Welcome to the 2017 UDS Summer Invitational! This is one of the first major events under the new rules for Link Monsters and the Extra Monster Zones, and also the first event under the new Forbidden & Limited List! This format is entirely undefined, so it’ll be very interesting to see how Duelists have adapted.

For Round 1, we’ve got Kesavan Kushalnagar, from Rochester, New York, who usually judges. He’s here as a Duelist this time, using Trickstars! He’s facing Franklin Behm from Chicago, Illinois, who brought Kozmo Draco to the table. It’s a brand new strategy up against an old one that has been updated to take advantage of new cards. It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Kushalnagar won the dice roll, choosing to play first. He began with a hand of Droll & Lock Bird, Trickstar Light Stage, Honest, Trickstar Lycoris, and Cosmic Cyclone. He played Light Stage and added Trickstar Candina to his hand, then Normal Summoned it to add Trickstar Reincarnation to his hand. He Special Summoned Lycoris, then Set Cyclone and Reincarnation.

Behm drew, and Kushalnagar waited, not using Reincarnation yet. Behm played Terraforming, adding Dragonic Diagram to his hand. In response, Kushalnagar flipped Trickstar Reincarnation, then used Droll & Lock Bird! The Chain resolved, with Droll & Lock Bird applying its effect first. Then Reincarnation banished Behm’s hand, and Behm was unable to draw any new cards! Behm had absolutely no cards on his very first turn of the Duel, and conceded!

Kushalnagar opened with a devastating combo right off the bat! Behm will be playing first in the second Duel, so Kushalnagar won’t be able to win so easily this time.

Duel 2

Behm began this time with Emergency Teleport, and Kushalnagar used Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate it. Behm used Pot of Desires next, then Set Rotation to place Dragonic Diagram on his own field and Kozmotown on Kushalnagar’s. He flipped Diagram and used its effect, losing it to Kushalnagar’s Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit. Behm Normal Summoned Kozmo Tincan, paying 500 Life Points to reveal Kozmo Dark Destroyer, Kozmo Dark Eclipser, and Kozmo Forerunner; he added Dark Destroyer to his hand.

Kushalnagar had Artifact Lancea, Cosmic Cyclone, and Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, and drew Raigeki. He Set Cyclone, and Behm used Tincan’s effect to Special Summon Dark Destroyer from his hand. He had it destroy itself, and banished it to Special Summon Forerunner to the field. (After the Duel, Behm said he had not used Tincan’s effect to search on this turn because he’d banished so many of his Kozmos with Pot of Desires.)

Behm gained 1000 Life Points with Forerunner, then sent it to attack.

Kushalnagar drew Droll & Lock Bird and passed his turn.

Behm used Forerunner to gain 1000 Life Points, and Kushalnagar Chained Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit to destroy Forerunner, then Chained Artifact Lancea. Behm Chained Cosmic Cyclone, banishing Kushalnagar’s own Cosmic Cyclone. Behm had no other plays.

Kushalnagar drew Trickstar Reincarnation and Set it.

Behm played another Pot of Desires. When it resolved, Kushalnagar used Droll & Lock Bird. Behm had six cards in his hand, and four in the Deck. Behm Set two cards in his back row.

Kushalnagar drew another Trickstar Reincarnation and Set it.

Behm Set one more to his back row.

Kushalnagar drew Trickstar Light Stage. He flipped up the Kozmotown he’d been given, then played Light Stage in its place. Behm used Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate Light Stage’s effect. Kushalnagar decided now was the time, and flipped up Trickstar Reincarnation! Behm banished his hand and drew the last cards in his Deck. On Behm’s turn, he had no cards left to draw!

Behm played a risky second Pot of Desires, and Kushalnagar took advantage! Kushalnagar is victorious, thanks to his Trickstars and the MVP Trickstar Reincarnation!