Welcome to Round 8! If I told you that Witchcrafters were 6-1 at the UDS Invitational, you’d assume I was living in a different dimension. Well, this is real life. Robert Glen Riley IV from East Liverpool, Ohio has Witchcrafters, a strategy that saw its debut in The Infinity Chasers earlier this year but wasn’t on anyone’s radar. Riley is 6-1 going into Round 8, and he’s taking on Jimmy Nguyen with his Sky Striker Deck. Let’s see what the Witchcrafters can do! It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Nguyen won the roll and elected to go first. He Normal Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye then used it to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku. He Set 3 to the back and in the End Phase, he used Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku’s effect to add Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! from his Deck to his hand.

Riley drew Witchcrafter Pittore, Called by the Grave, Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, Witchcrafter Creation, Witchcrafter Haine and Witchcrafter Holiday. He activated Witchcrafter Creation, using its effect to add Witchcrafter Schmietta from his Deck to his hand. Next, he Normal Summoned Pittore, and Nguyen activated There Can Be Only One. Riley chained Pittore’s effect, Tributing Pittore and discarding Called by the Grave to Special Summon Witchcrafter Haine from the Deck. He then activated Pittore’s effect, banishing it from the Graveyard, drawing Rivalry of Warlords and discarding Haine. He Set Rivalry of Warlords, then passed turn, but in the End Phase, Rivalry of Warlords got blown away by Nguyen’s Mystical Space Typhoon.

Nguyen activated Terraforming, adding Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero from his Deck to his hand. He activated the Field Spell, then used the effect, targeting the Set. He grabbed Engage from the top 3 and sent Sky Striker Mech – Jamming Waves! to the Graveyard. He then activated Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, adding Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole from his Deck to his hand then drawing a card. Next, Nguyen activated Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole, then activated another Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, adding Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners! from his Deck to his hand and drawing another card. Nguyen activated Afterburners to destroy Haine. Shizuku attacked directly for 1500, leaving Riley at 6500 LP. Nguyen Set a card and in the End Phase, tried to use Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole but Nguyen chained Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit to destroy it and stop its effect from resolving.

Riley activated Witchcrafter Holiday to Special Summon Haine back from the Graveyard. In the End Phase, he used Creation’s effect from the Graveyard to add it back to his hand.

Nguyen Set a card to the back and used Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero’s effect, adding Sky Striker Ace – Raye and sending Metalfoes Fusion. Next, Metalfoes Fusion went back into the Deck to draw a card. In the Battle Phase, Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku attacked and crashed into Haine, with Nguyen taking 200 damage. Sky Striker Ace – Raye came out of the Graveyard with her effect, then Nguyen activated her effect to Special Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari whose effect added Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! from the Graveyard back to Nguyen’s hand. In Main Phase 2, Nguyen activated Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, adding Sky Striker Mecharmory – Hercules Base from his Deck to his hand and drawing a card. Nguyen, with 6 cards in hand, Set 2 to the back and passed. In the End Phase, Riley activated Haine’s effect, discarding Creation to destroy Riley’s Creation to destroy Nguyen’s Sky Striker Ace – Kagari.

Riley attacked with Haine for 2400, leaving Nguyen at 5400 LP. In Main Phase 2, Set Super Polymerization, in the End Phase, Riley added back Creation and Holiday from the Graveyard with their effects.

Nguyen Set a card to the back, then used Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero, revealing Called by the Grave, Sky Striker Mecharmory – Hercules Base and Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero. He took Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero, shuffled the other two back and sent the Set Hercules Base to the Graveyard. Hercules Base’s effect sent Sky Striker Ace – Kagari, Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku and Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole back to the Deck. Nguyen Normal Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye and Riley activated the Set Super Polymerization sending his Haine and Nguyen’s Sky Striker Ace – Raye to Fusion Summon Staving Venom Fusion Dragon! Nguyen Set one to the back and passed.

Riley attacked with Starving Venom for 2800, leaving Nguyen at 2600 LP. In Main Phase 2, Riley activated Holiday targeting Haine, but Nguyen chained Sky Striker Mecha – Shark Cannon to banish the target. Riley Normal Summoned Schmietta and in the End Phase, Riley brought Creation back to his hand.

