Both players, and one of the table judges, wanted to give a shout-out at the start of this match. Chris wanted to recognize the great players who didn’t make it here today, including Dale Bellido, his brother Lazaro, and Max Suffridge. Steven Arias just wanted to remind everyone of “Peter Arias.” Yes, in quotes. He specifically said that.

Chris started with a set to each zone and passed over to Steven who threw down a Hydrogeddon. The Dinosaur ran through Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive and fetched another copy of itself from the deck. The new Hydrogeddon took a swing to score the first damage of the game. Steven set a spell or trap and passed over to SoRelle, who was flooded with Card Troopers and Returns. He summoned a Card Trooper and burned away Premature Burial, Return from the Different Dimension, and Dekoichi before attacking into Sakuretsu Armor. The Trooper gave him a card, and he set a spell or trap before ending. Unfortunately, it wasn’t anything to stop a Hydrogeddon, and both attacked him directly next turn. SoRelle had a huge hand, but not a lot of useful cards in it. He chose to summon his second Card Trooper, and he dropped Cyber Dragon, Ring of Destruction, and Cyber Phoenix to boost it. The Trooper attacked, and Steven considered his response. He took the damage, and Call of the Haunted was flipped in the battle phase bringing back Cyber Dragon! Cyber Dragon took down the other Hydrogeddon, and Chris set a spell or trap before ending.

Steven kept checking that face down card, and decided that he would activate Premature Burial on a Hydrogeddon. He tributed for Mobius, destroying Sakuretsu Armor and the Call that had brought Cyber Dragon to the field. The attack of Mobius through Card Trooper put Chris SoRelle in dangerous territory with only 1200 life points remaining. He had drawn a Mystical Space Typhoon, and decided to try to go for game. He used the Typhoon to destroy Arias’ bluff Smashing Ground, and Bazoo the Soul-Eater was summoned. Chris removed Cyber Dragon and the Troopers from play, only to bring them back with Return from the Different Dimension! 6 cards hit the graveyard to pump up the Troopers, and SoRelle swung for the fences. It wasn’t enough to win that turn, however, and SoRelle set two spells or traps before ending. Steve brought out his third Hydrogeddon and attacked, but a second Return from the Different Dimension blocked his path, reducing Chris to 300 life points! He set a spell or trap and passed to Chris who topdecked Heavy Storm! He played it and the players traded bluff Nobleman of Crossouts. D. D. Assailant came down and attacked Hydrogeddon, and Steven topdecked a useless Monarch allowing Chris to take a win in a game that had been all Steven!

Both players side decked and remarked on how their duels were definitely not going to go to time, as they had blown through the first game in about 10 minutes. Steven started off the second game with a set to each zone and passed. Chris special summoned Cyber Dragon and played Nobleman of Crossout to remove Mystic Tomato from the game. The Dragon attacked, and Steven took the damage. One spell or trap later, Chris ended his turn and Steven set a card to each zone once again. Banisher of the Radiance was Chris’ next play, but on the attack Steven revealed his first set card: Mirror Force! SoRelle ended without playing anything further, and Steve flipped Gravekeeper’s Spy to fetch another one, both in attack position. The Spies connected for a total of 2400, and Arias passed his turn. Chris SoRelle had all 3 copies of Bazoo in his hand. He summoned one and declined to use its effect. The monkey attacked a Spy, and Smashing Ground destroyed the second in main phase 2.

Chris drew into a Card Trooper and activated its effect, hitting Jinzo, Exiled Force and a Spy of his own. Bazoo removed Banisher, Spy and Jinzo from play, and Chris went to battle. Card Trooper attacked, but Scapegoat created 4 Sheep tokens to absorb the blows. Two Sheep went down, and Card Trooper dropped back to 400ATK. Steve blasted Chris’ set Sakuretsu Armor with Heavy Storm, and then activated Snatch Steal to take Bazoo away! He pumped it to 3100 (since it already had 2500), and then summoned Hydrogeddon. Chris counted up the potential damage, and scooped. This match was heading to game 3! The players side decked once again, and it was Chris’ turn to start the deciding game.

He opened up with a set to each zone and passed over to Steve who set a monster and two spells or traps. Chris set a Card Trooper and ended, while Steven added another set monster to his field. Neither player was ready yet to make a move, and Chris SoRelle passed his turn without playing anything. Steven Arias tributed Chris’ set Gravekeeper’s Spy via Soul Exchange for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch! Chris tried to wipe the field with Torrential Tribute, but Royal Decree was chained, locking him down. Smashing Ground destroyed Thestalos next turn, and Chris set some meaningless traps to the field. On the next turn, Steven flipped both his monsters, two copies of Mystic Tomato, and activated Nobleman of Crossout to remove the Card Trooper from play. Both monsters attacked directly, and Chris was in trouble. He summoned Cyber Dragon and attacked one Tomato, causing Arias to fetch Spirit Reaper. Chris had a Smashing Ground for the second Tomato, and he set a third useless trap to the field, now in command of the biggest monster on the field. Steven just switched his Reaper to defense and passed.

The Dragon was tributed for Mobius the Frost Monarch next turn, and suddenly Chris’ traps were back in the game! Steven set a monster, and Nobleman of Crossout flopped for Chris next turn. Enemy Controller saved Sangan for Steven and allowed him to steal Mobius while searching for Treeborn Frog! Both players passed for a turn, and Steven set a second spell or trap. Chris followed likewise, now with four cards in his back row to Steven’s two. Brain Control stole Mobius away from Chris SoRelle, and he was faced with the option of destroying his own monster or losing half his life points. He opted to destroy the Mobius with Mirror Force, and Steven set a monster before passing. Chris drew and studied his hand. He had Cyber Dragon and D. D. Warrior Lady. Mystical Space Typhoon flipped from Chris’ spell or trap zone and targeted Steven’s Typhoon which was chained to destroy Chris’ Return from the Different Dimension! Chris didn’t chain it, and instead summoned Cyber Dragon and attacked into Steven’s third Mystic Tomato. All it could fetch was a Gravekeeper’s Spy, but if Steven had a Zaborg the monster tributed would be irrelevant. He had Mobius, but Bottomless Trap Hole removed it from play.

Chris flipped D. D. Warrior Lady, forcing a Torrential Tribute from Steven, who could now put Treeborn Frog into play. He did so and passed to Chris who drew and set Heavy Storm. He special summoned Cyber Dragon and passed to Steven who set a spell or trap. Chris drew and considered flipping his Storm. Instead, he set his draw to the spell or trap zone and ended. Hydrogeddon and Smashing Ground hit the field for Steven next turn and Chris was down to 3200. He set a third card to his back row prayed that Heavy Storm wasn’t coming. Steven hadn’t played it yet, and he didn’t have it yet. He did, however, have Pot of Avarice. All 3 copies of Mystic Tomato along with Sangan and Thestalos returned to Steven’s deck, allowing him to draw 2 cards. He checked them one at a time and found the Heavy Storm! Ring of Destruction was chained, destroying Hydrogeddon, but it was all for naught. Treeborn Frog became Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch and the match was over! Steven Arias pulls through to advance to the semifinals over Chris SoRelle, 2-1!