We have a brilliant Feature Match for Round 9! UDS Champion and multiple YCS Champion Jeff Jones takes on 2010 World Champion Galileo Mauricio De Obaldia Soza from Panama! They’re both playing Sky Striker Trickstar Decks so this will be a great match! It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

De Obaldia Soza won the roll and elected to go first. Jones’s starting hand was Trickstar Candina, Terraforming, Scapegoat, Trickstar Light Stage and Sky Striker – Mecha Hornet Drones. De Obaldia Soza started with his own copy of Sky Striker – Mecha Hornet Drones and used the effect to make a Sky Striker Ace Token, then used the Token to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari then used her effect to add Sky Striker – Mecha Hornet Drones back to his hand. He then Normal Summoned Trickstar Candina and used the effect to add Trickstar Reincarnation from his Deck to his hand. He then sent Sky Striker Ace – Kagari to the Graveyard to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku. He Set 4 cards and in the End Phase he used Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku’s effect to add Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! from his Deck to his hand.

Jones drew for turn. he Set 3 cards to the back row and then activated Trickstar Light Stage; but De Obaldia Soza Chained Shared Ride. Jones added Trickstar Lycoris from his Deck to his hand and De Obaldia Soza drew a card from Shared Ride’s effect. Jones also took 400 damage from activating a Spell Card thanks to Trickstar Candina’s effect. Jones then used Trickstar Light Stage’s effect to freeze De Obaldia Soza’s face-down card that was closest to the Deck. Next, Jones activated Sky Striker – Mecha Hornet Drones to Special Summon a Sky Striker Ace Token. Next, he Normal Summoned his own Trickstar Candina and used her effect to add Trickstar Reincarnation from his Deck to hand, allowing De Obaldia Soza to draw another card. Next, he used the Token and Trickstar Candina to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix. He used Phoenix’s effect, discarding Trickstar Reincarnation to destroy De Obaldia Soza’s Set Trickstar Reincarnation. Jones then had Phoenix crash into De Obaldia Soza’s Trickstar Candina, both being destroyed. Still in the Battle Phase, Jones used the effect of his in-Graveyard Trickstar Reincarnation, banishing it to Special Summon Trickstar Candina from his Graveyard, which then attacked over Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku. In the End Phase, De Obaldia Soza’s Infinite Impermanence previously targeted by Trickstar Light Stage was sent to the Graveyard.

De Obaldia Soza Set a card then used his own Trickstar Light Stage’s effect to freeze the face-down closest to Jones’s Deck. He then activated 2 copies of Sky Striker – Mecha Hornet Drones, Special Summoning 2 Tokens. He used one Token to Link Summon Link Spider then used it and the other Token to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix. He used its effect, discarding Trickstar Reincarnation to destroy Jones’s Set Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!. Next, De Obaldia Soza used his own Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to add Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners! from his Deck to his hand. He then attempted to activate Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners! to destroy Jones’s Trickstar Candina but De Obaldia Soza Chained his in-hand Trickstar Lycoris to swap places with Trickstar Candina, stopping Afterburners from resolving the effect any further. Next, De Obaldia Soza flipped his Set Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to add Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to his hand. De Obaldia Soza then activated Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor targeting Jones’s Trickstar Lycoris and De Obaldia Soza Chained his Set Sky Striker – Mecha Hornet Drones to make a Token. He then Set a card to the back and activated another Light stage over the first one, adding another Trickstar Candina to his hand. He then used the new Light Stage to target the same card as the first one. (The target was Scapegoat which Jones couldn’t activate as he has Special Summoned Trickstar Lycoris previously this turn.) De Obaldia Soza then Normal Summoned Trickstar Candina and while De Obaldia Soza was pondering what to add from his Deck to his hand Jones conceded the Duel.

Duel 2

Jones elected to go first. He started with a hand of Trickstar Reincarnation, Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners!, Terraforming, Shared Ride and Scapegoat. He activated Terraforming, adding Trickstar Light Stage from his Deck to his hand. After the Chain resolved, De Obaldia Soza activated Droll & Lock Bird to prevent further drawing or searching this turn. He Set 3 cards and passed.

De Obaldia Soza activated Trickstar Light Stage but Jones Chained Shared Ride. De Obaldia Soza added Trickstar Candina and Jones drew Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. De Obaldia Soza then activated Trickstar Light Stage’s effect to freeze Jones’s Trickstar Reincarnation. In the End Phase, Jones activated the previously targeted Trickstar Reincarnation and Chained Scapegoat. De Obaldia Soza conceded and we’re off to the third and final Duel!

