This is the final round of Swiss play – the results here will determine the Top 32. We’ve got Johnny Nagel, from Denver, CO (location of the next YCS!), who’s playing a 58-card Kaiju Zoodiac Deck. He’s not using That Grass Looks Greener – rather, he runs so many cards to counter opponents using That Grass Looks Greener instead! He and several friends have found great success here and in YCS Seattle using this strategy. He’s facing Alen Dekhanov, from Norfolk, VA. Dekhanvov is using a regular sized Zoodiac Deck. With a smaller Deck he may have more consistency to give him the edge in this Duel.

Duel 1

Nagel won the dice roll and chose to play first. He had Breakthrough Skill, Zoodiac Ramram, 2 Zoodiac Whiptail, and Zoodiac Barrage. He played Barrage, using its effect on itself to Special Summon Zoodiac Ratpier to the field. He used it to play Zoodiac Boarbow, then Zoodiac Tigermortar. He Special Summoned a Ratpier from the Deck, then turned Tigermortar into Zoodiac Broadbull. He Special Summoned another Ratpier to the field, then used Broadbull’s own effect to add Coach Captain Bearman to his hand. He Normal Summoned Bearman, and used it with his Ratpiers to Xyz Summon Coach King Giantrainer! He used it to draw Breakthrough Skill, Interrupted Kaiju Slumber, and Solemn Strike! He used his Broadbull to play out Drident in Defense Position, and Set all of his Trap Cards.

Dekhanov Tributed Drident to Special Summon Gadarla, the Mystery Dust Kaiju to Nagel’s field! He played Fire Formation – Tenki next, getting Zoodiac Thoroughblade to his hand. He Normal Summoned it, and used its effect – Nagel flipped Solemn Strike. Dekhanov Set one to his back row.

Nagel drew another Interrupted Kaiju Slumber. He played out Ramram, and used it for Boarbow, then that for Broadbull. He activated its effect, and Dekhanov negated it with Dimensional Barrier. Nagel sent Gadarla and Giantrainer to attack directly, then Set Interrupted Kaiju Slumber to his back row.

Dekhanov played another Zoodiac Thoroughblade, and used its effect, discarding a Ratpier. He played Twin Twisters next, discarding Speedroid Taketomborg, and destroying Interrupted Kaiju Slumber and Breakthrough Skill. Next, he Xyz Summoned Tigermortar, and used its effect to attach Ratpier to itself – Nagel flipped his second Breakthrough Skill! Dekhanov used Tigermortar to Xyz Summon Broadbull, and it added Whiptail to his hand. He turned Broadbull into Boarbow, and that into Drident in Defense Position. He used its effect to destroy Nagel’s Broadbull.

Nagel drew Cosmic Cyclone. In the Standby Phase, Dekhanov’s Drident destroyed Giantrainer. Nagel didn’t need it though! He Normal Summoned Whiptail, and sent it and Gadarla to take the first Duel!

Duel 2

Dekhanov chose to play first, and started with Fire Formation – Tenki to get Zoodiac Ratpier. He played it, and used it to play Boarbow, then Tigermortar. He Special Summoned a new Ratpier, then used Tigermortar for Broadbull. He Special Summoned another Ratpier, then searched for Whiptail. He Xyz Summoned Zoodiac Drident, then used his 2 Ratpier for Daigusto Emeral. He put back his two Ratpier and Boarbow to draw a card. He played Zoodiac Barrage, and used it to destroy Tenki. He Special Summoned Thoroughblade, and used its effect, sending Zoodiac Combo from his hand to the Graveyard to draw a new card. He Set three cards in his back row.

Nagel had a hand of Zoodiac Ratpier, Interrupted Kaiju Slumber, Forbidden Chalice, Fire Formation – Tenki, Zoodiac Thoroughblade, and Thunder King, the Lightningstrike Kaiju. He played Interrupted Kaiju Slumber, and had it negated by My Body as a Shield. Thoroughblade came down next, and Nagel discarded Ratpier to draw Whiptail. He played Tenki, adding another Whiptail to his hand. He sent his Thoroughblade to attack Dekhanov’s Thoroughblade, winning the battle thanks to Tenki! In Main Phase 2, Nagel Xyz Summoned Boarbow, then Tigermortar. He used Tigermortar’s effect to attach Ratpier to it, Dekhanov responded with Drident, and Nagel negated it with Forbidden Chalice! He tried to use Tigermortar to get another Ratpier, but Dekhanov had Solemn Strike!

