Reader Challenge Seven was unique for a few reasons. First, there wasn’t much time for competitors to get their entries in. Second, and most importantly, it was incredibly hard. Julia and I promised some truly sadistic challenges, and we delivered on this one!
Only a handful of submissions made it to our inbox, and everyone who made a submission took some liberties. Out of all the entrants, the most impressive came from long-time contributor and first-time champ Robert A. from Oshawa, Ontario! Robert managed to last an awesome eleven turns, had near-perfect haikus, and though his use of Cyber Jar might be slightly Questionable in light of the wording of the challenge, his solution was the best and most “legal” of the bunch. Considering that his selections for the opponent from Cyber Jar actually contributed to his own death, Robert definitely earned his win.
Let’s look at Robert’s solution.
The submission is set up showing my turn, the haiku for that turn, my opponent’s turn, and after every two turns a short section showing what’s on the field and what’s in my hand.
Starting Hand
-------------
Painful Choice
Question
Mirage of Nightmare
Solemn Wishes
Emergency Provisions
*Turn 1*
Draw Cyber Jar.
Play Painful Choice, choosing Dancing Fairy, 2 Mother Grizzly, Night Assailant, Pot of Greed.
Opponent chooses Pot of Greed and puts Dancing Fairy at bottom of graveyard.
Play Question. Opponent calls it wrong. Special summon Dancing Fairy in
defense position.
Play Pot of Greed drawing Ojama Trio and Taunt.
Play Mirage of Nightmare.
Set Cyber Jar, Solemn Wishes, Ojama Trio, Taunt, and Emergency Provisions.
End Turn
Turn 1 Haiku
------------
Painful Choice Question
Dancing Fairy Pot of Greed
Mirage of Nightmare
------------
*Opponent’s Turn 1*
Draw due to Mirage of Nightmare: Rain of Mercy, Creature Swap, 7, 7.
Opponent plays Dark Snake Syndrome.
Activate Ojama Trio.
Activate Emergency Provisions targeting Taunt, then chain Taunt, targeting
an Ojama Trio token.
Gain 1000 life points from Emergency Provisions.
Activate Solemn Wishes.
Opponent’s Turn 1 Haiku
-----------------------
Ojama Trio
Emergency Provisions
Taunt Solemn Wishes
-----------------------
*Turn 2*
Draw Koitsu
Gain 500 life points due to Solemn Wishes
Standby Phase
Gain 1000 life points for Dancing Fairy
Main Phase 1
Flip summon Cyber Jar, getting Zolga, White Magician Pikeru, Spirit of the Breeze, Zolga and Cure Mermaid. Special summon them, in that order, in attack position. (I know, they’re technically summoned at the same time. For reasons of the haiku
I’m giving a specific order.)
Opponent gets Solar Flare Dragon, Stealth Bird, and 3 random cards that don’t
matter because they are going to opponent’s hand.
Opponent special summons Solar Flare Dragon in attack position and Stealth Bird in
defense position.
Play Rain of Mercy. Both players gain 1000 life points.
Tribute both Zolgas for Koitsu. Gain 4000 life points from the effect.
Play Creature Swap, choosing Koitsu, opponent chooses an Ojama Trio token.
Play 7.
End Turn
Turn 2 Haiku
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Cyber Jar Zolga
White Magician Pikeru
Spirit of the Breeze
Zolga Cure Mermaid
Rain of Mercy Koitsu
Creature Swap 7
------------
*Opponent's Turn 2*
Dark Snake Syndrome’s effect causes 200 damage.
Solar Flare Dragon causes 500 damage at end of turn.
Field and Life after 2 Turns
============================
My Field
--------
Monsters:
White Magician Pikeru
Spirit of the Breeze
Cure Mermaid
Ojama Trio token
Spells and traps:
Solemn Wishes
7
My life points: 14800
My hand: 7
Opponent’s Field
----------------
Monsters:
2 Ojama Trio Tokens
Koitsu
Solar Flare Dragon
Stealth Bird
Spells and traps:
Dark Snake Syndrome
Opponent’s life points: 799800
============================
*Turn 3*
Draw 7
Gain 500 life points due to Solemn Wishes.
