Earlier today, we featured Doug Zeeff in the massive blowout that was his Round 2 Feature Match, where his Spirit Deck was railroaded by two huge openings from Infernities!  But despite that brutal defeat, Zeeff clung to life in the tournament and now he’s X-2 here in Round 9, still alive with a shot at Day 2.  But that said, he’d need to win out from this point forward to keep his Top 32 dreams alive.

 

His opponent is Ian Matthew Levy, from Kansas City.  He drove here for eight hours to compete with a Mixed Axis Fire Fist build, and now he’s X-2 on the bubble for Day 2.  He’s teching Divine Wrath, which may give him a big edge against Zeeff’s effect-driven strategy if he can get an early lead going.  Will Zeeff and his Spirits get a shot at redemption?  Or will Levy be going to Day 2 with Fire Fists?  We were about to find out.

 

Zeeff had a hand of two Effect Veiler; Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning; Mystical Space Typhoon; Nikitama; and Dark Hole.  He Set Typhoon.  “Your turn.”

 

Levy Set a monster, then Set two cards to his backrow.  Zeeff destroyed his Set Torrential Tribute with Mystical Space Typhoon in the End Phase.

 

Zeeff drew Cardcar D, and Levy responded to the Summon with Breakthrough Skill!  That kept Zeeff from using its effect, leaving him to pass his turn.

 

Levy Flip Summoned Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Raven, then Normal Summoned Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Leopard: Zeeff negated its effect with Effect Veiler, but Levy sent Raven to the Graveyard to search Fire Formation – Tensu from his Deck.  He activated it, then Normal Summoned Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Bear: Zeeff hit it with the other Veiler.  Bear attacked to destroy Cardcar D.

 

Zeeff topdecked Tragoedia and cleared the field with Dark Hole.  He Summoned Nikitama to attack for 800 Battle Damage, then returned it to his hand in the End Phase.

 

Levy drew to three cards in hand, then Normal Summoned Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Gorilla and Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Dragon! He overlayed both for Bujintei Kagutsuchi, sending Fire Formation – Tenki, Divine Wrath, Mirror Force, Bottomless Trap Hole, and another Mirror Force to his Graveyard with Kagutsuchi’s effect.  That was a lot of traps to lose; “That was all the good traps but Warning,” noted Zeeff.  Levy followed up with Rekindling to bring back Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Leopard, Tributing it to search his Deck for Fire Formation – Tenki, getting Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Spirit.  Kagutsuchi attacked for 2700 Battle Damage, and Zeeff Special Summoned Tragoedia.  Levy had one card left in hand.

 

Zeeff drew Creature Swap!  He ran some numbers but couldn’t finish the Duel this turn.  Still, turned Tragoedia to Attack Position and Creature Swapped it to Levy, taking control of Kagutsuchi and Normal Summoning Nikitama.  He attacked over Tragoedia with Kagutsuchi, then made a direct attack with Nikitama, bouncing it back to his hand.

 

Levy Summoned Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Spirit, reviving Leopard to Synchro Summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Horse Prince!  That Special Summoned Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Rooster from his Deck, getting him Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Bear.  He cycled out his first Fire Formation – Tenki for another one, flipping it to search for Coach Soldier Wolfbark.  Levy had two cards in his hand, bear and Wolfbark.  He Normal Summoned it, Special Summoning Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Bear in Defense Position, and overlaid for Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Tiger King, getting a Fire Formation – Tensen and Setting it from his Deck.  He Set a second Spell or Trap and ended.

 

Zeeff drew another Nikitama, holding his previous copy and Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning.  He Summoned a Nikitama, then Summoned his second copy, making Evilswarm Exciton Knight!  He activated its effect, but Levy had Divine Wrath, discarding Bear to negate the Knight’s effect and blow it away!  But Zeeff banished Exciton Knight and Tragoedia to Special Summon Black Luster Soldier, and he set to figuring out what Levy’s topdecks could be in a worstcase scenario.  He wound up banishing Tiger King, then attacked Rooster with Kagutsuchi; Levy boosted Rooster’s ATK to 2700 ATK, while Kagutsuchi lost an Xyz Material – it only had 2500 ATK, and Zeeff took 200 damage.

 

 

Levy used Rooster to cycle away his previous Tenki for another Fire Formation – Tensen!  He attacked with his 2600 ATK Horse Prince to knock another Xyz Material off Kagutsuchi, then set another unknown face-down to his backrow.

 

 

Zeeff banished the Horse Prince with Black Luster Soldier, trying to get a read on Levy’s last Set card: “It seems like a Warning.  That’d be a shame.”  He sent Kagutsuchi to attack Rooster, drawing out Levy’s next Tensen and losing Kagutsuchi.  He Set his last card, Bottomless Trap Hole.

 

Levy’s Rooster was now at 2200 ATK, and he drew to one card in hand.  He Set a monster, then turned Rooster to Defense Position.

