Round 13 Feature Match: Daniel Rangel vs. Kevin Tran
Daniel Rangel from Phoenix, Arizona is Dueling against Kevin Tran from Portland, Oregon in this final Swiss Round Feature Match! Both Duelists are currently 9-3, so a win here will guarantee one of them a spot in the Top 16, while a loss will likely eliminate the other from the tournament. It’s Salamangreats versus Sky Strikers in this final Swiss Round. Let’s Duel!
Duel One
Tran activated Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole and then used Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, but lost out to Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.
He used Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones next to Special Summon a Sky Striker Ace Token, and used the Token to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari. He used Kagari’s effect to return Engage to his hand and then used Engage to add Sky Striker Mecha – Shark Cannon from his Deck to his hand. He sent Kagari to the Graveyard to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku and then Set a card to his back row. In his End Phase, he used Shizuku’s effect to add a Sky Striker Mecha – Eagle Booster to his hand, activated it, and used Multirole to Set it back face-down.
Rangel opened up with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Salamangreat Fowl, Artifact Scythe, Salamangreat Rage, Flame Bufferlo, and Monster Reborn. He Summoned Bufferlo and used it to Link Summon Salamangreat Balelynx and activated its effect, but lost out to Effect Veiler. He used Bufferlo’s effect to discard Fowl and draw 2 cards, and then used Gazelle’s effect to Special Summon it and send Salamangreat Spinny to the Graveyard. He tried to Special Summon Spinny, but lost out to Shark Cannon. He used Monster Reborn to Special Summon Bufferlo next, and then Xyz Summoned Salamangreat Miragestallio by combining Bufferlo and Gazelle. He detached Gazelle to activate its effect, but lost out to Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. He entered his Battle Phase next, and attacked Shizuku with Miragestallio next to destroy it. Then, he attacked directly with Balelynx, dropping Tran down to 7300 Life Points. Rangel Set Scythe and Rage before passing his turn. Tran Set Hornet Drones with Multirole’s effect in the End Phase.
Tran flipped the Hornet Drones to Special Summon a Sky Striker Ace Token and Rangel flipped Salamangreat Rage! He sent a card from his hand to his Graveyard to destroy his face-down Scythe and Special Summoned it, activating its effect. Tran Set a card and passed.
Rangel activated Miragestallio’s effect next, but lost out to Impermanence. Then, he sent Balelynx and Miragestallio to the Graveyard to Link Summon Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf, and used Miragestallio’s effect to get the Token off of the field. He then Normal Summoned Spinny and used it to Link Summon Balelynx. He returned Gazelle to his hand with Sunlight Wolf’s effect and he used the effect of Balelynx to add Salamangreat Sanctuary to his hand. He activated Sanctuary and then sent Sunlight Wolf to the Graveyard to Link Summon another Sunlight Wolf thanks to Sanctuary. He used its effect to add Salamangreat Rage from his Graveyard to his hand and then attacked directly with Scythe, Balelynx, and Sunlight Wolf, dropping Tran down to 2800 Life Points. He Set a card to his back row and then Link Summoned Salamangreat Heatleo, using its effect to return Multirole to Tran’s Deck.
Tran drew Raye and Normal Summoned it! He sent it to the Graveyard to Link Summon Hayate and attacked directly with Hayate, dropping Rangel down to 6500 Life Points. Hayate’s effect sent Shark Cannon from Tran’s Deck to his Graveyard. In Main Phase 2, he sent Hayate to the Graveyard to Link Summon Kagari and used its effect to return Engage to his hand. He activated Engage to add Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners! to his hand and draw a card. Then, he used Afterburners to target Scythe, and Rangel Chained Rage to send Heatleo to the Graveyard and destroy his own Scythe. Tran Link Summoned Shizuku next, and then added Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor from his Deck to his hand in the End Phase with its effect.
Rangel drew Salamangreat Roar and then Normal Summoned Gazelle. He activated its effect to send Salamangreat Jack Jaguar from his Deck to his Graveyard and then Link Summoned Balelynx by sending Gazelle to the Graveyard. He Special Summoned Jack Jaguar from his Graveyard next, and then Link Summoned Sunlight Wolf. He used Sanctuary to use the Sunlight Wolf as a Link Material to Summon another Sunlight Wolf, and used its effect to return a Rage from his Graveyard to his hand. He Special Summoned Salamangreat Spinny from his Graveyard next, linked to Sunlight Wolf, and then used Sunlight Wolf’s effect to return Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring from his Graveyard to his hand. He Set Rage and Roar before passing.
Tran drew a card and Rangel flipped Salamangreat Rage in his Standby Phase. He targeted Sunlight Wolf and destroyed Rangel’s Shizuku and face-down Eagle Booster. Tran tried using Ray’s effect, but lost out on it when Rangel flipped Salamangreat Roar.
No longer having access to his Sky Striker Ace monsters, Tran conceded.
Duel Two
Tran started off Duel 2 by activating Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero and Summoning Raye. He targeted Raye with Area Zero and Chained Raye’s effect to Special Summon Hayate. He added a Raye from the top of his Deck to his hand with Area Zero’s effect and then used Raye to Link Summon Shizuku. Rangel Special Summoned Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay from his hand and drew 2 cards before sending 1 back to his Deck. Tran Set 2 cards to his back row and tried to use Shizuku’s effect in the End Phase, but lost out to Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.
