Kirk Rowe is the reason for this feature match: when I did the Top 20 Table Review, his deck was one of the few real standouts. It’s one thing to mix Lightsworn and Dark Armed Dragon, but to add in Zombies too? I had to see this in action. Rowe is here today representing Team Xero Xchange, a group that has multiple representatives in contention here today.
His opponent is Steven Nichols, another TeleDAD duelist. You’ve seen Nichols in feature match coverage before, and today he’s playing to represent Team Hpnotic. He owes his side deck strategy to Russell Jessen. Nichols won the roll.
He opened the match with Allure of Darkness, drawing two and removing Snipe Hunter for Allure’s effect. He set a monster, set a spell or trap, and ended. “Your move.”
“Thank you.” Rowe had Plaguespreader Zombie, Mezuki, Burial From a Different Dimension, Solar Recharge, Dark Armed Dragon, and Book of Moon in his opening hand. He summoned Mezuki, attacked, and destroyed Nichols’ Sangan in battle; it fetched him D.D. Crow. Rowe set a card to his back row and finished his turn.
Another Allure for Rowe nabbed him two more cards in return for his Crow. He set another monster, set another spell or trap card, then contemplated setting a third before just ending. “Your move.” Rowe drew into Zombie Master. He summoned it, attacked with Mezuki, and struck Nichols’ face-down Spirit Reaper.
“Good show.”
“He’s my MVP of the day,” smiled Nichols.
“Your turn.” Rowe passed with a hand of Plaguespreader, Solar Recharge, Dark Armed Dragon, and Burial From a Different Dimension. Nichols pitched Destiny Hero – Malicious for Destiny Draw, activated Mystical Space Typhoon from his hand, and Rowe opted not to chain his targeted Book of Moon. “Interesting,” commented Nichols, who proceeded to activate Reinforcement of the Army, searching out Elemental Hero Stratos to summon him and get Destiny Hero – Doom Lord from his deck.
He followed it up with Emergency Teleport, seeking out and special summoning Krebons from his deck. “Why not? I drove twelve hours, why not go all out.” He Synchro summoned Goyo Guardian with Elemental Hero Stratos, attacked Zombie Master, and took it to his side of the field. “I’ll set one,” he set a spell or trap card “and end my turn.”
Rowe drew Zombie Master — no real help there, it was just another monster Goyo Guardian could run over. He sent it to attack the stolen Zombie Master and in response, Nichols flipped Crush Card Virus, tributing his Spirit Reaper! Rowe lost his two on-field monsters, plus his in-hand Dark Armed Dragon. With just Solar Recharge, Plaguespreader Zombie, and Solar Recharge in hand, this one seemed like a done deal. In main phase 2 he removed Mezuki to special summon Zombie Master, then activated Burial. That returned Mezuki to his graveyard, and he discarded Plaguespreader to bring it back to the field. He tried to Synchro summon Doomkaiser Dragon, but lost out to Solemn Judgment! All he had left was the Solar Recharge still in his hand, and the in-graveyard Mezuki.
Nichols removed Destiny Hero – Malicious from his graveyard to summon another from his deck in attack position. He turned Zombie Master to attack position, then special summoned Dark Armed Dragon! He discarded Destiny Hero – Doom Lord for Zombie Master’s effect, assumed control of Rowe’s other Zombie Master, and attacked for a combined total of 10,000 damage.
Steven Nichols utterly wrecks Kirk Rowe, as Rowe gets stuck with a ton of mismatched cards while Nichols slowly draws to a massive kill! Could Rowe’s hybrid Zombie Twilight deck pull this one out? Siding was quick on both sides.
Rowe opened with Giant Trunade, Monster Reborn, Zombie Master, two Charge of the Light Brigade, and Ehren, Lightsworn Monk — huge! He activated Charge, sent Solar Recharge, Torrential Tribute, and Jain, Lightsworn Paladin to his graveyard, searching out Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner. The second Charge sent Plaguespreader Zombie, Mezuki, and Burial From a Different Dimension to his graveyard, and got him Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress.
