Good morning Mexico City!  Yesterday we closed out Day 1 with a look at one of the two Infernoid Decks played at the top tables.  While that Duel was an unfortunate blowout for our featured Infernoid Duelist – he managed to draw none of the enabling cards that let him fill his Graveyard to fuel Special Summons in two games straight – both Infernoid Duelists are still making a strong bid for the Top Cut here in Day 2.  While our previous feature Oldair Garcia Enciso is still hanging in with a 6-1-1 record, Tijuana’s Dario Avalos Rodriguez is 7-1 after grinding in through a Last Chance Qualifier yesterday.  A solid showing from either Duelist in the last two Rounds this morning will take them to the Top 64, just six wins away from a ticket to the 2015 Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME World Championship in Kyoto, Japan.

Jose Andres Aranda Barboza traveled here this weekend from Monterrey, where he won his way into the WCQ through a Regional Qualifier.  He also has a 7-1 record thus far with Nekroz.  This is a big match-up for Rodriguez: one of the big reasons Infernoids are viable right now is that their banish effects give them a chance to strip a Nekroz Duelist’s Graveyard of their Ritual Spells, keeping them from making Ritual Summons.  With a good start, Rodriguez could have the advantage.  But he’d need to see a strong opening hand, or survive long enough to build his options.

Rodriguez won the roll and decided to play second – that’s a different decision from the one we saw in Round 8 yesterday, where Oldair Garcia Enciso opted to go first.  It’s probably the correct choice, since the Infernoid Duelist really wants to see an extra card, and Nekroz Duelists generally want to go second themselves.  Aranda opened the Match by Summoning Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands and searched his Deck for Nekroz of Brionac, his only move for the turn.

Rodriguez had a hand of Card Trooper; Infernoid Attondel; Infernoid Harmadik; Infernoid Antra; Infernoid Onuncu; and Breakthrough Skill.  He Summoned Trooper and sent three cards from the top of his Deck to the Graveyard to power it up to 1900 ATK: Monster Gate, Charge of the Light Brigade, and Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn – no Infernoids.  He banished Harmadik, Attondel, and Antra from his hand to Special Summon Infernoid Onuncu, then attacked with it to destroy Manju.  Card Trooper made a direct attack next to drop Aranda to 4500 Life Points.  Rodriguez Set Breakthrough Skill.

Aranda activated Raigeki, and Rodriguez negated it by Tributing his Card Trooper for Onuncu’s negation ability.  Aranda destroyed his Breakthrough with Mystical Space Typhoon.  Aranda Normal Summoned a second Manju to search for Nekroz of Clausolas, then discarded it to get Nekroz Kaleidoscope from his Deck.  He discarded Brionac next to get Nekroz of Unicore, then activated Kaleidoscope to Ritual Summon it with Herald of the Arc Light.  The Herald’s ability let him search his Deck for another Brionac.  He swiftly overlaid Unicore and Manju for Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer, detached to send Onuncu back to Rodriguez’s Deck with Castel’s effect, then attacked into Rodriguez’s empty field for 2000 Battle Damage.

Rodriguez was topdecking.  He drew and Set Book of Moon.

Aranda pressed forward next turn, searching Nekroz of Clausolas with Brionac and then discarding it to get Nekroz Cycle.  He activated it, Tributed Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz from his hand, and Ritual Summoned Nekroz of Unicore.  Shurit got him Nekroz of Trishula, and he activated Nekroz Mirror to banish Shurit and Summon it.  He attacked with Castel, Unicore, and Trishula, and when Rodriguez flipped Book of Moon to try and survive, Aranda revealed the last card from his hand: a second Nekroz of Trishula to keep his first from being targeted.

Dario Avalos Rodriguez opens with a tough hand and sees no luck with his Card Trooper, forcing him into a desperate gambit with Infernoid Onuncu!  A perfect set of counters from Jose Andres Aranda Barboza leaves the Infernoid Duelist out of options, and Aranda captures the first Duel now one game away from a seat in the Top 64.  Rodriguez would need to win two Duels back-to-back or risk finding himself on the bubble in Round 10.

Rodriguez chose once again to play second.  Aranda Summoned Senju of the Thousand Hands to get Nekroz of Brionac, then discarded it for Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz.  He Tributed the Shurit for Nekroz Mirror, Ritual Summoning Nekroz of Valkyrus and getting another Brionac with Shurit’s effect.  He Tributed both his monsters to draw two cards with Valkyrus’ effect, then banished Brionac and Mirror to search his Deck for Kaleidoscope.  He ended his turn.

Rodriguez had Lighting Vortex; Burial from a Different Dimension; Infernoid Harmadik; Mistake; Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer; and Mirror Force.  He Summoned Kycoo, attacked for 1800 Battle Damage and banished his opponent’s Shurit and Valkrus!  If he could protect that Kycoo, he’d be in great shape.  He Set Mirror Force and Mistake.

Aranda activated Galaxy Cyclone to destroy the Mirror Force, then pitched Brionac – when Rodriguez flipped Mistake, Aranda Chained Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy it on the Chain!  Brionac got him Nekroz of Unicore.  He Ritual Summoned it with Nekroz Kaleidoscope sending Herald of the Arc Light to the Graveyard, and used the Herald to fetch another Unicore from his Deck.  He discarded it to get back his Brionac, then attacked the Kycoo to destroy it.

Rodriguez drew Infernoid Devyaty.  He banished it to Special Summon Infernoid Harmadik, attacked over Unicore, and Set his Lightning Vortex and Burial.

Aranda drew for his turn and Rodriguez Tributed Harmadik to banish Aranda’s Nekroz Kaleidoscope from his Graveyard so he couldn’t use it to get another Ritual Spell.  Aranda discarded Brionac to seek out Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz, then activated Nekroz Cycle with Shurit to Summon a Brionac.  Shurit got him Nekroz of Trishula and he made a direct attack with the Brionac to drop Rodriguez to 5200 Life Points.

Rodriguez banished to Special Summon another Infernoid Harmadik, destroying Brionac with its effect.

Aranda drew and Rodriguez Tributed again, to strip his opponent’s Graveyard of Nekroz Cycle.  Aranda Tributed Shurit to Ritual Summon Nekroz of Trishula with Nekroz Mirror, then discarded Nekroz of Clausolas to get another Nekroz Cycle.  With three cards left in hand he attacked, knocking Rodriguez down to 2500 Life Points.

Rodriguez drew Spell Canceller – no help.  He discarded it for Lightning Vortex, destroying Trishula.

Aranda drew to four cards and banished Nekroz Kaleidoscope and Nekroz of Unicore from his Graveyard to search his Deck for another Kaleidoscope.  He activated Cycle pitching Bull Blader to Ritual Summon Unicore for another attack.

Rodriguez was down to 200 Life Points and drew Infernoid Antra.  He thumbed through his Graveyard, then his opponent’s, and looked through the banished cards – he seemed to be counting Ritual Spells, trying to figure out if it was possible to hang in long enough to see another draw.  He banished Harmadik to Special Summon Antra in Defense Position, his only other card that Set Burial from a Different Dimension.  It was one more Infernoid away from being useful.  He activated Antra’s effect to bounce away Unicore.

Aranda drew and Rodriguez Tributed Antra to banish his opponent’s Cycle.  But Aranda activated Nekroz Kaleidoscope, Summoned the Unicore from last turn, and struck for game unopposed!

Jose Andres Aranda Barboza moves on to Round 10 with an 8-1 record, now a shoe-in for the Top 64!  Dario Avalos Rodriguez will have to fight hard in the last Round to make the cut.