We’re in Round 10, the final Swiss round! This Round determines who makes it to the Top 32, as well as who they’ll face there. For this Feature Match, we have Abraham Rivera Cruz, from Puerto Rico, playing a Runick Deck Destruction strategy. His Deck is packed with floodgates to control the board while his Runick spells pick away at his opponent’s cards. He’s up against Anthony Vang, from Sacramento, CA, playing the ever-popular Tearlaments.

Duel 1

Vang won the die roll and chose to play first. He started with Instant Fusion, paying 1000 LP for Tearlaments Kitkallos. He activated its effect, adding Tearlaments Reinoheart to his hand. He activated Kitkallos’s other effect, swapping itself out for Tearlaments Merrli. With Both effects, he sent 8 cards to the Graveyard, including Tearlaments Havnis and Tearlaments Sulliek. With those, he added Tearlaments Scheiren to his hand, then fused Havnis with that Scheiren for Garura, Wings of Resonant Life. He Link Summoned Spright Elf, and drew a card with Garura. He Normal Summoned Reinoheart, which sent Scheiren from the Deck to the Graveyard, and he Fusion Summoned Tearlaments Rulkallos.

Rivera started with Terraforming for Runick Fountain. Next, he played One Day of Peace. Next was Pot of Duality, adding Rivalry of Warlords to his hand. He played Dimensional Fissure, and Vang flipped Tearlaments Cryme, sending Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard to the Graveyard. Each player sent 5 cards to the Graveyard via Kelbek. Vang sent Havnis with that, and Fusion Summoned Mudragon of the Swamp. Rivera played Fountain, then Messenger of Peace. He Set three more back row cards. At the end of the Main Phase, Vang’s Spright Elf Special Summoned Merrli, which sent 3 cards to the Graveyard. During the End Phase, Vang used Mudora the Sword Oracle from the Graveyard, returning three Runick spells to Rivera’s Deck.

Rivera flipped Rivalry of Warlords in Vang’s Draw Phase. Vang kept Rulkallos and Merrli on the field. Vang passed.

Rivera paid 100 LP to keep Messenger on the field. He passed.

Vang activated Scheiren in his hand, sending a card from his hand and three from his Deck, including Merrli and Agido the Ancient Sentinel. Each player sent 5 to the Graveyard, then Vang brought Kitkallos to the field. He activated its effect, and Rivera confirmed how many cards were left in Vang’s Deck – just eleven. Kitkallos resolved, adding a Tearlaments monster to his hand. He switched Merrli to Attack Position, and attacked directly.

Rivera paid again for Messenger of Peace. He simply moved to the End Phase.

Vang attacked with Merrli again.

Rivera paid for Messenger, and passed.

Vang attacked with Merrli, slowly chipping away at Rivera’s Life Points.

Rivera paid for Messenger. He activated Pot of Duality, taking There Can Be Only One. He Set it and passed. In the End Phase, Vang activated Keldo the Sacred Protector, returning Cryme and 2 copies of Primeval Planet Perlereino to his Deck.

Rivera flipped There Can Be Only One in the Draw Phase, forcing Vang to lose everything except Merrli. Vang played Primeval Planet Perlereino, declining to add a card to his hand with it. He activated Keldo in the Graveyard, shuffling Scheiren, Rulkallos, and Havnis back. He activated the effect of Perlereino, targeting There Can Be Only One. Rivera responded with Runick Freezing Curses to Special Summon Hugin the Runick Wings, and used Hugin to protect his Trap Card. Then his Fountain let him recycle a spell and draw a new card. Vang attacked with Merrli.

Rivera played Runick Slumber, targeting Merrli, and banishing three cards from Vang’s Deck. Fountain let him draw a new card. He Set a back row card. In the End Phase, Vang used Mudora’s effect to shuffle back Kitkallos, Scheiren, and Spright Elf. Perlereino triggered, finally destroying Messenger of Peace.

Vang attacked with Merrli once more. He then Tribute Set a monster.

