We’re now in Round 9 and we’re looking at a bubble match, one where a win is necessary to keep a player’s hopes of making the cut alive.  In this case, a win will give a player 19 points and a guaranteed day 2 appearance. Michael Walters is from Brampton, Ontario Canada and qualified for the WCQ by making top 16 at YCS San Diego.  His opponent is Spencer Donnelly from Rock Hill, South Carolina who got his invite from an OTS Championship at Get Some Game in Charlotte, North Carolina. Donnelly has pure Sky Strikers while Walters is 5-2-1 with… Zoodiac?! Even without the power cards of Zoodiac Drident and Zoodiac Broadbull, Walters has found a winning record with the strategy using new tools like Link Monsters and a solid anti-meta suite using cards like Mistake and Anti-Spell Fragrance.   Which one of these players will make it to Day 2?  It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Walters won the roll and elected to go first.  He started with a hand of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Scapegoat, Zoodiac Whiptail, and 2 copies of Mistake.  He Set a Mistake and a Scapegoat and passed.  

Donnelly activated Sky Striker Mech – Jamming Waves! destroying Walters’s Mistake.  He then activated Foolish Burial Goods, sending Metalfoes Fusion to the Graveyard.  He then activated Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero.  Donnelly Set a card and used the Field Spell to add Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole to his hand and send the Set Terraforming to the Graveyard.  He then activated the Graveyard effect of Metalfoes Fusion, sending it back to the Deck to draw a card.  He then activated Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to add Sky Striker Ace – Raye from his Deck to his hand and draw a card.  He then activated Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole.  He Set a card and used Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole’s effect, sending the Set Foolish Burial Goods to the Graveyard.  He then Normal Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye and attacked for 1500.  In the Battle Phase, Donnelly used Sky Striker Ace – Raye’s effect, Tributing her to Special Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari and pick up Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! from the Graveyard and attacked for 1900.  In Main Phase 2, Donnelly activated Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! and added Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor and draw a card.  He Set 2 cards to the back and Sky Striker Ace – Kagari to the Graveyard to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku.  In the End Phase he used Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole’s effect to Set Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! from his Graveyard and tried to use Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku but Walters chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate the effect.  Also in the End Phase, Walters activated his Set Scapegoat.  

Walters drew Zoodiac Thoroughblade.  He Normal Summoned Zoodiac Thoroughblade.  He activated the effect, discarded Zoodiac Whiptail and drew Fire Formation – Tenki.  He activated Fire Formation – Tenki and added Zoodiac Whiptail from his Deck to his hand.  He sent a Sheep Token to the Graveyard to Link Summon Link Spider then used another Token to Link Summon Linkuriboh!  He used a third Token and Linkuriboh to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix.  He activated the effect, discarding Zoodiac Whiptail and targeting the Set Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!.  Donnelly chained his Set Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to negate Knightmare Phoenix and take control of it.  He then brought back Linkuriboh by Tributing the last Token.  He then placed Zoodiac Hammerkong over Zoodiac Thoroughblade then put Zoodiac Chakanine over it, using Zoodiac Chakanine’s effect to Special Summon Zoodiac Whiptail from the Graveyard.  He then put Zoodiac Tigermortar over Zoodiac Chakanine.  He then had the 2400 ATK Zoodiac Tigermortar attack into Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku but Donnelly activated his Set Infinite Impermanence to negate Zoodiac Tigermortar’s effect reducing its ATK to 100 and it was destroyed in battle.  He Set Mistake.  In the End Phase, Knightmare Phoenix went back to his control and Donnelly used Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole’s effect to Set Sky Striker Mech – Jamming Waves!  from the Graveyard.  

In the Standby phase, Walters activated Mistake.  Donnelly sent Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku to the Graveyard to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari which added back Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor.  He then activated Foolish Burial Goods from his hand, sending Metalfoes Fusion.  He then activated the Set Sky Striker Mech – Jamming Waves!  destroying his own Set Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! and Walters’s Linkuriboh.  He then activated Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to take control of Walters’s Knightmare Phoenix and then Normal Summoned Phantom Skyblaster and used its effect to Special Summon 3 Tokens!  He used Sky Striker Ace – Kagari and a Token to Special Summon Space Insulator then used it and Phantom Skyblaster to Link Summon Decode Talker.  Then, 2 tokens were used to Link Summon 2 Link Spiders.  Then both of those Link Spiders were used to Link Summon Flame Administrator.  Donnelly had the stolen Knightmare Phoenix attack into Walters’s Link Spider.  Decode Talker and its 4100 ATK swung into Walters’s Zoodiac Whiptail and that was enough to end the first Duel.  

Duel 2

Walters elected to go first.  He started with a hand of Zoodiac Combo, Mistake, Anti-Spell Fragrance, Zoodiac Whiptail and Rivalry of Warlords.  He Set 2 cards to the back row then Normal Summoned Zoodiac Whiptail.  He then Xyz Summoned Zoodiac Tigermortar and passed.  

In Donnelly’s Standby Phase, Walters activated his Set Zoodiac Combo, attaching a Zoodiac Ramram from his Deck to the Zoodiac Tigermortar.  Still in the Standby Phase, Walters activated the Set Anti-Spell Fragrance.  Donnelly Set 3 cards to the back and passed.  

Walters drew Fire Formation – Tenki.  He put Zoodiac Chakanine over Zoodiac Tigermortar then attacked directly for 1600.  In the second Main Phase, he put Zoodiac Hammerkong over Zoodiac Chakanine then Zoodiac Boarbow over Zoodiac Hammerkong.  He Set Fire Formation – Tenki, Rivalry of Warlords and Mistake and passed.  

