Of the three Zombie decks to make Day 2, two of them are paired up in the Top 16. Quan Lewis blazed through the competition yesterday with his Zombie deck that techs Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, while Len Buldt squeezed into sixteenth place with his Il Blud-less Zombie deck. He's got some Raiza the Storm Monarch cards to make up for it though, and they could prove pivotal in the mirror match. The mirror could come down to a very skilful, tactical battle, or one player could simply explode. Both players wished each other good luck and the match was underway.

Len won the die roll and opened with a set spell or trap card. Quan drew for his turn, summoned Pyramid Turtle, and attacked for 1200 damage. He followed up with a set spell or trap card and passed. Len drew, and during his standby phase activated Mystical Space Typhoon from his hand. Lewis chained Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, discarding Sangan, and sent Len's back row card to the top of his deck. Len special summoned Cyber Dragon and attacked the Turtle, who searched out Ryu Kokki in attack mode. He set a spell or trap and passed to Quan.

Quan went into the think tank on his turn and came out with Snipe Hunter. He opted not to use priority and Len had no chains. Quan discarded Zombie Master targeting Len's back row card, Mirror Force, which was destroyed. Quan then played Premature Burial on Zombie Master, discarded Pyramid Turtle to revive another one, and bumped the Turtle into Cyber Dragon. He searched out Spirit Reaper with its effect, and destroyed the Cyber with his Ryu Kokki. The rest of the monsters swung directly, dropping Len to 2900 and robbing him of a Card of Safe Return from hand. Quan passed with 7100 life points.

Len drew and special summoned Cyber Dragon. He attacked Spirit Reaper, played Heavy Storm to destroyed Zombie Master via Premature Burial, and set his last card to the spell or trap zone. Quan drew Mystical Space Typhoon and used it, destroying a face down bluff. He attacked the Cyber with Kokki once more and passed. Len set his topdecked monster and passed back. Quan attacked it next turn, revealing it to be Giant Rat, which search out Pyramid Turtle. Reaper switched to defense and Quan passed.

On his turn, Len switched the Turtle to defense, set a spell or trap, and passed. Quan was up now and he thought for a while before making a move. He had Brain Control and could potentially push for game, but he decided not to use it and simply attacked Len's Turtle with Kokki. Len special summoned a Kokki of his own and Quan passed. Len played Brain Control on his turn to destroy Spirit Reaper, summoned Giant Rat, and bumped heads with the Kokki's. Rat swung directly and Quan was up.

He drew and was staring down Nobleman of Crossout, Brain Control, and Creature Swap. Len had just enough life points to survive a direct attack by his own Rat, so Quan simply set a spell or trap before passing. Len drew Book of Life and played it to special summon his own Ryu Kokki and both monsters struck through the bluff for game. Down in both cards and life points, Len Buldt powers through Quan's dead hand to take the first game.

Quan opened the second game with no play. Len couldn't capitalize though, and simply set a spell or trap. Quan mirrored that play and Len passed on his turn. Finally Quan dropped a monster, Card Trooper, and sent Pyramid Turtle, Cyber Dragon, and Il Blud to his graveyard with its effect before connecting for 1900. Len special summoned Cyber Dragon and attacked the Trooper. During his second main phase, Len normal summoned Pyramid Turtle in attack mode, a very conservative play. Apparently he didn't think Quan sided out Nobleman of Crossout, or he didn't want to take the risk. Quan spent a good deal of time thinking during Len's end phase, but decided not to activate anything.

He drew for his turn and normal summoned Snipe Hunter. He discarded Ryu Kokki with priority targeting the Turtle, and Len flipped Bottomless Trap Hole to remove the Sniper from play. The dice roll failed and Len got to keep both monsters. Quan had a powerful hand consisting of a pair of Card of Safe Returns, Book of Life, and Zombie Master, but with his normal summon already spent, he couldn't explode, so he just passed. Len attacked with both his monsters, stating out loud that the spell or trap couldn't be something to stop attacks because Quan wanted to chain it during the end phase. Quan took both attacks, and Len summoned Sangan during his main phase 2. He set a pair of spell or trap cards and passed to Quan.

Quan played a pair of Card of Safe Returns, summoned Zombie Master, and discarded D.D. Crow to special summon Pyramid Turtle. Torrential Tribute from Len destroyed all monsters on the field and Quan drew two cards for his special summon. He played Book of Life and special summoned Il Blud. Len chained Call of the Haunted to special summon the Pyramid Turtle that Quan targeted to be removed from play. Quan thought for a period of time before resolving the chain and drew two new cards. Blud attacked the Turtle, dropping Len to 5200 life points to Quan’s own 3000. Len grabbed Zombie Master with its effect and Quan passed.

Len discarded Cyber Dragon to target a Zombie Master in Quan's graveyard, believing Quan couldn't draw from his Safe Returns. He was allowed to however, and took two free cards. Len tributed his own Zombie Master for Raiza the Storm Monarch, targeting Scapegoat, which was chained. Len played Lightning Vortex, discarding Mirror Force. He then discarded Pyramid Turtle to target the same Turtle, but Quan played D.D. Crow to remove it from play instead. Phoenix Wing Wind Blast bounced the Raiza. Len passed with just a Zombie Master. With an abundance of cards in hand, Quan simply special summoned four monsters and played Brain Control to attack for game.

As he put his side deck back in the deck box, Quan flashed Nobleman of Crossout to the table. Whether or not Len saw it could change his play, or perhaps Quan was trying to trick his opponent by keeping one Crossout in the deck. Len set a monster and spell or trap before passing, and Quan mirrored the play. Dust Tornado destroyed a Wing Blast during the end phase, and on his turn Len played Raiza the Storm Monarch, tributing Giant Rat to bounce the monster. He attacked for 2400, set two back row cards and passed.

Quan played a pair of Card of Safe Returns on his turn and summoned Zombie Master, who fell into a Bottomless Trap Hole. Len drew and summoned Zombie Master and attacked directly with both monsters. Quan drew, set Pyramid Turtle and passed. Len revealed another Raiza the Storm Monarch, who would bounce the Turtle and attack for game. A very lopsided game 3 allows Len Buldt to move on to Top 8.