Standby Phase
Gain 1000 life points for Spirit of the Breeze.
Gain 800 life points from Cure Mermaid.
Gain 1600 life points from White Magician Pikeru.
Main Phase 1
Play 7.
Play 7.
7’s effect activates, drawing three cards: Flint, Morphing Jar, and Book of Taiyou.
Gain 2100 life points when 3 7s are sent to graveyard.
Play Flint on one of opponent's Ojama Trio tokens.
Set Morphing Jar.
Play Book of Taiyou on Morphing Jar.
Morphing Jar's effect activates, discarding hand (no cards) and drawing 5:
Gryphon’s Feather Duster, Card of Safe Return, Twin Swords of Flashing Light - Tryce, Flint, Toll.
Play Card of Safe Return.
My current life total: 20900
End Turn
Turn 3 Haiku
------------
7 7 Flint
Book of Taiyou Morphing Jar
Card of Safe Return
------------
*Opponent's Turn 3*
Dark Snake Syndrome's effect causes 400 damage.
Solar Flare Dragon causes 500 damage at end of turn.
My current life total: 20000
Opponent’s life total: 799400
*Turn 4*
Draw Airknight Parshath.
Gain 500 life points due to Solemn Wishes.
Standby Phase
Gain 1000 life points for Spirit of the Breeze.
Gain 800 life points from Cure Mermaid.
Gain 2000 life points from White Magician Pikeru.
Main Phase 1
Tribute Morphing Jar for Airknight Parshath.
Play Toll.
Play Gryphon’s Feather Duster destroying four spell or trap cards, gaining 2000
life points.
Play Flint on Solar Flare Dragon.
Battle Phase
Airknight Parshath attacks Solar Flare Dragon, destroying it. The attack does 700 battle damage to opponent.
Draw one card from Airknight Parshath's effect: Necklace of Command.
Flint's effect activates, choosing Koitsu as the new target.
White Magician Pikeru attacks an Ojama Trio token, destroying it. The attack does 300 damage from the Ojama Trio token.
Cure Mermaid attacks the last Ojama Trio token, destroying it. The attack does 300 damage from the Ojama Trio token.
Main Phase 2
Play Necklace of Command on my Ojama Trio token.
My current life total: 26300
Opponent’s life total: 798100
End Turn
Turn 4 Haiku
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Airknight ParshathToll
Gryphon’s Feather Duster Flint
Necklace of Command
------------
*Opponent's Turn 4*
Dark Snake Syndrome’s effect causes 800 damage.
My current life total: 24400
Opponent’s life total: 796700
Field after 4 Turns
============================
My Field
--------
Monsters:
White Magician Pikeru
Spirit of the Breeze
Cure Mermaid
Ojama Trio Token
Airknight Parshath
Spells and traps:
Flint
Necklace of Command
My Hand: Twin Swords of Flashing Light - Tryce
Opponent’s Field
----------------
Monsters:
Koitsu
Stealth Bird
Spells and traps:
Dark Snake Syndrome
============================
*Turn 5*
Draw Cestus of Dagla.
Standby Phase
Gain 1000 life points for Spirit of the Breeze.
Gain 800 life points from Cure Mermaid.
Gain 2000 life points from White Magician Pikeru.
Main Phase 1
Play Cestus of Dagla on Airknight Parshath.
Change Ojama Trio token to attack mode.
Battle Phase
Airknight Parshath attacks Stealth Bird, destroying it and causing 700 damage.
Gain 700 life from Cestus of Dagla’s effect.
Draw one card from Airknight Parshath’s effect: Night Assailant.
Ojama Trio attacks Koitsu (with Flint), both are destroyed.
I take 300 damage from the Ojama Trio token.
Draw 1 card from Necklace of Command’s effect: Shooting Star Bow – Ceal.
Flint's effect activates, choosing Spirit of the Breeze as the new target.
