We’re down to the Top 16 of the Genesys Invitational! Hailing from Harrisonburg, Virginia, we have Ryan Strickler! He’s playing a Dragon Ruler Deck, with some big Synchro and Xyz plays. His opponent is Nicholas Anderson, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, playing P.U.N.K.! Can the Psychic Synchro strategy take down the dominating Dragon Rulers? Only one Duelist can advance to the Top 8!

Duel 1

Strickler won the dice roll and started with a hand of Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos; Stream, Dragon Ruler of Droplets; Lightning, Dragon Ruler of Drafts; Droll & Lock Bird; and Red Rose Dragon.

He activated Stream’s effect, discarding it and Blaster, and Anderson negated it with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. He banished Stream and the Lightning in his hand to Special Summon Blaster from the Graveyard. He Normal Summoned Red Rose Dragon, tuning it to Blaster for Arms of Genex Return Zero. With Red Rose, he Special Summoned Roxrose Dragon from his Deck. That let him add Basal Rose Shoot to his hand, and Anderson activated Droll & Lock Bird. Strickler played Basal Rose Shoot, but Anderson had D.D. Crow to banish Red Rose Dragon!

Anderson activated Noh-P.U.N.K. Ogre Dance’s effect, adding Noh-P.U.N.K. Ze Amin to his hand. Strickler used his own Droll & Lock Bird this time. Anderson laughed as he Set a monster.

Strickler drew Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju. He turned Roxrose to Attack Position and attacked Anderson’s Set Gagaku-P.U.N.K. Wa Gon. Arms of Genex Return Zero attacked directly.

Anderson Normal Summoned Ze Amin, paying 600 Life Points for its effect to put Noh-P.U.N.K. Rising Scale in his hand. He banished Ogre Dance from the Graveyard to Special Summon Rising Scale, and used its effect to Special Summon Ukiyoe-P.U.N.K. Sharakusai from the Deck. He used Sharkusai’s effect, fusing it with Ze Amin for Ukiyoe-P.U.N.K. Rising Carp. He Tributed Rising Carp for its effect to Special Summon Noh-P.U.N.K. Deer Note and Joruri-P.U.N.K. Madame Spider. He used its effect to add Joruri-P.U.N.K. Dangerous Gabu to his hand. He then used Deer Note and Madame Spider to Synchro Summon P.U.N.K. JAM Dragon Drive. With Deer Note’s effect he Special Summoned Madame Spider from the Graveyard, and Dragon Drive put Hushed Psychic Minister in his hand. He Special Summoned the Minister.

He used Madame Spider and Dragon Drive to Synchro Summon Ukiyoe-P.U.N.K. Amazing Dragon, using its effect on Strickler’s Genex Return Zero. Strickler responded with Return Zero’s effect, and Anderson Special Summoned Dragon Drive from the Graveyard. Return Zero negated and destroyed Amazing Dragon. Anderson activated Foxy Tune’s effect, discarding it and Small World to Special Summon Ze Amin from the Deck. He tuned it to Dragon Drive for another Amazing Dragon, with 600 extra ATK from Ze Amin. He Set a card in his back row, and sent Amazing Dragon to destroy Strickler’s Genex. Rising Scale then destroyed Roxrose Dragon in battle. He passed the turn with control of the field, but only 1900 Life Points.

Strickler drew Reactan, Dragon Ruler of Pebbles. He handed over Gameciel by Tributing Amazing Dragon. Then, he Special Summoned Blaster from the Graveyard by banishing Roxrose from the Graveyard and Reactan from his hand. He attacked Gameciel with Blaster for 600 damage.

Anderson turned Rising Scale to Defense Position. In the End Phase, Blaster returned to Strickler’s hand.

Strickler drew Droll & Lock Bird. He Set it, with no more fuel to Special Summon Blaster again.

Anderson moved Rising Scale to Attack Position, and sent his field of monsters to attack and end the first Duel!

