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Top 8 Feature Match: Luke Parkes Versus Raymond Dai

September 11th, 2022

Luke Parkes is another of the UK cadre in attendance this weekend, traveling to Niagara Falls all the way from Sheffield England to pilot Danger Tearlaments, one of the biggest expected Decks for this tournament. Meanwhile his opponent is Raymond Dai, from Detroit, the last competitor in this tournament running Exosisters. We watched Ryan Yu’s Exosister build fall to Esala Wathuthantrige in our Top 32 Feature Match, but could Dai find more success here in the Top 8? 

Parkes opened the Match with Tearlaments Reinoheart, sending Tearlaments Merrli to the Graveyard to Fuse with Reinhart and make Tearlaments Kitkallos. That got him another Merrli, and he popped Kitkallos to Special Summon it, sending a total of eight cards from his Deck to his Graveyard. He made a Chain of the resulting effects that triggered off the sends: Tearlaments Scheiren wound up as Chain Link 1, Tearlaments Havnis became Chain Link 2, and Tearlaments Sulliek was Chain Link 3; Parkes got Reinoheart with Sulliek, then Fusion Summoned Predaplant Dragostapelia and Garura, Wings of Resonant Life. He Linked Merrli and Garura for Spright Elf, drew a card for Garura’s effect, Set two cards his to his back row and revealed Danger! Bigfoot! Its effect sent Havnis to the Graveyard, Parkes Special Summoned the Bigfoot, and he drew a card to finish his turn. 

Dai had a hand of Dark Ruler No MoreMystic Mine , Exosister MarthaExosister StellaExosister Elis, and Exosister Carpedivem. Dai started with Dark Ruler. He followed up with Carpedivem, and Parkes responded with Eradicator Epidemic Virus, Tributing his Bigfoot. Dai lost Carpedivem from the field and Mystic Mine from his hand. He Special Summoned Martha, used her to Special Summon Elis, then overlaid them to Xyz Summon Exosister Mikailis. He detached Elis to use Mikailis’s effect, searching his Deck for Exosister Returnia. He used the other effect to banish Parkes’s face-down Tearlaments Sulliek.

“Normal Summon Stella?” Parkes nodded. “Activate her effect. Special Summon Elis.” Dai overlaid the two new Exosisters for Exosister Kaspitell, searching another Martha from his Deck. He overlaid the two Xyz next, unleashing Exosisters Magnifica. He sent it to attack Spright Elf first, then used its second attack to take out Predaplant Dragostapelia. Dai Set Returnia to end. He was in a great position.

Parkes drew to four cards in hand. He activated Primeval Planet Perlereino, and Dai used both of Magnifica’s effects, banishing Primeval Planet and tagging into Mikailis. Parkes revealed Danger! Mothman! and Dai hit Reinoheart from his hand. Mothman was Special Summoned, but Parkes saw no way forward and conceded the first Duel.

Magnifica into Mikailis for the win!

Raymond Dai takes a quick Game 1, overcoming Eradicator Epidemic Virus to get Exosisters Manigificaon the field and secure the win! Parkes was extremely thorough, figuring out what to side for the matchup. It was handshakes and wishes of good luck all around, and then we were headed into Game 2.

Parkes opened with Reinoheart again, sending Merrli to the Graveyard as before. He made Kitkallos, used her effect to search another Merrli, and destroyed Kitkallos to Special Summon the Merrli. He sent eight cards to the graveyard total, including one unused Tearlaments monster, another Merrli, Gizmek Orochi, the Serpentron Sky Slasher and Fairy Tail – Snow

He Fusion Summoned Garura, Wings of Resonant Life, revealed Danger! Nessie! and lost Tearlaments Havnis. He Special Summoned Nessie, drew a card, Set one to his Spell and Trap Card Zone and revealed another Nessie, pitching Tearlaments Scheiren and drawing a card. Parkes used Scheiren to Fusion Summon Predaplant Dragostapelia, then Linked Merrli with Garura to draw a card and Summon Spright Elf. In the End Phase he Special Summoned Gizmek Orochi, the Serpentron Sky Slasher, banishing eight cards from his Deck. 

Dai had a hand of Ash Blossom & Joyous SpringDark Ruler No MoreHarpie’s Feather DusterExosister Vadis, and two copies of Pot of Prosperity. He activated Dark Ruler and played Prosperity, banishing six cards to reveal D.D. CrowRed Reboot, another Prosperity, Infinite Impermanence, and two copies of Exosister Pax.  He took a Pax, activated Harpie’s Feather Duster and Parkes Chained Deck Devastation Virus, Tributing the Gizmek Orochi: Dai lost his Ash Blossom and revealed his hand. He played Pax to seek out Exosister Martha and activated her effect to Special Summon her. Parkes responded by reviving Snow, at the cost of his on-field Spright Elf. Dai Special Summoned Elis with Martha, and Snow turned Martha face-down. Dai Set Prosperity and Vadis.

