Round 2 Feature Match: Abramo Manfredonia Versus Thomas Mak
New Jersey’s Abramo Manfredonia is fourteen years old, and won his Round 1 Feature Match with Naturias! His Deck’s built around Naturia Bamboo Shoot; if he can defend it, he can lock his opponent out of their Spell and Trap Cards entirely. His opponent is long-time veteran Thomas Mak, running the Dragon Ruler Plant Deck that a number of competitors are banking on this weekend! Mak won the first-ever official team tournament years ago in Indianapolis, and has been a YCS regular ever since.
Manfredonia opened with a hand of Naturia Marron; Safe Zone; Naturia Cherries; Call of the Haunted; Trap Stun; and Naturia Bamboo Shoot. He Set Cherries, Safe Zone, and Trap Stun.
Mak activated Sacred Sword of Seven Stars banishing Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls, drawing two cards and searching another Tidal with the first Tidal’s effect. He Set one card to his backrow.
Manfredonia drew Dimensional Prison and Set it.
Mak activated the effect of Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms, discarding Spore to search his Deck for Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders. He discarded Dandylion for Redox, Special Summoning back Spore and Special Summoning two Fluff Tokens with Dandylion. He Tuned a Token to Spore for Formula Synchron, drawing a card with its ability.
Manfredonia drew a second Call of the Haunted. He Summoned Naturia Marron, using its effect to send Natura Cliff from his Deck to his Graveyard. Marron attacked tot ry and destroy Mak’s Fluff Token, but before he could leave his Main Phase 1 Mak used Formula Synchron’s effect to Synchro Summon Mist Bird Clausolas. “I’ll stay in my Main Phase,” announced Manfredonia. He Set a Call and ended.
Mak used Mist Bird’s effect to reduce Marron’s ATK to 0, then banished Tempest and Redox from his Graveyard to Summon Tidal. That triggered their effects, letting him search out Debris Dragon and another Redox. He sent Tidal to attack Marron, and Manfredonia banished it with Dimensional Prison. Marron survived the assault.
Mak sent Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos to his Graveyard with Foolish Burial in Main Phase 2.
Manfredonia drew Mystical Space Typhoon. He Tributed Marron for Naturia Bamboo Shoot, then blew away Mak’s Set Scapegoat with Typhoon: Mak couldn’t Chain it due to the effect of Bamboo Shoot. Manfredonia used Call to bring back Marron, and Mak chained the effect of Maxx “C” to draw a card. Manfredonia Flip Summoned Naturia Cherries, tuned it to Marron, and Synchro Summoned Armory Arm. He tried to equip it to Bamboo Shoot, but Mak stopped him with Effect Veiler. Manfredonia Set another Spell or trap.
Mak used Mist Bird’s effect to shrink Bamboo Shoot and reduce its ATK to 0. He Summoned Debris Dragon, using it to Special Summon Dandylion, then Synchro Summoned Black Rose Dragon. He activated its effect, and Manfredonia chained Call of the Haunted targeting Naturia Cliff. Black Rose razed the field: Mak Special Summoned two Fluff Tokens, but Manfredonia got to Special Summon another Cliff from his Deck. He had nothing else left. Mak had six cards in hand, so it was more a question of how Mak was going to end this than if he’d get there.
Mak activated Dragon Ravine, discarding Scapegoat to load his Graveyard with Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms via the Ravine’s effect. He banished Debris Dragon and Blaster to Special Summon Tempest, searching another Blaster. He banished Dandylion to Special Summon Spore, Synchro Summoning Armades, Keeper of Boundaries – that woud shut down Cliff’s effect in the Battle Phase. Armades attacked to destroy Cliff, and Tempest made a direct shot to drop Manfredonia to 4800 Life Points. Mak Set a Spell or Trap.
Manfredonia drew and Set Naturia Dragonfly. Mak banished Tempest from the field with Sacred Sword of Seven Stars next turn, getting Debris Dragon with Tempest’s effect, then discarded Card Trooper for Ravine. That let him send Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls to his Graveyard, and he Normal Summoned Card Trooper to Special Summon back the Trooper. That and a Fluff Token let him Synchro Summon Scrap Dragon, and once he destroyed Dragonfly with Scrap Dragon it was all over! Scrap Dragon and Armades made direct attacks for game.
A promising play with Armory Arm and Naturia Bamboo Shoot falls apart in the face of Effect Veiler, and Abramo Manfredonia learns the hard way that this is not a “set five” format as Black Rose Dragon costs him a whopping seven cards! Take that lesson to heart, folks; no Heavy Storm doesn’t mean “set everything.”