Duel 3

Jones started with a hand of Evenly Matched, Terraforming, Droll & Lock Bird, Trickstar Lilybell and Trickstar Lycoris. De Obaldia Soza began the Duel with Trickstar Candina whose effect added Trickstar Reincarnation to his hand. Jones activated Droll & Lock Bird to prevent further searching this turn. De Obaldia Soza Set 3 cards to the back and passed.

Jones drew a second copy of Evenly Matched. He tried to enter the Battle Phase, and De Obaldia Soza activated Trickstar Reincarnation. De Obaldia Soza said “I know you’re bluffing me”, but then Jones banished 2 of his Evenly Matched with the rest of his hand to draw 6 cards. But still in the Battle Phase, Jones activated the third Evenly Matched! De Obaldia Soza Chained Shared Ride but Jones Chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Jones then activated Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to add Sky Striker – Mecha Hornet Drones which was activated to make a Token which was then used to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari. Sky Striker Ace – Kagari’s effect added Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! back to his hand which was then activated to add Sky Striker Maneuver – Jamming Waves from his Deck to his hand. He activated Jamming Waves on De Obaldia Soza’s Scapegoat which he Chained. After that, Jones sent Sky Striker Ace – Kagari to the Graveyard to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku! Jones Set Scapegoat and in the End Phase, Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku’s effect added Afterburners from his Deck to his hand.

De Obaldia Soza used a Token to Link Summon Link Spider, then used another one for another Link Spider, then used it and another Token for Knightmare Phoenix. Its effect discarded Trickstar Lilybell to destroy Jones’s Set Scapegoat which was Chained. De Obaldia Soza drew a card as Knightmare Phoenix was co-linked with Link Spider. Next, De Obaldia Soza used Link Spider and the last Token to Link Summon Knightmare Cerberus. He used the effect to discard Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to take a Token off Jones’s field and draw a card. De Obaldia Soza then banished Trickstar Reincarnation from his Graveyard to Special Summon Trickstar Lilybell from the Graveyard. Knightmare Phoenix attacked and destroyed Jones’s Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku and the rest of his monsters destroyed Jones’s Tokens, leaving Jones with just one. De Obaldia Soza Set a card to the back and passed.

Jones drew Shared Ride. He used the last Token to Link Summon Linkuriboh. Next, he activated Afterburners and De Obaldia Soza Chained Shared Ride. Jones Set Scapegoat and Shared Ride and passed.

De Obaldia Soza activated Pot of Desires, banishing the top 10 cards of his Deck, but Jones Chained Shared Ride. (“I messed up,” Jeff lamented afterwards.) De Obaldia Soza drew 2 cards while Jones drew none. De Obaldia Soza attacked directly with both Knightmares. In the End Phase, Jones activated his Set Scapegoat.

Jones top-decked Pot of Desires! He drew Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and another Scapegoat but De Obaldia Soza activated Droll & Lock Bird to prevent further searching or drawing this turn. He then used a Token to Link Summon Link Spider, then used Linkuriboh, Tributing a Token to Special Summon it out of the Graveyard. Next, the third Token and Link Spider were used to Link Summon Knightmare Cerberus. Next, Jones Normal Summoned Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and used Knightmare Cerberus, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and Link Spider to Link Summon Borreload Dragon! Borreload attacked into De Obaldia Soza’s Knightmare Cerberus and took control of it. Next, Jones used the stolen Cerberus and the 4^th Token to Link Summon Knightmare Unicorn. He Set Scapegoat and passed. De Obaldia Soza activated Trickstar Light Stage and used it to add Trickstar Lycoris from his Deck to his hand. He then used Trickstar Light Stage’s effect to freeze Jones’s Set which Jones Chained: Scapegoat. Next, De Obaldia Soza activated Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to add Sky Striker – Mecha Hornet Drones which was activated to make a Token which then Link Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Kagari. Next, De Obaldia Soza activated Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to take control of Jones’s Borreload Dragon, then Trickstar Candina was Normal Summoned. A flurry of attacks later, Jones was left with 2 tokens. De Obaldia Soza then used his monsters to Link Summon Knightmare Unicorn.

Things were moving fast here as Jones brought back Linkuriboh by Tributing a Token. Bother players were playing at breakneck speed hoping to end this match before the clock did it for them.

De Obaldia Soza Normal Summoned Trickstar Lycoris and attacked with both monsters. Then Trickstar Reincarnation brought back Trickstar Candina and attacked as time was called. Life was De Obaldia Soza’s 7200 to Jones’s 2400. Jones down on resources for the later part of the game and couldn’t reverse the situation before time was called.

De Obaldia Soza moves on to Day 2 with an 8-1 record!