“If I lose this, this is my tenth bubble Match loss in a row,” laughed Vansant.  “Rage!”  Both of these competitors are 7-2 in this tournament, and in this final round of Swiss, it’s win or go home! Ray Abhimanu is playing Wind-Ups and Vansant is running Machina Gadgets with Gear Gigant X.

Vansant opened the Match with a hand of two Machina Gearframe; Monster Reborn; two Green Gadget; and Tragoedia.  He Summoned Gearframe and used its effect to search his Deck for Machina Fortress.  “I don’t know what you’re playing,” reflected Vansant.  He took a moment to ponder the situation, then ended, having no real plays to make.

Abhimanu Normal Summoned Wind-Up Magician, then Special Summoned Wind-Up Shark.  He Special Summoned another Magician with the effect of the first, then raised the Shark’s Level to 5 to trigger the effect of the second Magician: that got him another Shark from his Deck, which he also made Level 5.  He stacked the Sharks to Xyz Summon Tiras, Keeper of Genesis, then stacked the Magicians for Maestroke the Symphony Djinn.  Tiras attacked to destroy Gearframe, dealing 600 Battle Damage, and Maestroke made a direct attack.  Abhimanu detached a Material from Tiras, then Set a Spell or Trap.

Vansant drew Torrential Tribute.  He Summoned Machina Gearframe to get another Fortress, then discarded Green Gadget and the Fortress to Special Summon it.  He ditched another Green Gadget and the second Fortress to Special Summon that, then tried to Xyz Summon Number 11: Big Eye: Abhimanu negated the Summon with a huge Solemn Judgment!  Vansant had used four cards to try for what would have been a back breaking Big Eye, but lost them all to one Trap Card.  Still, he pressed on: he used Monster Reborn to Special Summon Green Gadget, getting Red Gadget from his Deck with Green’s effect.  He stacked Green Gadget and Gearframe and deliberated between Xyz Summoning Maestroke the Symphony Djinn or Fairy King Albverdich, settling on Maestroke to turn Tiras face-down.  It attacked Tiras to destroy it, and Vansant Set Torrential Tribute.

Abhimanu Normal Summoned Wind-Up Rat, and Vansant flipped Torrential Tribute: both Duelists detached to keep their Maestrokes on the field, but Abhimanu attacked with his to destroy Vansant’s.

Vansant drew another Torrential Tribute, and Summoned Red Gadget to get Yellow Gadget from his Deck.  He Set Torrential.

Abhimanu activated Pot of Avarice, sending two Wind-Up Magician; two Wind-Up Shark; and Tiras back to his Deck to draw two cards.  He followed up with Heavy Storm, then Normal Summoned Wind-Up Rat to Special Summon the first Rat from his Graveyard.  He stacked them to Xyz Summon Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity, and used its ability to Special Summon Wind-Up Hunter!  He gave up Zenmaity to make Vansant drop Yellow Gadget, then attacked to wipe Vansant’s field.  Vansant had one card left in hand: Tragoedia, which he Special Summoned.  Abhimanu Set a back row card.  Vansant drew and Set a card to his back row.  Abhimanu pressed with a Wind-Up Rabbit next turn and the first Duel was over!

Ray Abhimanu takes total command of the first Duel with a back-breaking Solemn Judgment, and coasts onward to victory!  One more win like that would see Abhimanu take a seat in the Top 32.  

Vansant opened Duel 2 with a hand of two Red Gadgets; Pot of Avarice; Machina Fortress; Maxx “C”; and Tragoedia.  He Summoned Red Gadget to get Yellow Gadget from his Deck.  

Abhimanu Set two cards to his backrow and Summoned Wind-Up Rabbit.

Vansant drew Solemn Warning and Summoned Yellow Gadget, getting Green Gadget from his Deck.  He stacked his Gadgets to try and Xyz Summon Gear Gigant X, but Abhimanu shut him down with Solemn Warning.  Vansant Set his own Warning and ended.

Abhimanu attacked with Wind-Up Rabbit, and Vansant Special Summoned Tragoedia.  Abhimanu Set two cards to his back row.

Vansant drew Rivalry of Warlords and turned Trageodia to attack into Dimensional Prison.  Vansant Summoned Green Gadget in Main Phase 2 to get Red Gadget from his Deck, then Set Rivalry.

Abhimanu Set a monster.

Vansant drew Monster Reborn and Summoned Red Gadget, getting Yellow from his Deck.  He stacked them to Xyz Summon Gear Gigant X, but when he used its effect Abhimanu Chained Effect Veiler’s ability to keep Vansant from searching.  Vansant pitched Yellow Gadget and Machina Fortress to Special Summon the Fortress, then shuffled back everything else in his Graveyard for Pot of Avarice.  That got him Starlight Road and Torrential Tribute.  Fortress attacked Rabbit; Abhimanu banished it to dodge; and Fortress attacked Abhimanu’s Set Snowman Eater.  Its effect destroyed Gigant X.  Vansant Set Torrential and Starlight to end.

Abhimanu brought back his Rabbit and Set a third card to his back row.

