This player pod was another Battle Pack Draft pool! You can find an explanation of Draft rules in this feature match. Earl Ratliff hails from Fairborn, Ohio, while Daryl Nance came all the way from Burlington, New Jersey.

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Duel 1

Nance started with Fissure, Shine Knight, Forbidden Chalice, Gene-Warped Warwolf, and Miracle’s Wake. He drew Gyroid and Set Shine Knight, then Set Chalice.

Ratliff Set two backrow cards, then summoned Milla the Temporal Magician. It revealed Forbidden Chalice. Milla attacked into Shine Knight and Ratliff took 100 damage.

Nance drew Solemn Judgment. He summoned Warwolf and took down Milla, dealing 200 damage. Nance Set Miracle’s Wake and Solemn Judgment.

Ratliff Set a monster.

Nance drew Archfiend Soldier and summoned it. Warwolf attacked Ratliff’s face-down monster, revealing it to be Giant Soldier of Stone. Nance tried to use Forbidden Chalice to boost Warwolf during the Damage Step, but Ratliff negated it with Dark Bribe! Nance drew Yaksha thanks to Bribe. In Main Phase 2, Nance destroyed Giant Soldier with Fissure.

Ratliff Set a monster and ended his turn.

Nance drew yet another powerful Normal Monster – Luster Dragon! He Normal Summoned his Yaksha, returning Ratliff’s only back row card to his hand! He then combined his Archfiend Soldier and defense position Shine Knight to Xyz Summon Wind-Up Zenmaister. Zenmaister destroyed Ratliff’s Twin-Headed Behemoth, then Yaksha and Warwolf attacked directly. In the End Phase, Yaksha returned to the hand and Behemoth returned to the field with 1000 ATK and DEF. Nance had 8000 Life Points still, while Ratliff was down to 3800.

Ratliff Set a monster and two back row cards.

Nance drew Gagaga Magician. He Normal Summoned Yaksha and returned one of the back row cards. Yaksha destroyed Behemoth, and Warwolf took down a Set Naturia Strawberry, but when Zenmaister attacked directly, Ratliff activated Metal Reflect Slime! But Nance wasn’t having any of it, and negated it with Solemn Judgment! Zenmaister’s attack continued, and Ratliff dropped down to 1300 Life Points. Yaksha returned to the hand once again.

Ratliff Set a monster and a back row card.

Nance drew Cyber Jar. He summoned Yaksha once more, returning Ratliff’s only back row card. Zenmaister attacked Ratliff’s Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts, then Warwolf and Yaksha took down the Nordic Beast Tokens. And Yaksha returned to the hand again.

Ratliff drew his card and surrendered, unable to stop the relentless onslaught of monsters and the bouncing power of Yaksha!

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Duel 2

Ratliff started off with King Tiger Wanghu and a Set back row card.

Nance’s opening hand was Gagaga Magician, Miracle’s Wake, Yaksha, Luster Dragon, Cyber Jar, and Shine Knight. He summoned Yaksha (again) and bounced away Ratliff’s back row card, then Yaksha took down Wanghu! Nance Set a back row, then returned Yaksha to his hand.

Ratliff Set a monster and two back row cards.

Nance drew Forbidden Chalice. He Set Cyber Jar and Chalice, ending his turn.

Ratliff Set another monster.

Nance drew Kunai with Chain. He thought a moment, then ended his turn.

Ratliff Set a third monster.

Nance drew Ego Boost. He decided it was time to Flip Summon his Cyber Jar! Its effect started off by destroying Ratliff’s Theban Nightmare, Vortex Trooper, and Mad Reloader! Nance revealed Gyroid, Fighting Spirit, Slate Warrior, Archfiend Soldier, and Zaborg the Thunder Monarch from his Deck. Ratliff revealed White Night Dragon, Mirror Force, Pot of Duality, Raiza the Storm Monarch, and Half or Nothing. Nance summoned all three of his low level monsters in attack position, while Ratliff got nothing! However, Ratliff was able to draw an additional card from Vortex Trooper’s destruction. Nance continued by summoning Yaksha, targeting a back row. Ratliff chained the targeted Call of the Haunted! It revived Vortex Trooper once more, then when Call was returned to the hand, Trooper was destroyed and Ratliff drew ANOTHER card. Nance then equipped Gyroid with Fighting Spirit. Finally, Nance entered his Battle Phase! He activated Ego Boost on Gyroid, but when he started his attacks, Ratliff activated his Battle Fader’s effect! Nance could only Set his Kunai with Chain and end this incredible turn, returning Yaksha in the End Phase.

