Jonny Nagel is 21 years old and hails from Colorado. He’s running a cool Plant-based Naturia Deck that uses Super Solar Nutrient to Special Summon Lonefire Blossom. Nagel also uses Naturia Pineapple and Naturia Bamboo Shoot to secure victory. Fabian Fontanilla is 15 years old from right here in San Jose California. This is Fontanilla’s first YCS, and he entered it with Machina Gadgets. “I’m pretty nervous,” Fontanilla said. Don’t be, Fontanilla – we’re sure you’ll do great!

Fontanilla won the dice roll, but let Nagel go first. Nagel opened up with Spore, Super Solar Nutrient, Bottomless Trap Hole, Naturia Pineapple, Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, and Naturia Bamboo Shoot. He Set Naturia Pineapple and Bottomless Trap Hole, ending his turn.

Fontanilla Special Summoned Cyber Dragon and Nagel removed it from the game with Bottomless Trap Hole. Then Fontanilla Normal Summoned Green Gadget and searched his Deck for a Red Gadget to add to his hand. Next, he discarded Red Gadget and Machina Fortress to Special Summon the Fortress back from the Graveyard. Fortress attacked and destroyed Nagel’s Set Naturia Pineapple, and then Green Gadget attacked directly, dropping Nagel to 6600 Life Points.

Nagel drew Dark Bribe next turn, and Special Summoned Naturia Pineapple from his Graveyard during his Standby Phase. He activated Super Solar Nutrient next! He Tributed Naturia Pineapple with Super Solar Nutrient to Special Summon Lonefire Blossom, then Tributed Lonefire Blossom to Special Summon Gigaplant from his Deck. Super Solar Nutrient was destroyed when Lonefire Blossom left the field. He Normal Summoned Gigaplant next, to give it its Gemini effect, and used the effect to Special Summon Lonefire Blossom from his Graveyard. Then he Tributed Lonefire Blossom to Special Summon Tytannial, Princess of Camellias from his Deck. Gigaplant attacked and destroyed Green Gadget, dropping Fontanilla to 7000 Life Points, and then Tytannial attacked and destroyed Machina Fortress. Fortress’s effect tried to destroy Tytannial, but Nagel Tributed Gigaplant with the effect of Tytannial to negate it. Nagel Set Dark Bribe and ended his turn. (And what a turn it was.)

Fontanilla used Fissure next turn to try to destroy Tytannial, but Nagel negated it with Dark Bribe. Fontanilla drew a card, Set a card to each zone, and passed.

Nagel Special Summoned Naturia Pineapple back from his Graveyard on his next turn. This time he Tributed it to Summon Naturia Bamboo Shoot. Naturia Bamboo Shoot attacked Fontanilla’s face-down Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind, and then Tytannial attacked directly.

Fontanilla Set Dimensional Prison next turn, but it was all over. Nagel attacked directly with Naturia Bamboo Shoot and Tytannial, and Fontanilla’s face-down Dimensional Prison was no good because of Bamboo Shoot’s effect.

Jonny Nagel wins the first Duel! Both players dipped into their Side Decks and swiftly began Duel 2!

Fontanilla chose to go first this time. He started things off by Summoning Machina Gearframe to the field and searching his Deck for a Machina Fortress to add to his hand with its effect. Then he activated Pot of Duality, revealing Smashing Ground, Green Gadget, and Machina Gearframe from the top of his Deck, and adding Smashing Ground to his hand. He shuffled the other 2 cards back into his Deck. “Broken!” Nagel exclaimed. Fontanilla laughed and ended his turn.

Nagel opened up with Tytannial, Princess of Camellias, One for One, Gold Sarcophagus, Cyber Dragon, Naturia Bamboo Shoot, and Solemn Warning. He activated One for One by discarding Tytannial, Princess of Camellias and Special Summoned Naturia Vein from his Deck. Then he Tributed Naturia Vein to Summon Naturia Bamboo Shoot and attacked over Machina Gearframe to destroy it. Nagel Set Solemn Warning in his back row and then activated Gold Sarcophagus, removing Monster Reborn from his Deck so he could reclaim it in 2 turns. He passed to Fontanilla.

Fontanilla Special Summoned Cyber Dragon next turn! Nagel thought for a while and then activated Solemn Warning, paying 2000 Life Points to negate the Summon. Fontanilla discarded 2 copies of Machina Fortress from his hand next, to Special Summon one to the field. It attacked and destroyed Naturia Bamboo Shoot. Fontanilla Set a back row card and ended his turn.

