Nicolas Gonzalo Godoy traveled here this weekend from Cordoba, Argentina, and is one of our VIP Champions, having won YCS Santiago in Chile earlier this year.  Today he’s playing Burning Abyss Phantom Knights.  His opponent is Bogota’s own Luis Eduardo Lopez Becerra, piloting an admirable Anti-Meta strategy that’s landed him with a 6-2-1 record so far. This was a great chance to see one of our top-ranked Champions in action, up against an uncommon strategy that might throw him a curveball.

Godoy won the roll and opened the Match with a hand of Tour Guide from the Underworld; Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots; Speedroid Terrortop; and Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.  He Special Summoned Terrortop to search Speedroid Taketomborg, Special Summoned that, and overlaid both Speedroids for Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss.  He detached for Dante’s effect, boosting its ATK and sending three cards to the Graveyard: Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, Maxx “C”, and Alich, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.  He revived the Alich with Cir, then Special Summoned Farfa to overlay them for another Dante.  He detached the Alich to send The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak, Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Phantom Knights’ Fog Blade to his Graveyard – pretty big hits all around!  He pitched the Scarm from his hand to upgrade a Dante into Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal, and ended his turn to search out Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.

Lopez activated Pot of Duality, revealing Banisher of the Radiance, Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo, and Safe Zone; he added Banisher to his hand and shuffled the rest back into his Deck.  Godoy detached Dante from Beatrice to send The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves to his Graveyard, then returned Cir to his hand with Dante.  Lopez Summoned the Banisher and Set two cards to his back row.  In the End Phase, Godoy banished Fog Bade to revive his Gloves.

Godoy Summoned The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots next turn, then overlaid for The Phantom Knights of Break Sword.  He targeted Dante with Break Sword’s effect, destroying Banisher and Dante, and got back a card with Dante.  He detached from Beatrice to send Calcab to the yard, bouncing away one of Lopez’s backrows, and played Tour Guide for Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.  He attacked with Barbar into Lopez’s one Set Spell or Trap Card, and Lopez flipped Mirror Force!  

Everything was destroyed and Godoy Chained a bunch of effects: he burned Lopez for 900 damage with Barbar; Special Summoned Dante, Pilgrim of the Burning Abyss from his Extra Deck with Beatrice; and revived The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak and The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves with Break Sword.  He attacked with all three monsters to drop Lopez to 2500 Life Points.  He pitched Graff for Pilgrim’s effect, still in the Battle Phase, and drew Maxx “C”, then resolved Graff’s effect to Special Summon Libic.  It was destroyed, but its effect let Godoy Special Summon Cir from his hand.  He made a direct attack with it, then overlaid the two Phantom Knights for Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon in Main Phase 2.  

Lopez drew and activated Pot of Duality, revealing Mirror Force, Anti-Spell Fragrance, and Gendo the Ascetic Monk.  He took Mirror Force.   Lopez Set two cards to his backrow, Set a monster, and ended.  Godoy pitched Scarm for Pilgrim’s effect, drew, and searched another Cir with Scarm’s effect.  

Godoy got another Maxx “C” from his next normal draw.  He Normal Summoned Scarm, destroying it, and discarded Cir for Pilgrim’s effect, and Lopez decided that was enough time spent on Game 1. He conceded and swiftly moved to his Side Deck.

Lopez decided to go first and opened with Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo.   He Set three cards to his backrow and drew three with Card of Demise!  But an awkward draw killed the potential of the play: Lopez Set one more card and discarded Banisher of the Radiance and Jowgen the Spiritualist in the End Phase.   Rough.

Godoy had two Twin Twisters; Raigeki; The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots; and two Phantom Knights’ Fog Blade.  He activated a Twin Twisters to discard Boots, destroying Lopez’s Macro Cosmos and Phantom Knights’ Sword.  He paid for his next Twin Twisters by discarding Phantom Knights’ Fog Blade, and that one took out Lopez’s Raigeki and Card of Demise.  Godoy finished out by Setting Fog Blade.

Lopez attacked with Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo and Set one card to his backrow.  

Godoy drew Speedroid Terrortop, flipped Phantom Knights’ Fog Blade to stop Fossil Dyna, and lost his Speedroid Terrortop to Solemn Warning!  He still had that Raigeki.

Lopez topdecked Gendo the Ascetic Monk, Summoned it, and overlaid it with Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo to Xyz Summon Abyss Dweller.  He attacked for 2200 Battle Damage.  

Godoy drew The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots and banished Fog Blade to Special Summon the other Boots from his Graveyard. He Normal Summoned the second copy, overlaid them for Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss, and detached to send Effect Veiler, The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak, and Speedroid Terrortop to the Graveyard.  He swung over Abyss Dweller and ended.

Lopez had nothing left, now entirely dependent on his draws.  He drew and Set a monster.

Godoy drew Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and used Dante to send Alich, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; and The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots to the Graveyard.  This one was so over.  Lopez was savagely out-carded at this point and didn’t even know about Lopez’s Raigeki he’d been holding since turn 1.  Godoy banished Cloak from his Graveyard to search The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves and banished Boots to get a Fog Blade.  He attacked with Dante into Lopez’s face-down Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo, expertly clearing it without any card loss, and got back his Scarm.  He Set the Fog Blade and the Scarm.  

Lopez drew and Set a backrow.  

Godoy drew Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Flip Summoned Scarm, then Normal Summoned Libic to make The Phantom Knights of Break Sword.  He used its effect, detaching Libic to target his own Fog Blade and Lopez’s Set Mirror Force.  Libic let him Special Summon Calcab, and he banished the Fog Blade he’d just destroyed to revive Boots.  He overlaid Boots and Calcab for a Dante, then detached Boots to yard Allure of Darkness, Full House, and Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.  He attacked and knocked Lopez down to 1200 Life Points.   Lopez scooped it up when he saw his next draw.

Nicolas Gonzalo Godoy moves onto the Top 64 with a 7-2 record, well positioned to represent Argentina in the playoff rounds tomorrow!