Manfredonia opened Duel 2 with Fiendish Chain; Naturia Cherries; Naturia Marron; Dimensional Prison; and two Maxx “C”. He Set Cherries and Fiendish Chain.
Mak Summoned Lonefire Blossom, Tributing to Special Summon Dandylion: Manfredonia pitched Maxx “C” and drew Solemn Warning. Mak Set a single Spell or Trap.
Manfrednoia drew Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders and Set Warning.
Mak passed.
Manfredonia drew Naturia Cliff and passed back.
Mak Sumoned Spore and Tuned it to Dandylion, Synchro Summoning Armory Arm and Special Summoning two Fluff Tokens. He banished Lonefire for Spore, but Manfredonia dropped the second Maxx “C” to draw Gozen Match. Mak Tuned Spore to Armory Arm for Scrap Dragon, giving Manfredonia Naturia White Oak. Mak used Scrap’s effect to target his own backrow card and Manfredonia’s Warning: when Manfredonia flipped his non-targeted Fiendish Chain, Mak flipped his Set Mystical Space Typhoon he’d targeted, blowing away the Chain and the Warning.
Manfredonia drew Safe Zone and Set all three of his Traps, plus Naturia Cliff.
Mak destroyed one of his Fluff Tokens and Manfredonia’s Gozen Match with Scrap Dragon’s ability, then Normal Summoned Debris Dragon to bring back Dandylion. He Tuned Debris, Dandylion, and the remaining Fluff Token to Summon Stardust Dragon, then Summoned two more Fluff Tokens. Mak sent Stardust Dragon to attack Manfredonia’s oldest Set monster, destroying Naturia Cherries: Manfredonia Special Summoned two more from his Deck in face-down Defense Position, and Scrap Dragon attacked to try and destroy one of them. Manfredonia banished the Scrap Dragon with Dimensional Prison. “Main Phase 2…” mused Mak. “I’ll activate D.D.R….” He activated D.D.R. – Different Dimension Reincarnation, discarding Tempest to bring back Scrap Dragon. Mak targeted one of his Tokens and Manfredonia’s face-down backrow card with Scrap Dragon’s effect, and Manfredonia chained the target: it was Safe Zone, and Manfredonia used it to wreck Scrap Dragon.
Manfredonia drew Call of the Haunted – not much help. “I’m going to…” He thought about his moves, before Flip Summoning Cliff, then a Naturia Cherries. Mak dropped Maxx “C”. Manfredonia had to Synchro Summon anyways, giving Mak a drew as he brought out Naturia Beast. Mak got another draw when Manfredonia Flip Summoned his second Cherries to trade Beast for Naturia Barkion, trading it in battle against Stardust Dragon. He Normal Summoned Naturia Marron in Main Phase 2 to return his Naturia Cherries to his Deck, drawing Naturia Dragonfly. He Set one card to his back row. “Your move.”
Mak banished Tidal for Sacred Sword of Seven Stars, drawing two and getting another Tidal. Mak activated Mystical Space Typhoon; Manfredonia chained the targeted Call of the Haunted; and when he brought back Naturia Cliff, it was quickly destroyed when Call was. That let Manfredonia Summon another Cliff. Mak pressed on, banishing Scrap and Debris Dragon to Special Summon Tempest.
Mak Normal Summoned Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast, then ran down Cliff with Tempest. Manfredonia used its effect to Special Summon a second Marron from his Deck, and Mak attacked to destroy it with Fusilier. In Main Phase 2 Mak overlaid Fusilier and Tempest for Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack, Special Summoning two Mecha Phantom Beast Tokens and Tributing one to destroy the remaining Marron with Dracossack’s ability.
Manfredonia drew another Safe Zone. He pitched White Oak for Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders’ effect, Special Summoning Naturia Barkion. He Summoned Dragonfly with 2600 ATK, then attacked the Mecha Phantom Beast Token with Barkion. Dragonfly attacked Dracossack, but Manfredonia didn’t realize that Mak’s remaining Fluff Token was still enough to keep Dracossack alive with its effect. He Set Safe Zone, his last card.
Mak destroyed that Safe Zone next turn with Mystical Space Typhoon – Manfredonia still couldn’t destroy Dracossack with it – and Mak banished to Special Summon Redox. He Normal Summoned another Fusilier, Xyz Summoned Number 11: Big Eye, and detached to take Naturia Barkion. He Tributed Dracossack for its own effect, destroying Dragonfly, then Special Summoned Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos from his hand! He attacked with Barkion and Blaster, and when Manfredonia topped Mirror Force next turn he knew it was useless against his own Barkion!
Thomas Mak scores a 2-0 win, wielding what’s likely to become one of the big decks of this weekend!
