We went through most of the day being bored out of our mind learning strategies that didn't apply to us, and situations which almost never happened. At lunch, I got to meet up with Adam, Matt, and Andrew. Josh joined us as well.
"Hey, guys." It was hard to talk to the Ra Yellow guys in class, considering that we were separated.
"I feel insulted in a sense." Matt said. "You two got a great match…I need a good duel, myself."
"Hmm…" I said, looking around. "Why don't you duel Josh here? I'd like to see the deck Josh has…"
"Eh, why not." Matt's passive-aggressive mentality was always…funny.
"Cool." Josh said, giving himself adequate distance from Matt as the two armed their Duel Disks.
"Game on!"
Matt: 4000 L.P.
Josh: 4000
L.P.
"Me first!" Josh said, drawing a sixth card. "I summon Chrono Wanderer in Attack Mode!" A strange-looking warrior wearing a large cloak appeared.
Chrono Wanderer
LIGHT
Level
4
Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1400
DEF: 1000
When this card is
destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, during your opponent's next
End Phase, Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower monster from your Deck
in face-up Attack Position.
"Now, I set one card face-down and end my turn." he said.
"I draw!" Matt said. "Hmm…I summon my Noble Horseman in Attack Mode!" A warrior riding a horse stormed the field.
Noble Horseman
EARTH
Level
4
Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1800
DEF: 1000
When this card
destroys an opponent's monster in battle, draw 1 card.
"Now, my Horseman, attack his Wanderer!" he commanded. His Horseman charged at Josh's monster.
"I activate my face-down card; Sword of Shielding Light!"
Sword of Shielding Light
Trap/Normal
After
activation, this card becomes an Equip Card that equips to one
monster on your side of the field. Your opponent cannot select the
equipped monster as an attack target. Destroy this card during your
2nd Standby Phase after activation.
"Now, my Sword blocks your attack!" he said.
"Hmm…that's fine." Matt said. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."
"I draw!" Josh said. "I now activate my field spell, Chronosphere!" The field became a giant clock on the ground. The field around the clock showed the sun hanging above the sky.
Chronosphere
Spell/Field
During each player's
Standby Phase, place 1 Chrono Counter on each face-up monster on the
field. Decrease the ATK of all monsters on the field with a Chrono
Counter without "Chrono" in their card names by 200 points for
each Chrono Counter on that monster. Destroy any monster with 0 ATK
and Chrono Counter(s) on it. Remove 3 Chrono Counters from the field
to move the turn count forward by 1 turn. During your opponent's
Battle Phase, you can remove 3 Chrono Counters from a monster on your
opponent's side of the field to end the Battle Phase. When this
card is removed from the field, remove all Chrono Counters from the
field.
"What does that do?" Matt asked.
"You'll learn eventually." Josh said. "I now activate Reinforcements of Time!"
Reinforcements of Time
Spell/Normal
Activate
only when there is a face-up "Chronosphere" on the field. Special
Summon 2 "Chrono Tokens" (DARK, Level 4, Fiend, ATK/1400, DEF/0)
to your side of the field. These "Chrono Token"s cannot be
removed from the field, attack, or be selected as an attack target
unless they have 4 Chrono Counters on them. The "Chrono Token"s
cannot be Tributed for a Tribute Summon.
"Now, I get to play two mystery monsters. However, you don't know where they are, because they need time to arrive!" he said.
"Hmm…" Matt said. Like me, he was probably trying to figure out what this kid was up to. His Chronosphere did nothing, his Reinforcements of Time has us waiting on mystery monsters…what was up?
"Now, I summon Chrono Knight in Attack Mode!" A warrior clad in shining armor armed with a sword stormed the field.
Chrono
Knight
LIGHT
Level 4
Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1500
DEF:
1600
When this card is Summoned, place 2 Chrono Counters on a
face-up monster on the field. Remove three Chrono Counters from this
card during your opponent's turn. If you do, your opponent cannot
conduct their Battle Phase.
"Now, allow me to explain. My strategy works on a small thing called the Chrono Counter. The Chrono Counter represents a piece of time. As my Knight comes into play, he ages a face-up monster on your side of the field. The army of the Chronosphere are all immortal, so there's no use in aging any of them any more. Instead, why don't I age your Horseman?" The Knight pointed its sword at Matt's Noble Horseman. It began to corrode, becoming an old man and an old horse.