Parkes took a moment to read Elis, then Linked all four of his monsters for Topologic Zeroboros! He Special Summoned Scheiren to trigger Zeroboros’s effect, clearing the field and banishing all of Dai’s cards! Parkes Summoned Reinoheart, sent another Scheiren to the Graveyard, Fusion Summoned Tearlaments Kitkallos and searched his Deck for Merrli, sending her to the Graveyard to trigger her effect; he Fusion Summoned Mudragon of the Swamp. Reinoheart attacked, then Mudragon, and Kitkallos dropped Dai to 1500 Life Points. Parkes then Special Summoned back Gizmek Orochi for game!

All these monsters turned into Zeroboros, and then the Duel was over

Luke Parkes sets up huge, finding hit after hit on his first Merrli and Kitkallos! Raymond Dai can’t close out the game fast enough, and Parkes follows up with Topologic Zeroboros to press his advantage, winning in short order. One more Duel would decide which of these competitors was going to the Top 4, and which was going home.

Dai started the final Duel with a hand of Exosister ElisPot of ProsperityInfinite Impermanence, and two copies of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. He played Prosperity to banish six cards and revealed six more from the top of his Deck: Exosister Returnia, two copies of Exosister Sophia, and three copies of Solemn Judgment! He took a Sophia, Normal Summoned her, Special Summoned Elis and overlaid for Exosister Kaspitell, using her effect ASAP to search his Deck for Exosister Martha. Dai Special Summoned Martha next, Summoned Elis, and overlaid to Xyz Summon Exosister Mikailis. That let him search Exosister Returnia. He overlaid both Xyz for Exosisters Magnifica, Set Returnia and Impermanence and passed.

Play was to Parkes. He Normal Summoned Fairy Tail – Snow to target Magnifica, but Dai Chained Impermanence to turn it face-down; Parkes lost his effect. Parkes Chained Super Polymerization, pitched Danger! Mothman! and Snow, and brought out Mudragon of the Swamp. Parkes activated Primeval Planet to search Reinoheart, and when he tried to Special Summon Scheiren, he lost the effect to Dai’s Ash Blossom. The Scheiren remained in his hand, leaving Parks to attack and end his turn.

Dai ripped Exosister Pax! He activated it to search Exosister Martha, Special Summoned her, and followed up Summoning Elis. He Xyz Summoned Exosister Mikailis, detached Martha, searched his Deck for Exosister Vadis and entered battle to run over Mudragon. Still in battle, Dai used the other effect of Mikailis to banish Snow! He Set Vadis and passed.

Parkes drew to four cards and shuffled his hand a bit, figuring out his turn. He spent some time reading Mikailis, then tried to Special Summon Scheiren again, and got stuffed by Dai’s second Ash Blossom. Dai still had Returnia and Vadis set. Parkes Summoned Reinoheart to send Havnis to his Graveyard, Dai flipped Returnia, and he banished Havnis on the Chain to stop her effect from resolving! Parkes passed.

Dai drew Pot of Prosperity! He detached from Mikailis to search Exosister Carpedivem, flipped Vadis, and Special Summoned Sophia and Irene! He used Sophia’s effect to draw a card and gain 800 LP, then played Carpedivem, overlaid for Exosister Kaspitell, and chained Carpedivem’s effect to Kaspitell’s. He declared Nibiru to fend it off and searched Martha. He Xyz Summoned Magnifica, entered battle, attacked Reinhart, and made a direct attack for 2800 damage. Parkes was down to 4300 Life Points. Dai Normal Summoned Martha to end.

Play was back to Parkes. He took another moment to read Magnifica again, then revealed Danger!? Tsuchinoko? to discard Tearlaments Merrli, Special Summoning Danger!? Tsuchinoko? and drawing. He used Merrli’s effect to Fusion Summon with Reinoheart, Merrli, and Nessie from hand, bringing out Tearlaments Kaleido-Heart. He made Kaleido-Heart’s effect Chain Link 1 to target Carpedivem, while Primeval Planet was Chain Link 2 targeting Magnifica. Dai activated Magnifica’s free effect as Chain Link 3, then detached from Magnifica for its other effect as Chain Link 4. The result? Kaleido-Heart was banished and Carpedivem was destroyed; Magnifica tagged out into Exosister Mikailis

The Xyz so nice, Dai Summoned it twice

Parkes Normal Summoned Tearlaments Scheiren, attacked Martha, and Mikailis banished it. Parkes passed.

Dai drew and detached Magnifica from Mikailis to search his Deck for Pax. He played it, went back into his Deck and came out with Elis, Special Summoning her. He overlaid her with Martha, made another Mikailis, banished Parkes’s last monster and it was all over! 

A back-and-forth Duel sees Raymond Dai close in on his opponent with double Exosister Mikailis, and Luke Parkes offers the handshake. Exosister’s going to the Top 4!