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Round 11 Feature Match: Walter Jule Versus Antonio Maldonado

April 12th, 2015

18-year-old Walter Jule from San Diego is Dueling against local 21-year-old Chicago Duelist Antonio Maldonado in this Round 11 Feature Match that will determine which Duelist advances to the Top 32! Jule and Maldonado both currently have 8-2 records, so a win in this round will be essential to a Top 32 finish. Jule is using a Nekroz Deck, like so many others that are popular at the top tables right now. Maldonado, on the other hand, is using a Qliphort Deck – a Deck that appears to have faded out of popularity with the release of the recent Forbidden & Limited List. Will Jule’s Nekroz Deck be able to overwhelm Maldonado’s Qliphorts in this Round 11 Feature Match? We’re about to find out. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

 

Maldonado opened up Duel 1 with Soul Transition, Torrential Tribute, Performapal Trampolynx, and 2 copies of Qliphort Helix.

 

Maldonado's Duel 1 Opening Hand

 

He Summoned a Helix and then Set Torrential Tribute and Soul Transition to his back row.

 

Maldonado

 

Jule activated Upstart Goblin to draw a card and give Maldonado 1000 Life Points. Next, he discarded Nekroz of Clausolas to add Nekroz Kaleidoscope to his hand and activated Nekroz Kaleidoscope to send Herald of the Arc Light from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard and Special Summon Nekroz of Unicore. He activated the effect of his Herald to add Nekroz of Trishula from his Deck to his hand. He activated Reinforcement of the Army next, adding Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz to his hand. He Set a card to his back row and Set a monster. Next, he flipped his face-down Nekroz Cycle, Tributing the Shurit he Set to Special Summon Nekroz of Trishula. After it was Summoned, Maldonado activated Soul Transition to Tribute Helix, and Chained Torrential Tribute to clear the field! He drew 2 cards with Soul Transition. Jule banished Nekroz of Clausolas and Nekroz Kaleidoscope from his Graveyard to add Nekroz Mirror to his hand and then banished Nekroz Cycle and Nekroz of Unicore to add another Mirror to his hand. He pitched Nekroz of Brionac from his hand to add Nekroz of Gungnir to his hand next, and then activated Nekroz Mirror to Special Summon Nekroz of Gungnir by banishing Shurit from his Graveyard. He attacked directly with Nekroz of Gungnir to drop Maldonado down to 6500 Life Points and then Set a card to his back row.

 

Maldonado placed Qliphort Helix in his Pendulum Zone and then placed Performapal Trampolynx in his second Pendulum Zone; but Jule discarded Nekroz Mirror to activate the effect of Nekroz of Gungnir and destroy the Trampolynx. Next, Maldonado played Qliphort Monolith into his Pendulum Zone and Pendulum Summoned Qliphort Helix from his Extra Deck. He activated Summoner’s Art next, adding Qliphort Monolith from his Deck to his hand. He Tributed his Helix to Summon Qliphort Monolith and activated his Helix’s effect to try to destroy Jule’s face-down Book of Moon; but Jule Chained it to put Monolith face-down. Next, he Set a card to his back row and ended his turn.

 

Jule Summoned Psi-Blocker and activated its effect declaring Qliphort Monolith. He attacked with Nekroz of Gungnir, but Maldonado flipped Mirror Force to destroy Nekroz of Gungnir and Psi-Blocker! Jule ended his turn with only a single card in his hand.

 

Maldonado drew Mind Crush and then Pendulum Summoned Helix. He attacked directly with Helix, dropping Jule down to 6200 Life Points. He Set Mind Crush before passing his turn.

 

Jule banished Nekroz Mirror and Nekroz of Brionac from his Graveyard to add Nekroz Kaleidoscope to his hand with the effect of his Mirror. Next, he activated Preparation of Rites to add Nekroz of Unicore from his Deck to his hand and Nekroz Mirror from his Graveyard to his hand. He activated Nekroz Kaleidoscope to send Herald of the Arc Light from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard and Special Summon Nekroz of Unicore. He added Nekroz of Unicore to his hand with the effect of Herald of the Arc Light and then discarded Nekroz of Unicore to add Nekroz of Gungnir from his Graveyard to his hand. He activated Mirror next, banishing Nekroz of Unicore from his Graveyard and Tributing Djinn Releaser of Rituals from his hand to Special Summon Nekroz of Gungnir. Nekroz of Unicore attacked and destroyed Monolith, and then Nekroz of Gungnir attacked and destroyed the Helix. Maldonado dropped down to 6100 Life Points.

 

Maldonado drew Qliphort Disk and then passed his turn, unable to Pendulum Summon due to Djinn Releaser of Rituals.

 

Jule attacked directly with Nekroz of Unicore and Nekroz of Gungnir to drop Maldonado down to 1300 Life Points.

