Round 10 Feature Match: Robert Palumbo Versus Michael Kmiotek
Welcome to Day 2! Two more Rounds of Swiss competition remain in this tournament, and these Duelists were both 7-2 here this morning! Two more wins would put them in contention for the Top 32, but one more loss might knock them out of the running entirely! Robert Palumbo is playing Machina Geargia, a strategy that has yet to win a YCS; Michael Kmiotek is running Six Samurai, the deck that won YCS Indianapolis one month ago. Who would win?! We were about to find out!
Kmiotek opened up Day 2 with Shien’s Smoke Signal, getting Kagemusha of the Six Samurai. He activated Six Samurai United; Summoned Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki to Special Summon Kagemusha; and drew two cards with United! He Synchro Summoned Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En and Set one card to his back row.
Palumbo had a hand of Mystical Space Typhoon; Pot of Duality; Machina Gearframe; Geargiarmor; and two Geargiarsenal. He activated Typhoon to destroy Kmiotek’s Dimensional Prison, then Normal Summoned Gearframe to search his Deck for Machina Fortress. He discarded Geargiarsenal and Fortress to Special Summon the latter, then equipped Gearframe to Fortress, attacking to destroy Shien! He set Pot of Duality as a bluff.
Kmiotek destroyed Duality with Mystical Space Typhoon, then played Reinforcement of the Army to get The Six Samurai – Zanji from his Deck. With four cards in hand Kmiotek Special Summoned Elder of the Six Samurai, Normal Summoned Kagemusha of the Six Samurai, and Synchro Summoned Ally of Justice Catastor, attacking to destroy Fortress!
Palumbo drew Dimensional Prison, Set it, and Set a monster.
Kmiotek destroyed Dimensional Prison with Heavy Storm, then Summoned Zanji to attack Geargiarmor! Palumbo got Geargiaccelerator from his Deck! Catastor attacked to destroy Geargiarmor.
Palumbo Normal Summoned Geargiarsenal, and Kmiotek responded by activating the effect of Maxx “C”. Palumbo Special Summoned Geargiaccelerator, letting Kmiotek draw a card with Maxx “C”. Geargiarsenal attacked over Zanji, and in Main Phase 2 Palumbo Tributed Geargiarsenal to Special Summon Geargiarmor in Defense Position, letting Kmiotek draw again. Palumbo flipped Geargiarmor face-down.
Kmiotek activate Gateway of the Six, then played Monster Reborn to target Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En: Palumbo shut him down with Solemn Warning! The Duel stood at 6000 Life Points to 7900, with Kmiotek leading. He Set a Spell or Trap, then attacked Geargiaccelerator with Catastor, destroying it. Palumbo got another Geargiarsenal from his Deck.
Palumbo drew Dimensional Prison, then Flip Summoned Geargiarmor to get Geargiaccelerator. Palumbo Normal Summoned Geargiarsenal, Tributed it to Special Summon another Geargiarmor, and flipped both of his Geargiarmors face-down. He Set Prison.
Kmiotek activated Double-Edged Sword Technique! He Special Summoned Shi En and Zanji, then took a Geargiarmor with Mind Control. He Flip Summoned it, then attacked the remaining Geargiarmor with Zanji to destroy it, taking 100 Battle Damage and letting Palumbo search out another Geargiarsenal in the process. Kmiotek followed up with direct attacks from Catastor and Shi En, then stacked Zanji and Geargiarmor to Xyz Summon Number 39: Utopia! Shi En was destroyed by Double-Edged Sword Technique’s effect in the End Phase, and Kmiotek lost 2500 Life Points.
Palumbo drew Book of Moon and Normal Summoned Geargiarsenal. He Special Summoned Geargiaccelerator and Tributed Geargiarsenal to Special Summon another ‘accelerator. He Xyz Summoned Gear Gigant X, and got Machina Gearframe from his Deck. He Set Book.
Kmiotek drew to one card in hand, and spent some time considering his options. He was in control of the field, but Palumbo’s pair of Set Spell and Trap Cards threatened to change that. Kmiotek eventually Summoned Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan, taking Gateway to 4 Bushido Counters, and then attacked Gigant X with Catastor: Palumbo banished it with Dimensional Prison. Utopia attacked next, and was rebuked by Book of Moon. Kmiotek moved into Main Phase 2 out of cards: he used Gateway to get another Kizan from his Deck.
