Aaron Furman has attended just about every recent YCS I can remember, and is really started to gain some momentum as a Duelist. He is using a Satellarknight variant very similar to what we saw Jeff Jones use in yesterday’s Feature Match, teching cards like Enemy Controller, Mind Crush, and Threatening Roar to take advantage of current format trends. His opponent is Melvin Torres Jr., a Floridian native who has chosen Burning Abyss to battle with this weekend; he is also on the Mask Change 2 train, trying to use Masked HERO Dark Law to the best of its ability.

Furman is sitting on 21 points, a 7-2 record, while Torres has 22, an 7-1-1 record, so this match will decide who makes it into Top 32.

Furman won the roll and chose to go first.

Duel One:

Furman opened with a hand of Book of Moon, Satellarknight Unukalhai, Oasis of Dragon Souls, Fiendish Chain, and Mind Crush. He Normal Summoned Satellarknight Unukalhai and used its effect to send Satellarknight Deneb to his Graveyard. He Set everything from his hand to the back row before ending.

Torres drew and pensively looked at his hand before Special Summoning Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. When he tried to Normal Summon Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, Furman had Book of Moon turning it face down and ultimately causing the Farfa to destroy itself. Torres Set a card to his back row and tried to end, but Furman had Oasis of Dragon Souls during the End Phase to revive his Satellarknight Deneb and add Satellarknight Altair from his Deck to his hand. After some clarification, Torres ended.

Furman drew another copy of Fiendish Chain for turn. He looked through Extra Deck and considered his options, ultimately overlaying his Satellarknight Unukalhai and Satellarknight Deneb for Cairngorgon, Antiluminescent Knight. He declared an attack over Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and moved to End Phase, where Torres searched a Tour Guide from the Underworld via the recently destroyed Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. Still during the End Phase Torres used Phoenix Wing Wind Blast discarding Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss in attempt to spin Furman’s new back row to the top of his Deck, but Furman shifted it via Cairngorgon, Antiluminescent Knight to his face up Oasis of Dragon Souls instead. Farfa then banished the Cairngorgon which returned during the same End Phase but lost its material.

During the Draw Phase, Furman activated Mind Crush naming Tour Guide from the Underworld discarding it, revealing the remaining cards of Snatch Steal, Mystical Space Typhoon, Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss in Torres’ hand. Jones simply Set the Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and ended having lost a crucial piece ot his play to Mind Crush.

Furman drew Fiendish Chain for turn and then Normal Summoned Satellarknight Altair, using its effect to Special Summon Satellarknight Deneb from the Graveyard which ultimately added another Altair to his hand via its effect. He overlayed the two for Abyss Dweller before ending, not being able to attack because of Satellarknight Altair’s effect.

Torres drew to three cards and then Normal Summoned Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, overlaying it with is Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss for Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss. He detached the Graff sending Mask Change II, Cagna, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to the Graveyard. When he moved to battle and tried to attack over Abyss Dweller, Furman had Fiendish Chain to halt the Traveler. Torres considered responding for a moment but ultimately didn’t, choosing to pass his turn.

Furman drew Bottomless Trap Hole and then activate his Set Oasis of Dragon Souls, reviving Satellarknight Altair which in turn Special Summoned Satellarknight Deneb from his Graveyard. The Deneb activated, adding Satellarknight Vega to his hand. He Normal Summoned the Vega and then overlayed all three Satellarknights for Stellarknight Triverr, using its effect to return the whole field to the hands. He then used its effect and randomly sent Snatch Steal from Torres’ hand to the Graveyard! He declared an attack, and in Main Phase 2 overlayed his Stellarknight Triverr for Stellarknight Constellar Diamond, Setting all of his spells and traps before ending.

Torres drew to two cards after giving Stellarknight Constellar Diamond a read. After taking a moment to survey his options, Torres conceded.

Showing the strength of Stellarknight Constellar Diamond, Furman takes a strong lead in the first game with a clutch Mind Crush. Can he secure his spot for Top 32 or will Torres make the comeback?

Torres chose to go first after Side Decking.

Duel Two:

Torres thought for a moment before Special Summoning Cagna, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his hand. He Normal Summoned Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and then overlayed the two Malebranches forDante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss, using its effect to send Dark Hole, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, and Tour Guide from the Underworld to the Graveyard before Special Summoning Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck from the detached Graff’s effect. He paused and then played Foolish Burial , sending Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to his Graveyard which Special Summoned Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss back to the field. He overlayed the Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss with the Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, detaching the Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to mill a single Tour Guide from the Underworld from the top of his Deck. He Set one of his last two cards to his back row, then during the End Phase added Tour Guide from the Underworld to his hand from Scarm’s effect.

Furman opened with a hand of Satellarknight Deneb, Fiendish Chain, Threatening Roar, Enemy Controller, and Satellarknight Unukalhai before drawing Xyz Universe for turn! He Normal Summoned Satellarknight Deneb and used its effect to add Satellarknight Altair. He entered Battle Phase and attacked the Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss with Cagna, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss as a material, switching it to Attack Mode during Battle Step by using his Enemy Controller. The Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss and Cagna, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss triggered when they hit the Graveyard, adding a Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and sending a Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss respectively. Furman Set all of his traps before ending.