"My Chronosphere strains the mortality of all monsters under its time-bending powers. Any monster aged by the effects of the Chrono Counter loses 200 attack points for each Chrono Counter the mortal monsters have. My Knight gave your Horseman two Chrono Counters, so it loses 400 attack points. My Chronosphere accelerates the flow of time, as at the beginning of each turn, it ages each monster. However, my Chrono army is immortal, so they aren't affected by the process of aging."
"So, you're just going to cripple my monsters?" he asked.
"Yep." Josh replied. "However, I can revert the aging process and use the gap in time to move the time around our monsters forward."
"Meaning…?"
"Meaning, if your monsters have aged enough, I remove the Chrono Counters from them to end your Battle Phase." he said.
"Hmm…" Matt said.
"However, your monster is weak enough to destroy." Josh said. "Go, Chrono Knight, attack his Noble Horseman!" The Chrono Knight charged at Matt's Horseman.
"I activate my face-down card; Retaliation Attack!"
Retaliation
Attack
Trap/Normal
Activate when your opponent declares an
attack on a Warrior-Type monster you control. Switch the ATK of the
monsters involved in the battle.
"Now, our monsters switch their attack powers, giving my Horseman 100 more attack points than your Knight!"
As Josh's Knight swung its sword, the aged Noble Horseman struck back, destroying Josh's Knight.
Matt:
4000 L.P.
Josh: 3900 L.P.
"Now, my Horseman's ability kicks in!" Matt said. "Each time it destroys a monster in battle, I can draw 1 card." He then drew a card from his deck.
"Hmm…" Josh said. "I set one card face-down, and end my turn."
"I draw!" Matt said.
"Now my Chronosphere kicks in!" Josh said. The sun went down as the moon came up, but went down as soon as it came up, and the sun and moon cycled faster and faster as his Knight further aged, losing 200 more attack points.
"Now, I sacrifice my Horseman!" Matt said.
"Not so fast; activate Time Flow Disturbance!"
Time Flow Disturbance
Trap/Continuous
As
long as this card remains face-up, any card with Chrono Counters on
it that would be removed from the field can have its Chrono Counters
moved to another card(s) that can have Chrono Counters on it before
the monster is removed from the field.
"Now, before your Knight is removed from the field, it gets the aging process afflicted to it placed on any of my cards that can go through the aging process. They all can, so why not?" A veil of time enveloped Matt's Horseman before it was sacrificed.
"Where'd you put the Chrono Counters?" he asked.
"You'll learn where in a minute…" Josh answered.
"All right, well, I sacrificed my Horseman, so I'll summon my Winged Dragon Knight in Attack Mode!" A green dragon with large wings stormed the field. It was clad in armor, and wielded a sword and shield.
Winged Dragon
Knight
WIND
Level 5
Dragon/Effect
ATK: 1900
DEF:
1700
When this card is Summoned, destroy one monster on the field.
As long as this card remains face-up on your side of the field, your
opponent cannot select another monster you control with "Blade"
or "Knight" in their card names as an attack target.
"Now, when my Knight graces the field, I get to destroy a monster in play, so I'll destroy your Chrono Wanderer!"
The Winged Dragon Knight threw his sword at Josh's Chrono Wanderer, destroying it. However, his Knight began to age.
"What?"
"My Disturbance is a continuous trap. Therefore, since my Wanderer was destroyed with a counter on it, I get to move the counter to your Knight, aging it!"
"That doesn't matter! Winged Dragon Knight, attack his Chrono Knight now!" Matt declared. I thought Josh would use his face-down card, but he didn't, as his Knight was destroyed.
Matt: 4000 L.P.
Josh: 3700 L.P.
"Now, I set one card face-down, and end my turn."
"I draw!" Josh said. "Now, my Chronosphere ages your Winged Dragon Knight!"
The sky circled as Matt's Knight dropped its attack power to 1500. However, something was awkward. The field had three more monsters on it; two strange purple warriors, and a strange machine.
Chrono
Scout
DARK
Level 3
Machine/Effect
ATK: 800
DEF:
1200
You can remove 2 Chrono Counters from the field to return
this face-up card on the field to your Deck and Special Summon 1
"Chrono Scout" to your side of the field. Your opponent cannot
attack this card during the turn it is Summoned.
"What's going on?" Matt said. "How'd you get those monsters?"
"Simple." Josh said. "I said the answer would be explained in time, and it would. Remember when I played Reinforcements of Time? The card's effect summons two Chrono Tokens, but they don't truly exist on the field until each has four Chrono Counters on them. Chronosphere has given them two so far, and I used the effect of my Time Flow Disturbance to move the Chrono Counters from our destroyed monsters to them, in order to speed up the process of their arrival."