Main Phase 2
Play Twin Swords of Flashing Light - Tryce on Airknight Parshath, discarding Night Assailant as a cost to return Morphing Jar to hand.
Play Shooting Star Bow - Ceal on Airknight Parshath.
Set Morphing Jar.
My current life total: 28600
Opponent’s life total: 796000
End Turn
Turn 5 Haiku
------------
Cestus of Dagla
Twin Swords of Flashing Light - Tryce
Shooting Star Bow - Ceal
------------
*Opponent's Turn 5*
Dark Snake Syndrome’s effect causes 1600 damage.
My current life total: 27000
Opponent’s life total: 794400
*Turn 6*
Draw Magic Reflector.
Standby Phase
Gain 1000 life points for Spirit of the Breeze.
Gain 800 life points from Cure Mermaid.
Gain 2000 life points from White Magician Pikeru.
Main Phase 1
Play Magic Reflector on Twin Swords of Flashing Light – Tryce.
Flip summon Morphing Jar, draw five cards: Airknight Parshath, Disarmament, Pandemonium, Precious Cards from the Beyond, Yamata Dragon.
Tribute Morphing Jar for two Airknight Parshath.
Play Pandemonium.
Set Disarmament.
Battle Phase
Airknight Parshath(1) attacks directly for 900 damage. (1900 -1000(Ceal)
-500(Tryce) +500(Dagla) = 900)
Draw one card from Airknight’s effect: Book of Moon.
Gain 900 life points from Cestus of Dagla.
Airknight Parshath(1) attacks for a second time from Twin Sword’s effect for 900
damage.
Draw one card from Airknight’s effect: Night Assailant.
Gain 900 life points from Cestus of Dagla.
Airknight Parshath(2) attacks directly for 1900 damage.
Draw one card from Airknight's effect: Trent.
My current life total: 32600
Opponent’s life total: 790700
End Turn
Turn 6 Haiku
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Magic Reflector
Morphing Jar Airknight Parshath
Pandemonium
------------
*Opponent's Turn 6*
Dark Snake Syndrome’s effect causes 3200 damage.
My current life total: 29400
Opponent’s life total: 787500
Field after 6 Turns
============================
My Field
--------
Monsters:
White Magician Pikeru
Spirit of the Breeze
Cure Mermaid
Airknight Parshath(1)
Airknight Parshath(2)
Spells and traps:
Flint
Cestus of Dagla
Twin Swords of Flashing Light - Tryce
Shooting Star Bow - Ceal
Disarmament (set)
Field spell:
Pandemonium
My Hand: Precious Cards from the Beyond, Yamata Dragon, Book of Moon, Night Assailant, Trent
Opponent’s Field
----------------
Monsters:
None
Spells and traps:
Dark Snake Syndrome
============================
*Turn 7*
Draw Wave-Motion Cannon.
Standby Phase
Gain 1000 life points for Spirit of the Breeze.
Gain 800 life points from Cure Mermaid.
Gain 2000 life points from White Magician Pikeru.
Main Phase 1
Tribute Cure Mermaid for Trent.
Activate Disarmament, destroying Cestus of Dagla, Shooting Star Bow - Ceal, Flint, and removing the Magic Reflector token from Twin Swords of Flashing Light - Tryce.
Play Precious Cards from the Beyond.
Play Wave-Motion Cannon.
Send Wave-Motion Cannon to the graveyard to do 0 damage.
Battle Phase
Airknight Parshath(1) attacks directly for 1400 damage. (1900 -500(Tryce) =
1400)
Draw one card from Airknight’s effect: Soul Release.
Airknight Parshath(1) attacks for a second time from Twin Sword’s effect for 1400
damage.
Draw one card from Airknight’s effect: Soul Absorption.
Airknight Parshath(2) attacks directly for 1900 damage.
Draw one card from Airknight’s effect: Soul Release.
