Round 5 Feature Match: Steven Trifunoski vs. Ramiro Garcia
Welcome to Round 5! We’re at Table 35 where Ramiro Garcia – YCS Guadalajara Champion – from Dallas, Texas, has SPYRALs and is taking on Steven Trifunoski, who says he’s from Mt. Olympus but I’m not entirely sure that’s accurate, and his Pendulum Deck. Trifunoski has historically done well with the Pendulum strategy, taking it to a Top 8 finish at a Regional Qualifier in Scarborough, Canada that conformed to the latest Forbidden and Limited List before the list went into effect. This is relevant because that means he was able to make Top 8 using only one copy of Servant of Endymion while people were likely still playing decks like Salamangreat with Salamangreat Miragestallio, Sky Striker with 3 copies of Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, and Orcust with 3 copies of Orcust Harp Horror. This is sure to be a high-powered matchup! It’s time to Duel!
Trifunoski won the roll and elected to go first. He started with a hand of Mythical Beast Jackal (not Jackal King), Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic, Spell Power Mastery, and 2 copies of Magical Abductor. He started with a Normal Summoned Abductor and placed the other copy on the Pendulum Zone, then activated Spell Power Mastery to add Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic from his Deck to his hand. Next, he activated Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic to the other Pendulum Zone, then used the Abductor’s monster effect, removing its Spell Counters to add Droll & Lock Bird from his Deck to his hand. Next, he removed 3 counters from the Abductor in the Pendulum Zone to add Mythical Beast Jackal King from his Deck to his hand. He then Pendulum Summoned Mythical Beast Jackal King and the second Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic from his hand. He sent Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic and Abductor to the Extra Deck to Link Summon Crowley, the First Propheseer. Trifunoski used its effect to add Spellbook of Knowledge from his Deck to hand, which as activated, sending Crowley to the Graveyard to draw 2 cards. Next, Allure of Darkness was used to draw 2 and banish Mythical Beast Jackal from his hand. Next, he Set Into the Void, activated Magister of Endymion then used the Pendulum Effect of Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic, Special Summoning it and destroying the Set Into the Void.
Garcia activated SPYRAL Super Agent calling Monsters, with Trifunoski revealing Magical Abductor off the top of his Deck. Next, Garcia activated Instant Fusion, paying 1000 LP but Trifunoski chained Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic’s effect, bouncing Magical Abductor to negate Instant Fusion. Garcia then Normal Summoned Scrap Recycler. Garcia Set a card then he then activated Dragged Down to the Grave! Garcia made Trifunoski discard Droll & Lock Bird and Garcia discarded the last card in his hand, another Dragged Down, then each player drew a card. Garcia sent his two monsters to the Graveyard to Link Summon Scrap Wyvern! He activated Scrap Wyvern’s effect but Garcia chained Mythical Beast Jackal King’s effect to negate and destroy it. Garcia then activated the Set SPYRAL GEAR – Big Red to Special Summon SPYRAL Super Agent from the Graveyard in Defense Position.
Trifunoski Normal Summoned Magical Abductor then activated the second one in the Pendulum Zone, but he chained his own Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic’s effect to negate his own Spell activation and bounce itself – giving Trifunoski access to a high scale needed for a Pendulum Summon – then activated Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic to the Pendulum Zone. He then Pendulum Summoned the Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic in his Extra Deck. Finally, he used the Pendulum Effect of the Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic in the Pendulum Zone, Special Summoning it and clearing Garcia’s field and attacking for game!
Duel 2
Garcia started with Foolish Burial, sending SPYRAL Quik-Fix from his Deck to his hand. He then activated Monster Reborn to Special Summon SPYRAL Quik-Fix from the Graveyard. SPYRAL Quik-Fix’s effect added SPYRAL GEAR – Drone from his Deck to his hand. he Normal Summoned it and used its effect to rearrange the top 3 cards of Trifunoski’s Deck. He sent both monsters to the Graveyard to Link Summon SPYRAL Double Helix. He used its effect, calling Monsters and Trifunoski revealing Chronograph Sorcerer. SPYRAL Master Plan was Special Summoned from Garcia’s Deck. SPYRAL Master Plan’s effect added SPYRAL MISSION – Rescue from his Deck to his hand. He then activated SPYRAL Quik-Fix’s effect, discarding Jet Synchron to Special Summon Quik-Fix from the Graveyard. Its effect let Garcia add SPYRAL GEAR – Big Red from his Deck to his hand. SPYRAL Super Agent came down next (the top card of Trifunoski’s Deck was still Chronograph Sorcerer) and SPYRAL Super Agent and SPYRAL Master Plan were sent to the Graveyard to Link Summon Barricadeborg Blocker. Some amount of plays later and the field ended like this:
(Garcia played a Dragged Down by the Grave hitting Trifunoski’s Lava Golem which would have been a great card to break apart this field. The Set card was Set by the effect of Knightmare Gryphon and is Appointer of the Red Lotus.)
