This is the final round of Swiss! The results here will determine the final standings as we make the cut to Top 32. A win here will give a solid chance at making the top cut, but the loser will be out of the competition for sure. We’ve got a Shaddoll mirror match, though each player is using very different variants of the strategy. New York Duelist Gaetan Georges is using a version with Artifacts, packing Artifact Sanctum and a variety of Artifact monsters, including the Artifact Lancea that’s been proving to be a useful counter to top Decks today. He’s also using the hugely powerful Secret Village of the Spellcasters! His opponent is Isabella Sierra, from Cincinnati, using a build featuring a multitude of LIGHT and DARK Dragons! Both players have similar plays available with their Shaddoll monsters, but wildly different ways to go about them.

Duel 1

Georges won the dice roll and chose to play second. Sierra started with El Shaddoll Fusion, fusing Effect Veiler with Shaddoll Beast, bringing down El Shaddoll Construct. Construct sent Shaddoll Squamata to the Graveyard, and Beast let her draw a card. Squamata sent Shaddoll Falco to the Graveyard, which revived itself face-down. She Set a back row card.

Georges’s hand was Mathematician, Secret Village of the Spellcasters, Shaddoll Hedgehog, Shaddoll Squamata, El Shaddoll Fusion, and drew a second El Shaddoll Fusion. In the Standby Phase, he played El Shaddoll Fusion to fuse Squamata and Hedgehog for El Shaddoll Winda. Squamata put Shaddoll Fusion in the Graveyard, and Hedgehog let him search for Shaddoll Beast. He Tributed Winda to Set Beast, and Winda let him get back Shaddoll Fusion. He played that, and fused Artifact Lancea and Shaddoll Falco directly from the Deck, into El Shaddoll Construct! Sierra negated Construct with Effect Veiler, but Georges’s Falco brought itself back face-down. He went to the Battle Phase, and sent his Construct to crash with Sierra’s. Georges got back Shaddoll Fusion, while Sierra took El Shaddoll Fusion. Georges Set El Shaddoll Fusion to finish.

Sierra Flip Summoned Falco, which Special Summoned Construct face-down. She played El Shaddoll Fusion to fuse Construct with Falco, for a new Construct. The new Construct sent Shaddoll Fusion to the Graveyard, the old one put El Shaddoll Fusion back in her hand, and Falco didn’t use its effect. That left her with three DARK monsters in the Graveyard, and she Special Summoned Dark Armed Dragon! It banished Squamata to target Georges’s El Shaddoll Fusion, which he Chained. He fused Beast from his field with Mathematician in his hand, for El Shaddoll Shekhinaga in Defense Position. He drew Felis, Lightsworn Archer with Beast. Dark Armed Dragon attacked Georges’s Falco, which revived Squamata face-down. Construct attacked Shekhinaga, and Georges used Shekhinaga’s effect to destroy Construct! He discarded Shaddoll Fusion to do so. Sierra used her destroyed Construct’s effect to return Shaddoll Fusion to her hand.

Georges drew Artifact Beagalltach. He flipped up Squamata, and it was negated by Sierra’s third Effect Veiler! Georges Tributed Shekhinaga to Set Beagalltach, and Shekhinaga returned Shaddoll Fusion. He played it to combine Squamata with Felis, getting Construct on the field. It sent a Squamata from the Deck to the Graveyard, which also sent a Falco. Falco’s effect put itself back on the field face-down. Finally, Construct attacked Dark Armed Dragon, destroying it with its effect.

Sierra played Shaddoll Fusion, taking Eclipse Wyvern and Shaddoll Beast from her Deck to play Construct – there was nothing for Eclipse Wyvern to use with its effect, since Dark Armed Dragon had already been played. Construct used its effect, however, sending Hedgehog to the Graveyard. Beast let her draw a card, and Hedgehog let her search for Falco. She sent Construct to destroy Beagalltach in battle, then Set a monster and a back row card.

Georges drew Artifact Sanctum. He flipped up Falco, and it returned Construct to the field face-down. Next, he tuned Falco to Construct for Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree! Construct returned Shaddoll Fusion to his hand. He played it immediately, fusing Shaddoll Beast and Artifact Lancea from his Deck for Construct. Its effect sent Shaddoll Dragon to the Graveyard, and he drew Hedgehog with Beast. Dragon’s effect destroyed Sierra’s Shadoll Core, and she returned Shaddoll Fusion to her hand. Georges sent his Construct crashing into Sierra’s – she got back Shadoll Core, and he took Shaddoll Fusion. He Set Artifact Sanctum and Shaddoll Fusion to finish.

Sierra Flip Summoned Falco, bringing back Construct yet again. She banished Effect Veiler from her Graveyard to Special Summon Black Dragon Collapserpent, then Normal Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh. She stacked Collapserpent and Rai-Oh for Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer, and Set a back row card. She realized too late she couldn’t use Castel’s effect on face-down cards! Unable to do anything about Leo, nor stop Georges’s Falco, she had to pass. In the End Phase, Georges flipped Artifact Sanctum and Sierra conceded!

After a huge game of back-and-forth, a simple mistake costs Sierra the Duel! She’ll have to take two in a row now if she wants to win this Match. The Duelists went for their Side Decks, and the next game started up right away.

Duel 2

Sierra let Georges go first. He started with Shaddoll Falco, Shaddoll Dragon, El Shaddoll Fusion, Shaddoll Squamata, and Artifact Sanctum. He Set Squamata, Sanctum, and El Shaddoll Fusion.

