Veracruz Mexico’s Jose Lagunes is facing off against Mexico City’s Daniel Gonzalez in a Top 4 Feature Match that will determine which Duelist advances to the Finals of the World Championship Qualifier. Will Lagunes and his Mermails make it to the top, or will Gonzalez’s Geargias throw a wrench in his plans? We’re about to find out. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Gonzalez started off the Match by Setting 4 cards to his back row and Setting a monster.

Lagunes opened up Duel 1 with Mermail Abysspike, Mermail Abyssteus, Book of Moon, Torrential Tribute, Soul Charge, and Genex Controller. He discarded Mermail Abysspike from his hand to Special Summon Mermail Abyssteus in Defense Position. He activated Abyssteus’s effect, and Gonzalez flipped Fiendish Chain to negate it. Next, Lagunes Summoned Genex Controller. Gonzalez activated Book of Moon to flip Genex Controller face-down before Lagunes could use it in a Synchro Summon. Lagunes Set Torrential Tribute and Book of Moon before finally passing his turn. Gonzalez activated Geargiagear in the End Phase in order to Special Summon Geargiano Mk-II and Geargiano from his Deck as Level 4 monsters.

Gonzalez combined his Gergiano monsters to Xyz Summon Gear Gigant X next turn and Lagunes activated Book of Moon to put Gear Gigant X face-down. Next, Gonzalez Flip Summoned Fire Hand and attacked Genex Controller to destroy it. Gonzalez Set a card to his back row before ending his turn.

Lagunes drew Mermail Abyssturge next turn. He activated Soul Charge and gave up 2000 Life Points to Special Summon Genex Controller and Mermail Abysspike from his Graveyard. Next, he discarded Abyssturge to activate the effect of Abysspike and add Genex Undine from his Deck to his hand. He Tuned Genex Controller with Mermail Abysspike to Synchro Summon Black Rose Dragon in Defense Position and then activated its effect to destroy all cards on the field! Gonzalez Special Summoned Geargiano from his Graveyard with the effect of his Gear Gigant X. Lagunes Summoned Genex Undine next, and activated its effect to send Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls from his Deck to his Graveyard and add Genex Controller from his Deck to his hand. Next, he banished Black Rose Dragon and Mermail Abyssteus from his Graveyard to Special Summon Tidal in Defense Position.

Gonzalez activated Mind Control to take control of Genex Undine and then combined Genex Undine with Geargiano to Xyz Summon Ghostrick Alucard in Attack Position. Next, he activated Soul Charge! He gave up 2000 Life Points to Special Summon Gear Gigant X in Attack Position and Fire Hand in Defense Position. In his End Phase, Tidal returned to Lagunes’s hand.

Lagunes activated Soul Charge again on his next turn! He paid 2000 Life Points to Special Summon Mermail Abysspike and Mermail Abyssturge from his Graveyard in Defense Position and then activated Abysspike’s effect. He discarded Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls to add Atlantean Marksman from his Deck to his hand. Next, he combined Abyssturge with Abysspike to Xyz Summon Number 101: Silent Honor ARK in Attack Position. He detached both Xyz Materials from it to activate its effect and attach Gonzalez’s Gear Gigant X to it as an Xyz Material. Next, he Special Summoned Tidal by banishing 2 WATER monsters from his Graveyard. Finally, he Normal Summoned Genex Controller and Tuned it with Tidal to Synchro Summon Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree in Attack Position.

Gonzalez switched his monsters into Defense Position and Set a monster before ending his turn.

Lagunes attacked Gonzalez’s face-down Geargiarmor with Leo to destroy it, and Geargiarmor’s effect activated to add Geargiaccelerator from Gonzalez’s Deck to his hand. Next, Number 101: Silent Honor ARK attacked and destroyed Fire Hand. Fire Hand attempted to destroy Number 101: Silent Honor ARK, and Lagunes protected it by giving up an Xyz Material.

Gonzalez Summoned Geargiano Mk-II and activated its effect to Special Summon Geargiarmor from his Graveyard in Defense Position. Next, he Special Summoned Geargiaccelerator and combined it with Geargiarmor to Xyz Summon Gear Gigant X in Attack Position. He detached an Xyz Material from Gear Gigant X in order to add Geargiano Mk-II from his Deck to his hand and then ended his turn.

Lagunes Summoned Mermail Abysspike and activated its effect to discard Atlantean Heavy Infantry and add Mermail Abysslinde from his Deck to his hand. He destroyed Gear Gigant X with the effect of Atlantean Heavy Infantry and Gonzalez Special Summoned Geargiano Mk-II from his Graveyard in Defense Position with Gear Gigant X’s effect. Leo attacked and destroyed the Attack Position Geargiano Mk-II and then Abysspike destroyed the Defense Position Geargiano Mk-II.

Gonzalez Summoned Geargiano Mk-II next turn and activated its effect to Special Summon another Geargiano Mk-II from his Graveyard. He combined both of them to Xyz Summon Soul of Silvermountain, attacked Abysspike to destroy it in battle, and then used his Soul of Silvermountain’s effect to Special Summon Geargiarmor from his Graveyard and flip it face-down. He Set a card to his back row before passing his turn.

