With no must-feature matches going on, I decided I’d just check out Table 1 and see what was at the top of the tournament rankings. I’m glad I did — the result was a very surprising matchup.
Travis Odle is nineteen years old, and you might remember him from last year’s American National Championships where he made Top 16. Today he’s playing Prisma Gladiator Beasts, and has gone undefeated thus far.
His opponent, Chris Randall, has never made Day 2 at a major event, but he’s managed three straight wins today with a deck nobody anticipated: Big City!? His deck is practically identical to the Big City builds of old, minus a couple removal cards and plus three copies of Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror. His host of negation cards and robust removal lineup has led to favorable matchups with a number of top decks.
This one was going to be interesting.
Randall opened with E – Emergency Call, searching out Elemental Hero Stratos. He used his effect to search out Elemental Hero Ocean, and then set four cards to his back row! “Go ahead.”
In Odle’s draw phase Randall flipped Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror. Odle fired back with Cold Wave, summoned Elemental Hero Prisma, and used its effect to send Gladiator Beast Bestiari to the graveyard! Odle special summoned Test Tiger, tributed it to return Prisma to his deck as a Gladiator Beast, and then brought out Gladiator Beast Murmillo to destroy Stratos. Murmillo attacked for 800 damage and, at the end of the battle phase, Odle switched it out for Gladiator Beast Laquari. He’d’ve liked to use Bestiari to blow away that Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror, but doing so would have left him open to attack. “Go ahead.” Randall could do nothing but pass.
Odle attacked with Laquari, but was stopped by Enemy Controller. He set two cards to his back row and lost one of them, Waboku, in his end phase to Mystical Space Typhoon. Randal activated Reinforcement of the Army next turn, searched out Elemental Hero Wildheart, and summoned him. Wildheart took out Laquari, Randall ended his turn, and play was back to Odle.
He set a spell or trap and ended, leaving Randall to summon Elemental Hero Ocean next turn. Randall was stuck — he had three cards in hand, one of which was Cyber Dragon: the other two were a pair of Shadow-Imprisoning Mirrors. He really had nothing, but he played it smoothly, attacking with both of his monsters and setting one of the Mirrors as if it were a card that mattered. In truth it may matter — if Odle brought out Bestiari to get rid of the one flipped Mirror, then the second one could still hold off Gyzarus as a surprise play.
Gladiator Proving Ground letOdle search his deck for another Laquari next turn. He summoned it, took aim at Elemental Hero Ocean, and hit! Ocean was sent to the graveyard, and, at the end of the battle phase, Laquari tagged out to Bestiari, destroying Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror. “Your move.”
Randall flipped Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror, and Odle chained Solemn Judgment — Randall had been expecting it. He attacked with Wildheart, but Odle flipped Waboku! Wildheart was destroyed, and, in the end of the battle phase, Odle opted not to tag out. Randall special summoned Cyber Dragon, set two more cards to his back row, and ended.
Odle activated Cold Wave, and Randall chained his third Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror! His poor opening hand was working out pretty darn well. “I keep trying to fight my way back into this game,” remarked Odle, who couldn’t believe the third Mirror but was taking things in stride. He special summoned another Tiger, sent Bestiari back to his deck, and pulled Gladiator Beast Darius. Darius brought back Bestiari, and he Fused both for Gyzarus — he knew he wasn’t going to get Gyzarus’ effect, but he wanted to swing over Cyber Dragon. His other option would’ve been Murmillo, but ending the turn with a 2400 ATK beatstick instead of an 800 ATK wimp was probably the right move. He ended, with one card left in hand. Randall drew and passed.
He took 2400 damage from Gyzarus next turn, and Odle passed without using either of his two in-hand cards. Odle had 2500 life points to Randall’s 4200. Randall drew, set one card to his back row and passed, eating another 2400 from Gyzarus. “Go.” Randall was back up.