My current life total: 33200
Opponent’s life total: 782800
End Turn
Turn 7 Haiku
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TrentDisarmament
Precious Cards from the Beyond (It’s actually “from Beyond,” but we’ll let one syllable slide—J)
Wave-Motion Cannon
------------
*Opponent's Turn 7*
Dark Snake Syndrome’s effect causes 6400 damage.
My current life total: 26800
Opponent’s life total: 776400
*Turn 8*
Turn Draw: Chaos Sorcerer.
Standby Phase
Gain 1000 life points for Spirit of the Breeze.
Gain 2000 life points from White Magician Pikeru.
Main Phase 1
Tribute Trent and Airknight Parshath(2) to summon Yamata Dragon.
Effect of Precious Cards from Beyond activates, drawing two cards, Hallowed Life Barrier and Call of the Haunted.
Play Soul Absorption.
Play Soul Release, removing five cards from my graveyard: Flint x 2, Toll,
Wave-Motion Cannon, and Taunt.
Gain 2500 life points from Soul Absorption.
Remove Mother Grizzly and Mother Grizzly in graveyard from play to special
summon Fenrir.
Gain 1000 life points from Soul Absorption.
Play Book of Moon on Yamata Dragon.
Battle Phase
Airknight Parshath attacks directly for 1400 damage.
Draw one card from Airknight’s effect: Earthquake.
Airknight Parshath attacks for a second time from Twin Sword’s effect for 1400
damage.
Draw one card from Airknight’s effect: Mystik Wok.
My current life total: 33300
Opponent’s life total: 773400
End Turn
Turn 8 Haiku
------------
Yamata Dragon
Soul Absorption Soul Release
Fenrir Book of Moon
------------
*Opponent's Turn 8*
Dark Snake Syndrome’s effect causes 12800 damage.
My Current Life: 20500
Opponent's Life: 760600
Field after 8 Turns
============================
My Field
--------
Monsters:
White Magician Pikeru
Spirit of the Breeze
Airknight Parshath
Fenrir
Yamata Dragon(set)
Spells and traps:
Twin Swords of Flashing Light - Tryce
Precious Cards from Beyond
Soul Absorption
Field Spell:
Pandemonium
My Hand: Night Assailant, Soul Release, Hallowed Life Barrier, Call of the Haunted, Earthquake
Opponent’s Field
----------------
Monsters:
None
Spells and traps:
Dark Snake Syndrome
============================
*Turn 9*
Draw Salvage.
Standby Phase
Gain 1000 life points for Spirit of the Breeze.
Gain 2000 life points from White Magician Pikeru.
Main Phase 1
Play Soul Release, removing five cards from my graveyard: Rain of Mercy,
Creature Swap, 7, 7, and 7.
Gain 2500 life points from Soul Absorption.
Play Salvage returning Koitsu and Cure Mermaid to hand.
Battle Phase
Airknight Parshath attacks directly for 1400 damage.
Draw one card from Airknight’s effect: Mystical Space Typhoon.
Airknight Parshath attacks for a second time from Twin Sword’s effect for 1400
damage.
Draw one card from Airknight’s effect: Trent.
Main Phase 2
Tribute Fenrir for Trent.
Play Mystical Space Typhoon on Precious Cards from the Beyond, destroying it.
Play Mystik Wok targeting Trent’s DEF (1800). Gain 1800 life points.
Play Earthquake. All face-up monsters switch to defense mode.
My current life total: 27800
Opponent’s life total: 757800
End Turn
Turn 9 Haiku
------------
Soul Release Salvage
Trent Mystical Space Typhoon
Mystik Wok Earthquake
------------
*Opponent's Turn 9*
Dark Snake Syndrome’s effect causes 25600 damage.
My current life: 2200
Opponent’s life: 732200
*Turn 10*
Draw The Forceful Sentry.
Standby Phase
Gain 1600 life points from White Magician Pikeru.
Main Phase 1
Set Call of the Haunted.
Set Hallowed Life Barrier.
Change face-up monsters to attack mode.
Play The Forceful Sentry, sending any card of opponent’s back to deck.
Flip summon Yamata Dragon.
