Round 5 Feature Match: Ching Chen Versus Tyler Sondhi
It’s Round 5, and we’re halfway through the first day. These Duelists are undefeated so far: We’ve got Tyler Sondhi using the new Qliphort monsters, up against Ching Chen with Burning Abyss. Chen’s using Creature Swap in his Deck, which lets him steal opposing monsters, give them a Burning Abyss monster, and watch as it destroys itself! This ought to be great match, and indicative many of the Duels going on today at YCS Anaheim.
Duel 1
Sondhi started with Upstart Goblin, then Pot of Duality. He revealed Performapal Trampolynx, Bottomless Trap Hole, and Qliphort Shell. He took Bottomless Trap Hole. He Normal Summoned Qliphort Carrier, and Set three back row cards.
Chen had Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, Soul Charge, The Beginning of the End, Allure of Darkness, and drew another Graff. He used Allure to draw Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Tour Guide From the Underworld, banishing a spare Graff from his hand. He Special Summoned Graff from his hand, Normal Summoned Scarm, and Xyz Summoned Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss. He detached Scarm for Dante’s effect, sending Raigeki Break, Vanity’s Emptiness, and Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss to the Graveyard. Sondhi Chained Skill Drain, negating Dante and his own Carrier – Carrier returned to its original ATK. Chen moved to his Battle Phase, then his Main Phase 2. He Xyz Summoned Downerd Magician and Set The Beginning of the End. In the End Phase, Scarm’s effect gave him Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.
Sondhi attacked with Carrier, destroying Downerd Magician. The Dante and Graff that were Xyz Materials each activated – Chen Special Summoned Scarm and returned Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss to his hand. Sondhi filled his back row with Set cards.
Chen drew Phoenix Wing Wind Blast. He Normal Summoned Cir and stacked it with Scarm for Ghostrick Alucard. He Set Fire Lake and Wind Blast.
Sondhi attacked Alucard with Carrier, and Alucard went down. The attached Cir revived Dante from the Graveyard, and in the End Phase Scarm searched out Graff. Chen flipped Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, discarding Graff to target Qliphort Carrier, and Sondhi flipped Trap Stun. Graff’s effect Special Summoned Cir from the Deck.
Chen drew Mystical Space Typhoon! He flipped Fire Lake, sending Dante and Cir to the Graveyard, and targeted Carrier, Skill Drain, and a face-down Trap Stun – Sondhi didn’t activate it. Dante and Cir activated, getting back Fire Lake and Graff. Chen used Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Sondhi’s Bottomless Trap Hole, then played Rubic. He Synchro Summoned Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss, and Graff Special Summoned Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. Chen Normal Summoned Tour Guide From the Underworld, which caused Calcab to be destroyed – but Sondhi simply activated the Set Skill Drain. Tour Guide and Virgil attacked directly, then in Main Phase 2 Chen used The Beginning of the End! He drew 2 Rubic and Foolish Burial. Finally, Chen Set Foolish Burial and Fire Lake. Sondhi had 2500 Life Points remaining, to Chen’s 8100.
Sondhi used Upstart Goblin, then Pot of Duality revealed Mystical Space Typhoon, Qliphort Scout, and Qliphort Helix. He took Scout, playing it in the Pendulum Zone. He paid 800 Life Points, adding Qliphort Disk to his hand. He Normal Summoned Qliphort Disk, and thanks to Skill Drain it was able to destroy Virgil in battle. Chen drew Karma Cut with Virgil’s effect.
Chen drew Mystical Space Typhoon for his turn. He played Rubic and stacked it with Tour Guide for Number 47: Nightmare Shark! Mystical Space Typhoon destroyed Skill Drain, and Nightmare Shark attacked directly to take the first Duel!
Ching Chen is victorious in the first Duel, thanks to smart playing around Skill Drain. Even though he could have destroyed it with Fire Lake earlier in the Duel, he drew things out with multiple searches in order to bring The Beginning of the End online.
Duel 2
Sondhi used Summoner’s Art to get Qliphort Scout. He played that in his Pendulum Zone, and used it to grab Saqlifice. Pot of Duality revealed Wiretap, Saqlifice, and Summoner’s Art: he took Wiretap. He Normal Summoned Qliphort Disk, Set two back row cards, and equipped Disk with Saqlifice.
Chen had 2 Fairy Wind, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, Tour Guide From the Underworld, Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He started with Tour Guide to get Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Xyz Summoned Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss. Dante detached Scarm and sent The Beginning of the End, Fairy Wind, and Foolish Burial to the Graveyard. It attacked Disk, which survived thanks to Saqlifice, and Dante went to Defense Position. Chen Set his Trap Cards. In the End Phase, Scarm’s effect gave him Tour Guide From the Underworld.
In Sondhi’s Standby Phase, Chen flipped Fairy Wind. Sondhi Chained Trap Stun, and Chen thought a long time before opting not to respond. Sondhi used Scout to get another Qliphort Disk. He Tribute Summoned it, using the Saqlifice-equipped Disk as Tribute, and Disk’s effect brought Qliphort Carrier and Qliphort Helix to the field, then Saqlifice’s effect gave him a Qliphort Carrier in his hand. He played Upstart Goblin for a new card, then played Carrier to his Pendulum Zone. That let him Pendulum Summon the Disk from earlier, and he moved to the Battle Phase. Disk attacked Dante, and Chen got back Scarm. The other Qliphorts attacked directly, leaving Chen with 2700 Life Points while Sondhi had 6000. In the End Phase, the two brought out by Disk were destroyed.
Time in the round was called as Chen’s turn began. After this turn, there would be five additional turns to determine the winner of the Duel – and possibly the Match. Chen drew another Scarm. He started with Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, discarding Cir, to return the Disk that was Tribute Summoned, but Sondhi negated Wind Blast with Wiretap. Cir’s effect activated, Sondhi activated Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror, and Chen flipped Fairy Wind! Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror, Qliphort Scout, and Qliphort Carrier were destroyed, and each Duelist took 900 damage. Cir’s effect revived Dante, then Chen Special Summoned Graff and Scarm from his hand. He Xyz Summoned Number 47: Nightmare Shark, then Normal Summoned Tour Guide! He Special Summoned Alich, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Xyz Summoned Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction! Nightmare Shark and Acid Golem attacked over the two Qliphort Disks. Dante attacked directly, then moved to Defense Position.
Sondhi played Qliphort Scout to his Pendulum Zone, adding Qliphort Carrier to his hand. He put that in his second Pendulum Zone, and Pendulum Summoned five monsters: Disk in Attack Position, and Scout, Helix, and 2 Carriers in Defense Position! He was playing it safe, since the End of Match Procedures were in effect. Disk attacked over Nightmare Shark. In the End Phase, the Scarm that was attached searched for Tour Guide.
Chen drew Scarm. He detached Alich from Acid Golem of Destruction, and Alich negated Acid Golem! That let him Special Summon again, so Chen played Tour Guide to get Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He Xyz Summoned another Nightmare Shark, and detached Calcab from it to let Acid Golem attack directly. Calcab activated, and Sondhi Chained the targeted Qlimate Change. Acid Golem struck directly, leaving Sondhi with 900 Life Points, while Chen had 1700. In Main Phase 2, Chen used Nightmare Shark and Dante for a pair of Downerd Magicians.
Sondhi Tributed his two Carriers to Tribute Summon Qliphort Disk, and the Carriers bounced a Downerd and Acid Golem. The 3100 ATK Disk destroyed Downerd Magician, and the other Disk attacked directly!
That finishes off the second Duel! Since the round time has ended, and each Duelist won a game, this Match will be decided as a Draw!
