Today’s first feature match showcased US National Champion Chris Bowling playing against a duelist from the Neighboring Island of Kauai, Kolby Javinar. Chris is playing a variant on Dark Armed Dragon, while Kolby is piloting the powerful Gladiator Beasts.

Game 1

There was a short pause while the Head Judge clarified the shuffle-shuffle-cut-cut rules and they were off! Chris won the roll and chose to play first. He got off to a card-drawing start with Upstart Goblin, bringing Kolby to 9000 life points. He then played Destiny Draw, and followed it up by summoning Elemental Hero Stratos, searching for Disk Commander. He then set three cards in his spell and trap card zone, and passed the turn.

Kolby thought out his start for a bit, set one monster, set a Mystical Space Typhoon and another card to his back row, and passed the turn back to Chris. During Kolby’s end phase, Chris flipped a Mystical Space Typhoon to hit one of Kolby’s face-downs, which couldn’t be activated and went to the graveyard.

Chris used Reinforcement of the Army to search for Destiny Hero - Fear Monger, then summed Dark Grepher, discarding Disk Commander and putting D.D. Crow into his graveyard from his deck.

Kolby then activated Mind Crush, calling Dark Armed Dragon. Chris chained Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, putting Kolby’s face-down card on top of his deck. Mind Crush resolved, but Chris didn’t have the great Dragon in hand.

Chris then attacked with both monsters, bringing Kolby to 4500, and passed turn.

Kolby only set 1 monster, and passed the turn back.

Chris played Destiny Draw, then tributed for Dark Magician of Chaos (returning his Mystical Space Typhoon), and attacked Kolby’s set monster. It turned out to be a Morphing Jar, bringing the players up to 5 cards.

Chris used Allure of Darkness, removing Sangan, then set 2 more spell or trap cards, passing the turn.

During Kolby’s draw phase, Chris used Trap Dustshoot, sending Kolby’s only monster in hand, a Gladiator Beast Hoplomus, back into his deck.

Kolby set cards to his back row, and passed with no monsters facing down Chris’ Dark Magician of Chaos!

Chris started to attack on his turn, but was turned aside by Kolby’s Enemy Controller. He then used his Mystical Space Typhoon on Kolby’s other back row card and passed the turn.

Kolby used Gladiator Proving Ground to search out Hoplomus, then Premature Burial on a Bestiari in his graveyard (going to 3700). He summoned Hoplomus, and used them to Fusion summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus. However, Chris had the Solemn Judgment ready, paying his 4000 life points to keep the monster off the field. Kolby just set another back row card and passed.

Chris changed his Dark Magician of Chaos to attack position and attacked, bringing Kolby down to 900! Unable to get the last bit of damage in, he passed the turn.

Kolby only set 2 more spell or trap cards, and, when Chris played Heavy Storm on his turn to clear the way for his next attack, Kolby conceded.

Game 2

Kolby chose to go first, setting Sangan and passing the turn. Chris drew with Allure of Darkness (removing D.D. Crow), played Prohibition naming Gladiator Beast Bestiari, set a spell or trap card, and passed.

Kolby summoned Gladiator Beast Laquari and attacked, drawing no response from Chris (who went to 6200). Kolby switched Laquari for Hoplomus and passed. Chris set a back row card and also passed.

Kolby summoned Gladiator Beast Darius, but Chris had Torrential Tribute waiting. Kolby searched out a Gladiator Beast Bestiari with Sangan. He also set a back row card, but Chris used his set spell, a Mystical Space Typhoon, on it during Kolby’s end phase.

Chris draw again using Upstart Goblin, used Monster Reborn on Kolby’s Gladiator Beast Darius, using it to tribute summon Prime Material Dragon, and attacked with the Dragon, brining Kolby to 6600.

On Kolby’s turn, he played Heavy Storm, used Premature Burial to return Darius, summoned Bestiari, changed them out for Gyzarus, and attacked his opponent’s Prime Material Dragon, trading the monsters in battle.

Chris had Heavy Storm on his turn, destroying Kolby’s cunningly set Cold Wave. He set another back row card and passed. When Kolby summoned Laquari, the face-down card was revealed to be Solemn Judgment, bringing Chris down to 3100. Kolby passed.

Chris played Destiny Draw, discarding a Destiny Hero - Malicious, then used Reinforcement of the Army to fetch Stratos, and summoned him to search for Destiny Hero - Plasma. He attacked for 1800, putting Kolby at 4000.

Kolby used Monster Reborn to return Gyzarus, then summoned Darius, and attacked for game

Game 3

The players began game 3 with 13 minutes left on the clock. Chris chose to play first. It seemed like a fast start, but the game slowed almost immediately.

Chris had Destiny Draw discarding Disk Commander, which he then tried to return with Monster Reborn. Kolby spoiled this plan with a D.D. Crow, so Chris had to settle for playing a Cyber Valley and setting three back row cards.

Kolby set 1 back row card, one monster, and passed it back. Chris summon a second Cyber Valley, ending his turn. Kolby set another monster and ended his turn. Chris set 1 more back row card and passed. Kolby flip summoned his Bestiari, attacking a Cyber Valley, with no responses from Chris.

Chris set a fifth card in his spell and trap card zone, and passed again. Kolby attacked into the second Cyber Valley, again with no response from Chris.

Chris passed the turn back immediately with no play.

Kolby summoned Spirit Reaper, which Chris looked at for a moment. “Okay,” he said, letting it come down. When it attacked, he activated a Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, sending it to the top of Kolby’s deck.

Kolby also attacked with his Bestiari for 1500, bringing Chris to 6500.

Chris only replaced his face-down back row card and ended his turn.

Kolby summoned the Spirit Reaper again, Chris let it resolve again, and it was returned to the top of Kolby’s deck again, with another Phoenix Wing Wind Blast. Another attack from Bestiari brought Chris down to 5000.

Chris began to take action, special summoning Malicious, drawing a card with Upstart Goblin, and tribute summoning Prime Material Dragon. He attacked into Bestiari, bringing Kolby to 8100.

Kolby only set 1 monster.

Chris attacked it on his turn, revealing it as a Hoplomus. Kolby set another monster and two back row cards. Chris began his closing moves then, summoning Dark Grepher, discarding Fear Monger and putting D.D. Crow into his graveyard. Now with the count he needed, he special summoned Dark Armed Dragon. Kolby was set with a chained Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror, but Chris was already prepared with Solemn Judgment.

Chris, now at 2500, destroyed Kolby’s set monsters and his face-down Mind Crush with Dark Armed Dragon’s effect. Kolby couldn’t chain Mind Crush, so he just watched it go to the graveyard. He then attacked with both Dragons and Dark Grepher, putting Kolby at 1200.

Kolby made a last bid with Premature Burial for Bestiari, and Gladiator Proving Ground, searching out Darius, but when Bottomless Trap Hole stopped his play, he conceded the game and the match was over.

Chris, impressed with his opponent’s dogged play all the way into game 3, complimented him. “You’ll probably make it, if you keep playing like that,” he said to Kolby.

The round was about over, and the next match was going to start; the players moved off and the pairings were up!