Round 1 of the Ultimate Duelist Series Invitational is the warm-up. Round 2 is where players with 200 points come into the tournament having spent Round 1 on the sidelines. They start the tournament with a 1-0 record, which is an incredible advantage. Tyler Pfeifer, the winner of the Winter 2019 UDS Invitational, is here with Sky Strikers – the same strategy that won him the belt in March, at Table 1001 (in the VIP section of the room) taking on Kevin Bortle from Dallas, Texas. Bortle has a Traptrix Deck, which takes advantage of the Link Monster Traptrix Sera but also uses Number 39: Utopia Double to quickly end the Duel provided the opponent leaves a monster with 2000 or less ATK on the field in Attack Position. It’s a strategy that can pull wins out of nowhere versus one of the most consistent Decks in the field. It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Bortle won the roll and elected to go first.

Bortle started with Pot of Desires, banishing 10 cards off the top of the Deck to draw 2 cards   Next, he Normal Summoned Traptrix Dionaea, then he sent it to the Graveyard to Link Summon Traptrix Sera! He Set The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine then activated it to Special Summon it! He then used Sera’s effect to Special Summon Traptrix Atrax from the Deck! He used Atrax and the Trap monster to Xyz Summon Traptrix Rafflesia! He Set 4 cards to the back and passed.

Pfeifer started with Demise of the Land, Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor, Mystical Space Typhoon, Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero and Foolish Burial Goods. He drew Sky Striker Mecha – Eagle Booster. He activated Foolish Burial Goods, sending Metalfoes Fusion from the Deck to the Graveyard. He then activated Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero, Set a card, used the Field’s effect, revealing 3 cards and adding Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to his hand, sending the Set Demise of the Land to the Graveyard. He then activated Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, adding Sky Striker Ace – Raye from his Deck to his hand and drawing Solemn Judgment. After the chain resolved, Bortle activated Artifact Sanctum, Special Summoning Artifact Scythe from the Deck. Its effect would prevent Pfeifer from Special Summoning from the Extra Deck for the rest of the turn but Pfeifer chained Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor from his hand to negate Scythe. Bortle chained the effect of Sera to Special Summon Traptrix Mantis from the Deck. Pfeifer negated and took control of Bortle’s Artifact Scythe. After Bortle explained what Mantis does, Pfeifer activated a blind Mystical Space Typhoon to his Bortle’s Set Solemn Strike. Pfeifer then Normal Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye. In the Battle Phase, Pfeifer had Scythe attack Bortle’s Sera which was not destroyed because of Rafflesia’s effect. Sky Striker Ace – Raye then attacked Sera again, then Pfeifer used Sky Striker Ace – Raye’s effect, sending it to the Graveyard to Special Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari. Kagari’s effect was activated but Bortle chained Rafflessia, sending Bottomless Trap Hole to the Graveyard to apply the Trap Hole’s effect, banishing Kagari. Sky Striker Ace – Raye’s Graveyard effect let Pfeifer Special Summon it back to the field and attack Bortle’s Sera again. In Main Phase 2, he used Metalfoes Fusion’s effect in the Graveyard, shuffling it into the Deck to draw Reinforcement of the Army. Pfeifer sent Raye and Scythe to the Graveyard to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix. Its effect let Pfeifer discard Reinforcement of the Army to destroy Bortle’s Set Trap Trick which was chained, banishing a Compulsory Evacuation Device to Set another one from the Deck. Pfeifer then activated Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, adding Sky Striker Mech – Jamming Waves! from his Deck to his hand, then drawing another Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero. He activated Jamming Waves to destroy the last unknown Set card, but Bortle chained Mantis’s effect to bounce the target back to his hand and Set it again, preventing it from being destroyed. Pfeifer Set Sky Striker Mecha – Eagle Booster and Solemn Judgment and passed.

