Round 1 Feature Match: Brandan Bard vs. Mitchell Garcia
Round 1 of YCS Orlando is about to begin, and local Orlando Duelist Brandan Bard is taking his Gladiator Beast Deck into the battle! He’s up against Mitchell Garcia from Houston, Texas, who is Dueling with his Fiendsmith Ryzeal Deck. Fiendsmith Ryzeal Decks are expected to be a top contender this weekend, but Bard’s Gladiator Beast Deck is up for the challenge. He’s using a ton of new support from Supreme Darkness, including 3 copies of Gladiator Beast Gistel, 3 Flavian – Colosseum of the Gladiator Beasts, and 3 copies of Test Bear. Modern Gladiator Beast Decks are able to build nearly unstoppable fields on the very first turn if they’re not disrupted, and this Feature Match could give a strong display of what Gladiator Beast Decks are capable of doing. It’s time to Duel!
Duel One
Bard won the die roll and chose to go first. He opened up with Gladiator Beast Andal, Unexpected Dai, Called by the Grave, Triple Tactics Thrust, and Gladiator Proving Ground. He activated Unexpected Dai to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Andal from his Deck and then sent it to the Graveyard to Link Summon Link Spider. He used Spider’s effect to Special Summon Andal from his hand and then sent his 2 monsters to the Graveyard to Link Summon Test Panther. He used Panther’s effect to add Gladiator Beast Attorix from his Deck to his hand. He used Gladiator Proving Ground to add Gladiator Beast Gistel from his Deck to his hand and then used Gistel’s effect. He Special Summoned Gistel and Attorix, then used their effects. He added Gladiator Beast’s Comeback from his Deck to his hand with Gistel’s effect and sent Gladiator Beast Augustus from his Deck to his Graveyard with Attorix’s effect, allowing Attorix to copy its Level. Next, he used Panther’s effect to return Gistel to his Deck and Special Summon Gladiator Beast Noxious from his Deck. He used Noxious’s effect to send Gladiator Beast Gistel from his Deck to his Graveyard and then returned Attorix and Noxious to his Deck to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor! He used its effect to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Domitianus. Next, he sent Tamer Editor and Test Panther to the Graveyard to Link Summon Gladiator Beast Dareios and used its effect to Special Summon Andal from his Graveyard. He used Dareios and Andal as Link Materials to Link Summon Gladiator Beast Dragases. Next, he returned both Andals, Gistel, Augustus, and Dareios from his Graveyard to his Deck to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Claudius from his Extra Deck. He used its effect to get a second Battle Phase during his next turn, and then he ended his turn.
Garcia activated Bonfire to add Ice Ryzeal from his Deck to his hand.
He activated Fiendsmith’s Tract next. He added Fabled Lurrie from his Deck to his hand and discarded it. He activated its effect to try to Special Summon it. Bard activated Domitianus’s effect to negate it; Garcia Chained Metaltronus targeting Domitianus; and Bard Chained Heraklinos’s effect and discarded a card to negate Metaltronus. Next, Garcia Special Summoned Ext Ryzeal from his hand by sending Mereologic Aggregator from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard. He used the Aggregator’s effect to negate Heraklinos’s effect, and used Ext’s effect to add Node Ryzeal to his hand. In a new Chain, Bard used his Claudius’s effect to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus from his Extra Deck. He used Gyzarus’s effect to destroy Ext. Next, Garcia Normal Summoned Ice Ryzeal and used its effect to Special Summon Sword Ryzeal. He used Sword’s effect to add another Ice Ryzeal from his Deck to his hand. Next, he Xyz Summon Evilswarm Exciton Knight and used its effect to destroy all cards on Bard’s field! He Special Summoned Node Ryzeal from his hand next and sent Exciton Knight to the Graveyard to Special Summon Sword back. He Xyz Summoned Ryzeal Duo Drive and used its effect to gain an Xyz Material. He detached 2 Xyz Materials from it to add Ext Ryzeal and Ryzeal Cross from his Deck to his hand. Next, he activated the Cross and Special Summoned Sword and Ice from his hand. He combined them to Xyz Summon Ryzeal Detonator and used its effect to attach Mereologic Aggregator from his Graveyard to his Detonator. Finally, he used Cross’s effect to return 2 cards from his Graveyard to his Deck and draw a card. He passed his turn, unable to inflict damage due to Exciton Knight’s effect.