Duel 2

Strickler began this time with Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders; Sacred Sword of Seven Stars; Blaster; and two copies of Stream.

He activated Stream’s effect, discarding Redox, to Special Summon Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls from his Deck. He played Sacred Sword, banishing Blaster to draw Red Rose and Here There Be Dragons. The banished Blaster’s effect activated, and Anderson Chained Droll & Lock Bird to shut it down. Strickler Normal Summoned Red Rose and tuned it to Tidal for Arms of Genex Return Zero. Red Rose let him Special Summon Roxrose Dragon. He banished Red Rose and Stream to Special Summon Tidal from his Graveyard, and tuned Roxrose to Tidal for Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign – Chengying. He Special Summoned Redox, banishing Tidal and Roxrose. Then he played Here There Be Dragons, bringing Tidal back to the field, and stacking Tidal and Redox for Chasma, Dragon Ruler of Auroras! He used its effect, detaching Redox to send another Tidal to the Graveyard, gaining its effect. That let him send Spectral, Dragon Ruler of Flickers to the Graveyard.

Anderson saw how much Strickler had in play, with a fully stocked Graveyard… and conceded!

Duel 3

Strickler began the final Duel with a hand of Enemy Controller, Reactan… and THREE copies of Redox! Redox is usually the Dragon Ruler of Boulders, but this time, it’s the Dragon Ruler of Bricks.

Anderson Normal Summoned Ze Amin, using its effect to put Foxy Tune in his hand. He used Foxy Tune’s effect, discarding it and Nibiru to Special Summon Rising Scale. He used its effect to Special Summon Sharakusai. He used Sharakusai’s effect, fusing it with Rising Scale for Rising Carp. He Tributed Rising Carp to Special Summon Deer Note and Wa Gon. He used Wa Gon to get P.U.N.K. JAM Extreme Session in hand, and played it. He used Deer Note and Wa Gon for Dragon Drive. Deer Note revived Wa Gon, and Dragon Drive put Hushed Psychic Minister in his hand. Extreme Session let him draw a card. He used Wa Gon and Dragon Drive to Synchro Summon Amazing Dragon, which revived Wa Gon.

He used Amazing Dragon to Xyz Summon P.U.N.K. JAM FEVER!, then Special Summoned Hushed Psychic Minister. He used it with Wa Gon to Synchro Summon Serene Psychic Sorceress. Sorceress’s effect Set Teleport Fusion on the field. He drew again with Extreme Session. He used Sorcerss and Ze Amin to Synchro Summon Psychic Blaster Mk-II. He used Extreme Session, banishing Rising Scale from his Graveyard to Special Summon Ogre Dance from his hand. Then he used Psychic Blaster Mk-II to Special Summon the banished Rising Scale. He stacked his Level 8 monsters for Dingirsu, the Orcust of the Evening Star! He passed with 4000 Life Points, thanks to all his Psychic costs.

Strickler drew Final Bringer of the End Times. He Normal Summoned Reactan, and tried to move to the Battle Phase, hoping to bait out a response. Anderson activated Psychic Blaster to try and banish Reactan, and Strickler Chained Enemy Controller, Tributing Reactan to steal the Psychic Blaster. He continued to the Battle Phase, sending Psychic Blaster to attack Dingirsu. Anderson detached a material from Dingirsu to keep it around. In Main Phase 2, Strickler used Redox’s effect, discarding it and a second Redox, targeting the second Redox. Anderson negated it with JAM FEVER!. Strickler Chained to that with Psychic Blaster Mk-II, targeting JAM FEVER!. Anderson Chained Teleport Fusion, and Strickler Chained Final Bringer to destroy the pilfered Psychic Blaster Mk-II and JAM FEVER!. Anderson protected his monster with Dingirsu, but Psychic Blaster was destroyed. Teleport Fusion resolved, fusing Dingirsu and JAM FEVER! into Axon Kicker Oracle! With just a useless Redox left in hand, Strickler conceded!

Nicholas Anderson is headed to the Top 8 with P.U.N.K.!