Bortle drew to 1 card in hand. He activated Compulsory Evacuation Device to bounce Knightmare Phoenix but Pfeifer chained Sky Striker Mecha – Eagle Booster to make Phoenix unaffected by card effects. Bortle then Normal Summoned Traptrix Myrmeleo and used its effect to destroy Pfeifer’s Set Solemn Judgment. He used Myrmeleo and Mantis to Xyz Summon Number 39: Utopia Double in front of Pfeifer’s Phoenix whose effect let Bortle add Double of Nothing!! from his Deck to his hand then Summon Number 39: Utopia on top of Utopia Double with Utopia’s ATK doubled! Bortle attacked with Utopia, then activated its effect on itself to negate its own attack, then activated Double or Nothing!! doubling Utopia’s ATK again to 10000 and allowing it to attack again! Utopia went after Pfeifer’s Knightmare Phoenix and Pfeifer went from 8000 to 0 in one attack!

Duel 2

Pfeifer elected to go first. He started off with two copies of Solemn Judgment, Card of Demise, Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, and Sky Striker Ace – Raye. He started off by setting 3 cards, then Normal Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye, activated Card of Demise, drew Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor, Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones and Mystic Mine. He activated Mystic Mine, Set the other 2 cards and passed.

Bortle activated Pot of Desires and banished 10 cards but drew nothing because Pfeifer chained Solemn Judgment to negate the Spell. Bortle Set 5 and passed.

Pfeifer drew Mystical Space Typhoon. He used Sky Striker Ace – Raye to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Hayate. Bortle activated Bottomless Trap Hole to banish Hayate. Pfeifer then flipped the Set Engage to add Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole from his Deck to his hand. He activated Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole then used its effect, sending Mystic Mine to the Graveyard allowing him to use monster effects. He activated Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones to Special Summon a Sky Striker Ace Token which was used to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari whose effect tried to add Engage back to his hand but Bortle chained Infinite Impermanence to negate Sky Striker Ace – Kagari’s effect. Kagari attacked directly. In Main Phase 2, Kagari swapped out for Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku. He Set Mystical Space Typhoon and in the End Phase Pfeifer activated Shizuku’s effect but Bortle chained Trap Trick then chained The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine. He banished Heavy Storm Duster from the Deck and Set another copy from the Deck while Pfeifer added Sky Striker Mech – Jamming Waves! from his Deck to his hand. After the Chain resolved, Bortle activated the newly Set Heavy Storm Duster targeting the new Set Mystical Space Typhoon and Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole but Pfeifer chained Solemn Judgment to negate Heavy Storm Duster! He was down to 2000 LP.

Bortle activated Pot of Desires, banishing another 10 but this time able to draw 2 cards. He Normal Summoned Traptrix Mantis. He used Mantis’s effect to add a Traptrix monster from Deck to hand, but Pfeifer chained Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to negate the effect and take control of Mantis, an critical play since Number 39: Utopia could end the game by itself at this point. Bortle activated a second The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine and Special Summoned it. He used both Shades to Xyz Summon Tornado Dragon whose effect destroyed Pfeifer’s Multirole. Bortle Set a card and In the End Phase, Pfeifer activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Bortle’s new Set card which was Compulsory Evacuation Device. Control of Mantis passed back to Bortle.

Pfeifer drew Card of Demise for turn. Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku attacked Tornado Dragon. In Phase 2, he Set Sky Striker Mech – Jamming Waves! and activated Card of Demise, drawing Set Rotation, Sky Striker Mecha – Eagle Booster and Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor. He activated Set Rotation, giving himself Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero and giving Bortle Mystic Mine. He activated the Set Sky Striker Mech – Jamming Waves! to destroy Bortle’s Set Mystic Mine.

Pfeifer Normal Summoned Traptrix Dionaea and used its effect to try and Special Summon Traptrix Mantis from the Graveyard but Bortle negated it with Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor and that forced a concession and we’re going to the third Duel.

Duel 3

Bortle elected to go first. He started with Traptrix Mantis but Pfeifer chained Infinite Impermanence to negate its effect. He Set 2 to the back and passed.

