Both of these competitors are 6-1 here in today’s Swiss Rounds. All 9 Swiss Rounds in this tournament will be played today, and we are in Round 8. A win in this Match, followed by a win next round, would mean a guaranteed spot in the Top 16. The defeated Duelist would need to win the next round and have amazing tiebreakers to have a shot. Steven Sandler is playing Worms, while Grant Kelly is running Tour Guide / Tengu Synchro.

Sandler started the Match with a hand of Worm Yagan, Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo, Gozen Match, Dimensional Prison, Forbidden Lance, and Royal Oppression. He Set Yagan, and Set everything else but Fossil Dyna.

Kelly Summoned Lonefire Blossom, and Tributed it for its effect. Sandler Chained Gozen Match, and Kelly Special Summoned another Lonefire. “Mained Gozen Matches… X-Sabers?…” mused Kelly. He Set 3 cards to his back row.

Sandler drew Monster Reborn. He Flip Summoned Yagan, targeting Lonefire Blossom and bouncing it back to Kelly’s hand. Yagan attacked for 1000 Battle Damage.

Kelly Set a monster, then Set a fourth Spell or Trap.

Sandler drew and activated Upstart Goblin, drawing Worm Xex. He shifted Yagan to Defense Position.

Kelly Summoned Lonefire Blossom, and activated Dust Tornado to destroy Gozen Match. He Tributed Lonefire for its effect, but this time Sandler Chained Royal Oppression!

Sandler drew Compulsory Evacuation Device and Set it. He Set Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo.

Kelly Tributed his Set Spore to Summon Caius the Shadow Monarch, and targeted Royal Oppression. Sandler Chained Forbidden Chalice, targeting Caius, but Kelly Tributed Caius for Enemy Controller, targeting Worm Yagan! He took Yagan and Caius’ effect banished Oppression! Kelly Set a third Spell / Trap and banished Lonefire Blossom to Special Summon Spore as a Level 4 Tuner. Sandler responded, by getting back his Yagan with Compulsory Evacuation Device! Kelly ended.

Sandler drew Worm King. He Flip Summoned Fossil Dyna and destroyed Spore. Fossil Dyna attacked to drop Kelly to 6800 Life Points.

Kelly drew to 2 cards in hand with 3 Set in his Spell and Trap Card Zone. He Set a fourth, and ended.

Sandler drew Worm Cartaros and attacked with Fossil Dyna again. In Main Phase 2 he Set Yagan.

Kelly passed.

Sandler drew Mirror Force and attacked with Fossil Dyna a third time.

Kelly flipped Mystical Space Typhoon next turn, dstroying Sandler’s Dimensional Prison. He destroyed Yagan and Fossil Dyna with Dark Hole, then activated Call of the Haunted to Special Summon Lonefire Blossom. He Tributed it to Special Summon Dandylion. He then flipped his Set One for One, discarding Cyber Dragon, to bring out Glow-Up Bulb.  He Tuned it to Dandylion for Armory Arm and Special Summoned 2 Fluff Tokens. Kelly’s last card in his hand was Pot of Avarice. He returned Dandylion, Caius the Shadow Monarch, Spore, Cyber Dragon, and Lonefire Blossom to his Deck to draw 2 cards. He sent Bottomless Trap Hole from 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 with the Synchron’s effect, and attacked with Armory Arm for 1800 Battle Damage. Kelly Set a second and a third back row card to finish out.

Sandler drew Book of Moon and tried to Summon Worm Xex. Kelly dropped to 2400 Life Points to negate the Summon with Solemn Warning. Sandler brought it back with Monster Reborn, and Kelly banished it with Bottomless Trap Hole! Sandler Set 2 cards to his back row.

Kelly attacked again with Armory Arm. Sandler blew it away with Mirror Force, leaving Kelly to Summon Dandylion in Main Phase 2. Sandler debated using his Set Book of Moon. He opted not to, but when Kelly blasted it with Mystical Space Typhoon he flipped it to turn down Dandylion. Kelly ended.

Sandler drew another Cartaros and Set it, holding Cartaros and King. No W Nebula Meteorite in sight for Sandler.

Kelly Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld, Special Summoning Sangan from his Deck. He Tuned Tour Guide and Formula Synchron together to Synchro Summon T.G. Hyper Librarian, and then Flip Summoned Dandylion to stack it with Sangan. He Xyz Summoned Grenosaurus, and attacked with it to destroy Worm Cartaros. Its effect got Sandler another Worm Xex from his Deck, and Kelly detached Sangan for Grenosaurus‘ effect. He used Sangan’s effect to get Lonefire Blossom from his Deck, and then attacked for 2400 Battle Damage with Hyper Librarian.

Sandler drew Gozen Match, with 2000 Life Points remaining. He Summoned Worm Xex, and sent Worm Yagan to his Graveyard to Special Summon it in face-down Defense Position. He Set Gozen Match and ended.

Kelly Summoned Lonefire Blossom, Tributing it to Special Summon Spore from his Deck. Sandler flipped Gozen Match! Kelly opted to keep his DARK Hyper Librarian on the field, losing everything else. He moved on, banishing Armory Arm and Tour Guide from his Graveyard to Special Summon Chaos Sorcerer! Hyper Librarian attacked Xex to destroy it, and Chaos Sorcerer attacked into Yagan. Yagan was banished, but its effect bounced Hyper Librarian back to the Extra Deck.

