Chile’s Jose Tomas Mallea Velasquez is undefeated with Pendulum Magicians, currently holding a 5-1-0 record with one draw under his belt.  His opponent hails from Brazil: Paul Roberto Goncalves da Silva is piloting Burning Abyss Phantom Knights, and is also 5-1-0 with no losses so far.  A win here at Table 2 would almost guarantee a seat in the Top 64.

Goncalves got things started Special Summoning Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Alich, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to Xyz Summon Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss.  He detached Alich to send Speedroid Terrortop; Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; and Skullmeister to the Graveyard to buff Dante’s stats with its effect.  He pitched Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to upgrade Dante into Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal, Set a monster, and ended.

Mallea opened with Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon; Mist Valley Apex Avian; two Pendulum Calls; Performapal Odd-Eyes Unicorn; and Oafdragon Magician.  He activated one Pendulum Call to pitch the other, searching his Deck for Dragonpit Magician and Xiangke Magician.  He activated Unicorn and Oafdragon as Pendulum Spells, and Goncalves detached Dante from Beatrice to use her effect and send Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to his Graveyard from his Deck.  Dante got him back his Cir.  Mallea then Pendulum Summoned Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, Dragonpit Magician, Xiangke Magician, and Mist Valley Apex Avian!  

He overlaid Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Dragonpit Magician for Number 11: Big Eye, and detached Pendulum Dragon to take control of Beatrice.  He attacked with Mist Valley Apex Avian, destroying Goncalves’ Set The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak, and then made direct attacks with Beatrice and Xiangke to drop Goncalves to 3000 Life Points.  Goncalves resolved Scarm’s effect in the End Phase to search out Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.  

Goncalves Special Summoned Calcab next turn, then Normal Summoned Cir to Xyz Summon a Dante.  He detached Calcab to send The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves, Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to the Graveyard!  He Farfa’d away Mist Valley Apex Avian, robbing Mallea of a potential negation effect, but quickly scooped moments later when he realized he had no follow-up.

Goncalves opened again, this time playing The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak and The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots to Xyz Summon Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss.  He detached Boots to send Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; and Twin Twisters to the Graveyard.  He revived Scarm with Cir, Summoned Alich, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and made another Dante.  He was off to a great start.  He banished Boots to search Phantom Knights’ Fog Blade from his Deck, then detached Scarm from the second Dante to yard Maxx “C”, Alich, and another Fog Blade.  He pitched Cir to trade in his latest Dante for Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal, and Set two cards to his back row.  He finished his turn by searching Tour Guide from the Underworld with Scarm’s effect.

Mallea had Terraforming; Igknight Reload; Pendulum Call; two Dragonpit Magicians; and Wisdom-Eye Magician.  Goncalves flipped Anti-Spell Fragrance, and Mallea Chained Igknight Reload!  He shuffled back both Dragonpits and Wisdom-Eye Magician, drawing Typhoon; Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon; Denko Sekka; and another Dragonpit Magician.  He activated the Typhoon to destroy Goncalves’s Anti-Spell Fragrance!  Goncalves was left with one backrow card, his Dante, and his Beatrice.

Mallea searched Sky Iris with Terraforming – precisely what Goncalves was relying on not seeing.  Mallea activated the Field Spell, played Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon as a Pendulum Spell, and destroyed it to get Odd-Eyes Fusion from his Deck.  Goncalves played Beatrice’s effect to yard Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, removing his Dante temporarily to keep it around for the next turn.  That left Mallea to Pendulum Call with Denko Sekka to search Oafdragon Magician and Nobledragon Magician, which Goncalves spent a few moments reading.  

He activated Dragonpit and Oafdragon as Pendulum Spells, used Dragonpit’s effect to discard Nobledragon Magician and destroy Goncalves’s Set Phantom Knights’ Fog Blade, and Pendulum Summoned his Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon.  Mallea revived Nobledragon Magician and Synchro Summoned Black Rose Moonlight Dragon, blowing Beatrice back to the Extra Deck!  He made a direct attack with Moonlight Dragon and ended.  Goncalves brought back his Dante.

