Today's battle takes place in the Obsidian Desert, the Dusty Demonic Realm. It's a 3 on 3, with the diverse debugging team of Shoto (Bird deck), Owen (Dragonkin), and Close (Mineral) up against an NPC trio all using Deep Savers.

You might wonder what's up with the NPCs' deck choice, given that they're in a blazing desert. It turns out that they weren't supposed to battle here. Instead, these NPCs were supposed to be encountered in an event in the neighboring Lapis Marine. Keep reading the webcomic to find out what caused this anomaly while enjoying Shoto and co.'s latest exploits.

And now on to the battles... But hold up, covering all three of them would probably be too time-consuming. Close's is the most tightly contested, so let's turn our attention to hers.
Below are the decks being used.

Close is using a Mineral deck with these cards. It utilizes a three-way synergy between cards whose effects require trashing digivolution cards, cards whose effects require them to be trashed, and cards whose effects "reload" trashed digivolution cards, thus enabling repeated use of powerful Digimon effects.

The NPC is using Deep Savers, guardians of the digital ocean.
The Crystal Sea Palace deck from the last battle report has some similarities, with both utilizing blue cards to bounce cards and play digivolution cards. But what makes this deck distinct is its blend of colors (purple, yellow, and black) and their respective traits.

Interestingly, digivolution cards are central to both these decks. Yet in a sense they are opposites, with Close relying on trashing cards and the NPC on playing them. Which method will prove most effective in this clash? We're about to find out.

Here is the state of play midway through the game, just after Shoto and Owen had won their battles.

Close is down to 2 security cards, with 2 of her Tamer cards in the battle area and level 5 Proganomon in her breeding area.

The NPC has all 5 security cards, level 4 Dolphmon in the battle area, and level 6 Plesiomon in the breeding area.
The advantage is firmly with the NPC on the playing field and in terms of security. Is there any way back for Close?

It's the NPC's turn, with the memory gauge at 0.
Performing a security attack, the NPC's Dolphmon faces Close's 7000 DP Gogmamon but gets through thanks to its <Jamming> inherited from Crabmon. This reduces Close's security stack to just one card.
Rounding out the turn, the NPC digivolves Dolphmon for a cost of 3 into MegaSeadramon, and then unsuspends it with its [When Digivolving] effect.

Now for Close's Breeding Phase. She moves Proganomon into the battle area.
To begin her Main Phase, she sends it to attack. But before the security check, its <Collision> comes into play, forcing the unsuspended MegaSeadramon to block. Although they both have 7000 DP, Proganomon endures since it has <Fragment (3)>.

This is an effect that allows a Digimon to avoid deletion by trashing its digivolution cards (in this case 3 of them). Close trashes Landramon, Sunarizamon, and Tumblemon, thus taking down MegaSeadramon.
Upon being trashed, Tumblemon's effect boosts Close's memory by 1, moving it to 4. Now, Proganomon gets to take on a security check thanks to its <Piercing>. It turns out to be a 4000 DP Gesomon—an easy opponent for the earthquake-causing excavator.
The NPC is down to 4 security, but Close isn't done yet.

For a cost of 4 memory, she digivolves Proganomon.

The bleak Obsidian Desert makes a fitting backdrop for the new Digimon, a fortress of immense size: Pyramidimon. Unstoppable and seismically heavy, it symbolizes Close's status as a debugger.

In tandem with the digivolution, Close suspends her 2 Tamer cards, utilizing them to place cards under Pyramidimon from her trash (an additional 2 Pyramidimon, Sunarizamon, Gotsumon, and Tumblemon).

Then, with Pyramidimon's [When Digivolving] effect, she trashes 3 of its digivolution cards (Proganomon, Gotsumon, and Tumblemon), to unsuspend and give it <Security A. +1>. With this, Pyramidimon can attack.

Its opponents in the security battles are the 7000 DP MarineDevimon and 8000 DP Whamon—neither capable of opposing the Mineral giant's fists. In a flash, the NPC is reduced to 2 security, making things a little more equal in terms of security.

Finally, Close uses the cost 2 Option card Zofr Kabus.
By trashing Sunarizamon from under Pyramidimon, it gains <Collision>, <Piercing>, <Reboot>, +3000 DP, and protection from being returned to the hand or deck.

Blue cards specialize in "bounce" effects, so this is a wrench in the works for the NPC, whose turn is about to begin with 1 memory.
Before that, Pyramidimon's [End of Your Turn] effect replenishes its digivolution cards with another Pyramidimon, plus Proganomon and Golemon.

Having helped Close make things more level, Pyramidimon will also be crucial in holding the line during the NPC's turn. The order of its digivolution cards will turn out to be particularly important as well.

As you can see, there are two other Pyramidimon, even though they don't give an inherited effect. This may seem mystifying, but it turns out to be a clever move...

