Josh Everly wanted a feature match soooo badly at US Nationals, but an early loss kept his Gigaplant build out of Metagame coverage for that event. This weekend he’s switched things up, playing a modernized version of P.A.C.M.A.N. with (shock!) a win condition: Stealth Bird and Wave-Motion Cannon. At 17 years of age he traveled here from Baltimore, Maryland, and is here playing with teammates from Team Arkham.

His opponent is the reason for this feature though. Months ago, when Kris Perovic lost his precious Dimension Fusion he went through a period where he looked over dozens, maybe hundreds of strategies for an innovative edge. One of his top prospects at one point was an OTK deck based around Batteryman monsters and Short Circuit, but the deck just never panned out.

Today, Chris Kennedy of Team TonkaTough has taken that strategy and run with it, currently 2-0 with a Batteryman deck that blends raw OTK potential with the Destiny Hero draw engine. I can’t wait to see it in action.

Game 1

Kennedy won the roll and opened with Destiny Hero – Fear Monger, Level Limit – Area B, Solemn Judgment, Short Circuit, Inferno Reckless Summon, and Batteryman Micro-Cell. He set Micro-Cell, set a spell or trap, and activated Level Limit – Area B. Everly set a card to each zone and passed back.

Fear Monger was discarded for Destiny Draw, nabbing Kennedy Batteryman Charger and Mirror Force. He ended his turn, and Everly set another monster. Kennedy drew into Fear Monger and passed.

“Take a ‘G’,” announced Everly, flip summoning Stealth Bird and setting another card to each zone. Kennedy drew another Short Circuit, and flip summoned Batteryman Micro-Cell. Micro-Cell’s effect got him Batteryman AA, and he tributed Micro-Cell for Batteryman Charger, special summoning another Batteryman AA. Why hadn’t he just gone for Reckless Summon off the Micro-Cell’s AA?

He played Short Circuit anyway, and Everly chained Crush Card Virus and tributed Stealth Bird — Kennedy chained Solemn Judgment to keep Charger on the field, and Short Circuit wiped Everly! Each Batteryman AA then made a direct attack for 2000 damage.

Everly drew, activated Messenger of Peace, and set a monster. When Kennedy activated Short Circuit again next turn Everly scooped it up!

A vicious series of field-wiping plays devastate Josh Everly, as Chris Kennedy’s deck goes off exactly as planned! After some quick side decking game 2 began.

Game 2

Everly opened with a set monster, and then set three cards to his back row before activating Messenger of Peace. Everly now knew that he needed to commit negation cards to the field early and heavy. Kennedy summoned Destiny Hero – Fear Monger, set three cards to his back row, and attacked right into Spirit Reaper. He was left with Destiny Hero – Dasher and Batteryman Charger in hand, no other Batteryman monsters in sight. Everly set another monster next turn after paying for Messenger of Peace.

Kennedy tributed his Fear Monger for Batteryman Charger next turn, but Everly chained Royal Oppression — Kennedy chained Solemn Judgment, but Everly chained Dark Bribe! Kennedy drew for Bribe, and Royal Oppression negated Kennedy’s special summon and destroyed Charger. Harsh! Kennedy ended his turn.

Everly flip summoned Des Lacooda, drew, and then turned Spirit Reaper to attack mode — both monsters attacked. Spirit Reaper forced Kennedy to discard Batteryman Micro-Cell, and Everly ended his turn by turning Lacooda face down and setting a monster. Kennedy could do nothing on the following turn.

That meant Everly was back up, and he flip summoned Des Lacooda again. Lacooda attacked, Spirit Reaper attacked, and Kennedy lost Destiny Hero – Dasher. Everly set another monster, and Kennedy set all three of his remaining cards next turn to his spell and trap zone.

Des Lacooda got Everly another draw, and he flip summoned Stealth Bird next. Kennedy had just 1400 life points remaining, and Everly attacked with Spirit Reaper and Des Lacooda. When Stealth Bird attacked for game, Kennedy stalled out by blocking it with Book of Moon. Everly turned his appropriate monsters face down, and Kennedy’s next draw didn’t help him. He conceded and moved to siding.

Josh Everly presses this unexpected matchup to a third duel! Game 3 began swiftly, and Kennedy was up.

Game 3

He opened with two Fear Monger, two Batteryman AA, Premature Burial, and Torrential Tribute. Pretty rough. He set one Batteryman, set Torrential Tribute, and ended. Everly set three cards to his back row, set a monster, and ended. He flipped Trap Dustshoot in Kennedy’s draw phase, revealing his draw of Swords of Revealing Light and sending Batteryman AA back to his deck.

Kennedy set the Premature, and then activated Swords of Revealing Light. “Please be Morphing Jar!” Swords flipped Stealth Bird and Kennedy set Fear Monger. Everly did nothing but set a monster, so Kennedy was just getting reprieve after reprieve.

He flip summoned Fear Monger and considered responding to his own summon with Torrential Tribute. He wisely opted not to, and when Everly flip summoned Stealth Bird next turn the Torrential was flipped; Everly activated Solemn Judgment to keep his field. He then flipped another Stealth Bird! Kennedy went to 6000 life points, the Stealth Bird went down, and Everly ended his turn by setting a card to each zone. Kennedy needed to get some Short Circuit magic going, and he had just three turns to do it.

He drew and set Batteryman Micro-Cell, and Everly flip summoned not two, but three Stealth Birds! Kennedy had one turn left, and Everly set another monster: Kennedy’s Swords of Revealing Light was destroyed.

He flip summoned Batteryman Micro-Cell, but Everly chained Light-Imprisoning Mirror! Kennedy had Short Circuit and Inferno Reckless Summon in-hand, but they were both dead cards without that Micro-Cell’s effect. He conceded, simply seeing no way out of the Stealth Bird lock.

Josh Everly wins his first-ever feature match, and he does it with a P.A.C.M.A.N. deck! Everly moves on 3-0!