YGO EQG Shadow Gates - Episode 031

"**Knight Takes Pawn**" is the 31st episode of the series and 78th overall.

They continue to storm the lab, until Thorax gets in their way, having been brainwashed like Aria and Sonata. Spike duels against him to get passed. Will he win?

## Featured Duel: Spike vs. Thorax

**Turn 1: Thorax**

Thorax draws. He then activates "Celtic Belthir" (Left 1) and "Celtic Uruisg" (Right 8) in his Pendulum Zones. He then Pendulum Summons "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian" (1400/1200) and "Celtic Merrow" (1400/1500) from his hand in Attack Position. He then Sets a card.

**Turn 2: Spike**

Spike draws. He then Normal Summons "Ember Dragon" (1200/1100) in Attack Position. He then equips "Ember Dragon" with "Dragon Gear", increasing its ATK by 1000 ("Ember Dragon": 1200 → 2200/1100). Due to the Pendulum Effect of "Celtic Uruisg", all "Celtic" monsters gain 300 ATK during the Battle Phase ("Obnoxious Celtic Guardian": 1400 → 1700/1200; "Celtic Merrow": 1400 → 1700/1500). "Ember Dragon" attacks "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian". Due to the effect of "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian", it cannot be destroyed in battle with monsters whose ATK is 1900 or more (Thorax 4000 → 3500). He then Sets a card.

**Turn 3: Thorax**

Thorax draws. He then activates "Mystical Space Typhoon" to destroy "Dragon Gear" ("Ember Dragon": 2200 → 1200/1100). During the Battle Phase, the Pendulum Effect of "Celtic Uruisg" activates ("Obnoxious Celtic Guardian": 1400 → 1700/1200; "Celtic Merrow": 1400 → 1700/1500). "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian" attacks and destroys "Ember Dragon" (Spike 4000 → 3500). Since "Ember Dragon" was destroyed by battle, its effect activates, Special Summoning two "Ember Tokens" (0/0) in Defense Position. "Celtic Merrow" attacks and destroys an "Ember Token".

**Turn 4: Spike**

Spike draws. He then Tributes his remaining "Ember Token" in order to Tribute Summon "Iron Tail Dragon" (2100/1400) in Attack Position. During the Battle Phase, the Pendulum Effect of "Celtic Uruisg" activates ("Obnoxious Celtic Guardian": 1400 → 1700/1200; "Celtic Merrow": 1400 → 1700/1500). "Iron Tail Dragon" attacks and destroys "Celtic Merrow" (Thorax 3500 → 3100).

**Turn 5: Thorax**

Thorax draws. He then activates "Monster Beacon" to allow both players to declare a Monster Type and draw until they draw a monster. If that monster is the declared Type, they can add it to their hand while the rest go to the Graveyard, otherwise, they all go to the Graveyard. They both declare Dragon. Spike draws a Dragon, so it's added to his hand. Thorax doesn;'t get a Dragon, so it is sent to the Graveyard. He then Tributes "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian" in order to Tribute Summon "Celtic Archer" (2100/1800) in Attack Position. He then banishes "Celtic Merrow", "Celtic Hunter" and "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian" from his Graveyard in order to Special Summon "Celtic Warlord" (3000/3000) in Attack Position.

During the Battle Phase, the Pendulum Effect of "Celtic Uruisg" activates ("Celtic Archer": 2100 → 2400/1800; "Celtic Warlord": 3000 → 3300/3000). "Celtic Archer" attacks "Iron Tail Dragon", but Spike activates his face-down "Scale-Mail" to negate the attack and equip itself to "Iron Tail Dragon", increasing its ATK and DEF by 300 ("Iron Tail Dragon": 2100 → 2400/1400 → 1700). "Celtic Warlord" attacks and destroys "Iron Tail Dragon" (Spike 3200 → 2600). Since "Celtic Warlord" destroyed a monster by battle, its effect activates, inflicting 200 damage to Spike equal to the Level of the destroyed monster. "Iron Tail Dragon" is Level 6 (Spike 2600 → 1400).

