A free Black Luster Soldier. An opening Obelisk. A Toon Table of Contents used to pay for removal. And a finish with just 125 Life Points left. Round 2 of the Gold Series 4 NeoDraft Invitational gave us four matches where the bonus card could become an attacker, Tribute material, a crucial discard—or the first monster sent to the Graveyard.
Each player received one card from the Gold Series 4 draft pool for each duel, alongside their regular deck. Some started on the field; others began in hand. Here is how the round played out, with the match videos, draft cards and game-by-game highlights below.
Round 2 Results
Replay coverage: Nine played duels are covered in this recap. The original Game 2 of krlos vs Victor peluche is unavailable, so its draft cards and plays are not reconstructed. Their match was later reopened; the two brief surrenders used to restore the 1–1 score are excluded, and the actual deciding duel is covered as Game 3.
Table 1: krlos vs Victor peluche — krlos wins 2–1
krlos took the match 2–1, but the two preserved games tell very different stories: a 25-turn struggle decided by Fairy King Truesdale, followed by a deciding duel in which careful defensive trades opened a comeback with Tribe-Infecting Virus.
Game 1: An immediate draft trade, then a 25-turn battle
Draft cards: krlos — Prometheus, King of the Shadows; Victor peluche — Doomcaliber Knight.
Winner: krlos
The draft mattered immediately. krlos Normal Summoned Prometheus, King of the Shadows on turn 1, only for Victor's Doomcaliber Knight to Tribute itself, negate the effect and destroy Prometheus. Both bonus monsters disappeared in the opening exchange: a useful defensive intervention for Victor, but not a lasting advantage on the field.
krlos answered with a strong turn 3. Heavy Storm removed Torrential Tribute and Ring of Destruction before Hydrogeddon defeated Armed Dragon LV3, recruited another copy, and pushed through a direct attack. Victor kept rebuilding through Masked Dragon and its follow-up monsters. When Tribe-Infecting Virus threatened to clear the board on turn 12, krlos chained Skill Drain; the effect was negated, although Victor still found damage through combat.
The duel became a long exchange of threats and answers. Exploder Dragon removed Blazing Inpachi, Frost and Flame Dragon briefly took over, and Smashing Ground answered it. A Masked Dragon revived by Premature Burial reduced krlos to just 1,900 LP. Sakuretsu Armor and Bottomless Trap Hole then kept Victor's later attackers from finishing the job.
The finish came on turn 25. After resolving Pot of Greed, krlos Tributed his set Battle Footballer for Fairy King Truesdale. The 2,200 ATK direct attack overcame Victor's remaining 2,100 LP. The draft decided the opening interaction; sustained trap defense and a final Tribute Summon decided the result.
Draft impact: Both draft monsters shaped the opening, but neither survived it. Doomcaliber negated Prometheus; the eventual win came from krlos’s defense and final Tribute Summon.
Game 2: Victor ties the match
Winner: Victor peluche
The original replay is unavailable. Victor won this game to make the match 1–1, but neither the draft allocation nor the sequence of plays can be confirmed from the available coverage.
Game 3: Toon Table becomes removal fuel
Draft cards: krlos — Toon Table of Contents; Victor peluche — Beastking of the Swamps.
Winner: krlos
The deciding game showed how a modest draft card can still matter. Victor started with Beastking of the Swamps, put it in Defense Position, and later Tributed it for Armed Dragon LV5. That provided a summon without sacrificing a monster from his regular opening hand, but krlos immediately answered LV5 with Bottomless Trap Hole. Beastking's contribution was real, yet the payoff was contained.
krlos's early highlight was a defensive use of Shrink: chaining it to Victor's Bottomless Trap Hole kept Blazing Inpachi on the field. Inpachi then defeated Horus LV4 and delivered direct attacks, helped by Nobleman of Crossout removing a set D.D. Warrior Lady. Victor fought back with his Dragon engine. Armed Dragon LV5 destroyed Inpachi but fell to Sakuretsu Armor, and a later Horus LV6 ran into Mirror Force.
The most revealing draft moment arrived on turn 20. krlos did not activate Toon Table of Contents as a search Spell; he discarded it to pay for Tribe-Infecting Virus, destroying Cyberdark Keel. A second activation, paid for with Sinister Serpent, removed Kycoo. Tribe then attacked directly, leaving Victor at 1,450 LP. The bonus Spell had become removal fuel at a crucial moment.
On turn 22, Hydrogeddon defeated Victor’s set Exploder Dragon. Exploder’s effect formed chain link 1 and Hydrogeddon’s formed link 2. Victor conceded during that chain, securing the game and the 2–1 match win for krlos. The recorded duel ends with the chain still pending.
Draft impact: Beastking supplied Victor with Tribute material. Toon Table supplied krlos with the discard for a crucial Tribe-Infecting Virus activation, without ever being used to search.
