“Didn’t you get in a fight with some guy last round?” asked Sexton, a rather recognizable player in California known as much for his motorized wheelchair as his reputation for expert dueling. Vargas didn’t seem to know him at all.

“Oh, yeah. Some random guy,” said Vargas.

“ . . . didn’t he call you ‘Spear Dragon’?”

Evan sighed, and began the lengthy explanation. “Yes, he decided to call me Spear Dragon because my nose is larger than normal. Then, he decided to say that it was so large, that it was in fact, a ‘booger factory.’ This guy was truly on his A game when he was insulting me.”

Vargas won the flip and opened the first duel with a set card to each zone. Next turn Sexton immediately hit him with Confiscation, and discarded Graceful Charity. He set a monster. Vargas flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, drew for its effect, set another monster, and attacked with the Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive: the attack flipped Magician of Faith, and Sexton took back Confiscation. Vargas ended his turn.

Sexton activated Confiscation again, revealing Mystical Space Typhoon, Premature Burial, Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, and Magical Merchant: he discarded the Zaborg. He set two back row cards, a monster, and passed. “What is that, Morphing Jar?”

“No, I know you have Space.” That should’ve been Vargas’s first hint that he wasn’t playing a pushover.

“Ahh . . . ” Vargas drew for his turn, flipped Magical Merchant, and lost two monsters before hitting Snatch Steal. He activated Mystical Space Typhoon, destroyed Sexton’s set Royal Decree, tributed his Merchant for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, and walked right into Torrential Tribute. “That’s like, my life, just summarized right there” said Vargas before passing.

Sexton set a card to each zone and passed. Vargas summoned Sangan, attacked, and hit Gravekeeper’s Spy. He took 1000 damage, Sexton brought out another Spy in defense position, and it was 7000 to 6000 with Vargas leading. He ended his turn and Sexton was up.

“Don’t summon! I have Torrential set” said Vargas. “Don’t do it! Don’t do it!” Sexton passed, opting not to do anything at all. He had two cards in hand, two Spies out, and one set back row card. Evan had three cards in hand, a spell or trap, and Sangan.

Sexton remarked that he was sure he had lost the game already. “Why not scoop?” asked Vargas.

“No, I think I’ll play it out,” said Sexton. It’s always a good idea to see as much of your opponent’s deck as possible.

He drew one card, activated Premature Burial, and brought back Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. He turned Sangan to defense position, attacked one of the Spies, and took it out! Vargas set a monster and ended.

Gravekeeper’s Spy was tributed for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch. “That card looks familiar!” remarked Vargas, as it forced him to discard Snatch Steal.

“Does it?” replied Sexton innocently. Vargas had innovated the environment in the spring of 2005 when he debuted Soul Control, which used Thestalos as a pivotal card. It was unclear whether Sexton was honestly ignorant of this fact, or was acting. Thestalos attacked Sangan, Vargas took Tsukuyomi from his deck, and Sexton concluded his turn.

Vargas summoned Tsukuyomi, turned Thestalos face down, attacked the Thestalos with it to destroy it, and attacked with Zaborg directly. Sexton dropped to 3600, while Vargas sat at 6200. “I have butterflies, man, you’re so much better than me,” said Sexton.

Breaker the Magical Warrior hit Sexton’s side of the field, broke Premature Burial to send Zaborg packing, and then attacked into Magical Merchant. It got Call of the Haunted for Vargas. Vargas special summoned Cyber Dragon, normal summoned Tsukuyomi, turned Sexton’s Breaker face down, attacked it with Tsukuyomi, and then attacked directly with the Dragon. Sexton was down to 1500.

He drew for his turn, activated Pot of Avarice, and shuffled back both Spies, Magician of Faith, Spirit Reaper, and Breaker the Magical Warrior. He drew two more for Pot of Avarice’s effect, set a card to each zone, and passed. Vargas was still riding his set card, Mirror Force, which had been there for turns.

He set a monster, set another back row card, and attacked with Cyber Dragon, but Sexton destroyed it with Mirror Force. He tributed his set monster, Sangan, for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, destroying Vargas’s set Spirit Reaper. Sangan got him Spirit Reaper, and he contemplated an attack.

“Careful, I might use Mirror Force!”

Zaborg attacked anyway.

“No, no . . . no Mirror Force here.” Vargas took 2400 damage, finding it to be a fair cost to keep his bluff going. In main phase 2, Sexton used Metamorphosis to trade his zaborg for Dark Balter the Terrible, and set one back row card.

Vargas activated Brain Control, but Sexton didn’t negate it with Balter! Vargas summoned Mystic Tomato, attacked with Balter, but attacked into Scapegoat! Sexton activated it, Vargas took out two Sheep, and play passed to Sexton.