Goncalves drew to three cards in hand with Dante on the field, and Normal Summoned Tour Guide to Special Summon Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.  He Xyz Summoned another Dante, banished Fog Blade to revive The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak, and Special Summoned The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots to overlay it with Cloak and make The Phantom Knights of Break Sword.  He pitched to turn Dante into Beatrice, revived Dante with Cir, and destroyed his Break Sword to clear away Moonlight Dragon!  

Seeing his clear impending doom, Mallea conceded the second Duel and we were into Game 3 in a heartbeat!

Mallea opened the final Duel with a hand of Pendulum Call; Mist Valley Apex Avian; Typhoon; Oafdragon Magician; and Majespecter Unicorn – Kirin.  He ditched Typhoon to Pendulum Call for Dragonpit Magician and Xiangke Magician, then activated Dragonpit and Oafdragon as Pendulum Scales.  From there he Pendulum Summoned everything else.  Xiangke, Kirin, and Apex Avian all hit the field.  Goncalves laughed, ever so slightly flummoxed: “Nice hand.”

Goncalves Normal Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld to Special Summon Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Mallea bounced Graff to Goncalves’ hand by bouncing his own Kirin with Kirin’ effect.  Goncalves slammed his Tour Guide into Xiangke in battle, destroying the Tour Guide, and Special Summoned Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, then Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.  (If he’d left the Tour Guide on the field, his Malebranches would’ve been destroyed the moment he Summoned them.)  He overlaid for Dante in defense mode, detached Calcab, and sent Effect Veiler, Alich, and Cir to the Graveyard; Mallea bounced Mist Valley Apex Avian to negate Dante’s effect and destroy it.  

Goncalves took back Cir with his Dante effect, looked through his Extra Deck for some kind of option, and Special Summoned Scarm, then Graff.  He overlaid them for another Dante, then detached Scarm to send Anti-Spell Fragrance, The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots, and Solemn Warning to his Graveyard.  He banished Boots to search Phantom Knights’ Fog Blade, pitched Cir to upgrade Dante with Graff attached into Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal, and Set what was assumedly his Fog Blade.  

Mallea drew Majespecter Raccoon – Bunbuku!  He Summoned it to search another Bunbuku, then pitched Bunbuku to destroy Goncalves’ Set Fog Blade with Dragonpit Magician. Goncalves Chained Effect Veiler’s effect on Xiangke, Mallea Chained Xiangke’s effect on Beatrice, and Goncalves’ Chained Beatrice’s effect, detaching Dante.  The Chain resolved: Beatrice sent Farfa to the Graveyard; Xiangke negated Beatrice’s effect; and Dragonpit Magician destroyed Fog Blade.  Then Farfa resolved to banish the Xiangke.

That left Mallea to Pendulum Summon Kirin and Mist Valley Apex Avian, and Goncalves negated Apex Avian’s effect with another Effect Veiler!  Mallea swung it at Dante anyways, destroying it, letting Goncalves get his Alich back from his Graveyard.  Mallea then bounced his Bunbuku back to his hand and launched Beatrice to the Extra Deck.  Goncalves revived his Cir, and Mallea ran it over with Kirin.  Goncalves revived his Graff, Mallea ended, and Xiangke returned to the field.  

Goncalves laughed again… “This field…”  He Normal Summoned Cir, overlaid it with Graff, and Xyz Summoned Dante again.  He detached Cir to send Scarm, Allure of Darkness, and Twin Twisters to the Graveyard, and Mallea Chained Xiangke Magician’s effect to negate Dante’s ability.  Goncalves revived his other Dante with Cir, and time was called.  Five turns would be played after this one.  For now, Goncalves pitched Alich to make Beatrice, negating Mist Valley Apex Avian’s effect with Alich’s ability.  He sent Beatrice to attack Xiangke, and Mallea bounced it away along with Xiangke, using Kirin’s effect once again.  That was enough for Goncalves, who saw no way out and quickly offered Mallea the handshake.

Not a total blowout, as Paul Roberto Goncalves da Silva manages to take Game 2 overcoming Black Rose Moonlight Dragon.  But still a decisive win for Chile’s Jose Tomas Mallea Velasquez, playing a tight and disciplined control game with Majespecter Unicorn – Kirin, Mist Valley Apex Avian, and Xiangke Magician, a deadly combination against anything, but especially Burning Abyss Phantom Knights!