Nagel drew Super Solar Nutrient next turn. Then he Special Summoned Cyber Dragon and fused it with Machina Fortress to Special Summon Chimeratech Fortress Dragon. He attacked with his Fortress Dragon and ended his turn.

Fontanilla used Smashing Ground to destroy Chimeratech Fortress Dragon next turn! Then he Set a back row and ended his turn.

Nagel drew Gigaplant next turn and claimed his removed-from-play Monster Reborn. He Set the Nutrient and passed.

Fontanilla passed right back after drawing the card for his turn.

Nagel drew Snyffus next turn. He Set it and passed to Fontanilla.

Fontanilla Set a back row and ended his turn.

Nagel drew Bottomless Trap Hole next turn. Then he Tributed Snyffus to Summon Gigaplant. Fontanilla activated his own Bottomless Trap Hole to destroy Gigaplant and remove it from the game. Nagel Special Summoned Snyffus in Defense Position as a result. He Set Bottomless Trap Hole before ending his turn.

Fontanilla drew and passed.

Nagel drew Phoenix Wing Wind Blast. He Set it and ended his turn.

Fontanilla Summoned Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind next turn. He activated Smashing Ground to destroy Snyffus and then attacked directly with Gale, dropping Nagel to 4200 Life Points. Fontanilla ended his turn.

Nagel drew Mirror Force next turn. He Set it and ended his turn.

Fontanilla Summoned Red Gadget next turn, and activated its effect to add a Yellow Gadget from his Deck to his hand. Gale attacked directly, but Nagel flipped Mirror Force to destroy Gale and Red Gadget. Fontanilla passed.

Nagel drew Dark Bribe next turn. He Set it and ended his turn.

Fontanilla Summoned Yellow Gadget next. He activated its effect to add a Green Gadget from his Deck to his hand, and then attacked directly to drop Nagel down to 3000 Life Points. Fontanilla activated Pot of Duality in Main Phase 2, revealing Green Gadget, Dimensional Prison, and Machina Peacekeeper from the top of his Deck. He added Dimensional Prison to his hand and then shuffled the other 2 cards he revealed back into his Deck before ending his turn.

Nagel drew Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter next turn. He activated Monster Reborn and Special Summoned Tytannial, Princess of Camellias back from his Graveyard. Fontanilla flipped Torrential Tribute, but Nagel negated it with Dark Bribe. Tytannial attacked over Yellow Gadget, and Fontanilla lost 1600 Life Points. Nagel Set Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter and ended his turn.

Fontanilla destroyed Nagel’s Bottomless Trap Hole with Mystical Space Typhoon next turn, then destroyed Tytannial with Smashing Ground. He Set a back row and ended his turn.

Nagel drew Solemn Warning, Set it, and ended his turn.

Fontanilla activated Nobleman of Crossout next turn! He removed Nagel’s face-down Ryko from the game. There were none left in his Deck. Fontanilla Summoned Green Gadget next, but Nagel negated the Summon with Solemn Warning. Then Fontanilla used another Pot of Duality! He revealed Limiter Removal, Fissure, and Dark Hole, choosing to add Dark Hole to his hand and shuffle the other 2 cards back into his Deck. He passed to Nagel.

Nagel drew Torrential Tribute next turn. He Set it and passed.

Fontanilla drew and passed.

Nagel drew Call of the Haunted, Set it, and passed.

Fontanilla drew and passed.

Nagel drew Return from the Different Dimension, Set it, and passed.

Fontanilla Summoned Machina Gearframe next turn and activated its effect, but Nagel used Torrential Tribute to destroy it. Gearframe searched out a copy of Machina Peacekeeper for Fontanilla to add to his hand. Then Fontanilla discarded Machina Peacekeeper and Machina Fortress to Special Summon the Fortress back to the field. He attacked Tytannial with Fortress and then activated Limiter Removal in the damage step to double the Fortress’s ATK and win the Duel!

Nagel chose to begin Duel 3! He opened up with Naturia Pineapple, Gigaplant, Cyber Dragon, Solemn Warning, Return from the Different Dimension, and Super Solar Nutrient. He Set Naturia Pineapple and ended his turn.