**Turn 6: Spike**

Spike draws. He then activates "Flame Viper Dragon" (Left 1) and "Flame Banner Dracokid" (Right 7) in his Pendulum Zones. He then Pendulum Summons "Fireheart Dracokid" (1000/800), "Armored Wyvern" (1500/1200) and "Underling Dragon" (500/500) from his hand in Attack Position. He then tunes the Level 4 "Armored Wyvern" and the Level 2 "Underling Dragon" with the Level 2 Tuner monster "Fireheart Dracokid" in order to Synchro Summon "Dragonic Blazemaster" (3000/2000) in Attack Position. Since "Underling Dragon" was used for a Synchro Summon of a FIRE monster, its effect activates, increasing the ATK of "Dragonic Blazemaster" by 500 ("Dragonic Blazemaster": 3000 → 3500/2000). He then activates the Pendulum Effect of "Flame Banner Dracokid" to increase the ATK of "Dragonic Blazemaster" by 500 ("Dragonic Blazemaster": 3500 →4000/2000). During the Battle Phase, the Pendulum Effect of "Celtic Uruisg" activates ("Celtic Archer": 2100 → 2400/1800; "Celtic Warlord": 3000 → 3300/3000). "Dragonic Blazemaster" attacks and destroys "Celtic Archer" (Thorax 3100 → 1500). Since "Dragonic Blazemaster" destroyed a monster by battle, its effect activates, allowing it to attack again, but the Battle Damage will be halved. "Dragonic Blazemaster" attacks and destroys "Celtic Warlord" (Thorax 1500 → 1150). On Spike's End Phase, the effect of "Underling Dragon" expires ("Dragonic Blazemaster": 4000 → 3500/3000).

**Turn 7: Thorax**

Thorax draws. He then Pendulum Summons "Changeling Drone" (1000/1000) from his hand in Attack Position. He then activates its effect to target "Dragonic Blazemaster" and increase the ATK of "Changeling Drone" by the ATK and DEF of "Dragonic Blazemaster" and gain the effects of "Dragonic Blazemaster" ("Changeling Drone": 1000 → 4000/1000 → 3000) until his next Standby Phase. "Changeling Drone" attacks and destroys "Dragonic Blazemaster" (Spike 1400 → 900).

**Turn 8: Spike**

Spike draws. He then activates "Monster Reborn" to revive "Dragonic Blazemaster" (3000 → 4000/2000) in Attack Position. He then Sets a card.

**Turn 9: Thorax**

Thorax draws. During Thorax's Standby Phase, the effect of "Changeling Drone" expires ("Changeling Drone": 4000 → 1000/3000 → 1000). He then Normal Summons "Celtic Guardian" (1400/1200) in Attack Position. He then activates the effect of "Changeling Drone" by targeting "Dragonic Blazemaster" ("Changeling Drone": 1000 → 4000/1000 → 3000). "Changeling Drone" attacks "Dragonic Blazemaster", but Spike activates his face-down "Assault Mode Activate" to Tribute "Dragonic Blazemaster" and Special Summon "Dragonic Blazemaster/Assault Mode" (3500 → 4000/2500) in Attack Position. A replay occurs and Thorax chooses not to attack.

**Turn 10: Spike**

Spike draws. "Dragonic Blazemaster/Assault Mode" attacks "Celtic Guardian", but Thorax activates his face-down "Brittle Shield" to switch "Celtic Guardian" to Defense Position. "Dragonic Blazemaster/Assault Mode" destroys "Celtic Guardian". Since "Dragonic Blazemaster/Assault Mode" destroyed a monster by battle, its effect activates, destroying "Changeling Drone" and inflicting 300 damage to Thorax equal to the Level of "Changeling Drone". "Changeling Drone" is Level 6 (Thorax 900 → 0).