Four Duelists remain in this tournament: two playing Lightsworn and two playing Blackwings! Both of the Top 4 matches pit Blackwings against Lightsworn, so depending on what happens here we could see two different Decks in the finals, or any one of the two possible mirror matches. Cool stuff!

Rodrigo Togores traveled here this weekend all the way from Spain, where he is the 2009 National Champion! Togores is playing a Blackwing-heavy Deck packing two copies of “Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor,” but no copies of “Burial From a Different Dimension.” Glenn Lightfoot is running Lightsworn, with three copies of “Beckoning Light” in his Main Deck. With copies of “Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer,” “Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid,” and “My Body as a Shield” in his Side Deck, Lightfoot may have an advantage in the second and third Duels.

Both competitors wished each other good luck, and Lightfoot opened the match with a hand of “Charge of the Light Brigade,” “Monster Reincarnation,” “Foolish Burial,” “Gold Sarcophagus,” “Heavy Storm,” and “Torrential Tribute.” He activated Charge, sending “Necro Gardna,” “Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter,” and “Judgment Dragon” to his Graveyard to get “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner” from his Deck. He activated “Gold Sarcophagus” next, and removed “Judgment Dragon” from his Deck. He Summoned “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner,” ended, and sent Charge, “Celestia, Lightsworn Angel,” and another Lumina to his Graveyard in the End Phase.

Togores activated “Black Whirlwind” to open his turn! He Normal Summoned “Blackwing – Bora the Spear,” searched his Deck for “Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor” and added it to his hand. Bora attacked Lumina, and Lightfoot removed “Necro Gardna” to keep her safe. Togores ended by Setting a card to his Spell & Trap Card Zone.

Lightfoot drew a second “Gold Sarcophagus” – a rough draw, since drawing 2 copies of that card so soon meant his immediate options were limited and he needed to hang on. He activated “Heavy Storm,” but Togores Chained “Icarus Attack,” Tributed Bora, and destroyed his own “Black Whirlwind” and Lightfoot’s Lumina. Lightfoot sent “Wulf, Lightsworn Beast” to his Graveyard with “Foolish Burial,” Special Summoning it, then activated that second “Gold Sarcophagus” to remove “Beckoning Light” from his Deck. Wulf attacked for 2100 damage and Togores was down to 5900 Life Points. Lightfoot Set “Torrential Tribute,” still had Reincarnation in-hand, and ended.

Togores drew to five cards in-hand, Summoning “Dark Grepher” and discarding Blackwing – Vayu for Grepher’s effect. That let him send “Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn” to the Graveyard, and he followed up by Setting a back row card. Lightfoot drew and claimed his “Judgment Dragon” with Sarcophagus’ effect. He sent Wulf to attack Grepher, Togores stopped the attack with “Book of Moon,” and Lightfoot ended his turn.

Togores Set two cards to his Spell & Trap Card Zone. Lightfoot discarded another Wulf for “Solar Recharge,” drew two cards, and sent “Ehren, Lightsworn Monk” and “Beckoning Light” to the Graveyard. He had more than enough Lightsworn in the Graveyard to Special Summon “Judgment Dragon,” but seemed to be feeling some pressure from Toroges’ loaded Spell & Trap Card Zone. Lightfoot had forgotten to retrieve his removed “Beckoning Light,” but it was noted at this point and he was instructed to add it to his hand.

He Flip Summoned Wulf, attacked Grepher, and Togores passed next turn. Lightfoot Summoned “Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior,” attacked with Garoth, and Togores spent some time doing calculations and considering a possible response. He took the damage. Wulf attacked next and Togores took 2100 more Battle Damage.

Lightfoot Set a second back row card, and lost his “Torrential Tribute” to “Mystical Space Typhoon” in the End Phase. “Torrential?” asked Togores before it was flipped over. “Good read” replied Lightfoot.

Togores removed Vayu and Sirocco next turn to Special Summon “Blackwing Armed Wing.”  He Set a third Spell or Trap and ended. Lightfoot’s hand was “Wulf, Lightsworn Beast,” “Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress,” “Judgment Dragon,” “Monster Reincarnation,” and “Necro Gardna.” He had “Beckoning Light” Set, with Wulf and Garoth on the field. He Special Summoned “Judgment Dragon,” claimed priority to activate the Dragon’s effect, and Togores chained “Icarus Attack,” guaranteeing that “Judgment Dragon” would be destroyed too.

But Togores didn’t have enough Life Points to survive the turn! Lightfoot Summoned Lyla, attacked, and that was it! The use of Side Decks was quick and focused, and play swiftly moved to Duel 2.

Togores was up first, and started things off with “Blackwing – Bora the Spear” and a Set Spell or Trap Card. Lightfoot had “Honest,” “Ehren, Lightsworn Monk,” “Celestia, Lightsworn Angel,” “Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress,” “Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter,” and “Malevolent Catastrophe.” He Set Catastrophe, Set Ryko, and ended.

Togores activated “Black Whirlwind”! He gave up Bora to Tribute Summon “Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn”! Whirlwind got him “Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North” from his Deck, and he Special Summoned “Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind” to Tune it to Sirocco and Synchro Summon “Stardust Dragon”! “Attack Ryko,” he announced, as he attacked Lightfoot’s face-down monster. Togores had made the right read again, and when Lightfoot activated “Malevolent Catastrophe,” Togores Chained Stardust’s effect to negate it. He Special Summoned Stardust back to the field in his End Phase.