Sandler drew and Set Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo. It wouldn’t matter, as Kelly would draw Caius the Shadow Monarch! He Tributed Sorcerer to Summon Caius, banished Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo, and attacked to end the Duel!

Steven Sandler’s combos just don’t seem to come together, as W Nebula Meteorite refuses to appear despite a great job drawing things out on Sandler’s behalf. Grant Kelly powers through Sandler’s defenses, and a lucky Caius finishes the Duel!

Sandler’s hand was D.D. Crow, Royal Oppression, King Tiger Wanghu, Seven Tools of the Bandit, Rivalry of Warlords, and W Nebula Meteorite! But no Worms to use it with! Still, he was in good shape. Sandler Summoned King Tiger and Set everything but Crow.

Kelly tried to Special Summon Cyber Dragon. Sandler responded with Royal Oppression, Kelly Chained Mystical Space Typhoon, and Cyber Dragon hit the field! It destroyed King Tiger moments later, and in Main Phase 2 Kelly Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld. He Special Summoned Sangan with her effect, and Sandler responded with Rivalry, sending Sangan and Tour Guide to the Graveyard as Kelly opted to keep his Machine-Type Cyber Dragon. He used Sangan to get Lonefire Blossom from his Deck.

Sandler drew Compulsory Evacuation Device and Set it.

Kelly attacked for 2100 Battle Damage with Cyber Dragon.

Sandler drew Worm Cartaros and Set it.

Kelly attacked with Cyber Dragon next turn, and Sandler repelled the attack with Compulsory Evacuation Device. Kelly activated Dark Hole, and Sandler Chained W Nebula Meteorite to flip Cartaros and get Worm Xex with its effect. Kelly had done a good job of stopping most of the Meteorite’s effect though, and Set a Spell / Trap.

Sandler drew Thunder King Rai-Oh and Summoned it for an attack and 1900 Battle Damage.

Kelly blew away Thunder King with Smashing Ground, and Summoned Lonefire Blossom to Special Summon another. He attacked with it for 500 Battle Damage, then Tributed it in Main Phase 2 to Special Summon Dandylion in Defense Position. Foolish Burial let him send Spore to the Graveyard, and he activated Pot of Avarice, targeting all 5 monsters in his Graveyard. Sandler Chained D.D. Crow to banish Spore and stop Avarice. Sandler Set a Spell or Trap.

Sandler Summoned Worm Xex, kicking Yagan to his Graveyard and Special Summoning it in face-down Defense Position. Xex attacked, and Kelly flipped Malevolent Catastrophe. Sandler negated it with Seven Tools of the Bandit, saving his Rivalry! Kelly Summoned 2 Fluff Tokens.

Kelly Set a monster.

Sandler drew Compulsory Evacuation Device He attacked Kelly’s Set Glow-Up Bulb with Yagan, destroying it, and Set Compulsory.

Kelly drew to 3 cards in hand, and Set a Spell or Trap.

Sandler drew Honest and passed.

Kelly Set a Spell or Trap.

Sandler drew Gozen Match. He Flip Summoned Yagan to boot away a Fluff Token, then attacked with Yagan. Sandler responded with Malevolent Catastrophe, and Sandler Chained Compulsory Evacuation Device to get rid of the other Token. That let Yagan and Xex make direct attacks, and Sandler Set Gozen Match.

Kelly Special Summoned another Cyber Dragon! He sent it to attack Yagan, and Sandler dropped Honest to beat the Dragon and drop Kelly to 2300 Life Points! Kelly activated Glow-Up Bulb’s effect to Special Summon it, then Tributed it for Caius the Shadow Monarch, banishing Worm Xex. Kelly Set a Spell or Trap.

Sandler drew Worm Cartaros and Set it. Yagan went to Defense Position.

Kelly attacked Yagan next turn with Caius, banishing Yagan, and Set a second Spell or Trap.

Sandler drew King Tiger Wanghu. He Flip Summoned Cartaros to get another Yagan, and Set it.

Kelly Summoned Reborn Tengu. Sandler flipped Gozen Match, and Kelly let go of his Caius. Tengu attacked over Worm Cartaros to lower Sandler to 2700 Life Points.

Sandler drew Forbidden Chalice and Set it.

Kelly attacked with Tengu into Yagan, taking 100 damage. Yagan bounced Tengu back to Kelly’s hand, and Kelly Special Summoned another from his Deck. He Set a third Spell / Trap Card.

Sandler drew another Forbidden Chalice! Time was called for the Match, and five turns would be played after this one. The Duel stood at 2700 Life Points to 2200, with Sandler leading. He Set a monster, and Set the second Chalice.

Kelly Summoned his other Tengu and attacked into Sandler’s set King Tiger, destroying it. Kelly Set another Spell / Trap.

Sandler drew Dark Hole.It was turn two of five, and Sandler passed.

Kelly Set a fifth card to his back row, then flipped Compulsory Evacuation Device, bouncing away Yagan! Kelly attacked with his Tengus, and Sandler conceded once he revealed his two Forbidden Chalices!

Grant Kelly moves on with a 7-1 record, now a single victory away from the Top 16!