Dekhanov used his Emeral, recycling his Xyz Monsters to draw a card. Dekhanov did some quick math, and decided he could win this turn! He used his Drident to play Tigermortar, and had that attach Ratpier to itself. He then Xyz Summoned Boarbow, and Special Summoned Ratpier. He used Boarbow for Broadbull, and Special Summoned a second Ratpier, then added Whiptail to his hand. He finally used Broadbull to play out Drident, and his two Ratpier became Gagaga Samurai! He attached his Whiptails to Drident, and used his Samurai’s effect as well. He sent his monsters to attack, and Nagel had nothing to stop them!

Duel 3

Nagel started the final Duel, with a hand of Interrupted Kaiju Slumber, Speedroid Terrortop, Chain Disappearance, Jizukiru, the Star Destroying Kaiju, and Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju. He Special Summoned Terrortop, got Speedroid Taketomborg, and Special Summoned it as well. He Xyz Summoned M-X-Saber Invoker, and brought Zoodiac Ratpier to the field. He Xyz Summoned Boarbow, then Tigermortar, and Special Summoned another Ratpier. He Xyz Summoned Broadbull, Special Summoned his second Ratpier, then added Coach Captain Bearman to his hand. He Normal Summoned it, using its effect so he could Xyz Summon Coach King Giantrainer! Using its effect, he drew Whiptail, Flying “C”, and Breakthrough Skill, and dealt a total of 1600 damage! He used Broadbull to Xyz Summon Drident in Defense Position, and Set his Trap Cards.

Dekhanov started with Dark Hole! All of Nagel’s monsters were wiped out! Dekhanov used Fire Formation – Tenki to get Zoodiac Ratpier, and Normal Summoned it. He used its effect, and Nagel flipped Chain Disappearance! Ratpier sent Zoodiac Combo to the Graveyard, but it would be a lot less helpful now that all of his copies of Ratpier were banished. Dekhanov played Upstart Goblin, then Special Summoned Speedroid Terrortop. He used its effect, and Nagel let it slide. Speedroid Taketomborg went to Dekhanov’s hand, and he Special Summoned it. He Xyz Summoned M-X-Saber Invoker, and Nagel negated it with Breakthrough Skill. M-X-Saber Invoker attacked directly, and Dekhanov Set a card to his back row.

Nagel drew Zoodiac Barrage. He started with Interrupted Kaiju Slumber, wiping out Invoker. He Special Summoned Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju to Dekhanov’s side of the field, and Thunder King, the Lightningstrike Kaiju to his own side. He played Zoodiac Barrage, and used its effect to destroy itself and Special Summon Thoroughblade. He used its effect, discarding Whiptail to draw Tenki. Thunder King wiped out Gameciel, and Thoroughblade attacked directly as the round timer ended. In Main Phase 2, Nagel Xyz Summoned Boarbow, then Broadbull. He used its effect, and Dekhanov flipped Dimensional Barrier to negate it. Nagel Set Tenki face-down as a bluff.

Dekhanov Normal Summoned Whiptail, and Nagel played Flying “C”, but Dekhanov simply played Zoodiac Barrage and destroyed Flying “C”! That let him Special Summon Thoroughblade. He had opened with the Barrage, but when Nagel drew Flying “C” with Giantrainer, Dekhanov knew he needed to save Barrage to get rid of it. He stacked his Whiptail and Thoroughblade to play Broadbull, and detached Whiptail to add another Whiptail to his hand. He upgraded Broadbull into Tigermortar, and had it attach Whiptail from the Graveyard to itself. He then turned Tigermortar into Boarbow, and that into Drident. He detached Boarbow to destroy Nagel’s Broadbull. Then, he attached another Whiptail from his hand to Drident, putting it at 4100 total ATK! He entered the Battle Phase, and had Drident power over Thunder King!

Nagel drew Thoroughblade. He flipped up his Tenki, and Dekhanov responded with Drident to destroy it before it could resolve. Nagel had Breakthrough Skill in his Graveyard, but didn’t realize until it was too late. Still, he Tributed Dekhanov’s Drident and handed over Dogoran, and Dekhanov now could activate his Zoodiac Combo to draw a card, then used Maxx “C”. Nagel pressed on, and Special Summoned Jizukiru, then Normal Summoned Thoroughblade. He turned Thoroughblade into Boarbow, and that into Drident. He used Drident to destroy Dogoran, and attacked directly to finish the Match!

Johnny Nagel is the victor, with his Kaiju Zoodiac Deck!