Matt Peddle is one of Team Superfriends’ most renowned players, and is playing here today to represent Toronto’s Yu-Gi-Oh! hub, Cardmasters. Jason Holloway holds a similar position and record with Team Outphase, and is one of the top players from Texas. Both of these competitors have made repeated Day 2’s, but neither has ever won a Shonen Jump Championship. “I’m here to try and right that,” remarked Holloway.

Matt Peddle had no intention of letting that happen.

Holloway opened with a set card to each zone. Peddle made the same play, ended, and Holloway set another monster. Peddle did the same. Holloway tributed his face-down D.D. Crow for Crush Card Virus, costing Peddle his in-hand Cyber Dragon, but an error on Holloway’s part kept him from really registering what Peddle’s two set monsters were. It didn’t seem to matter though, as Holloway flipped Morphing Jar.

Peddle revealed his hand as he drew it: no 1500+ ATK monsters, so Crush Card Virus did nothing! “I’m such a sack!” Peddle grinned, and Holloway grimaced. “Hey, now my Faith is live too!” Peddle was enjoying the situation as Holloway thought over his potential moves.

“Make a move, Jason.” Peddle clearly wasn’t having any of Holloway’s customary slow play. Morphing Jar attacked, hit Peddle’s face-down Magician of Faith, and Peddle took back the Creature Swap he had discarded off Morphing Jar! “Go.” Holloway wasn’t happy.

“Cards in hand?” asked Peddle.

“Four,” replied Holloway. Peddle summoned Spirit Reaper, flip summoned Sangan, and set two cards to his back row, clearly looking to outplay Holloway if his last set card was Book of Moon. It wasn’t, and Sangan attacked through the Jar to let Reaper force a discard of Destiny Hero - Fear Monger from Holloway’s hand.

Next turn Holloway drew, leaving himself with four cards in hand. Trap Dustshoot robbed him of his in-hand Spell Striker, keeping Holloway from tributing for Raiza the Storm Monarch. Holloway had nothing to do but set Spirit Reaper, and Peddle wiped it off the field with Nobleman of Crossout next turn. Peddle’s Reaper cost Holloway his Raiza the Storm Monarch, and Peddle set a monster.

Holloway was forced to play Brain Control to destroy Reaper, and passed with one card in hand and one card in his back row. Peddle drew Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, revealed it for Crush Card Virus’s effect and attacked with Sangan, setting Dekoichi in main phase 2. Holloway summoned Sangan, attacked into Old Vindictive Magician, and lost Sangan to his effect. Holloway pulled Snipe Hunter from his deck and ended.

Peddle drew Pot of Avarice, vexing Holloway. “I feel terrible.” Peddle flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive and finally hit a big monster, Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch: he discarded the Monarch to Crush Card Virus. Dekoichi attacked, and the discarded Thestalos was exactly what Peddle needed; Call of the Haunted brought him up out of the graveyard and Peddle attacked for game!

Matt Peddle absolutely rolls Jason Holloway, unaffected by Crush Card Virus save a single Cyber Dragon and his game-winning Thestalos!

Holloway set a card to each zone, and Peddle summoned Sangan, attacking into Holloway’s Card Trooper. Peddle set a card to his back row, ended, and Holloway set a second spell or trap.

“Attack?” Sangan attacked again, but Holloway flipped Scapegoat — Sangan attacked a Sheep Token. Peddle set a monster, Holloway set another card to each zone, and play was back to Peddle.

He sent Sangan for another Sheep Token, then tributed his set Treeborn Frog for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch — Holloway chained Pulling the Rug. He drew for his turn, set another card to each zone yet again, and announced that he was finished.

Peddle attacked Holloway’s set monster from last turn, and Holloway activated Phoenix Wing Wind Blast in response, discarding his Treeborn Frog. Peddle activated D.D. Crow to remove the Treeborn and Sangan flipped Morphing Jar: each duelist got a new hand! Peddle set a monster, set another card to his back row, and ended. Holloway’s clever play with the Wind Blast had cost him dearly.

“You’re up,” noted Peddle. Holloway summoned Snipe Hunter, discarded Destiny Hero – Malicious with priority to target Peddle’s back row card, and Peddle flipped it — Mystical Space Typhoon! It targeted Holloway’s set spell or trap, Crush Card Virus, which he chained in turn, tributing his Sangan. The Virus didn’t cost Peddle any cards, but Holloway did get to see another Crow in Peddle’s hand, and his set Old Vindictive Magician. Holloway took D.D. Crow himself with Sangan’s effect, then removed Malicious from play to special summon his other copy in defense mode. He tributed the two Sheep and Malicious for Destiny Hero – Plasma, absorbed Sangan, and then attacked with Snipe Hunter to destroy Old Vindictive Magician. The Magician’s effect was negated by Plasma, and Plasma attacked directly.

