We saw alot of different Decks make the Top 32 at this event, but one of the most surprising was Reinaldo Jose Lainez Diaz’s Infernity Deck. Successfully winning his first playoff Match of the day, he’s now made it to the Top 16, where he’ll face off against Anti-Monster Duelist Stephen Carella. These are the only Infernity and Anti-Monster Decks to make the Top 32 cut, so they represent their strategies’ last chance to continue on in the tournament.

Lainez started the Match with a hand of Solemn Judgment, Mystical Space Typhoon, One for One, Dark Hole, Reinforcement of the Army, and Dark Eruption. He activated Reinforcement of the Army to fetch Armageddon Knight, then Summoned it to send Infernity Avenger to his Graveyard. He Set everything to his back row.

Carella tried to Summon Breaker the Magical Warrior, but Lainez negated the Summon with Solemn Judgment. Carella Set 2 cards to his back row, but lost his Solemn Warning in the End Phase to Lainez’s Mystical Space Typhoon.

Lainez drew Dark Grepher, Normal Summoned it, and Carella banished it with Bottomless Trap Hole. Armageddon Knight attacked for 1400 Battle Damage.

Carella Summoned Banisher of the Radiance and attacked to banish Armageddon Knight. He Set a Spell or Trap.

Lainez drew Seven Tools of the Bandit and destroyed Banisher with Dark Hole.

Carella Summoned Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind and attacked for 1300 Battle Damage. Lainez was down to 2500 Life Points. Carella Set a Spell or Trap.

Lainez drew and Set Mirror Force.

Carella attacked with Gale again, and Set a Spell or Trap.

Lainez drew Infernity Archfiend and activated its effect. Carella Chained Solemn Warning, and Lainez Chained Seven Tools of the Bandit! He Special Summoned Archfiend and used its effect to search his Deck for Infernity Beetle. He Normal Summoned it, then Tributed it with priority to Special Summon 2 more Beetles. He Tuned a Beetle to Grepher to Synchro Summon Flamvell Uruquizas, and Carella turned it face-down with Book of Moon. Lainez pressed on, activating Dark Eruption to return Infernity Beetle to his hand. He discarded it for One for One, then Special Summoned Infernity Mirage to Tribute it. Mirage’s effect resolved, and Lainez Special Summoned a Beetle and his Archfiend. Carella stopped Archfiend’s effect with Veiler, and Lainez Tuned Archfiend and Beetle together for Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth. He Tuned it to his remaining Beetle for Scrap Dragon, then activated Scrap Dragon’s effect targeting his own face-down Uruquizas, and Carella’s last back row card. Carella Chained the target: Mystical Space Typhoon! It destroyed Lainez’s Set Mirror Force. Scrap Dragon attacked over Gale to destroy it and hammer home 1500 Battle Damage.

Carella Set a Spell or Trap.

Lainez drew and Set Infernity Barrier next turn, destroying both the Barrier and Carella’s Set Dimensional Prison with Scrap Dragon’s effect. The Dragon made another direct attack.

Carella Set Spirit Reaper. Lainez drew Monster Reborn, and when he activated it to target Infernity Archfiend, Carella conceded – he only had 300 Life Points left, and Scrap Dragon was definitely going to finish him off this turn.

Some well-planned Infernity plays hinging on Infernity Beetles allow Reinaldo Lainez to come back from just 200 Life Points, stealing the first Duel with a dominant Scrap Dragon! Another win like that would see Infernities in the Top 8. Both Duelists made heavy use of their Side Decks.

Carella opened the second Duel with Consecrated Light, backing it with 3 cards Set to his Spell and Trap Card Zone!

Lainez had 2 Dimensional Prison, Giant Trunade, Infernity Avenger, and 2 Infernity Necromancer. He Set both copies of Prison and a Necromancer.

Carella Normal Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh and attacked into Dimensional Prison. Carella negated it with Seven Tools of the Bandit. Thunder King slammed into Necromancer, and Carella took 100 Battle Damage. He Set a third Spell or Trap.

Lainez drew Mystical Space Typhoon, Setting it and another Necromancer.

Carella turned Consecrated Light to Defense Position, then Set a fourth Spell or Trap.

Lainez drew Seven Tools of the Bandit and Set it.

Carella passed.

Lainez drew Armageddon Knight and Set it.

Carella passed.

Lainez drew Solemn Judgment. He Flip Summoned Armageddon Knight, then used its effect to send Infernity Archfiend to his Graveyard from his Deck. He Set Infernity Avenger, Giant Trunade, and Solemn Judgment, emptying his hand.

Carella passed.

Lainez drew Mirror Force: his Spell and Trap Card Zone was now filled. He flipped Giant Trunade and resolved it, clearing the Spell and Trap Card Zones. He Flip Summoned Infernity Avenger to Tune it to Armageddon Knight, going for Magical Android: Carella negated the Synchro Summon by Tributing Thunder King Rai-Oh. Lainez Set all of his cards to his back row once again.

“I wish I could do something,” remarked Carella as he drew to 9 cards in hand. He Summoned Banisher of the Radiance, then attacked, sending it at Lainez’s face-down Necromancer. Lainez removed it with Dimensional Prison. Carella Set 4 cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Lainez drew Infernity Launcher and passed, holding the Launcher in his hand.

Carella took a moment to peruse Lainez’s Graveyard, then activated Dark Hole to destroy his Consecrated Light, and Lainez’s 2 Necromancers. He Summoned King Tiger Wanghu and attacked into Mirror Force, losing his Tiger. He Set Solemn Warning to his back row, and lost it in the End Phase to Mystical Space Typhoon.

Lainez drew Lightning Vortex. He Set it, then activated Infernity Launcher. Carells Chained Mystical Space Typhoon to try and destroy it, but Carella Chained Solemn Judgment to negate it and keep his Launcher! He sent Launcher to the Graveyard: Carella tried to activate Solemn Warning, but it wasn’t a valid activation. Lainez Special Summoned his 2 Necromancers, using 1 to try and Special Summon Infernity Archfiend: Carella blocked it with the Warning, destroying the Necromancer. Lainez activated the effect of the second Necromancer, brought up Archfiend, and used its effect to search Infernity Beetle from his Deck. He Normal Summoned it and Tributed it to Special Summon 2 more. Carella had 4900 Life Points left, and Lainez wanted to take him down this turn. He Tuned a Beetle to Necromancer, Synchro Summoning Ally of Justice Catastor. Lainez attacked with Infernity Beetle, Carella responded with Mirror Force, and Lainez Chained Seven Tools of the Bandit to negate it! Beetle, Archfiend, and Catastor all made direct attacks to finish the Duel.

Reinaldo Lainez is taking Infernities to the Top 8!