“So yesterday,” started Dale with a big grin. “I beat three members of Overdose. Will this be the time for Jerry to get his title? Or will Dale Bellido capture his second Championship win.” Dale’s playful narrative did a fitting job of setting the scene, and the match began quickly.
He opened with Card Trooper, sending Nobleman of Crossout, Giant Rat, and Cyber Dragon to the graveyard for its effect. No Zombies. He set a spell or trap and ended. Wang activated Soul Exchange, tributed for Cyber Dragon to get Card Trooper off the field, then set two back row cards. He lost Phoenix Wing Wind Blast to Dale’s Dust Tornado in the end phase.
Dale summoned Snipe Hunter, ditched Nobleman of Crossout to destroy Cyber Dragon, and attacked directly. Wang topdecked Hydrogeddon next turn, and had no problem admitting it: “Please write that down. Make it clear that I sacked Dale.” Wang laughed, attacked, pulled another Hydro and hit directly.
But Dale fired back next turn. He summoned Zombie Master, activated Card of Safe Return, and dumped another Master to bring it up and draw. One Master took out one Hydrogeddon, but the other was stopped by Enemy Controller. Hydrogeddon attacked and destroyed it next turn, Wang brought out his third Hydrogeddon and set one spell or trap, unable to attack over the other Master.
Dale discarded Il Blud to special summon his second Zombie Master again, drawing in the process. He then discarded his third Master to his second, special summoning it and drawing once more! “Jerry, man, did you draw a Mirror Force? You’re definitely the type of guy to draw Mirror Force.” Dale played a second Card of Safe Return, discarded, and special summoned Pyramid Turtle, but Wang responded to Pyramid Turtle’s summon with Torrential Tribute!
“Wow.” Dale still got to draw two, and set one spell or trap. Wang hit with Reaper, forcing Dale to discard Brain Control, then set Bottomless Trap Hole and lost it to Dust Tornado. Dale set a spell or trap, Reaper hit direct, and Wang set Enemy Controller. He used it to block a shot from Breaker next turn. Wang topped Heavy Storm, turned Reaper to defense, and Dale set a spell or trap while turning Breaker to attack.
Wang activated Soul Exchange, tributing Dale’s face down for Zaborg, and destroying Breaker with the Monarch’s effect. Wang ended, Dale set a third face down card, and took 2400 from Zaborg next turn. He set a monster, Wang attacked it, and it was Pyramid Turtle. Dale used its effect to special summon another Turtle, and Wang set a monster in main phase 2 to finish his turn. Dale flipped Card of Safe Return activated Book of Life, and brought back Il Blud, drawing and removing Wang’s Cyber Dragon from his graveyard.
Il Blud was normal summoned again and Bellido brought up Spirit Reaper with its effect, drawing with Card of Safe Return again. It was risky — Bellido had only 900 life points remaining. Still, he activated Lightning Vortex to leave Wang with just one set monster. Il Blud attacked it, Magician of Faith, and Wang got Heavy Storm back with its effect. Turtle hit directly, and Reaper attacked next. Wang shuffled his hand but Dale still managed to discard Heavy Storm! Play was to Wang.
He summoned Snipe Hunter, discarded Thestalos with priority, and targeted one of Dale’s two set spell or trap cards. Dale debated activating it, burying his face in his arms as he thought. He was fearing Premature Burial big time, but chained Crush Card Virus! Wang lost Snipe Hunter and his in-hand Cyber Dragon, and, since he knew next turn Il Blud would bring back a big hitter for Dale, he scooped.
Dale Bellido wins the first duel, all on the power of Il Blud!
Wang opened the second duel moments later, setting a card to each zone. Dale activated Card of Safe Return, summoned Zombie Master, and discarded Pyramid Turtle to try and special summon it — Wang discarded Enemy Controller for Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, bouncing away Zombie Master, interrupting its effect, and keeping Dale from drawing! Dale just had to pass.
Wang flip summoned Spirit Reaper and attacked next turn, forcing Dale to discard Creature Swap. Wang set a spell or trap, and next turn Dale tried to activate Book of Life, but remembered Wang had no monster in his graveyard. He summoned Zombie Master, attacked, and Wang debated his response before eventually deciding to take the damage. Dale ended his turn with a set card to his back row.
Enemy Controller let Wang tribute his Reaper to take Dale’s Zombie Master. He discarded his Hydrogeddon to bring the Reaper back, attacked with Reaper, and Dale was forced to discard his last in-hand card, Return from the Different Dimension! Zombie Master attacked, and, in main phase 2, Wang tributed it for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch.
