Top 32: Faisal Ahmad Khan versus Nicolai Mikhail Howlett
32 competitors have survived 11 rounds of Swiss and now we’re in the Single Elimination playoff rounds! These players have already won the top cut Game Mat featuring Minerva, the Exalted Lightsworn but now have a chance to win the Minerva prize card in addition to other prizes, but one loss here will knock a Duelist from contention!
This is 17-year-old Faisal Khan’s second trip to the YCS Top Cut, his previous appearance was at YCS Columbus 2015. His opponent, Nicolai Howlett, is looking to take his first trip to the playoffs as far as he can. Both players are running the Performapal Pendulum strategy that has dominated the tournament floor today. Which one of these competitor will advance to Top 16? Let’s find out!
Game 1
Howlett won the roll and elected to go first.
Howlett started off with Performapal Monkeyboard as a Pendulum Scale, searching for Performapal Skullcrobat Joker. Joker was Normal Summoned, searching for Performapal Lizardraw which was placed in the other Pendulum Zone. Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer were Pendulum Summoned from the hand, with Sorcerer’s effect used to destroy the scales adding Performapal Guitartle and Performapal Lizardraw from Deck to hand. Both of those cards were activated in the Pendulum Zones and their effects used, giving Howlett another 2 draws. He used all 3 monsters to Xyz Summon Tellarknight Ptolemaeus, using its effect immediately to Summon Cyber Dragon Nova and then Cyber Dragon Infinity on top of it. Howlett set 3 cards and ended.
Khan started off with a hand of Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer, Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer, Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord, Performapal Silver Claw, Wavering Eyes and Performage Hat Tricker. He started off with Normal Summoning Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer then Special Summoning Performage Hat Tricker. Both monsters were used to Xyz Summon Performage Trapeze Magician, whose Summon was negated by Howlett’s Solemn Strike! Magician’s effect activated to Special Summon a Performage from the Deck, Howlett chained Maxx “C”. Performage Plushfire was Summoned. Khan set Wavering Eyes and passed.
Howlett activated Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer as a Pendulum Scale, then drew a card with Performapal Guitartle. He proceeded to Pendulum Summon 2 Performapal Lizardraws and 2 Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayers! He then activated Wavering Eyes but Howlett chained back with his own! But Cyber Dragon Infinity negated Khan’s Wavering Eyes’s allowing Howlett to burn for 500, add Performapal Monkeyboard to hand. He activated that Performapal Monkeyboard and added a Performapal Skullcrobat Joker to hand. He then used Cyber Dragon Infinity’s effect to attach one of Lizardraws as an Xyz Material, leaving room to Normal Summon the Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, which was enough for Khan.
Between games, Khan asked if the other set was a Solemn Strike, which Howlett confirmed.
Game 2
Khan started off with Performapal Monkeyboard, 2 copies of Performage Plushfire, and 2 copies of Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer. Khan considered his options, starting off with Monkeyboard, using its effect to add Performapal Skullcrobat Joker to hand, Summoning it and adding Performapal Lizardraw with Joker’s effect. Performapal Lizardraw was activated as a Pendulum Spell, then Khan Pendulum Summoned 3 monsters, leaving only one Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer in his hand. He then used Performapal Lizardraw to draw a card, then used Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Performage Plushfire to Synchro Summon Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer. He attempted to destroy Performage Plushfire with Ignister’s effect but Howlett negated it with Effect Veiler. Khan used Performage Plushfire and Performapal Skullcrobat Joker for Tellarknight Ptolemaeus, set Wavering Eyes then went to the End Phase to add Stellarknight Constellar Diamond from the Extra Deck as an Xyz Material, then detached all 3 Materials to Special Summon Constellar Pleiades.
Howlett activated Draco Face-Off, revealing Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord. Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer went to the Extra Deck while Vector was Special Summoned. Performapal Monkeyboard was activated as a scale. He used the effect, but Khan activated Pleiades to return Performapal Monkeyboard to the hand, preventing the effect from resolving. Howlett continued by activating Performapal Guitartle and Performapal Monkeyboard as scales, drawing a card with Performapal Guitartle effect. He proceeded to Pendulum Summon Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer form the Extra Deck and Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer from his hand. He used Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord to Synchro Summon Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer! He used the effect, targeting Khan’s Performapal Monkeyboard, destroying it and shuffling in Khan’s face-down Wavering Eyes. Howlett continued, using Ignister’s effect to Special Summon Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer from the Deck. He Tributed Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer to Special Summon Dinoster Power, the Mighty Dracoslayer from the Extra Deck. Khan crashed his Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer into Khan’s. In Main Phase 2, Howlett set 1 card and passed.
Khan drew Wavering Eyes which was no help. Khan extended the handshake.
Nicolai Howlett advances to Top 16 with Performapal Pendulum!
