This Round would pit two Duelists from Massachusetts against each other, piloting two very different Decks.  Kamil Moroz is from Boston, and is playing a Bubble Beat HERO Deck.  His opponent Michael Ward is from Cape Cod, and is playing an Exodia strategy with Hope For Escape and the Return of the Duelist Spell Card, Where Arf Thou?!  Both of these competitors were 2-0 so far here today. 

 

Ward opened with two Swift Scarecrow; Upstart Goblin; Mystic Piper; Jar of Greed; and Hope For Escape.  Upstart got him Legacy of Yata Garasu, and he Normal Summoned Mystic Piper to Tribute it and draw Where Arf Thou?.  He Set Legacy and Jar.

 

Moroz activated E – Emergency Call to search his Deck for Elemental HERO Neos Alius.  He Summoned it, then attacked for 1900 Battle Damage.  He Set three cards to his back row to end.

 

 

Ward drew another Hope For Escape!  He Set both copies.  Moroz activated Gemini Spark in the End Phase, Tributing Alius to destroy one of the Hopes.

 

Moroz activated Mystical Space Typhoon to target the second Hope next turn, and Ward Chained it to draw one card… another Hope!  Moroz Special Summoned Elemental HERO Bubbleman, then banished it and Neos Alius for Miracle Fusion, Special Summoning Elemental HERO The Shining.  When it attacked, Ward discarded Scarecrow to block the attack.

 

Ward drew another Jar of Greed and Set it, then Set Hope.

 

Moroz activated Mystical Space Typhoon, targeting the third Hope: Ward drew Mystic Piper and another Swift Scarecrow.  When Moroz entered the Battle Phase, Ward flipped Jar and Legacy to draw One Day of Peace and Right Arm of the Forbidden One.  He blocked The Shining with Swift Scarecrow.

 

Ward drew a second One Day next turn, and when he tried to Summon Mystic Piper Moroz negated the attempt with Solemn Warning.  Ward drew Jar of Greed with One Day of Peace and Set it.

 

Moroz activated Pot of Duality, revealing another Duality, Gemini Spark, and Torrential Tribute: he added Torrential to his hand.  He Set two cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

 

 

Ward drew Cyber Valley and Normal Summoned it, leading Moroz to respond with Torrential Tribute.  That destroyed Valley, and The Shining, getting back his Bubbleman and Neos Alius.

 

Moroz activated another Pot of Duality, revealing A Hero Lives, Elemental HERO Neos Alius, and Elemental HERO Bubbleman.   He added Lives to his hand, and Normal Summoned Neos Alius.  He Set a Spell or Trap, trying to Special Summon Bubbleman, but had forgotten about Duality.  Neos made a direct attack.

 

Ward drew Reckless Greed and Set it.  Moroz destroyed it with Gemini Spark in the End Phase.

 

Moroz Set a fourth Spell or Trap, then Summoned another Neos Alius.  He Special Summoned Bubbleman, but when Moroz went to attack Ward had another Scarecrow.

 

Ward drew Upstart Goblin, activating it to get Right Leg of the Forbidden One.  He now had the Right Leg, Right Arm, One Day of Peace, Where Arf Thou, and two Set Jar of Greeds.  He activated one to draw Left Arm of the Forbidden One, then activated the second Jar to get Exodia the Forbidden One!  Ward was suddenly just one limb away from winning the Duel!  He had Where Arf Thou? to search out his last piece of Exodia, but he didn’t have a Level 1 monster to play it with.  He played One Day of Peace… and drew Cyber Valley!  He Summoned it, and then played Where Arf Thou? to go get the last piece of Exodia from his Deck.

 

 

Ward was grinning from ear to ear: “Exodia, obliterate!… I am so happy right now.”  Both Duelists laughed and moved to Side Decking.

 

Moroz Set two cards to start the second Duel.

 

Ward had Mystic Piper; Sangan; Swift Scarescrow; Hope For Escape; Scrubbed Raid; and Cyber Valley.  He tried to Summon the Piper, but Moroz negated it with Solemn Warning.  “Pass!”

 

Moroz activated Pot of Duality, revealing Elemental HERO Stratos, Book of Moon, and Mystical Space Typhoon.  He took Stratos, then Normal Summoned it to search out Elemental HERO Neos Alius.  Stratos dropped Ward to 6200 Life Points with an attack, and Moroz Set another Spell or Trap.

 

 

Ward drew a second Scrubbed Raid.  He Normal Summoned Cyber Valley, then Set Scrubbed Raid: Moroz blew it away with yet another End Phase Mystical Space Typhoon.

 

Moroz Summoned Neos Alius and Xyz Summoned Blade Armor Ninja, detaching Neos Alius.  Compulsory Evacuation Device bounced away Cyber Valley, and Blade Armor Ninja attacked one to drop Ward to 4000 Life Points.  Ward blocked the second attack with Swift Scarescrow.  Moroz Set two cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

 

Ward drew Exodia the Forbidden One and Set Sangan, Hope, and Scrubbed Raid.

