Round 7 Feature Match: Christopher Krause vs. Luis Zambrana
Here in Round 7, we’ll see Tech Genus Duelist Christopher Krause Duel Luis Zambrana. Zambrana’s Deck runs Malefic Cyber End Dragon and Beast King Barbaros, comboing with Skill Drain. He also plays Geartown and Necrovalley. He even runs Safe Zone, instead of Solemn Warning. It’s one of the more unique Decks in today’s field, and now we’re going to see it put to the test. Both of these competitors are undefeated with 6-0 records.
Zambrana opened the Match with a hand of 2 Beast King Barbaros, Safe Zone, Skill Drain, Seven Tools of the Bandit, and Solemn Judgment. He Summoned Barbaros, then Set everything but the other Barbaros.
“That’s alotta back rows,” quipped Krause. He activated Pot of Duality, revealing Dimensional Prison, Solemn Judgment, and Horn of the Phantom Beast from the top of his Deck. He took Judgment, and Summoned T.G. Rush Rhino. He Set 4 cards to his bck row. “You ain’t got no pancake mix!” shouted Krause.
Zambrana drew Terraforming, and Summoned another Barbaros. He attacked, Krause activated Mirror Force, and Zambrana flipped Seven Tools of the Bandit! Krause flipped his own Seven Tools to negate Zambrana’s copy, and Zambrana knew that Krause had a Solemn Judgment for his own. He had to let it go. He lost his 2 copies of Barbaros and activated Terraforming in Main Phse 2, getting Geartown from his Deck.
Krause flipped his Set Monster Reborn next turn, targeting his opponent’s Barbaros. Zambrana forked it over, and it hit the field with 3000 ATK! Krause Summoned a second Rush Rhino! He attacked with a Rhino, hitting directly. The next one made a direct attack also, but when Krause tried to finish Zambrana off with Barbaros, Zambrana flipped Safe Zone to stop the attack! Krause flipped Solemn Judgment, but Zambrana negated it with his Judgment! Stymied, Krause Set a Spell or Trap. Next turn Zambrana drew Compulsory Evacuation Device and conceded.
Christopher Krause wins a war of Counter Traps, as an early push with double Beast King Barbaros backfires on Luis Zambrana! Zambrana would open the next Duel.
Zambrana had Seven Tools of the Bandit, Terraforming, Thunder King Rai-Oh, Safe Zone, and 2 copies of Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon. Not too hot. He used Terraforming to get Geartown, and Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh. He Set Seven Tools and Safe Zone.
Krause Summoned T.G. Rush Rhino and attacked. Zambrana protected his Thunder King with Safe Zone. Krause Set 3 cards to his back row. That Thunder King could be a big problem for Krause.
Zambrana drew Dimensional Fissure. He activated it, and attacked with Thunder King to destroy the Rhino, banishing it thanks to Fissure.
Krause Summoned Reborn Tengu and Set another card to his back row.
Zambrana drew another Geartown! He activated Geartown, then Set the second Geartown over it to Special Summon an Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon from his hand! He flipped up his second Geartown, then attacked with the Dragon to destroy Tengu. Thunder King ran the second Tengu over, and Krause Special Summoned his third.
Krause Normal Summoned another Rush Rhino, and attacked over Thunder King Rai-Oh to force through 100 Battle Damage. He then flipped TG1-EM1, but Zambrana Chained Seven Tools of the Bandit to negate it! Krause turned Tengu to Defense Position.
Zambrana drew Beast King Barbaros, and Zambrana made two attacks to wipe Krause’s field.
Krause Set a monster and a back row card.
Zambrana drew Terraforming and attacked with Thunder King Rai-Oh, destroying Krause’s Set T.G. Warwolf. Gadjiltron Dragon made a direct attack.
Krause Set another monster. Zambrana drew Mystical Space Typhoon and attacked again with Thunder King, prompting Krause to concede the second Duel.
“You know I opened double Gadjiltron?”
“It doesn’t matter,” laughed Krause. “You had Thunder King Safe Zone. I can’t get over that!”
The combo of Thunder King Rai-Oh and Safe Zone lock Christopher Krause out of his all-important Tech Genus search effects, and ruin follows shortly after! Luis Zambrana takes us to a third Duel!
Krause started things off with Thunder King Rai-Oh, Setting 3 cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.
Zambrana had Geartown, 2 Dark Bribe, Malefic Cyber End, Gravekeeper’s Commandant, and Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon. He activated Geartown, then Special Summoned Malefic Cyber End! Krause didn’t negate the Summon, leaving Zambrana visibly surprised, and he Set 2 cards to his back row without attacking.
Krause Summoned Reborn Tengu, then Set a fourth card to his back row.
“Wait, I can negate those guys with Thunder King?”
“…Yeah.”
“Good to know!”
Zambrana drew Compulsory Evacuation Device and attacked Thunder King with Malefic Cyber End. Krause DID have Dimensional Prison and had it from his first turn! He flipped it, but he lost out to Dark Bribe. It WAS a clever ploy, but it was foiled by the Bribe! Thunder King went down, and in Main Phase 2 Zambrana got Necrovalley by pitching Commandant.
Krause Set a fifth Spell or Trap.
Zambrana drew Safe Zone and attacked Tengu. Krause had another Dimensional Prison, and Zambrana had another Bribe! Krause thought a moment, then Chained Solemn Judgment to force the Prison through. Malefic Cyber End was removed, and Zambrana Set Safe Zone.
Krause flipped Dust Tornado in his own Standby Phase, destroying Geartown and drawing out Gadjiltron Dragon from Zambrana. Krause Tribute Set Cyber Dragon by Tributing Tengu, got another Tengu, and then Fused Cyber Dragon with Gadjiltron Dragon! He attacked with Chimeratech Fortress Dragon and Tengu.
Zambrana drew Beast King Barbaros and Summoned it. Barbaros attacked Reborn Tengu, and Krause flipped Horn of the Phantom Beast! Then he flipped another! Barbaros went down, and Krause drew 2 cards with the effects of his 2 Horns.
Krause attacked with Tengu next turn, and Zambrana kicked it back to Krause’s hand with Compulsory Evacuation Device. Both Horns were destroyed, but Krause got another Tengu from his Deck. That Tengu attacked, and when Krause tried to finish the Match with Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, Zambrana stopped the attack with Safe Zone! Krause Set 3 more cards to his back row.
Zambrana drew Geartown! He activated it, and Set Necrovalley to trigger Geartown’s effect. Krause had no response, and Zambrana Special Summoned back his Gadjiltron from the Graveyard. It attacked Krause’s Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, but it survived thanks to the Safe Zone Zambrana had attached to it last turn.
Krause turned Chimeratech to Defense Position, and maligned his decision not to run Number 39: Utopia. “If I had Utopia in my Extra Deck I could make it right now and win…” He Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld instead, getting Sangan from his Deck in Defense Position. He ended his turn.
Zambrana drew another Safe Zone, and Krause immediately noticed his mistake. He hadn’t Xyz Summoned with Sangan and Tour Guide, and had left Tour Guide open in Attack Position. He immediately conceded the Duel, and the Match!
Luis Zambrana narrowly escapes defeat, and moves on with a 7-0 record! One more win would leave him a shoe-in for the Top 16 tomorrow.
