And we’re now at Top 16!  Walter Jule finished Swiss in 27th place as the only one of two Duelists to take Pendulum Magician into Top 64.  His opponent is Russell Kenneth Novak-Burdick who finished Swiss in 54th with a Trickstar Sky Striker Deck.  Pendulum Magicians have had to adapt since losing Astrograph Sorcerer in the latest Forbidden and Limited List, but it’s still clearly a Deck to be considered!  Only one of these Duelists will move on to the Top 8. Who will move on? It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Jule won the roll and elected to go first.  He started with a hand of Wisdom-Eye Magician, Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm, Pendulum Call, Xiangke Magician and Supreme King Gate Zero.  He started with Pendulum Call, discarding Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm to add Black Fang Magician and Harmonizing Magician.  Novak-Burdick activated Droll & Lock Bird to prevent further searching or drawing this turn.  He then used Darkwurm’s effect to Special Summon it out of the Graveyard then Normal Summoned Wisdom-Eye Magician.  He used both monsters to Link Summon Heavymetalfoes Electrumite.  He activated the effect to send a Pendulum Monsters from the Deck to the Extra Deck but Novak-Burdick chained Infinite Impermanence from his hand to negate the effect.  He then placed Black Fang Magician and Supreme King Gate Zero and then Pendulum Summoned Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm, Xiangke Magician and Harmonizing Magician.  he used Harmonizing Magician’s effect to Special Summon Timegazer Magician from the Deck.  He used Timegazer Magician and Harmonizing Magician to Synchro Summon Odd-Eyes Meteorburst Dragon.  He then used Odd-Eyes Meteorburst Dragon’s effect to Special Summon the Black Fang Magician from the Pendulum Zone.  He then used Xiangke and Odd-Eyes Meteorburst Dragon to Xyz Summon Odd-Eyes Absolute Dragon, then sent it to the Graveyard with Heavymetalfoes Electrumite to Link Summon Zefra Metaltron.  He used Absolute’s effect to Special Summon Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon from the Extra Deck then used Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm and Black Fang Magician to Xyz Summon Cairngorgon, Antiluminescent Knight.  

Novak-Burdick activated Terraforming to add Trickstar Light Stage which was activated to add Trickstar Candina from his Deck to his hand.  He activated a second Terraforming to add another Trickstar Light Stage which was activated over the first one to add Trickstar Lycoris.  He activated Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor on Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon which was chained to negate the effect, sending Harmonizing Magician from his Extra Deck back to the Deck.  Novak-Burdick then Normal Summoned Trickstar Candina and used the effect to add Trickstar Lilybell from his Deck to his hand.  He used both monsters to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix.  He used its effect, discarding Trickstar Reincarnation to destroy Jule’s Supreme King Gate Zero.  He then banished Trickstar Reincarnation from his Graveyard to Special Summon the Trickstar Lilybell from the Graveyard.  Novak-Burdick attacked directly with Trickstar Lilybell and used its effect to add Trickstar Candina from his Graveyard back to his hand.  Novak-Burdick then used Trickstar Lycoris to swap places with Trickstar Lilybell.  In Main Phase 2, Novak-Burdick sent Knightmare Phoenix and Trickstar Lycoris to the Graveyard to Link Summon Knightmare Unicorn whose effect let Novak-Burdick discard Trickstar Candina to send Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon back to the Extra Deck but Jule used Cairngorgon, Antiluminescent Knight to redirect the effect to Zefra Metaltron instead.  

Jule drew Supreme King Gate Zero.  He switched Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon to Attack Position, then attacked with it into Novak-Burdick’s Knightmare Unicorn and attacked directly with Cairngorgon, Antiluminescent Knight.  He placed Supreme King Gate Zero in the Pendulum Zone and passed.  

Novak-Burdick Normal Summoned Trickstar Lilybell and attacked directly, using her effect to add back Trickstar Lycoris from his Graveyard back to his hand but Jule chained Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon to negate the effect and destroy Trickstar Lilybell.  

Jule attacked with both Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon and Cairngorgon, Antiluminescent Knight to reduce Novak-Burdick to 200 LP.  

