Both of these duelists had already received a feature match today, and now with one loss each under their belts, they were fighting for their survival in this tournament. Chris Bowling is playing a conventional TeleDAD build with main-decked tech like Destiny Hero - Plasma. Efird is running Junk Synchron, Mind Control, and Reckless Greed.

Bowling set a card to each zone, and was left holding two Solemn Judgment cards, Krebons, and Heavy Storm. Efird special summoned Dark Grepher by discarding Destiny Hero - Malicious, and Bowling flipped Trap Dustshoot. Efird revealed his hand: Allure of Darkness, D.D. Crow, Snipe Hunter, and Krebons. He lost his Krebons back to his deck, but activated Allure to try and dig for another copy (or ideally Emergency Teleport).

He removed his Snipe Hunter for Allure’s effect, and after considering his options he attacked Dark Grepher: Grepher slammed into Bowling’s Sangan and destroyed it, letting Bowling dig Mystic Tomato from his deck. Efird set one card to his back row. “End my turn.”

Bowling activated Heavy Storm, destroying Efird’s set Solemn Judgment. Efird now had just two cards left in hand. Bowling summoned Mystic Tomato, rammed it into Dark Grepher, then summoned Destiny Hero - Malicious with Tomato’s effect. He activated Emergency Teleport to special summon Krebons and Synchro summoned. Stardust Dragon hit the field! Bowling set two copies of Solemn and ended with Krebons in hand, Stardust on the field.

Efird drew to three cards in hand with Grepher on the field, his total card presence matching Bowling’s despite his weaker game position. He removed Malicious, special summoned another from his deck in defense position, then normal summoned Stratos! He activated its effect to target one of Bowling’s set Solemns for destruction, and Bowling tributed Stardust Dragon to negate the effect and destroy Stratos. Efird discarded D.D. Crow to remove Stardust Dragon from Bowling’s graveyard!

Grepher made a direct attack and Efird set his last card to his back row. Bowling removed Malicious from his graveyard, special summoned another, then normal summoned Krebons to Synchro summon another Stardust Dragon. Efird chained Solemn Judgment, but Bowling chained his own! The duel stood at 4000 life points to 3000 life points, and Bowling ran Stardust over Dark Grepher. Efird dropped to 3200 life points. “Go.”

He drew a monster and set it. Bowling drew Dark Armed Dragon: he was already holding Dark Grepher, and still had Solemn Judgment and Stardust Dragon on the field. He normal summoned Grepher, attacked the face-down monster with it, and ran straight into Destiny Hero - Defender! Stardust attacked Efird’s Malicious and Bowling ended. Efird had three Dark monsters in his graveyard, while Bowling had five—too many to be of use with that Dark Armed in his hand.

Efird was still topdecking. He normal summoned Dark Grepher off the top, ran it into Bowling’s Grepher, and removed Malicious to special summon his last copy in defense mode. “You got me running,” remarked Efird.

“You have a lot of outs though,” replied Bowling. He drew for his turn, then drew for Destiny Hero - Defender’s effect. He activated Reinforcement of the Army, searched out Elemental Hero Stratos, then removed Malicious from his graveyard to search and summon his third. He summoned Stratos, searched for Destiny Hero - Plasma, and tributed all three of his monsters to special summon Plasma! Plasma inhaled Defender, ran over Malicious, and play was back to Efird!

Efird topdecked a monster, and yet again was forced to set it. Bowling tributed for Caius the Shadow Monarch next turn, removed Efird’s face-down monster (Sangan), and attacked for game!

Chris Bowling grinds out a win in Game 1, controlling the duel from early on and slowly claiming victory! Both competitors side-decked and smokescreened before Game 2 began.

Efird opened up with Allure of Darkness, drawing two and removing Sangan. He activated Reinforcement of the Army, got Elemental Hero Stratos from his deck, summoned it, and used its effect to get Destiny Hero - Malicious. A set spell or trap ended the turn.

Bowling played an Allure of his own, removed Plasma for its effect, and set two cards to his back row. “Your go.”

