12-year-old Jonathan Reed from Monument, Colorado made it to the Top 32 of the North American Dragon Duel World Championship Qualifier with his Gimmick Puppet Deck! Now he’s Dueling against 13-year-old Guerino Bartello from Springfield, Illinois in a Feature Match that will determine which Duelist advances to the Top 16! Jonathan Reed’s Gimmick Puppet Deck can do a lot of cool things and Summon monsters with high ranks; but Bartello’s Geargia strategy is tried and true. Who will come out ahead?  We’re about to find out. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

 

Bartello started off Duel 1 by Summoning Geargiarsenal and activating its effect to Tribute it and Special Summon Geargiarmor from his Deck in Defense Position. Next, he activated his Geargiarmor’s effect to flip it face-down and Set 4 cards to his back row.

 

[Guerino Bartello]

 

Reed opened up with Gimmick Puppet Des Troy, Gimmick Puppet Magnet Doll, Gearspring Spirit, Junk Puppet, Trade-In, and Machine Duplication. He activated Trade-In and discarded Gimmick Puppet Magnet Doll to draw 2 cards from his Deck. Next, he Special Summoned Gearspring Spirit in Defense Position. He activated Junk Puppet and Special Summoned Gimmick Puppet Magnet Doll from his Graveyard. He combined his monsters to Xyz Summon Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand but lost out to Black Horn of Heaven. He Set a card to each zone before ending his turn, and Bartello flipped Geargiagear in the End Phase to Special Summon Geargiano and Geargiano Mk-II from his Deck as Level 4 monsters.

 

Bartello Flip Summoned Geargiano next turn and activated its effect to add Geargiaccelerator from his Deck to his hand. Next, he Special Summoned Geargiaccelerator from his hand and combined it with Geargiano to Xyz Summon Gear Gigant X. He activated Gear Gigant X’s effect to add Geargiaccelerator to his hand and then Special Summoned it to the field. He combined it with Geargiano Mk-II to Xyz Summon Gear Gigant X and then detached Geargiaccelerator to add it back to his hand. He Special Summoned it again and then combined it with Geargiarmor to Xyz Summon Gear Gigant X. He detached an Xyz Material to add Geargiaccelerator to his hand, Special Summoned it, and then Normal Summoned Geargiarmor. He combined Geargiarmor with Geargiaccelerator to Xyz Summon Abyss Dweller and then detached an Xyz Material from Abyss Dweller to activate its effect. Gear Gigant X attacked and destroyed Reed’s face-down Gimmick Puppet Des Troy in battle. Next, direct attacks from Abyss Dweller and 2 copies of Gear Gigant X dropped Reed down to 2700 Life Points. Bartello Set a card to his back row before passing.

 

Reed discarded Gimmick Puppet Shadow Feeler to Special Summon Machina Cannon and then activated Machine Duplication to Special Summon another Machina Cannon from his Deck. He combined both Cannons to Xyz Summon Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder in Defense Position and then activated its effect twice to destroy two copies of Gear Gigant X. Bartello Special Summoned Geargiano from his Graveyard with one of their effects. Reed Set Gimmick Puppet Des Troy before ending his turn.

 

Bartello activated the effect of Gear Gigant X to retrieve Geargiaccelerator and then Tributed Geargiano to Special Summon Geargiarsenal from his Graveyard. He Special Summoned Geargiaccelerator and then combined Geargiaccelerator with Geargiarmor to Xyz Summon Number 80: Rhapsody in Berserk. He detached both Xyz Materials from Number 80 to banish Gimmick Puppet Shadow Feeler and Gearspring Spirit from Reed’s Graveyard and then attached Number 80: Rhapsody in Berserk to Gear Gigant X to increase Gear Gigant X’s ATK. Next, Gear Gigant X attacked and destroyed Number 15. Abyss Dweller subsequently attacked and destroyed Des Troy.

 

On Reed’s next turn he conceded, unable to defeat Bartello’s swarm of Geargia monsters.

 

[Abyss Gear]

 

Guerino Bartello wins Duel 1 by quickly Xyz Summoning 3 copies of Gear Gigant X!

 

Duel Two

 

Reed opened up Duel 2 with Machine Duplication, Rank-Up-Magic Argent Chaos Force, Prohibition, Royal Decree, Stygian Dirge, and Gimmick Puppet Gear Changer. He Set Royal Decree and Stygian Dirge and then activated Prohibition naming Geargiaccelerator. He Set 3 cards to his back row and Set a monster before ending his turn.

 

[Jonathan Reed]

 

Bartello Set a monster and then Set 4 cards to his back row.

 

Reed drew a monster and Set it.

