Round 8 Feature Match: Jonathan Steffen Versus Elvis Vu
Jonathan Steffen is 6-1 piloting a throwback Dino Rabbit Deck, while his opponent Elvis Vu is running Mythic Rulers. Both strategies aim to make powerful Xyz Monsters in single-turn plays, Steffen with Jurrac Guaiba and Rescue Rabbit, Vu with Dragon Rulers and Mythic Dragons. Could oldschool stylings overcome one of the rising star strategies of this weekend? We were about to find out!
Vu opened the penultimate Feature Match of the day with Cards of Consonance, discarding Influence Dragon to draw two cards. He activated Dragon Shrine next, sending Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders to his Graveyard from his Deck. He banished to Special Summon Redox; Normal Summoned The White Stone of Legend; and Synchro Summoned Stardust Dragon to search another Blue-Eyes White Dragon with the Stone’s effect. He Set one card to his backrow.
Steffen had Mystical Space Typhoon; Cardcar D; Mind Crush; Jurrac Guaiba; and two Sabersaurus. He Set Typhoon and Crush, Summoned Cardcar D, and used it to draw Rescue Rabbit and Kabazauls.
Vu Summoned Card Trooper, sending Dragon Shrine, Solemn Warning, and Dragoncarnation to his Graveyard to power it up to 1900 ATK. He banished to Special Summon Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos from his hand, then attacked for 1900 with Trooper, 2500 with Stardust, and 2800 with Blaster. That dropped Steffen to 800 Life Points.
Steffen drew Gold Sarcophagus – not much help there, as Steffen needed to see some action long before that two-turn timer would expire. He Summoned Guaiba, desperately attacked Card Trooper despite Vu’s one Set card, and sure enough Vu flipped it: Raigeki Break, targeting Guaiba. “You got it.” Steffen conceded immediately.
The first Duel lasts only two turns for each Duelist, as Elvis Vu’s Mythic Rulers explode to sweep Game 1! That might be the fastest Duel we’ve seen in the Feature Match spotlight all day. Brutal. The pressure was on for Steffen to win these next two games. He could not afford to draw another three Normal Monsters.
Steffen opened Game 2 with Night Assailant; Pot of Duality; Macro Cosmos; Sabersaurus; Soul Drain; and Banisher of the Radiance! That was better. Duality revealed Forbidden Lance, Bottomless Trap Hole, and another Banisher: Steffen took Lance, shuffling the rest back. He Summoned Banisher, and backed it up with Macro, Drain, and Lance.
Vu Set a monster and activated Messenger of Peace, before Setting three cards to his backrow!
Steffen drew Rescue Rabbit and Set Assailant. “Go ahead.”
Vu passed, paying 100 Life Points to keep Messenger around.
Steffen drew Tour Guide from the Underworld, Summoning it to Special Summon another in Attack Position. He Flip Summoned Assailant, destroying and banishing Vu’s Set Flamvell Guard. He attacked with Assailant and both Tour Guides, dropping Vu to 5700 Life Points. In Main Phase 2 he overlaid Night Assailant and Tour Guide for Ghostrick Alucard , but Vu blasted it with Black Horn of Heaven.
Vu Set a monster.
Steffen drew another Sabersaurus and Summoned it. He attacked with Tour Guide bouncing off a second Flamvell Guard.
Vu passed.
Steffen drew Book of Moon and Summoned his second Sabersaurus. He stacked them for Diamond Dire Wolf, but once again Vu had the Black Horn of Heaven to beat it! “Go ahead.”
Vu went to 5500 Life Points to keep Messenger of Peace on the field.
Steffen drew Gold Sarcophagus. He activated it to banish Mystical Space Typhoon, really wanting to get that Messenger of Peace off the table. He Summoned Rabbit, banished it, and Special Summoned two Kabazauls, this time Summoning Evolzar Laggia successfully! Granted, with no followup. But it was progress.
Vu Set a second Spell or Trap.
Steffen drew Thunder King Rai-Oh and passed.
Vu paid for Messenger again, and flipped Trap Stun! Steffen let it go. Vu activated Foolish Burial, banishing Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls from his Deck to search out Mythic Water Dragon. He banished Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Influence Dragon from his hand to Special Summon Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders, then Tuned it with Flamvell Guard for Scrap Dragon; Steffen shut it down with Evolzar Laggia’s effect, but that left Vu to Summon Mythic Water Dragon and Mythic Tree Dragon. But when Steffen flipped Book of Moon to turn one of the Dragons face-down and interrupt Vu’s attempt at an Xyz, Vu knew to scoop in an instant!
Game 2 runs far longer than the first Duel, and Jonathan Steffen grinds out a long win to keep himself in the Match! Elvis Vu builds his plan turn after turn, but it just isn’t enough to take Steffen out. We were headed to Game 3.
Vu opened with Trade-In, discarding Blue-Eyes White Dragon to draw two cards. He Set four to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.
Steffen had Maxx “C”; Thunder King Rai-Oh; Forbidden Lance; Mystical Space Typhoon; Mirror Force; and Bottomless Trap Hole. He Summoned Thunder King, and when Vu flipped Bottomless Trap Hole, Steffen Chained Lance. Thunder King attacked and Steffen Set three cards to his back row.
Vu blasted him with not one, not two, but three Mystical Space Typhoons! Steffen lost his Typhoon, his Mirror Force, and his Bottomless Trap Hole! Vu followed up with Dragon Shrine to send Flamvell Guard and Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos to his Graveyard, and when he Special Summoned Blaster Steffen drew with Maxx “C”, Chaining its effect. Still, Vu Summoned The White Stone of Legend for two quick direct attacks, then made Scrap Dragon in Main Phase 2. He got a Blue-Eyes with White Stone’s effect.
Steffen drew, now holding Rescue Rabbit; Banisher of the Radiance; and Sabersaurus. He Summoned Rabbit, banished it for two copies of Sabersaurus, and overlaid for Number 101: Silent Honor ARK to take Scrap Dragon! The ARK made a direct attack.
Vu activated Messenger of Peace.
Steffen drew Kabazauls and Summoned Banisher.
Vu Set a card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.
Steffen Set a monster.
Vu banished to Special Summon Blaster, then Set another Spell or Trap. He was down to 4700 Life Points.
Steffen drew Tour Guide from the Underworld! He was holding Sabersaurus and Dark Hole, with that Rescue Rabbit locked and loaded for Leviair the Sea Dragon! He Summoned Sabersaurus, Flip Summoned Kabazauls, and overlaid them for Evolzar Dolkka: Vu responded with a thunderous Torrential Tribute, and Chained Skill Drain to add insult to injury! Steffen lost everything.
Vu Set a single Spell or Trap Card.
Steffen drew Mystical Space Typhoon. He Summoned Guide, activating its effect and Chaining Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Skill Drain. He Special Summoned a second Tour Guide from his Deck, attacked for 2000 Battle Damage, and Vu was down 1600 Life Points! Steffen spent a moment considering his options in Main Phase 2, but when he went for Leviair the Sea Dragon Vu had yet another Black Horn of Heaven!
Vu let his Messenger of Peace go, and banished to revive his Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos. He banished Redox for it, getting Mythic Tree Dragon, and Summoned it and Mythic Water Dragon to make Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand! Both monsters attacked. Next turn when Steffen activated Dark Hole, Vu activated Felgrand’s effect to keep it safe and Steffen knew he was beaten.
Mythic Rulers defeat Dino Rabbit, as Elvis Vu moves on with a 7-1 record!