Round 1 Feature Match: Richard Clarke vs. Jonathan Weigle

Table 15
Richard Clarke (Disaster Dragon) vs. Jonathan Weigle (Fairy Agent)

Richard Clarke is a player who redefines the word dedication. Knowing him personally this reporter can tell you Clarke has been playing Dragons competitively since at least 2005, possibly even longer. Koa'ki Meiru Drago looks to be a very good anti-meta card this format so Clarke definitely has a chance to put Dragons on the map in this event.

However, Clarke has no easy task. His first round opponent was arguably the most consistent player last format. Jonathan Weigle finished 2nd at YCS Anaheim, and then followed that up with a Top 16 at YCS Orlando and Top 64 at the North American WCQ. Weigle seems to have decided a new format deserves a new deck though since he has dropped his beloved Gravekeeper deck in favor of Fairy Agents for the tournament! Will Weigle regret turning his back on his trustworthy Gravekeeper deck? Let's find out!

Game 1
Richard Clarke going first

Clarke sets a card to each zone to open the game, then passes.

Weigle summons The Agent of Mystery - Earth, who searches out The Agent of Creation - Venus. AoM - Earth attacks into a set Masked Dragon and Weigle takes 100 damage. In his Main Phase 2 Weigle activates Pot of Duality, revealing Genex Ally Birdman, Honest, and Master Hyperion; he keeps Master Hyperion. Weigle then sets a card to his backrow and ends.

Clarke: 8000
Weigle: 7900

Clarke turns Masked Dragon to attack next turn and swings of AoM - Earth for 400. He then sets 3 cards to his backrow and ends.

Clarke: 8000
Weigle: 7600

Weigle summons AoC - Venus next turn, paying 500 to use priority and special summon a Mystical Shine Ball from his deck in defense. Clarke has no response so Weigle pays another 500 to summon another Mystical Shine Ball from his deck. After the second Shine Ball is summoned Clarke decides to activate Burst Breath, tributing his Masked Dragon to destroy all 3 of Weigle's monsters. Weigle passes with no further plays.

Clarke: 8000
Weigle: 6600

Clarke sets a monster and ends.

Weigle summons AoM - Earth to add another AoC - Venus to his hand, then sets a backrow and ends.

Clarke sets 1 card to his backrow and ends.

Weigle summons Venus, and declares priority to pay 500 and special summon a Mystical Shine Ball from his hand; Clarke uses Bottomless Trap Hole to banish AoC - Venus. Weigle overlays Mystical Shine Ball with AoM - Earth to Xyz summon Gachi Gachi Gantetsu in defense, then ends.

Clever usage of The Agent of Creation - Venus allows Weigle to summon Gachi Gachi Gantetsu, buying him some time to set up future power plays!

Clarke: 8000
Weigle: 6100

Clarke sets a card to his backrow and passes.

Weigle banishes AoM - Earth from his graveyard to special summon Master Hyperion, but Clarke flips Solemn Warning to negate the summon. Weigle then banishes AoC - Venus from his graveyard to special summon another Master Hyperion but Clarke negates it with another Solemn Warning! Weigle then normal summons Thunder King Rai-Oh, who attacks over the set Red-Eyes Wyvern. Weigle ends with no further plays.

Weigle drops double Master Hyperion to weed out Clarke's Trap Cards, then summons Thunder King Rai-Oh to put the game on lock. Would Clarke be able to recover in time?

Weigle: 6100
Clarke: 4000

Clarke activates Monster Reborn next turn to special summon Masked Dragon in defense, then passes.

Weigle attacks over the Masked Dragon with Thunder King Rai-Oh and Clarke special summons Totem Dragon to the field in defense. Weigle ends his turn.

Clarke's Masked Dragon allows him to stay in the game, giving him time to dig for answers.

Clarke normal summons Delta Flyer next turn, using priority to increase Totem Dragon by a level with Flyer's effect; Weigle chains Bottomless Trap Hole to banish Delta Flyer and Clarke chains Mystical Space Typhoon to Bottomless, targetting Weigle's other set backrow. The backrow is revealed as Book of Moon, which is chained to turn Totem Dragon face-down. Delta Flyer is banished and Clarke passes his turn.

Weigle Normal Summons AoC - Venus next turn. Venus attacks over the set Totem Dragon and Rai-Oh connects directly for 2300 (boosted by Gach Gachi Gantetsu's effect). Weigle ends with no further plays.

Weigle: 6100
Clarke: 1700

Clarke sets a monster and passes.

Weigle drops Heavy Storm next turn but Clarke activates Solemn Judgment, giving up 850 Life Points to negate Storm. Weigle then attacks over a set Red-Eyes Wyvern with AoC - Venus and Rai-Oh attacks directly for game!

