World Qualifying Points Playoff Top 16 Feature Match: Logan Johnson vs. Shunping Xu
Logan Johnson and Shunping Xu are two players that have been competing for several years. Each of these Duelists has multiple event tops under their belts, but only one will be able to move onto the Top 4 here for the chance to play in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME World Championship later this year! It’s time to Duel!
Duel One
Johnson won the dice roll and chose to go first! His opening hand consisted of Triple Tactics Talent, One for One, Dark Beckoning Beast, Spirit of Yubel, and Yubel. Johnson started by activating One for One by discarding Yubel from his hand, but Xu responded with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Johnson then activated Talent, looking at Xu’s hand. Xu’s hand contained two different possible hand disruptions, Nibiru the Primal Being and Droll & Lock Bird. Johnson chose to put Xu’s Nibiru back into the Deck, and then Fusion Summoned Phantom of Yubel by shuffling Yubel and Spirit of Yubel back to the Deck.
Johnson then Normal Summoned Beast, searching for Opening of the Spirit Gates, then activated Opening to search for Chaos Summoning Beast. He used his additional Normal Summon to Summon Chaos, then used the two Beasts to Link Summon Moon of the Closed Heaven. He used Moon to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem, then used Requiem to Special Summon Engraver from the Deck. Next, Johnson used Engraver and Phantom to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Sequence, used Sequence to shuffle back Moon and Requiem to Fusion Summon Fiendsmith Lacrima, and used Lacrima to Special Summon Engraver. Johnson used Engraver and Requiem to make S:P Little Knight, banishing Xu’s Ash Blossom from the Graveyard. Finally, Johnson used Engraver’s effect in the Graveyard, putting back Sequence, to Special Summon it, and used Lacrimosa and Engraver to Xyz Summon D/D/D Wave High King Caesar!
Xu started by activating the effect of Fiendsmith Engraver, discarding it to add Fiendsmith’s Tract to his hand. He then activated Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye, placing Snake-Eyes Poplar to his Spell/Trap Zone. Next, Xu activated Tract, searching for Fabled Lurrie and then discarding Mudora the Sword Oracle. Xu Normal Summoned Fabled Lurrie, and used it as Link Material to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem. He then activated the effect of the Engraver in his Graveyard, sending Lurrie back to the Deck, but Johnson responded with his Caesar’s effect to negate it. Xu activated Requiem’s effect, but Johnson negated that with Caesar, too! Xu then ended his turn.
Johnson started his turn by drawing Terraforming, and activated it to search for Nightmare Throne. Upon resolution, Xu activated Droll & Lock Bird, preventing both players from adding cards from Deck to hand for the rest of the turn. Johnson then activated Throne, destroying Spirit of Yubel from his deck and Special Summoning Yubel. This allowed Xu to activate the effect of his Temple, Special Summoning Snake-Eyes Poplar from his Spell/Trap Zone, though he wasn’t able to search due to his own Droll & Lock Bird. He activated the effect of the Mudora in his Graveyard, shuffling Johnson’s Engraver, Spirit, and Beast into the Deck. Johnson then used Yubel and S:P to Link Summon Moon of the Closed Heaven, then Link Summoned Fiendsmith’s Requiem, and Tributed Requiem to Special Summon Engraver. He used Yubel and Chaos to make Phantom of Yubel. Then he used Requiem’s effect to equip itself to a monster, then sent it to the Graveyard to send Poplar to the Graveyard! Johnson used Engraver and Phantom to Link Summon Sequence, Special Summoned Engraver out of the Graveyard, and used Sequence to Special Summon Fiendsmith Lacrima. With several big monsters out on the field, Johnson entered the Battle Phase and won the first Duel!
Duel Two
Xu chose to go first, and started by activating the effect of Fiendsmith Engraver, discarding it to search for Fiendsmith’s Tract. He Normal Summoned Snake-Eye Ash, searching for Snake-Eyes Poplar, and used Poplar’s effect to Special Summon it and search for Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye. He then activated Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye, placing Snake-Eyes Diabellstar to his Spell/Trap Zone. He then activated Ash’s other effect, sending it and Diabellstar to the Graveyard to Special Summon Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon from the Deck! Xu then activated Tract, searching for another Engraver and then discarding Fabled Lurrie from his hand, and then used Lurrie’s effect to Special Summon it. He then used it as Link Material to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem, and used Requiem’s effect to Special Summon an Engraver from the deck. He used Engraver and Poplar to make Fiendsmith’s Sequence, then activated Poplar’s effect to place Snake-Eyes Diabellstar to the Spell/Trap Zone. He then activated the effect of Sequence, putting Requiem, Engraver, and Lurrie back to the Deck to Fusion Summon Fiendsmith Desirae!
