Jeff Jones is no stranger to the Feature Match table. We’ve seen him here at tons of YCS and WCQ events! He’s using Nekroz today, and he’s squaring off with Michael Krusinowski, a Burning Abyss Duelist with Skill Drain in his Main Deck to give him an edge against Nekroz and other top strategies.

Duel 1

Jones won the die roll and opted to play second. Krusinowski Set a back row card.

Jones’s hand was Raigeki, 2 Nekroz Cycle, Shared Ride, Nekroz Mirror, and Dance Princess of the Nekroz. He Set Shared Ride and passed.

Krusinowski played Tour Guide From the Underworld and Special Summoned Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He Xyz Summoned Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss, detaching Graff to send Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss, Vanity’s Emptiness, and Mathematician to the Graveyard. Graff’s effect brought Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from the Deck. Cir and Dante attacked directly. Dante went to Defense Position, and Krusinowski Set two more to his back row.

Jones drew Book of Moon and played Raigeki. Dante and Cir activated, and Jones Chained Shared Ride. Cir revived Graff and Dante retrieved Cir. Jones drew Preparation of Rites with Shared Ride. He played Preparation to get Nekroz of Brionac, which he promptly used to get Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz. He played Dance Princess, and Krusinowski flipped Phoenix Wing Wind Blast! He discarded Fiend Griefing to put Dance Princess on top of the Deck. Jones continued, playing Nekroz Cycle and Tributing Shurit to bring Brionac back from the Graveyard. Shurit’s effect grabbed Nekroz of Trishula. Jones used Nekroz Mirror, banishing Shurit, and Trishula hit the field! Krusinowski used Breakthrough Skill, Jones used Book of Moon, and Krusinowski used Effect Veiler. Effect Veiler hit Trishula, but Book of Moon turned it face-down and removed Veiler’s effects. Breakthrough Skill coulddn’t hit the face-down Trishula, so at the end of it all, Trishula’s still went though. It banished Graff from the field, Dante from the Graveyard, and Cir from the hand.

Krusinowski Set a back row card.

Jones drew Nekroz of Clausolas. He Flip Summoned Trishula and attacked with it and Brionac.

Krusinowski played Foolish Burial on Graff, which brought out Cir from the Deck.

Jones drew Senju of the Thousand Hands, and played it into Krusinowski’s Skill Drain. Senju attacked Cir, which brought back Graff. Brionac attacked Graff, and it Special Summoned Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. Trishula hit Scarm to finish the Battle Phase, and Scarm’s effect searched out Graff.

Krusinowski Set a monster.

Jones drew a second Clausolas. Brionac attacked the Set Graff, and it Special Summoned Cir from the Deck. Senju attacked Cir, and it revived Scarm, which was taken down by Trishula. In Main Phase 2, Jones used Clausolas to grab Nekroz Kaleidoscope, but Krusinowski nailed it with Mind Crush. In the End Phase, Scarm added Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to Krusinowski’s hand.

Krusinowski played Dark Hole! Can he mount a comeback here? He played Farfa and attacked, leaving Jones with 2900 Life Points to his own 2000.

Jones drew Nekroz of Gungnir. He banished Kaleidoscope and Trishula from his Graveyard to add Nekroz Mirror to his hand. He played Nekroz Cycle, and Krusinowski Chained Maxx “C”! Jones Tributed the Clausolas from his hand to bring out the one from his Graveyard. It attacked directly.

Krusinowski played Mathematician, and Jones used Gungnir to protect Clousolas from destruction. Krusinowski Set a back row card.

Jones drew Droll & Lock Bird and put Clausolas in Defense Position.

Krusinowski flipped Karma Cut, ditching Peropero Cerperus, to hit Clausolas. Mathematician attacked directly.

Jones drew Shurit and Set it.

Krusinowski attacked with Mathematician, bounced off Shurit’s DEF, and Peropero Cerperus destroyed Shurit.

Jones drew Djinn Releaser of Rituals and Set it.

Mathematician failed to destroy Djinn in battle. The Life Points were 1100 to 1000 with Jones barely leading. Krusinowski Set a card.

Jones drew Senju of the Thousand Hands. He Set Droll & Lock Bird.

Krusinowski played Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss! He stacked it with Mathematician for Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction! A powerful play with Skill Drain on the field. Acid Golem destroyed Droll & Lock Bird in battle, and in Main Phase 2 Krusinowski used Acid Golem to play Downerd Magician. He had to decide if it was more likely for Jones to bust out of Skill Drain or to beat Acid Golem – he figured a Mystical Space Typhoon was more likely. If Jones got it, Krusinowski’s own Acid Golem could be his downfall.

Jones drew Nekroz of Brionac, and Krusinowski flipped Mind Crush on the Nekroz Mirror he knew Jones had gotten earlier! Jones discarded Brionac, adding Nekroz of Unicore to his hand. He used Unicore to add Nekroz Cycle to his hand, then played it, Tributing Senju to Special Summon Unicore from the Graveyard. With Skill Drain on the board, Unicore was able to take out Downerd Magician! That left Djinn Releaser of Rituals free to attack directly, sealing the first Duel in Jones’s favor.

After a brutal Skill Drain, the first Duel comes down to the wire! Jones only needs one more win, while Krusinowski will need two in a row.

