Both of these competitors had 5-2 records here today, so while I wasn’t sure that this matchup was totally relevant to the final standings of Day 2, I wanted to cover it for the sake of the matchup. We profiled Jerome’s Synchro Dude deck earlier today, but a Round 1 loss landed him with terrible tiebreakers. It also landed him in a bracket filled with Gladiator Beasts though, a factor that worked in his favor. Gladiator Beasts are his best matchup.
And that’s what Michael Kohanim is playing here today, reprising his Championship-winning performance with Gladiators back at Shonen Jump Championship Philadelphia. Will this be a lesson in Synchro Dude academia, or will fate find new and interesting ways to screw poor Jerome? We were about to find out.
Jerome opened with Elemental Hero Stratos, Grave Squirmer, Jutte Fighter, Dark Armed Dragon, Destiny Hero – Diamond Dude, and Destiny Draw. He summoned Stratos, searched out Destiny Hero – Malicious from his deck, and pitched him for Destiny Draw. He drew D.D. Crow and another Jutte, then ended his turn.
Kohanim set a card to each zone and passed — Jerome drew into Crush Card Virus. He summoned Jutte Fighter, removed Malicious from his graveyard, and special summoned another copy — Kohanim had to respond with Crush Card Virus tributing Sangan in response, destroying Stratos and Dark Armed Dragon. He needed to get off the Crush Card before Jerome could Synchro summon Stardust Dragon, but it was a rough situation anyway — he wouldn’t be able to block the damage from whatever Synchro Jerome produced. Kohanim searched his deck for Test Tiger with Sangan’s effect, and Jerome synched up to special summon Stardust Dragon. He removed Malicious again, special summoning his last copy in attack mode, and swung for 3300 damage total. He set Crush Card Virus to finish out. The game seemed in the bag.
Kohanim set two cards to his back row, and then summoned Neo-Spacian Grand Mole! Jerome gave a groan, and Grand Mole rushed Stardust to send it back to the Extra deck. Jerome revealed his draw, Brain Control, and Kohanim had seemingly forgotten about Crush Card Virus entirely.
“That’s right, I Crushed you!”
Jerome laughed: “Yes! Yes you did! I did not appreciate it!” He summoned Destiny Hero – Diamond Dude, activated his effect to net a free Reinforcement of the Army for next turn, then attacked with Diamond Dude and Malicious for 2200 damage. Kohanim was down to 2500 life points.
After much thought, Kohanim could do nothing but set a monster. Jerome revealed his next draw, Junk Synchron, and then searched his deck for another Junk Synchron with his free Reinforcement of the Army. He activated Diamond Dude’s effect, flipping Dark Armed Dragon and sending it to the bottom of his deck.
“Try to summon Jutte Fighter?”
“Fighter is fine,” replied Kohanim. Jerome then performed a Synchro summon with Malicious, bringing out Thought Ruler Archfiend — Kohanim flipped Bottomless Trap Hole! Jerome had either made the wrong choice on the blind pick between Thought Ruler and Stardust Dragon, or Kohanim had both Phoenix Wing Wind Blast and Bottomless set. He was now unable to tribute for his Crush Card Virus, and he couldn’t set Grave Squirmer before ending his turn. He was going to need to play to the Squirmers more if he was going to win and get the most out of his Junk Synchrons.
Breaker the Magical Warrior attacked Jerome’s Diamond Dude next turn, and then broke Crush Card Virus. Jerome topped Cyber Valley, adding it to his hand of D.D. Crow, two Junk Synchron, Brain Control, and Grave Squirmer. He summoned Junk Synchron to special summon Jutte Fighter in defense mode, then activated Brain Control to take Breaker the Magical Warrior. Jerome then Synchro summoned with Jutte and Breaker, and asked “What horrible fate will befall Goyo Guardian?” The answer was Solemn Judgment, and Goyo’s summon was negated. The duel stood at 1250 life points to 6700 with Jerome leading. He had four cards in hand and Junk Synchron on the field to Kohanim’s set monster and four cards in hand.
“What is that? I need to know. Attack.” Jerome sent Junk Synchron to attack straight into Gladiator Beast Hoplomus! “Why did I do that?” Hoplomus tagged out to Gladiator Beast Murmillo, destroying Junk Synchron, and Jerome ended.
Kohanim drew and set a spell or trap card, then special summoned Test Tiger. He tributed it to tag Murmillo out for Gladiator Beast Secutor, then normal summoned Elemental Hero Prisma, sending Gladiator Beast Bestiari to the graveyard. Two attacks dropped Jerome to 3800 life points, and moments later Kohanim was contact Fusing for Heraklinos — D.D. Crow kept Kohanim from having another Gladiator Beast on deck.
But in Jerome’s draw phase, as he drew to four cards, Kohanim flipped Trap Dustshoot! He chose between Junk Synchron, Grave Squirmer, Cyber Valley, and Lightning Vortex, before shuffling back the Synchron. Jerome discarded Grave Squirmer for Lightning Vortex, Kohanim discarded Neo-Spacian Grand Mole to negate it, and Jerome summoned Cyber Valley. Next turn he lost, as Kohanim summoned Gladiator Beast Bestiari to threaten the Gyzarus.
Michael Kohanim takes Game 1, despite the bad matchup and the handicap of going second! Jerome would need to keep his play really tight to stay in this match.
He opened Game 2 with Destiny Draw, discarding Destiny Hero – Malicious. He set Grave Squirmer, and Kohanim summoned Laquari before setting two cards to his back row. Laquari swung on Squirmer, was destroyed by its effect, and next turn Jerome destroyed his opponent’s set Solemn Judgment with Mystical Space Typhoon.
