Round 1 Feature Match: Adam Ventura vs. Eric Kearsh
We start off this weekend with a Feature Match showcasing some of the new cards from Maximum Crisis. Adam Ventura from Indianapolis, Indiana is using an enhanced Zefra Deck featuring the brand new Zefraath, Zefra Providence, and Zefra War from Maximum Crisis. His opponent, Eric Kearsh from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has the home-field advantage with his Metalfoes Yang Zing Deck. Metalfoes variants were competitive prior to the release of Maximum Crisis, whereas Zefra Decks weren’t on any competitive Duelist’s radar. Is the new suite of Zefra cards from Maximum Crisis just what Zefra Duelists needed to break through on the competitive tournament scene? We’re about to find out. It’s time to Duel!
Duel 1
Ventura won the roll and started off with Maxx “C”, Upstart Goblin, Instant Fusion, Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, and Stellarknight Zefraxciton. He activated Upstart Goblin, giving Kearsh 1000 LP and drawing Ritual Beast Tamer Zefrawendi. He Set Stellarknight Zefraxciton and passed.
Kearsh activated Metalfoes Steelen and Normal Summoned Suanni, Fire of the Yang Zing. He used Metalfoes Steelen to destroy Suanni, Fire of the Yang Zing and Set Metalfoes Combination. He activated Suanni, Fire of the Yang Zing and Ventura chained Maxx “C”. Kearsh pressed on by Special Summoning Jiaotu, Darkness of the Yang Zing from the Deck. He them used the effect, discarding Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing and Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing, Special Summoning Bi’an, Earth of the Yang Zing and Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing. He used Jiaotu and Zefraniu to Synchro Summon Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing! Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing’s effect activated to spin the Set monster back to the Deck, and Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing was destroyed by Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit! Bi’an, Earth of the Yang Zing attacked for 1600 and Kearsh passed. (The players didn’t realize that Bi’an should have been banished in the End Phase. It remained on the field and gameplay continued.)
Ventura drew for turn and activated Resonator Call! He added Red Resonator to his hand. He then Normal Summoned Red Resonator and Special Summoned Satellarknight Zefrathurban from his hand. He used both monsters to Synchro Summon Metaphys Horus! He used Horus’s effect to take control of Bi’an, Earth of the Yang Zing! He then activated Instant Fusion, paying 1000 LP to Special Summon Elder Entity Norden from the Extra Deck, whose effect was used to Special Summon Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit from the Graveyard. He then used Red Resonator and Bi’an to Synchro Summon Coral Dragon! Ventura attacked with Metaphys Horus and Coral Dragon, and in Main Phase 2, he sent Coral Dragon and Metaphys Horus to the Graveyard to Special Summon Ultimaya Tzolkin! He set another Instant Fusion which allowed Ultimaya Tzolkin to Special Summon Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon from the Extra Deck. Ventura passed here.
Kearsh activated Raigeki, clearing Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon from the field. He Normal Summoned another Bi’an, Earth of the Yang Zing and attacked into Ultimaya Tzolkin, destroying it.
Ventura Normal Summoned Stellarknight Zefraxion and attacked into Bi’an, Earth of the Yang Zing, dealing 300 points of damage. Bi’an, Earth of the Yang Zing’s effect Special Summoned Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing while Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing was Special Summoned form the Graveyard. Ventura set Zefra War and passed.
Kearsh drew, but Ventura activated Zefra War, destroying Zefraxion and Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing. Kearsh Normal Summoned Jiaotu, Darkness of the Yang Zing, and Kearsh used Jiaotu, Darkness of the Yang Zing and Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing to Synchro Summon another Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing! Its effect sent the face-down Instant back to the Deck, but this Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing was also destroyed by another Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit! Kearsh activated another Metalfoes Steelen and used its effect on the first Metalfoes Steelen to Set another Combination from the Deck. Kearsh passed here.
Ventura drew a card. He activated two Pendulum Scales and Pendulum Summoned Stellarknight Zefraxciton and Satellarknight Zefrathurban. He used Satellarknight Zefrathurban to destroy one of Kearsh’s Pendulum Scales.
Kearsh drew for turn, and activated Metalfoes Goldriver in his Pendulum Zone! He activated Metalfoes Combination and used Metalfoes Goldriver’s effect to destroy it, Setting Metalfoes Fusion and using Combination’s effect to add Metalfoes Steelen to his hand. He immediately activated it. With a full Pendulum Scale, he Pendulum Summoned two copies of Metalfoes Steelen and 2 copies of Zefraniu! He used Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing to search for Yang Zing Path which was activated, sending 3 Yang Zing monsters back to the Deck to draw 2 cards. He then Normal Summoned Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice, and Synchro Summoned Yazi, Evil of the Yang Zing! He then activated the other set Metalfoes Combination and activated Metalfoes Fusion to Fusion Summon Metalfoes Adamante which forced the concession!
