With an unprecedented four Chimeratech Overdragon OTK decks in the Top 8, two things were clear. First, we obviously had some massive Zane Truesdale fans in this tournament. Clearly. Second, a mirror match was inevitable, and this was it. Both of these duelists used very different approaches to get to where they are. While Ivan Flores (and his two teammates Jamall Plummer and Jonathan Labounty) brought a speed-driven Chimeratech build to Day 2, Lyn used an Ancient Gear variant that has been shocking duelists with its efficiency. This match might be a decisive one in deciding the future of the Chimeratech concept.

Paul Lyn hails from Ft. Lauderdale, and at 38 years of age is yet another successful duelist from the star-studded Team Nexus. A win here today would mean a third SJC champ in Nexus’ ranks. He’s going up against previous champion Ivan Flores, and the Rampage star is definitely hungry for his second title. This one is going to be fierce!

Flores won the opening roll, drew his hand and immediately activated Future Fusion to send fourteen Machines to his graveyard!

“You’d better get that off fast,” remarked Lyn, who would no doubt control the game if Flores couldn’t go off early. Flores grinned as he counted out his monsters. He then activated Graceful Charity, pitching Jar of Greed and Enemy Controller. He then set three cards to his back row, passed, and leaned back in his chair to take a deep breath.

Lyn drew, set a monster, set two cards to his spell and trap zone and activated Swords of Revealing Light. Play was back to Flores who activated Heavy Storm! He chained Reckless Greed, Jar of Greed, and lost Enemy Controller, while Lyn lost his swords, Ancient Gear Drill, and Dimension Fusion. Flores set two cards to his back row and activated Card Destruction. Each duelist got two new cards. Flores then activated Overload Fusion, declared Chimeratech Overdragon and removed ten Machines from his graveyard. Chimeratech came out, destroyed his set Limiter Removal and then attacked. Lyn flipped the set monster Chimeratech was attacking, Morphing Jar, and both duelists got new hands! Flores set a monster, set two cards to his back row and ended.

Drillroid came down for Lyn, attacking Flores’s set monster, Magician of Faith. Its effect allowed Flores to take back Giant Trunade from his graveyard, a card discarded by Card Destruction earlier. Lyn set two cards to his back row and ended, but Flores flipped Jar of Greed and Reckless Greed.

Flores began his turn, skipped his draw, and activated Giant Trunade. Premature Burial brought one of his Cyber Dragons back to the field, he summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, and then he attacked with Chimeratech! There was no way Lyn could defend himself, and he conceded the game.

An incredibly good opening hand gives Ivan Flores the opportunity to sweep the first duel!

Both duelists smokescreened and did some side decking. The second duel began after a few minutes of conversation.

This time it was Lyn’s turn to activate Future Fusion on his first turn! He swiftly removed twelve Machines from his deck to send them to his graveyard, and then set a card to his back row to end his turn.

Flores activated Future Fusion as well! He counted off eleven Machines from his deck, sent them to the graveyard and set two cards and a monster. Lyn set three more cards to his back row, summoned Des Wombat and attacked! Flores looked surprised for a moment, but then reluctantly flipped his Morphing Jar. He lost Dekoichi and Jinzo, while Lyn lost Threatening Roar: Lyn appeared to have sided heavily!

Flores activated Giant Trunade, but Lyn chained Waboku! Flores reeled for a brief moment, but then chained Reckless Greed to draw two cards. He set two cards to his back row, activated Graceful Charity and discarded Enemy Controller and Future Fusion.

“Not like you need it for anything,” said Lyn with a smile, as Future Fusion hit the graveyard. Flores set a third card to his spell and trap zone, ended, and Lyn was up.

He activated Heavy Storm, but now Flores chained Waboku! He added Jar of Greed to the chain as well, and Lyn nodded. The duel seemed destined to go to whoever could defend themselves the longest: inevitably, someone was going to run out of chainable traps. Lyn set two back row cards and discarded Future Fusion in the end phase to get his hand down to six cards.

Flores activated Heavy Storm, but Lyn chained Threatening Roar! Flores summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, gave him his token and set a back row card. He contemplated a second and seemed to be laboring over the decision — was he out of chainable defensive traps? He shook his head, continued setting a second back row card and then taking it back, brushing it across his playmat. Finally, he activated Card Destruction: sure enough, he had no Waboku or Roar. He set a second back row card after Destruction resolved and activated Swords of Revealing Light.

Lyn played Giant Trunade, and Flores chained Reckless Greed and Jar of Greed. Still, he knew it was over. “You got game?” he asked.

“Yup,” nodded Lyn, flashing Overload Fusion and Dimension Fusion. “Do you want me to play it out?” 

Flores shook his head and conceded the duel. The match would go to a third game.

Paul Lyn pulls out a win with some superior side decking, pressing the match to another duel!

Both duelists immediately shuffled their main deck into their sides. As they shuffled, an explosion of cheers went up from another feature match — Mark Vazquez had just beaten Jamall Plummer, Flores’ teammate. Flores was visibly impacted by the team’s loss, and the pressure was now officially on. Lyn just continued shuffling his deck, presenting it to Flores long before the Rampage champion had finished shuffling his.

Flores leaned back in his chair after both decks were shuffled, presented, and shuffled again. He opted to go first, drew his opening hand and set two back row cards. He set a monster and ended — no first-turn Future Fusion this time.

Lyn activated Heavy Storm, and Flores chained Reckless Greed while losing his Royal Decree. Lyn set two back row cards, special summoned Cyber Dragon, and attacked into Flores’ set Cyber Phoenix to destroy it. Flores set a spell or trap and passed back.

Graceful Charity flopped for Lyn, who discarded Blowback Dragon and Waboku. He tributed for Jinzo, attacked for 2400, and set a third spell or trap. Flores set a second spell or trap, still unable to draw, and took another 2400 from Jinzo on the following turn. It was 3200 to 8000 for Lyn, who quickly ended.

Flores could do nothing, and passed. Lyn summoned Dekoichi and attacked with Jinzo, hoping for game, but was stopped by Enemy Controller. Dekoichi went through, and Flores dropped to 1800. Things were looking bad. Lyn ended, Flores set another spell or trap, and Lyn attacked, but his Jinzo was stopped again by Enemy Controller. Dekoichi hit again and Flores dropped to 400 life points.

He summoned Dekoichi himself and attacked Jinzo. Limiter Removal doubled Dekoichi’s ATK so it could destroy the android, and Flores set spell or trap card.

Lyn summoned Morphing Jar and tried to swing for game, but Waboku protected Flores’s life points! Lyn ended, Flores summoned UFO Turtle and tried to attack, but didn’t announce intent to move into his battle phase — Lyn activated Threatening Roar. Flores ended, thinking he had lost, but Lyn just turned his monsters to defense position and set a third card to his back row.

Flores set another monster, and Lyn activated Overload Fusion! He removed three monsters from his graveyard and pitched the Dekoichi from his field as well. He blew his back row with Chimeratech’s effect. Dimension Fusion brought back Jinzo, Cyber Dragon, Blowback Dragon, and the Dekoichi! Flores had no response. Blowback Dragon drew a bead on UFO Turtle, and two heads later the Turtle was blown away!

Grimacing, Ivan Flores immediately offered the handshake. There was nothing he could do to stop Lyn’s onslaught.

Paul Lyn takes his Chimeratech build, Rusty Bucket of Bolts, to the semifinals of the Shonen Jump Championship!