Jerome removed his in-graveyard Malicious to get another from his deck, and then summoned Jutte Fighter. He Synchro summoned Stardust Dragon and swung for 2500 damage! “You won’t fall into Bottomless this time!”
Kohanim drew and immediately set another spell or trap card. He set a third: “You didn’t have Heavy before, right? Go.” Jerome attacked with Stardust again, and Kohanim flipped Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, discarding Prisma, to blow it away. Jerome set another Grave Squirmer.
“Breaker,” announced Kohanim. Breaker attacked Grave Squirmer, and Squirmer destroyed Kohanim’s set Torrential Tribute. He discarded D.D. Crow to remove Jerome’s Malicious from his graveyard, and ended with nothing but Breaker and his set spell or trap.
Jerome took Breaker with Mind Control! Breaker broke Kohanim’s last card, Bottomless Trap Hole, and he used Reinforcement of the Army to dig out Jutte Fighter from his deck. He summoned it, Synchro summoned Goyo Guardian, and attacked for 2800 damage. Kohanim was down to 2700 life points.
“Good time for Grand Mole!” He didn’t draw it — he set his topdecked monster, and Jerome ran it over with Goyo Guardian — it was Test Tiger, and Jerome made the smart play of not taking it. The same scenario played out with Prisma a turn later, and one turn after that Goyo swung through Kohanim’s face-down Solemn Judgment for game!
Jerome McHale forces this match to a third duel, hoping to redeem himself for Game 1. Side decking was incredibly fast, though shuffling was very thorough.
Kohanim got the last duel started, activating Dimensional Fissure! “Oooo-kayyyy.” Jerome was surprised, to say the least. Kohanim set another three spell or trap cards and a monster. “D-Draw Malicious!”
Jerome did indeed have Destiny Draw and Malicious, but played Allure of Darkness instead. He removed D.D. Crow for its effect: “Y-Yeah! Crow! You just get right out of here. This is going to be the most vicious beating of the century if it goes through.” He activated Heavy Storm and Kohanim negated it with Solemn Judgment.
He summoned Diamond Dude, sending D.D. Crow to the bottom of his deck — not bad, since it was such a savagely dead draw. Kohanim activated Smashing Ground, destroying Diamond Dude, then flip summoned his Spirit Reaper to force Jerome to discard Jutte Fighter! He set his last card to his back row.
. . . Aaaaaand Jerome drew his third D.D. Crow. “Poor” did not begin to describe. He activated Destiny Draw, removing Destiny Hero – Malicious from play, then summoned Sangan and set a spell or trap card. Kohanim set another spell or trap, turned Reaper to defense, and ended.
Jerome drew: “Sangan — you’re bigger than Murmillo and Hoplomus, so you stay in attack mode.” He passed, and Kohanim passed back. Jerome discarded another Malicious for another Destiny Draw, and was left with Cyber Valley, Dark Armed Dragon, a third Malicious, and his D.D. Crow in hand. He summoned Cyber Valley, and used its third effect to ditch his third Malicious and send Heavy Storm back to the top of his deck!
Kohanim drew, passed, and in Jerome’s next draw phase he activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Jerome’s face-down Mirror Force; he was worried it would be a Solemn. Jerome activated Heavy Storm and Kohanim negated it with another Solemn Judgment. “You still stay in attack mode!” Sangan remained in attack.
Kohanim drew another non-monster: “You gotta be kidding me.” He set another spell or trap, passed, and Jerome set a card to each zone next turn. Kohanim passed again.
Jerome finally topped Mind Control! He activated it, and Kohanim chained Crush Card Virus, tributing his Reaper. It cost Jerome his Dark Armed Dragon, and revealed his face-down D.D. Crow. Sangan attacked for 1000 damage, and play was to Kohanim.
He flipped his face-down Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, discarding D.D. Crow, but Jerome chained the target — Crush Card Virus. He tributed his Crow, and Kohanim revealed his hand: Crow, Murmillo, and another Crow! He summoned Murmillo, special summoned Test Tiger, tagged in Secutor, and then flipped his set Book of Moon to turn Sangan face-down! Secutor attacked Sangan, tagged in two Gladiators, and then Kohanim tagged everything out for Heraklinos.
Jerome drew Lightning Vortex, passed, and Kohanim drew a trap card — he attacked and passed. Jerome summoned Diamond Dude, activated his effect, and sent Allure of Darkness to the graveyard! Kohanim drew Bottomless Trap Hole and attacked for 1600 damage, destroying Diamond Dude and removing him from play.
Jerome topped another Lightning Vortex! His deck was just pummeling him in the face. He set both copies of Vortex, and then took his free Allure, drawing Dark Armed Dragon and Junk Synchron. He kept the Synchron, ditching the Dark Armed Dragon, and had no way out — he set Junk Synchron and ended.
Kohanim summoned Gladiator Beast Bestiari, attacked with Heraklinos to destroy Synchron, then attacked directly with Bestiari. Bestiari tagged out to Laquari, and Kohanim ended with two cards still in hand.
Jerome drew to two in hand himself, but was left with Mind Control and a dead Lightning Vortex. He activated Mind Control, Heraklinos negated it, and he activated Lightning Vortex from the field, discarding his in-hand copy — Kohanim negated that with his last in-hand card. It was over and Jerome conceded.
A Game 1 mistake costs Jerome the match, and Michael Kohanim gets the longest end of the bad beat stick in a slow-paced Game 3, taking the match! He moves on with a chance at making Day 2.