An unprecedented field of 1839 competitors from the United States and Canada had been whittled down to this: 64 Duelists who would now compete in 6 more Rounds of playoff competition to crown a North American Champion!  Over the next few hours, 58 of these competitors would be headed home.  But 6 more would be headed to Amsterdam.  The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME World Championships await, and right now, one of these two Duelists would get one step closer to their invitation.  Frazier Smith is playing Fairies, while Lloyd Buchmeier III is running Miracle Geminis.

Buchmeier started off with Elemental Hero Stratos, searching his Deck for Elemental Hero Neos Alius.  He Set a Spell or Trap.

Smith had a hand of The Agent of Miracles – Jupiter; 2 Master Hyperion; 2 Pot of Duality; and The Agent of Mystery – Earth.  He Summoned Earth to search his Deck for The Agent of Creation – Venus, and added it to his hand.  Smith activated Pot of Duality next, revealing Archlord Kristya; Genex Ally Bidman; and Cards from the Sky.  He added the latter to his hand, shuffled back the rest, and activated Cards to banish Jupiter and draw Archlord Kristya and Solemn Warning.  He Set Warning, and lost it to Buchmeier’s Mystical Space Typhoon in the End Phase.

Buchmeier Summoned Neos Alius and ran over Earth, following up with a direct attack.  He Set 2 cards to his back row.

Smith drew another Kristya.  He Summoned The Agent of Creation and paid 500 Life Points to Special Summon a Mystic Shine Ball from his Deck.  1000 more Life Points got him 2 more Shine Balls, all in Defense Position, and he Set his second Duality.

Buchmeier attacked next turn, destroying The Agent of Creation and a Shine Ball.

Smith drew Honest, and Special Summoned Master Hyperion by banishing The Agent of Mystery from his Graveyard.  He banished Mystic Shine Ball from his Graveyard next to target Buchmeier’s Set back row card with Hyperion’s effect.  Buchmeier Chained his other Set card, Gemini Spark, to Tribute Elemental Hero Neos Alius, destroying Hyperion.  He then Chained the targeted card, Hero Blast, to destroy a Shine Ball and get back his Neos Alius.  The remaining Shine Ball then attacked over Stratos with Honest.  Smith Special Summoned Kristya in Main Phase 2, using her effect to return Honest to his hand!

Buchmeier Summoned another Neos Alius next turn, attacking Shine Ball: Smith pitched Honest to take Neos Alius down, leaving Buchmeier to Set 2 cards to his back row.

Smith drew Birdman and turned his Shine Ball to Defense Position: Kristya attacked into Dimensional Prison.  Smith Special Summoned his second Kristya in Main Phase 2, and once again returned Honest to his hand!

Buchmeier blasted the last Shine Ball with Hero Blast next turn, getting back his Neos Alius again.  He had 5 cards in hand, and Summoned Alius to Tribute it and destroy Kristya with Gemini Spark.  Miracle Fusion let him Special Summon Elemental Hero The Shining, and he ended with no back row.

Smith drew his Kristya again, and Special Summoned her to return The Agent of Creation to his hand.  Smith sent Kristya to attack The Shining, and he powered over it with Honest.  Buchmeier returned Alius and Stratos to his hand with The Shining’s ability, and Smith Set a monster.

Buchmeier Normal Summoned Neos Alius next turn.  He attacked Kristya, dropped Honest, and won the first Duel!

A surprise Honest seals the first Duel for Lloyd Buchmeier, despite three Kristya Summons by Frazier Smith!  One more Duel like that and Smith would be out of the tournament.  The pressure was on.

Smith started the second Duel with a hand of Monster Reborn; Cards from the Sky; Gorz the Emissary of Darkness; Fiendish Chain; Malevolent Catastrophe; and Kinetic Soldier.  He Set the Soldier; Malevolent; and Fiendish Chain.

Buchmeier used Pot of Duality to reveal Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo; Torrential Tribute; and Gemini Spark: he took Fossil Dyna.  Buchmeier Normal Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh and attacked, leaving Smith to block with Fiendish Chain.  Buchmeier Set 3 cards to his back row.

Smith drew Torrential Tribute and passed.

Buchmeier flipped his Thunder King face-down with Book of Moon, then got Elemental Hero Stratos from his Deck with E – Emergency Call.  He Summoned Stratos to get Elemental Hero Neos Alius from his Deck next, and Flip Summoned Thunder King.  Thunder King attacked, and Smith flipped Malevolent Catastrophe, destroying Buchmeier’s Mirror Force and Dimensional Prison!  Kinetic Soldier was destroyed, and when Stratos attacked, Smith Special Summoned Gorz the Emissary of Darkness and an 1800 ATK Emissary of Darkness Token.

