It seems like everywhere Johnny Nagel goes, he’s doing something spectacular. We first saw him playing Gravekeepers before they were cool, at the U.S. World Championship Qualifier last year. From there he went on a rip-roaring tirade of impressive finishes with innovative Plant-based Decks, teaching the Dueling world the amazing uses of Super Solar Nutrient (and scoring one of our first-ever Feature Match Summons of Shooting Star Dragon). He’s been at the cusp of the Top 32 at many Championship tournaments, but hasn’t quite managed to top. Today, he’s returned to Gravekeepers with a hugely innovative build.

His opponent is twenty-six year old Houston Duelist Larry Rayshun Chapman. Chapman has several Top 32 showings under his belt: he made the Top 32 at YCS Atlanta just weeks ago, and also topped at SJC Austin. Today he’s running Blackwings, one of the most successful Decks in today’s field, and sometimes a difficult matchup for Gravekeepers.

Chapman opened the Match with Allure of Darkness, drawing 2 cards and removing Blackwing – Bora the Spear from his hand. He Set 4 cards to his back row, Summoned Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind, and ended.

Nagel’s hand was Gravekeeper’s Stele, Gravekeeper’s Assailant, Pot of Duality, Book of Moon, Gravekeeper’s Spy, and Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo. Nagel considered his options for a moment, before Setting Spy – he didn’t activate Duality, wanting to keep his Set monster a secret. Setting just 1 card pre-empted any real chance of Chapman using Icarus Attack if he had it.

Chapman Set a fifth Spell or Trap.

Nagel tried to Flip Summon Spy, but Chapman negated the Summon with Solemn Warning. Nagel activated Duality, revealing Gravekeeper’s Commandant, Royal Tribute, and Torrential Tribute. He chose to add Commandant to his hand, shuffling the rest back. He Normal Summoned Assailant to attack and destroy Gale, but Chapman brought it back with Call of the Haunted, still in the Battle Phase! Chapman was keeping that threat of Icarus Attack alive. If Nagel Set cards he could lose 2 of them to an Icarus, but if he didn’t, he’d lose Assailant to Gale. He ended, conceding the Assailant.

Chapman halved Assailant’s ATK and DEF with Gale’s effect, then attacked over it.

Nagel drew Necrovalley. He Summoned Gravekeeper’s Commandant, attacked Gale, and it hit the Graveyard for a second time. Free from the immediate threat of Icarus, he activated Necrovalley, but lost it to Mystical Space Typhoon immediately. Nagel Set 2 cards to his back row.

Chapman activated Black Whirlwind from his hand, and tried to Normal Summon Blackwing – Blizzard the far North. Nagel attempted to negate the Summon with Solemn Warning, but Chapman Chained Solemn Judgment! Blizzard was successfully Summoned, and Chapman searched his Deck to add Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor to his hand, and Special Summoned Gale with Blizzard’s effect. He used Gale’s effect to have Commandant’s ATK and DEF, then attacked it with Blizzard. Nagel turned his Commandant face-down with Book of Moon, and when it flipped, its DEF was reset. Blizzard’s attack bounced off Commandant’s renewed DEF. Chapman Set a Spell or Trap.

Nagel turned Commandant to Attack Position and attacked Gale, destroying it. Nagel’s hand was Solemn Judgment, Gravekeeper’s Stele, and Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo. He activated Stele; returned Spy and Assailant to his hand; and Set Assailant and Warning.

Chapman flipped his Set Pot of Duality, choosing Blackwing – Kalut the Moonshadow over Mystical Space Typhoon and another Duality. He Normal Summoned it to get another Blizzard from his Deck with Black Whirlwind, then Set another Spell or Trap.

Nagel drew another Stele, holding Spy and Fossil Dyna in his hand with Solemn Judgment Set; Assailant Set; and Commandant in face-up Attack Position. He Flip Summoned Assailant and Chapman responded with Torrential Tribute, clearing the field. Nagel activated his second Stele to take back Commandant and Assailant! He now had 4 in-hand cards and 1 Set card, compared to his opponent’s 2 in-hand cards, Whirlwind, and a Set Spell or Trap. He pitched Commandant to get another Necrovalley from his Deck, activated it, and Normal Summoned Assailant to attack into Book of Moon.

Chapman drew to 3 cards in hand with Whirlwind on the field, and Set a monster, as well as a Spell or Trap. The Icarus threat was back, but Nagel just had to score one solid hit to win.

Nagel drew Allure of Darkness, then used it to draw Ultimate Offering and Solemn Warning. (Yes, Main Decked Ultimate Offering in a Gravekeeper Deck.) He Flip Summoned Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo, attacked with Fossil Dyna to destroy his opponent’s Vayu, and attacked with Assailant into another Book. When Nagel negated Chapman’s attempted Normal Summon of Kalut next turn with Warning, Chapman immediately conceded!

Johnny Nagel reveals a couple of the tricks up his Gravekeeper sleeve, taking a calculated first Duel against Larry Chapman’s Blackwings. Chapman would have to work overtime to take back the Match.

Chapman Set 3 cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone to start the second Duel.

