Top 16 Feature Match: Grant Kelly vs. Conrad Selig
Conrad Selig shattered predictions for the field yesterday, sweeping nine opponents in a row to become the only undefeated Duelist in Day 1. His Deck of choice? An unprecedented build of “Malefic Drain”: a Deck that combines big Normal Summons with Malefic monsters and Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon to bruteforce its way through the opponent’s defenses. Two Malefic Drain Decks made it to the Top 16, but both are vastly different: Selig’s runs Trade-In and Upstart Goblin, with six Malefic monsters. The build is fast, consistent, and reliable.
His opponent is Synchro Duelist Grant Kelly, who we saw win a previous Feature Match yesterday. Kelly and Selig are actually long-time friends: they’re the only two local players from Indianapolis that made the Top 16 cut. The stakes were high, but the mood was friendly and light-hearted. It was time to kick off Day 2!
Kelly started our day Setting 2 cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone, and Setting a monster.
Selig had a hand of Xing Zhen Hu, Upstart Goblin, Forbidden Lance, Malefic Stardust Dragon, Skill Drain, and Beast King Barbaros. He Summoned Barbaros and Set everything but Stardust to his back row.
Kelly Tributed his Set Effect Veiler for Caius the Shadow Monarch, activating its effect to try and banish Barbaros. Selig Chained Skill Drain, but Kelly Chained Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy it! Barbaros was banished and Kelly made a direct attack. He Set another Spell / Trap in Main Phase 2, and Selig hit him with Xing Zhen Hu in the End Phase! Kelly Chained Limit Reverse to Special Summon his Effect Veiler in Attack Position.
Selig drew another Barbaros. He flipped his Set Upstart Goblin to draw Safe Zone, and Summoned Barbaros to swing over Veiler for 1900 Battle Damage. Selig Set Safe Zone.
Kelly attacked Barbaros with Caius, and Selig flipped Forbidden Lance in the Damage Step to drop Caius’ ATK to 1600! Caius smashed into Barbaros, and was destroyed. Kelly Set a monster.
“That’s what I like to see,” smiled Selig. He’d drawn Terraforming, and used it to get Necrovalley. Now his Malefic Stardust Dragon was online. He Special Summoned it by sending Stardust Dragon from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard, then attacked with Malefic Stardust to destroy Kelly’s Set Debris Dragon.
Kelly Set a monster, and another Spell or Trap.
Selig drew another Barbaros! He turned Barbaros to Defense Position, and Malefic Stardust Dragon attacked Kelly’s Set Reborn Tengu. He Special Summoned another.
Kelly attacked Barbaros with Reborn Tengu, destroying it. A Set monster finished the turn.
Selig drew Gravekeeper’s Commandant and attacked Tengu with Malefic Stardust. Kelly didn’t have a third Tengu to Special Summon.
Kelly Set a third Spell / Trap.
Selig drew Compulsory Evacuation Device and attacked with Malefic Stardust. Kelly thought a moment, before letting the attack go, losing his third Tengu. Selig Set Compulsory.
Kelly Set another monster, and another Spell / Trap.
Selig drew Malefic Stardust Dragon and attacked with his on-field copy.Kelly responded with Mirror Force, and Selig Chained Safe Zone, protecting Malefic Stardust Dragon. It destroyed another face-down Effect Veiler!
Kelly passed his next turn, holding 1 card in hand, with 3 Set in his back row (one of which was locked down under Xing Zhen Hu).
Selig drew Geartown. He had 3 additional cards in hand, with 1 Set in his back row, Xing Zhen Hu and Safe Zone active, and Malefic Stardust Dragon face-up in Attack Position. Selig pitched Commandant to go get another Necrovalley from his Deck. He Set Geartown, destroying Malefic Stardust Dragon and losing Safe Zone. He flipped Geartown, then Set the second Necrovalley, destroying Geartown and Special Summoning Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon from his Deck! He flipped Necrovalley, forcing Kelly to Chain Call of the Haunted to Special Summon back his Caius. When Gadjiltron Dragon attacked, Kelly responded with Compulsory Evacuation Device, bouncing the Dragon back to Selig’s hand. Selig Special Summoned Malefic Stardust Dragon in Main Phase 2.
