Top 4 Feature Match: Michael Albanese vs. Jonathan Garcia
Only four teams remain! We’ve got Legionnaire, with Michael Albanese, Dominic Couch, and Jonathan Garcia. They’re facing the Chimmey Nguyen Fan Club, consisting of Jonathan Garcia, Josh Bovarnick, and Joe Winkler. All six Duelists are using Ryzeal variants, although the individual card choices will make a big difference in this Feature Match of Albanese versus Garcia.
Duel 1
Garcia won the dice roll and chose to play first. Albanese had a hand of two Infinite Impermanence, Droll & Lock Bird, Ice Ryzeal, and Triple Tactics Talent. Garcia Normal Summoned an Ice of his own, which let him Special Summon Sword Ryzeal from his Deck. He added Ext Ryzeal to his hand. Albanese activated Droll & Lock Bird to slow Garcia down. Garcia Xyz Summoned Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir in Defense Position, and Set three cards in his back row.
Albanese drew Sword. He started with Infinite Impermanence to negate Bagooska, then Normal Summoned Ice. Garcia blasted it with Solemn Strike. Albanese Special Summoned Sword, and Garcia had an Infinite Impermanence for that. Albanese Set his second Infinite Impermanence and passed the turn. As Bagooska’s effect came back online, it put Sword into Defense Position.
Garcia detached Sword to keep Bagooska in play, then switched it to Attack Position. He Special Summoned Ext by sending Ryzeal Duo Drive to the Graveyard. Albanese negated Ext with Infinite Impermanence. Garcia played Pot of Prosperity, banishing the full six cards from his Extra Deck to add a Sword to his hand. He Special Summoned Sword and used its effect to add Ice to his hand. Then he stacked Sword and Ext to Xyz Summon Duo Drive, which attached the other Duo Drive as a material. He used its effect, detaching two materials to add Ryzeal Cross and Ryzeal Plugin to his hand. He played Cross and Normal Summoned Ice, which brought Node Ryzeal to the field. He used Node’s effect, sending Bagooska to the Graveyard to revive another Sword. Then he stacked Node, Sword, and Ice for Ryzeal Detonator! Detonator attached another Ice as a material. He couldn’t draw a card with Cross due to Prosperity, so he moved to the Battle Phase. Duo Drive destroyed Sword in battle, and Detonator attacked directly for 1550 damage due to Prosperity.
Albanese drew Droll & Lock Bird. With just that and Triple Tactics Talent, he had no plays to make and conceded the first Duel.
Duel 2
Albanese started the second Duel with a hand containing two copies of Infinite Impermanence, Seventh Ascension, Ice, and Crossout Designator. He started with Seventh Ascension, adding Seventh Tachyon to his hand. He played that, revealing Number 103: Ragnazero to then add Surfacing Big Jaws to his hand, and put back a secondary Infinite Impermanence. He Special Summoned Surfacing Big Jaws, which put Drake Shark in his hand. He Special Summoned Drake Shark, then Normal Summoned Ice Ryzeal. That let him bring Ext Ryzeal to the field, and Ext put Sword Ryzeal in his hand. He used Ice and Ext to Xyz Summon Starliege Photon Blast Dragon in Defense Position. Then he used the Fish to Xyz Summon Bahamut Shark! He used Bahamut’s effect to bring Toadally Awesome to the field! He Special Summoned Sword, which put Ext in his hand. Special Summoned Ext by sending Eclipse Twins to the Graveyard. He used Sword and Ext to Xyz Summon Duo Drive, and used its effect to detach Starliege’s materials, adding Ryzeal Cross and Node Ryzeal to his hand. He played Cross, then Special Summoned Node. Node sent Bahamut to the Graveyard to bring Ext back to the field, and he stacked them for Ryzeal Detonator. Detonator attached Eclipse Twins as a material. He Set Crossout Designator and Infinite Impermanence to finish this incredible turn!
