Round 6 Feature Match: Nehemias Diaz vs. David Hopfensperger
These 2 competitors were undefeated heading into Round 6, seated at Table #5. Nehemias “Nemo” Diaz was playing X-Sabers, while David Hopfensperger would be emptying his hand as quickly as possible in an effort to take the quick win with his Infernity Deck. Which Deck would prove superior, at least for the moment!? We were about to find out!
Hopfensperger won the roll, and started the Duel with Reinforcement of the Army, searching his Deck for Dark Grepher. He Set 3 cards to his back row, Summoned Grepher, discarded Infernity Necromancer for Grepher’s effect, and that let him send Plaguespreader Zombie from his Deck to his Graveyard.
Diaz had 2 Saber Holes, Book of Moon, Starlight Road, and 2 X-Saber Airbellums. He Summoned Airbellum, Set Starlight Road, Set Book, and Set both Saber Holes. He lost 1 Saber Hole to Mystical Space Typhoon in the End Phase.
Hopfensperger discarded Infernity Archfiend for Dark Grepher’s effect next turn, this time sending Infernity Beetle to his Graveyard. He activated his last in-hand card: Infernity Launcher. He then sent it to the Graveyard, Special Summoning Infernity Archfiend and Infernity Necromancer. He activated Archfiend’s effect, and Diaz Chained Book of Moon, turning Infernity Necromancer face-down. Hopfensperger grabbed Infernity Barrier from his Deck, attacked Airbellum with Grepher, and made a direct attack with Infernity Archfiend. He Set the Barrier to finish up his turn.
Diaz drew XX-Saber Fulhelmknight, Summoned it, and ended.
Hopfensperger drew Infernity Archfiend, revealed it, Special Summoned it, and activated its effect to get Infernity Launcher. Diaz knew he had no way to stop the incoming onslaught and immediately conceded.
David Hopfensperger resolves his Dark Grepher’s effect twice, as Diaz’s double X-Saber Airbellum double Saber Hole hand simply doesn’t give the flexibility needed to muster a threat! Diaz will need to make great use of his Side Deck and take 2 Duels straight to win this Match.
Diaz started Duel 2 with an opening hand of XX-Saber Boggart Knight, XX-Saber Emmersblade, Doomcaliber Knight, One for One, Gottoms’ Emergency Call, and Dust Tornado. He Set Dust Tornado, Set Gottoms’ Emergency Call, and finally Summoned Doomcaliber Knight.
Hopfensperger Set 2 cards to his Spell & Trap Card Zone, then Set a monster.
Diaz drew Royal Oppression, attacked Hopfensperger’s face-down Infernity Mirage with Doomcaliber Knight, and destroyed it.
Hopfensperger must’ve had nothing going on or a hand with multiple copies of Mirage. He Set a Spell or Trap as his only move next turn.
Diaz attacked with Doomcaliber Knight for 1900 Battle Damage, and Set Royal Oppression, but lost it to Dust Tornado in the End Phase.
Hopfensperger’s D.D. Crow effect forced Doomcaliber Knight to Tribute itself next turn, and Hopfensperger Summoned Dark Grepher, discarding Infernity Necromancer to get Infernity Beetle to his Graveyard. He attacked for 1700 damage.
Diaz drew XX-Saber Fulhelmknight. He Normal Summoned XX-Saber Boggart Knight, used its effect to Special Summon XX-Saber Fulhelmknight, and attacked with Boggart Knight, but Hopfensperger sent it back to Diaz’s hand with Compulsory Evacuation Device. In Main Phase 2, One for One let Diaz discard Consecrated Light to Special Summon another copy of Consecrated Light from his Deck in Defense Position.
Hopfensperger drew and passed.
Diaz Summoned XX-Saber Emmersblade, Tuned it to XX-Saber Fulhelmknight for XX-Saber Hyunlei, and forced Hopfensperger to Chain both of his targeted cards: Dust Tornado and Mystical Space Typhoon. Diaz had his own Dust Tornado, plus Gottoms’ Emergency Call, and he Chained his Emergency Call to bring back Fulhelmknight and Emmersblade. All of his monsters made direct attacks, and in Main Phase 2 Diaz Synchro Summoned XX-Saber Gottoms, Tributing his Emmersblade to force Hopfensperger to discard his Infernity Launcher. It was all over two turns later, as Hopfensperger couldn’t do anything to stop XX-Saber Gottoms!
