Round 7 Feature Match: Christopher Barwicki versus John Wilkin
As Sky Strikers appear to gain table share in the undefeated and X-1 brackets here at YCS Niagara, John Wilkin and Christopher Barwicki are both playing against the grain: Wilkin traveled a few hours this weekend from Toronto to pilot Sky Striker Goukis, and Barwicki is running Altergeists. Both Duelists are undefeated, but for one of these competitors the streak is almost over.
Barwicki opened with Altergeist Meluseek, playing it into Linkuriboh to search Altergeist Multifaker from his Deck. He Set three cards to his backrow to end.
Wilkin had a hand of Gouki Twistcobra; The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine; DestinyHero – Malicious; Monster Reborn; Gouki Headbatt; and Divine Sword – PhoenixBlade. He Set Brigandine, Normal Summoned Twistcobra, then activated Brigandine to Special Summon it. He used both monsters to try and Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix; Barwicki blasted it with Solemn Strike, and after two seconds of consideration for his largely dead hand, Wilkin immediately conceded to save time, and to avoid tipping his hand further.
A clutch Solemn Strike leaves John Wilkin with a fistful of mismatched cards, and Christopher Barwicki with an easy win in the first Duel. Some tough luck for Wilkin in the wake of a single back-breaking decision for Barwicki. Play moved to Game 2.
Wilkin opened with Destiny Hero – Malicious; Gouki Riscorpio; Gouki Octostretch; Gouki Re-Match; and Twin Twisters. He Normal Summoned Octostretch to Link Summon Linkuriboh, used Octostretch’s effect to search Gouki Suprex and ended.
Barwicki activated Pot of Duality, revealing Altergeist Marionetter and two Ash Blossom &Joyous Springs; he took the Marionetter and shuffled back the Ash Blossoms. He Summoned it, used its effect to search and Set Altergeist Manifestation, and he swung over Linkuriboh. “Main Phase 2.” Barwicki Set three more cards to his backrow and ended.
Wilkin drew Foolish Burial. He shuffled his hand a moment, Summoned Gouki Suprex, and Barwicki had no response; Wilkin Special Summoned Riscorpio. He used both to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix, activated Suprex’s effect, and discarded Destiny Hero – Malicious for Knightmare Phoenix’s effect. Barwicki chained Altergeist Protocol and gave up his AltergeistMarionetter to stop the effect. Wilkin pitched Foolish Burial for Twin Twisters, targeting two of Barwicki’s remaining three Sets, the ones he knew not to be Altergeist Manifestation, and Barwicki chained the targeted Personal Spoofing to get Altergeist Multifaker. Personal Spoofing and Infinite Impermanence were destroyed, as was Knightmare Phoenix.
Wilkin got another Gouki Re-Match and activated it, reviving Riscorpio and Octostretch! He banished Malicious to Special Summon another copy, used Malicious and Riscorpio to Link Summon Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights, and made her effect Chain Link 1 and Riscorpio Chain Link 2. He added Gouki Bearhug and Gouki Headbatt to his hand, then sent DivineSword – Phoenix Blade to his Graveyard from his Deck to Special Summon GoukiOctostretch with Isolde’s second ability. He pitched Bearhug to Special Summon Headbatt, banished Suprex and Riscorpio to retrieve his Phoenix Blade, then used Headbatt and Octostretch to Link Summon Binary Sorceress.
Octostretch and Headbatt got him Suprex and Twistcobra from his Deck, and Wilkin banished to Special Summon another Destiny Hero – Malicious. That Malicious combined with Isolde, TwoTales of the Noble Knights to make Knightmare Unicorn, Wilkin tossed his Phoenix Blade for its effect, targeting Altergeist Manifestation, and Barwicki chained it targeting Altergeist Marionetter.
Wilkin drew Reinforcement of the Army, and Barwicki activated his trap to Special Summon Altergeist Multifaker, getting Altergeist Silquitous from his Deck. Wilkin got back his DivineSword – Phoenix Blade banishing Isolde and Malicious, and Barwicki used Silquitous to bounce Knightmare Unicorn and his Multifaker. Wilkin was out of steam. He moved to his Battle Phase, ran over Silquitous with Binary Sorceress, and ended, controlling Sorceress and Octostretch.
Barwicki drew to three in hand and activated Pot of Desires, banishing ten cards to draw two. He Set one card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone and ended. Wilkin revived his Linkuriboh with Octostretch, searching Gouki Suprex.
