We’re in the second to last Round of the day, and for this Feature Match we’ve got a really cool surprise! Jim Mayorga is 6-1 using Bystial Crimson King. That’s right, Jack Atlas’s strategy itself, straight from Structure Deck: The Crimson King, combined with Bystial monsters!

His opponent is Mingrui Cai, also 6-1 playing Tearlaments, boosted with the powerful Horus cards from Age of Overlord. Both strategies have been flying under the radar, but both are seeing incredible success today, so this one should be interesting. It’s time to Duel!

Mayorga started the first Duel with a hand of The Bystial Lubellion, Crimson Gaia, Soul Resonator, and 2 copies of Bone Archfiend. He started by discarding Lubellion to search Bystial Magnamhut. Then he Normal Summoned Soul Resonator, activating its effect to add Vision Resonator to his hand. He activated Bone Archfiend, discarding the other copy to Special Summon it. He used Bone Archfiend to send Crimson Resonator to decrease Soul Resonator’s Level by 1. Mayorga Synchro Summoned Red Rising Dragon and used its effect to Special Summon Crimson Resonator. 

On its summon, Crimson Resonator Special Summoned 2 Synkron Resonators from Mayorga’s Deck. He used Crimson Resonator and Red Rising Dragon to Synchro Summon Scarred Dragon Archfiend. Since he had a Level 5 or higher DARK monster on the field, Mayorga Special Summoned Vision Resonator from his hand. He Synchro Summoned his Scarred Dragon Archfiend with the Vision Resonator for Bystial Dis Pater, and Summoned the classic Red Dragon Archfiend from his Extra Deck, while Vision Resonator added Red Zone to his hand from his Deck.

Mayorga Synchro Summoned Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss with Synrkon Resonator and Red Dragon Archfiend, then added Vision Resonator with the effect of Synkron Resonator. He activated Crimson Gaia to fetch Soul Resonator, then banished Scarred Dragon Archfiend to Summon Bystial Magnamhut, activating its effect to add a Dragon to hand in the End Phase. He Special Summoned Scarred Dragon Archfiend from his banish zone with Dis Pater, then Tributed Magnamhut to Special Summon The Bystial Lubellion, which he activated to place Branded Beast on the field. He Set 1 card and passed play after getting Bystial Druiswurm with the effect of Magnamhut.

Cai looked at the field and conceded, knowing he couldn’t overcome the huge combo that Mayorga pulled off!

Cai started Duel 2 by Normal Summoning Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous, and Fusion Summoning Granguignol the Dusk Dragon using Cartesia and his in-hand Shaddoll Beast! Granguignol sent El Shaddoll Apkallone to the Graveyard from the Extra Deck. When he activated El Shaddoll Apkallone’s effect, Mayorga countered with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Cai continued, activating Danger!? Tsuchinoko? He discarded his own Ash Blossom to Special Summon and draw a card.

Cai discarded Imsety, Glory of Horus to search King’s Sarcophagus, then drew a card. He activated the Sarcophagus, and in response Mayorga activated Bystial Magnamhut’s effect to banish Cai’s Imsety and add a Dragon to his hand in the End Phase. Cai discarded Tearlaments Sulliek to send Hapi, Guidance of Horus to the Graveyard from his Deck, then he Special Summoned it, and used it along with Granguignol to Xyz Summon The Zombie Vampire. That sent Shaddoll Schism, Helshaddoll Hollow, Tearlaments Merrli and Shaddoll Falco to the Graveyard, Cai Special Summoned Mayorga’s Crimson Resonator.

In the next Chain Cai used Merrli as Chain Link 1, and Hollow as Chain Link 2 to send Blazing Cartesia to the Graveyard. Merrli was sent back alongside Hollow to Fusion Summon El Shaddoll Winda. Winda, Tsuchinoko, and Crimson Resonator were used to Synchro Summon Baronne de Fleur, and Cai’s Winda added Shaddoll Schism back to his hand from the Graveyard. He wasn’t done yet: he Special Summoned Tearlaments Kashtira from his hand by banishing Tearlaments Sulliek from his Graveyard. Kashtira sent 3 cards to the Graveyard, including Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard!

