Tahmid Zaman one of the only remaining Duelists not using Artifacts! Rather, he’s been winning Duel after Duel with Mythic Dragon Rulers! His opponent is Deon Akridge, using an Artifact variant packing Traptrix and the Hand monsters! The winner of this Match is guaranteed to be going to the World Championship in Italy. The loser will have a shot, but they’ll have to play off for it against the other Top 8 losing Duelists.

Duel 1

Zaman began with a hand of Gold Sarcophagus, Trade-In, Skill Drain, Bottomless Trap Hole, Kuribandit, and Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos. He used Gold Sarcophagus to banish Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls, and added Mythic Water Dragon to his hand. He discarded it with Trade-In, getting Cards of Consonance and Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Kuribandit came down, and Zaman Set Skill Drain and Bottomless Trap Hole. He used Kuribandit to excavate Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, Torrential Tribute, Dragon Shrine, Debris Dragon, and Trade-In. He took Trade-In.

Akridge played Traptrix Myrmeleo. Zaman activated Skill Drain, and Akridge used Skill Drain to destroy it. He added Bottomless Trap Hole to his hand with Myrmeleo. He attacked, then used Pot of Duality to reveal Compulsory Evacuation Device, Dark Hole, and Fiendish Chain. He took the Compulsory Evacuation Device. Finally, he Set four back row cards.

Zaman drew Cards of Consonance. He used Trade-In with Blue-Eyes, getting Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms and Upstart Goblin. The latter gave him Flamvell Guard, and he used Cards of Consonance to draw Dragon Shrine and The White Stone of Legend. He played Dragon Shrine, sending Flamvell Guard and Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders. Cards of Consonance was next, discarding White Stone. He drew Mythic Tree Dragon and Dragon Shrine, then got a Blue-Eyes. He Set Dragon Shrine and passed.

Myrmeleo attacked directly, leaving Zaman with 3800 Life Points.

Zaman drew Card Trooper, then added Tidal back to his hand thanks to Gold Sarcophagus. He Set Trooper.

Akridge played Ice Hand. It attacked, but in the Battle Step Akridge played Compulsory Evacuation Device to return the Trooper to Zaman’s hand. Ice Hand attacked directly, then Myrmeleo.  Akridge Set another card to his back row.

Zaman drew White Stone. He banished White Stone and Flamvell Guard from his Graveyard to bring Redox from the Graveyard. Zaman Normal Summoned White Stone and Synchro Summoned Stardust Dragon, but lost it to Black Horn of Heaven! Zaman Special Summoned Tidal from his hand, banishing White Stone and Stardust, and Akridge flipped Bottomless Trap Hole. Zaman still had moves, banishing Debris Dragon and Flamvell Guard from his Graveyard to Special Summon Tempest in Defense Position, then he Set Trooper.

Akridge sent Myrmeleo to destroy Trooper, and Zaman drew Skill Drain – unfortunate when he had 800 Life Points.  Akridge moved Ice Hand to Defense Position, and Set two more back row cards. Tempest returned to Zaman’s hand.

Zaman drew his third Skill Drain! Ouch! He banished Mythic Water Dragon and Trooper to bring back Redox in Defense Position, then Set his Skill Drains as bluffs.

Akridge stacked Myrmeleo and Ice Hand for Number 50: Blackship of Corn! Zaman banished it with Bottomless Trap Hole, but Akridge Normal Summoned another Ice Hand to take the first Duel!

Deon Akridge takes the lead, applying pressure with just Myrmeleo and Ice Hand! Despite drawing a ton of cards, Zaman couldn’t get through Akridge’s wall of Trap Cards. The Duelists quickly Side Decked, hoping to gain an edge on their opponent.

Duel 2

Zaman started this time with Cards of Consonance, Card Trooper, Dragon Shrine, and 3 copies of Upstart Goblin! He drew Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos, Gold Sarcophagus, and Blue-Eyes White Dragon from the three Goblins, then used Gold Sarcophagus to banish Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms from his Deck. He added Debris Dragon to his hand with Tempest. He played Trooper, sending Skill Drain, Soul Charge, and Cards of Consonance to the Graveyard. Cards of Consonance was next, pitching Debris to get Soul Charge and Mythic Tree Dragon. He used Dragon Shrine to send Flamvell Guard and Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls. Then, he used Soul Charge to revive Debris, Tidal, and Flamvell Guard! He dropped to 5000 Life Points from Soul Charge. Zaman Synchro Summoned Stardust Dragon, then banished Blue-Eyes from his hand and Flamvell Guard from the Graveyard, bringing Tidal to the field. He tuned Debris to Tidal for Star Eater!

Akridge played Traptrix Myrmeleo to get Deep Dark Trap Hole. Myrmeleo destroyed Trooper in battle, and Zaman drew Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders. Akridge Set five cards to his back row.

Zaman drew Foolish Burial. He sent Star Eater to take out Myrmeleo, then lost his Stardust Dragon to Akridge’s Dimensional Prison.

Akridge played Fire Hand and crashed it into Star Eater, destroying both monsters! Akridge Special Summoned Ice Hand and attacked directly. Zaman was down to 2400 Life Points. In Main Phase 2, Akridge used Soul Release to banish Star Eater.

Zaman drew Malevolent Catastrophe, and added Tempest back to his hand from the Gold Sarcophagus. He Set Malevolent Catastrophe and Foolish Burial, and Set Mythic Tree Dragon.

Akridge moved Ice Hand to Defense Position.

Zaman drew another Malevolent Catastrophe. He passed.

Akridge passed.

Zaman drew Trade-In. He flipped Foolish Burial to send The White Stone of Legend to the Graveyard, and added Blue-Eyes White Dragon to his hand. He pitched it with Trade-In, getting Torrential Tribute and Trade-In. He set the other Malevolent Catastrophe.

Akridge played Traptrix Dionaea, and brought back Myrmeleo to destroy a Malevolent Catastrophe. Akridge passed.

Zaman drew Skill Drain. He banished Tidal and White Stone from the Graveyard to Special Summon Redox from his hand, and lost Redox to Deep Dark Trap Hole. Tidal’s effect gave him Mythic Water Dragon. Zaman Set Skill Drain and Torrential Tribute.

Akridge Set two more to his back row, now with five again. He turned Dionaea to Defense Position and passed.

Zaman drew Royal Decree and Set it.

Akridge passed.

Zaman drew another Skill Drain. He flipped Royal Decree, then Flip Summoned Mythic Tree Dragon. He Special Summoned Mythic Water Dragon, and Akridge used Mystical Space Typhoon on Royal Decree. Zaman decided to play it safe, and Tributed Tree and Water to Set Blaster, then Set the spare Skill Drain.

Akridge stacked Myrmeleo and Ice Hand for Number 39: Utopia! Dionaea moved to Attack Position, then Utopia attacked. Zaman flipped Malevolent Catastrophe, destroying everything!

Utopia destroyed Blaster, and Myrmeleo hit directly. In Main Phase 2, Akridge Normal Summoned Ice Hand and stacked it with Myrmeleo for Gagaga Cowboy, firing off the final damage to take the Match!

Deon Akridge is going to Italy!