In Trifunoski’s Draw Phase, Garcia activated Appointer of the Red Lotus, revealing both players hands. Garcia banished the Pot of Desires from Trifunoski’s hand. Trifunoski Normal Summoned Magical Abductor, then activated a second copy into the Pendulum Zone and Chronograph Sorcerer in the other one. He activated Chronograph Sorcerer’s Pendulum effect, Special Summoning Timegazer Magician from the Deck. Magister came down next into the Pendulum Zone. Garcia used Sleeper’s effect to destroy Trifunoski’s Abductor in the Monster Zone (he also tried to destroy Magister but Timegazer Magician protected it with its effect.) He Pendulum Summoned Chronograph Sorcerer, then had it attack Garcia’s SPYRAL Double Helix. In Main Phase 2, Trifunoski sent his monsters to the Extra Deck to Link Summon Crowley, the First Propheseer. Its effect let Trifunoski reveal Spellbook Magician of Prophecy, Spellbook of Secrets and Spellbook of Knowledge. Garcia randomly selected Spellbook of Secrets to add to Trifunoski’s hand. Trifunoski then activated Spell Power Mastery which Garcia negated with Borreload Savage Dragon. He then used Secrets to add a Spellbook card to his hand. Garcia then removed 3 counters from Abductor to add Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic from his Deck to his hand. He then activated Knowledge, sending Crowley to the Graveyard to draw 2 cards. Those cards couldn’t help the situation and Trifunoski conceded to go to the third and final Duel of the match.
Duel 3
Trifunoski elected for Garcia to go first. Garcia started with Instant Fusion, paying 1000 LP to Special Summon Millennium-Eyes Restrict. Magicians’ Soul was next, sending SPYRAL Master Plan from the Deck to the Graveyard and Special Summoning Magicians’ Soul from Garcia’s hand. Next Garcia activated Where Arf Thou? to add SPYRAL Quik-Fix from his Deck to his hand which was Normal Summoned and its effect added SPYRAL GEAR – Big Red from Garcia’s Deck to his hand. SPYRAL GEAR – Big Red brought back SPYRAL Master Plan, and its effect added a card from Garcia’s Deck to his hand. All 4 monsters went to the Graveyard to Link Summon Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess. SPYRAL Master Plan’s effect added SPYRAL Resort and a SPYRAL monster from Deck to hand. Foolish Burial dumped SPYRAL GEAR – Drone from the Deck to Garcia’s Graveyard. SPYRAL Resort came down next and added SPYRAL Super Agent. SPYRAL MISSION – Rescue was banished from the Graveyard to Special Summon SPYRAL GEAR – Drone and its effect rearranged Trifunoski’s top 3 cards. SPYRAL Super Agent declared Spell (Spellbook of Knowledge was on top) and a flurry of plays later the field that contained an Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess, a Knightmare Gryphon, a Set SPYRAL GEAR – Big Red and other monsters. (At this point, time was getting close and I didn’t want to interrupt the match until time was called or until the match was over. Both players were playing as quickly as possible.)
Trifunoski drew for turn but had a big field to come back against. He started with Spellbook of Knowledge, discarding Spellbook of Secrets to draw 2. Next was Into the Void. He then activated Spell Power Mastery to add Servant of Endymion. Timegazer Magician was Normal Summoned, then Servant was activated. Pot of Desires was next, banishing the top 10 cards to draw 2. He activated Chronograph Sorcerer, then Pendulum Summoned Magical Abductor and Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic from his hand. Abductor and Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic were sent to the Extra Deck to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix. Its effect tried to activate but Garcia used Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess to negate it. Trifunoski then Link Summoned Knightmare Unicorn and went into the Battle Phase. At the start of the Battle Phase time was called, and Knightmare Unicorn attacked over Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess. Trifunoski was already leading because Garcia activated Instant Fusion but the extra damage was likely in case it came back to Garcia’s turn.
Trifunoski wins the match!