He summoned Elemental Hero Wildheart, attacked Gyzarus, and flipped Shrink to destroy Gyzarus. He set Trap Dustshoot (he’d drawn Mind Crush a turn prior) and ended. Odle drew to four cards and Dustshoot flipped, revealing Neo-Spacian Grand Mole, Morphing Jar, Premature Burial, and Smashing Ground. Dustshoot and Mind Crush robbed him of the Jar and Mole respectively, leaving him with two in hand cards to Wildheart, Mirror, and Randall’s set card.
Odle activated Premature Burial, targeting Gyzarus, but lost out to Solemn Judgment! Smashing Ground cleared Wildheart and play was to Randall. Everything came down to topdecking now.
And Randall topdecked like a champ! He drew Skyscraper 2 - Hero City, and used it to bring back Elemental Hero Stratos! That got him another Elemental Hero Wildheart, and both monsters made direct attacks for game.
Chris Randall fights back from a dismal opening hand to claim game 1! Odle set to side decking for a matchup he was not prepared for, and Randall flew into action. Play began minutes later: Odle had some serious ground to make up.
He opened with just one set card to his back row. Randall used E – Emergency Call to get Elemental Hero Stratos, summoned him, and searched out Elemental Hero Wildheart. “Thank god you didn’t play Cold Wave,” remarked Randall. “That’s all I’m sayin’.” He set two cards to his back row, and then swung for 1800 damage. “Your move.”
Odle activated Cold Wave — Randall responded with Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror, Odle chained Solemn Judgment and Prisma hit the field! He sent Bestiari to the graveyard with its effect, special summoned Test Tiger, and tributed it to shuffle back Prisma and get Darius. Darius brought up Bestiari, both were contact Fused for Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, and Gyzarus blew away Stratos and Randall’s set Shrink! Gyzarus swung for 2400 direct, and Odle tagged it out for Laquari and Hoplomus at the end of the battle phase. Randall just passed next turn, locked down by Cold Wave.
Odle turned Hoplomus to attack mode, attacked with both of his Gladiator Beasts, and tagged out each Gladiator Beast for the other (bringing out another Laquari in attack mode and another Hoplomus in defense mode). He set one card to his back row and ended. Play was to Randall, who would have six cards again.
He summoned Elemental Hero Wildheart, activated Premature Burial, and brought back Stratos. Stratos targeted Odle’s back row card and he chained it: Waboku. Randal set two more cards and ended.
Odle activated Premature Burial and brought back Test Tiger, shuffling away Gladiator Beast Hoplomus to get Gladiator Beast Bestiari — Bestiari’s target was Premature Burial, sending Stratos back to the graveyard. Laquari attacked and Randall flipped Shrink! Laquari was destroyed. Randall had Dimensional Prison set, and Odle played Swords of Revealing Light to end his turn. He should’ve just brought out Gyzarus.
Randall used E – Emergency Call to get Elemental Hero Ocean from his deck, then summoned him. He turned Wildheart to defense mode, set two cards to his back row (Nobleman of Crossout and Mirror Force), and ended. He’d get back Stratos next turn with Ocean if allowed.
Odle set one spell or trap, ended, and Randall went for Stratos with Ocean — D.D. Crow shut him down! He set one more spell or trap and ended. Odle was up. He set a monster, passed, and Randall activated Nobleman of Crossout to remove Odle’s set Murmillo from the field. Another set spell or trap ended his turn.
Neo-Spacian Grand Mole came down for Odle, who passed without attacking. Randall was just running him — he’d bluffed Odle into believing he had Solemns set when he actually didn’t. He ran Wildheart into Bestiari, bumped Ocean off of Grand Mole, then summoned Ocean again and played Hero City to return Wildheart to the field!
“I screwed up bad,” groaned Odle. He summoned Grand Mole again, ended his turn, and Randall activated Reinforcement of the Army next turn. He got D. D. Warrior Lady: “I’m doing that because I don’t think I’ve used it at all today.” He summoned D. D. Warrior Lady, attacked with Wildheart, and bumped away Grand Mole. Odle flipped Mirror Force, and Randall chained Solemn Judgment for the win!
Chris Randall takes a 2-0 sweep over Gladiator Beasts with Big City?! Nobody saw that one coming.