Round 5 Feature Match: Marcus Carisse vs. John Hubbard

Table 5

Marcus Carisse (Gravekeeper) vs. John Hubbard (Plant Synchro)

Game 1

Marcus Carisse going first

Carisse opens with a set to each zone.

Hubbard sets 1 card to his backrow and ends.

Carisse flips Gravekeeper's Spy and special summons a Gravekeeper's Recruiter in attack. Carisse plays Necrovalley and swings with Spy and Recruiter for 3400, then ends.

Carisse: 8000
Hubbard: 4600

Hubbard starts his turn with Foolish Burial, sending Dandylion to the grave and getting 2 Fluff tokens. Hubbard summons Glow-Up Bulb and synchs with a token to special summon Formula Synchron, drawing him a card. He activates Enemy Controller to tribute the last token and take Gravekeeper's Recruiter. Hubbard tunes it to his Formula Synchron to special summon T.G. Hyper Librarian and Carisse responds with Bottomless Trap Hole. Hubbard sets a card to his backrow and ends.

Carisse draws and swings with Gravekeeper's Spy, then pitches Gravekeeper's Commandant to search out another Necrovalley. Next, Carisse plays Gravekeeper's Stele to add Gravekeeper's Commandant and Gravekeeper's Recruiter to his hand. Hubbard responds with Mind Crush, calling Gravekeeper's Recruiter! Marcus sets a monster and a backrow, then ends.

Carisse: 8000
Hubbard: 2900

Hubbard summons Lonefire Blossom, declaring priority. He responds to his own summon with Torrential Tribute, destroying both Carisse's face-up and face-down Spies! Hubbard special summons Spore in defense and sets 2 card to his backrow before ending.

Torrential Tribute clears the board for Hubbard!

Carisse summons Gravekeeper's Commandant and attempts to attack Spore, only to get hit with Mirror Force. Carisse passes.

Hubbard draws and passes.

Carisse sets a backrow and passes.

Hubbard summons Reborn Tengu and attacks for 1700.

Carisse: 6300
Hubbard: 2900

Carisse plays Heavy Storm. When Hubbard doesn't respond, he chains his own Starlight Road. Hubbard flips Solemn Warning to negate Road! Carisse loses his Necrovalley and set Torrential Triute, then plays another Necrovalley to replace his lost one and ends.

Solemn Warning spells doom for Carisse, as Hubbard uses it to its full effect!

Carisse: 6300
Hubbard: 900

Hubbard draws and synchs Reborn Tengu with Spore to synchro summon Ally of Justice Catastor, special summoning another Reborn Tengu. He activates Glow-Up Bulb and synchs it to his Ally of Justice Catastor to make Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier. Hubbard pitches a dead Solemn Warning to bounce Necrovalley, then removes Lonefire Blossom to special summon Spore! He synchro summons Stardust Dragon and before he could even search for his last Reborn Tengu, Carisse scoops.

Game 2

John Hubbard leading 1-0

Marcus Carisse going first

Carisse starts off game 2 with a set to each zone.

Hubbard normal summons Reborn Tengu and sets a backrow, then ends.

Carisse flips Gravekeeper's Recruiter and follows up by normal summoning Gravekeeper's Descendant.

Carisses uses priority to tribute Gravekeeper's Recruiter to destroy Reborn Tengu and John special summons another one in defense, signaling that he doesn't have Mystical Space Typhoon set. Carisse swings on the Reborn Tengu with Gravekeeper's Descendant and Hubbard doesn't summon a third.

Hubbard activates Mystical Space Typhoon from his hand, destroying Necrovalley. He summons Thunder King Rai-Oh and declares an attack on Gravekeeper's Descendant. Carisse flips his set Compulsory Evacuation Device, returning Thunder King to Hubbard's hand. He passes.

Carisse normal summons Gravekeeper's Recruiter and Hubbard responds with Torrential Tribute! Both of Carisse's monsters are destroyed and he searches for Gravekeeper's Assailant. Next, Carisse activates Gravekeeper's Stele for Gravekeeper's Recruiter and Gravekeeper's Commandant, immediately pitching it for Necrovalley. He plays it and sets a backrow, then ends.

Hubbard re-summons his Thunder King Rai-Oh and swings directly. He sets 2 backrows before passing.