“Draw for my turn,” announced Efird. He discarded Malicious to special summon Grepher, then removed Malicious with priority to summon another from his deck. He normal summoned Krebons, and Bowling activated Mystical Space Typhoon in response, targeting Efird’s one set spell or trap.

He lost Solemn Judgment, and Synchro summoned Stardust Dragon with Malicious and Krebons: Bowling had no response. Stardust attacked for 2500 damage and Bowling took it, eating another 3500 damage combined from Stratos and Grepher! He was down to just 2000 life points. Efird passed with no back row.

Bowling flipped Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, discarding Malicious to spin away Stardust Dragon. He removed Malicious to summon another in defense mode, normal summoned Krebons, and Synchro summoned Stardust Dragon. He was left holding Black Horn of Heaven, Krebons, and Emergency Teleport. Bowling counted the two Dark monsters in his opponent’s graveyard, then sent Stardust Dragon to attack Stratos. He removed Malicious to summon his third in defense mode, set Black Horn of Heaven, and ended.

Efird activated Mind Control, targeting Stardust Dragon! Bowling handed it over. Efird normal summoned Junk Synchron, special summoned Krebons in defense mode, and Synchro summoned with Krebons and Dark Grepher, trying to get Goyo Guardian. Bowling shut him down with Black Horn of Heaven! Goyo’s summon was negated and it went to the graveyard. Junk Synchron was left to attack Malicious, and Efird had to hand back the Stardust Dragon. “Good play. I thought I had you there.”

Bowling summoned Krebons, attacked Junk Synchron with Stardust Dragon, then made a direct attack with Krebons. Efird was down to 4900 life points.

Efird summoned Krebons, then passed with two cards in hand. He was clearly on the ropes. Bowling had Dark Grepher and Cyber Valley in hand, with a spell or trap card set and Stardust plus Krebons on the field. Krebons and Stardust attacked, Efird paid to negate both attacks, and Bowling summoned Cyber Valley. He removed Valley and Krebons to draw two cards, ending his turn with Dark Grepher, a Torrential Tribute that he set, and Dark Armed Dragon.

Efird activated Brain Control, taking control of Stardust Dragon! He normal summoned Neo-Spacian Grand Mole, and when Bowling activated Torrential Tribute he chained Stardust’s effect to keep his monsters on the field. Krebons attacked for 1200 damage, and Neo-Spacian Grand Mole ended the duel!

David Efird pushes this match to a third duel! Play began just scant moments later.

Bowling discarded Malicious for Destiny Draw, then lost it to D.D. Crow. He set a card to each zone, and it was Efird’s turn to discard Malicious for Destiny Draw. Bowling didn’t have a Crow: he was holding Dark Armed Dragon, Emergency Teleport, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, and Brain Control. Efird removed his first Malicious to special summon his second, normal summoned Krebons, then Synchro summoned Stardust Dragon. Bowling had no response.

He sent Stardust Dragon to attack Bowling’s face-down monster: it was Spirit Reaper, and the attack bounced off of it harmlessly. Efird ended without playing any more cards and Bowling was up.

Sangan came off the top, and he sent it into Stardust Dragon, effectively paying 1500 life points to search his deck for Malicious. He set Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, ended, and in the draw phase he discarded Malicious to spin Stardust Dragon! Two minutes remained in the match.

Efird activated Brain Control to try and destroy Spirit Reaper, but Bowling chained Crush Card Virus, tributing it and costing Efird his in-hand Dark Grepher! He was left with Solemn Judgment, Malicious, and Reinforcement of the Army. He activated the latter to get Elemental Hero Stratos from his deck, summoned it, and dug out Destiny Hero - Defender. Stratos dished out 1800 damage, Bowling dropped to 4700 life points, and Efird set Solemn.

Bowling drew and considered his hand for all of four seconds before time was called: three turns would remain after this one. He special summoned Dark Armed Dragon: “Checkmate!”

“Checkmate?” Efird responded with Solemn Judgment, and Bowling activated Brain Control and Emergency Teleport! He removed Malicious from his graveyard, special summoned another, and Synchro summoned with Krebons and Malicious for Colossal Fighter! Fighter and Stratos swung for game.

Chris Bowling wins the match and moves on, still alive in this tournament!