Wilkin drew Living Fossil. Barwicki took a moment to think, then activated Altergeist Manifestation bringing back Silquitous. He activated Altergeist Multifaker and used its effect to Summon Altergeist Meluseek from his Deck.
Wilkin Summoned Gouki Suprex, and Barwicki blew it away with Protocol using his Meluseek. He searched his Deck for Marionetter. Wilkin revived Gouki Octostretch with Living Fossil, Link Summoned Knightmare Phoenix with Octostretch and Linkuriboh, and used his Divine Sword –Phoenix Blade again to destroy Manifestation, clearing Silquitous from the field. Wilkin drew Gouki Re-Match and Barwicki used Silquitous to get back Manifestation. Wilkin banished Suprex and Headbatt to get his Divine Sword, played Gouki Re-Match to revive Octostretch and Bearhug, and then combined Bearhug and Knightmare Phoenix to Link Summon Knightmare Unicorn.
He pitched Phoenix Blade to shuffle Barwicki’s Altergeist Protocol back to his Deck, and Barwicki destroyed Unicorn with Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit on the chain. Wilkin drew MagicalMid-Breaker Field. He attacked with Binary Sorceress again, moved to Main Phase 2, and Set Twin Twisters, then Reinforcement of the Army.
Play was to Barwicki who Normal Summoned Altergeist Marionetter, Setting Altergeist Protocol. He used Marionetter’s effect for Meluseek, made a direct attack, and destroyed Binary Sorceress. He Set a second card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone. When he ended, Wilkin fired back with Twin Twisters in the End Phase to clear his opponent’s backrow, discarding Magical Mid-Breaker Field.
Wilkin drew Called by the Grave. He inspected Barwicki’s Graveyard, Summoned Suprex and followed up with Gouki Twistcobra. He attacked Marionetter with Suprex, letting Barwicki take Silquitous from his Deck, then made a direct attack with Twistcobra. Wilkin Set Call to finish out. The noose was clearly tightening.
Barwicki drew to four cards in hand and Summoned Silquitous, attacking into Twistcobra. Wilkin responded with Called by the Grave on the other copy in Barwicki’s Graveyard! Barwicki Set one card to his backrow and that was it.
Wilkin drew Red Reboot, Summoned another Twistcobra, and swung for game!
“I bricked SO HARD!” groaned Wilkin, visibly relieved at keeping himself in the Match. Whomever won the next Duel would move on with a 7-0 record, and a great position for Day 2 regardless of what Round 8 might have in store. Side Decking was quick and methodical on both sides of the table. Both competitors wished eachother good luck.
Barwicki opened the third and final Duel, Summoning Altergeist Marionetter to search his Deck for Altergeist Protocol. He Set it, Set two more cards, and ended.
Wilkin had Gouki Suprex; Magical Mid-Breaker Field; Gouki Twistcobra; Gouki Riscorpio; Knightmare Corruptor Iblee; and Gouki Suprex. He activated Midbreaker Field to start, then Summoned Suprex: no response from Barwicki. Wilkin Summoned Riscorpio, Link Summoned Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights, and activated her effect along with Riscorpio and Suprex. He got Gouki Re-Match, Gouki Headbatt, and Gouki Bearhug. Barwicki activated Mind Crush calling Re-Match, But Wilkin chained Twin Twisters on Protocol and Impermanence, and pitched the Re-Match for Twin Twisters’ cost! That meant Mind Crush would force Barwicki to discard another Marionetter from his hand!
Suddenly Barwicki was out of cards. He drew to one card in hand, Set it to his backrow and ended, still not throwing in the towel.
Wilkin searched his Deck for Gouki Suprex with Reinforcement of the Army, Summoned it, Special Summoned Bearhug, pitched Suprex for Headbatt, and combined Headbatt with Bearhug for Knightmare Phoenix– Barwicki blew it away with Solemn Strike, but Wilkin kept on going, searching Gouki Re-Match and another Suprex with his used Goukis. This one was over. He activated Re-Match to Special Summon Bearhug and Twistcobra, equipped DivineSword – Phoenix Blade to Suprex, attacked with it, and lost his Bearhug.
Barwicki ripped another Altergeist Marionetter! He Summoned it and Set Altergeist Manifestation from his Deck, but there was nothing he could do to stop Wilkin! Barwicki extended the handshake.
Christopher Barwicki makes a great play with Mind Crush, but a clever Twin Twisters lets John Wilkin trump the play to turn it back around on his opponent, leading to a sliding avalanche of card advantage that Barwicki just couldn’t come back from. Barwicki scores a solid 6-1 record, and Wilkin moves on undefeated.