Steven last had a feature match when he finished in the Top 4 at the Baltimore Shonen Jump. When we saw Kirk’s Cyber-Stein build, we knew that we had to see it in action. Would Cyber-Stein rule the match? Or would Steven successfully overcome its destructive forces?

Both players squared up their decks. Kirk won the roll and opted to go first.

Kirk opened with a set monster and a set spell or trap. He passed to Steven, who began by special summoning Cyber Dragon into attack position. He attacked Kirk’s face down monster, and Kirk activated Enemy Controller in response to throw Cyber Dragon into defense position. Steven moved on to main phase 2, setting one monster and one spell or trap.

Kirk drew and considered the field. He activated Nobleman of Crossout and targeted Steven’s face down monster, removing Spirit Reaper. He then summoned Reflect Bounder and flip summoned his set monster, D. D. Warrior Lady. He declared an attack, but Steven responded with Mirror Force to destroy both monsters.

Kirk entered main phase 2 and used Last Will from his hand. He searched his deck and chose to special summon Treeborn Frog in defense position. He set one spell or trap and ended his turn. Steven drew, summoned Sangan, and then switched Cyber Dragon into attack position. He had Sangan attack Kirk’s Treeborn Frog and then with the path clear, Cyber Dragon moved in for a direct shot. He ended his turn.

Kirk began his turn with the special summon of Cyber Dragon from his hand. He played Snatch Steal and grabbed Steven’s Cyber Dragon. He now had two Cyber Dragons staring down the lone Sangan. He attacked with his own Cyber Dragon, destroying Sangan. Steven searched with its effect and chose Spirit Reaper. Kirk continued with a direct attack from the “stolen” Cyber Dragon. Kirk had 5900 life points and Steven was at 4800.

Steven drew and gained 1000 life points from Snatch Steal. He special summoned Cyber Dragon from his hand and attacked into Kirk’s unequipped Cyber Dragon, keeping the “stolen” Cyber Dragon in play. He set a monster and ended.

Kirk attacked the face-down monster with the “stolen” Cyber Dragon, revealing Spirit Reaper. He entered main phase 2 and used Brain Control on Spirit Reaper, destroying it. He set a spell or trap and ended his turn. Steven drew and gained another 1000 life points. He activated Smashing Ground, destroying the stolen Cyber Dragon. He then set a monster and ended his turn.

Kirk and Steven each decide to verify their graveyard contents. Steven is down to two cards in hand and one set monster, while Kirk has one card in hand and one set spell or trap. He activated Premature Burial from his hand and targeted Reflect Bounder. He attacked Steven’s set monster, revealing Magician of Faith. Steven chose Smashing Ground from the effect, and Kirk ended his turn.

Steven used Smashing Ground to take out Kirk’s Reflect Bounder. He then set one monster and ended. Steven was currently leading with 6800 life points to Kirk’s 4300. Kirk entered his turn, but performed no actions. With no monsters on the field, he had to rely on his set spell or trap to protect him.

Steven started his turn with Graceful Charity. He chose to discard Night Assailant and Cyber Dragon, using Night Assailant to reclaim Magician of Faith. He flip summoned his face-down monster and reveals another Magician of Faith, which he used to get Graceful Charity. He then played Confiscation, netting Kirk’s only card in hand, which was Blowback Dragon.

Steven followed this with Graceful Charity, which he had just reclaimed from his Magician of Faith. He drew and discarded Zaborg the Thunder Monarch and Torrential Tribute. He then tributed his Magician of Faith for Jinzo, to which Kirk has no response.

Steven followed with Premature Burial, leaving him at 5000 life points. He chose the Zaborg the Thunder Monarch that he had previously discarded. He entered his battle phase and attacked directly with Jinzo, followed by Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, for the win.

Duel 1 win goes to Steven.

Both players chose to use their side decks. After side deck verification and shuffling, Kirk decided to go first. They wished each other luck and began play.

Kirk drew, and took a moment to contemplate his action. He set one monster, but decided to take it back, with Steven having no objections. He instead set two spells or traps and ended his turn.

Steven drew. He summoned Sangan, and with no responses, he declared a direct attack, taking Kirk to 7000 life points. In main phase 2, he set one spell or trap in his spell and trap zone. They proceeded to the end phase, during which Kirk unleashed his set Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Steven’s set spell or trap.