Can Hubbard ride his Thunder King Rai-Oh to victory?

Carisse: 6100
Hubbard: 8000

Carisse normal summons Gravekeeper's Assailant and attacks into Dimensional Prison.

Hubbard normal summons Reborn Tengu and declares attacks with it and Thunder King Rai-Oh

Carisse: 2500
Hubbard: 8000

Carisse plays Dark Hole to clear the board! Next he plays Pot of Duality, revealing 2 Dimensional Prisons and a Gravekeeper's Stele. He keeps a Prison and normal summons Recruiter, connecting for 1700. Carisse sets a backrow and ends.

Carisse: 2500
Hubbard: 6300

Hubbard draws and passes.

Carisse normal summons Gravekeeper's Descendant and attacks with Gravekeeper's Recruiter for 1700. He attacks with Gravekeeper's Descendant and Hubbard responds with Fobidden Lance, targeting the Recruiter that already attacked. Hubbard takes 2000 and then drops Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness! Carisse moves to his main phase 2 and tributes his Recruiter to destroy Gorz, searches out another Recruiter and sets a third card to his backrow before passing.

Carisse: 2500
Hubbard: 2600

Hubbard draws to 3 cards and normal summons Lonefire Blossom, immediately tributing it to special summon Glow-Up Bulb. He tunes it to his Gorz token and synchro summons Scrap Dragon. Carisse responds with Solemn Judgment. Hubbard finishes up by playing Dark Hole, ending with 1 card in hand.

Carisse: 1250
Hubbard: 2600

Carisse summons Gravekeeper's Recruiter and equips Wonder Wand to it. He plays his last card: Royal Tribute! It discards Thunder King Rai-Oh from Hubbard's hand and Carisse attacks before ending.

Carisse: 1250
Hubbard: 400

Hubbard draws and summons Tour Guide from the Underworld! He special summons another from his deck and exceed summons Number 17: Leviathan Dragon. He detatches a material to bump it to 2500, then ends.

Hubbard tops Tour Guide from the Underworld, allowing him to stay in the game! Can he hold on long enough to make a comeback?

Carisse tops another Wonder Wand! His Gravekeeper's Recruiter goes to 2700, enough to take down Leviathan! He attacks, and in main phase 2 he tributes his Recruiter to draw 2 and search a copy of Gravekeeper's Commandant. He sets a monster and passes over to Hubbard, who draws and scoops.

Game 3

Match tied 1-1

John Hubbard going first

Hubbard starts the final game with Tour Guide from the Underworld, special summoning Sangan in defense. He sets a backrow, then ends.

Carisse plays Pot of Duality revealing Mystical Space Typhoon, Starlight Road, and Gravekeeper's Recruiter. He takes Recruiter and sets a card to each zone before ending.

Hubbard simply mirrors him with a set to each zone and ends.

Carisse flips Gravekeeper's Recruiter, trying to draw out Solemn Warning but is unsuccessful. He sets another monster and passes.

Hubbard is the first to blink, and activates Mystical Space Typhoon from his hand and hits Carisse's Bottomless Trap Hole. He overlays Tour Guide and Sangan to exceed summon Number 17: Leviathan Dragon and detatches Sangan to pump it to 2500 attack. Next Hubbard flips Dandylion, and summons Lonefire Blossom! He tributes Dandylion for it's effect, getting 2 Fluff tokens and special summoning Glow-Up Bulb. He tunes Glow-Up Bulb, Lonefire Blossom and a token to synchro summon T.G. Hyper Librarian. Hubbard mills Smashing Ground to special Bulb from his grave, then tunes it to his remaining token to synchro summon Formula Synchron, drawing 2 cards! He declares an attack with his Leviathan and destroys Carisse's Recruiter, letting him search another. T.G. Hyper Librarian attacks the set Gravekeeper's Spy, and Carisse special summons Gravekeeper's Assailant. Hubbard set a third card to his backrow, then ends his massive turn!

Hubbard unleashes a huge turn involving the deadly T.G. Hyper Librarian and Formula Synchron combo! Can Carisse even comeback after this?