Fontanilla Special Summoned Cyber Dragon next turn and then Normal Summoned Yellow Gadget. He used its effect to search his Deck for Green Gadget and add it to his hand. Then Cyber Dragon attacked and destroyed Naturia Pineapple, and Yellow Gadget attacked directly. Fontanilla Set a back row and ended his turn.

Nagel drew another copy of Super Solar Nutrient and Special Summoned Naturia Pineapple in his Standby Phase. He Tributed it to Summon Gigaplant in Main Phase 1. Then he attacked Cyber Dragon with Gigaplant, but his monster was removed from the game by Dimensional Prison. Nagel Special Summoned Cyber Dragon next, and fused his Cyber Dragon with Fontanilla’s Cyber Dragon and Yellow Gadget to Special Summon a Chimeratech Fortress Dragon with 3000 ATK. Nagel Set Return from the Different Dimension and Solemn Warning, ending his turn.

Fontanilla had 5 cards in his hand after drawing next turn, but not a lot of options. He Set a monster and ended his turn.

Nagel drew Torrential Tribute next turn. He attacked Fontanilla’s face-down Machina Peacekeeper with Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, and Fontanilla activated its effect to add a Machina Gearframe from his Deck to his hand. Nagel Set Torrential Tribute and ended his turn.

Fontanilla Summoned Machina Gearframe next turn. He activated its effect to add a Machina Fortress from his Deck to his hand Then he discarded Yellow Gadget and Machina Fortress to Special Summon the Fortress. Nagel flipped Torrential Tribute to clear the field! Fontanilla Set a back row and ended his turn.

Nagel drew Spore next turn. He Summoned it to the field and then activated Super Solar Nutrient! He Tributed Spore with Super Solar Nutrient to Special Summon Lonefire Blossom from his Deck, then Tributed Lonefire Blossom to Special Summon Tytannial from his Deck. Super Solar Nutrient was destroyed, since Lonefire Blossom went to the Graveyard. Tytannial attacked directly, but Fontanilla activated Mirror Force to destroy it! Nagel ended his turn.

Fontanilla Summoned Machina Gearframe next turn. He activated its effect to add a Machina Fortress from his Deck to his hand. Then he activated Monster Reborn, targeting the Tytannial in Nagel’s Graveyard. Nagel flipped Solemn Warning, giving up 2000 Life Points to negate the Monster Reborn. Machina Gearframe attacked directly, and Nagel dropped down to 3000 Life Points. Fontanilla, standing strong with 8000 Life Points, ended his turn.

Nagel drew Monster Reborn next turn! It was the perfect card for him to use to turn the Duel around! He removed Lonefire Blossom from his Graveyard to Special Summon Spore to the field as a Level 4 Tuner. Then he activated Return from the Different Dimension to Special Summon Lonefire Blossom and Gigaplant back to the field. Nagel Tributed Lonefire Blossom to Special Summon Naturia Pineapple from his Deck. Then he Tuned Naturia Pineapple with the Level 4 Spore together to Synchro Summon Splendid Rose! He activated Monster Reborn to Special Summon Cyber Dragon next, and fused Cyber Dragon with Fontanilla’s Machina Gearframe to Summon a 2000 ATK Chimeratech Fortress Dragon.

Splendid Rose attacked directly for 2200 damage, then Nagel removed a Plant from his Graveyard to halve her attack and let her attack again, this time for 1100 damage! Chimeratech Fortress Dragon attacked next, dropping Nagel down to 2700 Life Points. Then Gigaplant attacked directly, followed by an attack from Tytannial to finish the Duel!

After a drawn-out Duel, Jonny Nagel takes the victory in a single turn to win the Match 2-1!

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)
Nagel’s use of Super Solar Nutrient was very cool. With Naturia Pineapple to guarantee a low-Level Plant-Type monster to Tribute, it let Nagel search his Deck for Lonefire Blossom and use it to bring Gigaplant or Tytannial (or both!) to the field. These combos set a new standard for the Naturia Plant Deck, and if you’re interested in running it yourself, be sure to check out his Deck Profile to see the innovations he brought to San Jose. 

Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
When Fontanilla won the dice roll in Duel 1, he could have chosen to go first. Choosing to go first will allow you to draw the first card of the Duel and set up your field before the opponent can disrupt your plays with cards like Solemn Warning and Solemn Judgment. In high-level competition, you’ll notice that almost everyone chooses to go first when given the option.

Click here to check out the next feature match.