North America WCQ Top 64 Feature Match: Ryan Thomas Gaskins vs. Russel Kenneth Novak-Burdick
Welcome to the playoffs! We’re in the Top 64 and we’re playing Single Elimination until we have a Champion of the North American WCQ! A loss here will knock a Duelist out of contention, so it’s high stakes for the next 6 Rounds! Ryan Gaskins from Sioux City, Iowa placed 11th after Swiss with a record of 9-1-1 with a Dinosaur Deck while his opponent, Russel Novak-Burdick from Sacramento, California placed 54th after Swiss with a record of 8-2-1 with Sky Striker Trickstars. Which of these Duelists will advance to Top 32? It’s time to Duel!
Duel 1
Gaskins won the roll and elected to go second. Novak-Burdick started off with Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to add Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones to his hand. He activated it to Special Summon a Sky Striker Ace Token which was used to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari whose effect let Novak-Burdick add Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! from his Graveyard back to his hand. He then activated Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to add another Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones to his hand. He sent Sky Striker Ace – Kagari to the Graveyard to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku. Novak-Burdick then Normal Summoned Trickstar Candina and used her effect to add Trickstar Light Stage which was activated to add Trickstar Lycoris whose effect was used to swap places with Trickstar Candina. He Set 3 cards to the back and passed.
Gaskins drew Effect Veiler to add his hand of Lost World, Double Evolution Pill, Babycerasaurus, Twin Twisters and Overtex Qoatus. He activated Lost World. He Set Double Evolution Pill then activated Twin Twisters, discarding Overtex Qoatus to target the 2 sets closest to Novak-Burdick’s Deck. He chained Trickstar Reincarnation, making Gaskins banished Babycerasaurus and Effect Veiler to draw Fossil Dig and Miscellaneousaurus. He used Fossil Dig to add Souleating Oviraptor from his Deck to his hand. He Normal Summoned Souleating Oviraptor and used its effect along with Lost World to give Novak-Burdick a Juraegg Token while Souleating Oviraptor’s effect Ultimate Conductor Tyranno from his Deck to his hand, taking another 400 damage from Novak-Burdick’s Trickstar Lycoris. He then activated Miscellaneousaurus, discarding it to make his Dinosaurs unaffected by Novak-Burdick’s activated card effects during this Main Phase, but Novak-Burdick chained Called by the Grave to banish Miscellaneousaurus and negate its effects. Souleating Oviraptor attacked the Juraegg Token and used his own Lost World to prevent the Token from being destroyed by destroying a Babycerasaurus from his Deck instead. Gaskins activated Babycerasaurus’s effect and Special Summoned Giant Rex from his Deck. Giant Rex attacked and destroyed Novak-Burdick’s Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku inflicting 700 damage. In Main Phase 2, he used Souleating Oviraptor and Giant Rex to Xyz Summon Number 103: Ragnazero! Gaskins activated its effect, destroying Novak-Burdick’s Trickstar Candina and drawing a card (Trickstar Candina’s ATK was reduced by 500 because of Lost World’s effect to reduce the ATK of all monsters on the field by 500 except for Dinosaur monsters, making it a legal target for Ragnazero’s effect). Next, Gaskins banished Overtex Qoatus and Giant Rex to Special Summon Ultimate Conductor Tyranno from his hand. Giant Rex came back to the field with its own effect.
Novak-Burdick used the Level 1 Juraegg Token to Link Summon Linkuriboh! He used Trickstar Light Stage’s effect to freeze Gaskins’s Set Double Evolution Pill. Novak-Burdick then activated Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones to Special Summon a Token which was used to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari. Novak-Burdick activated its effect to add back Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! from his Graveyard but Gaskins chained Number 103: Ragnazero to destroy Sky Striker Ace – Kagari and draw a card. Novak-Burdick added Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! back to his anyway and activated it but Gaskins chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate the Spell. Novak-Burdick Normal Summoned Trickstar Candina and used its effect to add Trickstar Lycoris. He used Trickstar Candina and Linkuriboh to Link Summon Space Insulator. He then used Trickstar Reincarnation’s effect from the Graveyard to Special Summon Trickstar Candina from the Graveyard. Gaskins activated Ultimate Conductor Tyranno’s effect and Novak-Burdick chained Trickstar Lycoris’s effect to swap places. Gaskins destroyed Number 103: Ragnazero to turn Novak-Burdick’s Trickstar face-down. In the End Phase, Gaskins sent the Set Double Evolution Pill to the Graveyard for Trickstar Light Stage.