Cyber Jar does its thing.

Ratliff drew, now with eleven cards in his hand! He tributed Battle Fader for Raiza the Storm Monarch, returning Miracle’s Wake to the top of Nance’s Deck. Raiza attacked Archfiend Soldier, and Nance used Kunai with Chain to equip his monster and put Raiza in defense position. In Main Phase 2, Ratliff activated Pot of Duality, revealing Grave Protector, Penguin Soldier, and Different Dimension Gate. He added Gate to his hand, then used it to banish his Raiza and Archfiend Soldier. He Set three back row cards, now with four face-downs and a Different Dimension Gate.

Nance drew his Miracle’s Wake again. Gyroid attacked directly, and Ratliff used Call of the Haunted to revive King Tiger Wanghu. Gyroid continued its attack, and Ratliff used Half or Nothing to end the Battle Phase. In Main Phase 2, Nance Set Shine Knight and Miracle’s Wake.

Ratliff Normal Summoned Goblin Attack Force! Wanghu attacked Shine Knight, taking 200 damage. He had his Goblin Attack Force take the Knight down next, then it switched to defense position.

Nance drew Cyber Dragon. He switched Gyroid to defense position, then had Slate Warrior destroy Goblin Attack Force. He Set Gagaga Magician. (DEVELOPER’S NOTE: This was an interesting play by Nance. He knew that Ratliff had Mirror Force because he had seen him pick it up with Cyber Jar. With Gyroid now in Defense Position, it no longer benefitted from the ATK pump of Fighting Spirit, leaving Gyroid to battle with its weaker 1000 DEF. At the same time, destroying Gyroid would require Ratliff to commit TWO monsters to destroy it, and even then, it still wouldn’t be destroyed, since Fighting Spirit would just be lost instead, leaving Gyroid still on the field. Nance was inviting his opponent to waste all of his firepower on a monster he couldn’t possibly destroy. But at the same time, this was Gyroid at its most vulnerable, so you can argue that a pointless attack on Gyroid was also Ratliff’s ONLY sensible option.)

Ratliff summoned Twin-Headed Behemoth. He went ahead and attacked Gyroid, then Wanghu also attacked it. Nance sent Fighting Spirit to the Graveyard in Gyroid’s place.

Nance drew Gene-Warped Warwolf. He tributed his Gagaga Magician for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch! Zaborg’s effect destroyed Behemoth. Slate Warrior went to defense position, and Zaborg attacked to finally get Ratliff to finally use that Mirror Force he’d revealed with Cyber Jar! Behemoth came back in the End Phase. Nance had planned for Wanghu to destroy it right away, but Ratliff activated Blast with Chain to boost Behemoth’s ATK and make it survive!

Ratliff then tributed his two monsters for Ancient Gear Golem! He sent his Golem to pierce through Gyroid, dealing 2000 damage!

Nance drew United We Stand. He Normal Summoned Yaksha, returning Different Dimension Gate to the hand. He equipped Slate Warrior with United We Stand, boosting it to 4300 ATK!  Slate Warrior took down Ancient Gear Golem, then Gyroid and Yaksha attacked directly. Yaksha returned to the hand at the end of the turn. Nance had 6000 Life Points to Ratliff’s 3400.

Yaksha proved its worth throughout this match.

Ratliff Set two back row cards and a monster.

Nance drew Solemn Judgment! He summoned Yaksha to bounce a back row card, then it attacked the face-down monster: Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts! Two Nordic Beast Tokens blocked the rest of the attacks, and Nance Set Solemn Judgment.

Ratliff Set two more back row cards, then Normal Summoned Wanghu, and banished both it and Slate Warrior with Different Dimension Gate!

Nance drew Fissure. He Normal Summoned Gene-Warped Warwolf. He attacked directly and Ratliff activated Metal Reflect Slime! Nance tried to use Solemn Judgment, but Ratliff countered the counter with Dark Bribe. Nance drew Charcoal Inpachi. In Main Phase 2, Nance used his Fissure to take out Metal Reflect Slime.

Ratliff Set a monster.

Nance drew Enemy Controller. He Normal Summoned Luster Dragon. Gyroid attacked into Giant Soldier of Stone, taking 1000 damage. Nance used Enemy Controller to tribute Gyroid and take Giant Soldier, then attacked directly with Warwolf and Luster Dragon to finish off this epic battle!