In Round 9 we’re featuring two New York Duelists who are nearly neighbors! Nicholas Amato is from Long Island and Dakota Poppe is from Staten Island. Dakota has been using Machina Geargia today, and Nicholas has been relying on Agents.

Duel 1

Poppe began with Geargiarsenal. He Tributed it to Special Summon Geargiarmor, and turned it face-down with its effect. He Set a back row.

Amato opened with Herald of Orange Light, Heavy Storm, Card Trooper, Master Hyperion, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Thunder King Rai-Oh. He destroyed Bottomless Trap Hole with Typhoon, then Normal Summoned Rai-Oh. He Set Storm and passed.

Poppe Set a back row.

Amato drew Archlord Kristya. He Summoned Card Trooper, and sent The Agent of Mystery – Earth, Master Hyperion, and Torrential Tribute to the Graveyard for its effect.

Poppe Summoned his own Rai-Oh. It attacked Trooper, and Amato drew Dark Hole with Trooper’s effect.

Amato drew The Agent of Creation – Venus. He flipped up his Heavy Storm, and Poppe Chained his Compulsory Evacuation Device to return Amato’s Rai-Oh to his hand. Now that he controlled no monsters, there was nothing to keep him from playing Dark Hole! Poppe lost his monsters. Amato Normal Summoned Venus, then used its effect three times to bring out 3 copies of Mystical Shine Ball! He overlayed 2 Shine Balls for Gachi Gachi Gantetsu. Venus attacked directly for 2000 damage.

Poppe Normal Summoned Machina Gearframe. It added Machina Fortress to his hand. He discarded Fortress and Geargiarmor to Special Summon the Fortress. Fortress attacked Gachi Gachi, which detached a material to survive. Gearframe destroyed the remaining Shine Ball. In Main Phase 2, Poppe equipped Gearframe to Fortress.

Amato drew another Kristya. He Special Summoned one of them, returning Hyperion from his Graveyard to his hand. Kristya attacked Fortress, and Gearframe was destroyed in its place. Venus went to defense position.

Poppe played Pot of Duality, choosing Dimensional Prison instead of 2 copies of Starlight Road. Next, he played Pot of Avarice to return 2 Geargiarmor, Geargiarsenal, Gearframe, and Rai-Oh back to his Deck and draw two cards. Fortress destroyed Venus, and he Set 3 back row.

Amato drew The Agent of Mystery – Earth. He sent Kristya after Machina Fortress, and Poppe banished it with Dimensional Prison. In Main Phase 2 Amato normal Summoned Earth, adding The Agent of Miracles – Jupiter to his hand. He banished Venus from his Graveyard to Special Summon Master Hyperion! He banished a Shine Ball to target Poppe’s Book of Moon, which was Chained to put Hyperion face-down.

Poppe had Fortress destroy Hyperion.

Amato drew Solemn Judgment. He Normal Summoned Jupiter. It banished Earth to gain 800 ATK, then it attacked Fortress. Fortress tried to destroy Gachi Gachi, which detached its last material instead. Amato Set Solemn Judgment and lost it in the End Phase to Mystical Space Typhoon.

Poppe played Dark Hole to destroy Amato’s three monsters! Then he played Pot of Duality to reveal Starlight Road, Geargiarsenal, and Solemn Warning. He chose Warning. He Set a back row.

Amato drew Bottomless Trap Hole. He Normal Summoned Rai-Oh and it attacked into Dimensional Prison. He Set Bottomless Trap Hole.

Poppe blew it away next turn with Mystical Space Typhoon, then discarded Machina Cannon to revive Fortress! It attacked directly.

Amato drew Venus. He banished Earth from his Graveyard to Special Summon his other Hyperion, forcing Poppe to play Solemn Warning. Amato Set Venus.

Poppe Summoned Rai-Oh and had it destroy Venus, then Fortress finished Amato off!

Dakota Poppe comes out ahead in the first Duel, with Machina Fortress putting in a ton of work!

Duel 2

Amato started the next Duel with Jupiter, Earth, Dark Hole, Bottomless Trap Hole, Thunder King Rai-Oh, and Call of the Haunted. He Normal Summoned Earth first, adding Venus to his hand. He Set Call and Bottomless.

Poppe Normal Summoned Gearframe, which added Fortress to his hand. Gearframe took down Earth, then Poppe Set four cards!

Amato drew a Mystical Shine Ball. He Normal Summoned Venus, and Poppe turned it face-down with Book of Moon. Poppe destroyed Bottomless Trap Hole in the End Phase with Mystical Space Typhoon.

Poppe discarded Fortress and Geargiarsenal to Special Summon the Fortress, then Normal Summoned Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo! Dyna destroyed Venus, then Gearframe and Fortress attacked directly.

Amato drew Torrential Tribute. He activated Dark Hole, and Poppe negated it with Starlight Road! He was unable to bring out Stardust Dragon due to Fossil Dyna, but he still kept his field. Amato Normal Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh, and when Poppe flipped up Bottomless Trap Hole, Amato offered the handshake!

Dakota Poppe is the victor! Both Duelists still could have a shot at the Top 32, but Nicholas Amato will have to work much harder from this point on.