He proceeded to normal summon Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner, discarding Zombie Master to special summon Jain, Lightsworn Paladin with Lumina’s effect. He removed Mezuki from the graveyard to special summon Zombie Master, then discarded Ehren, Lightsworn Monk to special summon Plaguespreader with Zombie Master’s effect. He Tuned it to Jain, Lightsworn Paladin, Synchro summoned Goyo Guardian, and passed, sending Mezuki, Zombie Master, and Royal Decree to the graveyard with Lumina’s effect.
Nichols blasted him with Lightning Vortex next turn, discarding Scapegoat. Reinforcement of the Army got him D.D. Survivor!
“D.D. Survivor? Nice.” Nichols normal summoned him, attacked for 1800 damage, then set a single spell or trap. He flipped it next turn: Macro Cosmos.
“Can I just say you suck? Not being rude or anything.” Rowe grinned. He activated Giant Trunade, used Monster Reborn to special summon Goyo Guardian, then removed Mezuki to bring up Zombie Master. He discarded Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress for Zombie Master’s effect, summoned Plaguespreader Zombie, and Synchro summoned another Goyo Guardian. He then special summoned Judgment Dragon, his last card!
Goyo Guardian smashed D.D. Survivor and took control of him. The second Goyo made a direct attack, and Judgment Dragon attacked next. At the end of the turn he sent Royal Decree, Zombie Master, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Burial From a Different Dimension to the graveyard. The duel stood at 1200 life points to 6200, with Rowe leading. Nichols scooped it up a turn later.
Kirk Rowe fights back, overcoming Lightning Vortex to summon three enormous monsters and win the game via concession! More siding was done by both parties, though Nichols didn’t appear to side out of his Macro Cosmos strategy.
He did nothing but set a single spell or trap to begin the third game. Rowe had Zombie Master, Allure of Darkness, two Royal Decree, Burial, and Brain Control. He summoned Zombie Master, attacked for 1800 damage, and then set Royal Decree: he lost Zombie Master to Phoenix Wing Wind Blast in the end phase, and Nichols discarded Destiny Hero – Plasma.
He set one card to his back row, and then activated Dimensional Fissure. He ended, and Rowe flipped Royal Decree! He summoned Zombie Master again, attacked for 1800 damage, then set the other Decree to finish. Nichols was up.
Mystical Space Typhoon fell from his hand, targeting one Decree: Rowe chained the other, and Nichols chained Dust Tornado, not understanding that the first Decree’s existence on the field would negate his Dust Tornado! He lost the Tornado, Mystical Space Typhoon destroyed one Decree, and the second one was now active. Nichols had only three cards remaining in hand.
He summoned Snipe Hunter, and then activated Emergency Teleport to special summon Krebons. He Synchro summoned Goyo Guardian, and then attacked Zombie Master to remove it from play. He set one card to finish his turn.
“How many life points do you have?”
“4400.”
Rowe had Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner, Brain Control, Burial From a Different Dimension, and Allure of Darkness. He summoned Lumina, set Burial, set Brain, and activated Allure of Darkness; he drew Ehren, Lightsworn Monk and Giant Trunade, losing both. He really should have tried to wait out one more turn. He activated Brain Control, took control of Goyo Guardian, and then attacked with both to drop his opponent to 600 life points. In the end phase Lumina sent another Lumina, Zombie Master, and D.D. Crow from the top of Rowe’s deck to the removed from play area. Goyo Guardian smashed on Lumina.
Rowe drew another Zombie Master, and had to set it. Nichols summoned Exiled Force, tributed it to destroy the set Zombie Master, and attacked Goyo Guardian. Rowe had just 1600 life points remaining and he conceded next turn, when he drew a useless copy of Judgment Dragon.
Twilight Zombies fall short, but Steven Nichols moves on with a 6-1 record, just two victories away from a guaranteed seat in Day 2!