This Round 1 Feature Match pits Matthew Bishop’s Traptrix Artifact Deck featuring Fire Hand and Ice Hand, against Bobby Davis’s Mermails. Bishop’s Deck uses a bunch of new Artifact cards from Primal Origin, including Artifact Sanctum, Artifact Ignition, Artifact Moralltach, Artifact Caduceus, and Artifact Begalltach. Will Bishop’s new strategy triumph over Davis’s strategy tried-and-true? We’re about to find out! It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Davis started off Duel 1 by Setting a monster and Setting 2 back rows.

Bishop opened up with Artifact Caduceus, 2 copies of Traptrix Myrmeleo, Traptrix Trap Hole, Breakthrough Skill, Solemn Warning. He Summoned Traptrix  Myrmeleo and activated its effect; but Davis flipped Fiendish Chain to negate it! Bishop Set his Traptrix Trap Hole, Breakthrough Skill, and Solemn Warning before ending his turn.

Davis Flip Summoned Mermail Abysslinde and attacked Myrmeleo. Abysslinde was destroyed by battle and Davis lost 100 Life Points. When Davis activated its effect to try to Special Summon a Mermail from his Deck, Bishop flipped Solemn Warning and gave up 2000 Life Points to negate its effect! Davis Set a card to each zone and passed.

Bishop drew Fire Hand next turn. He Summoned another copy of Myrmeleo and activated its effect. Bishop flipped Torrential Tribute to clear the field, destroying both Myrmeleos and his own face-down Abysslinde. Bishop added Bottomless Trap Hole to his hand with the effect of Myrmeleo and Davis Special Summoned Mermail Abyssturge from his Deck in Attack Position. He activated its effect by discarding Atlantean Marksman and Bishop flipped Traptrix Trap Hole to negate its effect and destroy the Abyssturge. Davis destroyed Bishop’s face-down Breakthrough Skill with the effect of Atlantean Marksman. Bishop Set Bottomless Trap Hole before ending his turn.

Davis activated Reckless Greed to draw 2 cards in Main Phase 1. He Set 2 cards to his back row and then passed his turn.

Bishop drew Torrential Tribute and then Summoned Fire Hand to the field! He attacked directly with Fire Hand, dropping Davis down to 6300 Life Points. He Set Artifact Caduceus before passing his turn.

Davis skipped his Draw Phase and then activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Bishop’s face-down Bottomless Trap Hole. Next, he discarded Mermail Abysspike from his hand to Special Summon Mermail Abyssteus in Defense Position. He activated Abyssteus’s effect to add Mermail Abyssgunde from his Deck to his hand and then ended his turn.

Bishop drew Traptrix Dionaea and Summoned it. He activated its effect to Special Summon Traptrix Myrmeleo from his Graveyard and then used Myrmeleo’s effect to target Davis’s face-down Mystical Space Typhoon for destruction. Davis Chained the Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Davis’s face-down Artifact Caduceus. Next, Bishop combined his two Traptrix monsters to Xyz Summon Number 50: Blackship of Corn! He activated its effect to send Mermail Abyssteus to the Graveyard and deal 1000 points of damage to Davis, and then attacked directly with Fire Hand. Bishop Set Torrential Tribute before ending his turn.

Davis skipped his next Draw Phase due to the effect of Reckless Greed. With just a single card in his hand and no plays to make, he conceded the Duel.

Matthew Bishop takes the first victory with his Traptrix Artifact Deck! Bobby Davis will be going first in Duel 2!

Duel Two

Davis started off Duel 2 by Setting 2 cards to his back row and Setting a monster.

Bishop opened up Duel 2 with Rank-Up-Magic – The Seventh One, Pot of Dichotomy, Ice Hand, Artifact Begalltach, Traptrix Myrmeleo and Artifact Moralltach. He Summoned Traptrix Myrmeleo and activated its effect to add Traptrix Trap Hole Nightmare to his hand. He attacked Davis’s face-down Mermail Abysslinde with Myrmeleo to destroy it, and Davis Special Summoned Mermail Abysspike from his Deck with Mermail Abysslinde’s effect. Davis activated the effect of Mermail Abysspike by discarding Atlantean Dragoons, and then added Mermail Abyssgunde to his hand with the effect of Mermail Abysspike and added Atlantean Marksman to his hand with the effect of Atlantean Dragoons. Bishop Set Traptrix Trap Hole Nightmare and both of his in-hand Artifacts before ending his turn.