Battle Phase
Yamata Dragon attacks directly for 2600 damage
Yamata Dragon's effect happens, causing me to draw to five cards (One card in
hand, draw four more)
Draw: Dragon Capture Jar, 3-Hump Lacooda, Cost Down, Cost Down
Airknight Parshath attacks directly for 1400 damage.
Draw 1 card from Airknight’s effect: Cannon Soldier.
Airknight Parshath attacks for a second time from Twin Sword’s effect for 1400
damage.
Draw one card from Airknight's effect: Tribute to the Doomed.
Main Phase 2
Play Cost Down, discarding Cannon Soldier for the cost.
Summon 3-Hump Lacooda.
Set Dragon Capture Jar.
My Current Life: 3800
Opponent’s Life: 728200
End turn. Yamata Dragon returns to hand.
Turn 10 Haiku
------------
The Forceful Sentry
Yamata Dragon Cost Down
3-Hump Lacooda
------------
*Opponent’s Turn 10*
At end of opponent’s draw phase:
Activate Call of the Haunted, targeting Trent.
Chain Hallowed Life Barrier, discarding Night Assailant for cost, returning
a Night Assailant to hand.
Chain Dragon Capture Jar.
Dark Snake Syndrome’s effect causes 51200 damage. Due to Hallowed Life Barrier, I take no damage.
My current life total: 3800
Opponent’s life total: 677000
Opponent’s Turn 10 Haiku
------------------------
Call of the Haunted
TrentHallowed Life Barrier
Dragon Capture Jar
------------------------
Field after 10 Turns
============================
My Field
--------
Monsters:
White Magician Pikeru
Spirit of the Breeze
Airknight Parshath
3-Hump Lacooda
Trent
Spells and traps:
Twin Swords of Flashing Light - Tryce
Soul Absorption
Call of the Haunted
Dragon Capture Jar
Field Spell:
Pandemonium
My Hand: Night Assailant, Yamata Dragon, Cost Down, Koitsu, Cure Mermaid, Tribute to the Doomed
Opponent’s Field
----------------
Monsters:
None
Spells and traps:
Dark Snake Syndrome
============================
*Turn 11*
Draw Monster Gate.
Standby Phase
Gain 1000 life points for Spirit of the Breeze.
Gain 2000 life points from White Magician Pikeru.
Main Phase 1
Play Tribute to the Doomed, discarding Koitsu for the cost. Target and destroy Trent.
Play Monster Gate on Spirit of the Breeze, draw and special summon Cannon Soldier.
Battle Phase
Airknight Parshath attacks directly for 1400 damage.
Draw one card from Airknight’s effect: Mokey Mokey.
Airknight Parshath attacks for a second time from Twin Sword’s effect for 1400
damage.
Draw one card from Airknight’s effect: Sparks.
Main Phase 2
Tribute White Magician Pikeru, 3-Hump Lacooda, Airknight Parshath, and
Cannon Soldier in that order for Cannon Soldier’s effect, dealing in total 2000 damage.
Play Sparks.
Summon Mokey Mokey.
My current life total: 6800
Opponent’s life total: 675000
End Turn
Turn 11 Haiku
-------------
Tribute to the Doomed
Monster Gate Cannon Soldier
Sparks Mokey Mokey
-------------
*Opponent’s Turn 11*
Dark Snake Syndrome's effect causes 102400 damage.
My current life: 0
Opponent’s life: 574600
End of Game
Final Haiku
-------------
Mokey Mokey looks
At all that is left and sighs,
Wishing for Blue Skies
-------------
Robert gets extra style points for playing Mokey Mokey and for the haiku lament at the end of his solution, too. Not that they actually count for anything, but boy, does he get a lot of them!
Robert wins the distinguished title of Metagame Reader Challenge Champion and half a dozen boosters! Congratulations, Robert, your packs are on the way!
As a side note to frequent competitors, notice that Robert recapped what was on the field at regular intervals. This is a great idea that can help Julia and I understand your solutions more clearly. Consider using Robert’s technique in your next entry.
Thanks to everyone who competed!
—Jason