Back to results
Table 2: Pipe vs Rojoo — Pipe wins 2–0
Pipe won both games against Rojoo’s Archfiends. The draft had a visible role, but the match was ultimately decided by removal, recovery and the repeated pressure of Chaos Sorcerer.
Game 1: Beastking opens the way for Don Zaloog
Draft cards: Pipe — Beastking of the Swamps; Rojoo — Toon Table of Contents.
Winner: Pipe
Pipe’s Beastking of the Swamps looked modest beside Rojoo’s Archfiend engine, but it provided useful early tempo. On turn 3 it destroyed a face-down Archfiend Heiress, clearing the way for Don Zaloog to connect directly for 1,400 damage and discard Archfiend’s Roar. Heiress still resolved its search, so this was pressure rather than a clean denial of Rojoo’s resources. Beastking later ran into Terrorking Archfiend’s defense, costing Pipe 500 LP, and eventually fell to Terrorking on turn 10.
Rojoo’s drafted Toon Table of Contents never searched: it was set and then destroyed by Mystical Space Typhoon in the turn-2 End Phase.
The deciding exchanges came much later. Pipe summoned Chaos Sorcerer and banished Mist Archfiend, but Rojoo kept finding ways to fight back. Dark Necrofear attacked into Chaos Sorcerer, was destroyed, and returned as an Equip Card in the End Phase to take control of it. Pipe answered with Raigeki Break, discarding Call of the Haunted to destroy the equipped Necrofear and reclaim his Sorcerer. D.D. Assailant then traded itself for Archfiend Soldier. On turn 23, Pipe flipped D.D. Warrior Lady and declared a direct attack with Chaos Sorcerer; Rojoo conceded. Beastking had helped create the early advantage, while Pipe’s later answers secured the game.
Draft impact: Beastking cleared a defender so Don Zaloog could connect. Toon Table was destroyed while set, with no search effect resolved.
Game 2: A free Black Luster Soldier meets Exiled Force
Draft cards: Pipe — Magic Formula; Rojoo — Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning.
Winner: Pipe
Rojoo opened game 2 with the biggest draft headline of this match: Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning already on his field. Pipe’s own draft was Magic Formula, with no recorded activation or visible effect on the duel. He did not allow Rojoo’s advantage to develop. On turn 2, Exiled Force immediately destroyed the Soldier before it could attack or activate its effect.
Rojoo’s Archfiends still made the game competitive. Ring of Destruction answered Mist Archfiend and reduced both players to 5,600 LP, but Rojoo rebuilt through Archfiend’s Roar and later chained Royal Decree to Raigeki Break, keeping his pressure intact.
Chaos Sorcerer became Pipe’s central answer. An attack from an Axe of Despair-equipped Terrorking Archfiend looked threatening until Mystical Space Typhoon removed the Equip Spell; Terrorking lost the battle, although Desrook Archfiend brought it back.
Sorcerer subsequently banished Terrorking and Archfiend Heiress. Rojoo found one more comeback with Dark Necrofear and Axe of Despair, destroying Sorcerer in battle.
Pipe’s response was decisive: Premature Burial revived Sorcerer, which banished Necrofear, and Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer attacked directly before removing Mist Archfiend and the drafted Black Luster Soldier from the Graveyard. Rojoo conceded on turn 17. The spectacular draft card had forced an answer, but it never produced an attack or an activated effect; Pipe’s removal and recovery won the longer exchange.
Draft impact: Black Luster Soldier forced an immediate Exiled Force answer but never attacked or activated an effect. Magic Formula had no recorded activation or visible contribution.
Back to results
Table 3: Negro jariozo vs Rodrigo_02 — Negro jariozo wins 2–1
Rodrigo_02 and Negro jariozo went the full three games. Their drafts ranged from Gyzarus and Obelisk to Meltiel and Goddess with the Third Eye, but the most useful bonuses were not necessarily the most imposing monsters. Removal shut down several spectacular starters, while less glamorous bodies found practical uses as Tributes and Chaos material.
Game 1: Gyzarus and Monk give way to a removal battle
Draft cards: Negro jariozo — Summoner Monk; Rodrigo_02 — Gladiator Beast Gyzarus.
Winner: Negro jariozo
Rodrigo_02 opened with Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, while Negro jariozo received Summoner Monk. The impressive Fusion did not get to shape the game: Negro removed it with Smashing Ground on turn two, before it attacked or activated an effect. Summoner Monk survived the opening exchange by moving to Defense Position, but it never used its recruiting effect either.
The early fight still went Rodrigo’s way. Mirror Force stopped Mystic Swordsman LV 2, then Skilled Blue Magician defeated Monk and Skilled Dark Magician landed a direct attack for 1,900. Negro answered with a clean sequence: Heavy Storm removed the set Magical Dimension, and Berserk Gorilla ran over Skilled Dark Magician.
