Welcome to the final round of Swiss for today here at the North America WCQ! We have Kamal Crooks and Giovanni Gonzalez, two South Florida Duelists. Crooks is using a Zoodiac strategy, while Gonzalez is playing True Draco. These are the two most popular strategies this weekend, so this Match is rather indicative of the rest of the tournament.

Duel 1

Gonzalez won the dice roll and chose to play first. He had a hand of The Monarchs Stormforth, Terraforming, Dragonic Diagram, Pot of Duality, and Waterfall of Dragon Souls. He played Diagram. Next, Pot of Duality revealed 2 True Draco Heritage and Card of Demise. He took Demise. He Set everything, then played Demise to draw three cards – and Crooks used Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate it! Gonzalez used the effect of his Diagram to destroy his Set Terraforming, and he added True King’s Return to his hand. He Set it.

Crooks started with Fire Formation – Tenki, adding Zoodiac Ramram to his hand. He played Zoodiac Thoroughblade next, discarding Ramram to draw a new card. He Xyz Summoned Zoodiac Hammerkong, then Zoodiac Drident. He moved to the Battle Phase, then used Drident’s effect to destroy Gonzalez’s Diagram. Drident attacked directly, then Crooks Set one to his back row. Gonzalez flipped Waterfall, adding Master Peace, the True Dracoslayer to his hand. Then, he used True King’s Return and The Monarchs Stormforth! He Tributed his own Return and Crooks’s Drident for Master Peace!

Gonzales drew Diagram for his turn, and he activated it. He sent Master Peace to attack, leaving Crooks with just 4750 Life Points.

Crooks played Zoodiac Ratpier and Xyz Summoned Zoodiac Tigermortar. He had it Special Summon another Ratpier to the field. He used Tigermortar to play Zoodiac Broadbull, and had it add Zoodiac Whiptail to his hand. Broadbull became Zoodiac Chakanine, which Special Summoned Thoroughblade. Crooks flipped Enemy Controller, Tributing Thoroughblade! Gonzalez used Master Peace’s effect to destroy Chakanine, then Crooks took control of it. He used Ratpier to play Zoodiac Drident in Attack Position. He attacked with Master Peace first. Then, when Drident attacked, he attached THREE COPIES of Zoodiac Whiptail to it! Drident shot up to 3700 ATK, and wiped out Gonzalez’s Life Points!

Duel 2

Gonzalez chose to play first, and started with a hand of Disciples of the True Dracophoenix, The Monarchs Stormforth, True Draco Heritage, Xyz Universe, and Magic Deflector. He Set Stormforth and the Trap Cards.

Crooks played Fire Formation – Tenki and added Ratpier to his hand. He Normal Summoned it immediately, and sent Ramram to the Graveyard with its effect. He Xyz Summoned Hammerkong, and Special Summoned a new Ratpier. Hammerkong was swapped for Broadbull, and its effect added Whiptail to Crooks’s hand. He used Broadbull to play Chakanine, which Special Summoned Ramram. Next, he played Zoodiac Barrage, destroying Ramram with its effect. Barrage Special Summoned another Ramram, and the destroyed Ramram Special Summoned Ratpier. Crooks played Pot of Desires next, getting even more free cards. He used Chakanine to play Drident in Defense Position. Then, he stacked his two Ratpier for Daigusto Emeral. At this point, Gonzalez flipped Xyz Universe. Crooks Chained Drident’s effect to destroy itself, preventing Xyz Universe from resolving. Crooks used Emeral’s effect, detaching a Ratpier, to shuffle back Ratpier and two Xyz Monsters and drew a new card. Finally, he attacked directly with Emeral. Crooks Set one to his back row to finish.

Gonzalez drew Card of Demise. He Set his remaining Spell Cards and tried to play Card of Demise. When Crooks used Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Gonzalez offered the handshake!