Dale flipped his set Book of Life, drew for Card of Safe Return as he special summoned Pyramid Turtle, and removed Hydrogeddon from Wang’s graveyard. Turtle crashed into Thestalos, Dale special summoned Ryu Kokki from his deck, and it traded off with Thestalos in battle. He activated another Book of Life in main phase 2, removing the Thestalos from Wang’s graveyard and special summoning Zombie Master. He drew for Card of Safe Return, discarded Breaker the Magical Warrior to bring out Pyramid Turtle in defense, and drew again. He set his topdecked card and ended.
A set monster was placed beside Spirit Reaper, which went to defense mode. Dale attacked with Zombie Master, revealing and destroying Wang’s Treeborn Frog, and ended. Treeborn came back next turn, Wang tributed it for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, destroyed Pyramid Turtle with Zaborg’s effect, and attacked into Mirror Force.
Dale discarded Bazoo the Soul-Eater for Zombie Master next turn, but D.D. Crow removed his targeted Pyramid Turtle. He set a card to each zone. Treeborn came back, Wang tributed it for Raiza the Storm Monarch, bounced Dale’s set monster, and ran over Zombie Master. Dale drew, set his monster again, and Wang took back his Frog yet again.
Wang passed without attacking, not wanting to send Raiza into another Pyramid Turtle. Dale passed back, Wang set a spell or trap card, and Dale activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy it — Torrential Tribute. Dale drew, set another spell or trap, and Wang set Sangan. He was holding a second D.D. Crow.
Play was to Dale who tributed his set Sangan for Il Blud! It searched out Pyramid Turtle from his deck, and Dale activated Book of Life. “Do you have a D.D. Crow?”
“Target?”
“Zombie Master.”
Wang thought about the situation, and then activated D.D. Crow to remove Zombie Master. He still lost his Zaborg the Thunder Monarch to Book of Life’s effect. Dale attacked the face down monster Wang controlled, Sangan, and Wang pulled Snipe Hunter from his deck. Slowly but surely, he was closing the trap around Bellido.
He summoned Snipe Hunter next turn, passed priority, and discarded Cyber Dragon to target Dale’s face down spell or trap. It missed. A discard of Mystic Tomato destroyed it though — Dust Tornado. Reaper went to attack mode, Raiza attacked over Il Blud, Reaper made Dale discard Pyramid Turtle, and Snipe hit directly. Dale drew, set his topdecked spell or trap, and ended. Wang topdecked Mystical Space Typhoon, activated it, and Bellido packed it in.
This match was going to a third game!
Dale opened by summoning Giant Rat and placing a spell or trap card face down. Wang set a monster, Dale attacked it, and it was Mystic Tomato. Wang searched out Sangan. He activated Soul Exchange, tributed Rat for Raiza, and lost the Monarch to Pulling the Rug. Next turn Dale flipped his set Card of Safe Return, activated Premature Burial to bring back Giant Rat, drew, and attacked through Sangan. Wang grabbed Snipe Hunter with its effect and Bellido passed.
Premature Burial got Sangan back for Wang, and he tributed it for Raiza the Storm Monarch, sending Giant Rat back to the top of Dale’s deck. This time he fetched Treeborn Frog with Sangan, then attacked directly for 2400 damage. He ended with nothing set, drawing a happy little hoot from Bellido.
He summoned Giant Rat in an instant, and activated Creature Swap to trade it for Raiza. Raiza attacked it, Giant Rat pulled Pyramid Turtle, and Turtle attacked directly. Bellido set a card to his spell and trap zone. Wang summoned Snipe Hunter, discarded Treeborn Frog, and destroyed Raiza. He discarded Hydrogeddon next but missed on Pyramid Turtle. He discarded another Hydrogeddon and that one took the Turtle down. He discarded Morphing Jar next, targeting and destroyed Card of Safe Return. Snipe Hunter attacked directly, and Wang lost his last card, a set Call of the Haunted, in his end phase to Dust Tornado.
Dale summoned Zombie Master, activated Book of Life to bring back Pyramid Turtle and removed Wang’s Treeborn Frog. He discarded Spirit Reaper for Zombie Master, bringing Reaper out in defense, and rammed Turtle into Snipe Hunter. It pulled Il Blud, Blud ran over Snipe Hunter, and Zombie Master attacked directly. Wang was now down to topdecking. It didn’t look good.
Next turn he drew Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, and he revealed Thestalos instantly and gave Dale the handshake. Dale Bellido is going to the Top 4!