David Mendoza is one of two competitors to make it to the Top 32 with a Gren Maju Da Eiza Deck.  His build relies heavily on a Danger backbone including Danger! Response Team and Danger! Zone, and we haven’t seen it in action in a Feature Match yet this weekend.  His opponent is Luis Christian Villalpando Chavez piloting Sky Strikers.

No matter who wins, this Feature Match feels emblematic of this point in Dueling history: one of the rogue-y-est rogue decks imaginable is going up against a modern classic.  Will innovation win out, or is the long-perfected Sky Striker strategy just too inevitable?

Villalpando Chavez chose to go first, opening the Match with Upstart Goblin and Setting three cards to his back row.  No Sky Strikers in sight.

Mendoza had a hand of Danger! Response Team, Danger! Bigfoot!, Danger! Thunderbird!, Danger!? Jackalope?, Pot of Desires and Super Polymerization.  He activated Bigfoot’s effect and discarded Pot of Desires, Special Summoning Bigfoot to draw Danger! Nessie!.  He used Thunderbird next, discarding Jackalope. He Special Summoned the Thunderbird,  drew Gren Maju Da Eiza and activated the effect of Jackalope to search his Deck for Danger! Ogopogo! and Special Summon it.

“Battle Phase.”  Mendoza attacked with Thunderbird for 2800 Battle Damage, then Bigfoot for another 3000.

This was happening.

He then activated Super Polymerization, discarding Nessie! Villalpando Chavez had no response, Mendoza made Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, activated the effect of Nessie to search his Deck for Chupacabra and the Dragon struck for game!

[T3

Some sort of dead draw disaster drops on Luis Christian Villalpando Chavez’s side of the table, leaving him wide open to a quick clash of cryptids!  David Mendoza captures the first Duel in mere moments, one win away from the Top 16.  Villalpando Chavez was suddenly struggling to keep his Top Cut dreams alive.  He opted to let Mendoza play first in the second Duel.

Mendoza had Card Destruction, Shared Ride, Danger! Chupacabra! And two copies of Pot of Desires.  He played Desires to banish ten cards and draw two, getting his third Pot of Desires and Danger!? Tsuchinoko?.  He Set Shared Ride.

Villalpando Chavez was up! He started with Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! and Mendoza fired back with Shared Ride. Villalpando Chavez responded with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and resolved his Engage to search Sky Striker Ace – Raye. He Normal Summoned it, attacked, and then deked her out for Sky Striker Ace – Hayate.  Villalpando Chavez made another attack, used Hayate’s effect to search his Deck for Sky Striker Mecha – Shark Cannon sending it to his Graveyard, then Linked Hayata out in Main Phase 2 for Sky Striker Ace – Kagari to get back his Engage.  Foolish Burial Goods let him load Sky Striker Maneuver – Jamming Waves! To his Graveyard and the Engage got him Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole, drawing him a card as well.

Villalpando Chavez continued, activating Multirole and Setting Metalfoes Fusion so he could send it to the Graveyard, then drew with Metalfoes Fusion.  He Link Summoned Shizuku, Set one to his backrow and ended, getting Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor and Setting it.

Mendoza drew Hey, Trunade! and activated Pot of Desires, banishing ten cards to draw Tsuchinoko and Danger! Zone.  “Ah, you have Gren Maju,” remarked Villalpando Chavez, now understanding what he was up against.  Mendoza laughed and confirmed: “Sorry you didn’t see it in Game 1.”

He activated Hey, Trunade! and his opponent responded with Widow Anchor targeting his own Shizuku.  The Chain resolved backwards with Widow Anchor negating Shizuku just so Villalpando Chavez could get another counter on Multirole, and Hey! Trunade! returning the unknown face-down to Villalpando Chavez’s hand.  Widow Anchor was then banished since it was originally Set by Multirole.

Mendoza played on, activating Card Destruction to discard five cards including two copies of Tsuchinoko and a Chupacabra.  He drew Bigfoot, Thunderbird, Gren Maju, Nessie and another Hey! Trunade!. He built his Chain with Tsuchinoko Chain Link 1, and Chupacabra targeting Tsuchinoko to Special Summon both copies. He Normal Summoned Gren Maju, activated Bigfoot’s effect and discarded Bigfoot, activating its effect to destroy Multirole.  He played Thunderbird’s effect next, discarding Nessie and Special Summoning Thunderbird.  He drew a card, then got another Thunderbird with Nessie.  He had four cards left in his Deck.

Mendoza played Bigfoot’s effect, discarded Thunderbird and Special Summoned Bigfoot, drawing to three cards in Deck.  He overlaid Thunderbird and Bigfoot to Xyz Summon Number 68: Sanaphond the Sky Prison, activated its effect and Villalpando Chavez responded with Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, destroying it.  But the damage was already done: Sanaphond’s ability would keep Villalpando Chavez from Special Summoning from his Graveyard.

Mendoza attacked Shizuku with a Gren Maju packing 8000 ATK!  Villalpando Chavez couldn’t Special Summon and the two remaining attacks from the Tsuchinokos were enough to end it the Match!

David Mendoza makes quick work of his Top 32 Feature Match, breezing his way straight into the Top 16 with a stunning Danger Gren Maju Deck!