With 8-2 records, both of these Duelists were just a single win away from capturing a spot in the Top 32! Steven Lo is playing Karakuri Machina Plants, while his opponent Gerardo Lopez is piloting Formula Monarchs. It was an explosive combo deck versus a conservative grind, and both Duelists were fighting for their lives in this tournament!

Lo opened the Match with a hand of Monster Reborn, Foolish Burial, Machina Fortress, Machina Force, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Karakuri Ninja mdl 919 “Kuick”. He discarded Kuick to Special Summon Fortress, then sent Glow-Up Bulb to his Graveyard with Foolish Burial. He sent Machina Gearframe off the top of his Deck to his Graveyard to Special Summon Glow-Up Bulb, then Synchro Summoned Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X “Bureido”. He tried to activate its effect, but Lopez negated it with Effect Veiler. Lo had 3 cards left in his hand. he discarded Machina Force to Special Summon Fortress, then activated Monster Reborn to Special Summon back the Bulb! He Synchro Summoned another Bureido, used its effect to Special Summon Karakuri Strategist mdl 248 “Nishipachi”, and used Nishipachi’s effect to turn itself to Attack Position. Lo drew Emergency Teleport with the effect of his second Bureido. He Set Mystical Space Typhoon to finish out.

Lopez passed.

Lo drew Mind Control and shifted Nishipachi to Defense Position. he drew 2 cards with his Bureidos: Instant Fusion and Machina Gearframe. He attacked with Bureido and Lopez Special Summoned Battle Fader to end the Battle Phase!

Lopez activated Giant Trunade, then Tributed Battle Fader for Dark Dust Spirit, destroying all 3 of Lo’s Karakuri monsters! Dark Dust Spirit made a direct attack for 2200 Battle Damage, and Lopez returned it to his hand in the End Phase.

Lo drew Upstart Goblin, and activated it to draw Nobleman of Extermination – not much help in this matchup, as Lopez played few (if any) Trap Cards. Lo Summoned Machina Gearframe to get another Machina Force from his Deck, then discarded it to Special Summon Fortress again. Emergency Teleport got him Mind Master in Defense Position, and he tuned it to Fortress to Synchro Summon his third Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X “Bureido”! When Bureido hit the field Lo activated its effect, and Special Summoned Karakuri Watchdog mdl 313 “Saizan” from his Deck. He tuned Saizan to Gearframe to Synchro Summon Stardust Dragon, then attacked for a combined total of 5300 Battle Damage… and Lopez Special Sumoned Tragoedia! With 3 cards in hand, the Tragoedia had 1800 ATK. Lo Set Extermination and Mystical Space Typhoon.

Lopez Tributed Tragoedia next turn during his Standby Phase, taking control of Stardust Dragon with Enemy Controller! He Tributed Stardust for Dark Dust Spirit, destroying Bureido, and attacked for another 2200 Battle Damage. The Duel stood at 3600 Life Points to 3700, with Lopez just barely in the lead. He took back Dust Spirit to his hand.

Lo drew One for One. He didn’t have a monster to discard for it, so he Set Instant Fusion as a bluff.

Lopez destroyed the Instant Fusion with Mystical Space Typhoon next turn, but had no other followup.

Lo drew another Nobleman of Extermination and Set that as a bluff, too.

Lopez passed.

Lo drew Machina Gearframe! He Summoned it to get Machina Fortress from his Deck, then discarded Fortress for One for One. He Special Summoned Spore from his Deck, and Tuned it to Gearframe to Synchro Summon Ally of Justice Catastor. it attacked for 2200 Battle Damage.

Lopez was down to 1500 Life Points. he Set a single Spell or Trap.

Lo drew Nishipachi, and used Nobleman of Extermination to remove Lopez’s bluffed Pot of Avarice. Another direct attack from Catastor ended the first Duel!

A big opening from Steven Lo allows him to dictate the pace of the first Duel, grinding out a win. One more like that and Lo would be on his way to the Top 32!

Lopez started Duel 2 with 2 Set cards to his back row, and a Set monster.

Lo’s hand was Karakuri Ninja mdl 919 “Kuick”, Instant Fusion, Karakuri Watchdog mdl 313 “Saizan”, Karakuri Strategist mdl 248 “Nishipachi”, Upstart Goblin, Instant Fusion, and Solemn Warning. He drew Machina Fortress with Upstart, then Normal Summoned Nishipachi to flip Lopez’s Set Snowman Eater. Its effect destroyed Nishipachi. He discarded Saizan to try and Special Summon Fortress, but Lopez negated the Summon with Warning. Lo Set Warning himself, but lost it to Mystical Space Typhoon in the End Phase.

Lopez shifted his Snowman to Defense Position and ended.

