Top 8 Feature Match: Juan Carlos Panales Cortes vs. Edwin Azuma Monreal Araiza
Welcome to the Top 8! Just three Rounds left before we have a new YCS Champion! Juan Carlos Panales Cortes from Aguas Calientes finished Swiss in 16th place as the only Infernoid player in the Top 32. He’s taking on Edwin Azuma Monreal Araiza from San Luiz Potosi who finished 25th after Swiss and his Salamangreat Deck. Panales Cortes may have the advantage as Infernoids can clear the opponent’s Graveyard which happens to be valuable resource for Salamangreat players. Only one of these talented Duelists will move on to the Top 4. It’s time to Duel!
Duel 1
Monreal Araiza started with Salamangreat Circle to add Salamangreat Gazelle from his Deck to his hand. He activated Cynet Mining, discarding Salamangreat Foxy to add Flame Bufferlo from his Deck to his hand. Monreal Araiza Normal Summoned Flame Bufferlo and sent it to Link Summon Salamangreat Baelynx. Flame Bufferlo and Baelynx’s effect went on a Chain; Salamangreat Sanctuary went to Monreal Araiza’s hand and Monreal Araiza discarded Salamangreat Spinny to draw 2 cards. Gazelle’s effect was next, and it came to the field and Monreal Araiza sent Salamangreat Roar from the Deck to the Graveyard with Gazelle’s other effect. Spinny hopped out of the Graveyard and the two monsters turned into Salamangreat Miragestallio. Its effect Special Summoned Salamangreat Jack Jaguar from the Deck, then it and Salamangreat Baelynx turned into Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf. The combo continued until the field looked like this.
Panales Cortes drew Infinite Impermanence to add to his hand of Inferoid Seitsemas, Void Imagination , Evenly Matched, Called by the Grave and Pot of Extravagance. He activated Pot of Extravagance, banishing 6 cards form the Extra Deck. Monreal Araiza chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and Panales Cortes chained Called by the Grave. Monreal Araiza considered Salamangreat Roar which he activated. Having baited out the Roar, Panales Cortes went into the Battle Phase and activated Evenly Matched! Monreal Araiza chose to keep Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf. In the next Chain, Monreal Araiza activated Gazelle from his hand since the Spinny under Salamangreat Miragestallio went to the Graveyard. And because Gazelle was Special Summoned behind Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf, Monreal Araiza used Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf’s effect to add Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring back to his hand, while Gazelle’s effect sent Falco from the Deck to the Graveyard and Falco’s effect Set Salamangreat Roar form the Graveyard. Not a bad recovery from Evenly Matched! Panales Cortes activated Void Imagination, sending six Infernoid monsters from the Deck to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon Infernoid Tierra! Tierra’s effect forced each player to send 3 Extra Deck monsters to his Graveyard. Panales Cortes used the effects of 2 of the Elder Entity N’tss’s he sent to his GY to destroy Monreal Araiza’s Salamangreat Roar and his own Tierra. Panales Cortes banished 2 copies of Tierra to Special Summon Inferoid Seitsemas, then banished 3 more Infernoids to Special Summon Infernoid Devyaty from the Graveyard. Panales Cortes Set a card to the back and passed.
Monreal Araiza used Salamangreat Falco’s effect from the Graveyard targeting Gazelle. Panales Cortes Chained Infernoid Devyaty’s effect Tributing Inferoid Seitsemas to negate and banish Falco. Monreal Araiza activated Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf and Panales Cortes negated it with Devyaty Tributing itself (Devyaty is once per turn effect, but no one noticed the error and play continued). Spinny hopped out of the Graveyard. Gazelle went to the Graveyard to Link Summon Salamangreat Baelynx. Monreal Araiza Normal Summoned Flame Bufferlo then used it and Spinny to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix. Its effect let Monreal Araiza discard Super Polymerization and Panales Cortes Chained the target, Infinite Impermanence. Monreal Araiza attacked with both monsters, leaving Panales Cortes at 5600 LP.
Panales Cortes drew to 3 in hand. He banished Infernoid Devyaty and Infernoid Sjette to Special Summon Inferoid Seitsemas from the Graveyard.
Panales Cortes’s turn progressed quickly, including an attack with Inferoid Seitsemas on Salamangreat Baelynx.
Monreal Araiza Normal Summoned Lady Debug. He used its effect to add Salamangreat Fowl but he had no other plays and opted to scoop.
Duel 2
Monreal Araiza elected to go first. He activated Cynet Mining, discarding Salamangreat Jack Jaguar to add Salamangreat Gazelle from his Deck to his hand. Gazelle was Special Summoned and its effect sent Salamangreat Spinny from the Deck to the Graveyard. Spinny’s effect let it hop out of the Graveyard then both monsters turned into Salamangreat Miragestallio. Its effect Special Summoned Salamangreat Foxy from the Deck. Salamangreat Miragestallio and Foxy turned into Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf. Salamangreat Jack Jaguar’s Graveyard effect put Salamangreat Miragestallio back into the Extra Deck from the Graveyard to Special Summon Jack Jaguar from the Graveyard. Monreal Araiza tried to use Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf’s effect but Panales Cortes negated it with Infinite Impermanence. Salamangreat Jack Jaguar turned into Salamangreat Baelynx whose effect added Salamangreat Sanctuary. Both Link Monsters turned into a Reincarnation Link Summoned Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf. Monreal Araiza Set a card to the back and passed.
Panales Cortes Normal Summoned Infernoid Decatron. He activated its effect sending Infernoid Patrulea from the Deck to the Graveyard to have Decatron gain Patrulea’s Level and copy Patrulea’s effect. The copied effect popped Monreal Araiza’s Set Twin Twisters. Monreal Araiza then activated Void Vanishment, discarding Infernoid Devyaty to add Void Imagination from his Deck to his hand which he activated to Fusion Summon Infernoid Tierra, sending materials from the Deck to the Graveyard! Tierra’s effect sent 3 Extra Deck monsters from each players Extra Deck to the Graveyard. Panales Cortes sent one copy of Elder Entity N’tss and tried to destroy Monreal Araiza’s Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf but Monreal Araiza protected it by banishing Salamangreat Baelynx form the Graveyard. Panales Cortes sent Tierra and Decatron to the Graveyard to Link Summon Hiita the Fire Charmer, Ablaze and Monreal Araiza Summoned Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay! Hiita the Fire Charmer, Ablaze’s effect Special Summoned Monreal Araiza’s Salamangreat Foxy from the Graveyard. Both monsters were sent to Link Summon Crusadia Equimax. Inferoid Seitsemas came out of the Graveyard banishing 2 Infernoids. Then Infernoid Devyaty followed right behind it. In the Battle Phase, Monreal Araiza didn’t have an answer to the onslaught that would ensure and he extended the handshake!
Juan Carlos Panales Cortes moves on to the Top 4 with Infernoid!