"What about that machine thing?" Matt asked.
"At the end of your next turn that my Wanderer was destroyed, I get to summon a level 3 or lower monster from my deck, which is where my Chrono Scout came from! But it doesn't matter…I sacrifice my Scout to summon my Chrono Dragon in Attack Mode!" The winds of sacrifice enveloped his Scout. Emerging from them was a red and purple-colored dragon. It spread its wings, taking flight and roaring.
Chrono Dragon
DARK
Level
6
Dragon/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 2000
When this card is
Tribute Summoned, place 3 Chrono Counters on one card on the field.
You can remove 10 Chrono Counters from the field during your Main
Phase 2. If you do, the turn flow reverts to your Main Phase 1. You
cannot Normal Summon or Set if you already have during the turn that
you activated this effect.
"Now, my Chrono Dragon places three Chrono Counters on any card on the field. So, let's age your Knight a bit further, shall we?"
The Chrono Dragon shot a purple beam at Matt's Winged Dragon Knight. It fell to the ground in its age, dropping to 900 attack points.
"Now, my Chrono Dragon, attack his Winged Dragon Knight!"
"Activate trap card! Honor Call!"
Honor Call
Trap/Normal
Until the
end of the Battle Phase, Battle Damage inflicted by your opponent's
monsters becomes 0.
"This card blocks all Battle Damage your Dragon would inflict to my Life Points!"
"Well, I still get to destroy your Dragon Knight!" Josh declared as the Chrono Dragon's fire burned his heavily aged dragon to a crisp.
"Now, my Disturbance kicks in, moving my Chrono Counters back to my monsters!" Josh said. "Now, each of them has seven Chrono Counters on them. So, I move to my Main Phase 2, and your Honor Call wears off."
"What does it matter?" Matt asked. "You already attacked, so you can't attack until your next turn."
"That's what you think!" Josh said. "By removing 10 of the 14 Chrono Counters on the field, I can turn the flow of time backwards!"
"!!" What a lethal ability…
The Chrono Dragon spread its wings, causing a small tremor. One of the Chrono Tokens withdrew into the portal from which it emerged at the beginning of the turn as time began to move backwards.
"Now, it is my Main Phase 1 once again. So, I'll move directly to my Battle Phase, and my two creatures will attack you directly!" Josh's creatures both released energy attacks which hit Matt.
"Matt!" Adam and I exclaimed.
"Ugh…" Matt said as he recovered from the lethal attack he just endured.
Matt: 600 L.P.
Josh: 3700 L.P.
"There's nothing I can do, so I end my turn." Josh said.
"I draw! And you gain three Chrono Counters…" Matt said.
"Allow me to remind you, Matt…" Josh said. "By my next turn, I'll have a total of 10 Counters, enough for my Dragon to turn time back once more, and defeat you!"
"I activate Breath of Honor!"
Breath of Honor
Spell/Normal
Special Summon 1
monster from your Graveyard with "Blade" or "Knight" in the
card name.
"Now, my Breath of Honor lets me revive one of my destroyed warriors." Matt said. "I choose to revive my Winged Dragon Knight!" His Knight returned to the field. "Now, my Knight gets to destroy your Dragon!"
"Ugh! No!" The Winged Dragon Knight threw its sword at Chrono Dragon, destroying it.
"Now, I sacrifice my Knight to summon my Twinstrike Blade in Attack Mode!" The winds of sacrifice enveloped Matt's Winged Dragon Knight, and from those winds burst a large warrior in black armor, holding two swords.
Twinstrike Blade
EARTH
Level
6
Warrior/Effect
ATK: 2400
DEF: 1400
This card can attack
twice during the same Battle Phase.
"You forgot that destroying my Dragon puts the Chrono Counter that was on it on your Blade!"
Twinstrike Blade began to age, losing 200 attack points.
"That doesn't matter to me! Twinstrike, attack his Chrono Token!" Matt commanded. His monster slashed through his monster with ease.
Matt: 600 L.P.
Josh: 2900 L.P.
"Now the five counters that were on my token move to your Blade!"
"I don't care! Twinstrike can attack you twice, so I'll have it swing directly this time!"
"Oh, no you don't! I'll use the other effect of my Sphere! By removing three of its Chrono Counters, I'm able to end the Battle Phase!"
"No!"
