Sergio Villalobos from Torreon, Mexico is Dueling against Dallas, Texas’s Donnell Washington in our Round 8 Feature Match! Both Duelists currently have 5-2 records going into this final Swiss Round of the day, and they’re using completely different strategies. Villalobos is using a Stun Deck that makes it difficult for his opponent to use cards effectively, while Washington is using a Salamangreat Deck that performs lots of Link Summons. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Villalobos won the die roll and chose to go first. He opened up with Solemn Strike, Solemn Judgment, Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay, Pot of Desire, and Pot of Extravagance.

He activated Pot of Extravagance first, banishing 6 random cards from his Extra Deck face-down to draw Solemn Warning and Pot of Duality. Washington activated Droll & Lock Bird from his hand to stop Villalobos from drawing more cards. Villalobos Set 3 cards to his back row before passing his turn.

Washington tried to Normal Summon Flame Bufferlo but lost out to Villalobos’s Solemn Warning. Next, Washington activated Monster Reborn to try to Special Summon his Bufferlo back from the Graveyard, and Villalobos flipped Solemn Judgment and paid 3000 Life Points to negate it. Washington passed his turn with a clear field.

Villalobos drew Inspector Boarder. He activated Pot of Desires and banished the top 10 cards of his Deck face-down to draw Lightning Storm and Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo. He used Pot of Duality to add Pot of Extravagance from the top of his Deck to his hand next, and then Normal Summoned Inspector Boarder. He attacked directly with it and then passed his turn.

Washington sent D.D. Crow from his hand to his Graveyard to activate Cynet Mining and add Flame Bufferlo from his Deck to his hand. He Normal Summoned it and then sent it to the Graveyard to Link Summon Salamangreat Balelynx. He activated his Bufferlo’s effect, and Villalobos Chained Phantazmay from his hand. He Special Summoned the Phantazmay, drew Compulsory Evacuation Device and Thunder King Rai-Oh from his Deck, and returned a card from his hand to his Deck. Washington resolved the effect of his Bufferlo next. Washington followed up by activating Pot of Desires, banishing the top 10 cards of his Deck face-down to draw 2 cards. He activated Salamangreat Sanctuary next, and used it to Link Summon another Balelynx by sending his face-up Balelynx to the Graveyard.

Villalobos activated Pot of Extravagance to banish 6 cards from his Extra Deck face-down and draw 2 more cards. He Normal Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh, prompting Washington to concede.

An incredible opening hand full of draw power allows Villalobos to take a dominating victory in Duel 1! Washington chose to go first in Duel 2.

Duel Two

Washington started off Duel 2 by activating Salamangreat Circle to add Salamangreat Jaguar from his Deck to his hand.

He activated Cynet Mining by sending Salamangreat Foxy to the Graveyard and added Salamangreat Gazelle from his Deck to his hand. He Special Summoned Gazelle and used its effect to send Salamangreat Roar from his Deck to his Graveyard. Next, he Normal Summoned Flame Bufferlo and sent it to the Graveyard to Link Summon Salamangreat Balelynx. He activated the effects of Bufferlo and Balelynx to add Sanctuary to his hand and then discard Jack Jaguar to draw 2 cards. Next, he used Pot of Desires to banish the top 10 cards of his Deck face-down and draw 2 cards. Washington sent Gazelle to the Graveyard to Link Summon another Balelynx and then sent both copies of Balelynx to the Graveyard to Link Summon Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf. He then Special Summoned Jaguar from his Graveyard linked to his Wolf, and used Wolf’s effect to return Gazelle from his Graveyard to his hand. He Link Summoned Linguriboh by sending Jaguar to his Graveyard and then activated Sanctuary. He used Sanctuary to send Sunlight Wolf to the Graveyard and Link Summon another Sunlight Wolf and then Set Salamangreat Roar from his Graveyard with the Roar’s effect. He used Sunlight Wolf’s effect to return Salamangreat Circle from his Graveyard to his hand. Washington Set 3 more cards to his back row before ending his turn.

Villalobos opened up with Lightning Storm, 2 copies of Compulsory Evacuation Device, Gizmek Orochi, the Serpentron Sky Slasher, and 2 copies of Super Polymerization. He banished the top 8 cards of his Deck face-down to Special Summon Gizmek Orochi in Attack Position and then attacked Linguriboh. Washington flipped Salamangreat Circle to add Salamangreat Spinny from his Deck to his hand and then flipped Salamangreat Rage and sent Spinny from his hand to his Graveyard to destroy Gizmek Orochi. Washington then Special Summoned Gazelle from his hand linked to Sunlight Wolf and used the effects of Sunlight Wolf and Gazelle to send Will of the Salamangreat from his Deck to his Graveyard and add Salamangreat Foxy from his Graveyard to his hand. In Main Phase 2, Villalobos activated Lightning Storm, and Washington flipped Imperial Order to negate it! Villalobos conceded, pushing the Match to a third and final Duel of the day!