Duel 2
Ventura elected to go first and opened with two copies of Zefraxi, Treasure of the Yang Zing, Zefraxi, Resonator Call, Zefraath, and Satellarknight Zefrathurban. He activated Resonator Call, searching for Red Resonator. He activated Zefraath to his Pendulum Zone and used the effect to send a copy of Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing to his Extra Deck and change Zefraath’s Pendulum Scale to 7. He then activated Satellarknight Zefrathurban in the other Pendulum Zone and Pendulum Summoned Zefranui from the Extra Deck and Zefraxi, Treasure of the Yang Zing and Stellarknight Zefraxion from his hand. He used Zefraxi, Treasure of the Yang Zing’s effect to make Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing a Tuner, and used Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing to search for Zefra Providence which was activated to search for Oracle of Zefra, which searched for another Satellarknight Zefrathurban. He then used Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing and Zefraxi, Treasure of the Yang Zing to Synchro Summoned Chaofeng, Phantom of the Yang Zing! He Normal Summoned Red Resonator, Special Summoned Satellarknight Zefrathurban with the effect, and used the two monsters to Synchro Summon Stardust Charge Warrior! He then activated Oracle of Zefra’s effect and Stardust Charge Warrior’s effect in a chain. With Oracle of Zefra as Chain Link 2, he put Maxx “C” on top of his Deck, which Stardust Charge Warrior’s effect as Chain Link 1 let him draw! He then used Stellarknight Zefraxion and Stardust Charge Warrior to Synchro Summon Nirvana High Paladin! (While none of these monsters are Tuners, Nirvana High Paladin can use a Pendulum Summoned Pendulum Monster in place of a Tuner.) He used Nirvana High Paladin’s effect to get Zefra Providence back to his hand.
Kearsh started his turn by activating Metalfoes Goldriver and Normal Summoned Suanni, Fire of the Yang Zing. He used the effect to destroy Suanni, Fire of the Yang Zing, Special Summoning Jiaotu, Darkness of the Yang Zing and Setting Metalfoes Combination. Kearsh used Jiaotu’s effect but Ventura chained Maxx “C”! Jiaotu, Darkness of the Yang Zing’s effect Special Summoned Bi’an, Earth of the Yang Zing and Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing. He then Synchro Summoned Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing, spinning Nirvana High Paladin and Chaofeng back to the Extra Deck! He then used Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing to destroy the face-down Combination to Special Summon Jiaotu, Darkness of the Yang Zing from the Graveyard. He then activated Metalfoes Steelen, and used the effect to destroy Bi’an, Earth of the Yang Zing and set Metalfoes Fusion from the Deck. Bi’an, Earth of the Yang Zing’s effect Special Summoned another Zefraniu from the Deck. He then used Jiaotu, Darkness of the Yang Zing and Zefraniu to Special Summon another Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing! Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing’s effect activated but Ventura chained Zefra War from his hand! He destroyed Zefraath and the activated Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing. Kearsh activated Instant Fusion, Special Summoning Elder Entity Norden, whose effect Special Summoned Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing. He then used the two monsters to Synchro Summon Denlong, First of the Yang Zing! He used Denlong’s effect to search for another Jiaotu, Darkness of the Yang Zing, then used the other effect, sending Bi’an, Earth of the Yang Zing to the Graveyard, but Ventura responded with Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit! Denlong, First of the Yang Zing’s effect activated when it was destroyed, Special Summoning Taotie, Shadow of the Yang Zing. He then Pendulum Summoned four monsters! He used Zefaniu to add Nine Pillars of the Yang Zing from his Deck to his hand. He used Jiaotu, Darkness of the Yang Zing and Zefaniu to Synchro Summon another Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing, then used Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing’s effect, destroying Taotie and Special Summoning Suanni, Fire of the Yang Zing from the Graveyard. Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing was Special Summoned form the Graveyard, then Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing and Suanni, Fire of the Yang Zing Special Summoned Hi-Speedroid Chanbara! All of the monsters attacked and with way more than 8000 points of damage on the field, that was enough to end the Match!
Kearsh plays through a Maxx “C” and takes the first Match 2-0, starting off YCS Pittsburgh with a decisive win!