Palumbo drew Starlight Road. He activated Gear Gigant X’s effect to get another Gearframe, then Normal Summoned it to search out Machina Cannon. He pitched it to Special Summon Machina Fortress, then attacked over Kizan with it. Gear Gigant destroyed the face-down Utopia, and Machina Gearframe made a direct attack to reduce Kmiotek to 2900 Life Points. Palumbo Set Starlight Road and equipped Fortress with Gearframe.
Kmiotek activated Six Samurai United, and Summoned Kizan to get one draw out of the United. He activated Shien’s Smoke Signal to get Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki from his Deck.
Palumbo drew Compulsory Evacuation Device and detached Machina Gearframe. Moments later he was making three final attacks to seal the Duel!
Robert Palumbo makes a hefty push in the mid-game with Gear Gigant X and his Machina monsters, securing victory after dealing with Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En – twice! One more win would place one of these Duelists on the bubble for the Top 32.
Kmiotek started the second Duel by Summoning Kagemusha of the Six Samurai, and then Special Summoning Elder of the Six Samurai with Asceticism of the Six Samurai. He Tuned them together for Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En, then Special Summoned Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan and Set two cards to his back row.
Palumbo had a hand of Geargiarsenal; Pot of Avarice; Monster Reborn; Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo; Solemn Warning; and Dimensional Prison. He Set Fossil Dyna, Prison, and Warning.
Kmiotek activated Gateway of the Six and tried to Normal Summon Legendary Six Samurai – Enishi. Palumbo responded with Solemn Warning, and Kmiotek forced it through with Solemn Judgment! Enishi hit the field and Gateway went to two Bushido Counters. He stacked Enishi with Kizan to Xyz Summon Shadow of the Six Samurai – Shi En. That placed two more Counters on Gateway, and Kmiotek used it to get Grandmaster of the Six Samurai and Special Summon it. Kmiotek attacked… right into Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo! Kmiotek lost his Grandmaster, Shadow, and Shi En! Kmiotek used Grandmaster’s effect to return Enishi to his hand, but the damage was done.
Palumbo drew Bottomless Trap Hole and tried to Normal Summon Geargiarsenal: Kmiotek stopped him with Solemn Warning. Palumbo Special Summoned it back with Monster Reborn, and attacked, before Tributing it to Special Summon Geargiarmor from his Deck. He turned it face-down and Set Bottomless!
Kmiotek drew to two cards in hand, with Gateway on the field packing two Bushido Counters. One card was Enishi; the other was an unknown. He Normal Summoned Enishi, and Palumbo didn’t activate Bottomless. Kmiotek used Gateway to search his Deck for Grandmaster, then activated Heavy Storm! He destroyed Palumbo’s two cards, then Special Summoned Grandmaster! Grandmaster attacked to destroy Geargiarmor, letting Palumbo get Geargiarsenal, and made a direct attack with Enishi. The tables were turned!
Palumbo drew Heavy Storm and Summoned Geargiarsenal, Tributing it to Special Summon Geargiarmor. He had four monsters in his Graveyard – not enough for that Pot of Avarice just yet. He flipped Geargiarmor face-down and Set Heavy as a bluff.
Kmiotek attacked with Grandmaster, destroying Geargiarmor and giving Palumbo Geargiaccelerator. Enishi made a direct attack to reduce Palumbo to 2600 Life Points. Kmiotek had only 300.
Palumbo drew Machina Gearframe, activated its effect, and searched his Deck for Machina Fortress. He activated Pot of Avarice, returning all five monsters in his Graveyard to his Deck in order to draw Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo and Mystical Space Typhoon. He discarded Geargiaccelerator to Special Summon Fortress, and Kmiotek bounced the Fortress away in the Battle Phase. Kmiotek had to discard Kagemusha of the Six Samurai from his hand, and Gearframe attacked to destroy Enishi. Palumbo Set Mystical Space Typhoon.
Kmiotek attacked Gearframe with Grandmaster. Palumbo Set Dimensional Prison, but lost it in the End Phase to Palumbo’s Mystical Space Typhoon.
Palumbo drew another Gearframe! He Summoned it to search his Deck for a second Fortress, and Kmiotek immediately offered the handshake.
Palumbo drew a breath of relief! “I did not deserve to win that Match,” stated Palumbo, immediately chiding himself for not banishing Enishi with Bottomless Trap Hole. “I thought I was okay with just the Enishi on the field, so I passed my chance to Bottomless, and then immediately realized I WAS okay… unless he had Heavy.” Palumbo escapes the Match with another win, and a lesson to keep in mind for future Duels. One more win could take him to the Top 32!
