Both players were grinning wildly during their deck checks as they discussed their past accomplishments. Michael was singing the praises of Ceasefire, as it had won him two matches during the Swiss rounds. Roberto was significantly more tight-lipped about his performance the previous day, but soon enough the check was over and the game was on.
Game 1
Michael won the roll and opted to go first. He started with a face down card in each zone, and passed over to Roberto, who opted to take a different approach, summoning Cyber Dragon and attacking. Widespread Ruin stopped the attack, and Roberto set another card to each zone. Michael flipped his face down Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive and attacked, only to be stopped by Sakuretsu Armor. He set one more card to each zone and passed over to Roberto. Roberto flipped his own Dekoichi before activating Nobleman of Crossout to remove Michael’s Spirit Reaper from play. Dekoichi hit directly and Roberto set a monster. Michael cleared the field with a Dark Hole destroying Dekoichi and a facedown Magician of Faith. He then summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior and took out Roberto’s face down spell or trap, only to be flipped down by Book of Moon.
Roberto activated Premature Burial to bring up his Dekoichi again and attacked, but the attack was blocked by Sakuretsu Armor. He set one to each zone and passed to Michael. Michael flipped his Breaker back up for an attack, but was foiled by Widespread Ruin, so he set a card to each zone and passed. Roberto set a monster and passed back to Michael, who flipped Gravekeeper’s Spy to grab another one. He summoned Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer and sent a Spy into a facedown card revealing a Reaper. Kycoo hit the other revealing Tsukuyomi and having his Kycoo flipped down. Roberto set a spell or trap and passed to Michael who flipped his facedown Snatch Steal to take out the Reaper. Both Spies hit home, but for some reason he didn’t bring up the Kycoo to swing as well. Roberto was topdecking, but a Cyber Dragon helped him to stay in the game. It was taken out by Smashing Ground on the next turn, and Roberto dropped another 2400 from the Spies. Roberto set one more card and passed back to Michael, who simply attacked. The spell or trap was a bluff, though, and Michael Lux took the first game.
Michael 1, Roberto 0
Game 2
Neither player spent much time with his side deck, and soon enough Roberto was starting off game 2. He set a card to each zone and passed over to Michael, who summoned Breaker right off the bat and broke Roberto’s Scapegoat. He chained it, bringing up four Sheep tokens, and Michel considered his attack options.
He went for the face down card, revealing Skelengel and set a spell or trap before passing. Roberto stared at his Sheep for a bit before deciding to simply pass his turn. Michael had a Dark Hole that he really wanted to use, but he opted to pass instead. Roberto activated Snatch Steal, but Michael chained Mystical Space Typhoon to thwart him. Michael then summoned Sangan and took out two Sheep tokens before passing. Roberto had D. D. Warrior Lady, and he used it to remove Sangan from play, in addition to dealing 500 damage to Michael.
Roberto had six cards in hand, as did Michael, and Michael summoned Treeborn Frog to help Breaker finish off the Sheep tokens. Roberto dropped Exiled Force, attacking the Frog and then tributing it to take out Breaker as well. The Frog was back next turn though, and it was joined by Spirit Reaper, who tried to swing directly.
That was blocked by Call of the Haunted, which brought up Exiled Force, and Michael had to pass the turn. Roberto activated Reinforcement of the Army and pulled out Don Zaloog who joined Exiled Force on the field. Both monsters attacked the Reaper, and Michael lost Cyber Dragon from his hand. In the second main phase, Exiled Force was once again activated to remove Spirit Reaper from the field.
Despite the loss of the Dragon, Michael still had a pretty good hand. He set Gravekeeper’s Spy and passed over to Roberto, who summoned Mystic Swordsman LV2 to take care of it. He set a spell or trap and then ended in complete control of the game. The Frog came back yet again, and it was tributed for Mobius. Mobius destroyed a facedown Widespread Ruin and then attacked Don for 1000 damage. Roberto was looking to end the game, and he removed a light and a dark for Chaos Sorcerer. Mobius was removed from the game and the tiny Swordsman attacked directly. Roberto set another spell or trap, which was revealed to be another Widespread when Michael summoned another Mobius via Treeborn Frog on the next turn.
