Carl Manigat from Long Island, New York is Dueling against Dominic Couch from Aurora, Illinois in this Top 8 Feature Match! Manigat is piloting a Salamangreat Deck, while Couch is using a Sky Striker Deck. These two Decks were the most represented Decks at the top tables throughout the tournament, and continued to be the most represented Decks in the top cut. Which Deck will prevail in this Feature Match? We’re about to find out. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Couch Set 2 cards to his back row and passed his turn.

Manigat opened up with Salamangreat Circle, 2 copies of Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion, Salamangreat Gazelle, and Infinite Impermanence. He drew Salamangreat Spinny and then activated Circle to add Salamangreat Foxy to his hand. He tried to Normal Summon it, but lost out when Couch flipped Solemn Warning and paid 2000 Life Points to negate its Summon. When it hit the Graveyard, Manigat Special Summoned Gazelle from his hand. He activated its effect, and Couch sent Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit from his hand to the Graveyard to destroy the Gazelle. Manigat sent Salamangreat Falco from his Deck to his Graveyard with Gazelle’s effect and used Falco’s effect to Set Circle from his Graveyard.

Couch activated Sky Striker Airspace – Area Zero and then Set a card to his back row. He destroyed his Set Sky Striker Mecha – Eagle Booster to add Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to his hand with Area Zero’s effect and then activated Engage to add Multirole to his hand. He activated it and used its effect to send Area Zero to the Graveyard. Manigat Chained Circle to add Gazelle to his hand. Couch Special Summoned Raye from his Deck with the effect of Area Zero and attacked directly with it. Then, he used its Quick Effect to Tribute it and Special Summon Hayate. He attacked with Hayate, sending Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor to his Graveyard, and then Link Summoned Kagari in Main Phase 2. He tried using its effect, but lost out to Ghost Belle. He Link Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku next, and then flipped Sky Striker Mecha – Shark Cannon to banish Foxy from Manigat’s Graveyard. In the End Phase, Couch Set Widow Anchor with Multirole’s effect. He tried to use Shizuku’s effect, but Manigat activated Infinite Impermanence from his hand to negate Shizuku’s effect.

Manigat drew Salamangreat Jack Jaguar and Normal Summoned it. Couch flipped Widow Anchor to negate its effect and take control of it. Manigat entered his End Phase. He took back control of Jack Jaguar and Couch Set Engage from his Graveyard with Multirole’s effect.

Couch sent his Shizuku to the Graveyard with Multirole and then used the effect of Ghost Reaper & Winter Cherries to banish all 3 copies of Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf from Manigat’s Extra Deck. Next, he used Engage to add a Raye to his hand and Summoned it. He sent it to the Graveyard to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Kagari and used Kagari’s effect to return Shark Cannon to his hand. He Link Summoned Hayate next, and attacked directly with Hayate to drop Manigat down to 3500 Life Points. Couch sent Widow Anchor from his Deck to his Graveyard with the effect of his Hayate. He Set a card to his back row and then Link Summoned Shizuku. He used Shizuku’s effect in the End Phase to add an Engage to his hand and Set Widow Anchor from his Graveyard with Multirole’s effect.