Game 2
Jonathan Weigle leading 1-0
Richard Clarke going first

Clarke begins play with Future Fusion, revealing Five-Headed Dragon to send Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, Red-Eyes Wyvern, Red-Eyes Wyvern, Totem Dragon, and Koa'ki Meiru Drago to the graveyard. He then sets 1 card to his backrow and enters his End Phase. In the End Phase Clarke banishes Wyvern in an attempt to special summon Darkness Metal Dragon but Weigle discards D.D. Crow from his hand to banish the Darkness Metal Dragon. Clarke ends his turn.

Clarke opens with Future Fusion Game 2, giving him a good shot at evening the match up!

Weigle normal summons The Agent of Mystery - Earth, adding The Agent of Creation - Venus to his hand with the effect. AoM - Earth attacks directly for 1000 and Weigle passes.

Weigle: 8000
Clarke: 7000

Clarke activates Pot of Duality next turn, revealing Dread Dragon, Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, and Pot of Duality; he chooses to add Darkness Metal to his hand. He then normal summons Masked Dragon, who attacks over AoM - Earth for 400. Clarke ends his turn.

Weigle: 7600
Clarke: 7000

Weigle normal summons AoC - Venus next turn, using priority to pay 500 and special summon a Mystical Shine Ball from his deck. Clarke has no response so Weigle pays another 500 to special summon a 2nd Mystical Shine Ball from his deck. Weigle follows up with Monster Reborn, which brings back AoM - Earth in attack. Weigle tunes all 4 monsters together for Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier. Clarke has no response to the summon so Weigle banishes Red-Eyes Wyvern from the graveyard, Clarke's set Mystical Space Typhoon and another Typhoon from the hand. Weigle then special summons Archlord Kristya, who returns AoC - Venus to his hand. Kristya attacks over Masked Dragon for 1400, Trishula attacks directly for 2700 and Weigle ends.

Weigle: 6600
Clarke: 2900

Clarke draws and activates Lightning Vortex, discarding Mirror Force to destroy Trishula and Kristya; Kristya returns to the top of the deck due to its effect. Clarke sets a card to his backrow and passes.

 

Clarke's Lightning Vortex comes down to destroy Kristya and Trishula, but at a hefty cost.

Weigle normal summons AoM - Earth to add AoC - Venus to his hand, then attacks for 1000 and ends.

Weigle: 6600
Clarke: 1900

Clarke enters his Standby Phase and activates the effect of Totem Dragon but Weigle discards another D.D. Crow to banish it. Clarke then normal summons Delta Flyer and banishes it to special summon Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon from his  hand. Darkness Metal brings back Masked Dragon from the graveyard in attack. Masked Dragon attacks over AoM - Earth for 400 and Darkness Metal connects for 2800. Clarke ends with no further plays.

Weigle: 3400
Clarke: 1900

Weigle draws and special summons Archlord Kristya from his hand, returning AoM - Earth to his hand with the effect. He then normal summons AoC - Venus. Venus attacks over Masked Dragon for 200 and Kristya slams into Darkness Metal Dragon, destroying both monsters; Kristya again returns to the top of the deck. Weigle sets a card to his backrow and ends.

Weigle: 3400
Clarke: 1700

Clarke draws and sets a monster, then ends.

Weigle flips Pot of Duality next turn, revealing Bottomless Trap Hole, Book of Moon, and Solemn Judgment; after some thought he decides to keep Solemn Judgment. He then attacks into a face-down Koa'ki Meiru Drago, who conveniently has 1600 DEF! Weigle sets 1 card to his backrow and ends.

Clarke draws to 1 card in hand, turns Drago to attack and runs over Venus with it for 300. Clarke enters his End Phase and reveals another Dragon from his hand, saving his on field Drago!

Weigle: 3100
Clarke: 1700

Weigle plays Pot of Duality, revealing Master Hyperion, Bottomless Trap Hole, and Heavy Storm; he again seems to have a tough choice but eventually chooses Master Hyperion after mulling his options. Weigle then sets a monster and passes.

Clarke draws, attacks over a set Mystical Shine Ball with Drago and ends, revealing Drago again in the End Phase.

Weigle sets a card to his backrow and passes.

Drago attacks directly for 1900 next turn, and Clarke ends by revealing Drago.

Clarke: 1700
Weigle: 1200

Weigle sets a monster and passes.

Drago attacks over the set AoC - Venus, then Clarke sets a backrow and passes, revealing Drago.

Weigle flips Mystical Space Typhoon next turn, destroying the newest set card which is revealed to be Bottomless Trap Hole. He then activates Smashing Ground to destroy Koa'ki Meiru Drago, and then banishes an Agent from his graveyard to special summon Master Hyperion! Weigle calls priority, banishing a Shine Ball from his graveyard to target Clarke's final set; Clarke chains the targetted Torrential Tribute but Weigle flips Solemn Judgment to negate it. Weigle then special summons Archlord Kristya, which returns AoC - Venus to his hand and swing with Kristya to win the match!

Weigle finishes the match off in style, using Archlord Kristya to devastate Disaster Dragon and move on with an undefeated record!

Richard Clarke almost makes a comeback behind the power of Koa'ki Meiru Drago but Jonathan Weigle finds his answers and advances with a 1-0 record!