Smith drew The Agent of Miracles – Jupiter.  He attacked Thunder King with Gorz, then traded his Emissary for Stratos in battle.  He Set a Spell or Trap.

Buchmeier Set a monster, then Set a Spell or Trap.

Smith drew Mystic Shine Ball, and banished it for Cards from the Sky: he drew Honest and another Kinetic Soldier.

Buchmeier passed.

Smith drew The Agent of Mystery – Earth, and Summoned it to get The Agent of Creation – Venus from his Deck.  He attacked with Gorz into Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo, and Gorz was destroyed by the Fossil Dyna’s ability.  That left The Agent of Mystery to make a direct attack.

Buchmeier Summoned another Thunder King and attacked: Smith destroyed it by dropping Honest during Damage Calculation.  Buchmeier Set a second Spell or Trap.

Smith drew Master Hyperion.  He Tried to Normal Summon The Agent of Creation, but Buchmeier negated the attempt with Solemn Warning.  The Duel stood at 3200 Life Points to 6200, with Smith in the lead.  Smith banished The Agent of Creation to try and Special Summon Hyperion: Buchmeier negated the Summon with another Warning, but Monster Reborn let Smith revive the Hyperion!  Smith attacked to win the second Duel.

Double Solemn Warning just proves to be too many Life Point payments for Buchmeier, as Monster Reborn lets Smith take an easy win in Duel 2.  One more Duel would decide who would be headed to the top 32.  For one of these competitors, a year-long journey was about to come to a close.

Buchmeier Summoned Elemental Hero Neos Alius and Set 2 cards to his back row.

Smith had Solemn Warning; Honest; Gorz the Emissary of Darkness; Cyber Dragon; Malevolent Catastrophe; and Mystical Space Typhoon.  He Special Summoned Cyber Dragon, and Buchmeier banished it with Bottomless Trap Hole.  Smith Set Typhoon to cover for his Gorz, and lost it in the End Phase to Buchmeier’s own Typhoon.

Buchmeier Summoned Honest and attacked, then followed up with Neos Alius: Smith Special Summoned Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, and a 1900 ATK Emissary of Darkness Token.  Buchmeier Set 2 cards to his back row.

Smith drew Master Hyperion and turned his Emissary Token to Attack Position.  He attacked Neos Alius, and Buchmeier banished it with Dimensional Prison.  Smith Set Catastrophe.

Buchmeier attacked Gorz next turn with Neos Alius, and dropped Honest to destroy it.  Buchmeier Set a second Spell or Trap.

Smith drew Solemn Judgment and Set Honest.

Buchmeier attacked into Honest next turn, and lost his Book of Moon and Bottomless Trap Hole to Catastrophe!  Honest survived the Aattack, and Buchmeier Set a single Spell or Trap.

Smith tried to return Honest to his hand next turn, but lost Honest to Gemini Spark.  He Set 3 cards to his back row.

Buchmeier Set 1 card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Smith Set another card to his back row.

Buchmeier passed.

Smith Set another card to his back row.

Buchmeier passed.

Smith passed.

Buchmeier Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh, and Smith destroyed it with Torrential Tribute.

Smith drew The Agent of Creation – Venus, holding 2 copies of Master Hyperion!  Smith Summoned The Agent of Creation to pay 500 Life Points for her effect.  Buchmeier responded by Chaining Hero Blast, and Smith let it go: The Agent was destroyed; Buchmeier got back his Neos Alius; and Smith Special Summoned a Shine Ball from his Deck.  He banished The Agent of Creation from his Graveyard to Special Summon Hyperion, and attacked with both of his monsters.

Buchmeier activated Dark Hole next turn, but Smith Chained Solemn Judgment to save Hyperion and Shine Ball!  Smith dropped to 2250 Life Points, while Buchmeier had 4800 Life Points left.  Buchmeier Summoned Elemental Hero Neos Alius and attacked Shine Ball: Smith stopped the attack with Fiendish Chain, and Buchmeier Chained Gemini Spark, Tributing Neos Alius to destroy Hyperion.  Buchmeier drew a card, then activated Miracle Fusion in Main Phase 2: Smith negated it with Solemn Warning.  Buchmeier had 3 cards left in hand, and Set 2 of them to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Smith drew another Shine Ball.  He turned his on-field Shine Ball to Defense Position and Set the other Shine Ball from his hand.

Buchmeier flipped E – Emergency Call next turn, getting Elemental Hero Stratos.  He Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh and activated another Miracle Fusion!  He banished Elemental Hero Neos Alius and Thunder King from his Graveyard, then Special Summoned Elemental Hero The Shining.  Two attacks destroyed the 2 Shine Balls.  When Smith drew Giant Trunade next turn he immediately gave Buchmeier the handshake.

Frazier Smith is out of the North American WCQ, but Lloyd Buchmeier the III has just won his seat in the Top 32!