But Lightfoot Summoned Lyla next turn, attacked, and boosted the Lightsworn Sorceress up over “Stardust Dragon” with “Honest”! Lightfoot tried to activate Lyla’s effect in Main Phase 2, but Togores Chained “Light-Imprisoning Mirror.” Lyla remained in Attack Position.

Togores Normal Summoned Blackwing – Blizzard, brought back Blackwing – Gale to the field, and nabbed “Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor” from his Deck with “Black Whirlwind.” Togores Special Summoned Blackwing – Bora, activated Gale’s effect to halve the ATK and DEF of Lyla, and Synchro Summoned “Blackwing Armor Master”! Blizzard attacked Ryko (which was useless anyway due to “Light-Imprisoning Mirror”), and Armor Master attacked the weakened Lyla.

Lightfoot drew another Lyla and Summoned Ehren. He attacked Blizzard and Togores whipped out his calculator for some more math. He took the attack, Blizzard was destroyed, and Togores had 6000 Life Points. Lightfoot had 6350 Life Points left.

Play was to Togores, who activated “Allure of Darkness” to draw two cards and remove Blackwing – Vayu from the game. He Summoned another Blizzard! That let him Special Summon Bora from his Graveyard, and he searched his Deck for another copy of Vayu. He Tuned Blizzard to Bora, Synchro Summoned “Blackwing Armed Wing,” and attacked with Armor Master to destroy Ehren. Armed Wing then made a direct attack. Lightfoot had 3150 Life Points, and next turn he just Set a monster and a back row card.

Armed Wing attacked to punch damage through the Defense Position Lyla, and Armor Master attacked for game!

Rodrigo Togores takes us to a third Duel, locking Glenn Lightfoot down with “Light-Imprisoning Mirror” and quickly securing the win with big Synchro Monsters! Lightfoot would start Duel 3. The winner here would go to the final round and receive their very own copy of “Dark End Dragon.”

Lightfoot opened with “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner,” “Heavy Storm,” “Torrential Tribute,” “Beckoning Light,” and two copies of “Wulf, Lightsworn Beast.” He Summoned Lumina, Set “Torrential Tribute,” and sent “Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior,” “Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter,” and “Solar Recharge” to the Graveyard in his End Phase.

Togores had drawn “Black Whirlwind” yet again! He activated it, Summoned “Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame,” and Lightfoot had to flip “Torrential Tribute” to stop Togores from getting his search! But when Togores Set another card to his Spell & Trap Card Zone, Lightfoot punished him with “Heavy Storm.” Togores gave a smile as Lightfoot played on.

“Foolish Burial” let Lightfoot send another Wulf to his Graveyard, Special Summoning it for an attack and a quick 2100 damage. He Set a card to his back row. Togores Summoned “Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North,” Special Summoned Shura, and Synchro Summoned “Goyo Guardian.” Goyo attacked Wulf, Togores activated “Book of Moon” to turn it face-own, destroyed it, and Special Summoned Wulf in Defense Position! “You win?” asked Togores.

“I might,” replied Lightfoot, drawing for his turn. He had “Bottomless Trap Hole” and two copies of Wulf in hand, with “Beckoning Light” Set. He Set Bottomless, activated “Beckoning Light,” and ditched his hand to take Lumina and Ryko. He Summoned Lumina, attacked the Defense Position Wulf, and in Main Phase 2 he discarded Ryko to Special Summon “Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior.” Garoth was swallowed up by Togores’ own “Bottomless Trap Hole,” and Lightfoot sent three cards to his Graveyard for Lumina’s effect in the End Phase: another Lumina, “Judgment Dragon,” and another Ryko.

“Goyo Guardian” attacked, destroyed, and stole Lumina next turn, and things looked pretty good for Togores. He sent three cards from his Deck to his Graveyard for Lumina in the End Phase. Lightfoot drew “Necro Gardna.” He Set it and had nothing else left except his Set “Bottomless Trap Hole.”

Togores drew to three cards in-hand, activated another “Black Whirlwind,” but lost his Summoned “Blackwing – Bora the Spear” to Lightfoot’s “Bottomless Trap Hole.” He turned Lumina to Attack Position, announced that he would “attack “Necro Gardna,” and then sent “Goyo Guardian” to reveal Lightfoot’s face-down “Necro Gardna.” Goyo destroyed it, Togores Special Summoned it, and Lumina attacked for 1000 damage. He sent three more cards to his Graveyard in the End Phase.

Lightfoot Set his draw to his Spell & Trap Card Zone. He had just one face-down card to Togores’ multidude of monsters, with Lightfoot at 5200 Life Points while Togores had 5900. Togores spent a little time considering his options before deciding on his plan for the turn.

He Normal Summoned “Plaguespreader Zombie,” Tuned it to “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner,” and Synchro Summoned “Magical Android.” He sent his last in-hand card back to the top of his Deck to Special Summon “Plaguespreader Zombie,” then Tuned that to “Goyo Guardian,” Synchro Summoning “Stardust Dragon”! He turned “Necro Gardna” to Attack Position, attacked with it, attacked with “Magical Android,” and finished the match with an attack from “Stardust Dragon”!

Rodrigo Togores has won one of the “Dark End Dragons” that will be awarded today, by moving on to the finals where he’ll take on Herman Herrera! It’s Vayu versus Vayu for the Championship