Lo drew and Summoned another Nishipachi! It shifted Snowman Eater to Attack Position, and Instant Fusion let Lo Special Summon the Fusion Monster Cyber Saurus. He Tuned it to Nishipachi to Synchro Summon Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X “Bureido”, then Special Summoned Karakuri Ninja mdl 919 “Kuick” from his Deck with Bureido’s effect! Kuick attacked to destroy Snowman Eater, Special Summoning Nishipachi back from the Graveyard! Nishipachi’s effect shifted it to Attack Position, Lo drew a card with Bureido, and Nishipachi and Bureido both made direct attacks. In Main Phase 2 Lo tuned Nishipachi to to Kuick to Synchro Summon Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 “Burei”, and used Burei’s ability to Special Summon another Nishipachi in Defense Position. Its effect turned it to Attack Position, and Lo ended. He had Foolish Burial and Kuick in hand.

Lopez Special Summoned Cyber Dragon! He Fused it with all the Karakuris and Special Summoned a 4000 ATK Chimeratech Fortress Dragon! Chimeratech made a direct attack, and Lopez Set 2 cards to his back row.

Lo drew Machina Force. He discarded it to Special Summon Fortress, then Normal Summoned Kuick. He attcked Chimeratech to destroy it with Fortress’ effect, then made a direct attack with Kuick to drop Lopez to 300 Life Points.

Lopez activated Soul Exhange! He Tributed Lo’s Kuick for a face-down monster.

Lo drew Bottomless Trap Hole and Set it. He activated Foolish Burial to send Dandylion to his Graveyard, and Special Summoned 2 Fluff Tokens.

Lopez activated Giant Trunade! He Flip Summoned Caius the Shadow Monarch, switched a Fluff Token to Attack Position, and attacked with Caius to finish the Duel!

Gerardo Lopez fires back, taking control of the second Duel and breaking apart his opponent’s combos with a killer Chimeratech Fortress Dragon! One more Duel would decide which of these competitors would be headed to the Top 32.

Lo opened the final Duel with a hand of One for One, Karakuri Strategist mdl 248 “Nishipachi”, Machina Gearframe, Lonefire Blossom, and 2 Instant Fusions. He Summoned Gearframe to get Machina Fortress from his Deck, and discarded Nishipachi to Special Summon the Fortress. Lo continued, discarding Lonefire Blossom for One for One. that let him Special Summon Spore, which he Tuned to Fortress to Synchro Summon Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X “Bureido”. Bureido got him Karakuri Strategist mdl 248 “Nishipachi” from his Deck, and he turned it to Attack Position to draw Mind Master with Bureido’s effect. He removed Lonefire from his Graveyard to Special Summon Spore, then Tuned it to Gearframe to Synchro Summon Stardust Dragon. Instant Fusion got him Cyber Saurus, and he Tuned that to Nishipachi for Scrap Dragon. He Set his second Instant Fusion.

Lopez Set a monster.

Lo drew Glow-Up Bulb. He activated his Set Instant Fusion to Special Summon another Cyber Saurus, then Normal Summoned Glow-Up Bulb to Synchro Summon Naturia Barkion. Stardust Dragon attacked to destroy Lopez’s Treeborn Frog, and Barkion and Bureido attacked. When Bureido struck, Lopez Special Summoned Gorz the Emissary of Darkness. Scrap Dragon attacked over Gorz, and Lo Special Summoned Glow-Up Bulb to destroy both it and the Emissary of Darkness Token with Scrap Dragon’s effect in Main Phase 2. Time was called just as Lo was ending his turn.

Lopez Special Summoned Treeborn Frog and activated One for One. He discarded Mobius the Frost Monarch to Special Summon Glow-Up Bulb from his Deck. He Synchro summoned Formula Synchron to draw a card, then activated Dark Hole. Lo negated it with Stardust Dragon’s effect. Lopez Tributed Formula Synchron for Dark Dust Spirit, destroying Bureido, Naturia Barkion, and Scrap Dragon! Dust Spirit attacked to drop Lo to 3800 Life Points. Lopez had 2600 left, and Special Summoned his Glow-Up Bulb by sending Fishborg Blaster off the top of his Deck to his Graveyard. He Set a Spell or Trap, then returned Dust Spirit to his hand. Lo Special Summoned back his Stardust.

Lo drew Karakuri Watchdog mdl 313 “Saizan”, and attacked with it to destroy Glow-Up Bulb. Stardust Dragon made a direct attack and Lopez had just 100 Life Points left – he conceded moments later.

Steven Lo moves on to the Top 32 with Karakuri Machina Plants!

Here’s what our expert(s) had to say:

Erik Mishtar (Modern day pharaoh)
A key thing to remember when you’re Dueling is that the only sure way to lose is by giving up. Gerardo Lopez may have lost this Match, but he never gave up, knowing that if he drew the right cards he could turn things around with a killer combo. Now, he definitely should have Synchro Summoned using his Glow-Up Bulb and Dark Dust Spirit at the end of Duel 3 to Summon Scrap Archfiend and hold off Stardust Dragon, but the fact that he was even in a position  to make that move after his opponent started the Duel with 3 Synchro Summons and a 4^th on the second turn is a testament to the powers of perseverance and solid Deck building.

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