Besides the issue with clogging the backrow, Gilgamesh as a single card is still quite strong.
[After Shinji Matou challenged Cú Chulainn, Gilgamesh also found his target — his opponent is the hero from ancient Greece, Jason! This is a direct showdown between heroes of the Age of Gods. Who will emerge victorious? Let's watch and see!]
Gilgamesh's violent entrance shocked everyone present. Even in the current Fuyuki, such an act of casually slicing off an entire rooftop was deeply impactful. However, despite the chaos, the legendary battle between two mythic Servants drew in quite a crowd. Many rushed to the scene to witness this clash of legends firsthand.
Gilgamesh LP: 4000Jason LP: 4000
"I shall go first!"
Gilgamesh, without his usual magnanimity of offering the first move, wanted to settle things with Jason as quickly as possible.
"I activate [Epic of the First Hero]! I discard my entire hand—four cards in total—which allows me to send four Equip Spells to the Graveyard and add one [Gilgamesh] to my hand, then draw two cards!"
"Behold the glory of the King! Mongrel! By my effect: banish three Equip Spells from the Graveyard to Special Summon [Gilgamesh] from the hand!"
Amidst a dazzling burst of golden light, Gilgamesh made his grand appearance.
[Gilgamesh] ATK: 3000
"My legend is surely already engraved in all your minds. No need for me to elaborate further. I now equip [Treasures of the King] and four [Original Text] Equip Spells to my backrow!"
[Gilgamesh] ATK: 3000 → 5000
"Watch closely, mongrel! I alone am enough to crush your entire deck! Begin your futile struggle!"
At this point in the timeline, Gilgamesh hadn't yet suffered any real defeats. He was used to overwhelming his opponents and had never needed to rely on other cards. His LP had never even been reduced.
However, in this timeline, Gilgamesh appeared to lack an Enkidu card. Perhaps the bond wasn't strong enough yet, or Enkidu simply hadn't acknowledged him.
"My turn, draw!"
Jason held his cards. Honestly, if it weren't for Rin Tohsaka's order to search for Caster, he might have been wandering around looking for duels too, much like Gilgamesh—eager to show off the powerhouse that was Heracles. So he'd been following the Hundred-Faces' livestream closely and knew very well what Gilgamesh's effects were.
Currently on the field, there were four "ammunition" instances of targeting destruction — plus effects to negate targeting, negate spells, and traps.
The only good news: thanks to [Treasures of the King], Gilgamesh never worried about conserving resources. He just overwhelmed opponents, solving problems as they appeared.
"First, I activate [Maintaining Elegance], banishing the top 10 cards of my deck face-down to draw two cards!"
Jason tried to replenish his hand and bait out the spell/trap negation.
"Did this King permit it?"
Gilgamesh fell for it, immediately sacrificing the Equip Spell [Original Text – Dawn of Ruin], which could negate a spell or trap once.
Jason LP: 4000 → 3500
"I Normal Summon [Tokiomi Tohsaka]!"
[Tokiomi Tohsaka] ATK: 1200
A middle-aged man in a wine-red suit appeared on the field. Seeing a familiar face, he looked confused.
"Gilgamesh? Are Servant repetitions that common on this timeline?"
Before he could chat, a Noble Phantasm pierced through his head, sending him straight to the Graveyard.
Jason LP: 3500 → 3000
"Such an annoying thing. I can't believe I'm encountering another mood-ruiner even here. You're the Servant of Tokiomi's heir, aren't you? Looks like I now have one more reason to kill you."
Gilgamesh didn't even bother caring about Tokiomi's card effect—he simply sacrificed a Noble Phantasm on the field to obliterate him. Tokiomi's attitude rubbed him the wrong way at a glance.
"However, since he did successfully enter the field, even if destroyed, [Tokiomi Tohsaka]'s effect still activates: adding a [Gem]-related Spell card from deck to hand. I'll add [Inherited Gem Necklace]."
"Next, I use [Rin Tohsaka]'s effect! By sending a [Gem] Spell from hand to Graveyard, I Special Summon her!"
A girl with black twin-tails appeared on the field.
"Saber, we're already on our way. Don't lose!"
Rin had seen the news of Jason dueling Gilgamesh from the livestream. Dragging Shirou Emiya along, she rushed here knowing that losing a duel would temporarily weaken a Servant, making them vulnerable. She had to hurry to prevent accidents.
"The heir of the Tohsaka house. Normally, I'd be interested in chatting with you... unfortunately, I lack the leisure today. Step aside!"
Gilgamesh unleashed another Noble Phantasm, blasting through Rin's head just like her father.
Jason LP: 3000 → 2500
"Lucky for me you already used that negation. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have had a plan. Now, using [Inherited Gem Necklace]'s effect, I Special Summon [Atalanta] from my deck! Though, she can't activate her effect this turn."
[Atalanta] ATK: 2000
Atalanta stared at Gilgamesh. Her beast-like instincts screamed danger. A heavy stench of blood clung to him—not literal blood, but something more sinister.
"Jason, this guy reeks of something vile. He's strong, but don't worry. This time, everyone's here to help you. Just call us."
"You dare slander this King?"
Gilgamesh glared at Atalanta.
"A mere stray cat dares bark before me? Die!"
He unleashed his last Noble Phantasm at her. With this, all four Noble Phantasms were expended.
"Now! I activate the effect of [Emerald Magic] in my Graveyard! When this card and another [Gem] Spell are banished together from the Graveyard, I can negate an effect targeting a Servant!"
A green curtain neutralized the Noble Phantasm, and Atalanta remained.
"Cursed mongrel!"
Gilgamesh roared.
"But you still take 500 damage for every Noble Phantasm unleashed! Just wait, next turn [Treasures of the King] will reload four more Noble Phantasms. Next turn is your death!"
Jason LP: 2500 → 2000