I’ve been a gamer since I was four. From an early age, a big part of that experience involved video games and some tabletop role playing. In other words, around the time I was learning to read, I was also learning an important fact of life—levels are good!

Honestly, what’s better for a gamer than gaining a level? I’ve been gaining levels for so long that, at this point, my brain actually releases endorphins when it happens. Levels don’t just make me happy, they thrill me on a creepy biological level.

Some days I’m a slightly bigger nerd than Julia. Other days? Way bigger.

So, the goal of this week’s reader challenge is to perform as many level-ups as possible. A level-up counts towards your total regardless of how it is accomplished (both the spell Level Up! and effects that level LV monsters are legal), but the monster getting special summoned by the effect must be special summoned successfully. So, if you want to score well, you might need to get monsters back into your deck.

You will go first. You can make any decisions for your opponent, such as his or her pick from Painful Choice, but you cannot decide what is or is not in the opponent’s deck. That means you’ll have to be pretty careful if you use Cyber Jar (or something similar), because if you don’t have a way of immediately clearing the field, odds are good that your opponent could come up with something that would end your challenge. Your opponent has a 40 card deck, and you may have a deck of up to 60 cards. You may choose the order in which the cards are placed in your deck. You may also determine your opening hand.

The opponent will normal summon a Mystic Tomato on turn 1, and if it is destroyed in battle, it will summon another one with its effect. If the second one is destroyed, the opponent will summon a third one with its effect. When that one is destroyed, nothing will be special summoned with the third Tomato's effect.

The opponent will normal summon a Shining Angel on turn 2, and if it is destroyed in battle, the opponent will summon another one with its effect. If the second one is destroyed, the opponent will summon a third one with its effect. When that one is destroyed, nothing will be special summoned with the third Angel's effect.

The opponent will do nothing other than the two moves above, unless a card effect forces him or her to do something.

The challenge is in the Advanced format, and the following cards are forbidden:

Fiber Jar

Primal Seed

Card of Safe Return

Butterfly Dagger - Elma

Dark Magician of Chaos

The challenge ends at the conclusion of the end phase of the opponent’s third turn.

As usual, the winner will claim half a dozen boosters and the distinguished title of Metagame Reader Challenge Champion! Good luck!

The Usual Details:

Please put “Reader Challenge 8: xxxxx” in the subject line of your email, where the x’s are your total number of level-ups. Be sure to pay attention when you’re scoring so that you count each summon correctly.

Begin by stating your opening hand, and then give a step-by-step breakdown of what hits the field when. Be precise and clear—if we can’t understand your sequence, you’re probably not going to win the challenge.

Don’t forget to include your full name and mailing information. We can’t send you your prize without it, and I’m sure you don’t want to donate those boosters to us.

Please only enter once. Additional entries will void all entries you submit.

Entries should be submitted to contest@metagame.com and must be received by Monday, December 2th at 5 p.m. EST.