Riley Normal Summoned another Sky Striker Ace – Raye and used it to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari whose effect added back Engage which was activated to add Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to his hand and draw a card. Nguyen used Widow Anchor to steal Starving Venom. Kagari attacked over the Witchcrafter, then Starving Venom attacked directly. In Main Phase 2, Nguyen tried to use Area Zero on Starving Venom but hit no Sky Striker cards. Upstart Goblin came down next, putting Riley at 4100 LP and Nguyen drew a card. Nguyen passed Starving Venom back to Riley.

Riley drew for turn, then activated the effect of Witchcrafter Schmietta from the Graveyard, banishing it to send Witchcrafter Bystreet from the Deck to the Graveyard. Next, Riley activated Foolish Burial Goods, sending Witchcrafter Draping form the Deck to the Graveyard, then activated Witchcrafter Creation, adding Witchcrafter Pittore from Deck to hand. In the End Phase, Riley used the effects of Draping, Holiday and Bystreet. Bystreet went to the field while the other two cards went to Riley’s hand. In Riley’s End Phase, Nguyen activated Sky Striker Mecha – Eagle Booster on his own Sky Striker Ace – Kagari.

Nguyen Set a card and used Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero, hitting no Sky Striker cards again. He then activated his own Foolish Burial Goods, sending another Foolish Burial Goods to the Graveyard. (Fun fact: you’d assume Foolish Burial Goods would say “except Foolish Burial Goods”. It doesn’t.)

With 13 spells in the Graveyard, Sky Striker Ace – Kagari now matched Starving Venom’s ATK. They crashed, both were destroyed and Sky Striker Ace – Raye came out of the Graveyard. Sky Striker Ace – Raye attacked over Pittore who was not destroyed because of Bystreet’s effect. Sky Striker Ace – Raye tagged out for Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku who attacked over Pittore. Riley now has 2100 LP. Nguyen Set a card and used Shizuku to add Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole to hand.

Riley drew PSY-Frame Driver. He used Pittore’s effect, drew a card and discarded Witchcrafter Madame Verre. Riley then used Holiday to Special Summon Verre from the Graveyard. In the End Phase, Riley brought back Creation, and Nguyen used Infinite Impermanence on Verre.

Nguyen used Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero on the same face-down as before and revealed two Pot of Desires and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. He passed.

Riley drew and activated Secret Village of the Spellcasters! “About time” said Riley. In the End Phase, Riley brought back Holiday.

Nguyen did Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero on the same Set card again, this time hitting Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor and sending Metalfoes Fusion.

Riley drew, went to the End Phase and discarded Witchcrafter Potterie for hand size.

Nguyen used Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero on There Can Be Only One. Riley chained Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit to destroy the Field Spell. Nguyen discarded Foolish Burial Goods for hand size.

Riley activated Creation to add Pittore from Deck to hand. There were 5 and a half minutes left in the round, and this Duel may go to time.

Nguyen Normal Summoned Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. He used it and Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix. He used Phoenix’s effect, discarding Reinforcement of the Army to destroy Secret Village, but Nguyen chained Verre’s effect, discarding Holiday to negate Phoenix’s effect, but Nguyen chained Infinite Impermanence on Verre. Secret Village was destroyed, and Nguyen activated Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole and Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero. Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero used its effect on the same Set card and Nguyen missed again. He Set cards to the back until his backrow was full and passed.

Riley activated Pot of Extravagance, banishing 6 form the Extra Deck to draw 2 cards. 2 minutes left in the round. He activated Witchcrafter Draping to send the far-left Set back to Nguyen’s hand. Nguyen chained the target, Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to negate and steal Witchcrafter Madame Verre. Nguyen activated a second There Can Be Only One, then activated the Set Called by the Grave to banish Riley’s Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit. Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole Set Widow Anchor from the Graveyard.

In the Standby Phase, Riley activated Metaverse to place Secret Village of the Spellcasters on the field, but time was called. With 2600 for Nguyen and 2100 for Riley, the match went to Nguyen.

With both sides controlling the field, and There Can Be Only One throttling the action, the first Duel goes the full 40 minutes and Jimmy Nguyen takes the match!