Jonathon Gomez took victory of Patrick Hoban in the finals of YCS Charleston, and since then has made a name for himself by showing consistent performance. He is Dueling with an Xyz Monarch variant similar to what he topped YCS Las Vegas with, so with so many reps in he knows exactly what he wants to be doing. His opponent is Jacob Cope, one of the many Performapal Duelists trying to showcase why this Deck will be hit so hard on Monday. Both players are currently 6-2, so a loss here means being out of Top Cut contention.

Gomez won the roll and chose to go second.

Duel One:

Cope began with placing Performapal Guitartle in his Pendulum Zone followed by Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer, then he activated Wavering Eyes. Both Pendulums were destroyed and Gomez took 500, then Cope searched for Performapal Monkeyboard. He placed it in his Pendulum Zone and activated it to add Performapal Lizardraw. He then Normal Summoned Rescue Hamster and used its effect to Summon two copies of Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer from his Deck. He sent both to his Extra Deck to Fusion Summon Dinoster Power, the Mighty Dracoslayer, then put Performapal Lizardraw in his Pendulum Zone and Pendulum Summoned for 4. Three copies of Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Rescue Hamster hit the Field. He destroyed Performapal Lizardraw and drew a card, then overlayed Rescue Hamster with a Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer for Majester Paladin, the Ascending Dracoslayer. He sent the other two Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer to the Extra Deck for a second copy of Dinoster Power, the Mighty Dracoslayer, then used the effect of Majester Paladin, the Ascending Dracoslayer to Special Summon a Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer from the Extra Deck. Dinoster Power, the Mighty Dracoslayer brought back the Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer he had detached from Majester Paladin, the Ascending Dracoslayer, then he overlayed both Dinoster Power, the Mighty Dracoslayer for Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy . During the End Phase he added Performapal Skullcrobat Joker to his hand thanks to Majester Paladin, the Ascending Dracoslayer.

Gomez had a hand of Twin Twister, Return of the Monarchs, Pantheism of the Monarchs, Kuraz, the Light Monarch, and Reasoning before he drew Super Quantum Red Layer. He started with Reasoning, and Cope responded with Maxx “C” and called Level 8. Gomez Flipped a bunch of spells and traps off the top of his Deck, the relevant ones being two copies of Pantheism of the Monarchs and a single The Prime Monarch. Kuraz, the Light Monarch finally hit the Field and Gomez activated its effect to just destroy the Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy. Gomez banished Pantheism of the Monarchs to reveal two copies of The Prime Monarch along with Tenacity of the Monarchs, Cope gave him The Prime Monarch. Gomez ditched it to Pantheism of the Monarchs and drw Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit along with Tenacity of the Monarchs. He Special Summoned The Prime Monarch and gave Cope a card from Maxx “C”, then Normal Summoned Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit and sent both it and the Trap to the Graveyard to Synchro Summon Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend! Cope got to draw a card, but the Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend went off and the Field was destroyed and Cope took a ton of damage. Gomez declared an attack and in Main Phase 2 activated Tenacity of the Monarchs to add The Prime Monarch to his hand, then Set it along with Twin Twister to end his turn.

Cope Normal Summoned Performapal Skullcrobat Joker and used its effect to add Performapal Silver Claw to his hand. He put Performapal Lizardraw in his Pendulum Zone to form a complete Scale, but Gomez responded with The Prime Monarch shuffle back Tenacity of the Monarchs and The Monarchs Stormforth to draw Twin Twister. He then Flipped the Set Twin Twister and discarded Kuraz, the Light Monarch to blow away both Pendulums. Cope then activated Dragonpit Magician along with Dragonpulse Magician, completely his Pendulum Scale once again and revealing that he also used some amount of the Pendulum Magician engine. He Pendulum Summoned for 4 as 3 Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer hit the Field from his Extra Deck along with a Performapal Silver Claw from his hand. Cope overlayed Performapal Silver Claw and Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer for Abyss Dweller, but when he used the effect Gomez responded with The Prime Monarch to Special Summon itself. Cope had Maxx “C” again, to draw a single card and try to find a way to win the Duel this turn. He overlayed Performapal Skullcrobat Joker with Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer for Number 39: Utopia, then stacked Number S39: Utopia Prime on top and used its effect. Gomez’s Field was wiped, and Cope got to deal some damage in the process. He moved to Battle Phase and declared attacks with his Abyss Dweller, Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer, and Number S39: Utopia Prime. Gomez was left with 740 Life Points, and in Main Phase 2 Cope used Dragonpit Magician to blow away The Prime Monarch. He stacked Number S39: Utopia the Lightning on top of his Number S39: Utopia Prime and ended his turn.

Gomez drew Tenacity of the Monarchs, but during his Draw Phase Cope activated Abyss Dweller. Gomez Chained The Prime Monarch to Special Summon itself, but Cope had the third Maxx “C”! However, with only 10 Life Points remaining, Cope couldn’t survive a single attack. Gomez was able to simply activate Return of the Monarchs and Tribute Summon his Super Quantum Red Layer to win the Duel!

End Field of Super Quantum Red Layer and Return of the Monarchs

Battling through an explosive opening, Gomez resolves a huge Reasoning and squeaks out a victory. Can Cope win two in a row or will Gomez end his tournament here?

Cope chose to go second.

