After dominating the North American World Championship Qualifier just weeks ago, Horn of the Phantom Beast is one of the hottest cards here in Indianapolis. We already showed you Johnny Nagel playing it in Crystal Beasts. Now, we’ll see the undefeated Augustin Herrera play it in a Beast-ly version of an Anti-Monster strategy. Herrera combos Horn with cards like Pitch-Black Warwolf and King Tiger Wanghu, wielding powerful control effects.

His opponent is Sean Turner, traveling here to Indy from New Jersey to compete with a Master Hyperion Deck. Packing The Agent of Creation – Venus, Turner’s Deck wields all sorts of cool Special Summon tricks that could help him overwhelm Herrera’s defensive plays. The key to victory here will likely be a matter of time. if Turner can stabilize the Duel, he can put together big plays to overcome Herrera. But if Herrera controls stuff early and plays aggressively, he can knock Turner off balance and shatter his combos.

Herrera opened the Match with a hand of 2 Solemn Warning, Thunder King Rai-Oh, Book of Moon, Dimensional Prison, and Skill Drain. He Summoned Thunder King and Set everything else to the Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Turner Summoned The Agent of Creation – Venus. When he paid 500 Life Points to activate her effect, Herrera Chained Solemn Warning, negating her effect and destroying her. Turner activated Book of Moon to turn Thunder King face-down, allowing him to activate Pot of Duality. He revealed Mirror Force, Solemn Warning, and Gorz the Emissary of Darkness from the top of his Deck, and after some brief consideration he added Gorz to his hand. Little did Turner know that Herrera had a second Warning. He Set a card to his back row.

Herrera drew Forbidden Lance. He tried to Flip Summon Thunder King Rai-Oh, and Turner blew it away with a Warning.

Turner briefly checked his Graveyard, then banished Venus from it to Special Summon Master Hyperion. it attacked into Dimensional Prison.

Herrera drew Dark Bribe and Set it, still without a monster to press with.

Turner passed.

Herrera drew Pitch-Black Warwolf! He Normal Summoned it, attacked, and when Turner tried to Special Summon Gorz, Herrera negated the Summon with Solemn Warning. The Duel stood at 4000 Life Points to 3900, with Herrera narrowly leading.

Turner Summoned another Venus, but when he paid for her effect, Herrera paid 1000 Life Points to activate Skill Drain. Turner banished her from the field for another Master Hyperion, and attacked Herrera’s Warwolf. Herrera blocked with Book of Moon.

Herrera drew and Summoned Beast King Barbaros! He Summoned it with 3000 ATK thanks to Skill Drain, then ran down Hyperion and made a direct attack with Warwolf! Turner conceded after seeing his next draw.

Augustin Herrera controls the first Duel with double Solemn Warning and Skill Drain, gliding to victory with Pitch-Black Warwolf! Turner would have his work cut out for him, but he’d get to go first in the second Duel.

Turner opened up with Pot of Duality, revealing Master Hyperion, Book of Moon, and The Agent of Mystery – Earth. He took the Book and shuffled the rest back into his Deck. Turner then Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh, and Set 2 cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Herrera had 2 Pot of Duality, Book of Moon, Reborn Tengu, Horn of the Phantom Beast, and Dimensional Prison. He Summoned Reborn Tengu and Set everything else to his back row.

Turner Set a third Spell or Trap.

Herrera drew Torrential Tribute, and, now backed by Horn of the Phantom Beast, he sent Tengu to attack Thunder King. Turner had no response, and Herrera flipped the Horn in the Damage Step. But moments later in Damage Calculation, Turner activated the effect of Honest to trump the Horn! Thunder King destroyed Tengu, and Herrera’s Horn was lost! Herrera Summoned another Tengu in the place of the first, and Set Torrential in Main Phase 2.

Turner Set a fourth Spell or Trap

Herrera drew King Tiger Wanghu and Summoned it. He activated Book of Moon to turn Thunder King face-down, then attacked with King Tiger. Turner responded with Mirror Force, destroying both Tengu and the Tiger! Herrera Summoned his last Tengu from his Deck and attacked again, and this time Turner flipped Fiendish Chain to stop Tengu and save his Thunder King! Herrera ended his turn with 4 Set Spells or Traps and Tengu. Turner had 2 Set Spells or Traps, Fiendish Chain on Tengu, a face-down Thunder King, and 2 cards in hand.