The NPC resumes, deciding in the Breeding Phase to move Plesiomon from the breeding area, and then paying 7 memory in the Main Phase to play MetalSeadramon ACE.
Then with consecutive effects, the NPC uses MetalSeadramon ACE's [On Play] effect to <De-Digivolve 1> Pyramidimon, followed by Plesiomon's [Your Turn] effect to DNA digivolve.

Enter Aegisdramon: a mobile battlestation armed to the teeth and reinforced with radiant Gold Digizoid.
Upon digivolving, it immediately sets its sights on Close's security.

But before its assault, there is the first part of its [When Digivolving] effect to apply: a dominating effect that returns up to 14 play cost's total worth of Digimon to the bottom of the deck.
Thankfully for Close, Zofr Kabus negates this, but since Aegisdramon DNA digivolved, the effect's second part resolves. The NPC gets to play 12 play cost's total worth of [DS] trait cards from its digivolution cards, and picks MetalSeadramon ACE and Crabmon. Both of these have [On Play] effects—MetalSeadramon ACE's inflicts <De-Digivolve 1> and Crabmon's gives <Blocker> to Aegisdramon.

That concludes the long sequence of effects connected to the digivolution, so now back to the attack.

Aegisdramon is able to unsuspend thanks to its inherited effect from MegaSeadramon (utilizing the Crabmon just played, placing it under Aegisdramon). This also means that the <Blocker> it just gained will pose a problem for Close next turn.
However, the key outcome here is that Close still has Pyramidimon in play... even though <De-Digivolve 1> was used twice by MetalSeadramon ACE.

Below shows how, with a before and after of its digivolution cards.

Close was most likely already aware of the Deep Savers playstyle.
It appears she predicted the arrival of MetalSeadramon ACE and Aegisdramon based on the NPC having Plesiomon in the breeding area. This explains her use of Zofr Kabus and the order of Pyramidimon's digivolution cards.
Leveraging knowledge of the opponent's deck and forming counter strategies is what makes a great Digimon card player. Close excels at this, and that's why she stands shoulder to shoulder with Owen and other top debuggers.

Anyway, let's pick up again from after the resolution of Aegisdramon's [When Attacking] effect. It overpowers BanchoGolemon in the security battle, leaving Close with no security cards left heading into her turn.

She knew she was going to win, and calmly declared her conviction.

She has plenty of options thanks to having 6 memory, but there are major hurdles to overcome, namely the opponent's massive blocker and 2 remaining security cards.
It will be quite the feat if she pulls it off... Things are about to heat up.

To start her Main Phase, Close uses another Zofr Kabus, again trashing a digivolution card (Proganomon) to give Pyramidimon <Collision>, <Piercing>, <Reboot>, +3000 DP, and bounce protection.
Being trashed triggers Proganomon's inherited effect, de-digivolving Aegisdramon into Plesiomon.

The NPC's blocker won't be a problem because of <Piercing> and <Collision>, and if Close can use Pyramidimon's [When Attacking] effect, victory is all but certain. However, Pyramidimon currently only has 1 digivolution card, and to meet the requirement, she'll need a Digimon with 3 digivolution cards.

Her game-clinching play is to bring out Gotsumon for a cost of 3 and digivolve it for no cost into Gotsumon (X Antibody). It's a Rock Digimon, so she's met the condition to use her Tamer card's effect.
She places 4 cards from her trash as Gotsumon (X Antibody)'s digivolution cards (2 Proganomon, Landramon, and Tumblemon), setting up Pyramidimon to seal the win.

Using its [When Attacking] effect, it trashes 3 of Gotsumon (X Antibody)'s digivolution cards (2 Proganomon and Landramon) to unsuspend and gain <Security A. +1>. Its ability to regenerate by absorbing sand from its surroundings is reflected by how it draws strength from allied Mineral/Rock Digimon.
Close gets to de-digivolve Plesiomon twice thanks to the inherited effect of each trashed Proganomon. The NPC is left with Dolphmon, which then gets deleted by Landramon's inherited effect. Additionally, MetalSeadramon ACE will be forced to block because of <Collision>.

A crushing strike from the sand giant obliterates the armored dragon, boosting Close's memory to 5 because of the resulting overflow.
And because of <Security A. +1> and <Piercing>, the attack also yields two security checks. Seadramon and Plesiomon find themselves literally out of their depth against Pyramidimon's unbridled wrath.

When the dust settles, the NPC is left with no cards in play and no security. Unsuspended once again, Pyramidimon delivers the final blow, giving the debugging team a 3–0 victory.

The battle involved contrasting usage of digivolution cards, but what counted in the end was Close's superiority as a tamer. With impressive deck knowledge and adaptability, and just a bit of luck, she bounced back and showed why she and her Digimon are a match for just about anyone.