Max Suffridge is certainly no stranger to the feature match table. Representing Team Alpha Omega, he's looking for a repeat performance of his 2005 National Championship victory. Javier Gutierrez flies no team flag and is hoping to burst onto the competitive Yu-Gi-Oh! scene. Both players are looking for at least a Top 4 finish and the chance to represent their country at Worlds.
Javier won the roll and opened with a face down monster and a face down spell or trap card. Max fired back with Nobleman of Crossout, removing Gravekeeper's Spys from play and earning a big pump of the fist from Max. He set a pair of spell or trap cards, thought for a minute, set a third, and passed. He flipped Trap Dustshoot during Javier's draw phase and sent Jinzo back to the deck over Snipe Hunter and Night Assailant. Javier summoned Snipe Hunter and declined to use priority. Max had no response and Snipe got in for 1500 damage.
Max was up now, and he dropped Cyber Dragon to crush the Snipe Hunter. He passed to Javier, who examined his cards carefully before playing Snatch Steal to take control of Cyber Dragon. Max allowed it and took the attack. Javier set a spell or trap card and passed. After gaining 1000 life points from Snatch Steal, Max flipped Heavy Storm. Javier chained his Ring of Destruction though, and after Max still had no response, Javier chained Scapegoat as well, protecting himself with an army of furry Sheep Tokens.
Max summoned Snipe Hunter and played Premature Burial on Cyber Dragon. They each took out a Sheep Token and Javier was up. He started his turn off with Smashing Ground and set his final two cards, a monster and a spell or trap. Max attacked the face down monster with Snipe Hunter, and it was revealed as Night Assailant, who flipped and destroyed Snipe. Max set a card, and Javier set a monster on his turn. Max was up again, and summoned Card Trooper to attack Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. Javier drew for his turn, summoned D.D. Warrior Lady and attacked the Trooper. Max flipped Mirror Force though, and Javier set his last card to the spell/trap zone before passing.
Max drew for his turn, sent three cards to the graveyard and summoned Mystic Tomato to attack the final two goats. Max passed with his two monsters and a spell or trap card. Javier drew and had one in hand with two face-down spell or traps. He flipped Call of the Haunted and special summoned D.D. Warrior Lady. After some thought he played United We Stand on the Warrior Lady and attacked Card Trooper. Max allowed the attack and dropped to 600.
Max was up now, and he switched Tomato to defense mode, set another monster and passed. Javier set a monster and passed without attacking. Max set a monster and spell or trap on his turn before passing the turn back to Javier, who top decked a monster and set it. Max had no play on his turn, and Javier once again top decked a monster and set it. Max had no moves once more, and Javier flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. Javier flipped Card Trooper as well and sent three cards to the graveyard. He summoned another Trooper and sent another three cards. Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive attacked Mystic Tomato and Max declined the search. Trooper attacked a face down monster which flipped to reveal Spirit Reaper. The final monster was attacked by a Trooper and was Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, who flipped and drew Max a card.
Max was up now, and he set another spell or trap card before passing to Javier. Javier used his two Card Trooper effects, burning both Enemy Controller and Brain Control in the process. He attacked with D.D. Warrior Lady and Max flipped Sakuretsu Armor. Javier opted not to flip his face down Solemn Judgment and the Warrior Lady was destroyed. Javier switched his army to defense mode and Max was up. Max got a check of how many cards were in Javier's deck, nine, and passed his turn.
Javier drew and ended his turn as well. Max passed right back, and Javier top decked Brain Control to destroy Spirit Reaper. Both Card Troopers and Dekoichi switched to attack mode, Javier tributed Treeborn Frog for Cyber Dragon, and attacked directly with Dekoichi. Max played Scapegoat but Javier chained Solemn Judgment. It was the play Max had been waiting for though, and he flipped Call of the Haunted to special summon Raiza the Storm Monarch. Javier couldn't break through, set a spell or trap card and passed to Max.
Max went into the tank to try to figure out what to do with his turn. Javier's Brain Control and Solemn had dropped him to 2250 life points, and he was stuck with two attack mode Card Troopers. He had a face down spell or trap though, which complicated Max's decisions. Finally he attacked Card Trooper with Raiza, tributed his Raiza for another to put Cyber Dragon on top of Javier's deck, set a spell or trap and passed. Javier tributed his Card Trooper for the Mobius the Frost Monarch he'd drawn off of the destroyed Trooper though, and Max scooped up his cards. Javier Gutierrez pulls through and takes a nail biter of a game.
Max began the second game with Confiscation! He revealed Javier's hand of Dark Ruler Ha Des, Cyber Dragon, Overload Fusion, Brain Control, and another Cyber Dragon. He sent the Cyber Dragon to the graveyard, summoned Cyber Phoenix and set Trap Dustshoot, which he flipped up in Javier's draw phase, sending back the other Dragon. Javier set a spell or trap and Max attacked directly on his turn before setting a monster. Javier top decked Sangan, summoned it, and passed. Max attacked the Sangan with Phoenix and Javier selected Card Trooper from his deck. Max passed with no set spells or traps.
Javier was up and he'd drawn into a Cyber Dragon! He special summoned it, tributed it off for Dark Ruler Ha Des and attacked Cyber Phoenix before passing. Max did absolutely nothing with his turn, and Javier attacked his other face down monster next turn. Javier set a monster before giving the turn back to Max. Max special summoned Cyber Dragon and used it to tribute summon Raiza the Storm Monarch, sending Dark Ruler Ha Des to the top of Javier's deck. He then played Nobleman of Crossout to remove all Gravekeeper's Spys from play, which shuffled Javier's deck! Ha Des was no longer on top, and with two Brain Controls ready, Max had to love that. He attacked directly with Raiza and passed to Javier.
Javier top decked Cyber Dragon, dropped it, played Card Trooper, and flipped his face down Brain Control. He attacked with every monster for the game.
Javier Gutierrez defeats former National Champion Max Suffridge 2-0 and moves on to play for a Worlds qualification!