The Field has been whittled down to nothing but Performapal Pendulums and Burning Abyss variants. Both Patrick James and Andres Torres have made it thus far with their Performapal Pendulums, but only one can move on. We saw Torres earlier this weekend completely dominate a Performapal mirror, so we can expect that not much has changed since then. Patrick James is a regular of the Yu-Gi-Oh Championship Series and no stranger to the Feature Match area though, so you can’t count him out just yet. However, Torres is playing with a big handicap. Because of a Deck List error, he had accidentally missed Performapal Monkeyboard and no longer has it in his Deck! Can Torres manage to continue winning even without a key Performapal combo piece?

Torres won the roll and chose to go first.

Duel One:

Torres started off with Magical Abductor, activating Upstart Goblin so he could draw a card and get a Spell Counter. A Draco Face-Off was next, adding another counter and putting Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord into play while Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer hit the Extra Deck. He placed Performapal Lizardraw in his Pendulum Zone next, getting the third Spell Counter so he could add Performapal Skullcrobat Joker. He Normal Summoned it and added Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer to his hand, then Pendulum Summoned Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer and Guiding Ariadne from his hand as well as Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer from his Extra Deck. He destroyed both of his Pendulum Scales so he could add Performapal Lizardraw and Performapal Guitartle to his hand, then Synchro Summoned Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer using Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer. He activated the effect of Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer to Special Summon Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer from his Deck, then placed both Performapal Guitartle and Performapal Lizardraw into his Pendulum Zone. The Performapal Guitartle triggered to get him a draw, then he destroyed Performapal Lizardraw for another. He used the other effect of Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer next to destroy his Guiding Ariadne and spin back Performapal Guitartle, revealing two copies of Solemn Strike and Solemn Warning. James gave him Solemn Warning, and he overlayed Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Performapal Skullcrobat Joker for Majester Paladin, the Ascending Dracoslayer. He fused for Dinoster Power, the Mighty Dracoslayer next, then used its effect to Special Summon Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer. He overlayed for Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy using Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer and Dinoster Power, the Mighty Dracoslayer and Set two back row. During the End Phase he added Magical Abductor thanks to Majester Paladin, the Ascending Dracoslayer.

James opened with a hand of Guiding Ariadne, Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, Archfiend Eccentrick, Draco Face-Off, Solemn Strike and drew Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer. James tried to use a Draco Face-Off, but Torres quickly negated it with Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy and took it as an Xyz Material. James followed it up with Archfiend Eccentrick, using it destroy Torres’s Solemn Strike. Next, he Normal Summoned Performapal Skullcrobat Joker and tried to activate its effect, but Torres had Effect Veiler too! James took a split second to consider if he could push, but completely stifled he conceded.

End Field of Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy , Majester Paladin, the Ascending Dracoslayer, and Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer

An insane turn one from Torres completely halts any chance of James coming back. Will James be able to muster enough to win two consecutive Duels? Or will Torres continue his crushing performance?

James chose to go first.

Duel Two:

James started with a hand of Upstart Goblin, Performapal Guitartle, Performapal Lizardraw, Draco Face-Off, and Guiding Ariadne. He activated Upstart Goblin and drew Wavering Eyes, then activated Performapal Guitartle followed by Performapal Lizardraw. He drew a second Draco Face-Off off of Performapal Guitartle, and when he destroyed Performapal Lizardraw he drew Wavering Eyes. He placed Guiding Ariadne in his Pendulum Zone next, which prompted a Maxx “C” from Torres. James Chained Draco Face-Off in order to make sure Torres didn’t get too many cards off of Maxx “C”, and pit Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer against Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord. Evil won the battle as Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord was Special Summoned, and James activated Wavering Eyes to destroy both Performapal Guitartle and Guiding Ariadne. He dealt 500 to Torres as well as added Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer to his hand. Guiding Ariadne triggered, which let him reveal two copies of Solemn Strike along with Solemn Warning. Torres gave him Solemn Warning, and James placed both Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Guiding Ariadne in his Pendulum Zone. He used the effect of Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer to destroy Guiding Ariadne so he could add another copy, then triggered Guiding Ariadne revealing Chaos Trap Hole, Solemn Warning, and Solemn Strike. This time Torres gave him Chaos Trap Hole. He Set both of his Counter Traps along with Draco Face-Off and ended his turn.

Torres started with Magical Abductor once again. He then activated Draco Face-Off choosing Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord. Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord was randomly chosen and thus was Special Summoned, then Torres activated Upstart Goblin to draw a card and go to two Spell Counters. He activated Raigeki next, but James chose to respond with Draco Face-Off which Special Summoned Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and put Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord into the Extra Deck. The Raigeki resolved and destroyed both Monsters, then Torres removed three Spell Counters to search Archfiend Eccentrick. He put it in his Pendulum Scale alongside Magical Abductor, going to two counters, and then declared an attack with Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord directly. In Main Phase 2 he destroyed his Archfiend Eccentrick to shoot Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and ended his turn.

James drew Rescue Rabbit for turn, but had gone through too many Normal Monsters. He was forced to Set it and end the turn.

Torres drew and activated his Set Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy James’s Set Solemn Strike, which put him to three Spell Counters on Magical Abductor. He removed them to add Archfiend Eccentrick and put it into his Pendulum Zone. He declared an attack with Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord over the Set Rescue Rabbit and gave a chuckle. In Main Phase 2 he destroyed the Set Chaos Trap Hole with Archfiend Eccentrick and ended.

James drew Wavering Eyes and gave a fist pump. He placed Guiding Ariadne in his Pendulum Zone and activated it, destroying the Guiding Ariadne and Torres’s Magical Abductor to deal 500 and add Performapal Monkeyboard to his hand. He activated it next, adding Performapal Lizardraw and placing it in his Pendulum Zone as well to play around the Effect Veiler he saw last game, but Torres did have Maxx “C”. He Pendulum Summoned Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer, Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord, Guiding Ariadne, and two copies of Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer before he did some math. He overlayed Guiding Ariadne and Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord for Number 39: Utopia, then stacked Number S39: Utopia the Lightning right on top. Torres got a couple draws, but with no Effect Veiler in sight, that was enough to win the Duel! Treacherous Trap Hole

End Field of Pendulums + Number S39: Utopia the Lightning

James manages to top Deck one of his few outs and claim victory in the second Duel! Who will come out on top in the third and move on?

Torres chose to go first.

Duel Three:

Torres began with Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer alongside Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer in his Pendulum Zone. He Normal Summoned Performapal Secondonkey and used it to add Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer. He activated Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer next, but James activated Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit to stop it. When Torres played Archfiend Eccentrick into his Pendulum Zone, James revealed his hand and all he had was two copies of both Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord and Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer so he conceded! This two pair wasn’t nearly enough to come close to beating the combo Torres was about to pull off!

Just like that, Andres Torres perseveres without Performapal Monkeyboard and moves onto the Top 4 over Patrick James in the Performapal Pendulum mirror!