One of the higher-ranked players in the world, Ryan Hayakawa from Team Comic Odyssey, was matched against Alex ‘Aka’ Ahia, a player from the town of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. Both of them had 4-1 records as they sat for the match, and both were tense.

We asked Ryan how he felt about playing in Hawaii, and he said he liked it . . . sort of. “It’s pretty tight . . . nice. Too distracting. You’re playtesting, you look outside, and there’s the beach — so amazing.”

Game 1

Ryan won the roll, and chose to play first.

He started by playing Allure of Darkness, removing Caius the Shadow Monarch, then Destiny Draw, discarding Destiny Hero - Disk Commander. Premature Burial targeted Disk, but Alex had Crow to remove him from play in response.

Ryan set a back row and passed.

Alex played Sangan and attacked, bringing Ryan to 7000. He set two back row cards, and passed the turn.

Ryan set another back row and ended his turn. At the end phase, Alex used Mystical Space Typhoon on that card, which was a Phoenix Wing Wind Blast.

Alex summoned Spirit Reaper into Ryan’s Torrential Tribute, but used his Solemn Judgment to negate it, going to 4000. Spirit Reaper hit for 300, discarding a Destiny Draw from Ryan’s hand.

Ryan set a monster and two back row cards, and then passed it back to Alex, who summoned Gladiator Beast Darius and attacked with it. Ryan tributed his Night Assailant to Crush Card Virus in response! Spirit Reaper hit again, discarding Dark Armed Dragon from Ryan’s hand and Sangan took Ryan to 3600. Alex drew Torrential Tribute, revealed by Crush Card Virus, and proceeded to attack with Sangan and Spirit Reaper, putting Ryan at 2300.

Alex set another back row and ended the turn.

Ryan thought for a moment, set a monster, and ended the turn. Alex revealed Solemn Judgment to Crush Card Virus, then set it. He set the last card in his hand, a monster, and then attacked with Sangan. Ryan’s set monster was Dark Grepher, dealing 600 points of damage to Alex. Ryan then activated Mystical Space Typhoon destroying the Solemn Judgment Alex had just set.

Ryan played Heavy Storm, to which Alex chained Book of Moon to turn his Sangan face down. Ryan attacked and destroyed Alex’s set monster, a Gladiator Beast Secutor, then passed.

Alex flipped Sangan face up, played Smashing Ground destroying Dark Grepher, and attacked with Sangan, putting Ryan at 1500.

Ryan set a monster, and passed.

Alex attacked the set monster, Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, and passed with no damage to either player. Ryan then set to his back row, put Dekoichi into attack position, and passed.

Alex summoned Gladiator Beast Darius, attacking with Darius. Ryan chained Mirror Force, destroying Sangan and Darius. Alex used Sangan’s effect to search out Neo-Spacian Grand Mole. With Spirit Reaper in defense position, he passed the turn.

Ryan, glad to have maneuvered the game to where he had a chance to recover, summoned Dark Armed Dragon. After a brief question on the legality of the German secret rare, Alex scooped it up for game 2.

Game 2

Disappointed at not being able to follow up his big lead in game 1, Alex chose to play first. Reinforcement of the Army brought Elemental Hero Prisma to his hand, which he used to send Gladiator Beast Bestiari from his deck to the graveyard. He set one back row and passed.

Ryan played Heavy Storm to clear that card, revealed as a Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror, then played Prohibition, naming Gladiator Beast Bestiari.

Alex used Prisma to send Laquari to the graveyard, then used Monster Reborn on Laquari. Summoning D.D. Warrior, he attacked with him into Ryan’s set Dekoichi, and then into Ryan’s life points, putting him at 4500. Alex set 2 back row cards, and ended the turn.

Ryan used his own Reinforcement of the Army to get Elemental Hero Stratos, searching out Disk Commander. He used Destiny Draw discarding Destiny Hero - Malicious, then attacked Prisma with Stratos, prompting a Mirror Force from Alex. He passed.

Alex attacked with Prisma and Laquari, destroying Stratos and putting Ryan at 1000, and ending the turn.

Ryan special summoned Malicious, set a monster, one back row card, and passed it back to Alex.

Alex played Cold Wave and Ryan chained Phoenix Wing Wind Blast targeting Alex’s Laquari and another one targeting his Prisma. With no attackers and Cold Wave in effect, he passed the turn.

Ryan flipped Dekoichi, and then attacked with it, putting Alex at 6600. He set a monster and passed.

Alex summoned Laquari, and attacked Dekoichi, putting Ryan at 600. He then switched it out for Darius, whose effect he couldn’t use due to Prohibition.

Ryan played Destiny Draw, summoned Dark Armed Dragon, and proceeded to destroy Alex’s Darius. Alex chained Torrential Tribute, and all the monsters hit the graveyard. Ryan set a back row card, and passed.

Alex summoned Laquari and attacked, but Ryan had Book of Moon. Ryan set another back row on his turn and passed.

Alex flipped his Laquari face up again, and attacked. Ryan, with nothing, picked up his cards, taking them the third game.

Game 3

With only 6 minutes left in the match things were tense. The players shuffled up and prepared to finish it. Ryan chose to play first, starting with Elemental Hero Stratos, searching for Malicious. Setting one card to his back row, he ended the turn.

Alex summoned Gladiator Beast Bestiari, then special summoned Test Tiger, but when he targeted Bestiari, Ryan had Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, putting it on top of his deck. Alex set 1 back row card, and passed.

Ryan set a monster and played Prohibition, naming Bestiari, and ended his turn.

Alex used Smashing Ground to destroy Ryan’s Stratos. Ryan set a monster and passed, and Alex had a Dust Tornado during the end phase to destroy the Prohibition.

Alex summoned Neo-Spacian Grand Mole, attacked, and bounced Ryan’s set monster. He set 1 back row card and passed.

Ryan played another Prohibition, again naming Bestiari. He set a monster and passed. Alex played Mystic Swordsman LV2 and attacked the set monster, a Disk Commander. He passed with no further play. Ryan set another back row card, and passed with no monster play.

The Swordsman attacked again, putting Ryan at 7100. Ryan had an end phase Phoenix Wing Wind Blast on one of Alex’s set back row card, and Alex chose not to chain it. Ryan then summoned Dark Armed Dragon, then another one! Alex had no response. Ryan then activated one Dragon to destroy Alex’s Mystic Swordsman LV2, but Alex chained Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror. Ryan then used Monster Reborn on Stratos, searching out Malicious.

He then attacked with all three monsters, putting Alex at 1500. Disappointed that he couldn’t close the game, he gave the turn back to Alex. Alex, more disappointed that he didn’t have any answers, decided to concede after looking at his last draw, Bottomless Trap Hole.