Kelly Normal Summoned Glow-Up Bulb, and Selig responded with Compulsory Evacuation Device, bouncing Bulb back to Kelly’s hand. Kelly turned Caius to Defense Position.
Selig drew another Malefic Stardust, and attacked to destroy Caius.
Kelly Set a monster.
Selig drew Trade-In! He discarded his Ancient Gear Gardjiltron Dragon, drawing Skill Drain and Malefic Cyber End Dragon! Malefic Stardust Dragon attacked to destory Glow-Up Bulb, and Selig Set Skill Drain.
Kelly Set a monster.
Selig drew Upstart Goblin, and Normal Summoned Beast King Barbaros. He flipped Skill Drain, boosting Barbaros to 3000 ATK, and shutting off Malefic Stardust’s effect that would keep Barbaros from attacking. Then he attacked with Malefic Stardust to destroy Kelly’s Spore. Barbaros attacked for 3000 Battle Damage, and Selig Set Upstart Goblin.
Kelly Set a monster.
Selig drew another Trade-In, and this time he discarded his Malefic Stardust Dragon. It got him another Trade-In, plus Geartown. Malefic Stardust attacked Kelly’s Dandylion, and Barbaros detroyed one of the resulting Fluff Tokens. Kelly got to keep one on the field, but he conceded moments later.
Grant Kelly has the early Mystical Space Typhoon to shut down Conrad Selig’s first Skill Drain, but a grinding pace plus the power of Necrovalley keeps Kelly on the ropes the whole Duel. Selig takes the first win – one more like that, and he’d be on his way to the Top 8. Selig brought in Thunder Kings and Dimensional Fissures from his Side Deck.
Kelly Set 3 cards to his back row to start the second Duel.
Selig had Skill Drain, Beast King Barbaros, Safe Zone, Necrovalley, Terraforming, and Dimensional Fissure. Terraforming got him Geartown, and he activated it. He Set Necrovalley to destroy Geartown, activating its effect, and Kelly tried to activate Solemn Warning (which was not a legal activation – so Solemn was flipped back face-down). Selig Special Summoned Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon from his Deck, and flipped Necrovalley. Gadjiltron Dragon attacked for 3000 Battle Damage. Selig finished his turn by activating Dimensional Fissure and Setting Safe Zone and Skill Drain. Kelly destroyed Necrovalley with Dust Tornado in the End Phase.
Kelly activated Smashing Ground next turn, but Selig Chained Safe Zone to protect Gadjiltron Dragon. Kelly Set a monster.
Selig drew another Geartown, and attacked to destroy Kelly’s Tengu with Gadjiltron Dragon. Kelly Special Summoned another Tengu, and Selig activated Geartown.
Kelly passed.
Selig drew Thunder King Rai-Oh and attacked the second Tengu with Gadjiltron Dragon.Kelly Special Summoned his last copy. Selig Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh.
Kelly Set a third Spell / Trap, then Set a monster.
Selig drew Nobleman of Crossout, and activated it to banish Kelly’s freshly-Set Glow-Up Bulb! He Summoned Barbaros, and attacked Tengu with Gadjiltron Dragon! Thunder King attacked for 1900 Battle Damage, and when Selig attacked with Barbaros he flipped Skill Drain. Kelly had just 100 Life Points left.
But Kelly blasted the field with Dark Hole next turn! He Set a monster, and Set another card to his back row.
Selig drew another Geartown! He Set it over the other one, destroying it, and brought out a second Gadjiltron Dragon. He flipped up Geartown, then attacked Kelly’s monster with the Safe Zoned Gadjiltron, destroying Kelly’s Sangan! The second Gadjiltron Dragon attacked to end the Match! Kelly revealed his Set cards: Solemn Warning, Call of the Haunted, Monster Reborn, and Pot of Avarice.
Conrad Selig utterly dismantles Grant Kelly’s Tour Guide Tengu Synchro Deck, taking a 2-0 victory to secure his place in the Top 8! Victory for Malefic Drain, as Selig remains undefeated!
