Ellen Thomas has made her way here from Ohio today, piloting a variant of Qliphort utilizing powerful Spells such as Storm and The Monarchs Stormforth. She is also one of the special VIP Duelists for this tournament, so by winning the VIP Qualifier at Pandemonium, Inc. her local OTS, she has earned the right to have her own special seating along with two byes! Quite the deal. Marcus Faison is also at a 2-0 record but has had to Duel the last two rounds to do earn it. He’s playing a Shaddoll Dragon variant with Mask Change II to take advantages of additional damage pushes along with the powerful effects of Masked HERO Dark Law. Who will be victorious?!

Faison wins the roll, but told Thomas she could go first.

Duel One:

Thomas opened a hand of Qliphort Scout, Qliphort Disk, Qliphort Helix, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Saqlifice. She started things off strong by placing Qliphort Scout on her Pendulum Scale, using its effect to grab a Laser Qlip at the cost of 800 Life Points. She then Normal Summoned Qliphort Helix, equipping it with Saqlifice and activating Laser Qlip; she tributed away the Helix to Summon Qliphort Disk, using its effect to Special Summon Qliphort Carrier and another Qliphort Helix from her Deck. She searched Qliphort Monolith off of Saqlifice, then activated it as her other Pendulum Scale. She Set Mystical Space Typhoon to her back row and ended, drawing an Upstart Goblin during the End Phase from Qliphort Monolith and losing both the Qliphort Carrier and Qliphort Helix because of Disk.

Faison drew and Normal Summoned Mathematician, using its effect to send Shaddoll Dragon to the Graveyard to destroy Thomas’ Set Mystical Space Typhoon. He then activated Shaddoll Fusion sending White Dragon Wyverburster and Shaddoll Squamata to the Graveyard to Special Summon El Shaddoll Construct. Construct’s effect sent Shaddoll Beast and Squamata’s sent Shaddoll Falco, letting Faison Special Summon Shaddoll Falco face down and draw a card. He Special Summoned Black Dragon Collapserpent next, and declared attacks. The Construct crashed with the Qliphort Disk which let him add back Shaddoll Fusion, then directly with Mathematician and Collapserpent to put Thomas down to 3900 Life Points.

Thomas drew Saqlifice for turn, and Faison used his Set Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy her Qliphort Scout during her Standbyphase. She activated Upstart Goblin and drew Vanity’s Emptiness, and without many options Set both it and Saqlifice before ending.

Faison drew and went straight to Battle Phase, attacking with both Black Dragon Collapserpent and Mathematician putting Thomas down to 600 Life Points, but he announced he had more; still during the Battle Phase he activated Mask Change II! He sent his Black Dragon Collapserpent to the Graveyard and before he could pick up his Extra Deck to grab Masked HERO Dark Law, Thomas conceded.

Mask Change II has made the Shaddoll Deck lightning fast, a huge boost that the Deck really needed to keep up with the rest of the Decks. We can’t count Thomas out yet though; will she be able to mount a comeback?

Duel Two:

Thomas chose to go first and opened with a hand of Qliphort Stealth, Qliphort Disk, Saqlifice, Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror, and Majesty’s Fiend. She Normal Summoned Qliphort Disk and equipped it with Saqlifice, Setting the Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror before ending.

Faison drew and Normal Summoned Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress, using its effect to destroy Thomas’ Set Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror. He Set a back row and during the End Phase milled Cursed Seal of Forbidden Spell, Shaddoll Squamata, and Snatch Steal. He used Shaddoll Squamata’s effect to send Shaddoll Falco, which then Special Summoned itself face down.

Thomas drew Vanity’s Fiend for turn, and took a moment consider her options. She tributed away the Qliphort Disk for Majesty’s Fiend, and got to search Qliphort Scout because Saqlifice hit the Graveyard. She then activated the Qliphort Scout, and went full circle by searching Saqlifice with its effect. She placed Qliphort Stealth on the opposite side of the Pendulum Scale, and then Pendulum Summoned the Qliphort Disk from her Extra Deck. She equipped it with Saqlifice, and then went to Battle Phase and declared an attack with Majesty’s Fiend on Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress. Faison had a response though, and used Mask Change II discarding Shaddoll Dragon to turn Lyla into Masked HERO Koga! Without the ability to get over Koga, she redeclared over the Set Shaddoll Falco, and then ended her turn.

Faison drew to four cards and thought for a moment, choosing to Special Summon Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning! He attacked with Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning over Majesty’s Fiend, then declared an attack with Masked HERO Koga to put Thomas down to 5700 Life Points. He Set a card to his back row along with a Monster, then ended.

Thomas drew Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror for turn but during her Standby Phase, Faison used El Shaddoll Fusion to fuse his Masked HERO Koga and Shaddoll Squamata to the Graveyard to Special Summon El Shaddoll Construct. He used Shaddoll Squamata to send Shaddoll Dragon, and then El Shaddoll Construct to send Shaddoll Core. The Dragon destroyed her Qliphort Scout, and Faison added El Shaddoll Fusion back from the Shaddoll Core. When Thomas went to Main Phase 1, she tributed her Qliphort Disk to Set her Vanity’s Fiend, letting her search Qliphort Scout off of the Saqlifice. She then placed the new Scout on her empty Pendulum Scale, paying herself down to 4900 Life Points to search Qliphort Carrier to her hand. She Pendulum Summoned Qliphort Disk and Qliphort Scout from her Extra Deck along with Qliphort Carrier from her hand all in Defense Mode in an attempt to live another turn, also Setting Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror before ending.

Faison drew and during his Draw Phase Thomas activated Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror. He then activated Shaddoll Fusion, sending Shaddoll Hedgehog and White Dragon Wyverburster to his Graveyard to Summon another copy of El Shaddoll Construct, choosing not to activate Construct’s effect. He banished White Dragon Wyverburster from his Graveyard to Special Summon Black Dragon Collapserpent, then proceeded to Battle Phase. He cleared all of Thomas’ Monsters, then had a direct attack with Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning to put her down to 1900 Life Points. He Set a card to his back row before ending.

Thomas drew Qliphort Helix for turn and gave an emotional cry of despair. She refused to concede though, and Pendulum Summoned Qliphort Disk, Qliphort Helix, and Qliphort Scout from her Extra Deck so she could tribute away the Qliphort Carrier for Qliphort Helix. The Carrier’s effect returned Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning to Faison’s hand, and then she declared an attack over Black Dragon Collapserpent with Qliphort Helix. She ended her turn shortly after.

Faison drew to two and immediately Special Summoned Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning. “I won’t scoop! You have to beat me!” Shouted Thomas. Faison happily obliged as he swung over her field and even had an El Shaddoll Fusion for additional damage!

With a slow start the second game and the impressive aggression of Faison’s Deck, Thomas could not fight through the impressive aggression that Faison’s Shaddoll Deck could put up. Marcus Faison moves on with a 3-0 record!