Albert Wu is running a highly innovative Cyber Dragon/Cyber-Stein OTK deck. If he does well here today, it’s likely that his deck will be the big tech archetype going into the next Advanced format. But he was up against Metagame.com’s own Julia Hedberg, who was running an aggressive Beatdown deck flavored with Skill Drain.

It was an interesting matchup. Wu would need to win games almost instantly, and his deck has the potential to do so. However if he didn’t, and a duel came down to topdecking, Hedberg would wreck him due to her far superior monsters. In addition, if Wu went for a win with Cyber-Stein and Hedberg chained Skill Drain he’d be out of luck—down 5000 life points with nothing to show for it but an attack position weenie. To make it even more interesting, neither duelist knew what the other was playing!

Wu won the roll and opted to let his opponent go first, as he was really looking for the first turn KO. Hedberg drew and set Magic Cylinder. She recruited Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei and passed the turn. Wu opened his turn by activating Heavy Storm, and breathed a sigh of relief as he blasted the Cylinder. He summoned Cyber Dragon, brought out Cyber-Stein, then paid 5000 life points to summon Cyber Twin Dragon, and the successive attacks reduced Hedberg to only 1900 life points.

It was 1900 to 3000 after only one turn!

Hedberg set a spell or trap, and then used Snatch Steal on Cyber Twin Dragon. It looked briefly like she was going to turn the tables on Wu! Book of Moon was chained to keep it on Wu’s side, though, prompting a good-natured laugh from Hedberg. She activated Lightning Vortex to try and at least minimize the potential damage. She discarded Sinister Serpent, but had nothing to set. Her face down spell or trap from the beginning of the turn was her last hope.

Wu had the answer though, and Giant Trunade bounced that set spell or trap next turn. Cyber Twin Dragon flipped up and the game was over.

Game two opened with Hedberg opting to go first—a bold decision now that she understood Wu’s strategy, but she wanted that extra draw and wasn’t afraid to take it. She used Delinquent Duo to discard one of Wu’s Cyber-Steins, then he opted to discard Megamorph. She set a spell or trap, summoned Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei, and passed.

Wu set a spell or trap, then special summoned Cyber Dragon. “Oh, I love that dragon” remarked Hedberg. Each player was running three, and both smiled as they exchanged Cyber Dragon-related pleasantries. Wu had no attack, and passed.

Hedberg drew, activated Swords of Revealing Light, summoned another Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei, and debated attacking. Wu was riding hard on an attempt to bluff Hedberg into not attacking, but Hedberg knew to take the opening. “Let’s find out what your set card is,” she said as she announced an attack of one Lei Lei against Cyber Dragon and it went through. The second Lei Lei swung directly, and the life point totals were 7000 to 2500.

Wu flipped his face down as his turn began, revealing Giant Trunade. It cleared Hedberg’s face down, but also gave her the Swords of Revealing Light back. He special summoned Cyber Dragon, summoned Sangan, cleared out both Lei Leis, and passed.

Hedberg played Swords of Revealing Light again, set a spell or trap, used Exiled Force to destroy the Cyber Dragon, and passed. A turn later, Wu topdecked Heavy Storm and pressed through to attack with Sangan and Cannon Soldier. The life point totals were 5600 to 4500, with Hedberg still leading, but she was now out of monsters.

Hedberg was in a conundrum at this point—she had a clear field and three cards in hand to Wu’s no cards in hand but two monsters and one set spell or trap. She had Lightning Vortex, Snatch Steal, and Nobleman of Crossout. She opted to activate Lightning Vortex, ditching the Nobleman to blow away the monsters. Wu’s deck would fare poorly against Hedberg’s in a topdecking situation, so he searched for Morphing Jar.

Next turn he made a peculiar move, though. He set his drawn spell or trap, then summoned the Morphing Jar to attack! “Ugh . . . he’s probably got some sort of horrible set down.” It was what Wu needed her to believe. She summoned Goblin Elite Attack Force and again attacked anyway. Wu looked a little stunned, but he managed to chain Book of Moon. Hedberg lost her Snatch Steal and both players got their five cards.

Wu drew, and after thinking a moment, played Graceful Charity, discarding Megamorph and Book of Taiyou. He didn’t have anything that could help him, so he used Card Destruction for four new cards. While he potentially drew closer to a win, Hedberg was now finally armed with Skill Drain! If she could make it through this turn, she might have a good chance to win the duel and make a comeback.

And she did. Wu again had no way to sweep the game, so he set another spell or trap putting himself at a total of three. He set one monster and passed. Hedberg activated Pot of Greed and then Graceful Charity, discarding Sinister Serpent and Mystic Tomato. She played Giant Trunade, but Wu chained Waboku. Hedberg then set two cards to her spell and trap zone, summoned Goblin Elite Attack Force, and passed.

Next turn, Wu played another Giant Trunade. He summoned Cannon Soldier, gave it a Megamorph, and his Cannon Soldier became a 2800 attacker. It attacked the fresh Goblin Elite Attack Force, and reduced his opponent to 4300.

Hedberg needed to keep powering through all the spell and trap removal. She set two cards to her spell and trap zone, used Book of Moon on Cannon Soldier, turned the Goblin to attack position, sent it into the Cannon Soldier, and passed. Wu set one more spell card very slowly, passed, and Hedberg drew. “Man, he set that so evilly.” Wu grinned and laughed. She flipped Skill Drain, which Wu needed to read. She then summoned Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei, and after some consideration sent it into the face down monster, revealing another useless Cyber-Stein! The Goblins then attacked, and after fingering a face down card, Wu took it. “2300,” he announced. It was his 2300 to Hedberg’s 3300. She set one more spell or trap and gave over control of play.

Wu seemed to have nothing, so he set one more spell or trap and passed. Hedberg drew. “Well, I don’t know what that down is, so . . .” she said, casually flipping Ring of Destruction and targeted her Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei. Game at a perfect 2300! This matchup would go to a third duel!

Wu again opted to go second. Now that he knew how badly Skill Drain could hurt him, going second and taking the game quickly was even more important. Hedberg drew and set one face down monster, commenting, “I think he’s gonna cream me.” Wu drew and used Pot of Greed, but shook his head. “He’s just thinking of new and unusual ways to kill me,” Hedberg quipped. Wu had nothing though, and set one card.

Hedberg drew, summoned Spear Dragon and attacked Waboku with it. She passed quickly. Wu drew.

“Do you have it?” Hedberg asked.

“Yeah.” Wu confirmed.

First, he played Giant Trunade. He then played Last Will, summoned Cannon Soldier, and tributed it. He took Cyber-Stein with Last Will’s effect, brought out Cyber End Dragon, attached Megamorph to it, and attacked Spear Dragon for game.

Albert Wu escapes a difficult matchup to continue on undefeated!