Jesus Barrios from San Diego, California and Edwin Strom from Middletown, New Jersey both made it into the Top 32 with 9-2 records, and now they’re facing off against one another in this Top 32 Feature Match! Barrios is using the only Fiendsmith Rescue-ACE Deck in the Top 32, while Strom is running a Bystial Fiendsmith Maliss Deck. One of these Duelists will advance to the Top 16. The other will be eliminated. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Strom started off the first Duel by activating Terraforming to add Maliss in Underground from his Deck to his hand.

He activated it to banish Maliss <P> Chessy Cat from his Deck and paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon the Chessy Cat. He activated the Chessy Cat’s effect, and Barrios Chained the effect of Mulcharmy Fuwalos from his hand. Strom banished Maliss <P> Dormouse from his hand and drew 2 cards. He Special Summoned Dormouse by paying 300 Life Points and then used Dormouse’s effect on the field to banish Maliss <P> White Rabbit from his Deck. He paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon the White Rabbit and used its effect to Set Maliss <C> GWC-06 from his Deck to his field. Next, he used White Rabbit to Link Summon Link Decoder, allowing Barrios to draw a card from the effect of Fuwalos. Since he drew a card, Strom was able to activate the effect of Droll & Lock Bird, preventing Strom from drawing any more cards with the effect of his Fuwalos during the turn. Strom continued his turn by sending his 3 monsters to the Graveyard to Link Summon Maliss <Q> White Binder. He activated the effects of White Binder and Link Decoder. He banished Chessy Cat from his Graveyard with White Binder’s effect and Special Summoned the Link Decoder. Next, he used White Binder’s effect to Set Maliss <C> TB-11 from his Deck to his field and then activated it by immediately by banishing his White Binder. He Summoned White Rabbit from his Deck with its effect, and then used his banished White Binder’s effect to Special Summon it back by paying 900 Life Points. He used Link Decoder and White Rabbit as Link Materials to Link Summon Moon of the Closed Heaven and then used Moon as a Link Material to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem. He Tributed the Requiem to Special Summon Lacrima the Crimson Tears from his Deck and used its effect to send Fiendsmith Engraver from his Deck to his Graveyard. He Special Summoned Engraver by returning Moon from his Graveyard to his Extra Deck and then used all 3 monsters on his field to Link Summon Maliss <Q> Hearts Crypter. He Set 2 more cards to his back row and then ended his turn.

Barrios drew Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and added it to his hand of RESCUE!, Reinforcement of the Army, Triple Tactics Talent, and 2 copies of Forbidden Droplet. He activated the Reinforcement of the Army to add Rescue-ACE Air Lifter from his Deck to his hand. He Normal Summoned Air Lifter and activated its effect. Strom Chained Infinite Impermanence, but Barrios Chained his Forbidden Droplet to send his Air Lifter to the Graveyard and negate the effects of Hearts Crypter and halve its ATK, allowing the effect of Air Lifter to resolve. He added EMERGENCY! from his Deck to his hand with Air Lifter’s effect and then activated it to Special Summon Rescue-ACE Hydrant from his Deck and then Tribute the Hydrant. He activated RESCUE! to Special Summon the Hydrant, and on its Summon, Strom flipped Maliss <Q> GWC-06 to Special Summon White Binder and gain 2300 Life Points. He used White Binder’s effect to banish White Rabbit from his own Graveyard and banish EMERGENCY! and Air Lifter from Barrios’s Graveyard. He used Rabbit’s effect to Special Summon the Rabbit and then used the Rabbit’s on-field effect to Set Maliss <C> MTP-07 from his Deck. He activated it by banishing his White Binder and Barrios negated the effect of MTP-07 with Ash Blossom. In a new Chain, Strom Special Summoned White Binder back from banishment by paying 900 Life Points and drew a card. Next, Strom activated the effect of Hearts Crypter to return his banished Chessy Cat to his Deck and banish Hydrant from the field. On resolution, he used his Lacrima’s effect in the Graveyard to Special Summon Requiem and then Tributed Requiem to Special Summon Lacrima. He used Lacrima’s effect to send Fiendsmith in Paradise from his Deck to his Graveyard. Barrios activated Triple Tactics Talent to draw Called by the Grave and Rescue-ACE Preventer. He activated Preventer’s effect to Special Summon it by banishing RESCUE! from his Graveyard. He attacked Crypter with Preventer to destroy it, dropping Strom down to 5750 Life Points.

But then Barrios looked at the field for a moment, and realized he couldn’t win. He conceded, and the Match moved on to the second Duel.

