Clayton Hill traveled here all the way from Arizona, and Abhishek Khadka is from Virginia. Clayton qualified for the WCQ at YCS Long Beach and a regional in Tempe, Arizona. Abhishek managed to qualify at the Last Chance Qualifier yesterday! This has been a long road to this point, but only one Duelist can move on!

While changing their deck sleeves, the Duelists talked about Side Deck strategies; and what decks can switch into other decks with their Side Decks. Side Decking appears to have been a major factor at results this weekend, but only time will tell.

After set-up, the Duelists were ready to begin on their awesome Ma’at mats!

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Duel 1

Hill started off with Inzektor Hornet, 2 Effect Veilers, Inzektor Giga-Mantis, Tour Guide From the Underworld, and Mystical Space Typhoon. He summoned Tour Guide and it brought along Sangan in defense position. He Set Typhoon and finished his turn.

Khadka discarded 2 Gravekeeper’s Commandants to get 2 Necrovalleys to his hand. He activated Pot of Duality to reveal Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo, Gravekeeper’s Spy, and Gravekeeper’s Recruiter. He decided to add Spy to his hand, and put the other two back. He activated Necrovalley, Set a monster, a back row, and activated Royal Tribute! Hill Chained Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Necrovalley, but still lost his entire hand! Khadka revealed the other two cards in his hand, two more Necrovalleys! Khadka activated one of them.

Hill drew Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, unable to summon it because of Necrovalley. He passed.

Khadka Set a back row.

Hill drew Dark Hole. He passed.

Khadka Set a third back row.

Hill drew Solemn Warning and Set it.

Khadka flipped his Spy up, and Hill negated its effect and destroyed it with Warning! Hill paid 2000 Life Points, the first change in Life Points so far. Khadka flipped up Gravekeeper’s Stele, retrieving Spy and Commandant. He Set a monster.

Hill drew Heavy Storm! He completely cleared the field with Heavy Storm and Dark Hole, destroying Khadka’s 2 Torrential Tributes, Necrovalley, and Commandant; and his own Tour Guide and Sangan. His Sangan gave him Inzektor Dragonfly. He summoned it and equipped it with Hornet from his Graveyard. Then he banished Effect Veiler and Sangan to summon his Black Luster Soldier! Hill wanted to use his Hornet on the Dragonfly it was equipped to, intending to use Dragonfly’s effect. Unfortunately, Dragonfly needs to survive the Chain after Hornet is sent to the Graveyard, so destroying the same Dragonfly with Hornet won’t work. He was still able to have Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning attack directly, however, and finished his turn.

Khadka Set a monster and activated Necrovalley.

Hill drew Inzektor Centipede. He Set it and tried to banish Khadka’s face-down monster with Black Luster, but Khadka negated Black Luster with an Effect Veiler. (Hill couldn’t use the Centipede effectively because Necrovalley was preventing him from equipping anything from the Graveyard)

Khadka flipped up his Spy, then searched out Gravekeeper’s Descendant! He Normal Summoned Gravekeeper’s Recruiter, then had Descendant tribute it to destroy Black Luster Soldier. Recruiter added another Recruiter to Khadka’s hand. Descendant took down Centipede, and Spy attacked directly. In Main Phase 2 Khadka Special Summoned Malefic Stardust Dragon!

Hill drew Gorz the Emissary of Darkness! He passed, safe with Gorz in hand.

Khadka attacked directly with Malefic Stardust, and Hill threw down his Gorz with a 2500 ATK Emissary of Darkness Token. In Main Phase 2 Khadka summoned Recruiter, then had Descendant blow away Gorz and the token! Hill was conceding moments later, unable to fight out from under Necrovalley.

Khadka has a massive advantage starting off with 3 Necrovalleys and Royal Tribute to lock his opponent down, but Hill should have some answers in his Side Deck. Game 2 started moments later.

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Duel 2

Hill’s opening hand was Inzektor Hornet, Inzektor Giga-Mantis, Effect Veiler, and 3 Tour Guides From the Underworld! He summoned one Guide, and used it to bring Sangan out in defense position.

Khadka Set a monster and three back row.

Hill drew Dust Tornado. He tributed his Sangan to summon Giga-Mantis and searched out Inzektor Dragonfly with Sangan. Khadka decided he should get Macro Cosmos face-up now, and Hill ended his turn by setting Dust Tornado.

Khadka Set another monster.

Hill drew a second Hornet. He Normal Summoned Dragonfly, equipped it with Hornet from his hand, and destroyed Macro. After Macro was destroyed, Khadka sent Effect Veiler to the Graveyard to negate Dragonfly, causing Hornet to be unequipped. Hill decided to combine Dragonfly and Tour Guide for Number 20: Giga-Brilliant. When it was summoned, Khadka flipped another Macro Cosmos! Hill detached and banished Dragonfly to use Giga-Brilliant’s effect.

Khadka Set a third monster.

Hill drew Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, but had no LIGHT monsters in the Graveyard. He had the LIGHT Giga-Brilliant on the field and an Effect Veiler in his hand, but Macro Cosmos was keeping them out of the Graveyard. He Normal Summoned Effect Veiler, and Khadka flipped it face-down with Book of Moon. (Khadka knew Hill would be able to clear the field with Black Rose Dragon.)

Khadka flipped up his Gravekeeper’s Spy and summoned a Gravekeeper’s Recruiter. Then he Normal Summoned Descendant and tributed his Spy to destroy and banish Giga-Mantis. He flipped another Spy, getting another Recruiter! Descendant tributed that Spy to take out Giga-Brilliant. Finally he flipped up his THIRD Spy! It brought out Gravekeeper’s Commandant. He stacked his 2 Recruiters for Number 17: Leviathan Dragon, detaching one material to boost its ATK. Spy attacked the face-down Effect Veiler, then Commandant, Descendant, and Leviathan Dragon attacked directly! Hill had 2400 Life Points remaining, to Khadka’s 8000. In Main Phase 2 he overlayed Descendant and Commandant for Wind-Up Zenmaister, using it to flip Spy face-down. Khadka Set his last card in his hand to his back row. In the End Phase, Spy flipped up again due to Zenmaister’s effect, and Special Summoned a new Descendant!

Hill drew Inzektor Dragonfly. He summoned a Tour Guide, Special Summoning the other from his hand. He overlayed them for Wind-Up Zenmaines, but Khadka negated the summon with Solemn Judgment to guarantee his victory!

Abhishek Khadka activates four Gravekeeper’s Spy effects in a single turn to move ahead to Top 4, demonstrating once again the anti-Graveyard power of Necrovalley and Macro Cosmos!