As part of my ongoing “Play A Stupid Deck, Get A Feature Match” campaign, Paul Levitin was making yet another trip to the feature match table. Overdose had a promising Skill Drain Elemental Hero deck going into the US National Championships, but had opted not to play it when they realized that their own Skyscraper field card would boost opposing copies of Elemental Hero Prisma. The deck got shelved, but today, Levitin is striking out with an updated version that focuses more on a general Light Beatdown strategy. “My big tech is Thunder Nyan Nyan!” he declared with the kind of mischievous ear-to-ear grin that that only Paul Levitin has. With main decked Skill Drain and actual tech like Royal Oppression (which I swear everyone is playing today), his deck is a great counter to top strategies in this format.
. . . Or a spectacular failure! We’ll find out which in mere moments.
His opponent, Bin Zheng, is a local from right here in Philadelphia. At age 26 he was playing a Lightsworn deck with stuff like My Body As A Shield and Celestia, Lightsworn Angel. With so much tech on his side, if Levitin didn’t win this one, it would be a travesty.
Game 1
Zheng opened the match with Solar Recharge, discarding Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress, drawing two, and sending another Lyla plus Judgment Dragon to the graveyard. He set one card and flipped it next turn: Trap Dustshoot. Paul revealed his hand: Torrential Tribute, two copies of Elemental Hero Neos Alius, Honest, Reinforcement of the Army, and Prohibition. “What the hell are you running?! Put the Honest back.”
Levitin activated Reinforcement of the Army and searched his deck for Elemental Hero Stratos. That got him Elemental Hero Captain Gold from his deck — it’s not everyday you see that, is it? Stratos attacked for 1800 damage, and in main phase 2 Levitin set Torrential.
Reinforcement of the Army got Zheng Jain, Lightsworn Paladin, and when he summoned her Levitin didn’t bother flipping Torrential Tribute yet. Zheng activated Monster Reborn, brought back Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress, and Levitin flipped Torrential Tribute! Zheng shut it down with My Body As A Shield, attacked, and set a spell or trap card to end. In the end phase he sent Wulf, Lightsworn Beast to his graveyard and special summoned it.
Levitin summoned Elemental Hero Neos Alius, and then discarded Captain Gold to search out Skyscraper. Alius attacked Wulf, gained 1000 ATK for Skyscraper, and Zheng activated Honest in the damage step! “Got yours?” asked Zheng.
“No,” replied Levitin. “That’s game.” He scooped.
“Why are you playing that deck?” asked Zheng. Well, because the deck was potentially very good. Just not . . . in that . . . particular, game. That would’ve been Levitin’s reply if he hadn’t opted to wordlessly move to side decking. He was fast about it too, completing his siding in under 40 seconds. He’d clearly planned for this matchup and, despite the strange strategy, his deck was no joke.
Zheng took a bit more time, since he still really had no idea what kind of surprises Levitin’s deck had in store. He hadn’t seen Royal Oppression, or Skill Drain, let alone the mighty Thunder Nyan Nyan. Levitin still had the element of surprise.
Game 2
He opened game 2 with Mirror Force, Torrential Tribute, Rivalry of Warlords, Royal Oppression, Skill Drain, and Neos Alius — all his tricks in a compact six-card package. He set one spell or trap and ended. Zheng sought out Jain, Lightsworn Paladin again with Reinforcement of the Army, summoned her, and swung for 1800 damage. He set a card to his back row, ended, and Jain’s effect sent Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter and Ehren, Lightsworn Monk to his graveyard.
Levitin summoned Alius and swung over Jain, setting a second spell or trap to end his turn. Zheng summoned Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner, discarded Wulf, Lightsworn Beast to try and special summon it, and Levitin chained Skill Drain! Lumina was left alone on the field, and Zheng set a second spell or trap to end his turn. Levitin was up.
Alius ran over Lumina, and Levitin ended with Skill Drain and his one set card still remaining on the field. Judgment Dragon was now a live play for Zheng, but Levitin had Royal Oppression down, and would be taking advantage of the new rulings made earlier this week on that card. Zheng passed, and took 1900 damage next turn from Alius. “It’s your move.”