Rangel drew a card and then had Will of the Salamangreat. Salamangreat Gazelle, Foolish Burial, Twin Twisters, and Salamangreat Circle in his hand.
He activated the Circle to add Salamangreat Spinny from his Deck to his hand and then discarded Spinny to activate Twin Twisters! He targeted Called by the Grave and There Can Only Be One, and Tran Chained Called by the Grave to banish Spinny. Rangel activated Foolish Burial next, sending Salamangreat Foxy from his Deck to his Graveyard. He Summoned Gazelle and used its effect to send Jack Jaguar to the Graveyard and then used Gazelle as a Link Material to Summon Balelynx. He used Balelynx’s effect to add Sanctuary to his hand and then used Foxy’s effect by discarding Will of the Salamangreat. He Special Summoned it from the Graveyard and destroyed Area Zero, allowing Tran to Special Summon Raye from his Deck. Rangel Link Summoned Sunlight Wolf next, and then activated Sanctuary and used the Sunlight Wolf as a Link Material to Summon another one. He used its effect to return Will to his hand and then activated Will. He sent Will to the Graveyard to Special Summon 2 more Salamangreat Monsters and Xyz Summon Miragestallio. He used its effect to Special Summon Falco and then Special Summoned Jack Jaguar from his Graveyard. He combined Jack Jaguar with Falco to Link Summon Abyss Dweller. He attacked Raye with Sunlight Wolf to destroy it and then passed his turn.
Tran drew a card and then Rangel used the effect of his Dweller by detaching Falco from it. Tran Link Summoned Hayate by using Shizuku as a Link Material and then attacked directly, dropping Rangel down to 6500 Life Points and sending Sky Striker Maneuver – Afterburners! from his Deck to his Graveyard with Hayate’s effect. In Main Phase 2, Tran activated Sky Striker Maneuver – Jamming Waves! to destroy a face-down Salamangreat Circle and the Fantastical Dragon. He then Link Summoned Kagari and used its effect to return Afterburners to his hand. He used it to destroy Abyss Dweller and try to destroy Sanctuary, but Balelynx’s effect in the Graveyard protected the Sanctuary. Tran Link Summoned Shizuku and tried to use its effect in the End Phase, but lost out to Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.
Rangel drew Salamangreat Circle and used it to add Gazelle to his hand. He activated Miragestallio’s effect, and Tran Chained There Can Only Be One. Rangel sent his Miragestallio to the Graveyard and then used Sunlight Wolf’s effect to add Salamangreat Circle from his Graveyard to his hand. He Set it and then ended his turn.
Tran attacked Sunlight Wolf with Shizuku to destroy it and passed. Tran Set a card to his back row and Rangel flipped Circle in the End Phase to add Spinny to his hand.
Rangel drew another Circle and discarded it to Special Summon Foxy from his Graveyard. He used Foxy’s effect to destroy There Can Only Be One and then sent Foxy to the Graveyard to Link Summon Balelynx. He Special Summoned Gazelle from his hand and used its effect to send Roar to his Graveyard, and then Special Summoned Spinny from his Graveyard. He sent Balelynx and Gazelle to the Graveyard to Link Summon Sunlight Wolf and then Special Summoned Jack Jaguar from his Graveyard linked to it. He then used Sunlight Wolf as a Link Material to Summon another Sunlight Wolf and used its effect to add Will of the Salamangreat to his hand. He activated it and sent it to the Graveyard to Special Summon Gazelle and Falco from his Graveyard. He Link Summoned Borreload Dragon next by using Falco, Jack Jaguar, and Sunlight Wolf as Link Materials, and used Falco’s effect to return Roar from his Graveyard to his hand. Next, he Link Summoned Balelynx, and then Link Summoned Sunlight Wolf. Borreload attacked and gained control of Shizuku, and then Shizuku and Sunlight Wolf attacked directly, dropping Tran down to 4700 Life Points. Rangel Set Roar before passing.
Tran Summoned Raye and sent it to the Graveyard to Link Summon Kagari. Then, he used Kagari’s effect to target the Afterburners in his Graveyard and add it to his hand. He activated it, but lost out when Rangel flipped Salamangreat Roar. Tran Link Summoned Hayate next and attacked directly; but Rangel flipped Circle to add Gazelle to his hand. Shizuku was dropping Hayate’s ATK down to 900, so Rangel dropped to 6000 Life Points from the attack. Tran Link Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Kaina and used its effect to stop Sunlight Wolf from attacking on the following turn, and then Tran Link Summoned Shizuku. He tried to use its effect, but lost out to Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring in the End Phase.
Rangel Summoned Gazelle and used its effect to send Spinny from his Deck to his Graveyard. He then sent Gazelle and Sunlight Wolf to the Graveyard to Link Summon Heatleo and used its effect to return a face-down card on Tran’s field to his Deck. Next, he Special Summoned Spinny from his Graveyard. Borreload attacked Shizuku, allowing Rangel to take control of it, and then direct attacks from Shizuku, Heatleo, and Spinny wiped out the rest of Tran’s Life Points!
Daniel Rangel is moving on to the Top 16 with Salamangreats!