Garcia Special Summoned Ext by sending Mereologic Aggregator to the Graveyard. Ext activated as Chain Link 1, and Mereologic Aggregator was Chain Link 2 targeting Ryzeal Cross. Albanese Chained Detonator’s effect to destroy Ext. The Chain resolved, with Cross negated and Sword added to Garcia’s hand. Garcia played Pot of Desires, and Albanese Chained Toadally Awesome’s effect to negate Desires and Set it on Albanese’s field. Toad then returned Surfacing Big Jaws to Albanese’s hand. Garcia played Book of Eclipse! Before his field was flipped face-down, Albanese Chained Detonator’s effect to destroy itself. In a new Chain, Eclipse Twins brought Detonator back to the field with Toadally Awesome as a material, and Detonator’s effect reattached Eclipse Twins. Garcia Special Summoned Sword, and Albanese Chained Detonator’s effect to destroy it, detaching Toad. Sword’s effect put an Ice in Garcia’s hand, while Albanese’s detached Toad put Drake Shark in his hand. Garcia played Bonfire, adding another Ice to his hand. He Normal Summoned it and activated its effect – Albanese Chained Detonator to destroy it, and then Chained Crossout Designator to also negate Ice’s effect. Garcia conceded!
Duel 3
Albanese’s final opening hand was Crossout Designator, Droll & Lock Bird, Bonfire, and 2 Swords. Garcia started the Duel with Pot of Desires, banishing 10 cards to draw two. Albanese used Droll & Lock Bird. Garcia sent Duo Drive to the Graveyard to Special Summon Ext, then Special Summoned Node. He Xyz Summoned Bagooska in Defense Position, then Set three back row cards.
Albanese drew Ext. He Special Summoned Ext by sending Mereologic Aggregator to the Graveyard. Aggregator negated Bagooska, and Albanese Special Summoned Sword. That put Ice in his hand. He stacked Sword and Ext for Ryzeal Detonator, and it was hit by Solemn Strike. Albanese Normal Summoned Ice, and Garcia had a second Solemn Strike for that. Albanese Set Crossout Designator to finish his turn.
Garcia detached Node to keep Bagooska in play. He Set a back row card and passed.
Albanese drew Ext. He started with Bonfire to find Ice, and passed the turn.
Garcia detached Bagooska’s last Xyz Material.
Albanese drew Mulcharmy Purulia. He passed.
Bagooska had no Xyz Materials left, and was destroyed in Garcia’s End Phase. He Normal Summoned Ice Ryzeal, and Albanese flipped Crossout Designator to banish an Ice of his own and negate it. Then, Albanese activated Purulia – Garcia had the third Solemn Strike! He played Bonfire to find Ext, and he Special Summoned it by sending Eclipse Twins to the Graveyard. Twins brought Bagooska back to the field in Attack Position, with Duo Drive attached. Ext put Sword in his hand. He stacked Ice and Ext for Duo Drive, which attached another Ext. He used its effect to detach two materials, finding Ryzeal Cross and Ice. He played Cross, then Special Summoned Sword, which added his last Ext to his hand. He Special Summoned Ice by sending Pot of Desires to the Graveyard. He moved to the Battle Phase, and attacked with everything for 8200 damage!
Garcia took the first win for the Chimmey Nguyen Fan Club, but at the same time, Jesse Kotton won his Match for Legionnaire! That left just Josh Bovarnik and Dominic Couch, who were just beginning their third and final Duel.
Couch was able to Fish combo into Bahamut Shark, but Bovarnick had saved an Infinite Impermanence for it. Couch was still able to end with Detonator with Eclipse Twins attached, and Starliege Photon Blast Dragon.
Bovarnick had Book of Eclipse to turn everything face-down, but Couch had a Droll & Lock Bird to keep Bovarnick from going too crazy. He eventually destroyed Couch’s monsters with Evilsarm Exciton Knight, and Couch’s Eclipse Twins brought Detonator back to the field. Bovarnick played his own Detonator, and all the monsters’ effects destroyed each other.
Bovarnick was able to finish with Bagooska in Defense Position, but Couch had the Ultimate Slayer to remove it and secure the win!
Team Legionnaire are heading to the finals!