 

Bartello Set a card to his back row and then Set a monster.

 

Reed drew Gimmick Puppet Egg Head and Summoned it. Next, he Flip Summoned Gear Changer and changed it into a Level 4 monster. He combined his 2 Gimmick Puppets to Xyz Summon his own Gear Gigant X and then detached an Xyz Material to activate its effect and add Gimmick Puppet Scissor Arms from his Deck to his hand. Gear Gigant X attacked a face-down Ice Hand to destroy it, and Ice Hand’s effect activated to destroy Reed’s face-down Rank-Up-Magic Argent Chaos Force. Next, Bartello Special Summoned Fire Hand from his Deck in Defense Position with Ice Hand’s effect.

 

Bartello Flip Summoned Fire Hand and then switched his other Fire Hand into Attack Position. He attacked and destroyed Reed’s face-down Gear Changer with one Fire Hand, and then attacked Gear Gigant X with his other Fire Hand. Fire Hand was destroyed, and Bartello used its effect to destroy Gear Gigant X and Special Summon Ice Hand from his Deck. He attacked directly with Ice Hand and then ended his turn.

 

Reed drew Royal Decree and then Normal Summoned Gimmick Puppet Scissor Arms. Bartello flipped Breakthrough Skill to negate its effect, and when Reed Chained Royal Decree, Bartello flipped another Breakthrough Skill!

 

Bartello attacked and destroyed Scissor Arms with Fire Hand and then attacked directly with Ice Hand. He Set a card to his back row before passing his turn.

 

Just when Reed was in need of a miracle to win, he drew Rank-Up-Magic – The Seventh One! He revealed and activated it! He Special Summoned Number C101: Silent Honor DARK from his Extra Deck with Number 101: Silent Honor ARK attached as an Xyz Material! He activated its effect to attach Ice Hand to his monster as an Xyz Material and thenattacked Fire Hand. Fire Hand destroyed Number 101: Silent Honor ARK and Bartello Special Summoned it back to the field and gained 2800 Life Points with its effect.

 

Bartello Set a card to his back row and passed.

 

Reed attacked directly with Number C101: Silent Honor DARK.

 

Bartello Set a monster and passed his turn once more.

 

Reed attacked and destroyed Geargiaccelerator with Number C101: Silent Honor DARK and Bartello conceded on his very next turn!

 

[The Seventh One]

 

Jonathan Reed wins Duel 2 all thanks to Rank-Up-Magic – The Seventh One! Guerino Bartello will be going first in the final Duel of the Match!

 

Duel Three

 

Bartello started off Duel 3 by Summoning Geargiarsenal and Tributing it to Special Summon Geargiarmor from his Deck in Defense Position. He Set a card to his back row and then Set Geargiarmor.

 

Reed opened up with Stygian Dirge, Gimmick Puppet Egg Head, Machine Duplication, 2 copies of Prohibition, and Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll. He activated both copies of Prohibition, naming Ice Hand and Geargiaccelerator. Next, he Set 2 cards to his back row, Summoned Egg Head, and activated Egg Head’s effect to deal 800 points of damage by discarding Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll.

 

Bartello Summoned Geargiano Mk-II and activated its effect to Special Summon Geargiano from his hand; but Reed flipped Stygian Dirge to lower the Levels of all of Bartello’s monsters by 1! Bartello Tributed Geargiano to Special Summon Geargiarsenal, and then combined Geargiarmor with Geargiarsenal to Xyz Summon Ghostrick Alucard. He detached an Xyz Material to destroy Reed’s face-down Machine Duplication and then attacked with both monsters to destroy Egg Head and damage Reed’s Life Points.

 

Reed drew Gearspring Spirit and then used his Dreary Doll’s effect to try to Special Summon it; but Bartello flipped Debunk to negate the effect and banish Dreary Doll!

 

Bartello Summoned Geargiarsenal and then attacked Gearspring Spirit with Geargiano Mk-II to destroy it. Next, he attacked directly with Alucard and Geargiarsenal to drop Reed down to 3100 Life Points. In Main Phase 2, he Tributed Geargiarsenal to Special Summon Geargiarmor from his Deck and activated its effect to flip it face-down. Bartello Set a card to his back row before passing.

 

Reed drew Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll and passed.

 

Bartello Summoned Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo and then attacked directly with Alucard, Geargiano Mk-II, and Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo to wipe out the rest of Reed’s Life Points.

 

[The end of the Match]

 

Jonathan Reed’s Gimmick Puppets score one win in the Match, but he is ultimately defeated by Bartello’s Geargias! Guerino Bartello is moving on to the Top 16!