Michael Jacob was the champion of $10K Chicago, and is widely accredited as the creator (and master) of the Force Mutant Nation deck. An innovative player with an incredible wealth of experience, patience, and skill, his raw talent lends itself perfectly to the amorphous limited formats of the Vs. System.

Chris Simoes is a local 16-year-old, and has earned significant repute in premier level Yu-Gi-Oh! competition as part of both Team NANA and Team Canada. This is his first major Vs. event, and though his Top 8 appearance could already be considered a breakthrough success, he’s looking to take down one of the game’s all-time greats and make the semi-finals in the process.

He had drafted a decent Justice For All Deck, pairing the Thunderbolts with the Avengers. Jacob, on the other hand, had managed to build his fourth Faces of Evil deck this weekend. His deck was stacked with three copies of the key team-up, as well as two copies of The Wrecking Crew and several other important combat twists. This looked like it was going to be a one-sided match, and Jacob’s enormous grin testified to that point.

Simoes won the flip and opted to take the favored odd initiatives. He didn’t have a drop, but Jacob did. He played and activated Dallas Riordan, Mayoral Aide and play moved to turn 2.

Melter hit Jacob’s side of the field and Simoes again did not have a character. Jacob swung directly, and a turn later Simoes recruited Hank Pym ◊ Yellowjacket to the visible area. “Ooh . . . spicy,” remarked Jacob, before recruiting Egghead. Yellowjacket swung on Melter to set the game at 43 to 45, and Jacob swung back against an open board with a freshly-flipped Faces of Evil for a whopping 8 endurance!

Jacob controlled the initiative for turn 4, and went all-out as expected. He recruited Radioactive Man, Chen Lu, Melissa Gold ◊ Screaming Mimi, and Beetle ◊ Mach 1. “Well . . . I clearly planned this last night . . .” Simoes recruited Iron Man, Tony Stark, and managed to not look dejected.

“Well, that’s not very good,” said his opponent with a smile.

Beetle and Dallas team attacked Hank Pym ◊ Yellowjacket. Simoes used Shrink on Beetle, but Jacob flipped The Wrecking Crew to ensure the stun. Beetle was stunned back, but Jacob removed him from the game to search for a Faces of Evil. Radioactive Man and Screaming Mimi took down Iron Man, Hero’s Demise KO’d him, and a team attack brought the endurance score to 17–42.

With nothing but Hank Pym ◊ Giant Man for turn 5, Simoes scooped. Game 1 went to Michael Jacob!

Simoes again chose odd initiatives, and both players kept their opening hands. Both players recruited Beetle ◊ Mach 1. When Simoes attacked for the double-stun, Jacob removed his from play to take his third Faces of Evil into his hand. He had opted not to mulligan an opening hand of two Faces, Beetle, and Hero’s Demise, and had drawn into his curve quite neatly.

Next turn he recruited Beetle, Armorsmith and used its effect to search out Yellowjacket, Rita Demara. Simoes recruited Falcon, and Jacob swiftly attacked it. Stormfront-1 flipped from Simoes’s row to team up Thunderbolts and Avengers, the double-stun went through, and Beetle attacked back against Jacob’s open field.

Simoes had no character for turn 3, while Jacob recruited Yellowjacket to the hidden area with boost to search out Melter. He recruited Blizzard instead. Beetle ◊ Mach 1 tore into Jacob’s Beetle, Armorsmith, and Falcon then ripped apart Blizzard with the aid of some clever Combat Maneuvers. This held Jacob off for a turn, and Beetle, Armorsmith was KO’d.

Turn 4 hit and Jacob recruited Melissa Gold ◊ Songbird, Sonic Carapace, as well as the Melter he had searched for last turn. Iron Man, Tony Stark again hit the field on Simoes’s side. “I wish I had Flame Trap . . .”

“Yeah, that’d be pretty good right now.” Jacob grinned.

Falcon protected Iron Man, but Songbird took to the air and attacked Iron Man anyway. Three Faces of Evil flipped. Simoes tried to fight back with a Shrink and Biomodem Satellite, but Windstorm sealed the deal. Jacob proceeded to rip apart Simoes’s board, leaving him with nothing but Falcon. It was 25 to 35 in Jacob’s favor, and he controlled Blizzard, Melter, and Melissa Gold ◊ Songbird, Sonic Carapace to Simoes’s lowly Falcon.

He wasn’t ready to give up, though—White Tiger came to Simoes’s aid. Jacob recruited Dallas Riordan, Mayoral Aide, activated her, and then recruited Helmut Zemo ◊ Citizen V, Tactician. Falcon attacked Melter for a double stun, White Tiger took out Citizen V, and Songbird reinforced. Citizen V hit the KO’d pile and play moved to turn 6.

Mystic Summons brought forth Bulldozer, while Songbird gave Simoes a bit of help by turning Shrink face down. Riordan got Jacob yet another card and he recruited the Bulldozer and Radioactive Man he’d gotten through the turn’s effects. He then recruited another Dallas Riordan, Mayoral Aide before forming up and passing his build. Bulldozer, Dallas, and Radioactive Man protected Songbird, Melter, and Blizzard respectively. Simoes recruited Radioactive Man, Reformed Renegade and formed into an L, protecting Falcon with White Tiger.

“This is a learning experience,” laughed Simoes, knowing he had no hope of winning the match.

Dallas and Bulldozer rushed White Tiger, while a bunch of local Yu-Gi-Oh! celebrities arrived. “Oh man . . . all the Yu-Gi-Oh! players came to watch me get smoked.” And smoked he was!

Melissa Gold smashed into Falcon, and was protected from being stunned back by Bulldozer’s effect. Melter KO’d White Tiger, and turn 7 began.

Simoes recruited Hercules, with authority! “Yes! I only need to deal 26 now!” He started figuring out how to do it.

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” said Jacob, amused as he recruited Marcus Daniels ◊ Blackout.

“Noooooo!” Simoes laughed as Jacob paid a resource point to reinforce all of his characters for the entire turn. Hercules wrecked Bulldozer and dealt no breakthrough. Radioactive Man then attacked Songbird, and Sonic Disruption was used to prevent him from readying. “Why didn’t you use that on Hercules?”

“Because I’m good, and I know that you’d know to respond to it by readying him.”

“Oh . . .”

“Or . . . maybe I overestimated your sense of awareness.” Simoes blinked.

Falcon attacked to take down Egghead, and Falcon stunned back, dropping Simoes to 7. All Jacob had to do now was take down Hercules. A big team attack locked it, and Jacob moved on to the semi-finals!