Torres drew for turn and looked through his Graveyard, then decided to start things off by using Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss’s effect sending Enemy Controller, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, and Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to his Graveyard by detaching Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He used the Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss’s effect to Special Summon Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck, then after asking for any responses he sent his two Burning Abyss Monsters to the Graveyard to activate his Set Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss . The lake targeted and destroyed all of Furman’s traps, but he managed to Chain Threatening Roar to make sure he wouldn’t lose the game that turn. Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss banish the Satellarknight Deneb, and Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss added back Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss . He then Special Summoned Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss before Normal Summoning Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, overlaying the two for another copy of Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss. He detached the Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to send Enemy Controller, Snatch Steal, and Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to his Graveyard, activating the Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to Special Summon Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss for his Graveyard. He Set a card to his back row, presumably Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss ,before searching Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss via Scarm during the End Phase. Furman also got back his Satellarknight Deneb from the clutches of Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss’s effect.

Furman drew Mind Crush, then Normal Summoned Satellarknight Unukalhai and sent Satellarknight Deneb to the Graveyard. He overlayed the two Evilswarm Exciton Knight, using its effect but Torres responded with Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss sending his Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss to the Graveyard to destroy the Evilswarm; he returned a Dante back to his Extra Deck via the other Dante’s trigger effect and then during the End Phase added Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to his hand from the Scarm’s effect.

Torres drew to five cards and during his Draw Phase Furman activated Mind Crush, ripping the last Tour Guide from the Underworld from his hand. He then Normal Summoned Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, Special Summoned Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and overlayed the two to Summon Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss. He milled three cards including Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and ultimately decided to Special Summon Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from the detached Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss’s effect. He declared direct attacks with both Graff and Dante, putting Furman down to 4500 Life Points. Torres Set a back row before ending.

Furman drew Snatch Steal for turn with the only other card in his hand being Satellarknight Altair. He Normal Summoned the Satellarknight and activated its effect targeting Satellarknight Deneb, but Torres Chained Mask Change 2 sending his Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to the Graveyard and discarding Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to Special Summon Masked HERO Dark Law! Furman overlayed Satellarknight Deneb and Satellarknight Altair to Xyz Summon Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer. He activated Snatch Steal to take the Masked HERO Dark Law, the used the effect of Castel to return the Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss with materials back to Torres’ Extra Deck! Furman ended his turn unable to attack because of the effect of Satellarknight Altair.

Torres drew and threw his hand on the table containing both Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning and Enemy Controller, seeing the writing on the wall Furman conceded.

Punishing Furman for committing too many traps and thus losing a ton of advantage because of Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss , Torres takes a seemingly easy game two. Can he make the third game that easy or will we see Furman seize control?

Furman chose to go first.

Duel Three:

Furman opened with a hand of Satellarknight Deneb, Satellarknight Unukalhai, Maxx “C”, Fiendish Chain, and Oasis of Dragon Souls. He Normal Summoned Satellarknight Deneb and used it to add Satellarknight Altair to his hand; he ended his turn shortly after.

Torres drew and then Normal Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld, but when Furman responded with Fiendish Chain Torres had Mystical Space Typhoon! In response to the Spell, Furman activated Maxx “C”, but Torres used Mask Change II to turn his Tour Guide from the Underworld into Masked HERO Dark Law! The Tour Guide from the Underworld then resolved, having Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss hit the field with its effect negated, and Furman drew Call of the Haunted off Maxx “C” after Torres forgot to use Masked HERO Dark Law’s effect. He ran over the Satellarknight Deneb with Masked HERO Dark Law, then ended his turn.

Furman drew another copy of Satellarknight Unukalhai for turn, not the best draw. He simply Set Satellarknight Unukalhai along with Call of the Haunted before ending.

Torres drew to three and then immediately went to Battle Phase, declaring an attack over the Set Satellarknight Unukalhai with Masked HERO Dark Law. He passed after the battle hand finished.

Furman drew Satellarknight Deneb and used its effect, adding Satellarknight Vega to his hand but it got randomly banished by the effect of Masked HERO Dark Law. Furman passed without any other options.

Torres drew and declared an attack over Masked HERO Dark Law, destroying and banishing the Satellarknight Deneb. He passed back after they clarified that Furman was left at 6200 Life Points.

Furman drew another Satellarknight Altair, having nothing but two copies of that along with Satellarknight Unukalhai in his hand. The Masked HERO Dark Law was putting a huge wrench in his plan, and could only pass the turn back.

Torres drew to five cards and took a while to consider his next play. He Normal Summoned Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss which self-destructed, triggering its effect so that he could Special Summon a Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck. The Libic then destroyed itself, which let Torres Special Summon a Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his hand with its effect negated. He overlayed both the Malebranches, for Ghostrick Alucard, using its effect targeting Furman’s Set Call of the Haunted, which Furman Chained to revive his Maxx “C”. Torres declared an attack with the Alucard over the Maxx “C”, then a direct attack with Masked HERO Dark Law putting Furman down to 2500 Life Points. During the End Phase Torres added Tour Guide from the Underworld to his hand from Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss’s effect.

And Furman drew…Mystical Space Typhoon. He Set it along with an Satellarknight Altair before ending.

Torres drew and Furman saw the writing on the wall as Torres used Ghostrick Alucard to blow away the Set Mystical Space Typhoon, and conceded.

After an unfortunate set of draws, Aaron Furman is knocked out of contention for Top 32. On the other hand, Melvin Torres Jr. managed to win the back two with help from Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss and Masked HERO Dark Law, most likely in for Top 32.