 

Moroz flipped another Pot of Duality, revealing Solemn Judgment, Compulsory Evacuation Device, and Solemn Warning.  He took the Judgment.  Moroz detached Stratos from Blade Armor Ninja and then searched out another Neos Alius with Reinforcement of the Army.  He Summoned it, then attacked with Neos Alius: Ward flipped Scrubbed Raid, sending Sangan to the Graeyard to end the Battle Phase and get Left Leg of the Forbidden One.

 

Ward drew Reckless Greed.  He flipped Hope For Escape to draw Upstart Goblin, then used it to get another Hope.  Ward Summoned Cyber Valley, and Moroz blew it away with Hero Blast, getting back his Neos Alius.  Ward Set Greed and and Hope.

 

Moroz tried to attack next turn, and Ward flipped Hope for Escape: Moroz negated it with Solemn Judgment.  Ward flipped Reckless Greed, then Chained Raid’s effect to send Greed to the Graveyard.  He drew two copies of Jar of Greed, and Moroz Set a second Spell or Trap. 

 

 

Ward Set the Jars.

 

Moroz Set a third Spell or Trap and attacked: Ward activated Jar of Greed, then Chained the effect of Scrubbed Raid again, getting Legacy of Yata Garaus.

 

Ward Set Legacy.

 

Moroz attacked into Legacy and Scrubbed Raid, blocked again, and Ward drew Mystic Piper.

 

Ward could draw for his Draw Phase again, and got Battle Fader.  He tried to Normal Summon Piper, but Moroz had another Solemn Warning.

 

Moroz tried to attack, and was again blocked by a Jar and Raid combo: Ward got a Scarecrow.

 

Ward drew Where Arf Thou?.

 

Moroz attacked into Battle Fader, which Ward Special Summoned.

 

Ward drew another Fader!

 

Moroz activated Gemini Spark, Tributing Neos Alius to destroy Scrubbed Raid and draw a card.  He Summoned another Neos Alius and attacked Battle Fader, then attacked into another Scarecrow.

 

Ward drew another piece of Exodia: he had three now Fader and Where Arf Thou?.

 

Moroz attacked into Battle Fader and Set a third Spell or Trap.

 

Ward drew Reckless Greed and Set it.  He had 2000 Life Points left, and activated Where Arf to go get Cyber Valley from his deck.  He Normal Summoned it, but Moroz responded with Torrential Tribute to wipe the field!  An End Phase Mystical Space Typhoon drew a concession from Ward.

 

Kamil Moroz wades through defensive combo after defensive combo, finally emerging with a victory!  We were headed to one more Duel.

 

Ward had a hand of two Jar of Greed; Sangan; Reckless Greed; Cyber Valley; and Exodia the Forbidden One.  He Set all three Traps and Summoned Valley.

 

Moroz Set two cards to his back row, then activated Emergency Call to fetch Elemental HERO Stratos.  That got him Elemental HERO Bubbleman.  Moroz attacked Cyber Valley and Ward banished the Valley to end the Battle Phase and draw Soul Taker. 

 

Ward drew Where Arf and flipped Jar of Greed, getting Scrubbed Raid.  He activated Taker to destroy Stratos, then Set Sangan and Raid.

 

Moroz activated Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying Ward’s Set Scrubbed Raid!  He Set two more cards to his back row to Special Summon Elemental HERO Bubbleman, then flipped Torrential Tribute, destroying his Bubbleman and Sangan: Ward got Right Arm of the Forbidden One.  Moroz had a total of four cards left, all in his back row: The Warrior Returning Alive got him back his Stratos, which got him another Elemental HERO Bubbleman in turn.  He Special Summoned it and Xyz Summoned Blade Armor Ninja as time was called.  Blade Armor attacked twice, dropping Ward to 3600 Life Points.

 

Ward drew Swift Scarecrow and passed.

 

Moroz activated Reinforcement of the Army to get Elemental HERO Neos Alius from his deck, Summoned it, and attacked into Swift Scarecrow.

 

Ward drew another Where Arf!  He flipped Jar of Greed to get Reckless Greed, then flipped his first Reckless to get Soul Taker and Mystic Piper.  This was Turn 3 of time.  He activated Soul Taker to destroy Neos Alius, cutting off any potential Gemini Spark plays.  Ward then Summoned Mystic Piper, and Moroz flipped Light-Imprisoning Mirror!  Ward activated a Where Arf to get Battle Fader from his Deck, then activated Piper’s effect to get it into the Graveyard.  He Set Reckless Greed.

 

Moroz Set two more cards to his back row and attacked into Battle Fader.  Ward flipped Reckless Greed to get Hope for Escape and an Exodia limb… he had a Where Arf, but even then he was one limb away from victory!  If it wasn’t for Light-Imprisoning Mirror Ward could have at least tried to go for another Mystic Piper, but even that just wasn’t an option.

 

Michael Ward comes within one piece of Exodia of winning the Match, but falls just short of the win!