Kirk began his first main phase by special summoning Cyber Dragon into attack position, followed by normal summoning Cyber-Stein. He used its effect to special summon Cyber Twin Dragon, taking him to 2000 life points, but also giving him a serious monster edge. He activated Enemy Controller, tributing Cyber-Stein to take Steven’s Sangan. Steven’s field was wide open.

He attacked with Sangan for 1000. He followed with Cyber Dragon for another blow, leaving Steven at 3900 life points. He attacked once with Cyber Twin Dragon for 2800, taking Steven to 1100. The second attack was declared, but Steven used Kuriboh to protect his life points. Kirk entered main phase 2 and set two spells or traps. Sangan returned to Steven and the turn ends.

Steven was now facing a deficit of life points and a seriously strong monster. He took some time to consider his options, and then played Smashing Ground to destroy Cyber Twin Dragon. He switched Sangan into defense position and set two spells or traps. In the end phase, Kirk used Dust Tornado to destroy one of the two cards, and it turned out to be Nobleman of Crossout.

Kirk continued in the end phase with Call of the Haunted, choosing Cyber-Stein because he was unable to select Cyber Twin Dragon. Kirk began his turn and attacked with Cyber-Stein, destroying Steven’s Sangan. Steven used the effect to choose Spirit Reaper. He then followed with Cyber Dragon, but Steven used Waboku to protect himself. Kirk set a monster and ended.

Steven opened his turn with a Cyber Dragon special summon. The players verify their life points, with Kirk at 2000 and Steven at 2100. Steven rammed Cyber Dragon into Kirk’s Cyber Dragon, destroying both monsters, then set a monster and ended his turn. Kirk began his turn by setting one spell or trap and then switched Cyber-Stein into defense position. He passed to Steven, who summoned D.D. Warrior Lady. Steven used it to attack Cyber-Stein and chose not to remove the monsters from play.

Kirk began his turn by special summoning Chaos Sorcerer into defense position, removing Cyber Dragon and Cyber-Stein. He used its effect to remove D.D. Warrior Lady from play, and then tributed his remaining set monster for Cyber Dragon. He attacked with it, running into Spirit Reaper.

Steven set a single monster, with no further actions. Kirk drew Graceful Charity and used it. He discarded Giant Trunade and Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, then used Chaos Sorcerer to remove Steven’s Spirit Reaper from play. He then summoned Tsukuyomi, and used its effect to flip his Chaos Sorcerer face down, allowing him to flip summon it and free it from its restriction. He entered his battle phase and attacked with Tsukuyomi against Steven’s lone face-down monster, revealing Night Assailant. Steven opted to end the duel at this point, because either of Kirk’s remaining monsters could finish him off, leaving Night Assailant’s effect useless in this case.

Duel 2 goes to Kirk.

We entered duel 3 with five minutes remaining on the clock. Cyber-Stein helped Kirk get the win in duel 2, but would its magic return again? Or would Steven determine a good side deck strategy to take it down?

Steven opted to go first. With two minutes remaining, Steven set one monster and one spell or trap. Kirk began with Heavy Storm. Steven chained his set Hallowed Life Barrier, discarding Mystical Space Typhoon to pay the cost. Kirk special summoned Cyber Dragon.

Kirk set a monster, and time was called. The judge explained the end of match procedures to both players, and Kirk ended his turn.

Steven got back Mystical Space Typhoon with his set Magician of Faith, beginning his first turn under the end of match procedures. Steven knew that his second turn would be the final turn for this game, so he had an advantage. He tributed Magician of Faith for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. He used its effect to target the face-down monster on Kirk’s field, revealing Magician of Faith. He attacked into Cyber Dragon and destroys it. Steven set one spell or trap and ended his turn.

Kirk began his final turn, and he said, “I think that Mystical will prove the victory for you, my friend.” He tried to use Snatch Steal, but Steven’s set card was the Typhoon he had claimed from before, and it destroyed Snatch Steal. Kirk realized that there is nothing he can do to turn things around in this turn, so he retired and gave Steven the victory.

The match goes to Steven, 2-1.