Villalobos chose to go first in Duel 3.

Duel Three

Villalobos opened up Duel 3 with Pot of Desires, Crackdown, Pot of Duality, Lightning Storm, and Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo. He activated Pot of Desires by banishing the top 10 cards of his Deck face-down, but lost out on its effect to Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Next, he activated Pot of Duality, revealing Starlight Road, Evenly Matched, and Nibiru, the Primal Being from the top of his Deck. He added Nibiru to his hand and shuffled the other 2 cards back into his Deck. He Normal Summoned Fossil Dyna next, and then Set Crackdown to his back row.

Washington activated Cynet Mining by sending Salamangreat Spinny from his hand to his Graveyard and added Lady Debug from his Deck to his hand. He then entered his Battle Phase and activated Evenly Matched at the end of the Battle Phase. Villalobos banished his Crackdown face-down and kept his Fossil Dyna. In Main Phase 2, Washington Normal Summoned Lady Debug and used its effect to add Salamangreat Gazelle from his Deck to his hand.

Villalobos drew Lightning Storm and Set it face-down. He switched Fossil Dyna into Defense Position and then passed his turn.

Washington Normal Summoned Flame Bufferlo and attacked Fossil Dyna with his Bufferlo to destroy it. Then, Lady Debug attacked directly. In Main Phase 2, Washington activated Salamangreat Circle to add Salamangreat Falco from his Deck to his hand. He sent Bufferlo to the Graveyard to Link Summon Linguriboh and then used Bufferlo’s effect to discard Falco and draw 2 cards. He Special Summoned Gazelle from his hand and used Falco’s effect to Set Circle from his Graveyard. He sent Salamangreat Mole from his Deck to his Graveyard with Gazelle’s effect. He activated Pot of Desires next, banishing the top 10 cards of his Deck face-down to draw 2 cards. He sent Gazelle to his Graveyard to Link Summon Balelynx next, and used Balelynx’s effect to add Sanctuary from his Deck to his hand. He Set another card to his back row and then sent Balelynx and Debug to the Graveyard to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix. He discarded Foxy from his hand to activate its effect and destroy Villalobos’s face-down Lightning Storm. At the end of his Main Phase, Villalobos activated the effect of Nibiru in his hand, giving Washington a Primal Being Token in exchange for all of his monsters, and allowing Villalobos to Special Summon the Nibiru. Washington then activated Will of the Salamangreat and used its effect to Special Summon Gazelle from his Graveyard. He Special Summoned Spinny from his Graveyard next, and then used Spinny to Link Summon Balelynx. He used Balelynx and Gazelle to Link Summon Sunlight Wolf next, and then discarded a card to Special Summon Foxy. He sent Foxy and Sunlight Wolf to the Graveyard to Link Summon another Sunlight Wolf and used its effect to return a card from his Graveyard to his hand.

Villalobos drew Solemn Strike and then entered his Battle Phase. He attacked the Token to destroy it with Nibiru, dropping Washington down to 7200 Life Points. Villalobos Set the Strike and the Lightning Storm before passing his turn. In his End Phase, Washington activated Salamangreat Circle and used its effect to add Jack Jaguar from his Deck to his hand.

Washington drew a card and then Normal Summoned Jack Jaguar linked to Sunlight Wolf. He used Sunlight Wolf’s effect to return Mole from his Graveyard to his hand and then sent his 2 monsters to the Graveyard to Link Summon Heatleo. He activated the effect, but Villalobos negated it with Solemn Strike. Washington kept his Heatleo on the field by banishing a Balelynx from the Graveyard to protect it. Washington activated Sanctuary next, and used it to Link Summon another Heatleo by using a Heatleo as a Link Material. Its effect returned Villalobos’s face-down Lightning Storm to the Deck. He then Special Summoned Jack Jaguar, discarded a Mole to Special Summon Foxy from his Graveyard, and discarded Spinny to increase Heatleo’s ATK to 2800. Next, he used Heatleo’s effect to make Nibiru’s ATK equal to 0 by targeting the Salamangreat Mole in his Graveyard. He then returned Foxy to his hand to Special Summon Falco from the Graveyard. Heatleo attacked and destroyed Nibiru, and then Jack Jaguar and Falco attacked directly, dropping Villalobos down to 700 Life Points. Washington used the effect of his Sanctuary during the Battle Phase to pay 1000 Life Points and gain 2300 Life Points by targeting his Heatleo. Washington Link Summoned Salamangreat Pyro Phoenix in Main Phase 2 and then passed his turn.

Villalobos drew Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay on his next turn and conceded with no cards he could use to survive the next turn.

Donnell Washington is moving onto Day 2 with a 6-2 record!