Turn six was the decisive swing. Nobleman of Crossout banished Rodrigo’s set Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer. Negro then summoned his own Kycoo; Gorilla cleared Skilled Blue Magician, and Kycoo connected directly before banishing both Skilled Dark Magician and the drafted Gyzarus from Rodrigo’s Graveyard. That took the game beyond the original draft exchange and into sustained board control.
Giant Rat joined Gorilla and Kycoo for 5,200 direct damage on turn eight, leaving Rodrigo at 900 LP. Rodrigo conceded on the following turn. Neither draft card produced an engine effect or a decisive attack; Negro won through removal, successive attackers and Kycoo’s follow-up banishing.
Draft impact: Gyzarus was removed before acting. Summoner Monk briefly defended, then fell in battle without using its recruiting effect. The regular deck engines decided the game.
Game 2: Meltiel proves more useful than Obelisk
Draft cards: Negro jariozo — Obelisk the Tormentor; Rodrigo_02 — Meltiel, Sage of the Sky.
Winner: Rodrigo_02
Game two produced the biggest-looking draft of the match: Negro jariozo started with Obelisk the Tormentor, opposite Rodrigo_02’s Meltiel, Sage of the Sky. Rodrigo answered the God immediately with Fissure. Obelisk left the field before it could attack or activate an effect, showing how little the size of a draft monster guarantees once the duel begins.
Meltiel had a much more interesting journey. Negro used Brain Control to steal it and then tributed it for Mobius the Frost Monarch, destroying Rodrigo’s set Magical Dimension. Rodrigo fought back with Copycat and Old Vindictive Magician, which removed Mobius, only for Mirror Force to wipe both of his attackers.
The drafted Fairy still mattered after leaving the field. On turn five Rodrigo banished Meltiel and Apprentice Magician to summon Chaos Sorcerer, using the former as the LIGHT half of the summon. Sorcerer banished Giant Rat, clearing the way for Breaker the Magical Warrior to deal direct damage. Negro later removed Sorcerer with Smashing Ground, but Rodrigo kept the initiative.
Giant Trunade opened another attacking window, and Kycoo plus Breaker pushed Negro down to 2,200 LP. Kycoo also banished Mobius and Obelisk. Mirror Wall softened the next attacks but could only leave Negro on 500 LP; he conceded during the following Standby Phase. Meltiel’s own effect never activated, yet its value as a Tribute and later as Chaos material made it far more consequential than Obelisk.
Draft impact: Obelisk was answered immediately. Meltiel mattered twice as material: first for the opponent’s Mobius, then as Rodrigo’s LIGHT monster for Chaos Sorcerer.
Game 3: Goddess fuels Jinzo; Hydrogeddon takes over
Draft cards: Negro jariozo — Goddess with the Third Eye; Rodrigo_02 — Injection Fairy Lily.
Winner: Negro jariozo
The deciding game gave Rodrigo_02 Injection Fairy Lily and Negro jariozo Goddess with the Third Eye. Negro went first and immediately removed Lily with Smashing Ground. His own draft became useful in a less obvious way: on turn three he tributed Goddess to summon Jinzo, rather than using it for a Fusion.
That turn delivered one of the match’s best exchanges. Hydrogeddon defeated Apprentice Magician, then the newly summoned Hydrogeddon defeated the next Apprentice, building a three-Hydrogeddon field. Rodrigo’s recruitment chain finally reached Old Vindictive Magician, whose Flip effect destroyed the attacking Jinzo. The draft had enabled a strong push, but Rodrigo still found a monster-based answer.
Negro’s next offensive was huge. Zombyra the Dark removed a set Skilled Dark Magician, and three Hydrogeddon—including one boosted by Rush Recklessly—dealt 5,500 direct damage. Rodrigo survived at 2,500 LP and prolonged the game with Marshmallon, Call of the Haunted and a well-timed Magical Dimension that traded Kycoo for Skilled Blue Magician while destroying Zombyra. He also used Book of Moon on his own attacker to avoid Magic Cylinder’s damage.
The defensive sequence kept him alive, but Shrink punished another attack and Ring of Destruction left him on 850 LP. On turn nineteen, Negro summoned Tribe-Infecting Virus, discarded Royal Decree to clear Skilled Blue Magician, and attacked directly for the win. Goddess had supplied useful Tribute material; Lily never received a chance to contribute. The 2–1 result ultimately came from Negro’s ability to maintain pressure through Rodrigo’s layered defenses.
Draft impact: Goddess provided the Tribute for Jinzo and helped enable the early offensive. Injection Fairy Lily was destroyed before Rodrigo could use it.
Back to results
Table 4: Tona vs Bemg — Tona wins 2–0
Tona’s two drafted monsters did their work through repeated attacks rather than flashy effects. Bemg’s drafted Trap Stun nearly turned game 2 around, but Tona survived on 125 LP to finish the match.