 

Zeeff drew Aratama!  He attacked with Black Luster Soldier,  destroying Levy’s Set Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Gorilla, then running over Rooster!  In Main Phase 2 he Summoned Aratama to search out Nikitama from his Deck, and bounced it back to his hand.

 

Levy activated Fire Formation – Gyokkou to lock down Zeeff’s Bottomless Trap Hole, then passed.

 

Zeeff drew Memory of an Adversary and Summoned Nikitama, then Summoned Aratama off Nikitama’s ability, searching his Deck for Yaksha.  Zeeff attacked for 800 with Nikitama, another 800 with Aratama, then 3000 for game with Black Luster Soldier!

 

 

Levy opened up with Fire Formation – Tenki, getting Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Leopard from his Deck!  He Summoned it, Tributing it for Fire Formation – Tensu and activating it to Summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Spirit!  He activated its effect, but Zeeff Chained Maxx “C”!  Levy brought back Leopard, then Tuned for Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius!  Zeeff drew another card.  Levy Set two cards to his backrow.

 

Zeeff drew to seven and had Aratama; two Yaksha; Forbidden Lance; Mirror Force; Cardcar D; and Maxx “C”.  He Summoned Aratama to go get Nikitama, then Set Lance and Mirror.  He took back his Aratama.

 

Levy Summoned Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Dragon with Tensu’s effect, and sent Tensu and Tenki to the Graveyard to Special Summon Spirit: Zeeff Chained his second Maxx “C”, leaving Levy to Tribute it off and search for Fire Formation – Gyokkou.  He activated it, targeting Zeff’s face-down Forbidden Lance.  Levy Normal Summoned Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Bear, then swung with all three cards into Mirror Force!  Levy Chained Circle of the Fire Kings to destroy his Bear and Special Summon Leopard in Defense Position – it saved him a monster, but gave Zeeff another Maxx “C” draw.  Dragon and Sirius were destroyed.

 

 

Zeeff drew to eight cards in hand with the locked-down Lance still on the table.  He Normal Summoned Nikitama, Normal Summoned Yaksha next, and lost it to Bottomless Trap Hole!  Zeeff used its effect to bounce Fire Formation – Gyokkou back to Levy’s hand, then attacked to destroy Leopard.  He Set Solemn Warning.

 

Levy activated Fire Formation – Gyokkou to lock down Lance again, and when he tried to Summon his Coach Soldier Wolfbark he lost it to Solemn Warning. But his last card was Rekindling!  He activated it to bring back Spirit and Leopard, Synchro Summoning Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Horse Prince to bring out Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Rooster.  Rooster searched Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Bear from his Deck, and he attacked for 3900 Battle Damage total, dropping Zeeff to 2100 Life Points.  Levy had no backrow save Fire Formation – Gyokkou, and nothing but Bear in hand.  In Main Phase 2 he used Rooster’s effect to send Gyokkou to the Graveyard, Setting Tenki and Flipping it to search another Wolfbark.

 

Zeeff drew Pot of Duality.  He was holding Aratama; two Cardcar D; Nikitama; Yaksha; and Izanami.  He Summoned Nikitama, Summoned Aratama to search another Nikitama, then overlaid for Number 101: Silent Honor ARK!  Zeeff brought it out in Attack Position, then detached its Materials to take Horse Prince as an Xyz Material.  He swung over Rooster and Zeeff bluffed the Duality, Setting it.

 

Levy Summoned Coach Soldier Wolfbark, Special Summoning back his previous Wolfbark.  He overlaid them for Evilswarm Exciton Knight, activated its effect to destroy Zeeff’s Lance and Duality, and activated it again to destroy the Honor ARK once and for all.  He set one unknown card to his backrow, still holding Bear.

 

Zeeff drew Dark Hole and Summoned Nikitama, then Yaksha, kicking away the unknown backrow card.  Zeeff made his second Number 101: Silent Honor ARK, took Evilswarm Exciton Knight, and attacked to drop Levy to 5400 Life Points.  He Set Dark Hole.

 

Levy Normal Summoned Bear and Set two cards to his back row.

 

Zeeff drew Pot of Duality, picking Bottomless Trap Hole over Creature Swap and Tragoedia, he then flipped Dark Hole to destroy Bear, and made a direct attack with Honor ARK!  He Set a monster and Set a backrow.

 

Levy drew and set another backrow.

 

Zeeff Flip Summoned Izanami, and he activated its effect discarding Cardcar D to get back Aratama.  He attacked with Izanami for 1100 Battle Damage, then 2100 Battle Damage with Honor ARK.  He Normal Summoned Aratama in Main Phase 2 to get Nikitama, and since Levy had just 100 Life Points left, Zeeff overlaid his two Spirit Monsters for Gagaga Cowboy and burned Levy out of the tournament!

 

 

It was a valiant effort with some cool plays from Ian Matthew Levy, but Doug Zeeff captures a Day 2 qualification – and some redemption – with Spirits!