Round 4 Feature Match: Brandon Dixon versus Johnathan Sanchez
Brandon Dixon made the trip here from Richmond, VA, and is packing a Thunder Deck. Thunder Decks have had a huge upsurge in popularity thanks to Thunder Sea Horse, and there are a ton of ways to use them. Johnathan Sanchez is from Allentown, PA, and is packing Fire Fists. He’s decided to forego the use of Rescue Rabbit, the most popular method of using Fire Fists, in favor of more consistency. That leaves him more room for Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Dragon and other choices.
Duel 1
Sanchez started us off with Pot of Duality, revealing Torrential Tribute, Fire Formation – Tensen, and Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Dragon. He chose Dragon and played it. He activated Fire Formation – Tenki, adding Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Bear to his hand, and Dragon Set Tensen on the field. He Set another back row card.
Dixon began with Honest, Vylon Prism, Mahunder, Solemn Warning, Recycling Batteries, and Thunder Sea Horse. He discarded his Sea Horse to add 2 copies of Sishunder to his hand. He played Mahunder, and its effect let him also Normal Summon Sishunder. He banished Sea Horse for Sishunder’s effect, then Set Warning and Recycling Batteries. He added Sea Horse to his hand in the End Phase.
Sanchez Normal Summoned Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Gorilla. He sent Tenki to the Graveyard to destroy Dixon’s Warning. Gorilla attacked Sishunder, and Dixon won the battle with the effect of Honest! Dragon attacked and destroyed Mahunder, then played Pot of Duality. He revealed Cardcar D, Forbidden Lance, and Tenki. He chose Tenki, and used it to get Gorilla. Dragon’s effect Set Tensen on the field.
Dixon drew Pahunder. He Summoned it, and Sanchez used Effect Veiler on it. Dixon stacked Pa and Sis for Maestroke the Symphony Djinn in defense position. He detached Pahunder for Maestroke, turning Dragon face-down, then flipped his Set Recycling Batteries to add Ma and Pa back to his hand.
Sanchez Flip Summoned his Dragon, then Normal Summoned Bear. He activated Tensen , then used Dragon to send both of his Fire Formations to the Graveyard, Special Summoning Gorilla. He stacked Dragon and Gorilla for Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Tiger King, and Set Tenki from his Deck. He played that, and added Bear to his hand. He activated Tiger King’s effect to negate Maestroke, then Bear used Tenki up to destroy Maestroke. Bear and Tiger King attacked directly, and Sanchez Set Fire Formation – Tensu with Bear’s effect. Sanchez Set a fourth back row card.
Dixon drew Mahunder. He played it, then Pahunder, then another Mahunder, and finally played Vylon Prism. He stacked Ma and Pa for Starliege Paladynamo, and it reduced Bear’s ATK to 0. Next, Dixon tuned Prism to Mahunder for Thought Ruler Archfiend! He used Prism’s effect to equip it to Thought Ruler. It demolished Bear, dealing 3700 damage and increasing Dixon’s Life Points. He passed without attacking with Paladynamo.
Sanchez activated Tiger King’s effect, then wiped the board with Dark Hole. Dixon drew Mystical Space Typhoon with Paladynamo’s effect. Sanchez flipped Tensu, then Normal Summoned Bear and Gorilla. He attacked with Bear, then used Tensen on Gorilla to take the first Duel!
Johnathan Sanchez is victorious in the battle of extra Normal Summons! The Duelists moved to the Side Decks, and we were quickly into the next Duel.
Duel 2
Dixon opened up with Pot of Duality, Monster Reborn, Dimensional Prison, Solemn Judgment, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Snowman Eater. Duality revealed Mirror Force, Forbidden Lance, and Mahunder. He took Mahunder, clearly in need of more monsters to work with. He Set Snowman Eater, Prison, Typhoon, and Judgment.
Sanchez played Cardcar D. He Set three back row cards and used Cardcar’s effect.
Dixon drew Thunder Sea Horse! He used it for two more Sea Horses, but lost them to Sanchez’s Mind Crush!
