Freddie Garcia was one of three Comic Odyssey members present at the table. He was playing against Matt Ellenberg, the only non-team member in the final four contention for the side events Cyber-Stein. Ellenberg was playing for Team Avalanche, a relatively unknown group of players. A win here would mean a great deal of valuable publicity.

 

Garcia won the die roll and opted to open the game, doing so with Pot of Greed. He set Lightning Vortex, a monster, and passed. Ellenberg made the same play: two face down cards, one in each zone, and also passed.

 

Garcia flip summoned his D. D. Warrior Lady, drawing out Ellenberg's Torrential Tribute - Ellenberg's face down monster was Sinister Serpent. Garcia recruited D. D. Assailant to take the Lady's place and attacked to draw first blood. Ellenberg's answer? Two face down spells or traps and one face down monster. Garcia was unfazed, summoning Mystic Swordsman LV2 and attacking with it but unfortunately tripping on a Mirror Force.

 

Ellenberg started pressing an offensive, summoning Hand of Nephthys and using its effect to bring up Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys. “Woo, this game's exciting, ” but you wouldn't know it by the monotone of Garcia's voice. The Phoenix swung directly and Garcia's face down spell or trap was no help.

 

Garcia mused over his next move for a while, eventually settling on Snatch Stealing the Phoenix. Ellenberg chained Ring of Destruction to blow it up, setting the score at 3200 to 3900. Ellenberg was wide open, and Garcia could possibly take him out this turn. The problem? If he didn't, he was going to continue losing cards, as the Phoenix would singe his lone face down card in Ellenberg's next standby phase.

 

“What are you at?” asked Garcia.

 

“3900,” Ellenberg replied. It was a superfluous question as Garcia had his calculator right next to him. He summoned D. D. Assailant, attacked directly, and passed.

 

The Phoenix came up next turn and destroyed Garcia's face down Lightning Vortex. Ellenberg summoned Tribe-Infecting Virus, named Warriors with its effect, and attacked for game.

 

Game Two

 

Garcia paused a moment to place his deck on the table with a bit of force and then began side decking.

 

“You going first?” asked Ellenberg.

 

“Yup.” And with that, Garcia began. He set one spell or trap, a monster, and play moved to Ellenberg's control. He again answered back with the same play - two down, one in each zone.

 

Garcia summoned Asura Priest and Ellenberg fingered his face down spell or trap. Garcia attacked and smacked into Apprentice Magician. A strong opening from Ellenberg, but he was unused to playing against Asura Priest—he plucked another Apprentice with the first's effect, and Asura attacked it immediately.

 

“I won't get another monster.”

 

“I was waiting for you to realize that.” Garcia smiled a little.

 

Ellenberg used Nobleman of Crossout on Garcia's face down: success, he scored a removal on Sinister Serpent. Next turn Garcia again summoned Asura Priest, this time attacking directly as Ellenberg's only move for the previous turn had been another set of a spell or trap.

 

Taking some time to consider his next move, Ellenberg fanned his cards repeatedly—he either had too many options or none at all. “Go,” he said dejectedly, dropping his hand. I guess it was the latter.

 

Asura Priest was again summoned and again attacked. Once more, Ellenberg took the damage and the score was 8000 to 4600. He summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior but as Breaker got his token-placement effect Garcia chained Ring of Destruction to dish out 1600 damage to him and his opponent and destroy Breaker. Ellenberg set a spell or trap and passed.

 

That face down spell or trap came into play next turn, as it flipped face up to stop the Asura madness, as Ellenberg revealed Mirror Force. Ellenberg bought himself a turn, set a monster, and it was attacked immediately by D. D. Assailant. It was Tribe-Infecting Virus, and it went down hard. He set another monster and passed his next turn.

 

“Why does everybody want to set against me?” pondered Garcia.