Game 1: Mormolith delivers 3,000 damage
Draft cards: Tona — Mormolith; Bemg — Lich Lord, King of the Underworld.
Winner: Tona
Bemg began with Lich Lord, King of the Underworld, while Tona received Mormolith. Bemg tried to establish his Rock control plan with a set monster, back-row support and Stumbling. Tona dismantled that opening in one turn: Mystical Space Typhoon removed Stumbling, Exiled Force destroyed the set Golem Sentry, and Smashing Ground disposed of the drafted Lich Lord. Mormolith then attacked directly for 1,000. Lich Lord never reached an attack or an activated effect, making its contribution limited to the removal card Tona spent on it.
Mormolith, by contrast, became the game’s persistent source of damage. Bemg’s Ring of Destruction stopped Jirai Gumo on turn 4 and dealt 2,200 to each player, but the drafted Rock was still present to land another 1,000-point direct attack. Drop Off then removed The Rock Spirit from Bemg’s hand immediately after he drew it.
Bemg activated a second Stumbling, and it successfully turned the newly summoned Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight to Defense Position. It did not stop the Mormolith already standing on Tona’s field: that monster attacked directly for a third 1,000. Bemg conceded on turn 7 at 2,800 LP. Mormolith never activated its removal effect, but its three direct attacks accounted for 3,000 damage and made the draft materially important to Tona’s opening win.
Draft impact: Mormolith dealt 3,000 direct damage across three attacks. Lich Lord drew out Smashing Ground but generated no attack or activated effect.
Game 2: Trap Stun nearly turns the match around
Draft cards: Tona — Beastking of the Swamps; Bemg — Trap Stun.
Winner: Tona
Game 2 delivered the round’s most dramatic low-LP finish. Tona’s drafted Beastking of the Swamps supplied a ready attacker, while Bemg received Trap Stun in hand. Jirai Gumo’s attacks repeatedly cost Tona half his Life Points, and Bemg answered it with Legendary Jujitsu Master and Compulsory Evacuation Device.
Meanwhile, Beastking kept connecting: its direct attacks on turns 2, 4, 6 and 10 dealt 4,000 damage in total. Drop Off also kept Bemg under pressure, discarding Golem Sentry and Guardian Statue just after their draws.
Bemg still found two striking recovery plays. Giant Trunade returned Tona’s back row to hand, taking that hand from one card to three. Blade Knight was then only 1,600 ATK, allowing The Rock Spirit to beat it at 1,700.
The bigger moment came on turn 11. Tona responded to a second Rock Spirit with Torrential Tribute, but Bemg chained the drafted Trap Stun. Torrential’s effect was negated, Rock Spirit survived, and it destroyed Beastking for 700 damage, leaving Tona on just 250 LP. That made both draft cards central to the duel: Beastking had supplied half of Bemg’s starting LP in damage, while Trap Stun created a real late comeback.
Tona survived it. Jirai Gumo defeated Rock Spirit on turn 12, then attacked directly on turn 14; another LP-halving resolution left Tona at 125, but the attack reduced Bemg’s remaining 800 LP to zero and secured the match.
Draft impact: Beastking dealt 4,000 direct damage. Trap Stun negated Torrential Tribute and enabled the counterattack that left Tona at 250 LP. Both draft cards had a substantial effect on the game.
Back to results
The Draft Cards That Left a Mark
The biggest monsters attracted attention, but the recorded impact tells a more varied story. Black Luster Soldier, Obelisk, Gyzarus and Injection Fairy Lily were all removed before they could attack or activate an effect. They required answers, but they did not carry their games.
The quieter cards repeatedly found useful jobs. Goddess became Jinzo’s Tribute. Meltiel became material for both Mobius and Chaos Sorcerer. Toon Table paid for Tribe-Infecting Virus. Mormolith and Beastking accumulated thousands of points of battle damage simply by remaining available to attack.
Bemg’s Trap Stun was the clearest single-card reversal: it stopped Torrential Tribute, protected The Rock Spirit and brought Tona down to 250 LP. Tona’s eventual victory at 125 LP gave the round a finish worthy of its golden theme. Gold Series 4 added a new starting resource to each duel; the players still had to find a use for it—and survive what came next.
Round 2 Complete
krlos, Pipe, Negro jariozo and Tona leave the round with a match win. Two matches went to a third game, while Pipe and Tona closed theirs in two. From Fairy King Truesdale ending a 25-turn battle to Jirai Gumo finishing the job with its controller at 125 LP, the round had plenty of memorable moments beyond the opening draft.
Watch the four matches above, and let us know in the comments: which draft card made the biggest difference this round?
Read the Round 1 recap · Event rules and Gold Series 4 card pool
