Jake Valliere traveled down to YCS Atlanta with a group of friends from Long Island, New York. He’s 2-0 with a Performapal Pendulum Deck with some interesting tech, and he’s facing Tyler Hicks from Calhoun, Georgia running his own version of the Performapal Deck. Before a few months ago, the last time Hicks played the game was 4 years ago, topping a Regional Qualifier with Chaos Dragons.

Hicks won the roll and elected to go first.

Game 1

Hicks started off with Performapal Monkeyboard in the Pendulum Zone, adding Performapal Skullcrobat Joker to hand. Valliere activated Droll & Lock Bird to prevent further searching and drawing by either player this turn! Hicks activated Performapal Lizardraw, then Pendulum Summoning Performage Hat Tricker and Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer, overlaying both for Traptrix Rafflesia, then ended.

Valliere opened with a hand of Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, Performapal Monkeyboard, Performapal Lizardraw, Performage Hat Tricker and Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord. Performapal Skullcrobat Joker was Normal Summoned, adding Performapal Guitartle. Performage Hat Tricker was Special Summoned, then both monsters were overlaid to Xyz Summon Castel the Skyblaster Musketeer. Hicks used Traptrix Rafflesia, sending Bottomless Trap Hole to the Graveyard to copy its effect, banishing Castel. Valliere then activated Performapal Guitartle, then Performapal Monkeyboard, drew for Guitartle and searched for Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer with Monkeyboard’s effect. Valliere then Pendulum Summoned 4 monsters: Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer, Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord, Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer and Performapal Lizardraw, then used Sorcerer to destroy the scales and searched for Performapal Skullcrobat Joker and Performapal Monkeyboard. Valliere considered his options in the Extra Deck before deciding on Tellarknight Ptolemaeus. using Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord and Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer. (Valliere recieved a Slow Play warning at this time for taking too long Xyz Summon Tellarknight Ptolemaeus.) In the End Phase, Ptolemaeus added Stellarknight Constellar Diamond from the Extra Deck as an Xyz Material.

Hicks drew for turn, Normal Summoned Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, Valliere chained Tellarknight Ptolemaeus, detaching all 3 Xyz Materials to Special Summon Artifact Durendal on top of Ptolemaeus. Performapal Skullcrobat Joker resolved, adding Performapal Monkeyboard. Valliere activated Durendal’s effect, then chained Droll & Lock Bird from his hand! When this chain resolved, both players shuffled their hands into the Deck then drew none because of Droll & Lock Bird’s effect! Valliere shuffled in a Performapal Monkeyboard and a Performapal Skullcrobat Joker. Hicks shuffled in 3 cards. Hicks had Performapal Skullcrobat Joker attack the Sorcerer for 300 damage.

Valliere drew Performage Damage Juggler, Durendal attacked Hicks’s Performapal Skullcrobat Joker for 600 damage and Valliere passed.

Hicks drew for turn, controlling only Rafflesia, with Performapal Lizardraw and Performapal Monkeyboard in the Pendulum Zones. Hicks destroyed Performapal Lizardraw to draw a card, then Normal Summoned Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, searching Performapal Guitartle, activating it in the vacant Pendulum Zone. Hicks Pendulum Summoned 1 Performapal Skullcrobat Joker from the Extra Deck, then overlayed both for Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon used its effect on Durendal and attacked Durendal, Damage Juggler was used to stop the damage.

Valliere drew Dark Doriado for turn. Valliere banished Performage Damage Juggler from the Graveyard to add Performage Plushfire to hand. He then activated Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer, then activated Performage Plushfire in the other Pendulum Zone, used Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer’s Pendulum Effect to destroy the Performage Plushfire on the other side of the scale, adding another Plushfire from the Deck to hand, then Special Summoned another Performage Damage Juggler from Deck with the destroyed Plushfire’s effect. Hicks attempted to use Rafflesia’s effect for Time-Space Trap Hole but the activation condition wasn’t correct. Valliere set Performage Plushfire and passed back.

Hicks drew, Normal Summoned Performapal Lizardraw and attacked with all monsters to clear Valliere’s field.

Valliere drew and activated Draco Face-Off but Hicks responded with Solemn Warning, dropping to 5400 LP to Valliere’s 7700 LP. Valliere activated Dark Doriado in the Pendulum Zone, which was promptly destroyed by the Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer in the other zone. Valliere then Normal Summoned Doriado, didn’t activate her effect, flipped up the Plushfire and used the two monsters to Xyz Summon Diamond Dire Wolf. Hicks answered that with his set Breakthrough Skill! Diamond Dire Wolf attacked into Hicks’s Performapal Lizardraw, dropping him to 4600 LP. Valliere banished a Performage Damage Juggler to search for Performage Mirror Conductor, then activated it in the Pendulum Zone, then Pendulum Summoned Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer and Performage Plushfire. Sorcerer activated, targeting Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Plushfire, Rafflesia chained sending Time-Space Trap Hole. The chain resolved, sending back both monsters and Valliere searching for Performapal Skullcrobat Joker and Performapal Lizardraw with Sorcerer’s effect. Plushfire activated, Summoning a Performage Damage Juggler from the Deck. Valliere ended with 2 cards in hand.