Davis discarded Mermail Abyssgunde and Atlantean Marksman to Special Summon Mermail Abyssmegalo from his hand, activating all 3 of their effects. He targeted Bishop’s face-down Traptrix Trap Hole Nightmare with the effect of Atlantean Marksman and targeted Mermail Abysslinde to Special Summon with the effect of Abyssgunde. Bishop flipped Traptrix Trap Hole Nightmare to negate the effect of Mermail Abyssmegalo and destroy it, and then Davis Special Summoned Mermail Abysslinde with the effect of Abyssgunde. Abysspike attacked Myrmeleo, destroying both monsters in battle, and then Mermail Abysslinde attacked directly for 1500 points of damage.

Bishop drew Ice Hand next turn and Summoned it. He attacked Mermail Abysslinde with his Ice Hand, destroying his own Ice Hand in the battle. He destroyed Davis’s face-down Royal Decree with the effect of Ice Hand and then Special Summoned Fire Hand from his Deck with Ice Hand’s effect. Next, he attacked and destroyed Mermail Abysslinde with Fire Hand’s 1600 ATK. Davis Special Summoned Mermail Abyssteus in Defense Position with the effect of his fallen Mermail Abysslinde.

Davis activated Soul Charge! He targeted Mermail Abyssmegalo, Atlantean Dragoons, and Mermail Abysspike in his Graveyard. Bishop Chained Maxx “C”! Davis gave up 3000 Life Points to Special Summon all 3 of the monsters he targeted, and Bishop drew a card off of the effect of Maxx “C”. Next, Davis combined Mermail Abysspike and Atlantean Dragoons to Xyz Summon Abyss Dweller, allowing Bishop to draw another card with Maxx “C”. Next, Davis ended his turn.

Bishop drew Call of the Haunted next turn. He Normal Summoned Ice Hand and then combined his Fire Hand with his Ice Hand to Xyz Summon Number 103: Ragnazero. He activated its effect to target Davis’s Abyss Dweller for destruction. Davis Chained the effect of Abyss Dweller by detaching Atlantean Dragoons from it. Ragnazero destroyed Abyss Dweller and allowed Bishop to draw a card, and Davis added Atlantean Marksman to his hand with the effect of Atlantean Dragoons. Davis Set Artifact Ignition and Artifact Sanctum before ending his turn. Davis destroyed Artifact Ignition by flipping Mystical Space Typhoon in his End Phase, and the effect of Artifact Ignition forced Davis to give up his next Battle Phase.

Davis Set a card to his back row and passed.

Bishop drew Call of the Haunted next turn and then activated Pot of Dichotomy. He shuffled Fire Hand, Ice Hand, and Maxx “C” back into his Deck to draw Traptrix Dionaea and Artifact Moralltach from his Deck. He Summoned Dionaea and activated its effect to Special Summon Myrmeleo from his Graveyard and used its effect to destroy Davis’s face-down Light-Imprisoning Mirror. Next, he combined his 2 Traptrix monsters to Xyz Summon Number 101: Silent Honor ARK! He detached both Xyz Materials from it to attached Davis’s Mermail Abyssmegalo as an Xyz Material and then Set Call of the Haunted before ending his turn.

Davis Set a card to his back row and then passed his turn. In his End Phase, Bishop activated Artifact Sanctum to Special Summon Artifact Moralltach from his Deck. He used the effect of Moralltach to destroy Mermail Abyssteus and then flipped Call of the Haunted to revive Traptrix Myrmeleo and use its effect to destroy Davis’s face-down Light-Imprisoning Mirror. Davis immediately conceded, realizing he would no longer be able to win.

Primal Origin starts off big this weekend, as Matthew Bishop advances 1-0 in the tournament with his Traptrix Artifact Deck!