Two Duelists were left here in the Finals of the Public Event Playoffs. Tengu Synchro Duelist James Neumann, and Anti-Monster Duelist Christopher Rodriguz. The winner of this Match would claim a set of the Darklord prize cards, while the defeated Duelist would have to take another shot on another weekend. The stakes were high.

Rodriguez opened the Match with Pot of Duality, revealing Elemental Hero Neos Alius, Book of Moon, and Honest from the top of his Deck. He added Book to his hand, Normal Summoned Doomcaliber Knight. He Set 5 cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Neumann’s hand was Sangan, Lonefire Blossom, Spore, Mystical Space Typhoon, Foolish Burial, and Dandylion. He Set Dandylion.

Rodriguez attacked to destroy Dandylion, negating Dandylion’s effect and Tributing Doomcaliber.

Neumann drew Mind Control, and Set Typhoon and Sangan.

Rodriguez passed.

Neumann drew Effect Veiler and passed.

Rodriguez passed.

Neumann drew Limit Reverse and Set it.

Rodriguez passed.

Neumann Summoned Tour Guide of the Underworld, Special Summoning another Tour Guide from his Deck. He attacked with both for a total of 2000 Battle Damage. It was the cutest attack of the weekend.

Rodriguez flipped Giant Trunade next turn, and Neumann Chained Limit Reverse to briefly Special Summon his Dandylion. When it was destroyed, he Special Summoned 2 Fluff Tokens. Rodriguez cleared the 2 Fluff Tokens, 2 Tour Guides, and Sangan with Dark Hole, leaving Neumann to search his Deck for Debris Dragon. Rodriguez Summoned Neos Alius and attacked for 1900 Battle Damage, finishing his turn by Setting 5 cards to his back row.

Neumann drew Pot of Avarice and Summoned Debris Dragon. “I’m gonna Black Rose your whole field,” Neumann laughed, hopeful in his mock-confidence. “You’ve got nothing!” Actually, Rodriguez really had no response, at least for the moment. Neumann Special Summoned Dandylion, but when he did go for Black Rose, Rodriguez shut him down with Solemn Judgment. Neumann Special Summoned his 2 Fluff Tokens and then Set 2 cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone, activating Foolish Burial to send Glow-Up Bulb to his Graveyard. He sent Dark Hole off the top of his Deck to his Graveyard to Special Summon the Bulb, then Tuned it to a Fluff Token for Formula Synchron. he drew Mystical Space Typhoon. He activated Mind Control to try and take Elemental Hero Neos Alius, but Rodriguez negated it with Dark Bribe. Neumann drew Reborn Tengu.

Rodriguez activated Mystical Space Typhoon, targeting Neumann’s Typhoon. Neumann Chained it, destroying Rodriguez’s Dimensional Prison. Rodriguez tried to move to the Battle Phase, but Neumann activated Limit Reverse first, bringing up Sangan. Rodriguez turned Sangan face-down with Book of Moon, and then moved to the Battle Phase, attacking Formula Synchron to destroy it. Rodriguez Set 3 cards to his back row.

Neumann drew Caius the Shadow Monarch and Tributed Sangan for it, banishing Neos Alius and getting Debris Dragon from his Deck with Sangan’s effect. Caius attacked for 2400 Battle Damage, Rodriguez had just 600 Life Points left.

Rodriguez flipped Smashing Ground to destroy Caius, then Special Summoned it with Monster Reborn to attack Neumann’s last Fluff Token. He Set a Spell or Trap, Neumann tried to Mystical Space Typhoon it in the End Phase, and Rodriguez negated Typhoon with another Dark Bribe.

Neumann drew to 8 cards in hand, and Summoned Debris Dragon to Special Summon Dandylion. He returned Formula Synchron, Black Rose Dragon, Tour Guide, Sangan, and Debris Dragon back to his Deck for Pot of Avarice, drawing 2 more cards. He cleared the field with Black Rose Dragon, Special Summoned 2 Fluff Tokens, and Set a Spell or Trap, before discarding Reborn Tengu in his End Phase.

Rodriguez activated Pot of Duality next turn, revealing Elemental Hero Neos Alius, Thunder King Rai-Oh, and Reinforcement of the Army. he took Thunder King and attacked with it, destroying a Fluff Token.

Neumann Summoned Spore to make Formula Synchron, drawing a card, then Set 2 more caeds to his back row.

Rodriguez attacked with Thunder King Rai-Oh to destroy Formula Synchron.

Neumann drew One for One. He Summoned Reborn Tengu, then Special Summoned Spore from his Graveyard, banishing Dandylion. When Neumann Synchro Summoned Stardust Dragon, Rodriguez conceded the Duel. “Let’s go to game 2!”

Rodriguez started the second Duel with Elemental Hero Ocean and 3 Set cards to his back row.

Neumann had 2 Malevolent Catastrophe, Mystical Space Typhoon, Caius the Shadow Monarch, Solemn Judgment, and Dust Tornado. He Set both Catastrophes.

Rodriguez attacked with Elemental Hero Ocean, and lost his 2 Solemn Warnings and Dimensional Prison to Catastrophe! Ocean hit for 1500 Battle Damage, and Rodriguez Set 3 more cards to his back row.

Neumann set Glow-Up Bulb and 3 cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Rodriguez activated Giant Trunade, Ocean attacked Glow-Up Bulb, and Rodriguez Set his 3 back row cards again.

Neumann Set 4 cards to his back row.

Rodriguez attacked again, and in the End Phase he lost Skill Drain, Dark Hole, and Solemn Judgment to Neumann’s Dust Tornado and pair of Mystical Space Typhoons!

Neumann drew Caius the Shadow Monarch. He sent Debris Dragon to his Graveyard for Glow-Up Bulb, Special Summoned it, and Tributed it for Caius, banishing ocean. He attacked for 2400 Battle Damage.

Rodriguez Summoned Doomcaliber Knight, attacked, and tried to use Book of Moon to turn Caius face-down so Doomcaliber could destroy it, but Neumann negated it with Solemn Judgment! Doomcaliber went down, crashing into Caius!

Caius made a direct attack. Rodriguez Set a monster, and Neumann Tributed his first Caius for his second, banishing Rodriguez’s Honest so he could make another direct attack to win the Match!

James Neumann wins the Public Event Playoffs, and goes home with a set of the Darklord prize cards!