You may remember Kyle from his feature match yesterday, but Jordan is likely to be a new face for most readers. Jordan is playing the only Gadget deck to make Day 2 of the event, and he’s doing it with the aid of Banisher of the Radiance. Banisher has the potential to completely obliterate Kyle’s Destiny Hero beatdown strategy but, as we saw last round, just because the cards are there doesn’t mean they’ll fall your way.

Jordan won the roll and started things off with Confiscation to reveal Snatch Steal, Brain Control, Pot of Avarice, Ring of Destruction, and Destiny Hero — Malicious! Destiny Draw was quickly pitched, and Jordan set a spell or trap before passing. Kyle did likewise, and play was back to Jordan who simply added a second spell or trap to his zone. Kyle mimicked the play once again, and Jordan simply passed his next turn. Once again, Kyle duplicated the (lack of) play, and finally Jordan did something he couldn’t copy.

Jordan summoned Red Gadget to fetch a Yellow one and attacked for 1300. Kyle used Brain Control on the Gadget and tributed it to set his Malicious before activating Metamorphosis to tribute him and bring out Ryu Senshi. Jordan had to read the entire effect of Ryu Senshi, and he followed up by taking his attack. It was Jordan’s turn again, and he activated Heavy Storm to destroy his own Pulling the Rug and Shrink, along with Kyle’s Torrential Tribute and Ring of Destruction. Cyber Dragon came down next and was joined by a Yellow Gadget (fetching Green). Cyber Dragon beat up the Senshi and Yellow Gadget hit directly before Jordan set a spell or trap, activated Swords of Revealing Light, and passed. Kyle thumbed through his graveyard before summoning Snipe Hunter and activated its effect, pitching Dasher to target Cyber Dragon. Cyber Dragon was destroyed, and he tried again to destroy Swords of Revealing Light. The die appeared to land on 1, but it fell over on to 3 and Swords was gone. Snipe Hunter swung over the Gadget, and Kyle passed to Jordan, who summoned Banisher of the Radiance and attacked. Kyle now brought out his second Malicious and activated Snatch Steal to steal Banisher! Solemn Judgment blocked the spell and Kyle tributed his Malicious to set a monster.

Green Gadget came down for Jordan to fetch out his other Red Gadget, and he activated Nobleman of Crossout to remove Kyle’s final Malicious. Jordan’s monsters swung across for 3000, and Jordan set a spell or trap. Kyle called for a rip, but only found Disk Commander, scooping shortly thereafter.

Both players side decked and shuffled extensively as they joked about previous regionals they had attended. Kyle was up first for game 2, and he started with nothing! Jordan simply set a spell or trap, and Kyle found Elemental Hero Stratos. Stratos fetched out Disk Commander and tried a direct attack, hitting successfully! Kyle had to discard down to 6 at the end of the turn, and he pitched the Commander to do so. Jordan was up, and he summoned Green Gadget, fetching Red. Smashing Ground blew Stratos away and the Gadget was free to attack directly. Cyber Dragon and Card Trooper came down for Kyle, and he pumped his Trooper losing Malicious, Destiny Draw, and Snipe Hunter to the graveyard to do so. Kyle went to his calculator for some answers, brought a new Malicious into play in attack position, and used Brain Control to steal the Gadget and attack with everything for game! Kyle Hintze goes from passing his first turn to winning in one turn as Jordan Nasser can’t get anything going!

Jordan was up first for the third game, and he started off with Yellow Gadget to fetch a Green one. The Gadget was joined by a face down spell or trap, and Kyle was up. Kyle started with Destiny Draw, discarding Fear Monger, and then set his hand down to think. He pulled out the calculator, and everyone at the table collectively sighed. Heavy Storm blew away Jordan’s Bottomless Trap Hole, and Kyle summoned Card Trooper knocking three cards into the graveyard to pump it over Yellow Gadget. He set a spell or trap and passed back to Jordan, who pondered the events of the previous turn. He summoned Green Gadget to search out Red Gadget and attacked into the Card Trooper before setting a spell or trap and passing. Cyber Dragon came down for Kyle followed by Snatch Steal on the Gadget. He then flipped Royal Decree and tributed both monsters for Dark Magician of Chaos. The Magician brought Premature Burial back to his hand, and he continued on by playing it to bring back Card Trooper. Both monsters attacked, and Jordan was dropped to 2600!

Jordan needed a huge comeback, and he flipped his set Lightning Vortex! Banisher of the Radiance came down next, and Jordan attacked before setting a spell or trap and passing. Kyle simply set a spell or trap and passed over to Jordan who summoned Drillroid and swung across for 3200 total. He added a second spell or trap to his field and passed over to Kyle, who flipped Mystical Space Typhoon destroying a useless Torrential Tribute! Sangan came down for Kyle followed by Brain Control on Drillroid. The misplay of not summoning Banisher down before using Lightning Vortex had cost Jordan, as Kyle had just drawn into Limiter Removal and he used it to pump Drillroid to 3200 and attack over Banisher and with Sangan for exactly game! Kyle Hintze pulls through to advance to the semifinals, where he has a 3 out of 4 chance to go home with another Crush Card Virus!