Carisse: 6700
Hubbard: 8000

Carisse draws to 6 and Hubbard plays Mind Crush, calling Gravekeeper's Recruiter! Carisse discards 1 copy and reveals his hand. Carisse continues, activating Necrovalley and Hubbard chains his Formula Synchron, tuning it with Librarian to synchro summon Ancient Fairy Dragon in defense. Carisse attacks and switches Leviathan with Gravekeeper's Assailant, destroying it. He sets a card to each zone and ends.

Hubbard activates the effect of his Ancient Fairy Dragon, destroying Necrovalley and gaining 1000 life points. He normal summons Reborn Tengu and attacks over Gravekeeper's Assailant before ending.

Carisse: 6500
Hubbard: 9000

Carisse activates Mystical Space Typhoon and targets one of Hubbard's 2 set cards. He hits Torrential Tribute, then flips his Gravekeeper's Spy and special summons Gravekeeper's Descendant. Next, he activates Gravkeeper's Stele to recover Gravekeeper's Assailant and Gravekeeper's Recruiter from his grave. Carisse summons Gravekeeper's Recruiter and Hubbard flips Solemn Warning, paying 2000 to negate the summon. Carisse overlays his Gravekeeper's Spy and Gravekeeper's Descendant to exceed summon Number 39: Utopia and swings over Reborn Tengu. Hubbard specials another and Carisse ends.

Carisse: 6500
Hubbard: 6200

Hubbard normal summons Breaker the Magical Warrior and destroys Carisse's only backrow: Mirror Force! He overlays his Breaker and Reborn Tengu to exceed summon a Number 39: Utopia of his own, then plays Book of Moon targeting Carisse's Utopia. Hubbard's Utopia kills Carisse's in battle, then ends.

Carisse sets a monster and passes back.

Hubbard draws to 3 cards and swings on Carisse's face-down Gravekeeper's Spy, letting him special summon Gravekeeper's Descendant. Hubbard sets a backrow and ends.

Carisse plays Pot of Duality revealing Book of Moon, Necrovalley, and Breaker the Magical Warrior. He opts to take Book of Moon and summons Gravekeeper's Assailant. He activates the effect of his Gravekeeper's Descendant and tributes Assailant to kill Hubbard's Ancient Fairy Dragon. He sets a backrow and ends his turn with 1 card in hand.

Hubbard summons his last Reborn Tengu and swings over Gravekeeper's Descendant before ending.

Carisse: 6300
Hubbard: 6200

Carisse sets a monster, then ends.

Hubbard attacks the set monster with Number 39: Utopia and destroys Gravekeeper's Recruiter, allowing Carise to search another to his hand. Hubbard attacks with Reborn Tengu next and Carisse activates his set Book of Moon, targeting Utopia! He takes 1700 then drops Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness and a 1700 token in defense! Hubbard sets a third backrow and passes.

Gorz shines its light on Carisse, allowing him back into the game!

Carisse activates a huge Heavy Storm! It destroys Hubbard's set Foolish Burial, Mirror Force and Bottomless Trap Hole. Carisse switches both Gorz and its token to attack mode and crashes the token into Tengu. Gorz then destroys the face-down Utopia and in main phase 2 Carisse pitches his last card, Gravekeeper's Commandant, to search out Necrovalley from his deck. He activates it and ends.

Hubbard draws to 2 cards and sets a monster before passing back.

Carisse swings over the set Tour Guide from the Underworld, then sets his topdeck to his backrow.

Hubbard draws and passes.

Carisse draws and passes.

Hubbard draws and passes again!

Carisse calls his bluff, attacking with Gorz for 2700. He ends.

Carisse: 6300
Hubbard: 3500

Hubbard draws and sets a card to each zone.

Carisse draws and normal summons Breaker the Magical Warrior. Hubbard responds with Bottomless Trap Hole, then loses his set Thunder King Rai-Oh to Gorz.

Hubbard sets a backrow and passes.

Carisse swings with Gorz for another 2700, sets a backrow and ends.

Carisse: 6300
Hubbard: 800

Hubbard special summons Cyber Dragon in defense, then summons Effect Veiler. He tunes his 2 monsters together to synchro summon Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier with 1 card in hand. Carisse activates Solemn Warning, Hubbard responds with Solemn Judgment, and Carisse flips his own! Hubbard scoops and concedes the match.

A huge Heavy Storm lets Carisse comeback from an unwinnable game, allowing him to defeat John Hubbard and continue on in the tournament with an x-1 record!