Duel Two

Barrios opened up Duel 2 with Rescue-ACE Hydrant, Forbidden Droplet, Rescue-ACE Preventer, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, and Artifact Lancea.

In his Draw Phase, Strom activated the effect of Mulcharmy Purulia, but Barrios negated its effect with Ash Blossom. Barrios Normal Summoned his Hydrant and used its effect to add Rescue-ACE Turbulence from his Deck to his hand. He used the Hydrant as a Link Material to Summon Relinquished Anima and then banished Hydrant from his Graveyard to Special Summon Preventer. He used his 2 monsters to Link Summon Moon of the Closed Heaven then used his Preventer’s effect to Special Summon his banished Hydrant. He used Moon as a Link Material to Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem and then Tributed Requiem to Special Summon Lacrima from his Deck. He used Lacrima’s effect to send Fiendsmith Engraver from his Deck to his Graveyard. He equipped Requiem to Lacrima and then tried to Special Summon Engraver from his Graveyard by returning Moon to his Extra Deck; but Strom Chained the effect of Bystial Baldrake to Special Summon it and banish the Engraver from the Graveyard. Next, Barrios sent Requiem and Lacrima to the Graveyard to Special Summon Necroquip Princess. He sent Necroquip and Hydrant to the Graveyard to Link Summon S:P Little Knight and used Little Knight’s effect to banish Baldrake. He Special Summoned Turbulence from his hand next by banishing 2 Rescue-ACE cards from his Graveyard and used its effect to Set EMERGENCY!, RESCUE!, CONTAIN!, and EXTINGUISH! from his Deck face-down to his field. He Set Forbidden Droplet next and then ended his turn.

Strom drew a card and Barrios activated the effect of Artifact Lancea in the Standby Phase. Strom used Book of Eclipse to put Turbulence face-down and after it resolved, Barrios flipped EMERGENCY!, prompting Strom to immediately concede.

A strong opening hand for Jesus Barrios allows him to take a quick victory in Duel 2 with his Fiendsmith Rescue-ACE Deck! The Match is going to a third and final Duel that will determine which Duelist advances to the Top 16!

Duel Three

Strom started off Duel 3 by Setting a card to his back row and Normal Summoning Maliss <P> Dormouse. He activated its effect, prompting Barrios to Chain the effect of the Rescue-ACE Impulse in his hand by Tributing it. He Special Summoned Rescue-ACE Fire Engine from his Deck with its effect and then Dormouse’s effect resolved to banish Chessy Cat from his Deck. He paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon the Chessy Cat and Barrios used his Fire Engine’s effect to Special Summon Air Lifter from his Deck. He used Air Lifter’s effect to add RESCUE! from his Deck to his hand. Strom used Chessy Cat’s effect to banish White Rabbit from his hand and draw 2 cards. He used White Rabbit’s effect to Special Summon it from banishment and then used its on-field effect to Set GWC-06 from his Deck. He sent Dormouse to the Graveyard to Link Summon Link Decoder and then used Decoder, Chessy Cat, and White Rabbit as Link Materials to Link Summon Maliss <Q> White Binder. He used the effects of White Binder and Link Decoder, Special Summoning the Decoder from his Graveyard, and banishing Impulse, Chessy Cat, and Dormouse from the Graveyards. He used Dormouse’s effect to Special Summon it by paying 300 Life Points, then used White Binder’s other effect to Set TB-11 from his Deck. He activated TB-11 by banishing White Binder, and Special Summoned White Rabbit with its effect. He then used White Binder’s effect by paying 900 Life Points to Special Summon it from banishment and draw a card. Strom sent Dormouse and White Rabbit to the Graveyard to Link Summon Moon of the Closed Heaven next, and then used Moon as a Link Material to Link Summon Requiem. He Tributed Requiem to Special Summon Lacrima from his Deck and used Lacrima’s effect to send Engraver from his Deck to his Graveyard. He activated the effect of The Bystial Lubellion by sending it from his hand to his Graveyard to add Bystial Magnamhut from his Deck to his hand. He Special Summoned the Magnamhut by banishing Rabbit from his Graveyard, then Tributed Magnamhut to Special Summon The Bystial Lubellion from his Graveyard. He used its effect to place Branded Regained from his Deck face-up in his Spell & Trap Zone. Next, he sent Link Decoder, Lubellion, and White Binder to the Graveyard to Link Summon Hearts Crypter. The Link Decoder was banished, and Strom used the effect of Regained to return Link Decoder from banishment to his Extra Deck and draw a card. He used Hearts Crypter’s effect to return White Rabbit from banishment to his Deck and banish Air Lifter. Next, he sent Lacrima and Hearts Crypter to the Graveyard to Link Summon A Bao A Qu, the Lightless Shadow, and then used A Bao A Qu’s effect by discarding Fiendsmith’s Tract. He banished A Bao A Qu and Special Summoned Dormouse from his Graveyard. He Special Summoned Engraver from his Graveyard next by returning Moon to his Extra Deck and then equipped his Requiem to the Engraver with Requiem’s effect in the Graveyard. He used Engraver’s effect to send Requiem and the Fire Engine to the Graveyard. With his field cleared, Barrios activated the effect of Mulcharmy Fuwalos. Strom Link Summoned I:P Masquerena next, allowing Barrios to draw a card thanks to Fuwalos. In the End Phase, Strom returned A Bao A Qu to his field and added Bystial Baldrake from his Deck to his hand with the effect of the Magnamhut that he activated earlier in the turn.

