We’re now in the Top 8! Manav Dawar was the 64^th seed and is still in the tournament with Sky Striker, while his opponent, the 40^th seed Yuchen Li has Altergeist.  Only one of these Duelists will move onto the Top 4 and have a chance at new YCS Prize Card Chaos Emperor, the Dragon of Armageddon! Who’s moving on to the Semi-Finals?  It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Dawar won the roll and elected to go first. His starting hand was Twin Twisters, 2 copies of Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, Pot of Desires and Sky Striker Ace – Raye.  He started with Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to add Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero from his Deck to his hand.  He activated it, then he Normal Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye and used the Field’s effect targeting Sky Striker Ace – Raye whose effect was chained to Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari.  He added Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to his hand then used Sky Striker Ace – Kagari’s effect to add Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! back to his hand.  He activated it, adding Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole to his hand.  He activated it, then Set a card and used Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole’s effect to send Widow Anchor to the Graveyard.  He then activated Pot of Desires, banishing the top 10 cards to draw 2 more.  He activated another Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, adding  Sky Striker Mecha – Eagle Booster and drawing another Aream Zero.  He used Sky Striker Ace – Kagari to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku.  He se Infinite Impermanence, Twin Twisters and another Set.  In the End Phase, he used Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole to Set Engage from his Graveyard then used Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku’s effect to add Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones from his Deck to his hand.

Li Set 5 cards to the back, then Set a monster and passed.

Dawar drew Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole.  He activated the Set Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! but Li chained Heavy Storm Duster, targeting the 2 furthest away from the Deck.  Dawar chained Sky Striker Mecha – Eagle Booster, then Li chained Imperial Order then Dawar chained Twin Twisters, discarding Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole to destroy Imperial Order and Li’s Infinite Impermanence.  However, when resolving the chain, Dawar found out that the only Sky Striker cards left in his Deck were the other two copies of Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! (every other Sky Striker card was banished with Pot of Desires).  Because Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! couldn’t be legally activated, the game state would have to be rewound.  However, because so much information was revealed as a result of the illegal activation (specifically, the set locations of Li’s Imperial Order, Heavy Storm Duster, and Infinite Impermanence), the infraction was determined to be Procedural Error – Major, which resulted in a Game Loss for Dawar.

Duel 2

Dawar elected for Li to go first. Li started off with Pot of Duality, revealing another Pot of Duality, Solemn Strike and Altergeist Meluseek.  He added Solemn Strike to his hand.  He Set 3 cards to the back and passed.

Dawar activated Sky Striker Mech – Jamming Waves! to destroy Li’s Set Solemn Strike.  He Set Typhoon and Heavy Storm Duster and passed.

Li Set another one and passed. In the End Phase, Dawar activated Heavy Storm Duster destroying Li’s Set Heavy Storm Duster and Infinite Impermanence.

Dawar Set Twin Twister and passed.

Li Normal Summoned Altergeist Marionetter.  He used the effect to Set Altergeist Protocol to the field directly from the Deck. Altergeist Marionetter attacked directly, leaving Dawar at 6400 LP.  In the End Phase, Dawar activated Twin Twisters, discarding Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit to destroy Li’s Set Solemn Strike and Altergeist Protocol.

Dawar Normal Summoned Phantom Skyblaster and Summoned a Skyblaster Token.  He used the two monsters to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix which attacked over Altergeist Marionetter.

Li drew to 3 cards in hand. He Set monster and passed.

Phoenix attacked and destroyed Altergeist Multifaker.

Li Normal Summoned Altergeist Meluseek and tried to attack directly but Dawar activated Infinite Impermanence to negate the effect.  A replay occurred and Li stopped the attack.

Dawar drew and activated Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero.  He used the effect, and chained the target, Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor negating Li’s Altergeist Meluseek.  Dawar added Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners! to his hand. Knightmare Phoenix attacked and destroyed Altergeist Meluseek and Li used the effect to add Altergeist Marionetter to his hand.

Li Normal Summoned Altergeist Marionetter and tried to use the effect but Dawar chained Solemn Strike to negate and destroy it.

Dawar drew Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Knightmare Phoenix attacked directly, leaving Li at 4400 LP to Dawar’s 6400 LP. In Main Phase 2, Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero’s effect was used but his no Sky Striker Cards.

Li drew to 3 cards in hand. he activated Pot of Duality but Dawar chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate it.

Dawar drew another Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero.  He Set Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners! and used Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero to add Sky Striker Ace – Raye to his hand.  Phoenix attacked directly again, leaving Li at 2500 LP.

Li Set 2 cards and passed.

Dawar used Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero on Phoenix, finding Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!.  He activated it but was shut down by Solemn Judgment!  After the chain resolved, Li activated Altergeist Multifaker from his hand, Special Summoning it from his hand and Altergeist Silquitous from his Deck.  Dawar Normal Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye, then Link Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Kagari whose effect added Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to his hand which was activated but Li conceded the Duel and we’re off to the third and final Duel!

Duel 3

Li elected to go first. He started with 5 Set cards and passed.

Li flipped Anti-Spell Fragrance in Dawar’s Standby Phase.  Dawar Normal Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye and attacked for 1500.  he attempted to use Sky Striker Ace – Raye’s effect but Li’s Solemn Strike shut it down.  Dawar Set 4 to the back and passed.

Li Set one more to the back and passed. In the End Phase, Dawar activated Heavy Storm Duster destroying Li’s Set Solemn Strike and Imperial Order.

Dawar Set a backrow and passed.

Li Set another backrow and passed.

Dawar drew Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to add to his hand of Phantom Skyblaster.  He Normal Summoned Phantom Skyblaster and used the effect to Special Summon a Token.  He used the Token to Link Summon Link Spider.  He attacked with both monsters, bringing Li down to 2900 LP.

Li drew then activated his Set Personal Spoofing, shuffling Altergeist Manifestation back to the Deck.  Dawar chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and Li chained Solemn Strike to negate it, letting Li resolve Personal Spoofing to add Altergeist Marionetter to his hand.  Li Normal Summoned Altergeist Marionetter and its effect was negated by Dawar’s Infinite Impermanence.

Dawar drew Reinforcement of the Army.  He Set it and passed.

Li had Altergeist Marionetter attack and destroy Link Spider.

Dawar drew and he flipped the Set Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole.  He used the effect, sending his Set Sky Striker Mecha – Shark Cannon to the Graveyard.  He then flipped the Set Twin Twisters, destroying Li’s Set Pot of Duality and Mind Crush.  He then activated the Set Reinforcement of the Army to add Sky Striker Ace – Raye to his hand.  he Normal Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye then used it to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Hayate.  Li used Personal Spoofing, putting Altergeist Marionetter back to the Deck in a last-ditch effort to find Altergeist Kunquery to stop the imminent attack, but he couldn’t find it and Li extended the handshake.

Manav Dawar plays past a Game Loss penalty and moves onto the Semi-Finals!