Holloway flipped Trap Dustshoot in Peddle’s draw phase, revealing a hand of Crow, Premature Burial, Call of the Haunted, and Pot of Avarice. Since Peddle revealed his hand he lost his chance to chain the Crow, and shuffled it back into his deck.

He brought back Treeborn Frog in defense mode and activated Premature Burial to target Raiza the Storm Monarch — Holloway’s D.D. Crow removed Raiza from play. That left Peddle free to activate Pot of Avarice, shuffling back his remaining five monsters! He drew D.D. Crow again, and was forced to discard Banisher of the Radiance. He set a spell or trap and ended.

Holloway activated Reinforcement of the Army, took Stratos from his deck, and summoned him to destroy Peddle’s set Call of the Haunted. He had two cards in hand to fire with Snipe Hunter, and only had to hit once to destroy Peddle’s Treeborn Frog. If he could do that, he’d have enough damage for game.

He discarded Pot of Avarice, and sure enough hit a 4 to destroy Treeborn Frog. The match moved to a third duel.

“I’ll go first,” announced Peddle after side decking. With thirteen minutes remaining in the round, Peddle was going to be playing quickly. He set a card to each zone, set Dustshoot, and flipped it next turn to reveal Holloway’s hand of Marshmallon, Premature Burial, Light and Darkness Dragon, Elemental Hero Stratos, Destiny Hero – Malicious, and Sangan. He sent Malicious back to Holloway’s deck.

Holloway summoned Sangan, attacked, and hit Peddle’s set Morphing Jar! After drawing his new hand, he activated Reinforcement of the Army, searched out Destiny Hero – Disk Commander, activated Destiny Draw and discarded the Commander to draw two. He set one spell or trap, and then ended.

Peddle set a second spell or trap, then passed. “Your turn.” Sangan hit him for 1000 damage, and play was back to Peddle. He summoned Banisher of the Radiance! A swift attack took Sangan out of play, keeping it from getting its effect. Holloway was up.

He summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, and Peddle had Pulling the Rug to shut it down! Breaker and Rug were both removed from play. Holloway set a card to his back row, ended, and Peddle attacked for 1600 damage. The duel stood at 5800 to 7000 with Peddle leading. He set another card to his back row and ended: “Your move.”

Holloway set another spell or trap, leaving himself with three to Peddle’s two. Banisher attacked again to bring Holloway down to 4200 life points, and Holloway passed. Peddle attacked again, and this time Holloway was forced to flip Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, discarding Raiza the Storm Monarch to spin away the Banisher. Peddle set a monster to finish his turn.

Nobleman of Crossout removed Peddle’s Apprentice Magician from the table, but he had no offensive follow-up. Peddle summoned Banisher of the Radiance, lost it to Torrential Tribute, and passed. “It’s all you.”

Holloway activated Destiny Draw, discarded Plasma, and drew two. He set another spell or trap to finish out. “Go.” Peddle drew, riffled his hand briefly and gave a bit of a sigh. Both duelists were holding big hands of cards, and Peddle’s only move was to set another card to his back row. Holloway did the same next turn, and then flipped it: Trap Dustshoot. Peddle revealed his hand of Breaker the Magical Warrior, Raiza the Storm Monarch, D.D. Crow, Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, Heavy Storm, Pot of Avarice, and Premature Burial: Holloway sent away the D.D. Crow. Peddle summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, walked into his opponent’s Pulling the Rug, and passed.

Holloway flipped Heavy Storm! Peddle chained Scapegoat, but lost Mystical Space Typhoon and Torrential Tribute. Three and a half minutes remained in the match. Holloway set a card to his back row and ended. If this match went to time it might just wind up in Peddle’s favor.

Peddle set a spell or trap and ended, happy to sit behind his wall of mutton. Holloway passed, and Peddle set a monster. Holloway activated Reinforcement of the Army to search his deck for Destiny Hero - Fear Monger, and Peddle activated Mind Crush at the first possible opportunity to force Holloway to discard it! He set one card to his back row, set a monster, and ended. Things weren’t looking good for Holloway.

Peddle unleashed Heavy Storm, and Holloway chained Wind Blast, discarding Light and Darkness Dragon to bounce away Peddle’s set monster. Time was called, Peddle passed, and Holloway only had two turns left. He set a spell or trap and ended!

A set monster was Peddle’s only move, and Holloway just couldn’t do anything next turn. He scooped and conceded the match!

Matt Peddle moves on undefeated, defeating Jason Holloway in a time situation!