Martin Kass from Los Angeles, California and Micheal Steffens from Fargo, North Dakota are both currently 4-1 in the tournament. Kass is piloting a Trickstar Deck with Sky Striker cards in it, while Steffens is using Thunder Dragons. Both of these Decks were extremely popular in recent events, but seem to have fallen out of favor among Duelists once Salamangreats and Danger! monsters gained popularity. Nevertheless, they’re both powerful strategies, and one of them will advance with a 5-1 record at the end of this round. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Kass opened up Duel 1 with Enemy Controller, 2 copies of Trickstar Reincarnation, and 2 copies of Droll & Lock Bird.

He Set both copies of Reincarnation, Set Enemy Controller, and ended his turn. In his End Phase, Steffens discarded Thunder Dragondark from his hand to use its effect and add another copy of it from his Deck to his hand.

Steffens drew a card and then Kass activated Trickstar Reincarnation. Steffens banished his hand and drew 6 new cards, and then Kass flipped another Trickstar Reincarnation and Chained Droll & Lock Bird from his hand. Steffens banished his entire hand once again and gained nothing in return! Having lost his whole hand, Steffens immediately conceded, unwilling to even try fighting back.

Martin Kass drops Micheal Steffens’s hand size down to 0 on his first turn to take the first victory!

Duel Two

Steffens used Gold Sarcophagus to banish Thunder Dragonroar from his Deck and used Dragonroar’s effect to Special Summon Thunder Dragondark.

He then discarded a Thunder Dragon from his hand to activate its effect, but lost out to Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Steffens activated Instant Fusion next, and paid 1000 Life Points to Special Summon Kaminari Attack. He Normal Summoned Aloof Lupine and then sent Kaminari and Lupine to the Graveyard to Link Summon Reprodocus. He used its effect to make Dragondark a Dinosaur, and then Link Summoned Summon Sorceress. He used Dragondark’s effect to add Thunder Dragon Fusion to his hand and then used Thunder Dragon Fusion to Special Summon Thunder Dragon Titan linked to Sorceress. He then used his Sorceress’s effect to Special Summon Thunder Dragonmatrix from his Deck, and Tributed it to Summon Thunder Dragon Colossus linked to the Sorceress. He used Dragonmatrix’s effect to add another copy of it to his hand and then ended his turn.

Kass drew Droll & Lock Bird and added it to his hand of Called by the Grave, Trickstar Light Stage, Mare Mare, and Foolish Burial. He activated Foolish Burial, and when Steffens tried to negate it with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Kass Chained Called by the Grave to banish Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and resolve the effect of Foolish Burial. He sent Destrudo the Lost Dragon’s Frisson to his Graveyard and then Normal Summoned Droll & Lock Bird. He then used Destrudo’s effect and gave up 4000 Life Points to Special Summon it from his Graveyard as a Level 6 monster; but after he did, Steffens discarded Thunder Dragonmatrix from his hand to activate its effect, and used the effect of Titan to destroy Droll & Lock Bird. Kass instantly conceded.

Michael Steffens leverages a strong start into a quick victory in Duel 2, pushing the Match to a third and final Duel!

Duel Three

Kass opened up Duel 3 with Dimensional Barrier, Droll & Lock Bird, Called by the Grave, Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor, and Mare Mare. He Set the Barrier, Widow Anchor, and Called by the Grave before passing. In his End Phase, Steffens discarded Thunder Dragondark from his hand to add another Dragondark from his Deck to his hand.

Steffens discarded Thunder Dragonhawk from his hand to try to Special Summon Dragondark, but Kass Chained Called by the Grave to banish the Dragonhawk and stop its effect. Steffens activated Allure of Darkness next. He drew 2 cards and banished Dragondark from his hand. He wanted to use its effect, but lost out to Droll & Lock Bird. Steffens Set a card to his back row and passed his turn.

Kass drew another Widow Anchor and Set it, unable to gain any momentum.

Steffens discarded another Dragonhawk from his hand to Special Summon Thunder Dragondark from his Banished Zone, and Kass flipped Dimensional Barrier, stopping all Fusions. Next, Steffens activated another Allure of Darkness to draw 2 cards and banish another Dragondark. He used Dragondark’s effect to add a Thunder Dragonmatrix to his hand. He Normal Summoned Denko Sekka and then Special Summoned Thunder Dragonduo from his hand by banishing Dragonhawk and Dragondark from his Graveyard. Denko Sekka’s effect wasn’t active yet, since Steffens had a face-down card in his back row. Kass flipped Widow Anchor to negate the effect of Dragonduo. Direct attacks from Dragondark, Denko Sekka, and Dragonduo dropped Kass down to 1900 Life Points.

Kass drew Foolish Burial and activated it; but Steffens activated the effect of an Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring in his hand to negate it! Kass passed his turn with a Widow Anchor facedown and a Mare Mare in his hand.

Steffens attacked with Denko, and Kass flipped Widow Anchor to take control of Dragonduo. In Main Phase 2, Steffens sent Denko and Dragondark to the Graveyard to Link Summon Some Summer Summoner and used Dragondark’s effect to add Thunder Dragon Fusion to his hand. He discarded Thunder Dragonmatrix from his hand to increase the Summoner’s ATK and then used Thunder Dragon Fusion to Special Summon Thunder Dragon Titan. He then Tributed the Summoner to Summon a Colossus and then banished Colossus and a Thunder monster from his hand to Summon another Titan. He then combined both Titans to Xyz Summon Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Gustav Max! He detached an Xyz Material from Gustav Max to inflict 2000 points of damage to Kass’s Life Points, ending the Duel and the Match!

Micheal Steffens wins Duel 3 in style with the effect of Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Gustav Max and advances with a 5-1 record!