 

D. D. Assailant attacked the down: it was a Magician of Faith, and Ellenberg used it to grab Pot of Greed. He used it as soon as he could, and upon its resolution, he took immediate stock of his graveyard, field, and hand. It's the kind of gesture someone makes when they have a win in mind. He summoned Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer and labored a bit over his next move. He used Snatch Steal on the Assailant, used some removal to clear the path through Garcia's spell and trap zone, and then attacked.

 

However, Garcia had the answers! Snatch Steal took the Assailant, the Assailant was tributed for Jinzo, and when Garcia attempted to make use of it, Enemy Controller stole it. Garcia set a couple face down cards and would use them, as Ellenberg would only pass on his next turn.

 

Pot of Greed came off the top of Garcia's deck and he activated it immediately. Call of the Haunted brought up Jinzo again and it attacked directly. Ellenberg again had an answer, and Jinzo smacked nothing but Scapegoat.

 

Ellenberg was up, and he activated Heavy Storm, but Garcia chained Scapegoat. Jinzo killed off another sheep a turn later and Ellenberg looked suddenly aware that Garcia was up on cards. He had three in hand and two on field, plus four sheep, to Ellenberg's two in hand, one on field, and only two sheep. Next turn, Ellenberg again had nothing, and he quickly was reduced to just a single sheep as Jinzo's fluffy rampage continued.

 

Ellenberg summoned Enraged Battle Ox, removed a Light monster and a Dark monster for Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, and did not opt to make use of his right to priority. Enraged Battle Ox smashed a sheep, Soldier smashed Jinzo, and that was the turn.

 

Looking at a fistful of monsters, Garcia was in a tight bind. He opted to summon Tsukuyomi, turned the Soldier face down, and made the only move he could, attacking a sheep and then used his only spell, Nobleman of Crossout, on the Soldier. The Ox was still a big issue, though, and by the end of Ellenberg's next turn, the score was 4000 to 2200. He was narrowing the gap. Ellenberg set another monster and passed.

 

Tsukuyomi dealt with the Ox next turn though, turning it face down and smacking it. Ellenberg tried to fight back with Airknight Parshath, but it was hit with a Bottomless Trap Hole, a nice two-for-one that he really couldn't afford to give to Garcia. Garcia attacked next turn with Sangan and Ellenberg had nothing but another set.

 

“Why you gotta mess with me!” Garcia certainly seemed to hate set monsters. Ellenberg was out of in-hand cards, though, and the odds were definitely not in his favor. An Airknight came down on Garcia's side as well, and Ellenberg had no way to fight it off. It attacked, smacked into a Sangan of Ellenberg's, and that was game two!

 

The match moved to game three, with fifteen minutes remaining.

 

Game Three

 

It was Ellenberg's chance to open for the first time in the match. He opened differently this time, setting a spell or trap and summoning Kycoo face up—a sort of bold move.

 

Garcia summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior and opted to fire off its token before attacking. Ellenberg chained Ceasefire for 1000 damage. “Ain't that a . . . ” Garcia wasn't pleased. He set one face down spell or trap.

 

The Breaker was hit with Snatch Steal by Ellenberg next turn, and used as part of a tribute for Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys. Torrential Tribute nailed it though, and Garcia set a face down card in each zone. When the Phoenix came back up on Ellenberg's next turn, Ellenberg used Torrential Tribute on it and then set another spell or trap. “What the? You're supposed to be beating on me.” Garcia was confused, but likely relieved. Ellenberg had only one card in hand and one set on the field.

 

“You'd think I'd have advantage now,” remarked Garcia, looking at his hand of four cards. “But do I? Nooo.” Garcia set a monster as well as Lightning Vortex, to bluff.

 

Next turn the Phoenix came up, and Asura Priest came down. The set monster on Garcia's side turned out to be D. D. Warrior Lady. The problem? Asura Priest attacked first. Garcia made a noise of displeasure, but had Ring of Destruction for the Phoenix.

 

Next turn Ellenberg had a Phoenix and Garcia had . . . well, useless cards. He had a set Call of the Haunted as a bluff, but that was it. The Phoenix swung again and that was the match!

 

Matt Ellenberg moves on and draws one step closer to his very own Cyber-Stein!