Nagel had 2 Pots of Duality, Solemn Warning, Gravekeeper’s Stele, Gravekeeper’s Recruiter, and Xing Zhen Hu. He activated Duality to choose between Dark Hole, Book of Moon, and Solemn Judgment, adding Solemn to his hand. He tried to Summon Recruiter, but Chapman negated it with Solemn Warning. Nagel Set 3 cards.

Chapman drew for his turn, and Nagel activated Xing Zhen Hu targeting his 2 remaining Set cards. Chapman Chained 1 of them, Mystical Space Typhoon, to destroy Nagel’s Set Warning. Chapman activated Allure of Darkness next, drawing 2 cards and removing Dark Armed Dragon. He Normal Summoned Blackwing – Kalut the Moonshadow, attacking for 1400 Battle Damage.

Nagel drew Ultimate Offering. He activated his second Duality, this time revealing Gravekeeper’s Spy, Gravekeeper’s Cannonholder, and Royal Tribute. He took Spy into his hand. He Set Offering, Set Spy, and ended.

Chapman drew to 4 cards in hand, with Kalut and a Xing Zhen Hu-locked card in his back row. He activated Nobleman of Crossout targeting Spy, Nagel negated it with Solemn Judgment, but Chapman had another Nobleman! It removed the Spy from the game, as well as 2 more copies from Nagel’s Deck. Chapman Set another Spell or Trap.

Nagel drew and Summoned Gravekeeper’s Assailant; attacked Kalut; and lost the battle due to another Kalut that Chapman used to boost its ATK. Gravekeeper’s Stele got Nagel back his Assailant and Recruiter.

When Kalut attacked next turn, Nagel paid himself down to 650 Life Points with Ultimate Offering to Set Gravekeeper’s Recruiter. “Nice,” remarked Chapman. “You’ve got it goin’ on there.” He reluctantly attacked with the Kalut, bouncing off Recruiter’s 1500 DEF.

Nagel drew Allure, drawing 2 copies of Doomcaliber Knight with it. He kept both, removing Assailant instead. He Summoned Doomcaliber, attacked into Icarus Attack, and lost both of his monsters. Nagel searched his Deck for Commandant, discarded it to get Necrovalley, and Chapman Chained Call of the Haunted to bring back his Kalut before Necrovalley could hit the field! Nagel immediately conceded!

Bad lucks turns to good, as double Nobleman of Crossout breaks the Duel wide open for Chapman! Call of the Haunted pays off again, and this time Chapman Chains it to score the win and take us to 1 more Duel! Nagel would open Duel 3.

He began with a hand of Necrovalley, Doomcaliber Knight, Gravekeeper’s Recruiter, Gravekeeper’s Descendant, Gravekeeper’s Stele, and Solemn Warning. He activated Necrovalley, Set Warning, and Summoned Descendant.

Chapman tried to Summon Blackwing – Bora the Spear, but Nagel negated the Summon with Solemn Warning. Chapman Set 3 cards to his back row.

Nagel Summoned Gravekeeper’s Recruiter, Tributing it for Descendant’s effect to destroy Chapman’s Delta Crow – Anti Reverse. Nagel got another Recruiter from his Deck with the effect of his first copy, and attacked with Descendant for 2000 Battle Damage. Chapman had 6000 Life Points left.

Chapman Set a monster.

Nagel Summoned Recruiter and attacked. Chapman Tributed his Set Kalut for Icarus Attack, destroying Descendant and Necrovalley. Recruiter attacked for 1200.

Chapman Summoned another Kalut and ended without attacking.

Nagel drew Xing Zhen Hu, adding it to his hand of Gravekeeper’s Spy, Gravekeeper’s Assailant, Doomcaliber Knight, and Gravekeeper’s Stele. He controlled Recruiter on the field. Chapman had Kalut, a Set Spell or Trap, and 2 cards in-hand. Gravekeeper’s Stele got Nagel back his Descendant and Recruiter, and Chapman Tributed his Kalut for another Icarus Attack to destroy Descendant and Recruiter. “This was not how I wanted my Feature Match to go,” laughed Chapman, as Nagel got Gravekeeper’s Commandant, then Necrovalley, from his Deck. Nagel had 6 cards: he activated Necrovalley and Set Xing Zhen Hu.

Chapman was struggling: he drew to 3 cards and destroyed Xing Zhen Hu with Mystical Space Typhoon, a trade Nagel was glad to make. Chapman Special Summoned Dark Armed Dragon to attack for 2800 damage.

Nagel drew Gravekeeper’s Cannonholder. He Summoned Gravekeeper’s Assailant, attacked, shifted the Dragon to Defense Position, and the Dragon went down!

Chapman drew and Set his 2 cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Nagel pressed, Summoning Doomcaliber Knight, and Chapman conceded, revealing the same pair of Nobleman of Crossout that had won him the previous Duel.

Johnny Nagel wins the Match, and moves on with a slick Gravekeeper Deck, packing Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo, Xing Zhen Hu, Gravekeeper’s Cannonholder, and Ultimate Offering!