Sanchez Set two more back row cards, now with four.
Dixon drew another Snowman Eater and passed.
Sanchez played Tenki, but Dixon destroyed it with Mystical Space Typhoon before it could resolve.
Dixon drew Messenger of Peace and passed.
Sanchez Set a monster.
Dixon drew Forbidden Lance and passed.
Sanchez passed.
Dixon drew another Messenger and passed.
Sanchez Set a fifth back row card.
Dixon drew Forbidden Lance and Set it.
Sanchez destroyed Lance with his face-down Mystical Space Typhoon.
Dixon drew Bottomless Trap Hole and Set it.
Sanchez passed.
Dixon drew another Mahunder. He Set Forbidden Lance.
Sanchez Set a monster and a fifth back row card.
Dixon drew his third Mahunder. He Set Snowman Eater.
Sanchez flipped Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying Dixon’s Dimensional Prison. Next, he played Cardcar D. He filled his back row yet again, and used Cardcar’s effect.
Dixon drew Honest. He played Messenger of Peace.
Sanchez Set a monster.
Dixon drew Pahunder. He paid 100 to keep Messenger around, and Set Mahunder.
Sanchez discarded Tensen in his End Phase.
Dixon drew Sishunder. He kept Messenger by paying 100 Life Points. He flipped up Mahunder, then Normal Summoned Sishunder, banishing Thunder Sea Horse. He stacked Ma and Sis for Gagaga Cowboy, and lost it to Bottomless Trap Hole. He Set his second Messenger, then added Sea Horse to his hand in the End Phase.
Sanchez flipped Gorilla, then activated Tensu. He used Gorilla’s effect with Tensu, destroying the Set Messenger of Peace.
Dixon drew Bottomless Trap Hole. He let his Messenger be destroyed, then Normal Summoned Mahunder. With its effect, he also Normal Summoned Thunder Sea Horse, then Xyz Summoned Starliege Paladynamo only for Sanchez to banish it with Bottomless Trap Hole. Dixon Set his own Bottomless Trap Hole.
Sanchez played Tenki to add Bear to his hand. He played it, Dixon used Bottomless Trap Hole, Sanchez used Forbidden Lance, and Dixon used his other Bottomless Trap Hole! Gorilla used the spent Tenki to destroy Dixon’s Solemn Judgment.
Dixon drew Vylon Prism. He played Pahunder and Prism, and Synchro Summoned Thought Ruler Archfiend. Prism equipped itself to Thought Ruler, but Sanchez used Threatening Roar to prevent its attack.
Sanchez played Monster Reborn! He took Pahunder and stacked it with Gorilla for Diamond Dire Wolf. He used it to destroy itself and a Snowman Eater. Next, he Flip Summoned Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo! Its effect wiped out Thought Ruler.
Dixon drew Torrential Tribute. He played Mahunder, and Sanchez protected Pachycephalo with Threatening Roar. Dixon Set Torrential Tribute.
Sanchez turned Pachycephalo to defense position and flipped up Tenki to add Bear to his hand. When he played it, Dixon played Torrential Tribute, but Sanchez had Starlight Road! Bear destroyed Mahunder by pitching Tenki. (He did not Special Summon Stardust Dragon with Starlight Road due to Pachycephalo.)
Dixon drew Fiendish Chain. He Flip Summoned Snowman Eater, but Sanchez negated it with Effect Veiler. Dixon Set Fiendish Chain and Monster Reborn, then thought a moment before he Set Honest.
Sanchez had Heavy Storm! Dixon Chained Lance to weaken Bear, then lost everything. Sanchez lost his own Solemn Judgment. Bear destroyed Snowman Eater in battle, and got Tensu from the Deck. He activated it in Main Phase 2, then used it for Bear’s effect to destroy Honest.
Dixon had no cards left, but he drew… Dust Tornado. He offered the handshake!
Johnathan Sanchez is your winner with Fire Fists!