Zakary Kramer and Barrett Keys are both 7-2 in the tournament, and now they’re facing off in a Match that pits Zakary Kramer’s Piper Chaos Deck against Barrett Keys’ Master Hyperion Deck. The winner of this Match will be assured a spot on the Top 32, and will be able to continue fighting for a YCS victory!

Keys started off Duel 1 by activating Pot of Duality, revealing 2 copies of Mystical Shine Ball and a Tour Guide From the Underworld from the top of his Deck. He added the Tour Guide to his hand and shuffled the 2 Shine Balls back into his Deck.

Kramer opened up with Mystic Piper, Sangan, Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, Chaos Sorcerer, Glow-Up Bulb, and Battle Fader. He Summoned the Piper and Tributed it to draw and reveal Monster Reborn.

Keys Normal Summoned Tour Guide From the Underworld and activated its effect to Special Summon Sangan from his Deck. He attacked with both monsters, dropping Kramer down to 6000 Life Points.

Kramer drew Mystical Space Typhoon next turn. He Summoned Sangan and used it to attack Keys’ Tour Guide, destroying both monsters. Kramer used his Sangan’s effect to add another Piper from his Deck to his hand. Next, Kramer banished Mystic Piper and Sangan from his Graveyard to Special Summon Chaos Sorcerer! He activated its effect to try to banish Keys’ Sangan, but Keys discarded Effect Veiler to negate Sorcerer’s effect. Kramer Set Mystical Space Typhoon before ending his turn.

Keys activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Kramer’s face-down Mystical Space Typhoon, then Normal Summoned The Agent of Mystery – Earth and used its effect to add The Agent of Creation – Venus from his Deck to his hand. Next, he activated Mind Control to take control of Chaos Sorcerer. Keys attacked directly with Sangan and Earth, dropping Kramer down to 4000 Life Points. Keys activated the effect of Chaos Sorcerer next, in order to have it banish itself in Main Phase 2.

[After the Match, I asked Keys why he used Mind Control to take and banish Chaos Sorcerer, when he could’ve attacked over it by Synchro Summoning T.G. Hyper Librarian, or could’ve Tuned the Sorcerer with Earth instead. Keys replied, “He didn’t have any DARKs in the Graveyard and I knew he had Reborn, so I couldn’t let it go to the Graveyard by Synchro Summoning with it or destroying it.]

Kramer activated Pot of Duality next turn, revealing Effect Veiler, Caius the Shadow Monarch, and Tragoedia from the top of his Deck. He added the Tragoedia to his hand and then Normal Summoned Mystic Piper. He Tribute the Piper to draw and Reveal Kinka-Byo, and then drew a Chaos Sorcerer thanks to his Piper’s effect. Kramer had 7 cards in his hand in the End Phase, and chose to discard Glow-Up Bulb.

Keys Normal Summoned The Agent of Creation – Venus next turn and activated its effect twice, paying 1000 Life Points to Special Summon 2 Mystical Shine Balls from his Deck. Venus tried attacking Kramer directly; but Kramer Special Summoned Battle Fader and stopped the attack. In Main Phase 2, Keys Tuned Venus, Earth, and 2 Shine Balls together to Synchro Summon Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier! Battle Fader was banished from the field, Glow-Up Bulb was banished from the Graveyard, and Tragoedia was banished from Kramer’s hand.

Kramer drew Dark Armed Dragon next turn. He Summoned Kinka-Byo and activated its effect to Special Summon Mystic Piper from his Graveyard. Then he activated Monster Reborn, targeting Keys’ Earth; Keys Chained Maxx “C” to draw a card when Earth was Special Summoned. But Maxx “C” wasn’t going to stop Kramer! Kramer Tuned Earth with Kinka-Byo and Mystic Piper to Synchro Summon Armory Arm, allowing Keys to draw another card with the effect of Maxx “C”. Finally, Kramer banished the only 2 monsters in his Graveyard, Kinka-Byo and Mystic Piper, to Special Summon Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, allowing Keys to draw another card. But none of these extra draws made a difference! Kramer equipped his Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning with Armory Arm, and then used his 4000 ATK Soldier to attack over Trishula and Sangan! Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning dealt 4300 points of Battle Damage, and Armory Arm helped deal 3700 points of effect damage! All 7000 of Keys’ Life Points were wiped out!

[After the Match, I asked Keys if there were any plays he regretted. “I should’ve switched the Sangan to Defense Position before he Summoned Black Luster Soldier,” he told me. “I didn’t even attack with it!”]

