These two duelists go way back. Leonhardt plays for Team Enigma, while Haynes plays for two teams: Madness and Dynasty.

“We’ve been good friends,” remarked Leonhardt as both players shuffled up. “I almost feel like I’m playing my son and him, since my son helped him build his deck before this. It’s like, ‘thanks Lance!’” Kirk gave a chuckle and Haynes laughed.

Play began, and Leonhardt won the opening roll. “Five,” he announced, taking his opening hand. “Draw to six.” He played meticulously from the get-go, sorting his hand quickly and considering his options. He set Big Bang Shot as a bluff and then passed. “I’m gonna say ‘go’, Rich.” Haynes activated Reinforcement of the Army, searched his deck for Don Zaloog, and summoned it for an attack. Leonhardt was forced to discard, but not before checking his down as another small bluff. “I’ll take it.” The card discarded was Banisher of the Radiance, and Leonhardt dropped to 6600 life points. Haynes set two spells or traps, and his turn ended.

“My draw” announced Leonhardt. He activated Dimensional Fissure and summoned D.D. Survivor, then Haynes took a moment to check his set cards. “Sure.” Leonhardt thought for a moment, checked the Big Bang Shot again, and attacked with the Survivor. Haynes activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy the Fissure, but he had no Sakuretsu Armor for the follow-up: Don was destroyed! Haynes dropped to 7600 life points and Leonhardt flipped Big Bang Shot in main phase 2 to end his turn.

“Can I read it?” asked Haynes.

“Absolutely.” Leonhardt had actually been coaching Haynes on potential misplays due to weird card interactions his deck could produce before the match. Pretty noble. Haynes finished reading Bang Shot, shook his head a bit, and drew.

“Special summon Cyber Dragon, tribute it for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch.” D.D. Survivor was destroyed. Premature Burial then brought back Don Zaloog for Haynes, and he attacked with both. Leonhardt dropped to 2800—things really didn’t seem to be going his way so far. Haynes still had 6800 life points remaining, and Don forced Leonhardt to discard a Zaborg of his own.

Play was to Leonhardt, who had another Zaborg, D.D. Survivor, and Morphing Jar in his hand once he drew. He set the Jar—his only decent move—and ended. Haynes seemed to read it, setting a third card to his back row and summoning Mystic Tomato. The Zaloog and Tomato would be just enough, so Leonhardt conceded the first duel.

Both competitors began side decking, and neither opted to smokescreen.

“You ready? Have a good game.” Leonhardt and Haynes shook hands as the second, and potentially final, duel began.

“Five, draw to six,” announced Leonhardt. He set Ring of Destruction and ended, his only monster being Breaker the Magical Warrior. Haynes nailed him with Confiscation, revealing Big Bang Shot, Breaker, Book of Moon, Enemy Controller, and Dimensional Fissure. “I want to take this,” he said, tapping Breaker. “But I know later on I’ll wish I’d gotten rid of this,” he indicated the Fissure. After a few moments of thought, he discarded Breaker the Magical Warrior anyways. He set a card to each zone and passed.

Leonhardt drew into Cyber Dragon and special summoned it. He activated Dimensional Fissure and attacked, prompting Haynes to respond with Mirror Force. Book of Moon turned the Dragon face down on the chain to keep it on the field and Leonhardt ended. Haynes drew, flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, and drew for its effect. He summoned Exiled Force, tributed it to destroy the Dragon and attacked for 1400 with the Dekoichi. “I’ll take it,” stated Leonhardt. It was 6600 to 7000, and Haynes set two back-row cards.

Graceful Charity came off the top for Leonhardt, who activated it immediately. It got him Giant Trunade, Zaborg, and Big Bang Shot: he still didn’t have a monster. His other two cards were Enemy Controller and another Big Bang Shot, so he discarded Zaborg the Thunder Monarch and one of the Bang Shots. Things just were not working. Haynes had Dekoichi out, two cards in his back row, and two more in his hand. Leonhardt activated Big Bang Shot, attaching it to Dekoichi. He activated Giant Trunade to remove the Dekoichi from the game, but it was a costly move—the Dekoichi was removed from play, but it had already drawn Haynes a card in the meantime. It was four cards to four, and Leonhardt set the Ring again.