Duel Two:

Gomez started with two copies of Twin Twister, Return of the Monarchs, Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, and Typhoon. He Set Typhoon and a Twin Twister before he ended his turn.

Cope began with Archfiend Eccentrick, using it to destroy Gomez’s Set Twin Twister. He then placed both Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Dragonpulse Magician in his Pendulum Zone and tried to Wavering Eyes, but Gomez blew him out with Typhoon to destroy one of the Scales! This made Wavering Eyes only deal 500 damage and not search, but Cope pressed on with the Normal Summon of Rescue Hamster. He activated it and Special Summoned two copies of Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer from his Deck, then attacked directly with both. He overlayed for Majester Paladin, the Ascending Dracoslayer and activated its effect, but Gomez responded with Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit. During the End Phase Cope still searched for Performapal Monkeyboard.

Gomez drew Erebus the Underworld Monarch and Set Twin Twister before he ended his turn.

Cope drew and Normal Summoned Masked Chameleon, using it to Special Summon Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer from his Graveyard. He Synchroed them away for Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer and then used its effect to Special Summon Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer from his Deck. He activated the other effect of Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer to destroy his Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and spin away Gomez’s back row, then attacked directly to end the Duel!

End Field of Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer

Cope fights through a huge Typhoon to win Duel two! Only one Duel remains and everything is on the line here, who will continue their tournament and who will be knocked out of contention for Top Cut?

Gomez chose to go first.

Duel Three:

Gomez had a hand of Twin Twister, Pantheism of the Monarchs, Upstart Goblin, and two copies of Tenacity of the Monarchs. He began with the Upstart Goblin, granting 1000 Life Points to Cope to draw Return of the Monarchs. He then activated Pantheism of the Monarchs and ditched a Tenacity of the Monarchs to draw Reasoning and The Monarchs Stormforth. He then banished the Pantheism of the Monarchs and revealed two copies of The Prime Monarch as well as Pantheism of the Monarchs, which prompted Cope to give him the Pantheism of the Monarchs. Gomez surveyed his hand for a moment before activated Reasoning. Cope named Level 6, and Gomez Flipped Super Quantum Blue Layer off the top of his Deck. That triggered to search Super Quantum Red Layer, and Gomez activated Return of the Monarchs and Tribute Summoned it. Both Return of the Monarchs and Super Quantum Red Layer, the former adding Ehther the Heavenly Monarch and Super Quantum Red Layer adding Super Quantum Blue Layer. He then activated Tenacity of the Monarchs and revealed the Ehther the Heavenly Monarch to add The Prime Monarch so he could throw it away to Pantheism of the Monarchs. He drew Kuraz, the Light Monarch and The Monarchs Stormforth, then Set all of his spells before Special Summoning The Prime Monarch and ending his turn.

Cope began with Archfiend Eccentrick, using its effect to destroy Gomez’s The Monarchs Stormforth which was Chained. He then activated Performapal Monkeyboard which he used to search Performapal Skullcrobat Joker. He placed Performapal Lizardraw in his Pendulum Zone and immediately destroyed it to draw a card. Next was the Normal Summon of Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, which activated and searched Wisdom-Eye Magician. He placed Performapal Silver Claw in his Pendulum Zone and thought for a moment before activating Raigeki. Gomez Chained Twin Twister to discard Super Quantum Blue Layer and destroy just the Performapal Silver Claw, then Super Quantum Red Layer triggered to Special Summon Super Quantum Blue Layer. Cope pressed on with Wisdom-Eye Magician as a Pendulum Scale and used it to put Dragonpit Magician in his Pendulum Zone. He activated the effect of the in hand Wisdom-Eye Magician to change the Pendulum Scale of Performapal Monkeyboard, but once it resolved Gomez activated Ehther the Heavenly Monarch. He tributed the Super Quantum Blue Layer and the opposing Performapal Skullcrobat Joker to Tribute Summon Ehther the Heavenly Monarch, then used it and Return of the Monarchs. He sent The Prime Monarch and Pantheism of the Monarchs to Special Summon Kuraz, the Light Monarch and searched Erebus the Underworld Monarch off of Return of the Monarchs. The Kuraz, the Light Monarch triggered and destroyed Dragonpulse Magician as well as Return of the Monarchs, giving each player a card. Gomez drew Kuraz, the Light Monarch. Cope was forced to pass.

Gomez drew Reasoning and activated it, prompting Cope to call Level 3. A few cards were Flipped and Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit ended up finding its way to the Graveyard. He banished Pantheism of the Monarchs next and revealed Escalation of the Monarchs, The Prime Monarch, and Tenacity of the Monarchs. Cope gave him The Prime Monarch, and Gomez banished Return of the Monarchs from his Graveyard to Special Summon The Prime Monarch. He tributed both Traps for Erebus the Underworld Monarch, then declared a direct attack with it and Ehther the Heavenly Monarch. In Main Phase 2, he overlayed both for Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy and Set The Prime Monarch before he ended.

Cope drew and time was called. He could only Set a Monster as well as a card to his back row before he ended. Gomez Flipped The Prime Monarch during his End Phase, and after considering what Gomez could do, Cope conceded!

End Field of Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy and The Prime Monarch

An intense match leaves Jacob Cope in the dust as Jonathon Gomez plays for a seat in the Top Cut next Round!