He drew to 3 cards and Summoned The Agent of Mystery – Earth. its effect got him The Agent of Creation – Venus from his Deck. He Flip Summoned Thunder King, but when he sent it to attack Herrera’s last Tengu, Herrera responded with Dimensional Prison. Turner Chained Solemn Judgment to rescue Thunder King, and Thunder King destroyed Tengu in battle. The Agent of Mystery made a direct attack, dropping Herrera to 4900 Life Points.

Herrera drew Beast King Barbaros and Summoned it, attacking into Book of Moon.

Turner attacked Barbaros with Thunder King next turn, destroying it and scoring another direct shot with The Agent of Mystery. He Set a Spell / Trap.

Herrera drew and Set Dimensional Prison.

Turner attacked with The Agent of Mystery again, then ran Thunder King into Dimensional Prison. it was banished. A Set Spell or Trap finished Turner’s turn.

Herrera drew Skill Drain and activated his Set Pot of Duality, revealing another Horn, Solemn Warning, and another Barbaros. He took Barbaros, Summoned it, and Set Skill Drain. Turner blasted the Skill Drain in the End Phase with Mystical Space Typhoon! Could he capitalize?

No he could not – at least not yet. Turner rotated The Agent of Mystery to Defense Position and Set another Spell or Trap.

Herrera drew Solemn Warning and flipped another Pot of Duality, this time revealing Smashing Ground, Royal Oppression, and Pitch-Black Warwolf. He took the Warwolf and Summoned it. Warwolf attacked to destroy The Agent of Mystery, and Barbaros made a direct attack. Herrera Set Warning.

Turner had 2100 Life Points, while Herrera had 2400. Turner rocked the field with Dark Hole, destroying Barbaros and Warwolf. He Summoned The Agent of Creation – Venus, passed his chance to use her effect, and Herrera responded with Torrential Tribute. Turner negated it with Seven Tools of the Bandit! He made a direct attack with the Agent, dropping Herrera below Warning territory, and Set another Spell or Trap. Herrera drew and activated Dark Hole to destroy Venus next turn, but Master Hyperion sealed the deal moments later!

Sean Turner plays a cautious early gam to build his options, then makes a perfect read on Herrera’s Solemn Warning in the last moments of the Duel! Turner plays around the Counter Trap perfectly thanks to Seven Tools, and presses the Match to Duel 3.

Herrera’s hand was Starlight Road, Dimensional Prison, Bottomless Trap Hole, King Tiger Wanghu, Thunder King Rai-Oh, and Beast King Barbaros. He Summoned Thunder King and Set Prison, Bottomless, and Starlight.

Turner fired back, Setting 5 cards to his back row!

Herrera drew Skill Drain. He Summoned King Tiger, knowing he was safe from a potential Torrential Tribute thanks to Starlight Road, and attacked with Tiger and Thunder King together. Turner banished Thunder King with Dimensional Prison. Herrera Set Drain.

Pot of Duality revealed the top 3 cards of Turner’s Deck: Malevolent Catastrophe, Giant Trunade, and Master Hyperion. He added Trunade to his hand, and activated it to clear the field of Spell and Trap Cards. With that opening, plus 5 cards in hand, Turner used Book of Moon to turn King Tiger face-down. He Summoned The Agent of Mystery – Earth to get The Agent of Creation – Venus from his Deck, and tried to Special Summon Hyperion. he couldn’t, due to his own Pot of Duality from earlier in the turn. Stymied, Turner Set 2 cards to his back row.

Herrera drew another Skill Drain and tried to Flip Summon King Tiger. Turner negated the Summon with Solemn Judgment, dropping to 3150 Life Points. Herrera Summoned Barbaros to attack over The Agent of Mystery, and he Set his 5 remaining cards to his back row. That Trunade hadn’t worked out for Turner.

Turner Summoned The Agent of Creation – Venus next turn, and when he paid 500 Life Points for her effect, Herrera flipped Skill Drain. Turner had Seven Tools of the Bandit again though, and was able to Special Summon a Mystical Shine Ball. He paid another 500 Life Points (now down to 250), but Herrera responded with his second Skill Drain to stop Venus’ effect. Turner banished Venus to Special Summon Master Hyperion, and Herra banished it with Bottomless Trap Hole. It was all over a turn later as Herrera sealed his victory with Reborn Tengu!

“I can’t believe I did that, the Trunade after Duality,” remarked a wistful Turner. He gave Herrera a handshake and a smile, and Herrera moved on with a 3-0 record! Anti-Monster Beasts win again.