Both players were noticeably silent during the pre-game. Da Planet’s video coverage was set up right beside me, which the players eyed with some trepidation. Ryan smoothed out his Comic Odyssey playmate while David continued to shuffle up.

Game 1

David won the roll and chose to play first. He started with Reinforcement of the Army, getting Elemental Hero Stratos from his deck. He then summoned him, searching out Malicious and setting three trap cards before ending his turn.

Ryan considered the field a bit, then set a monster and passed it back.

David summoned Dark Valkyria and attacked with Dark Valkyria, destroying Ryan’s set Sangan. Sangan got Ryan a Spirit Reaper before Stratos attacked him directly, dropping him to 6200.

Ryan summoned Snipe Hunter, and discarded Destiny Hero - Disk Commander, as he tried to destroy one of David’s traps, but David chained Divine Wrath, discarding his Destiny Hero - Malicious, destroying Snipe Hunter.

He then summoned Dark Armed Dragon, but David used Solemn Judgment, going to 4000. Ryan followed with Premature Burial on his discarded Disk Commander and drew two cards.

David special summoned Malicious from his deck, then tributed him for Prime Material Dragon. Attacking with Stratos first, he destroyed Ryan’s Disk Commander and Ryan, after a brief count of the ATK of David’s monsters, decided to scoop it up for game 2.

We weren’t able to see all of these players’ side deck choices as both players made a show of ‘smoke-screening,’ shuffling their side deck cards into their decks, then removing fifteen cards. Ryan, disappointed with his draws in the short game 1, took a little more time to set his deck up, hoping to come from behind for the match win.

Game 2

Ryan chose to play first and started off with a set monster and two back row cards. David use Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Ryan’s set Dust Tornado, then used Reinforcement of the Army to fetch Stratos, who he then summoned to get Disk Commander into his hand. Setting one card to his back row, he passed his turn.

Ryan flipped his monster, Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, and then summoned Sangan. Attacking with both, he took David down to 5600. David set a card to each row, and then passed it back to Ryan.

Ryan tributed his Dekoichi for Caius the Shadow Monarch, but when his effect activated, David used Divine Wrath to destroy him. On David’s turn, he set a monster, and then activated Crush Card Virus, but Ryan had nothing to destroy in his hand.

Ryan’s first Crush Card Virus-tinged draw revealed Dark Armed Dragon! Still cool, Ryan set another monster and passed the turn.

David flipped his set monster, Ryko, to which Ryan chained his own Crush Card Virus, tributing Sangan. He got his own Ryko with Sangan’s effect. David used another Reinforcement of the Army to fetch Dark Grepher from his deck. He then summoned it, and attacked, declining to use its effect. Ryan activated Mirror Force, destroying both of David’s monster.

Ryan’s draw was Malicious, who he got to keep, and he shuffled his cards a bit before flipping a Dekoichi and attacking, then setting a monster.

David’s draw was Dark Valkyria, which was destroyed by Ryan’s Crush Card Virus. With no monsters, he passed the turn.

Ryan only attacked with Dekoichi again, and then ended his turn.

David drew a spell card (he now had three in hand, but no monsters), and thought for a time on his Premature Burial and Brain Control in-hand, on the ropes at 2800 life points. He used Brain Control on Dekoichi and attacked, but Ryan’s set card was a Ryko, and both hit the graveyard. David set one spell and passed it back.

Ryan used Destiny Draw, and then summoned Strike Ninja, special summoned Malicious, and attacked. David conceded as he had no way to stop the damage from coming in.

Both players side decked secretly, and considered their options carefully knowing that the match was on the line in the coming game.

Game 3

David took the first turn, and set his only monster, Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter. He put 2 cards in his back row and passed the turn.

Ryan had Heavy Storm, to which David replied, “Sadness.” He used Solemn Judgment, going 4000. Ryan set one more card to each row and passed.

David set another back row, and passed it back.

Ryan flipped his Dekoichi to draw a card, thought for a bit, then tributed it for Prime Material Dragon. David replied with Bottomless Trap Hole but Ryan negated it, discarding Destiny Draw. He then attacked, and when David used Mirror Force, he discarded another Destiny Draw to negate it, and finally a Caius was discarded to negate Ryko’s flip effect when Ryan attacked it.

David drew Dark Armed Dragon on his turn, set Crush Card Virus and another card to his back row, then passed.

Ryan drew for his turn, and then attacked. David took it, now at 1600. David’s draw gave him only a trap, and he passed it back, poker-faced, still with no monster to play.