Feature Match Top 16: "Pro" Ming Wong (Evilswarm) vs Carl Vanhaelemeersch (Geargia)

Good morning, Duelists! Yesterday’s dust has settled, we’ve had a good night of sleep and we’re good to go again. We’re moving into the elimination part of this year’s National Championship with the top 32 players. Just who will win and who will lose? Keep your eyes peeled, because we’re in for a real treat!

Kicking off day 2 we have Carl Vanhaelemeersch running Geargia playing against Ho-Ming Wong, who we saw in yesterday’s last Feature Match. They were both successful yesterday, but only one of them will get the opportunity to move into the top 8. It’s time to Duel!

Ho-Ming won the first dice roll of the day, kicking this Day 2 off with 3 set cards. Carl drew and set a monster and 2 cards. Ho-Ming’s turn again, and he passed. Carl flipped up his Geargiarmor, which got hit by fiendish Chain. He summoned Geargiano MK-II, and activated its effect, to which Ho-Ming chained Maxx “C”. Geargiano came down on Carl’s field, and he Xyz Summoned Ghostrick Alucard, who was immediately sent back to the Extra Deck due to Ho-Ming’s Compulsory evacuation Device. Carl set a new card and ended his turn.

Ho-Ming played Reinforcement of the Army to search out Evilswarm Castor, and Carl activated Mind Crush to discard it. Ho-Ming then summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh, which attacked over Geargiarmor. Ho-Ming set 2 new cards before ending his turn. Carl attempted to activate Geargiagear in the End Phase, but Ho-Ming had Wiretap!

Carl had Dark Hole, which he activated! Ho-Ming Chained Safe Zone, protecting Thunder King Rai-Oh. Carl then Summoned Geargiarsenal, tributing it to get out Geargiarmor, which got flipped face-down. Ho-Ming attacked it with Rai-Oh to flip it face-up, set 1 new card, and ended his turn.

Carl drew and set a card, then flipped Geargiarmor face-down. Ho-Ming played Soul Charge, reviving Evilswarm Castor. He Normal Summoned Evilswarm Kerykeion, and Carl flipped Needle Ceiling! Ho-Ming made sure none of monsters would get destroyed using Infestation Pandemic. The 2 Evilswarms were stacked for Lavalval Chain, who got hit by Fiendish chain when he tried to activate his effect.

Carl drew, set a card and passed his turn. Ho-Ming did the same, but in the End Phase Carl had Geargiagear, which got negated by Solemn Warning. Carl simply passed his turn. Ho-Ming summoned Evilswarm Helitotrope, and used it to kill Geargiarmor. Carl drew Mind Crush and set it. Ho-Ming Summoned Evilswarm Mandragora and attacked with both his Evilswarm Monsters. He then stacked them to form Diamond Dire Wolf, who tributed himself to destroy Fiendish Chain. Lavalval Chain then put Rescue Rabbit on the top of the deck.

Carl drew and set. Mind Crush discarded Rescue Rabbit in the Draw Phase, so Ho-Ming just attacked directly with Lavalval. Carl Summoned  Geargiaccelerator, attacked and  ran into Dimensional Prison, but Carl saved his Monster by chaining Book of Moon to flip it face-down, after which he set 1 card.

Ho-Ming attacked Geargiaccelerator with Thunder King Rai-Oh, Lavalval direct, leaving Carl at only 100 Life Points. Carl drew for his turn and scooped up his cards.

Ho-Ming controlled the game with a well-protected Thunder King Rai-Oh and a wide array of Trap Cards! Both players took out their Side Decks, and only a few minutes later we were ready for the second game of the Match.

Carl started this game by setting 4 cards! Ho-Ming remained calm and proceeded to Summon Ice Hand! He attacked with it, which went through. Ho-Ming then set 2 cards, and Dust Tornado destroyed Torrentialm tribute in the End Phase. After this, Carl used Geargiagear to go into Geargiano and Geargiano MK-II.

In his turn, Carl stacked his Monsters to summon Number 50: Blackship of Corn, who got hit by Bottomless Trap Hole! Carl then set a Monster and passed the turn.

Ho-Ming Normal Summoned Evilswarm Heliotrope, and he got saved from Bottomless Trap Hole by Infestation Pandemic. Heliotrope attacked Geargiarmor, whose effect got Carl Geargiaccelerator. Ice Hand’s attacked was stopped by Fiendish Chain. Ho-Ming Xyz Summoned Lavalval Chain in Defence Mode, whose effect put Rescue Rabbit on the top of Ho-Ming’s Deck.

Carl drew his third Geargiaccelerator! He summoned Geargiano MK-II, which brought back Geargiano, after which Carl Special Summoned Geargiaccelerator, and proceeded to overlay his geargianos for Soul of Silvermountain. Another Accelerator came down, and Carl overlaid for Gear Gigant X! He added Accelerator from the Graveyard to his hand.
Soul of Silvermountain attacked over Lavalval Chain, and its effect brought back Geargirmor. Gear Gigant X attacked directly, and Geargiarmor got flipped face-down.

Ho-Ming summoned Rescue Rabbit, whose effect Special Summoned 2 copies of Evilswarm Heliotrope from the Deck, which were used to Xyz Summon Evilswarm Exciton Knight, whose effect whipped out the field. Gear Gigant X’s effect Special Summoned Geargiano, who then got destroyed by battle.

Carl Normal Summoned Geargiarsenal, and Special Summoned 2 Geargiaccelerators from his hand. He then proceeded to overlay his 2 Accelerators for Gear Gigant X, who attacked over Evilswarm Exciton Knight, after which Geargiarsenal attacked directly. In Main Phase 2 Gear Gigant took back Geargiano MK-II, Geargiarsenal got tributed for Geargiarmor, who then got flipped face-down.

Ho-Ming drew and summoned Evilswarm Kerykeion, whose effect allowed him to banish Evilswarm Exciton Knight, and get back and summon Evilswarm Heliotrope. He overlaid his Monsters overlay for Evilswarm Bahamut! This allowed Ho-Ming to discard Evilswarm Mandragora and take control of Gear Gigant X, which attacked Geargiarmor, allowing Carl to search for Geargiarsenal. Bahamut attacked directly, leaving Carl with 3250 Life Points.

MK-II got back Geargiano, and Carl overlaid his monsters for Wind-Up Zenmaines, which attacked Gear Gigant X. Carl set a card and took out Evilswarm Bahamut in the End Phase.

Ho-Ming had Fire Hand! It attacked Zenmaines, which then got destroyed by Gear Gigant X. Ho-Ming set a new card and ended his Turn.

Geargiarsenal came down, it attacked Gear Gigant X, and Carl had Book of Moon to take it down. Gear Gigant X’s effect kicked in, getting back Geargiano, who got tributed to get back Geargiaccelerator. Carl tributed Geargiarsenal to Summon Geargiarmor from his Deck, and flipped it face-down.

Ho-Ming summoned Evilswarm Castor, overlaid it with Fire Hand to Xyz Summon Number 82: Heartlanddraco, and Carl offered him the handshake.

This match goes back and forth in a spectacular way, but Ho-Ming manages to take Carl down in the end, advancing to the Top 8!