 

Maldonado drew Raigeki! He activated it to destroy Nekroz of Unicore and Nekroz of Gungnir and then Pendulum Summoned Helix and Monolith to his field. He Tributed both of them to Summon Qliphort Disk and then Special Summoned 2 Carriers from his Deck in Attack Position with the effect of his Disk. Next, he attacked directly with Qliphort Disk and both Qliphort Carriers. Jule conceded promptly thereafter!

 

Antonio Maldonado steals the first victory with a topdecked Raigeki!

 

Duel Two

 

Maldonado started off Duel 2 with Qliphort Disk, Qliphort Scout, Vanity’s Fiend, and 2 copies of Upstart Goblin.

 

Duel 2 Opening Hand

 

He activated Upstart Goblin to draw Fiendish Chain from his Deck and give Jule 1000 Life Points, and then activated another copy of Upstart Goblin to draw Vanity’s Emptiness and give Maldonado another 1000 Life Points. Next, he activated Qliphort Scout in his Pendulum Zone and paid 800 Life Points to add Qliphort Monolith to his hand. He activated the Monolith in his other Pendulum Zone and then Pendulum Summoned Qliphort Disk from his hand. Next, he Tributed his Disk for Vanity’s Fiend and Set Vanity’s Emptiness and Fiendish Chain. He drew a card in his End Phase thanks to the effect of his Monolith.

 

Jule activated Reinforcement of the Army to add Nekroz of Clausolas to his hand and then discarded Nekroz of Clausolas to add Nekroz Kaleidoscope to his hand. Next, he Summoned Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands and activated its effect to add Nekroz of Valkyrus from his Deck to his hand. He discarded Nekroz of Brionac to add Nekroz of Unicore to his hand next, and then ended his turn.

 

Jule

 

Maldonado drew Qliphort Carrier and then paid 800 Life Points with the effect of his Scout to add Saqlifice from his Deck to his hand. He Normal Summoned Qliphort Carrier and then activated Saqlifice to increase its ATK. He Set Mirror Force and then entered his Battle Phase, attacking Manju with Qliphort Carrier. Manju was destroyed, and then Vanity’s Fiend attacked directly, dropping Jule down to 6900 Life Points.

 

Jule Set a card to his back row and passed.

 

Maldonado drew Qliphort Stealth and then Tributed his Carrier to Summon it. He returned Jule’s face-down back row to his hand with the effect of Stealth, and then added another Stealth to his hand with the effect of Saqlifice when it was sent to the Graveyard. Next, Maldonado paid 800 Life Points to activate the effect of his Qliphort Scout and add Qliphort Helix from his Deck to his hand. He attacked directly with Stealth, but Jule discarded Nekroz of Valkyrus from his hand and banished Nekroz of Clausolas from his Graveyard to negate the attack and end the Battle Phase. Maldonado drew a card thanks to his Monolith in the End Phase.

 

Jule discarded Nekroz of Unicore from his hand to add Nekroz of Brionac from his Graveyard to his hand, and then discarded Nekroz of Brionac to add Nekroz of Valkyrus from his Deck to his hand. He Set a card to his back row and then ended his turn.

 

Maldonado drew Skill Drain and then Normal Summoned Qliphort Helix. He paid 800 Life Points to activate the effect of his Scout and add Qliphort Towers from his Deck to his hand. Next, he attacked directly with Qliphort Helix; but Jule discarded Nekroz of Valkyrus from his hand and banished Nekroz of Unicore from his Graveyard to stop the attack and end the Battle Phase once again.

 

Jule Summoned Psi-Blocker and activated its effect, naming Vanity’s Fiend, to shut off Vanity’s Fiend’s effect. He activated Nekroz Kaleidoscope next, and Maldonado Chained Vanity’s Emptiness; but Jule Chained Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy the Emptiness! Jule sent Herald of the Arc Light from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard to Special Summon Nekroz of Unicore and then used his Herald’s effect to add Nekroz of Trishula to his hand. He combined Psi-Blocker with Nekroz of Unicore to Summon Evilswarm Exciton Knight and when he activated Exciton Knight’s effect, Maldonado flipped Fiendish Chain to negate it! Next, Jule activated Nekroz Mirror and Tributed Shurit from his hand to Special Summon Nekroz of Trishula; but Maldonado flipped Skill Drain when Jule activated its effect. Jule added Nekroz of Clausolas to his hand with the effect of Shurit. He discarded Nekroz of Clausolas to add Nekroz Cycle to his hand. He activated Nekroz Cycle next, banishing Shurit from his Graveyard to Special Summon Nekroz of Valkyrus from his Graveyard.

 

Armies Assembled

 

Nekroz of Valkyrus attacked Vanity’s Fiend, and when Maldonado flipped Mirror Force, all of Jule’s monsters were destroyed!

 

Maldonado finished Jule off on his next turn with his army of monsters, led by Vanity’s Fiend!

 

Vanity's Victory

 

Antonio Maldonado finishes the Swiss Rounds with a 9-2 record to advance to the Top 32!