Zakary Kramer makes a remarkable comeback with Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning and Armory Arm in Duel 1! Barrett Keys will be going first in Duel 2!

Keys started off Duel 2 by Summoning The Agent of Creation – Venus and using its effect 3 times to Special Summon 3 Shine Balls from his Deck in Defense Position. He combined 2 of them to Xyz Summon Gachi Gachi Gantetsu in Defense Position and then ended his turn.

Kramer opened up with Heavy Storm, Pot of Duality, Symphonic Warrior Basses, Mystical Space Typhoon, Dark Armed Dragon, and Caius the Shadow Monarch. He activated Pot of Duality, revealing Spirit Reaper, Tragoedia, and Maxx “C” from the top of his Deck. He added the Tragoedia to his hand and shuffled the other 2 cards back into his Deck.

Keys activated Pot of Duality, revealing Monster Reborn, D.D. Crow, and Mystical Space Typhoon from the top of his Deck. He added the Monster Reborn to his hand and shuffled the other 2 cards back into his Deck. Next, he attacked directly with his 2000 ATK Venus, and Kramer Special Summoned Tragoedia from his hand in Attack Position. Kramer Tributed Mystical Shine Ball and Venus in Main Phase 2, in order to Summon Master Hyperion. Then he banished Mystical Shine Ball from his Graveyard to use Hyperion’s effect and destroy Tragoedia.

Kramer drew Creature Swap next turn. He Set Mystical Space Typhoon and passed.

Keys attacked directly with his 3100 ATK Hyperion and Kramer dropped down to 2900 Life Points.

Kramer drew Torrential Tribute next turn. He Summoned Symphonic Warrior Basses and then activated Creature Swap, trading his Basses for Keys’ Hyperion. Kramer attacked and destroyed the Basses with Hyperion, and Keys Special Summoned Tragoedia when he lost 1700 Life Points in the exchange. Kramer Set Torrential Tribute before ending his turn.

Keys Normal Summoned The Agent of Mystery – Earth and activated its effect to add a Venus from his Deck to his hand. Then Tragoedia attacked over Master Hyperion and Earth attacked directly, dropping Kramer down to 200 Life Points.

Kramer drew Sangan next turn. He Normal Summoned it and flipped Torrential Tribute, destroying all monsters and costing Gachi Gachi Gantetsu an Xyz Material. Kramer grabbed Battle Fader from his Deck with Sangan’s effect, in order to survive another turn.

Keys used Monster Reborn to Special Summon Master Hyperion and then tried to attack directly; but Kramer Special Summoned Battle Fader to negate the attack and end the Battle Phase! Keys banished a Fairy from his Graveyard to destroy Battle Fader in Main Phase 2.

Kramer drew Dark Hole and activated it next turn.

But it was no help! Keys Normal Summoned Tour Guide From the Underworld and used it to wipe out Kramer’s last 200 Life Points!

Barrett Keys Summons Gachi Gachi Gantetsu on his first turn and keeps it around for almost all of Duel 2! Zakary Kramer will be going first in Duel 3.

Kramer opened up Duel 3 with Trap Dustshoot, Chaos Sorcerer, Tragoedia, Mystical Space Typhoon, Kinka-Byo, and Torrential Tribute. He Set Trap Dustshoot and ended his turn.

Keys drew a card and Kramer flipped Trap Dustshoot! Keys revealed Pot of Duality, Chaos Sorcerer, Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, Effect Veiler, D.D. Crow, and another card from his hand. Kramer returned Gorz to Keys’ Deck with Trap Dustshoot’s effect. Keys activated Pot of Duality next, revealing Master Hyperion, D.D. Crow, and The Agent of Creation – Venus from the top of his Deck. He added Venus to his hand and shuffled the other 2 cards back into his Deck.

Kramer drew Glow-Up Bulb next turn. He Set Torrential Tribute and passed.

Keys Normal Summoned The Agent of Creation – Venus and activated its effect twice to Special Summon 2 Mystical Shine Balls from his Deck. He combined them into Gachi Gachi Gantetsu and then paid another 500 Life Points to Special Summon another Shine Ball from his Deck. Kramer flipped Torrential Tribute to destroy Venus and the Shine Ball, and force Gachi Gachi to detach an Xyz Material.

Kramer drew One for One next turn! He activated it by discarding Glow-Up Bulb, and Special Summoned Mystic Piper from his Deck. He Tributed it to draw Tragoedia.

[Kramer didn’t Normal Summon Summon Kinka-Byo and use its effect to Special Summon Mystic Piper, because Piper’s effect can only be used once per turn.]