Nehemias Diaz pushes this Match to one more Duel, winning Duel 2 after emerging the winner from a long Chain started by the activation of XX-Saber Hyunlei’s effect! Hopfensperger would start the third Duel.
He opened with Dark Grepher, a Set Spell or Trap, and discarded Infernity Necromancer for Grepher’s effect, sending Infernity Beetle to the Graveyard. A second Set card to the Spell & Trap Card Zone finished the turn.
Diaz had Doomcaliber Knight, Dust Tornado, Gold Sarcophagus, XX-Saber Fulhelmknight, Book of Moon, and XX-Saber Darksoul. He activate Sarcophagus and removed Rescue Cat from his Deck, setting it aside so he could claim it 2 turns later. He Summoned Doomcaliber Knight, attacked, and destroyed Dark Grepher. He Set Book of Moon and Dust Tornado, but lost the Book of Moon to his opponent’s Tornado in the End Phase.
Hopfensperger Set a monster, then Set another Spell or Trap, and ended.
Diaz drew another Doomcaliber Knight, then attacked with his on-field copy, but the attack bounced off Infernity Necromancer’s 2000 DEF. Diaz Summoned XX-Saber Fulhelmknight and ended.
Hopfensperger Set another monster, and Set his last card to his back row.
Diaz drew Consecrated Light, then took his Rescue Cat from his ‘removed zone’, but lost it to Hopfensperger’s Mind Crush before he could Summon it! Diaz activated Dust Tornado, and destroyed his opponent’s Crevice into the Different Dimension. That left Hopfensperger with 1 last Set Spell or Trap. Diaz Synchro Summoned Black Rose Dragon, destroying Hopfensperger’s Set Infernity Mirage and Compulsory Evacuation Device, as well as the Necromancer! He finished his turn by Summoning Consecrated Light.
Hopfensperger Set his topdecked card and ended his turn.
Diaz Summoned XX-Saber Emmersblade, attacked, and Hopfensperger turned his Consecrated Light face-down with Book of Moon in the End Phase.
Hopfensperger Set a monster, Infernity Beetle, on his turn.
Diaz attacked the Beetle with Emmersblade next turn, then Diaz Summoned XX-Saber Darksoul.
Hopfensperger Set a Spell or Trap on his turn.
Diaz attacked for another 1300 damage from Emmersblade, and Darksoul went to Defense Position. Diaz also Set Gottoms’ Emergency Call, lost it to Dust Tornado in the End Phase.
Hopfensperger took 2 more shots from Emmersblade over the next 2 turns. He Set Plaguespreader Zombie, watched as Emmersblade destroyed it, Set another Spell or Trap, and lost the Match a turn later, as Heavy Storm blew away his Infernity Barrier, Giant Trunade, and Infernity Inferno to clear the way for a final Emmersblade attack!
Nehemias Diaz fights back, losing the first Duel but battling his way to victory in Games 2 and 3! He moves on undefeated with a 6-0 record, now guaranteed to return for the rest of the Swiss Rounds tomorrow morning!
Post-Event Analysis!
See what our panel of experts had to say about this Duel after the event was over.
Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
In Duel 3, Diaz lost the Rescue Cat he grabbed from his Deck with Gold Sarcophagus due to Hopfensperger’s Mind Crush. Mind Crush is a strong card to use against X-Saber Decks because X-Saber Duelists frequently search their Decks for cards to add to their hands. XX-Saber Darksoul, XX-Saber Ragigura, and Gold Sarcophagus all fetch key cards that opponents can discard with Mind Crush.
P.J. Tierney (Duelist from across The Pond)
Diaz opened Duel 2 with One for One in his hand. Since Consecrated Light was still in his Deck, he could have used the One for One to Special Summon it on his very first turn, which would have made things even worse for Hopfensperger’s DARK Infernities.
