Top 8 Feature Match: Billy Brake vs. Agustin Herrera
Billy Brake and Agustin Herrera are two friends both running X-Saber Decks. Their builds are similar and they tested their Decks out against each other in preparation for the tournament, so they’re both familiar with each other’s moves.
Brake won the dice roll and chose to go first. He opened up with Gold Sarcophagus, Book of Moon, Heavy Storm, Starlight Road, Thunder King Rai-Oh, and XX-Saber Faultroll in his hand. He activated Gold Sarcophagus and removed Rescue Cat from his Deck with its effect. He Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh next and Set Starlight Road and Book of Moon before ending his turn.
Herrera Summoned his own Thunder King Rai-Oh next turn! He attacked Brake’s Rai-Oh with it, and Brake flipped Book of Moon to protect it by flipping Herrera’s Rai-Oh face-down. Herrera Set a back row and ended his turn.
Brake drew Fulhelmknight next turn. He attacked Herrera’s Set Rai-Oh with his own and destroyed it. Then he Set Heavy Storm to his back row and Normal Summoned XX-Saber Fulhelmknight.
Herrera Summoned Rescue Cat next turn! He Tributed it to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum and XX-Saber Darksoul from his Deck. Then he activated Mind Control to take control of Brake’s Thunder King Rai-Oh. He Tuned XX-Saber Darksoul and X-Saber Airbellum together next, in order to Synchro Summon XX-Saber Hyunlei and target both cards in Brake’s back row with its effect. Brake Chained Starlight Road to negate and destroy Hyunlei and Special Summon Stardust Dragon from his Extra Deck! Herrera flipped Gottoms’ Emergency Call next, Special Summoning X-Saber Airbellum and XX-Saber Hyunlei from his Graveyard. Then he attacked Fulhelmknight with X-Saber Airbellum, but Brake negated the attack with Fulhelmknight’s effect. XX-Saber Hyunlei attacked it next, dropping Brake to 7000 Life Points. In Main Phase 2, Herrera Tuned Airbellum to Rai-Oh and Synchro Summoned Black Rose Dragon, choosing not to activate its effect. He Set a card to his back row before ending his turn.
Brake drew Book of Moon next turn and then added Rescue Cat from his removed-from-play pile to his hand. He flipped his face-down Heavy Storm next, destroying Herrera’s Set Trap Stun. Then he Summoned Rescue Cat and Tributed it to Special Summon 2 copies of Airbellum from his Deck in Attack Position. He Special Summoned Faultroll from his hand and activated its effect to Special Summon Fulhelmknight from his Graveyard. Faultroll attacked over Hyunlei, Stardust attacked over Black Rose Dragon, and then both copies of Airbellum attacked directly, forcing Herrera to discard a copy of Airbellum and a copy of Sangan. Fulhelmknight attacked directly next, dropping Herrera to just 3300 Life Points.
Herrera had no hand left and was a staring down Brake’s huge field of monsters. After drawing his next card, Herrera conceded, realizing he couldn’t win the Duel. Agustin Herrera will be going first in Duel 2!
Herrera Set a monster at the start of Duel 2 and passed to Brake.
Brake opened up with Mind Crush, Solemn Judgment, Cold Wave, D.D. Crow, and 2 copies of XX-Saber Boggart Knight in his hand. He Summoned a copy of Boggart Knight and activated its effect to Special Summon another one. He attacked Herrera’s Set X-Saber Pashuul with one of them, but it survived the battle due to its effect. In Main Phase 2, Brake Set Solemn Judgment, Mind Crush, and Cold Wave before ending his turn.
Herrera Set a monster and passed right back to Brake.
Brake drew X-Saber Airbellum next turn. Herrera lost 1000 Life Points during Brake’s Standby Phase due to Pashuul’s effect. Brake attacked Herrera’s Set monster with Boggart Knight in his Battle Phase. The monster was XX-Saber Darksoul. Darksoul was destroyed in battle, its effect triggered and Herrera searched his Deck for Boggart Knight in the End Phase.
Herrera drew a card at the start of his turn, and then Brake activated Mind Crush in his Draw Phase! Brake named Boggart Knight and Herrera revealed his hand consisting of a Trap Stun and a bunch of monsters. Herrera discarded his Boggart Knight. He Set a card in each zone before ending his turn.
Brake drew Brain Control next turn and Herrera lost another 1000 Life Points in his Standby Phase. Brake activated Brain Control to take control of Herrera’s Pashuul and then Tuned Pashuul with Boggart Knight to Synchro Summon XX-Saber Hyunlei. He activated Hyunlei’s effect and destroyed Herrera’s Set Trap Stun. Then he Summoned X-Saber Airbellum. Boggart Knight attacked Herrera’s face-down Sangan, and Herrera searched his Deck for XX-Saber Emmersblade with Sangan’s effect. Then, Airbellum and Hyunlei attacked directly, dropping Herrera to 2100 Life Points. Airbellum stripped Rescue Cat from Herrera’s hand – a lucky pick!
Herrera Set a monster next turn and passed, unable to make any other play.
Brake drew Thunder King Rai-Oh next turn. He Summoned it to the field. Then he used his X-Saber Airbellum to attack Herrera’s Set monster. It was an Emmersblade. Emmersblade was destroyed and Herrera Special Summoned XX-Saber Fulhelmknight from his Deck in Defense Position. Thunder King Rai-Oh attacked Fulhelmknight, and Herrera negated the attack with Fulhelmknight’s effect. Boggart Knight attacked and destroyed it next. Brake followed up with a direct attack from Hyunlei, ending the Duel and the Match!
Billy Brake beats his friend Agustin Herrera in an X-Saber mirror Match to advance to the Top 4 of the tournament!
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)
Both Brake and Herrera are running Thunder King Rai-Oh in their X-Saber Decks. Since players can’t search their Decks for cards to add to their hand while Rai-Oh is on the field, Brake and Herrera can use it to shut down the effects of popular cards like XX-Saber Darksoul, Infernity Archfiend, Reinforcement of the Army, and Machina Gearframe. Rai-Oh is also able to Tribute itself to negate Special Summons, making it even stronger against X-Saber Decks.