Hicks drew for turn, Pendulum Summoned Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer and Performapal Lizardraw, used Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer’s effect to destroy a Performapal Monkeyboard from the Pendulum Zone and the Performapal Lizardraw for another Performapal Lizardraw and Performapal Monkeyboard. Performapal Lizardraw was activated in the Pendulum Zone and was destroyed with its own effect for another draw. Hicks followed up with Instant Fusion, Special Summoning Elder Entity Norden, reviving Performage Hat Tricker., then using Hat Tricker and Sorcerer for Performage Trapeze Magician. Normal Summon Performage Plushfire, Xyz Summoning Castel, and that was enough to earn the concession!

Game 2

Started with Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, searching for Performapal Monkeyboard, activating it in a Pendulum Zone, using its Pendulum effect to search for Performapal Lizardraw. Performapal Lizardraw was activated, then Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and another Performapal Skullcrobat Joker were pendulum summoned, and used for Tellarknight Ptolemaeus. Performage Hat Tricker was special summoned, then overlayed with the remaining Performapal Skullcrobat Joker for a second Tellarknight Ptolemaeus! Valliere used both Tellarknight effects to put Stellarknight Constellar Diamonds under each one before passing.

Hicks started with Foolish Burial, sending Performage Damage Juggler to the Graveyard. Damage Juggler was activated, Valliere chained one of his Tellarknight Ptolemaeus’s, detaching 3 Xyz Materials to Special Summon Artifact Durendal. Hicks added Performage Performage Hat Tricker to his hand but it didn’t matter since, Valliere activated Durendal’s hand-reload effect and chained Droll & Lock Bird. Hicks chained Twin Twisters, discarding Performage Trick Clown, destroying Valliere’s Pendulum Scales, but the damage was done as Hicks shuffled in the remaining 4 cards in his. Hicks ended his turn with a single Performage Trick Clown on the field and no cards in hand. Valliere used Tellarknight in the End Phase to Special Summon Cyber Dragon Nova.

Valliere drew Draco Face-Off, then Summoned Cyber Dragon Infinity on top of Cyber Dragon Nova! Valliere activated Draco Face-Off, revealing Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord. Luster got Summoned and Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord went to the Extra Deck. Valliere attacked into Performage Hat Tricker, which Summoned itself back after Hicks took 1000 damage. Durendal attacked to clear out the Performage Hat Tricker and Valliere passed with Cyber Dragon Infinity putting as much of a lock as one could on this game. Hicks drew a Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer for turn which was no help at all. A huge Droll & Lock Bird / Artifact Durendal combo secures the game for Valliere and as we go into game 3!

Game 3

Hicks elected to go first and started off with Foolish Burial for Performage Damage Juggler, which was banished to add Performage Hat Tricker from Deck to hand. Hicks Normal Summoned Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, using its effect to search for Performapal Monkeyboard, which was activated adding Performapal Lizardraw. Hicks activated Performapal Lizardraw but Valliere used Maxx “C”. Hicks used Performapal Lizardraw to destroy itself and draw a card. Hicks set 2 in the back and passed.

Valliere activated Twin Twisters, discarding Performapal Guitartle, destroying Wavering Eyes and Grand Horn of Heaven. Valliere followed up with Performapal Guitartle and Performapal Performapal Monkeyboard in the Pendulum Zones, giving Valliere a draw with Performapal Guitartle. Monkeyboard searched Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, which was Normal Summoned and added Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer to hand. Valliere crashed his Performapal Skullcrobat Joker into Hicks’s and passed.

Hicks set a monster and a spell or trap and passed back.

Valliere drew, Pendulum Summoned Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer and Performage Plushfire. Hicks negated the summon with Solemn Warning, Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer was Normal Summoned and destroyed Hicks’s set Glow-Up Bulb in battle.

Hicks activated another Performapal Monkeyboard to the other Pendulum Zone, searched Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, which was immediately Normal Summoned, searching for Performapal Guitartle. Hicks then sent a Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer from the top of the Deck to the Graveyard to Special Summon Glow-Up Bulb from the Graveyard, the Special Summoned Performage Hat Tricker, then used all 3 monsters to Synchro Summon Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier! Trishula banished a Dark Doriado from hand, Performapal Guitartle from field and a Performage Plushfire from Valliere’s Graveyard. Time in the round was called during this turn.

Valliere started his turn, activated Performapal Monkeyboard to a Pendulum Scale, searched for Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, Normal Summoned Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, added Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer to hand. Both players now had Performapal Monkeyboard’s in all of their Pendulum Zones, a rare sight indeed.

Hicks Normal Summoned Performage Trick Clown, attacked with Trishula into Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, then Trick Clown attacked directly.

Valliere topped into Performapal Skullcrobat Joker! He used its effect to search for Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer, then attacked into Trick Clown which was revived at the price of 1000 LP.

Hicks drew for turn and Normal Summoned Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer, attacking with Trishula into Performapal Skullcrobat Joker and attacking directly with Luster. The duel stood at 2000 LP for Valliere and Hicks at 4800 LP

Valliere top Decked Luster but was unable to reverse the situation in the last turn of time.

Hicks takes the match in a Pendulum mirror match!

After the match, Valliere reflected that if he didn’t draw the second Performapal Performapal Guitartle in game 3, he would have been able to use Dark Doriado’s effect to put Droll & Lock Bird on top of the Deck, then draw it with either Performapal Lizardraw or Performapal Guitartle, then set up a Tellarknight Ptolemaeus and Artifact Durendal to play to lock down the hand again.