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Top 8 Feature Match:
Bryan Zepeda versus Ryan Newburn
Only eight Duelists remain in this tournament, and these two are both playing Lightsworn. Bryan Zepeda traveled here this weekend all the way from Hemet, California, while Ryan Newburn hails from Omaha, Nebraska. Both of these Decks are extremely similar, so this one should be a close match.
Ryan Newburn took the initiative and offered his opponent a handshake and a sincere wish of good luck. The kindness paid off, as he then won the right to start the match.
Newburn opened the match with “Charge of the Light Brigade,” “Wulf, Lightsworn Beast,” “Celestia, Lightsworn Angel,” “Foolish Burial,” “Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress,” and “Honest.” He activated Charge, sending “Mirror Force,” “Necro Gardna,” and “Honest” to his Graveyard to search his Deck for “Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid.” He Summoned it, ended his turn, and sent “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner” and “Beckoning Light” to his Graveyard.
Zepeda Set two cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone and ended. Newburn drew another copy of Celestia, attacked with Aurkus, and Zepeda took 1200 damage. Newburn then Tributed Aurkus for Celestia, sending “Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior,” Aurkus, Lumina, and “Plaguespreader Zombie” to the Graveyard to destroy “Threatening Roar.” Zepeda chained “Torrential Tribute” and Celestia was destroyed.
Zepeda Normal Summoned “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner,” attacked for 1000 damage, activated “Card of Safe Return,” and sent “Necro Gardna,” Wulf and Charge to his Graveyard in the End Phase. He Special Summoned Wulf and drew with “Card of Safe Return.”
Newburn Special Summoned “Judgment Dragon”! He destroyed everything on the field with the Dragon’s effect, Normal Summoned “Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress,” and attacked with her for 1700 damage. “Judgment Dragon” attacked but was blocked by “Necro Gardna.” Newburn then sent seven cards to his Graveyard in the End Phase – nothing of note was sent.
Zepeda Summoned “Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior” next turn, attacked “Judgment Dragon” in a bid to attack over it with “Honest,” but was stopped by “Necro Gardna.” Next turn Newburn Tributed his Lyla for “Celestia, Lightsworn Angel,” destroyed Garoth, and brought out Wulf with “Foolish Burial” for game!
Ryan Newburn ends Duel 1 in mere minutes, and both Duelists immediately started Side Decking. The pressure was on: Newburn was one Duel away from a trip to Tokyo, while Zepeda was one Duel away from being eliminated from this tournament.
Zepedea opened Duel 2 by Setting a single Monster Card. Newburn had “Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress,” “D.D. Crow,” “Honest,” “Torrential Tribute,” “My Body As A Shield,” and “Necro Gardna.” He Set “Necro Gardna,” Set “Torrential Tribute,” and ended. Zepeda Set one card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone to end.
Newburn drew “Charge of the Light Brigade,” but didn’t activate it. He didn’t want to destroy any copies of Wulf he might Special Summon with his own “Torrential Tribute.” Zepeda activated Charge himself next turn, sending “Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid,” “Threatening Roar,” and “Wulf, Lightsworn Beast” to the Graveyard. He searched his Deck for “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner,” Special Summoned Wulf, and Normal Summoned Lumina. He discarded “Plaguespreader Zombie” for her effect, Special Summoned Aurkus, and lost his field to “Torrential Tribute”! Each Duelist had Set “Necro Gardna” and each now had a copy in their Graveyard.
Zapeda ended. Newburn drew, activated Charge, and sent “Bottomless Trap Hole,” “Mirror Force,” and “Judgment Dragon” to the Graveyard to get Lumina. He Normal Summoned “Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress,” attacked for 1700 damage, and activated her effect in Main Phase 2 to destroy Zepeda’s face-down “Soul Release.” Newburn Set a Spell or Trap Card. In his End Phase he sent “Beckoning Light,” “Solar Recharge,” and “Celestia, Lightsworn Angel” to the Graveyard.
Zapeda activated “Brain Control” next turn, took control of Lyla, and then sent a card back to the top of his Deck to Special Summon “Plaguespreader Zombie.” He Tuned it to Lyla, Synchro Summoned “Goyo Guardian,” and attacked to drop Newburn to 5200 Life Points. A Set Spell or Trap ended the turn.
Newburn activated another Charge. He sent Aurkus, “Crush Card Virus,” and “Solar Recharge” to the Graveyard, searching “Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior.” He Normal Summoned Lumina, discarded Garoth, Special Summoned it, and attacked “Goyo Guardian” with Lumina: Newburn blew it away with “Honest” during damage calculation, then made a direct attack with Garoth. In the End Phase Newburn got a free draw with Garoth.
Zapeda Set another monster and didn’t look confident. Newburn discarded “Necro Gardna” next turn for Lumina’s effect, Special Summoned another Garoth, and attacked with his first copy. Zapeda had Set “Honest,” but Newburn had another “Honest.” The second Garoth and Lumina each made direct attacks, and Newburn got another free draw in his End Phase. He was getting low on in-Deck cards.
“Charge of the Light Brigade” got Zapeda a free copy of “Wulf, Lightsworn Beast,” and let him search for “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner.” He Summoned her, discarded “Solar Recharge” to try and bring back Aurkus, and lost out to “D.D. Crow.” Wulf attacked Lumina, Newburn stopped the attack with “Necro Gardna,” and Zapeda ended his turn, sending three cards to his Graveyad.
Newburn activated “Mystical Space Typhoon” from his hand, destroying another wasted “Solar Recharge” on Zapeda’s side of the field. Zapeda had just one “Necro Gardna” left. Newburn discarded to Special Summon another Lumina, sent a card back to his Deck to Special Summon “Plaguespreader Zombie,” and Synchro Summoned “Colossal Fighter” by Tuning the Zombie to his pair of Luminas. This both kept him from Decking out, and gave him a big attacker. The Fighter had 3100 ATK.
Newburn sent Garoth to attack Lumina, was stopped by “Necro Gardna,” and sent “Colossal Fighter” to attack her next – Gardna was removed to keep her on the field. Newburn ended. Zepeda activated “Charge of the Light Brigade” to search for “Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter,” Set it, and turned Lumina to Defense Position. Wulf attacked Garoth, Newburn removed another “Necro Gardna,” and play was to Newburn. Zepeda lost three more cards including “Judgment Dragon” in his End Phase.
Garoth took down Zepeda’s Lumina, and “Colossal Fighter” destroyed Wulf, leaving Zepeda at 650 Life Points. Zepeda activated “Monster Reborn,” Special Summoned “Goyo Guardian,” and Goyo attacked Garoth to destroy it! Zepeda took control of Garoth. He then Flip Summoned Ryko in Main Phase 2, trying to destroy Colossal, but lost out to “My Body As a Shield”! Ryko’s effect was negated and Ryko itself was destroyed. “Colossal Fighter” attacked over “Goyo Guardian” and Zepeda had just 350 Life Points remaining.
Zepeda passed. Newburn attacked Garoth and ended. Zepeda activated “Solar Recharge,” discarded Wulf, drew two cards and sent “Necro Gardna” to the Graveyard! He Set “Heavy Storm,” lost it to Newburn’s “Heavy Storm,” and blocked “Colossal Fighter” with “Necro Gardna.” Zepeda Set a monster and Newburn drew his last card in his Deck!
“Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid”! Newburn Summoned it, attacked with “Colossal Fighter,” and destroyed Zepeda’s face-down Garoth! That left Aurkus free to make a direct attack for game! Ryan Newburn is going to Tokyo!
reported by
Jason Grabher-Meyer