Vansant drew Book of Moon and Summoned Red Gadget.  Abhimanu flipped Torrential Tribute; Vansant Chained Starlight Road; but Abhimanu had that Solemn Judgment yet again!  The field was wiped, but Abhimanu lost his Rabbit in the process.  Vansant pressed on, bringing back Machina Fortress with Monster Reborn: it attacked into Dimensional Prison, and Vansant saved it with Book of Moon.  Abhimanu was down to one card in hand.

He drew to two cards, and Normal Summoned Wind-Up Rat to reveal Wind-Up Shark: Vansant Chained Maxx “C”, and drew a card with its effect when the Shark was Special Summoned.  Abhimanu knocked Shark down to Level 3, then tried to Xyz Summon Zenmaines, but Vansant’s Solemn Warning gave Abhimanu ample reason to shuffle up for Duel 3.

Alex Vansant finally manages to draw some Trap Cards, and fights back to win the second Duel as a result.  We were headed to Duel 3.

Abhimanu Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh, mortal enemy of Machina Gadgets.

Vansant had Yellow Gadget; two Machina Gearframe; Heavy Storm; Book of Moon; and Solemn Judgment.  That Thunder King was locking down three of his cards, so Vansant turned it down with Book of Moon so he could grab Machina Fortress with Machina Gearframe.  He discarded Yellow Gadget and Fortress to Special Summon Fortress, then attacked with Gearframe to destroy Thunder King.  Fortress made a direct attack, and Abhimanu didn’t have Gorz the Emissary of Darkness!  Vansant strapped Gearframe to Fortress as a Union Monster, Set Judgment, and ended.

Abhimanu Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld and Special Summoned Sangan.  He stacked them for Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity, then used its effect to Special Summon Wind-Up Magician.  He Special Summoned Wind-Up Shark from his hand, then Special Summoned another Magician from his Deck.  Changing Shark to Level 5 let Abhimanu Special Summon another Shark, and he changed it to Level 5 for Tiras, Keeper of Genesis: Vansant negated the Summon with Solemn Judgment.  Abhimanu Set a Spell or Trap, then Xyz Summoned Maestroke the Symphony Djinn to turn Fortress face-down.  That triggered Fortress’ effect, revealing Abhimanu’s hand: Spirit Reaper; Wind-Up Hunter; and Wind-Up Rat.  Vansant decided to send Wind-Up Rat to the Graveyard.  Maestroke attacked to destroy Fortress, and its effect targeted Abhimanu’s Maestroke: Vansant detached to keep Maestroke on the field.

Vansant drew Starlight Road and activated Heavy Storm, destroying Abhimanu’s Bottomless Trap Hole.  He Summoned Machina Gearframe to get Machina Cannon from his Deck, and discarded it to Special Summon back Fortress.  Gearframe attacked to destroy Zenmaity, and Fortress attacked over Maestroke.  Vansant Set Starlight, his last card.

Abhimanu activated System Down!  He dropped to 3800 Life Points to banish all of Vansant’s Machine-Types from the field and Graveyard!  He Set a monster.

Vansant drew another Gearframe!  He Summoned it to get Machina Fortress from his Deck, and attacked to flip Abhimanu’s face-down Spirit Reaper.

Abhimanu Set another monster.

Vansant drew Call of the Haunted.  He Set it and didn’t attack.

Abhimanu Flip Summoned Snowman Eater, then Normal Summoned Wind-Up Rat to Special Summon another Rat from his Graveyard.  He stacked Rat and Snowman for Wind-Up Zenmaines, then attacked directly with Spirit Reaper to make Vansant discard his Fortress.  Zenmaines then made a direct attack.  Less than two minutes remained in the round, and the Duel stood at 2200 Life Points to 3800, with Abhimanu leading.  He stacked Spirit Reaper and Rat as time was called, Xyz Summoning a second Wind-Up Zenmaines.  Five turns remained in the Duel.

Vansant drew Compulsory Evacuation Device.  He had three turns including this one to even up the score.  “This is one of those awkward moments where I wish I played a card that I don’t, that I’d considered, but decided not to run for this tournament…”  He Set the Compulsory.

Abhimanu turned his Zenmaines to Attack Position – both of them – and tried to attack, but Vansant flipped Call of the Haunted to bring back Fortress.  Abhimanu ended his Battle Phase, but activated Dark Hole in Main Phase 2!  His Zenmaines’ effects would threaten to destroy all of Vansant’s remaining cards, but Vansant had that Compulsory face-down.  He had to decide how and when to use it, and decided not to do so quite yet.  Abhimanu detached a Material from each of his Xyz Monsters to keep them on the field.  In the End Phase, Abhimanu targeted Compulsory Evacuation Device for the effect of his first Zenmaines, and Vansant bounced away the other one on the Chain!

Vansant drew Maxx “C” – no help there.  He Set it.  His other remaining card was that Set Starlight Road.  Abhimanu drew Mind Control next turn to win the Match!

Ray Abhimanu moves on, clinching a place in the Top 32!