It's Vittorio Wiktor against Kurt Senster. Wiktor won the Pharaoh Tour Leipzig, a huge tournament with more than 700 players. He’s one of the most consistent German players, scoring high at every tournament he's attending and making him one of the favorites of today’s event.
Wiktor started the game with a set monster, then Senster summoned Strike Ninja and attacked into Spirit Reaper. Smashing Ground destroyed Spirit Reaper during the second main phase, then Senster had another face-down spell or trap and eventually passed. Wiktor summoned Cyber Dragon and D. D. Assailant, and after the Dragon had a big bite at Strike Ninja, D. D. Assailant ran into a sheep token.
Senster collected his fourth card on his hand, then set a card to each zone and passed. Wiktor, the young duelist from Berlin, shot down Scapegoat and Sangan, fetching Senster a Spirit Reaper. After shuffling his opponent’s deck several times, Wiktor had a closer look at the cards in his hand and decided to set another spell or trap before passing. Wiktor's signature line, “Your turn!” called for Senster to make some moves, but he stayed calm and opted to set again. At this point, Wiktor started the banter with some comments about topdecked solutions, and after activating Reinforcement of the Army, the young duelist announced a Mystic Swordsman LV2 “in your face!”
The Swordsman had to face a Book of Moon as Wiktor replied, “Then not!” His Assailant shot down another sheep and his Cyber Dragon attacked into Spirit Reaper. Snatch Steal finally got rid of Spirit Reaper during the second main phase, then Senster summoned a D. D. Assailant of his own and destroyed the set Mystic Swordsman LV2. Senster set another spell or trap and passed. Wiktor’s D. D. Assailant went for the double-kill, but Sakuretsu Armor stopped the trade. It was up to Cyber Dragon and it eventually destroyed the Warrior. Wiktor set another monster and asked his opponent to start the turn.
Both players opted to set a card, then it was Wiktor’s turn again, and his Mystic Tomato destroyed the last Scapegoat token. Senster set another monster, Wiktor flipped it face up with Swords of Revealing Light, and Senster summoned another Gravekeeper’s Spy from his deck. Wiktor activated Torrential Tribute and summoned Spirit Reaper, but Senster evened out the score with a Torrential Tribute of his own.
Senster activated Swords of Revealing Light, set another monster, and passed. Wiktor counted on his own Swords and just passed. After Senster drew another card and passed, Wiktor activated Dark Hole (destroying D. D. Warrior Lady), summoned D. D. Assailant, and ended his turn. Breaker the Magical Warrior from Senster shot down Enemy Controller, leaving the Spellcaster in defense position. Smashing Ground was able to deal with the Assailant, and after another set spell or trap, Senster passed again.
Wiktor fetched Don Zaloog with Reinforcement of the Army and retorted, “A little bit of Control is never ever a bad idea!” He shuffled the cards in his hand nervously, summoned Don, and then activated Smashing Ground, but Senster’s Enemy Controller was the perfect solution, destroying Wiktor’s Don Zaloog in the chain. The young duelist replied, “No problem,” then activated Premature Burial, bringing back Don Zaloog and picking an Exiled Force from his opponent’s hand.
Senster had to topdeck, and Snatch Steal was definitely one of the better cards left in his deck. He equipped Don Zaloog and attacked directly, sending Spirit Reaper and Sakuretsu Armor from the top of Wiktor's deck, then he passed. Wiktor topdecked Cyber Dragon, bounced Don, and had to end his turn. One set monster later, it was again up to Wiktor to put some pressure on his opponent. Senster set another monster during his turn, Wiktor set a spell or trap and bounced the monster, then Senster set another spell or trap and Wiktor tributed for Mobius the Frost Monarch. A chained Mystical Space Typhoon destroyed the set Sakuretsu Armor, but the Monarch could still take a big chunk of Senster’s life points.
Senster topdecked Dark Hole, Wiktor skipped the summon this time, and Senster speeded up his deck with Reinforcement of the Army, fetching Strike Ninja. The Ninja is definitely one of the most powerful weapons for the late game, but it was Senster’s only card left on the field. Strike Ninja attacked for the full 1700 damage and Wiktor had a chuckle for the move.
After drawing his next card, Wiktor replied, “I got you,” as he summoned Cyber Dragon together with Exiled Force and attacked with both of them. Wiktor asked his opponent why he didn’t want to shift, but Senster replied, “I don't want to be dead yet.”
Senster entered his last turn, set a spell or trap, and passed. Wiktor told him that he expected a bluff and attacked for the win!
Game 2
Wiktor told everyone standing around that he was leading, although everybody should have been able to figure it out by then. Senster started with only a set spell or trap, Wiktor activated Reinforcement of the Army fetching Don Zaloog, then his Warrior attacked into Scapegoat. After destroying a token and a set spell or trap, Wiktor ended his turn. Senster summoned Strike Ninja, taking out Don Zaloog after declaring an attack, and it was again up to Wiktor.
Wiktor announced his draw phase for what was probably the tenth time, then he took a look at his hand, summoned Cyber Dragon, bounced the Strike Ninja, and passed. Senster wasn’t able to deal with the speed, so he only set a spell or trap and passed. Wiktor destroyed the next token and was done with his turn. Senster summoned D. D. Survivor, activated Smashing Ground in order to destroy the Cyber Dragon, and attacked. Wiktor thought about his response for a second, then decided that he was happy with his life points and let the attack go through. After a short discussion about those life points, where Senster told Wiktor that his life points should be 5900, Wiktor replied, “Right,” and play advanced to the next turn.
