Oaxaca, Mexico’s Cesar Adrian Hernandez Aguilar is currently 7-1 in the tournament with his Atlantean Mermail Deck. Hernandez’s Deck is capable of opening up with explosive hands and taking quick wins. In this Round 9 Feature Match, he’s Dueling against Mexico City local Ricardo Lora Zavala. Lora is using a Metalfoes Deck made possible by The Dark Illusion, but also utilizes other Pendulum cards including Majespecters and Qliphorts. Will Lora’s Pendulum-based strategy be enough to take down Hernandez’s Atlantean Mermails? We’re about to find out. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Lora started off Duel 1 by Special Summoning Blackwing – Gofu the Vague Shadow in Defense Position and Special Summoned 2 Vague Shadow Tokens alongside it.

Next, he activated Metalfoes Silverd in his Pendulum Zone and used its Pendulum Effect to destroy a Vague Shadow Token and Set Metalfoes Combination from his Deck. He Normal Summoned Archfiend Eccentrick next, and Tuned it with Gofu to Synchro Summon Void Ogre Dragon in Attack Position. He Set the last 2 cards in his hand face-down before ending his turn.

Hernandez opened up with Deep Sea Diva, Neptabyss, the Atlantean Prince, Mermail Abyssmegalo, Twin Twisters, One for One, and Moray of Greed. He activated One for One by sending Neptabyss to the Graveyard, and Lora negated One for One with the effect of Void Ogre Dragon. Next, Hernandez discarded Moray of Greed to activate Twin Twisters and destroy Lora’s face-down Solemn Strike and Majespecter Tempest. He Normal Summoned Deep Sea Diva next, and activated its effect to Special Summon Neptabyss from his Deck. He used Neptabyss’s effect to send Atlantean Dragoons from his Deck to his Graveyard, and used the effects of his Dragoons and his Neptabyss to add 2 copies of Atlantean Heavy Infantry from his Deck to his hand. Next, he discarded both of them to Special Summon Mermail Abyssmegalo, and used his Abyssmegalo’s effect to add Abyss-scale of the Mizuchi from his Deck to his hand. He equipped Abyssmegalo with the Abyss-scale, and then Tributed his Neptabyss to allow Abyssmegalo to attack twice. He used his Tributed Neptabyss’s effect to Special Summon Atlantean Dragoons from his Graveyard in Attack Position, and then two direct attacks from Abyssmegalo and direct attacks from Dragoons and Deep Sea Diva finished Lora off!

Cesar Adrian Hernandez Aguilar breaks through Void Ogre Dragon to win the first Duel on his very first turn! Lora chose to allow Hernandez to go first in Duel 2, in order to avoid a repeated fate.

Duel Two

Hernandez opened up Duel 2 with One for One, Deep Sea Diva, Instant Fusion, Raigeki, and Neptabyss, the Atlantean Prince.

He Summoned his Diva and activated its effect to Special Summon Atlantean Heavy Infantry from his Deck in Attack Position. Next, he Normal Summoned Neptabyss and activated its effect to send Atlantean Dragoons from his Deck to his Graveyard. He used his Neptabyss’s effect to add another Dragoons to his hand, and used his Dragoons’s effect to add Mermail Abyssmegalo from his Deck to his hand. He activated Instant Fusion next, giving up 1000 Life Points to Special Summon Elder Entity Norden. He used its effect to Special Summon Dragoons from his Graveyard, and combined Dragoons with Norden to Xyz Summon Abyss Dweller. He detached Dragoons to activate Dweller’s effect, triggering the effect of his Dragoons. He used his Dragoons’s effect to add Poseidra, the Atlantean Dragon from his Deck to his hand. He discarded Poseidra and Atlantean Dragoons from his hand to Special Summon Mermail Abyssmegalo from his hand next, and used his Abyssmegalo’s effect to add Abyss-scale of the Mizuchi from his Deck to his hand. He added Moulinglacia, the Elemental Lord to his hand with the effect of Dragoons. Next, he Tuned Diva with Heavy Infantry to Synchro Summon Herald of the Arc Light. With 5 WATER monsters in his Graveyard, he Special Summoned Moulinglacia from his hand next, removing Qliphort Scout and Majespecter Fox – Kyubi from Lora’s hand. Both cards were banished due to the effect of Herald of the Arc Light. Hernandez equipped his Abyssmegalo with Abyss-scale of the Mizuchi before ending his turn.

Lora drew a card and conceded, completely stunned by the field that Hernandez managed to amass.

Cesar Adrian Hernandez Aguilar takes a lightning-fast victory to advance with an 8-1 record using his Atlantean Mermail Deck!