Pfeifer drew Sky Striker Ace – Raye to add to his hand of Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero, Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor, Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners! and Sky Striker Mecha – Shark Cannon. He activated Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero. He Set a card, used the Field’s effect to add Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones and sent Sky Striker Mecha – Shark Cannon from the field to the Graveyard. He Normal Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye and Link Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Hayate. Bortle pondered a response eventually going with activating Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay from his hand, Special Summoning it, drawing 2 and shuffling one card from his hand back to the Deck. In the Battle Phase, Hayate attacked Bortle’s Mantis. Pfeifer used Hayate’s effect to send Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! from the Deck to the Graveyard and both monsters were destroyed. Sky Striker Ace – Raye came out of the Graveyard thanks to her effect. In Main Phase 2, Sky Striker Ace – Raye was sent to the Graveyard to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari but the Summon was negated with Solemn Strike! Pfeifer then activated Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones which Special Summoned a Token which was used to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kaina. Bortle negated that summon with Solemn Judgment! Bortle was now at 3250. Pfeifer activated Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners! to destroy Bortle’s Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay and Bortle chained he Dragon’s effect but Pfeifer chained Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor from his hand to negate the effect. The Dragon was destroyed and Pfeifer destroyed his own Field Spell with the additional effect of Afterburners. Area Zero’s effect let Pfeifer Special Summon another Sky Striker Ace – Raye out from the Deck in Attack Position.

Bortle Normal Summoned Traptrix Dionea and used its effect to Special Summon Traptrix Myrmeleo from the Graveyard. Both monsters were used to Xyz Summon Number 39: Utopia Double whose effect let Bortle add Double or Nothing!! from his Deck to his hand and Summon Number 39: Utopia: on top of it. He attacked Sky Striker Ace – Raye and Pfeifer activated Sky Striker Ace – Raye and Bortle chained Utopia’s effect to negate its own attack. Pfeifer Special Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku. Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku decreased Utopia’s ATK, so even with Double or Nothing!!, the attack didn’t end the game. Pfeifer took 7300 damage leaving him at 700. Sky Striker Ace – Raye came out of the Graveyard after Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku was destroyed.

Pfeifer drew Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit. He sent Sky Striker Ace – Raye to the Graveyard to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Hayate which attacked directly. Bortle tried to use Utopia’s effect but Pfeifer chained Ghost Ogre from his hand to destroy it. In Main Phase 2, Sky Striker Ace – Hayate swapped for Shizuku whose effect added Sky Striker Mecharmory – Hercules Base.

Bortle Normal Summoned Traptrix Mantis and used its effect. He Set a card and passed.

Pfeifer drew Metalfoes Fusion and activated Hercules Base, equipping it to Shizuku. He attacked with Shizuku into Mantis, destroying the Traptrix monster and drawing a card thanks to Hercules Base. Bortle was at 850 to Pfeifer’s 800. Pfeifer got Twin Twisters from the draw effect. In Main Phase 2 Pfeifer activated Twin Twisters to destroy Bortle’s Set The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine and his own Sky Striker Mecharmory – Hercules Base. At this point, time was called in the round. Hercules Base’s Graveyard effect let Pfeifer shuffle back 3 cards from the Graveyard: Sky Striker Ace – Kagari, Sky Striker Ace – Kaina and another Sky Striker card. He then Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari and got back Engage form the Graveyard. Sky Striker Ace – Kagari swapped out for Sky Striker Ace – Kaina then he activated Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to add Sky Striker Mecha – Eagle Booster and draw a card, then activated in Sky Striker Mecha – Eagle Booster. The Eagle Booster was unnecessary since Pfeifer already had more LP but just to confirm it, he activated it anyway to gain more LP with Kaina’s effect.

Tyler Pfeifer comes back from leaving Sky Striker Ace – Raye in Attack Position and taking a Utopia Double combo, leaving himself with enough LP to win in time!