Judgment Dragon hit the field next turn, and Levitin responded by flipping and chaining Royal Oppression! The Dragon went down, and Zheng set a third card to his back row. Levitin summoned Thunder Nyan Nyan next turn, and Zheng flipped Bottomless Trap Hole to remove it from the field. Fear the Nyan Nyan! Alius dealt another 1900 damage, Zheng dropped to 3200 life points, and Levitin set a third card to his back row beside Skill Drain and Oppression.
Zheng passed, and when Levitin summoned Captain Gold Zheng was forced to flip Threatening Roar. He set another copy, and flipped it on Levitin’s next turn. Zheng set a monster, Levitin activated Reinforcement of the Army, and he got another Captain Gold from his deck.
He summoned Exiled Force, tributed it, and Zheng activated Divine Wrath to keep his monster on the field. Alius attacked into Zheng’s Honest, bounced away, and, when Captain Gold attacked, Zheng flipped Mystical Space Typhoon! Skill Drain was destroyed, Captain Gold went down, and Levitin set two more cards to his back row. Zheng set another spell or trap and ended.
It was Trap Dustshoot. Levitin had Captain Gold, Nyan Nyan, Stratos, Torrential Tribute, and E – Emergency Call! Zheng realized how much trouble he was in, but had to send back Captain Gold anyway. Levitin summoned Stratos, searched out Captain Gold, discarded him for Skyscraper and ended, still briefly unable to get over that Honest.
Zheng tributed his Honest for Caius the Shadow Monarch, but Solemn Judgment negated the summon! “You got me,” confessed Zheng, conceding the game.
Paul Levitin fights back, taking game 2 with a devastating series of continuous trap cards and some handiwork from Neos Alius!
Game 3
“I’ll go first,” announced Zheng, as he began the third duel. Levitin heaved a sigh, not picking up his first five cards. Zheng activated Reinforcement of the Army for Jain again, set a spell or trap, and then summoned Jain. In the end phase he sent Heavy Storm and Judgment Dragon to the graveyard.
Levitin played Mystical Space Typhoon — Zheng chained the targeted Threatening Roar. E – Emergency Call got him Elemental Hero Stratos, who in turn searched out Elemental Hero Captain Gold. He set two cards to his back row to finish out. “It’s your turn.”
Zheng activated Cold Wave, but Levitin chained Light-Imprisoning Mirror! Zheng chained Mystical Space Typhoon, but didn’t target the Mirror, instead destroying Levitin’s set Torrential Tribute. Zheng summoned Card Trooper, sent Honest, Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, and Premature Burial to the graveyard for its effect, and swung over Stratos. Jain then made a direct attack for 1800 damage.
Levitin discarded Captain Gold, searched his deck for Skyscraper, and summoned Neos Alius to attack over Card Trooper. Trooper went drown, Zheng drew, and Levitin ended his turn. Cold Wave’s effect passed.
Jain was tributed for Mobius the Frost Monarch, destroying the Light-Imprisoning Mirror. Foolish Burial then let Zheng special summon Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, and he attacked with Wulf — no Honest for Levitin, as Wulf cleared Alius and Mobius made a direct attack. A set spell or trap ended Zheng’s turn.
Skyscraper hit the field, followed by Captain Gold! Gold swung over Mobius, and Levitin set Rivalry of Warlords! “Your turn.”
Wulf rushed Captain Gold next turn and both monsters were destroyed, a great move that unwittingly mitigated the impact of Levitin’s Rivalry. But Levitin fired back next turn, searching out Captain Gold with Reinforcement of the Army and then summoning him — Zheng was forced to activated Torrential Tribute. The duel stood at 3500 life points to 5800 in Zheng’s favor.
He summoned Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress next turn, attacked to drop Levitin to 1800 life points, and sent Bottomless Trap Hole, Threatening Roar, and Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter to his graveyard in the end phase. He lost Lyla to Smashing Ground next turn and Levitin set his last card to his back row.
Solar Recharge let Zheng discard Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior, and he sent Judgment Dragon and Solemn Judgment to the graveyard. He summoned Ehren, Lightsworn Monk, made a direct attack, and set another card to his back row to end. He now had one in-hand card. one set spell or trap, and Ehren on the field.
Levitin summoned Neos Alius and attacked, but was denied by Honest as Alius clashed with Ehren! That was it — the match was over.
Bin Zheng defeats Paul Levitin’s daring Light Beatdown deck, moving on in this tournament with a 2-0 record! Poor Paul is never going to live this one down unless he makes Day 2.