Two more rounds. Just two more rounds, and these Duelists could be qualified for the World Championship! This Match features Isaias Estrada, from Nampa, ID, playing Gem-Knights! He’s built his Deck to intentionally play second and end the Duel in a single massive turn, with plenty of new Gem-Knights from Battles of Legend: Monster Mayhem! He’s facing William Stockdale, from Nashville, TN, using a Maliss strategy! Maliss have proven time and again to be a powerful choice, but how will they handle the unique approach of Gem-Knights?

Duel 1

Estrada won the dice roll and chose to play second. He had a hand of Brilliant Fusion, Scatter Fusion, Gem-Knight Fusion, and two copies of Gem-Knight Nepyrim.

Stockdale began with a Set card in his back row.

Estrada drew Gem-Knight Quartz. In the Draw Phase, Stockdale flipped up Maliss <C> MTP-07 to add Maliss <P> Dormouse to his hand. Estrada Normal Summoned Nepyrim, using its effect to put Gem-Knight Dispersion in his hand. He activated Dispersion to add Gem-Armadillo to his hand, and Normal Summoned it thanks to Nepyrim’s effect. Armadillo’s effect put Gem-Knight Hollowcore in his hand. Stockdale activated two copies of Mulcharmy Fuwalos! Estrada was undaunted, activating Gem-Knight Fusion – he fused Hollowcore, Quartz, and Nepyrim from his hand into Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond! Stockdale drew two thanks to his Mulcharmy effects. Estrada used Lady Brilliant Diamond’s effect, sending Nepyrim from the field to the Graveyard, and Stockdale hit Lady Brilliant Diamond with Infinite Impermanence.

Estrada activated Brilliant Fusion, and Stockdale activated Dominus Impulse – Estrada negated it with Hollowcore’s effect in the Graveyard, increasing the ATK of his Gem-Knights in the process. Brilliant Fusion put Hollowcore, Nepyrim, and Quartz from his Deck into the Graveyard to Fusion Summon Gem-Knight Master Diamond Dispersion! He returned Gem-Knight Fusion to the hand by banishing Quartz. That gave him the Spell Card for Brilliant Fusion’s effect, boosting his Master Diamond Dispersion’s ATK. He moved to the Battle Phase, and thanks to the ATK boost from Hollowcore, he had enough to end the first Duel!

Duel 2

Stockdale chose to play first, despite know that this was what Estrada wanted. Estrada had Nepyrim, Mulcharmy Purulia, and… THREE copies of Forbidden Droplet! In the Draw Phase, Estrada activated Purulia’s effect.

Stockdale began with Triple Tactics Thrust to Set Different Dimension Ground! He Set one more card in his back row and passed the turn.

Estrada drew Hollowcore. He Normal Summoned Nepyrim and activated its effect, adding Gem-Knight Dispersion to his hand. Stockdale had Droll & Lock Bird, and he also flipped MTP-07 and Different Dimension Ground! Stockdale put Dormouse in his hand, and for the rest of the turn, monsters would be banished instead of hitting the Graveyard. Estrada Special Summoned Hollowcore by sending Gem-Knight Fusion from his Deck to the Graveyard. He played Dispersion next, fusing Quartz and a Nepyrim from his Deck (banishing them) into Lady Brilliant Diamond. He then used Hollowcore and Nepyrim to Link Summon Gem-Knight Phantom Quartz, paying 1000 Life Points to fuse his banished Nepyrim, Hollowcore, and Quartz into Master Diamond Dispersion! He tried to move to the Battle Phase, and Stockdale had Nibiru, the Primal Being! All the Gem-Knights were banished, and he got a 7100/5000 Primal Being Token in Defense Position. Estrada Set one of his Droplets to finish.

Stockdale Normal Summoned Dormouse, and Estrada negated it with Droplet, sending another Droplet to the Graveyard. When Stockdale activated Maliss in Underground, Estrada conceded, knowing he had nothing left to interrupt the Maliss combos!

Duel 3

Estrada got to choose this time, but would he choose to play second again, knowing his opponent is playing cards like Different Dimension Ground?

Yes, yes he would.

Estrada started with a hand of Mulcharmy Fuwalos, Mulcharmy Meowls, Scatter Fusion, Artifact Lancea, and Triple Tactics Talent.

Stockdale began by Normal Summoning Dormouse. He tried using the effect, but was shut down by Estrada’s Artifact Lancea. Stockdale Link Summoned Linguriboh, Set a back row card, and passed.

Estrada drew Shaddoll Fusion! He activated it, sending Nepyrim and Shaddoll Dragon to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon El Shaddoll Construct. Construct sent Nehshaddoll Genius to the Graveyard, Nepyrim returned to the field by sending Meowls to the Graveyard, and Shaddoll Dragon targeted Stockdale’s Maliss <C> GWC-06, which he Chained to revive Dormouse. Nepyrim then put Dispersion in Estrada’s hand. He activated Dispersion to add Armadillo to his hand, and Normal Summoned it with Nepyrim’s effect. Armadillo put Hollowcore in his hand.

He played Scatter Fusion, using it to send Quartz and Hollowcore from the Deck to the Graveyard and Fusion Summon Gem-Knight Lady Rose Diamond. He used Nepyrim and Armadillo to Link Summon Phantom Quartz, which put Quartz in his hand. He used Quartz’s effect to Set Brilliant Fusion, and activated it to send a Quartz, Gem-Armadillo, and Nepyrim to the Graveyard for Master Diamond Dispersion! He used Phantom Quartz’s effect, fusing two Quartz and a Nepyrim into Gem-Knight Master Diamond. He used Master Diamond Dispersion’s effect to bring Gem-Knight Ruby and Gem-Knight Topaz to the field. He used Ruby’s effect, Tributing Topaz to gain its ATK. Then, Master Diamond copied Topaz’s effect to attack twice! He moved to the Battle Phase, and his powered-up Gem-Knights attacked to send Estrada to the Top 8!