At long last, it was time for the Top 4 playoffs, and the chance to claim the second Cyber-Stein. Brodie and Tony squared off for the first round. Both players were alert and ready to go, and play went fast and certain.
Game One
Brodie went first, and opened strong with Pot of Greed, followed by Graceful Charity. He studied his expanded hand carefully before deciding to discard Book of Moon and a trap. He set one spell or trap, and ended his turn. Tony drew, summoned D.D. Assailant and attacked, and Brodie activated Scapegoat. Tony attacked one, and ended his turn.
Play for this duel was fast and furious. Brodie managed to get Lava Golem on Tony’s side of the field, protected only by Level Limit - Area B and two set spell or traps. Tony summoned Breaker, and took out another one of Brodie’s set spell or traps. He then attempted to attack with Lava Golem, and Brodie responded with Magic Cylinder. Tony chained Ring of Destruction, dealing 3000 damage equally instead of taking it all himself.
Brodie stalled for time with Swords of Revealing Light, as Tony concentrated on rebuilding his field. Tony brought back Exiled Force to destroy Brodie’s set Stealth Bird, and Brodie responded by summoning Tribe-Infecting Virus to wipe out Tony’s Breaker and attack directly for 1600.
Tony was down on life points at this point, at 2400 to Brodie’s 5000. Tony activated Graceful Charity, discarding Serpent and Zombyra the Dark. He set a monster and a spell or trap, and ended his turn. Brodie drew and attacked with Tribe, running headlong into a set D.D. Assailant. He then set a spell or trap, set a monster, and ended his turn. Tony drew, left Serpent in the graveyard, and tributed D.D. Assailant for Jinzo.
The game bounced back and forth a few turns, and then Tony got his big break. In a complex series of moves, he brought back Sinister Serpent, played Heavy Storm to clear out Brodie’s spell and trap zone, used Tribe-Infecting Virus’s effect to eliminate Brodie’s sheep tokens, then attacked into a set Cyber Jar with Jinzo. Tony pulled four monsters off of Cyber Jar and Brodie got none, and Tony attacked with all four monsters for the win.
Brodie bemoaned his bad luck, and both players side decked. They were done quickly, and entered the second game.
Game Two
Brodie went first, and started things off right with a Pot of Greed. He set a monster, then studied his hand briefly before selecting a spell or trap card and setting it on the field. Tony drew, activated Reinforcement of the Army, and brought out Mystic Swordsman LV2.
Brodie drew, flip summoned Magician of Faith, and took back his Pot of Greed. He activated it, and added two more cards to his hand. He then played Heavy Storm, causing Tony to respond by using a set Book of Moon on Mystic Swordsman. Brodie then summoned Solar Flare Dragon and set a spell or trap. Tony summoned Don Zaloog, and attacked Magician of Faith. Brodie activated Tornado Wall, then used Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Tony’s set Hallowed Life Barrier. Brodie asked the number of cards in Tony’s hand, then summoned Sinister Serpent and attacked with all three of his monsters.
Tony summoned D. D. Warrior Lady and attacked, right into Mirror Force. Brodie attacked back with everything he had on the field, and Tony took the damage. Tony set a monster, and on the next turn, Brodie again attacked with everything for the win.
It all came down to the third game, and both players shuffled thoroughly after side decking again.
Game Three
Tony opened the duel with Graceful Charity. He discarded Tribe-Infecting Virus and Kinetic Soldier, then set one monster and one spell or trap and ended the turn. Brodie summoned Solar Flare Dragon, and attacked the set Magician of Faith. Tony took back Graceful Charity, and in Brodie’s end phase, flipped Dust Tornado to take out Brodie’s Emergency Provisions, and used Dust Tornado’s effect to set a spell or trap on his side of the field.
Tony drew, activated Graceful Charity once more, and discarded Enemy Controller and Mystic Swordsman LV2. He summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, took out one of Brodie’s spell or trap cards, and attacked Solar Flare Dragon. He then set two spell or trap cards, and Brodie activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Dust Tornado.
The game passed back and forth for a few turns, as Brodie kept Level Limit