Manigat drew Salamangreat Roar and then sent Jack Jaguar to the Graveyard to Link Summon Salamangreat Balelynx. He used its effect to add Salamangreat Sanctuary from his Deck to his hand. Next, he Normal Summoned Gazelle and used its effect to send Salamangreat Foxy to the Graveyard. He discarded Spinny to Special Summon it and when Couch Chained Shark Cannon targeting Foxy, Manigat Chained Ghost Belle to negate it. Manigat Special Summoned Foxy and used its effect to destroy Multirole. Couch used the effect of another Ghost Reaper next, banishing Knightmare Phoenix from Manigat’s Extra Deck. Manigat Special Summoned Jack Jaguar from his Graveyard next, and then Special Summoned Spinny from his Graveyard. He then Special Summoned Falco from his Graveyard by returning Gazelle to his hand. Manigat combined Jack Jaguar with Falco next, and Xyz Summoned Abyss Dweller. Then, he combined Spinny and Foxy to Xyz Summon Salamangreat Miragestallio, and Couch flipped Widow Anchor to negate its effect and take control of it. Manigat activated the effect of Abyss Dweller by detaching Jack Jaguar and then Special Summoned a Gazelle from his hand. He then sent Balelynx and Dweller to the Graveyard to Link Summon Hiita the Fire Charmer, Ablaze and used Hiita’s effect to Special Summon Kagari to the field. He then sent Kagari and Hiita to the Graveyard to Link Summon Salamangreat Heatleo and activated Salamangreat Sanctuary. He sent Heatleo to the Graveyard to Link Summon another one by using the Sanctuary and then attacked over Shizuku to destroy it with Heatleo. Manigat Set Roar to his back row and then ended his turn, gaining back control of Miragestallio.

Couch activated Foolish Burial Goods to send Metalfoes Fusion to the Graveyard and shuffled the Metalfoes Fusion into his Deck to draw a card. He activated Engage next, and when Manigat flipped Salamangreat Roar, Couch immediately conceded!

Manigat fights through 2 copies of Ghost Reaper & Winter Cherries to win the first Duel of the Match!

Duel Two

Couch activated Foolish Burial Goods to send Metalfoes Fusion from his Deck to his Graveyard and then Normal Summoned Sky Striker Ace – Raye. He sent it to the Graveyard to Link Summon Sky Striker Ace – Shizuku and then Set 2 cards to his back row. In his Main Phase, Manigat used Effect Veiler to negate Shizuku’s effect. Couch then sent Shizuku to the Graveyard to Link Summon Hayate.

Manigat started off his turn with Salamangreat Sanctuary, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Twin Twisters, and Salamangreat Foxy in his hand. He drew Droll & Lock Bird.

He activated Twin Twisters to discard Sanctuary and clear Couch’s back row, and then Summoned Foxy, using its effect to add a Gazelle to his hand. He sent Foxy to the Graveyard to Link Summon Balelynx and Special Summoned Gazelle from his hand. He used Gazelle’s effect to send Spinny to his Graveyard and then combined Spinny with Gazelle to Xyz Summon Salamangreat Miragestallio. He used its effect to Special Summon Jack Jaguar from his Deck and Couch discarded Ghost Reaper & Winter Cherries to banish all 3 copies of Sunlight Wolf from Manigat’s Extra Deck. He sent Jack Jaguar and Balelynx to the Graveyard to Link Summon Hiita and attacked Hayate. Couch used Hayate’s effect to send Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! to the Graveyard and then Special Summoned Raye. He Tributed Raye to Special Summon Kagari, returning Engage to his hand with Kagari’s effect, and then Miragestallio attacked and destroyed Kagari.

Couch shuffled Metalfoes Fusion from his Graveyard into his Deck to draw a card and then Manigat sent Droll & Lock Bird from his hand to his Graveyard to activate its effect. Couch Chained Called by the Grave to banish the Droll & Lock Bird and negate it! Next, Couch activated Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!, but Manigat negated it with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! Couch Set the last card in his hand to his back row and then ended his turn.

Manigat drew Droll & Lock Bird and then detached a Spinny from Miragestallio to Special Summon Salamangreat Falco from his Deck. He sent Falco and Hiita to the Graveyard to Link Summon Heatleo and used the effects of Heatleo and Falco. He Set Sanctuary from his Graveyard and shuffled Couch’s face-down card into his Deck. Manigat Special Summoned Spinny from his Graveyard next and then Special Summoned Jack Jaguar. He flipped Sanctuary and then used Heatleo as a Link Material to Link Summon another Heatleo. Moments later, direct attacks from Heatleo, Spinny, Miragestallio, and Jack Jaguar wiped out all 7550 of Couch’s Life Points!

Carl Manigat is moving on to the Top 4!