Novak-Burdick drew and Normal Summoned Trickstar Candina and used the effect to add Trickstar Lycoris from his Deck to his hand.  He swapped places putting Trickstar Lycoris in Defense Position and passed.  

Jule Normal Summoned Abyss Actor – Curtain Raiser and attempted to attack directly for game.  Novak-Burdick activated Scapegoat but Jule didn’t forget that he had Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon and activated its effect to negate Scapegoat which prompted Novak-Burdick to concede.  Jule was one win away from securing his spot in the Top 8!  

Duel 2

Novak-Burdick elected to go first.  he started off with Trickstar Light Stage using its effect to add Trickstar Candina who was Normal Summoned and its effect added Trickstar Lycoris to his hand which swapped places with Trickstar Candina in Defense Position.  He Set 3 to the back and passed.  

Jule drew a card and took 400 damage.  He activated Dragon Shrine which sent Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm from his Deck to his Graveyard.  It hopped out and Jule used the effect to add Supreme King Gate Zero from his Deck to his hand, taking another 400 damage from Novak-Burdick’s Trickstar Lycoris.  Jule then Normal Summoned Denko Sekka!  This would prevent Novak-Burdick from activating any of his Set Spell/Traps!  He activated Supreme King Gate Zero and Abyss Actor – Curtain Raiser in the Pendulum Zones then Pendulum Summoned another Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm along with a Wisdom-Eye Magician from his hand.  He sent Wisdom-Eye Magician and Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm to the Extra Deck to Link Summon Heavymetalfoes Electrumite.  He used the effect of Heavymetalfoes Electrumite to send Chronograph Sorcerer from the Deck to the Extra Deck.  He then used Heavymetalfoes Electrumite’s effect to destroy Abyss Actor – Curtain Raiser to add Chronograph Sorcerer from the Extra Deck back to his hand.  Heavymetalfoes Electrumite’s effect drew him another Denko Sekka to go with Chronograph Sorcerer and Oafdragon Magician.  Denko Sekka attacked over Trickstar Lycoris while Heavymetalfoes Electrumite and Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm attacked directly leaving Novak-Burdick at 4400 LP to Jule’s 6400 LP.  

Novak-Burdick drew to 3 cards in hand a 3 unusable backrow.  He Normal Summoned Trickstar Candina and used the effect to add Trickstar Reincarnation from his Deck to his hand.  Trickstar Candina attacked and destroyed Denko Sekka with Jule taking 300 total damage.  Jule Set a Spell/Trap and passed.

Jule drew Mythical Beast Master Cerberus.  Novak-Burdick didn’t activate the newest face-down which was probably Trickstar Reincarnation and was punished for it when Jule went into the Main Phase and Normal Summoned the second Denko Sekka.  Jule then used Heavymetalfoes Electrumite to destroy Supreme King Gate Zero to add back Wisdom-Eye Magician.  He then drew a card for Heavymetalfoes Electrumite’s other effect.  Jule then activated Mythical Beast Master Cerberus into the Pendulum Zone and used the effect to destroy it to put Mythical Beast Jackal King from the Deck into the Pendulum Zone.  He then used Mythical Beast Jackal King’s effect to Special Summon Mythical Beast Master Cerberus from the Extra Deck.  He then activated Oafdragon Magician and Wisdom-Eye Magician from his hand, then used Mythical Beast Master Cerberus’s effect to banish Novak-Burdick’s Trickstar Candina.  He then used Wisdom-Eye Magician’s effect to place Harmonizing Magician from his Deck to the Pendulum Zone, then he used Chronograph Sorcerer’s effect from his hand to Special Summon it.  He then used Chronograph Sorcerer and Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm to Link Summon Heavymetalfoes Electrumite.   He used Heavymetalfoes Electrumite and Mythical Beast Master Cerberus to Link Summon Zefra Metaltron.  He then Pendulum Summoned Mythical Beast Jackal King and Chronograph Sorcerer from the Extra Deck.  He then used Heavymetalfoes Electrumite to destroy Oafdragon Magician and add back Wisdom-Eye Magician.  He then placed Wisdom-Eye Magician in the scale and used its effect to place Oafdragon Magician in its place.  All of his monsters then attacked to end the match!  

Jule moves on to the Top 8!