Sierra played Allure of Darkness and banished Shaddoll Dragon. She Set a monster and two back row cards.

Georges drew Mathematician. He flipped up Squamata, which destroyed Sierra’s Set Hedgehog. She used it to add Shaddoll Falco to her hand. Squamata attacked directly, and in Main Phase 2 Georges Set Falco. In the End Phase, Sierra flipped El Shaddoll Fusion, combining Shaddoll Beast and Falco for El Shaddoll Winda. Falco returned itself to the field face-down.

Sierra flipped Falco on her turn, bringing back Beast. She Tributed Falco for Vanity’s Fiend! Winda destroyed Georges’s Falco in battle, and Vanity’s Fiend destroyed Squamata. Sierra Set a back row card.

Georges drew Squamata and Set it.

Sierra flipped up Shaddoll Beast, getting drawing two cards and discarding Hedgehog. That let her search for Dragon. Vanity’s Fiend attacked the Squamata, which in turn destroyed Vanity’s Fiend. Winda attacked directly, followed by Beast. In Main Phase 2, Sierra Tributed Winda for a face-down monster, and returned El Shaddoll Fusion to her hand with Winda’s effect. Georges flipped Artifact Sanctum in the End Phase, bringing Artifact Moralltach to the field. Its effect destroyed Shaddoll Beast. Next, Georges flipped El Shaddoll Fusion, fusing Moralltach with Shaddoll Dragon for El Shaddoll Construct! Dragon destroyed Sierra’s newly Set El Shaddoll Fusion, and Construct put Hedgehog in the Graveyard. That let him add Beast to his hand.

Georges drew Sinister Shadow Games for his turn. Construct attacked Sierra’s face-down monster, Shaddoll Beast. She drew two cards and discarded Squamata. That sent Shadoll Core to the Graveyard, which returned El Shaddoll Fusion to her hand. In Main Phase 2, Georges Tributed Construct to Set Beast, returning El Shaddoll Fusion to his hand. He Set it along with Sinister Shadow Games to finish.

Sierra banished Hedgehog to Special Summon White Dragon Wyverbuster, and used Shaddoll Fusion to combine it with Shaddoll Beast. She Fusion Summoned Construct. Construct’s effect put Falco in the Graveyard, Wyverbuster searched for Black Dragon Collapserpent, Shaddoll Beast let her draw a card, and finally, Falco’s effect had it revive itself. Sierra banished Wyverbuster to Special Summon Collapserpent, then Normal Summoned Mathematician without using the effect. Collapserpent attacked the Set Beast, which let Georges draw El Shaddoll Fusion and Shaddoll Beast, and he discarded El Shaddoll Fusion. Next, he flipped his face-down El Shaddoll Fusion to fuse Beast with Mathematician from his hand, for El Shaddoll Shekhinaga in Defense Position. When Sierra flipped De-Fusion, it was all over!

Sierra evens the score, pulling apart Georges’s defenses with De-Fusion! For one of these Duelists, this will be their last Duel in the tournament. The other has a shot at the Top 32.

Duel 3

Georges had Sierra play first. She played Shaddoll Fusion, combining Effect Veiler and Shaddoll Beast for Construct. It sent Shaddoll Squamata to the Graveyard, and Beast let her draw a card. Then, Squamata put Shaddoll Hedgehog in the Graveyard, and she added Shaddoll Beast to her hand. She Tributed Construct to Set a monster, getting back Shaddoll Fusion, and also Set two back row cards.

Georges’s hand was Book of Moon, Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, Shaddoll Fusion, Artifact Sanctum, Artifact Scythe, and Mathematician. He played Mathematician, sending Hedgehog to the Graveyard to add Squamata to his hand. He played Shaddoll Fusion, and Sierra Chained Vanity’s Emptiness! Georges Set Book of Moon and Artifact Sanctum.

Sierra flipped Shaddoll Beast. She drew two new cards, then discarded Shaddoll Dragon. Dragon targeted Book of Moon, and Georges Chained it to put his Mathematician face-down. Sierra played her own Mathematician, without using the effect, thus preserving her Vanity’s Emptiness. Her Mathematician destroyed Georges’s Mathematician, and he drew Artifact Sanctum. Beast attacked directly.

Georges drew Felis, Lightsworn Archer. He Set Sanctum and Squamata.

Sierra turned Mathematician to Defense Position.

Georges drew Hedgehog. He flipped up Squamata, which targeted Mathematician, and Sierra used Effect Veiler to negate it. Squamata attacked Mathematician, letting Sierra draw a card, and Vanity’s Emptiness was destroyed. Georges Set Artifact Scythe in his back row, and Set Hedgehog to finish.

Sierra Special Summoned White Dragon Wyverbuster. It attacked Georges’s Hedgehog, and he added El Shaddoll Fusion to his hand. She sent Shaddoll Beast after Squamata, then Set a second and third back row card. In the End Phase, Georges flipped Artifact Sanctum. He brought out Artifact Beagalltach in Defense Position, which let him Special Summon Artifact Scythe.

Georges drew Soul Charge. With 5400 Life Points to Sierra’s 8000, he had to deal at least 2601 damage to win. He stacked Scythe and Beagalltach for Artifact Durendal, and detached an Xyz Material to give both players a new hand! This would decide if he could win the Match. He drew…

Raigeki!

Soul Charge…

Shaddoll Beast…

and…

…

…

Shaddoll Beast. He offered up the handshake!

Isabella Sierra takes the win in a slobberknocker of a Shaddoll mirror match!