This was it — the third Last Chance Regional of the day pitted fifteen year-old Adrian Sado against 25 year-old Tony Bernard, in a matchup of Gladiator Beasts versus Bernard’s utterly bizarre Burn deck. Penguin Soldier, Chain Energy, Des Koala, Stumbling . . . Bernard’s deck has it all. But could he overcome the fiercest deck in the format? If he could, he’d earn a seat in the National Championships tomorrow.
Game 1
Bernard opened the match with Morphing Jar, Blast Sphere, Des Koala, Stealth Bird, Gravity Bind, and Mirror Force. He set Gravity Bind, set Des Koala, and ended. Sado summoned Gladiator Beast Laquari, attacked, and was stopped cold by Gravity Bind. “That’s fine.” He set one spell or trap to end his turn.
Des Koala flipped up next turn for 1600 damage, and Bernard set Stealth Bird. He held onto Mirror Force, set his freshly-topdecked Zoma the Spirit, and ended. Next turn Sado summoned Gladiator Beast Bestiari, contact Fused for Gyzarus, and blew away Zoma and Gravity Bind. Gyzarus then attacked Des Koala, and Sado tagged Gyzarus out to special summon Gladiator Beast Laquari and Gladiator Beast Darius. He did so knowing he did not have a monster to special summon with Darius. “Go ahead.” He’d left Bernard with Stealth Bird.
Bernard drew Spirit Reaper and had Blast Sphere, Morphing Jar, and Mirror Force to complement it. He set Spirit Reaper, set Mirror Force, and ended. Next turn Sado summoned Gladiator Beast Bestiari again, contact Fused it with Darius, and summoned Gyzarus to target Mirror Force and Stealth Bird. Laquari attacked Spirit Reaper, Gyzarus attacked it too, and Sado tagged out Gyzarus for Darius and Laquari. He then tagged out his first Laquari for Murmillo, and he contact Fused all three in main phase 2 for Gladiator Beast Heraklinos. “I’ll end my turn.”
“Draw,” announced Bernard. He had Morphing Jar, Blast Sphere, and Penguin Soldier. He set the Soldier and ended. Gladiator Proving Ground got Sado Gladiator Beast Laquari on the following turn, and he summoned it to attack. Penguin Soldier flipped!
It sent Heraklinos back to the Fusion deck, and Laquari back to Sado’s hand! The assembled crowd couldn’t believe it! Bernard set Morphing Jar, set Scapegoat, and ended. Sado attacked with Laquari next turn, right into Morphing Jar, and each duelist got a new hand. When Sado tagged out Bestiari to target Bernard’s Scapegoat, he chained it. Sado set a third spell or trap and ended.
He flipped it, Trap Dustshoot, next turn. It revealed Bernard’s hand of Dark Bribe, two Chain Energy, Messenger of Peace, and Torrential Tribute, and sent Big Shield Gardna back to his deck. Bernard set Torrential, activated Messenger of Peace, set Dark Bribe, set Chain Energy, and then activated the other from his hand. He flipped his Chain Energy, which he’d avoided paying for through his carefully sequenced play, and he ended. This was either brilliant or insane. Probably both.
Sado had 6400 life points left, and every card he played from here on out was going to cost him 1000 life points. He summoned another Bestiari, contact Fused for Gyzarus, and brought down Gyzarus — Gyzarus targeted Torrential Tribute and Messenger of Peace. Torrential was chained, and those two Chain Energy were still on the field. “Go.”
Bernard drew Stealth Bird, paid 1000 life points and set Stealth Bird. The score was now 5400 to 5700. Sado activated Reinforcement of the Army, paying another 1000 life points to do so. He dropped to 4400 life points to get Elemental Hero Prisma. He then paid another 1000 to summon the Prisma, and activated its effect to send Bestiari to the graveyard. He followed it up with The Shallow Grave, and Bernard chained Dark Bribe! It was ruled that Sado did not have to pay 1000 life points, since the activation of The Shallow Grave was negated. Still, he didn’t get to make his Gyzarus play.
He activated Monster Reborn though, and that got him the Bestiari he needed. That dropped him to 2400 life points, and he contact Fused for Gyzarus, targeting one Chain Energy and the face-down monster — Stealth Bird. Gyzarus attacked for 2400 damage and then tagged out for Laquari and Darius, with Darius getting Hoplomus to the field. Sado contact Fused for Heraklinos next. “Go ahead.”
Bernard drew Messenger of Peace and moaned. “If only!” he paid 500 life points to set it, and lost on the following turn to Heraklinos! Adrian Sado takes a patience-testing first duel, and is just one day away from a seat at Nationals. Siding was quick, with 23 minutes remaining in the round. The last duel would decide who progressed to Sunday
Game 2
Bernard opened game 2, holding Snipe Hunter, Des Koala, Marshmallon, Ancient Lamp, Level Limit – Area B, and Royal Oppression. He set Des Koala, set Oppression, and ended.
Sado fired back with a set spell or trap, and then summoned Elemental Hero Stratos to search out Prisma. Stratos attacked into Des Koala, Sado took 2000 damage for its effect, and play was back to Bernard. He set a card to each zone and ended. Next turn Sado summoned Prisma, activated its effect to send Bestiari to the graveyard, and special summoned Test Tiger! Bernard tried to fight back with Oppression, but lost out on the chain to Solemn Judgment. Sado tributed Test Tiger to shuffle Prisma back to his deck, special summoned Darius, and brought back Bestiari from the graveyard. “Contact Fusion.” Gyzarus hit the field and Sado targeted Bernard’s set Magic Cylinder and Ancient Lamp! Gyzarus attacked through Des Koala, Stratos made a direct swing, and Gyzarus was tagged out for Laquari in attack position and Gladiator Beast Hoplomus in defense. “Set one card,” he announced, setting one to his back row, “and go ahead.”
Bernard had Level Limit – Area B, Marshmallon, Snipe Hunter, and the mighty Penguin Soldier! He set the Soldier, activated Level Limit, and ended. But he lost Level Limit to Mystical Space Typhoon in the end phase. Sado pressed on, summoning Bestiari to contact Fuse it with Hoplomus and bring Gyzarus to the field. Gyzarus destroyed Bernard’s set Penguin Soldier, and Sado attacked for 6300 damage.
Adrian Sado is in, and will compete at the National Championship tomorrow!