Barrios drew Fabled Lurrie and added it to his hand of Lacrima the Crimson Tears, EMERGENCY!, RESCUE!, and 2 copies of Fiendsmith Engraver. He Normal Summoned Lacrima and activated its effect, and Strom activated the effect of Branded Regained to try to Special Summon Magnamhut. Barrios Chained RESCUE! to Special Summon Fire Engine, and then the Magnamhut was Summoned. Lacrima sent an Engraver from Barrios’s Deck to his Graveyard, and in a new Chain, the effects of Fire Engine and Magnamhut activated. Fire Engine’s effect Special Summoned Hydrant from Barrios’s Deck. On its Summon, Strom activated the effect of the Lacrima in his Graveyard to Special Summon Requiem. He Tributed the Requiem to Special Summon Lacrima from his Deck and used Lacrima’s effect to send Fiendsmith in Paradise from his Deck to his Graveyard. Strom activated the effect of I:P Masquerena next, sending the Masquerena and Magnamhut to the Graveyard to Link Summon S:P Little Knight. He used the Little Knight’s effect to banish Lacrima and then used the effect of Branded Regained to return Lacrima to Barrios’s Deck and draw a card. After it resolved, Strom flipped GWC-06 and Special Summoned White Binder. He gained 2300 Life Points and used White Binder’s effect to banish Hearts Crypter and TB-11 from his own Graveyard, and banish Engraver from Barrios’s Graveyard. Next, Strom paid 900 Life Points to Special Summon Hearts Crypter from banishment with its effect. He flipped MTP-07 next to add White Rabbit from his Deck to his hand and banish the Hydrant. Barrios activated the effect of an Engraver in his hand next, and Strom Chained his Little Knight’s effect to try to banish White Binder and Fire Engine until the End Phase. Barrios Chained EMERGENCY! to Special Summon Preventer from his Deck and Tribute the Preventer. White Binder and Fire Engine were banished by the effect of Little Knight, and Engraver’s effect resolved to add Tract to Barrios’s hand. Barrios activated the effect of Preventer to Special Summon Impulse, Strom Chained White Binder’s effect to Special Summon the White Binder from banishment, and then Strom Chained the effect of Droll & Lock Bird since Barrios had added a Fiendsmith’s Tract from his Deck to his hand. In a new Chain, Strom activated the effect of Fiendsmith in Paradise in his Graveyard to send Fiendsmith’s Desirae from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard, then used Desirae’s effect to send Impulse to the Graveyard. Barrios Set a card to his back row, but in the End Phase, Strom used his Hearts Crypter’s effect to banish the face-down back row card. Fire Engine Returned in the End Phase due to Little Knight’s effect.

Strom drew a card and then used A Bao A Qu’s effect in the Standby Phase to draw 4 cards and return 4 cards from his hand to his Deck. In the Main Phase, he used White Binder’s effect to Set QWC-06 from his Graveyard. He used Lacrima to Link Summon Requiem and then Tributed Requiem to activate its effect. Barrios tried to use his Fire Engine’s effect, but lost out to Strom’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Strom Summoned Engraver from his Deck with Requiem’s effect, and then equipped it with Requiem by using Requiem’s effect in his Graveyard. He used Engraver’s effect to send Requiem and Fire Engine to the Graveyard, and then direct attacks from Engraver, A Bao A Qu, White Binder, Hearts Crypter, and Little Knight wiped out all of Barrios’s Life Points!

Edwin Strom is advancing to the Top 16 with his Bystial Fiendsmith Maliss Deck!