In the Standby Phase, Walters activated his set Rivalry of Warlords.  Donnelly Set 2 more cards, filling up the back row and passed.  

Walters activated the Set Fire Formation – Tenki and added Zoodiac Thoroughblade.  He turned Zoodiac Boarbow to Attack Position and Normal Summoned Zoodiac Thoroughblade.  Zoodiac Thoroughblade attacked for 1700 followed by Zoodiac Boarbow.  In Main Phase 2, he Set Magic Deflector and passed.  

Donnelly activated the Set Infinite Impermanence on Zoodiac Thoroughblade (which would also negate Anti-Spell Fragrance since it was in the same column as Infinite Impermanence) and Walters chained Magic Deflector.  Donnelly chained Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to negate Zoodiac Boarbow’s effect.  Donnelly then activated Reinforcement of the Army and Walters chained Mistake!  Donnelly then activated his Set Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners! to destroy Zoodiac Thoroughblade.  Donnelly then Normal Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye and attacked over the negated Zoodiac Boarbow.  He Set a card to the back.  In the End Phase, Walters used Zoodiac Combo, sending 5 Zoodiac cards back to the Deck to draw Fire Formation – Tenki.  

Walters drew Solemn Judgment.  He Set Fire Formation – Tenki and passed.  

Donnelly attacked with Sky Striker Ace – Raye for 1500.  He Set one more and passed.  

Walters drew Scapegoat.  He flipped the Set Fire Formation – Tenki and added Zoodiac Thoroughblade from his Deck to his hand.  He Normal Summoned Zoodiac Thoroughblade and tried to attack over Sky Striker Ace – Raye for 300 damage.  In Main Phase 2, Walters put Zoodiac Hammerkong over Zoodiac Thoroughblade, then put Zoodiac Chakanine over Zoodiac Hammerkong.  He used Zoodiac Chakanine’s effect, detaching Zoodiac Hammerkong to Special Summon Zoodiac Whiptail.  He then put Zoodiac Tigermortar over Zoodiac Chakanine and used its effect to swap Zoodiac Chakanine with Zoodiac Thoroughblade as materials.  

Donnelly drew for turn and activated his Set Twin Twisters, destroying Walters’s Mistake and Rivalry of Warlords.  He then activated the Set Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, adding another Sky Striker Ace – Raye and drawing a card.  He Normal Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye and attacked Zoodiac Whiptail for 100 damage.  Sky Striker Ace – Raye’s effect was then activated, Tributing it and Special Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Kagari which picked up Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor.  Sky Striker Ace – Kagari attacked Zoodiac Tigermortar and Donnelly activated his Set Infinite Impermanence to negate Zoodiac Tigermortar’s effect reducing its ATK to 200.  In Main Phase 2, he Set a card and a Field Spell then sent Sky Striker Ace – Kagari to the Graveyard to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku.  In the End Phase, Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku’s effect added Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to his hand.  

Walters drew Scapegoat.  He Set Scapegoat and Solemn Judgment and passed.  

Donnelly sent Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari and used her effect to add Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners!.  He attacked directly with Sky Striker Ace – Kagari.  He Set 3 cards to the back and passed.  

Walters drew Anti-Spell Fragrance.  He activated the Set Scapegoat and Special Summoned 4 Sheep Tokens.  He Set Anti-Spell Fragrance and passed.  

Donnelly activated his Set Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners! to destroy Anti-Spell Fragrance and a Token.  After the chain resolved, Walters flipped the other Anti-Spell Fragrance.  Donnelly then activated the Set Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero, sing its effect to add Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! and sent Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor from his field to the Graveyard. He then Set Sky Striker Mech – Shark Cannon, Special Summoning Walters’s Zoodiac Thoroughblade.  he used it and Sky Striker Ace – Kagari to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix but Walters negated the Summon with Solemn Judgment!  He Set 2 cards and passed.  

Walters used 2 Sheep Tokens to Link Summon Missus Radiant then another Token to Link Summon Link Spider.  In the Battle Phase, Donnelly activated his Set Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to take control of Missus Radiant.  Walters Set Scapegoat and Fire Formation – Tenki and passed.  He got his Missus Radiant back to his field.  

Donnelly activated the Set Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners! to add Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones and draw a card.  He then activated another Set Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to take control of Missus Radiant once again.  The stolen Link Monster attacked into Walters’s Link Spider.  He then used Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero, adding another Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero and sending Missus Radiant to the Graveyard.  He Set 3 and passed.  

Walters drew Zoodiac Barrage.  He flipped the Set Fire Formation – Tenki to add Zoodiac Ramram.  He Normal Summoned it and used it to Xyz Summon Zoodiac Boarbow, then Zoodiac Tigermortar.  He used the effect to put Zoodiac Thoroughblade under Zoodiac Tigermortar then put Zoodiac Chakanine over it.  Donnelly then activated the Set Called by the Grave and banished the other Zoodiac Chakanine in the Graveyard, negating the effect of the one on the field.  Zoodiac Chakanine attacked directly for 300.  

Donnelly drew then activated his Set Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones, giving himself a Token which was used to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari whose effect added Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor back to his hand.  He then used Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero, adding Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! and sending his Set Terraforming.  He then activated his final Set, Foolish Burial Goods to send Metalfoes Fusion.  Time was called.  Life was 2400 to Walters’s 250.  While the game was officially decided by time, the next attack would’ve ended the game anyway.  

Donnelly wins the match and will be advancing to Day 2!