Mystic Swordsman LV2 was switched to defense position, and another face down monster joined it before Roberto ended his turn. Michael had a Swordsman of his own to destroy Magician of Faith, and Roberto’s Swordsman met a similar fate at the hands of Mobius. Roberto pulled out all the stops next turn with Heavy Storm, Dark Hole, Spirit Reaper and another Sorcerer. This left him without a hand, and Michael was forced to use all his cards as well after losing Dark Hole to the Reaper.
He played Cyber Dragon followed by D. D. Assailant and attacked the Sorcerer, removing it with the Assailant’s effect. He then hit the Reaper with Cyber Dragon to score some much needed damage. Reaper switched to defense position on the next turn and both players took turns setting spells or traps until Michael drew his Snatch Steal and used on the Reaper. Cyber Dragon tried to hit directly, but it didn’t make it there, as Widespread Ruin ended its run of the board.
Kycoo came up for Michael in the next turn and did manage to hit directly. Roberto pulled out Cyber Dragon and summoned it. He flipped Smashing Ground to take out Kycoo and attacked, only to be foiled by Sakuretsu Armor. He brought it back up with Premature Burial next turn, but it fell to Torrential Tribute. Michael set Spirit Reaper, but it was removed by Nobleman of Crossout after Roberto summoned Sangan. He grabbed Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive with it and flipped it next turn. Michael had four face down spells, none of which could stop the attack of Dekoichi, and Roberto took the game.
Michael 1, Roberto 1
Game 3
This time the players decided to spend some time with their side decks this time around, and after counting them out, the table judge reminded them to de-side deck after the round. Michael opted to go first in this final game, and he started out with a set to each zone. Roberto upped the ante with two spells or traps and a monster, and Michael responded by tributing his facedown D. D. Warrior Lady for Mobius the Frost Monarch to destroy the two spells or traps.
Enemy Controller put Mobius in defense position, but Torrential Tribute was lost to the graveyard. Roberto flipped Dekoichi to draw a card and thought hard before deciding to attack with the Dekoichi. Widespread Ruin kept Mobius alive, and Roberto set one to each zone. Mystic Swordsman LV2 came down for Michael next turn, but Roberto’s Widespread Ruin couldn’t stop the little guy from destroying his Magical Merchant.
Michael set a spell or trap and passed over to Roberto, who summoned Cyber Dragon and took out the Swordsman before setting a spell or trap of his own and ending. Michael summoned Kycoo and flipped Smashing Ground before attacking. Roberto was unsure as to whether or not he should respond, and ended up opting to take the hit. Michael set a card and passed to Roberto. Robert had a Snatch Steal to take the Kycoo and managed to hit directly before setting a monster and passing.
Michael wasn’t happy about it, but he used Dark Hole to clear out a face down Spirit Reaper and his Kycoo before summoning his own Spirit Reaper to attack. It was thwarted by Book of Moon, though, and he set a card before ending. Roberto had a Mystic Swordsman LV2 to take out the Reaper and Roberto set his last card. Michael had Mystical Space Typhoon for it, but it was revealed to be Scapegoat, which was chained.
Both players traded sets and the field was cleared after Michael flipped his Magician of Faith to grab Dark Hole. He dropped his last card, Breaker the Magical Warrior, and attacked. Roberto couldn’t draw any monsters to block the attacks, though, and he was soon reduced to 300 life points with a spell or trap and a face down monster facing down the Breaker. On the last turn, Michael tributed Breaker for Mobius, and then brought D.D. Warrior Lady back from the graveyard with Premature Burial and cleared out Roberto’s entire field before taking the game with Mobius.
Michael Lux advances to the semifinals, defeating Roberto Martinez 2-1!