Gaskins Normal Summoned Giant Rex, then sued it and the other Giant Rex to Xyz Summon Evolzar Laggia. In the Battle Phase, Ultimate Conductor Tyranno sent the face-down Trickstar Lycoris to the Graveyard and inflicted 1000 damage to Novak-Burdick then attacked Space Insulator then attacked directly with Laggia dropping Novak-Burdick to 1600 LP.
Novak-Burdick drew to 2 cards in hand and one on the field facing a Laggia and Ultimate Conductor Tyranno. He flipped the Set Infinite Impermanence targeting Laggia which Gaskins chained to negate. Novak-Burdick then activated Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, adding Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor and drew a card. He activated Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to steal Gaskins’s Ultimate Conductor Tyranno and negate its effect. He then Normal Summoned Trickstar Candina and used the effect to add Trickstar Reincarnation from his Deck to his hand. Ultimate Conductor Tyranno attacked and destroyed Evolzar Laggia then Trickstar Candina attacked directly to leave Gaskins at 3100 LP. In Main Phase 2, Novak-Burdick sent Ultimate Conductor Tyranno and Trickstar Candina to the Graveyard to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix. he discarded Trickstar Lilybell to destroy Gaskins’s Lost World.
Gaskins activated Interrupted Kaiju Slumber! The Spell Card cleared the field and Special Summoned Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju to his side of the field and Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju to his opponent’s. Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju attacked into the Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju, destroying it. Gaskins Set Twin Twisters and passed.
Novak-Burdick activated Light Stage’s effect to freeze Gaskin’s face-down. He then used Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to add Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners! and draw a card. Novak-Burdick then used Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners! to destroy both of Gaskins’s cards then used Terraforming to add Trickstar Light Stage from his Deck to his hand. He activated Trickstar Light Stage to add Trickstar Candina and Normal Summoned it to add Trickstar Reincarnation from his Deck to his hand. Candina connected for 2000 damage leaving Gaskins at 800 LP. He Set a card and passed.
Gaskins drew Kumongous, the Sticky String Kaiju and Novak-Burdick immediately flipped Trickstar Reincarnation to banish it and have Gaskins draw Effect Veiler. He Set it but Novak-Burdick had game next turn with a Trickstar Reincarnation and some Trickstars in the Graveyard to Summon. Gaskins scooped up his cards as we move to the second Duel.
Duel 2
Gaskins elected to go second. Novak-Burdick started off with Trickstar Light Stage to add Trickstar Candina to his hand which prompted Gaskins to activate Droll & Lock Bird to prevent further searching. He Normal Summoned Candina for no effect, Set 2 and passed.
Gaskins drew Gold Sarcophagus which he activated to banish Giant Rex which was Special Summoned by its own effect. He Set a monster and had Giant Rex attack Candina for 200 damage. In the End Phase, Novak-Burdick activated Scapegoat to Special Summon 4 Sheep Tokens.
Novak-Burdick activated another Trickstar Light Stage over the first one, using it to add Trickstar Candina from his Deck to his hand. He used one token to Link Summon Linkuriboh, then used 2 more to make Space Insulator, then used both to Link Summon Ningirsu the World Chalice Warrior and used its effect to send his own Trickstar Light Stage and Gaskins’s Set Babycerasaurus to the Graveyard. He then activated Terraforming for another Trickstar Light Stage which was activated to add Trickstar Lycoris. He then Tributed a Token to Special Summon Linkuriboh from the Graveyard. He then used Linkuriboh and Ningirsu the World Chalice Warrior to Link Summon Topologic Bomber Dragon! He then Normal Summoned Trickstar Candina and used its effect to add Trickstar Lycoris. In the Battle Phase, all of the monsters attacked and with Topologic Bomber Dragon’s effect alongside the Trickstar Lycoris in his hand, it was enough to end the match!
Novak-Burdick wins handily and moves on to the Top 32!