Rivera played his third Pot of Duality, adding Runick Golden Droplet. He played Dimensional Fissure, then Golden Droplet. Fountain’s effect gave him a new card. He activated a new Messenger of Peace, and ended his turn. Vang only had 4 cards left in his Deck, and didn’t see a way through all of Rivera’s blockades. He conceded the first Duel.

The Duelist moved to their Side Decks. Rivera’s Deck Destruction strategy benefits here by being able to choose the best specific answers for Tearlaments, while Vang would need to bring in as many ways as possible to handle Rivera’s back row.

Duel 2

Vang started off this time with Merrli, sending Scheiren and Kelbek to the Graveyard. Each player sent 5 to the Graveyard, then Vang Fusion Summoned Kitkallos. He used its effect to get Reinoheart to his hand. He then used Kitkallos’s other effect, sending itself to the Graveyard to Special Summon Reinoheart. He sent 5 cards from the top of his Deck, including Tearlaments Scream and Keldo, then sent Havnis via Reinoheart. In a new Chain, he activated Havnis, Scream, and then Keldo to shuffle some of his cards back in. He added Tearlaments Cryme to the hand, then Fusion Summoned Garura. He used that with Merrli for Spright Elf, and drew a card with Garura. He Set four cards in his back row.

Rivera led with Runick Tip to search for Runick Fountain. He activated Fountain, then Runick Smiting Storm to Special Summon Hugin, and Vang responded with Spright Elf to Special Summon Diviner of the Herald. Rivera’s Fountain and Vang’s Diviner activated, and Vang responded with Tearlaments Heartbeat. It sent Kelbek to the Graveyard to shuffle away Fountain before it could resolve, and Diviner sent Keldo the Sacred Protector to the Graveyard. Kelbek had both players send 5 to the Graveyard, including Vang’s Agido the Ancient Sentinel to send even more cards. Among those was Scheiren, and he Fusion Summoned Tearlaments Kaleido-Heart. Kaleido-Heart shuffled away Hugin. Rivera played Runick Flashing Fire to bring another Hugin to the field, and Set two back row cards. In the End Phase, Vang used Mudora to shuffle Heartbeat and 2 Twin Twisters into his Deck. Then, he flipped Tearlaments Sulliek, sending Diviner to the Graveyard to negate Hugin.

Vang used Spright Elf to bring Diviner back again. He sent Diviner to destroy Hugin in battle, and Hugin’s effect returned itself to the Extra Deck. Vang then attacked directly with Spright Elf and Kaleido-Heart. Vang Normal Summoned Volcanic Scattershot. He used it with Diviner to play Spright Sprind. Scattershot’s effect dealt 500 damage, and Sprind sent Merrli. Kaleido-Heart targeted Rivera’s Set Rivalry of Warlords, and Rivera Chained it to try and clear some of Vang’s monsters first. Vang responded with Cryme to negate it, sending Havnis to the Graveyard. Merrli’s effect brought Kitkallos to the field. He activated Kitkallos and Havnis, bringing Mudragon of the Swamp to the field and adding Tearlaments Heartbeat to his hand.

Rivera played Pot of Duality, and Vang used Mudragon declaring DARK. Rivera added Card of Demise to his hand. He Set a back row card and activated Card of Demise to draw three. He looked at his fresh hand and knew there was no winning this one. He conceded with six minutes on the clock, hoping to get an edge going into this final Duel.

Duel 3

Rivera took the first turn this time, kicking things off with One Day of Peace to prevent all damage for a turn cycle. He played Runick Fountain, then Set two back row cards. He moved to the End Phase, and activated Runick Tip to Special Summon Munin the Runick Wings. He drew a card with Fountain, and gained 1000 Life Points with Munin.

Vang Special Summoned Keldo, sending Agido for the cost. Agido sent 5 cards from both Decks. He activated Kelbek from his hand, targeting Munin. Rivera responded with Munin’s effect, banishing it to negate and destroy Kelbek. Rivera then flipped Rivalry. Vang played Primeval Planet Perlereino, and Rivera flipped Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell! Vang was left with no way to deal any damage before the round ended!

Abraham Rivera Cruz is victorious with Runicks!