Keys Normal Summoned Tour Guide next turn and activated its effect to Special Summon Sangan from his Deck. Sangan attacked directly, and Kramer Special Summoned Tragoedia. Keys activated Mind Control to take control of Tragoedia, and copied Venus’s Level with Tragoedia’s effect in order to turn Tragoedia into a Level 3 monster. Then he combined Tour Guide with Tragoedia to Xyz Summon Wind-Up Zenmaines in Defense Position.

Kramer drew Chaos Sorcerer next turn. He sent Heavy Storm from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard to try to Special Summon Glow-Up Bulb, but Keys discarded D.D. Crow to banish the Glow-Up Bulb. Next, Kramer Normal Summoned Kinka-Byo and activated its effect; but Keys discarded Effect Veiler to negate its effect! In the End Phase, Kinka-Byo remained on the field, since its effect was negated.

Keys switched his Wind-Up Zenmaines to Attack Position and then attacked over Kinka-Byo with Zenmaines. Kramer lost 1300 Life Points and Special Summoned Tragoedia in Defense Position. Keys activated Smashing Ground to destroy Tragoedia in Main Phase 2.

Kramer drew Kinka-Byo next turn. He Normal Summoned it and used its effect to Special Summon Mystic Piper from his Graveyard, then Tributed the Piper to draw another Piper and an Effect Veiler. Next, Kramer banished Piper and Tragoedia from his Graveyard to Special Summon Chaos Sorcerer, and activated the Sorcerer’s effect to banish Keys’ Wind-Up Zenmaines. Kramer Set Mystical Space Typhoon before entering his End Phase and returning Kinka-Byo to his hand.

Keys banished Venus from his Graveyard to Special Summon Master Hyperion and then attacked Chaos Sorcerer with it. Kramer dropped down to 4900 Life Points, and then then the 1200 ATK Sangan, boosted by Gachi Gachi Gantetsu, attacked directly, dropping Kramer down to 3700 Life Points.

Kramer drew Caius the Shadow Monarch next turn. He Normal Summoned Mystic Piper and Tributed it to draw Maxx “C”. Next, Kramer banished Mystic Piper and Chaos Sorcerer from his Graveyard to Special Summon Chaos Sorcerer, and used the Sorcerer’s effect to banish Master Hyperion.

Keys drew a card and Kramer discarded Maxx “C” in his Standby Phase. Keys banished Effect Veiler and Tour Guide From the Underworld from his Graveyard to Special Summon Chaos Sorcerer anyway, allowing Kramer to draw Book of Moon. Keys’ 2500 ATK Sorcerer attacked and destroyed Kramer’s 2300 ATK Sorcerer, and then Keys switched his Sangan to Defense Position.

[After the Match, I asked Kramer if there were any plays he regretted. He replied, “I should’ve Veilered the Sorcerer in Main Phase 2. On my turn I would’ve played my Chaos Sorcerer, attempting to remove his Chaos Sorcerer, and he would’ve Veilered. Then I would’ve Tributed Sorcerer for Caius, banishing the Gachi Gachi Gantetsu and attacking over the Sorcerer.”]

Kramer drew Pot of Avarice and then Set Effect Veiler and Book of Moon.

Keys switched Sangan into Attack Position and used it to attack and destroy Kramer’s face-down Effect Veiler. Next, Chaos Sorcerer attacked directly, dropping Kramer down to 1000 Life Points.

Kramer drew Battle Fader next turn. He Normal Summoned Kinka-Byo and used its effect, but Keys discarded Effect Veiler to negate it.

Keys attacked Kinka-Byo with Chaos Sorcerer next turn, and Kramer used Book of Moon to put Kinka-Byo face-down and avoid losing Life Points. Then Sangan attacked directly, and Kramer Special Summoned Battle Fader to stay in the Duel! In Main Phase 2, Keys activated Monster Reborn to Special Summon Kramer’s Chaos Sorcerer, and used Sorcerer’s effect to banish Battle Fader.

[Kramer didn’t realize he could’ve used Kinka-Byo’s effect when it flipped face-up, in order to resurrect a Level 1 monster to protect him. If he had used Kinka-Byo’s effect, he would’ve been able to avoid using his Battle Fader.]

Kramer drew Symphonic Warrior Basses next turn. He activated Pot of Avarice, returning the only 5 monsters in his Graveyard to the Deck, and drew Creature Swap and Mystic Piper. He Summoned the Piper and Tributed it to draw Effect Veiler and Kinka-Byo.

But it was all over on Keys’ next turn! Keys attacked directly with his swarm of monsters to finish the Match!

Barrett Keys is moving on to the Top 32!