Both Players sent 5 cards to the Grveyard, and Cai hit another copy of Tearlaments Kashtira, which sent 2 more cards to his Graveyard. He Special Summoned back Imsety, then used The Zombie Vampire and Tearlaments Kashtria to Link Summon S:P Little Knight, which banished Mayorga’s Bystial Magnamhut from earlier. He set one card, added back Blazing Cartesia from his Graveyard to his hand with its effect, and Mayorga added The Bystial Lubellion to his hand. Mayorga was up.

His hand was Foolish Burial, Foridden Droplet, Soul Resonator, The Bystial Lubellion, and Bone Archfiend. He discarded Lubellion, adding Bystial Druiswurm to his hand, then after some consideration, he activated Bystial Druswurm, targeting Granguignol the Dusk Dragon, and Cai Chained Keldo the Sacred Protector to return Granguignol, Winda, and The Bystial Lubellion to the Decks. Mayorga Normal Summoned Soul Resonator and added Vision Resonator to his hand with its effect. Because Cai had Imsety, Glory of Horus on the field, Mayorga could Special Summon Vision Resonator from his hand! He activated Bone Archfiend, discarded Foolish Burial and Cai chained Shaddoll Schism, banishing Danger!? Tsuchinoko? and Shaddoll Beast to Fusion Summon El Shaddoll Winda.

Mayorga activated Forbidden Droplet, sending his last in-hand card and Vision Resonator from the field to negate Cai’s Baronne de Fleur and El Shaddoll Winda. He searched Crimson Gaia with Vision Resonator, and Synchro Summoned Kuribelt the Blade Dragon with his Soul Resonator and Bone Archfiend. But that was when he realized he couldn’t break the set-up Cai had created and conceded the game.

Cai answered Mayorga’s impressive combo with one of his own, and we’re on to a third Duel! The winner of this last game would be in an excellent position to make Day 2, while the loser will have to fight hard to continue their run in the tournament.

Mayorga started off the final Duel of the Match with Soul Resonator, 2 copies of Crimson Gaia, and 2 copies of Resonator Call. He activated Resonator Call to get Crimson Resonator from his Deck. Then, he activated his second Resonator Call, adding Synkron Resonator to his hand as well. He activated the Resonator’s effect, Special Summoned it from his hand, then Normal Summoned Soul Resonator to get Bone Archfiend. That let him discard Crimson Gaia to try and Special Summon it, but it was met by Cai’s Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard, returning the Bone Archfiend to Mayorga’s hand. He continued, using Crimson Gaia to search Red Zone to finish his turn.

Cai activated Foolish Burial, sending Agido the Ancient Sentinel to the Graveyard to sending 5 more cards from both Decks: he hit Tearlaments Kashtira, Helshaddoll Hollow, and Tearlaments Reinoheart from his Deck. He sent Tearlametns Sulliek and Shaddoll Beast to the Graveyard with his effects, then took his additional cards. He activated Tearlaments Havnis Imsety, Glory of Horus by discarding Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous adding King’s Sarcophagus and drawing a card.

Tearlaments Scheiren let him discard Tearlaments Havnis to send 3 cards to his Graveyard. Cai returned Havnis to the Deck with Blazing Cartestia and Fusion Summoned Granguignol the Dusk Dragon, which he used to send El Shaddoll Apkallone to the Graveyard. Apkallone searched Cai’s Shaddoll Schism, and he discarded Danger!? Tsuchinoko? to Special Summon it. He finally activated King’s Sarcophagus, and discarded Evenly Matched to send Hapi, Guidance of Horus to the Graveyard. He Xyz Summoned Time Thief Redoer with Kelbek and Scheiren, then Special Summoned Imsety which prompted Mayorga to concede!

MIngrui Cai outgrinds Mayogra’s Resonator Bystial Deck, and emerges victorious with a 7-1 record, in great shape to make Day 2 tomorrow!