Duel 2

Krusinowski decided to play first. He Set a card to his back row.

Jones’s hand was Book of Eclipse, Nekroz Cycle, Nekroz of Clausolas, Nekroz of Brionac, Senju of the Thousand Hands, and Dance Princess of the Nekroz. First, he played Senju into Krusinowski’s Solemn Warning. Next, he traded in his Brionac and Clausolas for Nekroz of Unicore and Nekroz Kaleidoscope, respectively. Kaleidoscope used Herald of the Arc Light to Ritual Summon Unicore, and Jones used Herald to search out Nekroz of Valkyrus. Unicore attacked directly, and Jones Set Book of Eclipse to close out the turn.

Krusinowski Special Summoned Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his hand, then Normal Summoned Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He stacked his Fiends for Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss in Defense Position. Dante detached Graff, sending Effect Veiler, Mistake, and Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. Farfa’s and Graff’s effects activated – Unicore was banished for the turn, and Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss came straight from the Deck. Cir attacked directly. In Main Phase 2, Krusinowski Set his remaining three cards to his back row, then Unicore came back in the End Phase.

Jones drew Nekroz of Trishula. He began the turn with Dance Princess. Unicore attacked Cir, dropping Krusinowski to 3000 Life Points, and Cir revived Graff in Defense Position. Dance Princess destroyed Graff, which brought Scarm to the field. During Jones’s Main Phase 2, Krusinowski used Breakthrough Skill on Dance Princess. Jones ended his turn. In the End Phase, Krusinowski’s Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss Tributed Scarm and Dante, and Jones negated it with Trishula. Dante’s effect returned Cir to Krusinowski’s hand, and Scarm searched out Tour Guide From the Underworld.

Krusinowski flipped up his final back row card: Dark Hole! He Normal Summoned Tour Guide, bringing Graff to the field. He stacked them for Dante, and it detached Graff to send Maxx “C”, Breakthrough Skill, and Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to the Graveyard. Graff’s effect brought Farfa from the Deck. Krusinowski Special Summoned Rubic and Synchro Summoned Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss! Both monsters found themselves useless during the Battle Phase, however, because Jones flipped Book of Eclipse! They flipped back up in the End Phase, allowing Krusinowski to draw a card for each.

Jones drew Mystical Space Typhoon. He banished Clausolas and Kaleidoscope from his Graveyard in order to add Nekroz Mirror to his hand. He played Mirror, banishing Unicore and Dance Princess to Ritual Summon Valkyrus. Valkyrus attacked Virgil, and Krusinowski drew a card with its effect. Jones tried to use Valkyrus in Main Phase 2, but was hit by Effect Veiler. Jones knew he would be taking massive damage next turn, and the round timer was almost up. He conceded, to avoid risking a Draw for the Match. For him, it was either a win or nothing!

Duel 3

Krusinowski started off as per Jones’s decision, and the round ended right as he began. He Special Summoned Cir and Normal Summoned Graff. Dante came down, and he detached Graff to send Vanity’s Fiend, Mind Crush, and Vanity’s Emptiness to the Graveyard. Graff’s effect Special Summoned Scarm in Defense Position. Krusinowski Set two to his back row.

Jones’s hand was Nekroz of Gungnir, Nekroz of Valkyrus, Nekroz of Clausolas, Book of Moon, Senju of the Thousand Hands, and Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands. He discarded Clausolas, and Krusinowski flipped Mistake! Jones Set Book of Moon and Senju.

Krusinowski detached Cir from Dante, sending Graff, Mistake, and Farfa to the Graveyard. Cir revived a Graff, Farfa banished the Set Senju, and Cir Special Summoned Barbar. After all of that, Jones used Book of Moon on Dante! As a face-down monster, it was now a non-Burning Abyss monster – all of Krusinowski’s Burning Abyss Fiends self-destructed! Barbar’s effect banished two cards to deal 600 damage to Jones, and Krusinowski Set one monster to finish. Senju returned to the field face-down in the End Phase.

Jones drew Dance Princess. He flipped up Senju and played played Manju alongside it. He stacked them for Gagaga Cowboy in Defense Position! He fired off 800 damage, hoping to take and keep a small lead in the last turn of the Duel. He had 7400 Life Points, to Krusinowski’s 7200.

Krusinowski revealed his face-down card: Raigeki! He Flip Summoned Dante and Cir, then used Foolish Burial to send Graff to the Graveyard. Graff Special Summoned Farfa from the Deck. He stacked Farfa and Cir for Mechquipped Angineer! Dante attacked directly, and Valkyrus blocked Angineer’s attack. Dante switched to Defense Position with its effect.

Jones drew Dark Hole and activated it. Angineer saved itself with its effect, and Jones had no way to make up the deficit in Life Points!

Michael Krusinowski is your winner with Burning Abyss! After the Match, Jones explained why he went for Cowboy over other options such as Evilswarm Exciton Knight. The answer is Breakthrough Skill. Jones hadn’t yet played anything that could be hit by Breakthrough Skill, and that Set card had remained unused since the first turn of the Duel. He wouldn’t have minded if Cowboy had been negated by Breakthrough Skill, and he’d be able to protect it with Valkyrus next turn. If he’d gone for Exciton, Breakthrough Skill would have ended everything. Unfortunately, it was a bluffed Raigeki the whole time!