Both of these competitors have been to a few YCS tournaments earlier in their Dueling careers, but neither have ever made the Top 32 before. Now they’re facing off in the Top 16, in a Match that pits Stibbins’ Inzektors against Gonzalez’s Machina Geargia Deck. One Duelist would be headed from here to the Top 8! The other would be headed nowhere but home.

Gonzalez got the Match started with Machina Gearframe, searching out Machina Fortress from his Deck.  He Set two cards to his back row.

Stibbins had a hand of Pot of Duality; Mystical Space Typhoon; Card Trooper; Dark Armed Dragon; and two Threatening Roars. He played Duality, revealing Sangan, Call of the Haunted, and Inzektor Centipede and adding Centipede to his hand.  He played Typhoon to destroy Gonzalez’s face-down Typhoon, then sent another Typhoon; Tour Guide from the Underworld; and Inzektor Centipede to the Graveyard to boost Trooper to 1900 ATK.  Trooper attacked over Gearframe and Stibbins Set a Roar.

Gonzalez Set a single Spell or Trap.

Stibbins drew Foolish Burial and sent Sangan, Inzektor Ladybug, and Mystical Space Typhoon to his Graveyard to power up Card Trooper again.  That put him at four DARK monsters in his Graveyard – too many for Dark Armed Dragon, though he could pull back that Ladybug with another Inzektor.  He tried to Summon Centipede, but lost it to Gonzalez’s Bottomless Trap Hole.  Trooper made a direct attack, but Gonzalez Special Summoned Gorz the Emissary of Darkness and an Emissary of Darkness Token.

Gonzalez turned Gorz to Attack Position, but his ambitions were cut short by Threatening Roar.  He Summoned Geargiarsenal and Tributed it to Special Summon Geargiarmor, Setting another Spell or Trap to finish his turn.

Stibbins drew Call of the Haunted and activated Trooper’s effect, sending Solemn Warning, Compulsory Evacuation Device, and Cardcar D to the Graveyard, attacking to trade with the Emissary of Darkness Token: Trooper got him a draw, netting him Compulsory Evacuation Device.   He Set it.

Next turn, Stibbins kicked Geargiarmor off the table with Compulsory, then took 2700 Battle Damage from Gorz.  Gonzalez Set a monster, assumedly the Geargiarmor.  In the End Phase Stibbins Special Summoned Inzektor Centipede with Call of the Haunted.

Stibbins drew Inzektor Giga-Mantis and Special Summoned Dark Armed Dragon: Gonzalez turned it face-down with Book of Moon.  Stibbins followed up with Foolish Burial, sending Inzektor Hornet to his Graveyard and tried to equip it to Centipede: Effect Veiler cut him short.  He attached Giga-Mantis to Centipede to boost it to 2400 ATK, then attacked to destroy Geargiarmor.  When it flipped, Gonzalez got Geargiaccelerator from his Deck.

Gonzalez needed to destroy that face-down Dark Armed Dragon.  He activated Pot of Duality, revealing Pot of Avarice, Mind Control, and Compulsory Evacuation Device from the top of his Deck.  He added Avarice to his hand and shuffled the rest back.  He Normal Summoned Accelerator, but was again repelled by Threatening Roar!

Stibbins drew Tour Guide from the Underworld: this was going to be a beating.  He Flip Summoned Dark Armed Dragon and tried to equip Inzektor Hornet to Inzektor Centipede, but was denied again by Effect Veiler.  Stibbins Summoned Tour Guide, but had nothing to Special Summon!  Was it a mistake, or did he have a plan?  He banished a yarded Tour Guide for Dark Armed Dragon’s effect, destroying Giga-Mantis and Special Summoning Inzektor Ladybug.  He got Inzektor Sword – Zektkaliber with Centipede’s effect, then overlaid Tour Guide with Centipede for Leviair the Sea Dragon.  That was enough for Gonzalez, who scooped a moment later.

Two turns of unimpeded Card Trooper costs and a key Foolish Burial let Michael Stibbins build the perfect Graveyard, tearing into opponent Jonathan Martin Gonzalez with Dark Armed Dragon and a field of Inzektors!

Gonzalez started Duel 2 with Geargiarsenal, Tributing it to Special Summon a Geargiarmor that he promptly flipped face-down with its own effect.  He Set a Spell or Trap.

Stibbins was holding Solemn Warning; Pot of Duality; Inzektor Ladybug; Torrential Tribute; Threatening Roar; and Tour Guide from the Underworld.  He Summoned Tour Guide to Special Summon Sangan, then Set two cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Gonzalez Set another monster, then Set another Spell or Trap.

Stibbins drew another Pot of Duality and activated it, revealing Inzektor Ladybug; Inzektor Centipede; and Mystical Space Typhoon.  He added Centipede to his hand, then Set Threatening Roar.

Gonzalez tried to Flip Summon Geargiarmor, but Stibbins negated the attempt with Solemn Warning.  Oof.  He Summoned Karakuri Watchdog mdl 313 “Saizan”, then Flip Summoned another copy!  He overlaid them for Gear Gigant X, and when Stibbins tried to clear the field with Torrential Tribute Gonzalez shut him down with Solemn Judgment!

He detached an Xyz Material from Gear Gigant X to search Marchina Gearframe from his Deck, then ran over Tour Guide.

Stibbins drew Dark Armed Dragon and activated Pot of Duality, revealing Mystical Space Typhoon; Inzektor Sword – Zektkaliber; and Inzektor Ladybug.  He took Typhoon and activated it, targeting a Compulsory Evacuation Device that Gonzalez Chained to bounce Sangan back to Stibbins’ hand.  He Summoned Inzektor Centipede; equipped Ladybug; and sent it to the Graveyard to boost Centipede to Level 5.  That triggered Centipede’s effect and let Stibbins get Inzektor Sword – Zektkaliber from his Deck.  He equipped it, attacked, and dropped Gonzalez to 3900 Life Points.

Gonzalez drew to five cards in hand and Normal Summoned Gearframe to seek out Machina Fortress.  He discarded Fortress and Genex Ally Birdman to Special Summon Fortress, but when he tried to move to his Battle Phase, Threatening Roar restrained him.  He strapped Gearframe to Fortress.

Stibbins drew Mystical Space Typhoon and spent a moment reading Machina Gearframe.  He equipped Ladybug to Centipede; yarded it to make Centipede Level 6; and searched for Inzektor Dragonfly.  He Summoned it, equipping Ladybug, then boosted it to Level 5 by yarding Ladybug again in order to Special Summon another Centipede.  He equipped Ladybug a third time and boosted that Centipede to Level 5, getting Inzektor Hornet from his Deck.  He stacked Dragonfly and Centipede to Xyz Summon Number 12: Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja!  He detached Dragonfly from Armor Ninja to activate its effect, then Special Summoned Dark Armed Dragon!

Mystical Space Typhoon destroyed Gearframe, and when Stibbins activated Dark Armed’s effect Gonzalez just offered a smile and a handshake!

Michael Stibbins is taking Inzektors to the Top 8!

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