Lagunes Summoned Mermail Abysslinde next turn, but lost it to Gonzalez’s Bottomless Trap Hole. Next, he banished Number 101: Silent Honor ARK and Abysspike from his Graveyard to Special Summon Tidal in Attack Position. Leo attacked and destroyed Soul of Silvermountain and then Tidal attacked and destroyed Gonzalez’s face-down Geargiarmor. Gonzalez used his Geargiarmor’s effect to add Geargiarsenal from his Deck to his hand.

Gonzalez Summoned Geargiarsenal and Tributed it to Special Summon Geargiarmor from his Deck. Next, he flipped it face-down with its effect. Gonzalez Set a card to his back row before ending his turn, and Tidal returned to Lagunes’s hand in the End Phase.

Lagunes drew Solemn Warning next turn. He discarded Tidal and Atlantean Marksman to send Mermail Abyssmegalo from his Deck to his Graveyard with Tidal’s effect and then used his Marksman’s effect to destroy Gonzalez’s face-down Geargiarmor. Next, Leo attacked and destroyed Gonzalez’s Ghostrick Alucard.

Gonzalez Set a monster and passed his turn.

Lagunes drew Atlantean Marksman. He Special Summoned Tidal from his Graveyard by banishing Mermail Abyssmegalo and Genex Undine from his Graveyard and then attacked Gonzalez’s face-down Geargiaccelerator with Tidal to destroy it. A direct attack from Leo subsequently wiped out the rest of Gonzalez’s Life Points!

Jose Lagunes uses Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree to win the first Duel! Daniel Gonzalez will be going first in Duel 2!

Duel Two

Gonzalez Set 3 cards to his back row and passed his turn.

Lagunes opened up Duel 2 with Forbidden Lance, Mystical Space Typhoon, Atlantean Marksman, 2 copies of Mermail Abyssteus, and Genex Controller. He Set Mystical Space Typhoon and Genex Controller before passing his turn. Gonzalez flipped his own Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Lagunes’s Mystical Space Typhoon in Lagunes’s End Phase.

Gonzalez Set 2 cards to his back row and passed his turn.

Lagunes drew another Genex Controller next turn. He Summoned Mermail Abysspike and activated its effect by discarding Mermail Abyssteus from his hand; but Gonzalez Chained Fiendish Chain to negate its effect! Next, Lagunes Flip Summoned Genex Controller. Gonzalez flipped Book of Moon to try to put Genex Controller face-down, and when Lagunes Chained Forbidden Lance to prevent it, Gonzalez discarded Maxx “C” from his hand. Lagunes Tuned his monsters together to Synchro Summon Black Rose Dragon and destroy all cards on the field, and Gonzalez drew a card thanks to Maxx “C”.

Gonzalez Set a monster and Set 2 cards to his back row.

Lagunes drew a card and was left with Genex Controller and 2 copies of Mermail Abyssteus in his hand. He discarded one Abyssteus to try to Special Summon the other Mermail Abyssteus, but Gonzalez flipped Solemn Warning and paid 2000 Life Points to negate its Summon.

Gonzalez passed his turn without making a play.

Lagunes drew Atlantean Marksman and passed.

Gonzalez Flip Summoned Geargiano Mk-II and then Special Summoned Geargiaccelerator from his hand. Next, he attacked directly with both.

Lagunes Summoned Mermail Abysslinde and attacked Geargiaccelerator to destroy it.

Gonzalez switched Geargiano Mk-II to Defense Position and passed.

Lagunes drew Genex Undine and then Summoned Atlantean Marksman. Mermail Abysslinde attacked and destroyed Geargiano Mk-II and then Atlantean Marksman attacked directly; but Gonzalez discarded Swift Scarecrow from his hand to block the attack and end the Battle Phase!

Gonzalez Summoned Geargiano and then Special Summoned Geargiaccelerator from his hand. Next, he sent Geargiano to the Graveyard to Special Summon another Geargiaccelerator. He combined both copies of Geargiaccelerator to Xyz Summon Abyss Dweller and then attacked Atlantean Marksman with Abyss Dweller to destroy it.

Lagunes drew Atlantean Heavy Infantry next turn and then Summoned Genex Controller. He combined Genex Controller with Mermail Abysslinde to Xyz Summon Ghostrick Alucard and detached an Xyz Material from Alucard to destroy Gonzalez’s face-down Wiretap. Next, Alucard attacked Abyss Dweller. Gonzalez detached an Xyz Material from Abyss Dweller to activate its effect, and then Abyss Dweller was destroyed in battle.

Gonzalez Set a card to his back row and passed.

Lagunes detached an Xyz Material from Alucard to destroy Gonzalez’s face-down Bottomless Trap Hole. Next, he Summoned Mermail Abyssturge. He activated its effect to discard Genex Undine and add Atlantean Marksman to his hand. He attacked directly with Alucard and Abyssturge, and on Gonzalez’s next turn, Gonzalez conceded.

Jose Lagunes is moving on to the Finals with Mermails!