directly to drop Chen down to 1750 Life Points. Patterson Set a card to his back row and then ended his turn.

Chen drew Gladiator Beast Murmillo and Set it.

Patterson Set another card to his back row and then attacked Chen’s face-down Murmillo with Orthros to destroy it in battle.

Chen drew Pulling the Rug and Set it, but lost it to Mystical Space Typhoon in his End Phase.

Patterson attacked directly with Orthros next turn to drop Chen down to 50 Life Points, with no cards in his hand or on his field!

Chen drew Gladiator Proving Ground next turn! He activated it to search his Deck for Gladiator Beast Laquari and tried to Summon it; but Patterson flipped Solemn Warning and gave up 2000 Life Points to negate the Summon!

Patterson attacked directly with Scrap Orthros on the following turn, ending the Duel and the Match!

Chen struggles against 3 Reborn Tengus and a huge Black Rose Dragon play in Duel 2, as Patterson tears through the 5 back rows Chen placed on his first turn. Luke Patterson is moving on to the Top 16 with Scraps!