Bard drew Gladiator Beast Attorix and then entered his Main Phase. He returned 5 Gladiator Beasts from his Graveyard to his Extra Deck and Special Summoned another Gladiator Beast Claudius from his Extra Deck. He entered his first Battle Phase of the turn and attacked Duo Drive. Duo Drive was destroyed and Garcia lost 1000 Life Points. In his second Battle Phase he attacked Detonator to try to destroy it, but Garcia detached an Xyz Material from it to protect it with its effect. In Main Phase 2, he Normal Summoned Attorix and sent it to the Graveyard along with Claudius to Link Summon Test Panther. He used Panther’s effect, and Garcia Chained Detonator’s effect to destroy Panther, then used Cross’s effect to negate Panther’s effect. Bard activated the last card in his hand – Triple Tactics Thrust – but it was negated by Garcia’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring!
Garcia Normal Summoned Ice on his next turn, and then built his field up from there! Moments later, he controlled Abyss Dweller, Sword Ryzeal, Ryzeal Detonator, Ext Ryzeal, and Ryzeal Duo Drive, and attacked with all 5 monsters to end the Duel!
Garcia overcomes Bard’s turn impressive turn 1 field of Gladiator Beasts and wins the first Duel with his Fiendsmith Ryzeal Deck! Bard chose to go first in Duel 2.
Duel Two
Bard opened up Duel 2 with Called by the Grave, Dimensional Barrier, Gladiator Proving Ground, and 2 copies of Unexpected Dai.
He activated Unexpected Dai to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Andal from his Deck and then activated Gladiator Proving Ground to add Gladiator Beast Gistel from his Deck to his hand. He Normal Summoned it and then sent his two monsters to the Graveyard to Link Summon Test Panther. He activated its effect. Garcia Chained Effect Veiler targeting the Panther, Bard Chained Called by the Grave targeting the Veiler, and Garcia Chained Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion to negate the Called by the Grave! Panther’s effect was negated, and Bard Set Dimensional Barrier before ending his turn.
Garcia used Bonfire to add Ice Ryzeal to his hand and Summoned it. He Special Summoned Ext and used Ext’s effect to add Sword to his hand. He Link Summoned Moon of the Closed Heaven and then sent it to the Graveyard to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem. He Tributed it to Special Summon Lacrima the Crimson Tears from his Deck and used Lacrima’s effect to send Fiendsmith Engraver from his Deck to his Graveyard. He used Engraver’s effect to Special Summon it and then equipped it with Requiem. He used Engraver’s effect to send Requiem and Panther to the Graveyard. Next, he Link Summoned Fiendsmith’s Sequence and activated its effect to try to Summon a Fusion Monster; but Garcia Chained Dimensional Barrier declaring Fusion. Bard Special Summoned Sword from his hand and added Ice to his hand. He Special Summoned Ice by sending Sequence from his field to his Graveyard. Next, he Xyz Summoned Ryzeal Duo Drive and used its effect to attach an Xyz Material to it from his Graveyard. He used its other effect to add Ice Ryzeal and Ryzeal Cross from his Deck to his hand and then activated Cross. He used Cross’s effect to draw a card. He Special Summoned Ext from his hand next by sending Eclipse Twins from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard, and then attacked directly with Duo Drive and Ext.
Bard drew Droll & Lock Bird and then activated Unexpected Dai to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Andal from his Deck. Garcia used the effect of the Lacrima in his Graveyard to Special Summon it and then used Lacrima’s other effect to send Fiendsmith in Paradise from his Deck to his Graveyard. Next, Bard Normal Summoned Droll & Lock Bird and used his two monsters to Link Summon Gladiator Beast Dareios. He activated its effect to Special Summon a monster from his Graveyard, and Garcia Chained Fiendsmith in Paradise’s effect from his Graveyard. He sent Fiendsmith’s Desirae to the Graveyard, and then negated Dareios’s effect with Cross. He returned Dareios to the Extra Deck with Desirae’s effect in a new Chain, leaving Bard with nothing in his hand or on his field. Staring down Garcia’s field and his hand full of cards, Bard finally conceded.
Mitchell Garcia overcomes Brandan Bard’s Gladiator Beasts to advance with a 1-0 record in YCS Orlando!