Haynes summoned Sangan, and attacked for a grand. He set one back-row card and Leonhardt was up. He drew into Return from the Different Dimension! He activated Dimensional Fissure, but didn’t set the Return. He needed to remove more monsters from the game, and didn’t want to risk losing his one shot at winning this early.

Sangan swung for another 1000, and Leonhardt flipped Ring of Destruction to destroy it and remove it from the game. Haynes didn’t get its effect since it was removed and never hit the graveyard. He set a monster and ended. Leonhardt set a spell or trap, passed back, and Haynes summoned Don Zaloog. Don attacked, and Leonhardt flipped Gravity Bind! The attack was stopped. “That won you the first game, that card.” Haynes passed.

Business was picking up a bit. Leonhardt summoned D.D. Survivor, but now he had no way to unlock the field. “Go.” Haynes drew and switched Don to defense, clearly in the lock for the long haul. “Go ahead.” Leonhardt drew, hitting another Survivor, and summoned it too! “Go.” Haynes activated Graceful Charity and activated it, discarded Pot of Avarice, and then thought about his second discard. He took some serious time considering his move before finally discarding Last Will. He set another monster and ended, still unable (or unwilling) to break the lock.

“Can I see your graveyard?” asked Haynes.

“Yes, any time, feel free.” Leonhardt had drawn and quickly decided to pass his turn. For once, his opponent was actually playing slower than he was. Haynes was in quite the conundrum, and summoned Asura Priest. He activated Creature Swap, trading away the Priest and taking D.D. Survivor! Haynes ended, kept the Survivor, and took back his Priest. Leonhardt fired back with a set card to each zone and passed yet again.

Hayne’s side deck is light on spell and trap removal—while he’s running two Decrees, he probably didn’t side them in. It’s likely he rotated in his second Mobius the Frost Monarch, leaving him with two Mobius, Breaker, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Heavy Storm, but it seemed like he just wasn’t drawing them. He set a card to each zone and passed.

Leonhardt flip summoned The Immortal of Thunder, gaining 3000 life points! So long as Dimensional Fissure was on the field Leonhardt would be safe from the drawback portion of The Immortal’s effect, and Leonhardt went up to 7600 life points while Haynes had 6000! “Go,” invited Leonhardt, now in the lead. 27 minutes remained in the round.

Haynes tributed his set Mystic Tomato for Mobius the Frost Monarch, targeting Gravity Bind and Dimensional Fissure! But Leonhardt chained his set Enemy Controller, tributing The Immortal of Thunder to get it out of play before Fissure was destroyed and taking control of Mobius! Still, Haynes traded his pilfered D.D. Survivor for Leonhardt’s to end his turn, and he took back his Mobius.

Leonhardt activated Reinforcement of the Army and searched his deck for his last D.D. Survivor. He activated Swords of Revealing Light and Haynes was forced to flip his set Spirit Reaper. Leonhardt then set two spell and trap cards before passing. Heavy Storm would wreck him.

Haynes summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, and broke the Swords. Ouch. Leonhardt had Return from the Different Dimension set, but that was his key offensive play, not a defensive one as he might be forced to use it. After some brief thought, he did indeed activate it, dropping down to 3800 LP. He brought out everything in defense position, but Haynes flipped Bottomless Trap Hole to remove all of Leonhardt’s monsters from play! “Do you wish to respond?”

“Do I wish to respond,” mused Leonhardt. “I wish to cry.” Leonhardt laughed and offered Haynes the handshake with a smile. “You’re gonna go all the way!”

“What did you side?”

“Just stall,” answered Leonhardt. “Something to give me a chance at sticking around a bit.” He revealed Gravity Bind and Magic Cylinder. Haynes revealed what he had rotated in: the Asura Priest and the second Mobius.

Richard Haynes moves on to the semi-finals, taking Creature Swap Control to the Top 4!