“I deserve this,” said Sexton, topdecking into Graceful Charity. He activated it, and examined the cards he drew. He discarded Cyber Dragon, then Apprentice Magician, and attacked with Balter: Vargas finally flipped the Mirror Force. Sexton set a monster and ended.

“Should I just go for game and be done?” mused Vargas, fingering his last set spell or trap, which was Call of the Haunted. He summoned Tsukuyomi, turned Tomato face down, and then flip summoned it. Tsukuyomi attacked Sexton’s set monster, Spirit Reaper, and Tomato hit a Sheep. Vargas special summoned Chaos Sorcerer in main phase 2, removed Reaper from play, and passed.

Sexton stole the Sorcerer with Snatch Steal, and removed Vargas’s Mystic Tomato with its effect. He then special summoned a Sorcerer of his own, attacked with it, and Vargas flipped Call of the Haunted to special summon Zaborg to block. Sexton tributed Vargas’s Sorcerer for Zaborg in main phase 2 and destroyed Vargas’s Zaborg with its effect. He passed.

Vargas set a card to each zone and passed. Zaborg attacked his set monster, D. D. Warrior Lady, and was removed from the game. Chaos Sorcerer attacked directly, Vargas went to 700, and Sexton set a card to his spell and trap zone. He had one Sheep and Chaos Sorcerer on his field.

Vargas had one set card left, and it was Return from the Different Dimension. He flipped it, and appeared to assume that he had won the game, but Sexton chained Royal Decree! Evan, shocked, set his last card, a monster, but Sexton activated Nobleman of Crossout next turn! He swung for game with Chaos Sorcerer, stunning Vargas!

“I have butterflies,” said Sexton again, side decking a few cards. He announced that he was finished side decking, and Vargas, eager to get on with the match since only twelve minutes remained, stopped siding as well.

Vargas opened the second duel with a set to each zone. Sexton hit him with Nobleman of Crossout, removing D. D. Warrior Lady from play, and then attacked directly with Spirit Reaper! Vargas lost Zaborg the Thunder Monarch! Sexton set Royal Decree, but lost it to Dust Tornado in the end phase. Vargas set two cards again, one to each zone, and passed. He was playing fast, as only ten and a half minutes remained.

Sexton tributed his Reaper for Zaborg, destroying Vargas’s set Spirit Reaper and attacking directly! Vargas set another monster, Zaborg attacked it, and revealed another Spirit Reaper! He set a spell or trap card, set a monster, and passed. He again lost another Royal Decree, this time to Mystical Space Typhoon. It seemed like Vargas was having a hard time drawing anything but spell and trap removal.

He set a card to each zone again, left with just one card in his hand. Sexton flip summoned Magician of Faith, took back Nobleman of Crossout, used it to remove Vargas’s set monster, Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, and each duelist lost one from his deck.

“I didn’t even side for his Decree,” noted Evan, just noticing it. “Me so silly . . . ”

Snatch Steal blew away his Reaper, but when Zaborg attacked he flipped Call of the Haunted to bring back Zaborg. Sexton didn’t attack on the replay, and didn’t attack at all. Instead he just summoned Tsukuyomi, turned his Magician of Faith face down, and passed.

“Spear Dragon!” said Sexton.

Vargas sent his Zaborg after the Magician of Faith, which grabbed Sexton back his Magician of Faith. Vargas set one more back row card: he was at 5300.

Snatch Steal took Vargas’s Zaborg. Tsukuyomi flipped it face down, but Sexton didn’t flip summon it to attack for game! Good thing too, as his Tsukuyomi and Zaborg were destroyed by Mirror Force. “I don’t want him to get Chaos Sorcerer.” Sexton knew Vargas didn’t have a Light monster in his graveyard!

Vargas set a spell or trap, passed, Sexton hit him with Zaborg, and he went down to 2900. Vargas topdecked Torrential Tribute and set it. “Do you have game?”

“I’m debating.” Sexton seemed to make the read, and just attacked with Zaborg! Vargas went to 500! He set a monster and play passed to Sexton again.

Sexton used Metamorphosis to tribute the Zaborg for Dark Balter the Terrible. Vargas’s set monster was Mystic Tomato, so he had no choice: he had to flip the Torrential. Sexton then activated Pot of Avarice, netting himself another two cards. He summoned Spirit Reaper, attacked directly, and Vargas lost his last in-hand card, Zaborg the Thunder Monarch! He went down to 200 life points!

Vargas topdecked Cyber Dragon, special summoned it, and attacked the Reaper. Sexton went down to 6200, and Vargas was already packing his bag. Sexton had to tribute for a Cyber Dragon, and sent his into Vargas’s. Vargas had nothing: a turn later it was all over, and the brutal stomping ended with a flurry of attacks from Sexton.

Mike Sexton overcomes Evan Vargas in a match that seemed to be all Evan’s from the get-go!