The field began to spin once again as Matt's Twinstrike Blade regained 600 of its attack points, putting it at 1800. However, it moved backward to its original position.
"Now, I set one card face-down and end my turn."
"I draw! Now my Chronosphere further ages your Blade!"
The time flow continued to speed up, literally crippling Matt's Twinstrike Blade as its attack power dropped to 1600.
"Now, to end this! I summon Chrono Fighter in Attack Mode!" A warrior wearing strange armor appeared on the field.
Chrono Fighter
EARTH
Level 4
Warrior/Effect
ATK:
1700
DEF: 1000
At the end of the Damage Step in which this card
battles, you can Tribute this card to place three Chrono Counters on
one face-up monster on the field.
"Now, my Fighter, attack his Twinstrike Blade!" he commanded. His monster charged at Matt's monster, but Matt was prepared.
"Go, Retreat Tactic!" Matt declared, revealing his face-down card.
Retreat
Tactic
Trap/Normal
Activate when your opponent declares an
attack. Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Warrior-Type monster from
your hand in face-up Attack Position, and have it be the target for
the attack. Neither monster is destroyed as a result of that battle,
and after the Damage Step, return the monster Special Summoned by
this card's effect to your hand.
"Now, I get to summon Luminous Knight!" Matt's Luminous Knight appeared to block the attack.
Luminous Knight
LIGHT
Level
4
Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1700
DEF: 1000
When this card
destroys an opponent's monster as a result of battle, add 1 LIGHT
Warrior-Type monster from your Deck to your hand.
"The drawback to my Retreat Tactic's effect is that neither of our monsters are destroyed as a result of that battle, and now my Knight returns to my hand." Matt said.
"Now, I can use the effect of my Chrono Fighter!" Josh said. "I can sacrifice it to put three Chrono Counters on my Chrono Tokens, giving it five, enough for it to emerge!" Josh's Chrono Fighter disappeared as his Chrono Token appeared from the portal on his field. That made sense; by summoning that token with five counters, destroying it would seriously weaken any monster Matt summoned.
"That ends my turn." Josh said.
"I draw!" Matt said.
"Now, my Chronosphere ages your Blade!" Josh said as Twinstrike Blade aged further, dropping its attack power to 1400.
"It doesn't matter; I got this! I summon my Luminous Knight!" The same monster that Matt summoned with Retreat Tactic in Josh's last turn appeared on the field.
"I then equip my Blade with the Equip Spell Card, Lithium Blade!" One of Twinstrike Blade's swords began to glow gold. However, the blade weakened it, dropping it to a mere 600 attack points.
Lithium Blade
Spell/Equip
Equip this card
to a Warrior-Type monster on your side of the field. Decrease the ATK
of the equipped monster by 800 points. When the equipped monster
declares an attack, destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field before
the Damage Step.
"What?!" Josh asked. "You're going to win by weakening your own monster?"
"Twinstrike Blade, attack his Chrono Token!" Matt said.
"What?!" Josh said. He had no idea that he was screwed.
"Now, my Lithium Blade gets to destroy a Spell or Trap Card before battle. Therefore, I can rid myself of your Chronosphere!"
"What the-?!"
Twinstrike Blade swung the sword directly at the Chronosphere. A wave of energy emitted from the Lithium Blade, destroying the Chronosphere.
"Now, without your Chronosphere, my Twinstrike Blade reverts to its full power before it battles your Chrono Token!" As it charged, Matt's Twinstrike Blade became its regular self, and its attack power jumped to 1600 as it sliced right through Josh's Chrono Token.
Matt: 600
L.P.
Josh: 2700 L.P.
"Now, my two monsters attack you directly to reduce your Life Points to zero!" Matt said as his monsters charged in, doing enough damage to give Matt the win.
Matt:
600 L.P.
Josh: 0 L.P.
"Damn it…" Josh said. "Well, you deserve that victory, Matt."
"That was…so close…" I said. "That was a great match, guys!"
"No kidding…" Matt said. "I barely won that one…"
"Well, I got lucky." Josh said. "My opening hand was everything that worked with my Chronosphere, and I didn't have it until the second turn. Had I not gotten it that turn with the setup I had, I would have lost. It's the only reason I'm in Slifer Red; because I got a bad setup hand that took me a while to pick up from, so I did pretty bad on the duel portion of the exam."
"We all have our problems with the exam…" I said.
We went on to discuss the entrance exam, and the analysis of our decks, but then, the bell rang, so we had to scramble to our next classes.