Final Round Feature Match: Angel Flores vs. Mark Garcia
In the final Match of the main event, Mark Garcia was playing Blackwings, Dueling against Angel Flores’ Gemini Deck. The winner of this Match would earn the title of Champion, and would go down in the history books as the winner of YCS San Jose!
Flores started the Match off with Pot of Duality, revealing another Pot of Duality, Cyber Dragon, and adding Honest to his hand. He Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh and Set a card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.
Garcia had Allure of Darkness, Blackwing – Blizzard the far North, Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind, Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn, Bottomless Trap Hole, and Deck Devastation Virus. He activated Allure of Darkness, got Monster Reborn and Blackwing – Kalut the Moonshadow, and removed Blizzard from his hand. He Normal Summoned Sirocco, Special Summoned Gale, and halved the ATK and DEF of Thunder King. He Set 2 cards to his back row.
Flores flipped Dark Hole, and Garcia Chained Deck Devastation Virus, revealing Flores’ hand of Doomcaliber Knight, Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, Gemini Spark, and Thunder King Rai-Oh. None of these monsters were vulnerable to Garcia’s virus. Flores Summoned Doomcaliber Knight, attacked for 1900 Battle Damage, and ended.
Garcia activated Monster Reborn, brought back Sirocco, and attacked to destroy Doomcaliber.
Flores passed.
Garcia now had Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor, Shura, and Kalut in his hand, with Sirocco on the field and Bottomless Trap Hole Set. He Summoned Vayu and attacked for a combined total of 2800 Battle Damage.
Flores drew and activated E – Emergency Call, searching his Deck for Elemental Hero Stratos, and Summoned it to get Elemental Hero Neos Alius from his Deck to his hand. He attacked to destroy Vayu.
Garcia drew another Kalut! He attacked Stratos to destroy it.
Flores Summoned Neos Alius and Set a card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.
Garcia drew another Sirocco. He attacked Neos Alius, Flores activated Gemini Spark, Tributed his Alius, and destroyed Garcia’s Bottomless Trap Hole. Garcia made a direct attack with Sirocco, and Flores Special Summoned Gorz and a 2000 ATK Emissary of Darkness Token. Garcia Summoned Shura.
Flores Summoned Banisher of the Radiance, then ran over Shura with his Emissary of Darkness Token. Gorz attacked over Sirocco, and Banisher of the Radiance made a direct attack. He Set 2 cards to his back row, and when Garcia couldn’t destroy the Banisher next turn he conceded.
Mark Garcia takes early control over the first Duel, and looks to be secure with 2 copies of Blackwing – Kalut the Moonshadow, but Flores turns it all around! Angel Flores is just a single win away from claiming victory here, at YCS San Jose.
Garcia started with a hand of Dark Armed Dragon, Royal Oppression, Mirror Force, Fissure, Dark Hole, and Seven Tools of the Bandit. He Set all the Traps.
Flores Set 5 cards to his back row.
Garcia drew Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame and passed.
Flores Summoned Doomcaliber Knight and attacked for 1900 Battle Damage.
Flores flipped Mind Crush in Garcia’s Draw Phase, as Garcia drew Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn. Flores called Sirocco. Garcia discarded the card he’d only just drawn that very moment, and quickly revealed his hand. Flores then activated Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying Garcia’s Mirror Force. Garcia destroyed Doomcaliber Knight with Fissure.
Flores Summoned Neos Alius and attacked.
Garcia activated Allure of Darkness, drew 2 cards, and removed Dark Armed Dragon. He Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh but lost it to Bottomless Trap Hole. Dark Hole cleared the Field and Garcia Set another Spell or Trap.
Flores Summoned Neos Alius, Garcia responded with Solemn Warning, Flores Chained Solemn Judgment, and Garcia Chained Seven Tools! Neos Alius’ Summon was negated, and the Duel stood at 1200 Life Points to 4000 Life Points. Flores pased.
Garcia attacked next turn with Shura and Bora.
Flores Set another Spell or trap.
Pot of Duality got Garcia a choice of Solemn Warning, Icarus Attack, or Shura. He took Icarus. Garcia attacked with Bora, but Flores activated Dimensional Prison. Garcia didn’t attack with Shura.
Next turn, Hero Blast returned Neos Alius to Flores’ hand, destroying Shura! Flores Summoned Neos Alius and Garcia had nothing to stop the attack. It was all over!
Angel Flores is the winner of YCS San Jose!
Post-Event Analysis!
See what our panel of experts had to say about this Duel after the event was over.
Jason Grabher-Meyer (The Old Man of Dueling)
The beginning of this Match is really interesting: while Flores controlled Thunder King Rai-Oh and a Set back row card, Garcia Normal Summoned Sirocco, then Special Summoned Gale. That would’ve been a good time for Flores to send Thunder King to the Graveyard, using its effect to negate Gale’s Special Summon, but he chose not to, leaving his Thunder King vulnerable to attack. It was a keen bluff; Garcia didn’t attack, likely thinking that the only reason Flores would not negate Gale’s Summon was a Set Mirror Force. By bluffing, Flores protected himself from what would have been a direct attack with Sirocco.
Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
Flores’s Mind Crush play in Duel 2 was a gutsy move! Flores knew that Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn was the most dangerous card Garcia could play against him at that moment, and he was willing to risk a card from his own hand to make sure it wasn’t in Garcia’s. The gamble paid off, because Garcia drew Sirocco that turn! Keep in mind that even if Flores had called incorrectly with Mind Crush, he’d still get to see Garcia’s entire hand, which would allow him to strategize about how he wants to use the 4 cards in his Spell and Trap Card Zone.
