The Top 32 is set, and the bracket gave us a huge match right at the get-go. The 2^nd seed, multi-time YCS winner Jeff Jones is facing off against another YCS winner, 31^st seed and longtime friend Dale Bellido. Dale took some time off from the game but is playing in his first tournament in 5 years, making Top 32 with a Zoodiac Kaiju Deck. Jeff is running Zoodiacs without the Kaijus. This is a match-up that would likely be in the Finals if both players were in opposite brackets. Instead, one of these accomplished Duelists will have to exit the tournament after this round. Who’s moving forward to Top 16?  Let’s find out!  It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Bellido won the roll and elected to go first. He started off with Fire Formation – Tenki searching for Zoodiac Ratpier. He Normal Summoned it and passed on the effect. He then Summoned a Zoodiac Hammerkong on top of it and used the Zoodiac Ratpier effect to Special Summon a Zoodiac Ratpier from the Deck. He then put a Zoodiac Broadbull over the Zoodiac Hammerkong and used Zoodiac Broadbull’s effect to search for Lunalight Black Sheep which was pitched to try to get Fusion Substitute; but Jones Chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to keep Fusion Substitute in the Deck!  Bellido then put Zoodiac Drident over the Zoodiac Broadbull, Set one card to the back row, and passed.

Jones drew Zoodiac Whiptail, adding to his hand of Cosmic Cyclone, Speedroid Terrortop, Speedroid Taketomborg and Forbidden Chalice. Jones activated Cosmic Cyclone to clear out the face-down Solemn Warning. He Special Summoned the two Speedroids then stacked them together for M-X-Saber Invoker. He used M-X-Saber Invoker to Special Summon a Zoodiac Ratpier from the Deck which was used to make Zoodiac Hammerkong then Zoodiac Broadbull which then Summoned another Zoodiac Ratpier. Zoodiac Broadbull searched for Zoodiac Ramram which was Normal Summoned. Jones then used Zoodiac Ratpier and Zoodiac Ramram to Xyz Summon Daigusto Emeral which sent 3 monsters back to the Deck from the Graveyard to draw Solemn Strike. Zoodiac Chakanine went over the Zoodiac Broadbull and its effect Special Summoned Zoodiac Ramram. Then Zoodiac Drident went over Zoodiac Chakanine. Zoodiac Ramram attacked Zoodiac Ratpier, then Daigusto Emeral attacked Bellido’s Zoodiac Drident, then M-X-Saber Invoker attacked. He Set Solemn Strike in Main Phase 2 and passed.

Bellido started his turn by Tributing Jones’s Zoodiac Drident for Kumongous, the Sticky String Kaiju. He then Normal Summoned Zoodiac Thoroughblade and activated the effect; but Jones shut it down with Solemn Strike and that was enough to force the concession! Jones was able to shut down Bellido’s combo on turn 1 and was able to dictate the pace of the Duel!

Bellido elected to go first. He started off with 2 Set cards to his back row and passed. Uh oh.

Jones started off with Flying “C”, Instant Fusion, Zoodiac Combo, Zoodiac Ramram, Speedroid Terrortop and Speedroid Taketomborg. He Special Summoned Speedroid Terrortop then Special Summoned Speedroid Taketomborg. He stacked them together to Xyz Summon M-X-Saber Invoker. He activated the effect but was hit with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring!  Jones continued on, Normal Summoning Zoodiac Ramram then putting Zoodiac Broadbull on top of it. He used its effect to search for Zoodiac Whiptail. Then Zoodiac Chakanine was Summoned, using its effect to Summon Zoodiac Ramram from the Graveyard. In the Battle Phase, Jones used M-X-Saber Invoker to attack for 1600. Jones put a Zoodiac Drident on top of Zoodiac Chakanine, Set Zoodiac Combo, and passed, but not before Bellido hit the face-down with Cosmic Cyclone!

Bellido started off by Summoning Kumongous, the Sticky String Kaiju by Tributing Jones’s Zoodiac Drident. Then Bellido used Instant Fusion to Special Summon Elder Entity Norden, bringing back Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. He Normal Summoned Speedroid Taketomborg, looking for an unconventional Rank 3 play with the Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, but Jones dropped Flying “C” to Bellido’s field. Unable to continue the sequence, Bellido extended the handshake!

Jeff Jones takes a completely lop-sided second Duel to advance to the Top 16!  Not a bad performance from the veteran Bellido, who still earned his WCQ invite for his Top 32 performance!