Xu then banished Tract from his Graveyard, Fusing an Engraver from hand and his Sequence to Fusion Summon Fiendsmith Lacrima, then used Lacrima to Special Summon Engraver. He used Engraver and Lacrima to then Xyz Summon Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal. He then equipped Sequence to Desirae, then used Beatrice to send Mudora the Sword Oracle to the Graveyard. He used Beatrice and Flamberge Dragon to make I:P Masquerena, using Lacrimosa to put back Engraver and inflict 1200 points of damage to Johnson’s Life Points while Special Summoning back Poplar and Ash. He used I:P and Poplar to Link Summon Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames, used Princess to revive Flamberge Dragon, then used Desirae to negate the effect of Princess. Since Xu was no longer locked into only Special Summoning Fire monsters, he used Princess and Ash to Link Summon Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess. He activated Flamberge’s effect to place I:P to the Spell/Trap Zone, but Johnson responded with Infinite Impermanence. Xu then used Snake-Eyes Diabellstar, placing Poplar in the Spell/Trap Zone, then activated Original, sending Poplar to the Graveyard to Special Summon Snake-Eye Oak, who he used to Special Summon back Ash. Finally, he used Ash and Oak to Link Summon S:P Little Knight, Set a card to his backrow, and ended his turn.
Johnson started with two copies of Fiendsmith Engraver, Infinite Impermanence, and Rivalry of Warlords in his hand, and drew Forbidden Droplet for turn. He Set three cards to his backrow and ended his turn.
Xu drew, and in the Draw Phase, Johnson activated Rivalry of Warlords! Xu had to send monsters from his field to the Graveyard so that he only controls monsters of one type. Xu attempted to respond with Fiendsmith Desirae’s effect, but Johnson responded with Forbidden Droplet, sending Engraver from his hand to the Graveyard to negate Desirae’s effect. Xu sent S:P, Apollousa, and Desirae to the Graveyard, leaving him with only Flamberge Dragon on the field. However, Xu then used Desirae’s effect to return Sequence to the Extra Deck in order to destroy Johnson’s Rivalry. Xu then Normal Summoned Snake-Eye Ash, searched for and Special Summoned Poplar, then used Flamberge’s effect to place I:P Masquerena to the Spell/Trap Zone. He activated the effect of his Engraver, returning Lacrima to the Extra Deck. With a field full of monsters, Xu entered the Battle Phase and Johnson conceded. We’re onto the all important game three!
Duel Three
Johnson’s opening hand consisted of Nightmare Throne, Triple Tactics Talent, Opening of the Spirit Gates, Spirit of Yubel, and Forbidden Droplet. Johnson started by activating Nightmare Throne, destroying a Spirit of Yubel from his Deck, then using Spirit of Yubel’s effect to Special Summon Yubel from his Deck. He then used Yubel and Spirit of Yubel to Fusion Summon Phantom of Yubel! Next, Johnson activated Opening of the Spirit Gates, searching for Dark Beckoning Beast. He then Normal Summoned Beckoning Beast, and used its effect to add Chaos Summoning Beast to his hand, then Normal Summoned Chaos, and used Dark Beckoning and Chaos Summoning to Link Summon Moon of the Closed Sky. He used Moon to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem, then Requiem’s effect to tribute it and Special Summon Fiendsmith Engraver from the Deck. Johnson activated Opening of the Spirit Gates, discarding to Special Summon Spirit of Yubel, then Spirit of Yubel to Set a Nightmare Pain from the Deck. He then activated the Nightmare Pain, destroying a Spirit of Yubel to search for Gruesome Grave Squirmer. He used Spirit of Yubel to Special Summon Yubel, as well as Nightmare Throne to search for and Special Summon Yubel – Terror Incarnate. He used Terror Incarnate and Engraver to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Sequence, then shuffled back Terror Incarnate and Beckoning Beast to Summon another Phantom of Yubel.
Next, Johnson Special Summoned Gruesome Grave Squirmer, destroying Yubel, then used Yubel to Special Summon back Terror Incarnate. He used Gruesome and Terror Incarnate to Link Summon Unchained Soul Lord of Yama and search for Unchained Soul of Sharvara. He then activated Sequence’s effect, putting back Moon and Requiem to Fusion Summon Lacrima, then added Engraver back to hand. He activated Engraver to search for Fiendsmith’s Tract, then activated Tract to search for Fabled Lurrie and discard it, then Special Summon it to his field. He used Lacrima and Lurrie to Link Summon Moon of the Closed Sky, then used Lacrima to return Lurrie to the Deck and inflict 1200 damage to Xu’s Life Points! Johnson used Phantom and Yama to Link Summon Unchained Soul of Rage, used Engraver to put back Lacrima and Special Summon it, then banished Tract to fuse Sequence, Moon, and Engraver into Fiendsmith Desirae. He then activated Sequence’s effect in the Graveyard, equipping it to Desirae, then used Gruesome’s effect in the Graveyard, Special Summoning Spirit of Yubel. He returned Yubel and Terror Incarnate to the Deck to Fusion Summon Phantom of Yubel, and activated the effect of Sharvara in hand, Special Summoning it and destroying Spirit of Yubel. He used Spirit to Summon Yubel, then used Sharvara and Phantom of Yubel to Link Summon Muckraker from the Underworld. He used Sharvara to Set Abominable Chamber of the Unchained from the Deck, and used Soul of Rage and Yubel to Link Summon S:P LIttle Knight.
At this point, time in the round was called. Johnson was leading by 1200 life points, and was declared the winner of the Match. Johnson is moving onto the top 4, and is one step closer to obtaining his World Championship invitation!
