Here’s a look at some of the interesting plays and Duels overseen at the top tables this round.

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Table 2: Manuel Ballasteros’ HEROes defeated vs. Tony Tran’s Chaos Dragons

Tran started off with Future Fusion, sending several Eclipse Wyverns and Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragons to his Graveyard. He then brought out Lightpulsar Dragon. Ballasteros was able to destroy Lightpulsar Dragon by activating Heavy Storm, then Chaining Gemini Spark (Lightpulsar can only activate its revival effect if it is destroyed as the last thing to resolve – chaining it to Heavy Storm caused it to miss its timing window). Tran brought it out again a couple turns later, but Ballasteros was able to use the same trick with Monster Reborn and Gemini Spark, and controlled the Duel from there.

In Duel 2, Ballasteros summoned Elemental HERO Stratos, searching out Elemental HERO Bubbleman. He then Set all of his Spell and Trap cards, and Special Summoned Bubbleman. Then he flipped over his Reinforcement of the Army, searching out and then Summoning another Bubbleman, and then an E – Emergency Call doing the same. He combined his 3 Bubblemen and 1 Stratos into 2 copies of Blade Armor Ninja, and used both of their effects, attacking directly four times into Tran’s open field!

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Table 3: Anthony Pascariello’s Dino-Rabbits beat Maxwell Witt’s Chaos Dragons

In the first Duel, Pascariello used his Dino Rabbit Deck to control the Duel, never letting Witt get off the ground with his Dragons.

In Duel 2, Pascariello had a Leviair the Sea Dragon summon Rescue Rabbit, which in turn brought out Evolzar Laggia. Pascariello didn’t attack, expecting Gorz (which was, in fact, in Witt’s hand). He waited a turn, using Leviair to bring Rescue Rabbit again, and used Evolzar Dolkka to secure his position. Witt started to make a comeback by forcing out all of Dolkka’s and Laggia’s negations and summoning Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, but Pascariello persevered and won the Match.

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Table 6: Ricky Novak’s HEROes defeated Alexander Decolator’s Inzektors

Novak controlled the first Duel with simply a few HEROes and a ton of traps, disrupting Decolator’s Inzektor moves at every turn.

In the second Duel, Novak used Prohibition against Inzektor Hornet, locking down Decolator’s usual form of destruction. When Prohibition was eventually destroyed, Novak had Skill Drain to continue the disruption. Attacks with Elemental HERO Neos Alius and Beast King Barbaros ended the Duel.

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Table 7: Marc Hahn (Dino-Rabbit) defeated Patrick Hoban (Dino-Rabbit) in extended time

Hoban began with Rescue Rabbit, which was hit by Effect Veiler. He banished it anyway, even though it would be negated, so he could get it back next turn with Leviair the Sea Dragon! Then he used Rescue Rabbit to bring out Evolzar Laggia. He held back on attacking, expecting Gorz the Emissary of Darkness (which was in Hahn’s hand!). Next turn he used Leviair again to bring out Evolzar Dolkka, guaranteeing his win.

Duel 2 Hoban had his Rescue Rabbit stopped by Effect Veiler again. Hahn used his own Rescue Rabbit to help get out Laggia, which took down Rabbit. Hoban stalled Laggia for a few turns, though, by using Gellenduo! He was able to eventually use Gellenduo and Sabersaurus to Xyz Summon Number 39: Utopia, taking out Laggia. Hahn’s Smashing Ground took down Utopia and, and his Rabbit brought Laggia into play. When Hoban tried to use Gorz, Hahn had Solemn Warning and won from there.

In Duel 3, Hahn stalled several turns with a Dolkka protected by Spells and Traps. Hoban eventually destroyed it, then Leviair Summoned Rabbit, which was negated by Effect Veiler. Next turn Hoban tried again, this time it was Torrential Tribute which stopped him! Time in the round was called at this point. Hoban Flip Summoned Gellenduo, Sabersaurus, and used Monster Reborn on Rescue Rabbit… only to find he had nothing to summon with it! He Normal Summoned Effect Veiler instead, using it and Rescue Rabbit to Synchro Summon Ally of Justice Catastor, which was destroyed by Bottomless Trap Hole. Hahn sat behind a Wind-Up Zenmaines and Hoban just couldn’t get around it before the End of Match procedures sealed the Duel in Hahn’s favor.

(If Hoban had been a little more careful, he could have avoided wasting Reborn on Rabbit. Instead, he could have revived another Dinosaur to combine with his Sabersaurus, and then used that to possibly win.)

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At both Table 3 and Table 7 we saw players bringing down huge fields with Leviair the Sea Dragon and Evolzar Laggia. However, they waited to attack because of the threat of Gorz the Emissary of Darkness. Instead, they waited another turn to establish more control with Evolzar Dolkka. Gorz is a very powerful card, but it’s also one of the easiest to avoid: Just don’t attack directly until you’re ready!