The Reaper had another chance to attack again, but an Enemy Controller shot it down. Senster hid behind Swords of Revealing Light and Wiktor replied, “Coward!”
Nothing happened, but Senster's Strike Ninja attacked and Wiktor took the damage. Wiktor summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior and destroyed Mystical Space Typhoon, but Senster chained and shot down Sakuretsu Armor. Swords of Revealing Light backed Breaker up, and Wiktor eventually passed. Senster tributed for Mobius the Frost Monarch, destroyed Breaker, and passed after leaving Wiktor with 2600 life points, holding Snatch Steal in his hand.
Wiktor set a card in each zone and passed, and Senster attacked with Mobius into Sakuretsu Armor. Wiktor set a monster and passed. Senster drew another card, checked his resources, and activated Reinforcement of the Army. He asked Wiktor, “Fellow, how many cards do you have in your hand?”
Wiktor replied, “A pair.” Then he added that he’s not Senster’s “fellow.”
Senster replied, “Everybody playing against me is my fellow.”
Wiktor added, “Seeing it from this perspective, you could be right.”
Senster summoned Exiled Force and tributed it for the set Mystic Tomato, then he equipped D. D. Assailant with Snatch Steal and dealt some damage. Wiktor drew into a good topdeck. He checked his opponent’s graveyard and then special summoned Cyber Dragon and summoned D. D. Survivor. He attacked with the Survivor, but an Enemy Controller foiled Wiktor’s plans. The young duelist replied, “Then not," and his Dragon destroyed the Assailant. It was again Senster’s turn. He drew into Greenkappa, summoned it, and attacked into D. D. Survivor, but then he had to pass. Wiktor topdecked Mystic Swordsman LV2, which attacked Greenkappa, and finished his turn. Senster topdecked Call of the Haunted, set it into his spell or trap card zone, and passed.
Wiktor set another monster and switched the Swordsman to defense position. Senster topdecked Sangan and beat the Mystic Swordsman LV2. He then activated Call of the Haunted targeting Exiled Force and shooting Wiktor’s monster down. Wiktor set another spell or trap and passed. Senster’s Sangan dealt some damage, and Wiktor replied, “If you're happy with it.” The duelist from Berlin topdecked, set a monster, and commented, “If you knew what I've drawn into . . . ” And then he finished his turn.
Senster’s Sangan destroyed Wiktor’s Sangan, fetching D. D. Warrior Lady for him. After another spell or trap, Wiktor summoned his D. D. Warrior Lady and passed without an attack. Senster activated Smashing Ground, but Wiktor chained Enemy Controller. Sangan was destroyed and Senster fetched Elemental Hero Wildheart, attacking for the win in the second duel!
Wiktor was a little confused that his Sakuretsu Armor wasn't able to deal with the Elemental Hero, so Senster replied, “You didn’t expect that move!”
Game 3
Wiktor announced his draw phase again, set a card in each zone, and passed. Senster considered his options for some time: he was able to chose between a few spells and monsters. He decided that Elemental Hero Wildheart should fight for him again, so he set a spell and attacked into D. D. Assailant. Wiktor attacked with his strong Warrior, but Senster activated Scapegoat.
Wiktor decided to shoot down Wildheart, then passed. Senster set another spell or trap and was done with his turn. Wiktor took a shot at the next sheep token and then passed, and Senster set a monster. Wiktor summoned Exiled Force and tributed it to shoot down Gravekeeper’s Spy. Senster chose to continue playing defensively, setting another monster and a spell or trap. Wiktor activated Swords of Revealing Light, revealing Spirit Reaper on his opponent’s side of the field.
He summoned Don Zaloog and equipped Reaper with Snatch Steal in order to get it out of his way, but Senster chained Book of Moon. Another exclamation from Wiktor of, “Well, then not,” signaled the end of the last sheep token, and he attacked into Reaper to flip it face up again. Senster set a monster and passed. Smashing Ground successfully took out Spirit Reaper, D. D. Assailant destroyed Senster’s set D. D. Warrior Lady, and both monsters were removed from the game. Don Zaloog sent a Strike Ninja from Senster’s hand to his graveyard, and Wiktor was done.
Senster activated his set Heavy Storm, then he summoned another Strike Ninja and destroyed Don, but Wiktor had another solution in the form of Cyber Dragon. After Strike Ninja took a short break out of the game, the Cyber Dragon was able to get a big bite out of Senster’s life points, and then Wiktor passed. Senster just passed after setting, so Wiktor attacked again with his Dragon, but it had to face Sakuretsu Armor. Dark Hole in the second main phase cleared the field, then after another set spell or trap, Wiktor was done with his turn.
Senster topdecked Mataza the Zapper and Wiktor had no response against his attacks. Another Cyber Dragon later, Wiktor was back in the game—and with a newly summoned D. D. Assailant, it looked like this game would soon be over. Senster topdecked against three cards on his opponent’s field. He summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior and destroyed D. D. Assailant, and Wiktor had a chuckle for the move. Wiktor thought about finishing his opponent now rather than later, then he summoned another D. D. Assailant and attacked for the win!
Wiktor was able to prove once again that he’s one of the most consistent players in Germany. He makes another important step forward on his way to the finals!