These two duelists hadn’t met before this event . Labounty made Top 8 at both Shonen Jump Championship Baltimore and the 2005 US National Championships, and has been a headliner for Team Rampage since the group’s beginning. Ibrahim took second at Shonen Jump Championship Columbus, losing out only to Emon Ghaneian after taking down Kris Perovic and Anthony Alvarado. He’s the number one player of the up-and-coming Team Akura.

“I wasn’t ready for a feature match!” complained Labounty, grinning as he took his seat in the duel dome.

“Me either,” said Ibrahim, with a smile.

Labounty won the opening roll, and opted to go first. He opened the game with a set spell or trap card. “Go ahead,” he said, not playing a monster. Ibrahim fired back with Graceful Charity, and examined his hand: Scapegoat, D. D. Warrior Lady, Torrential Tribute, Heavy Storm, Breaker the Magical Warrior, Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, Call of the Haunted, and Mystic Tomato. He discarded Tomato and Scapegoat, summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, used its token to destroy Labounty’s Sakuretsu Armor, and attacked for 1600 damage directly. He concluded his turn with a set spell or trap.

Asura Priest hit Labounty’s field and attacked Breaker, destroying it. He passed with an open field, and Ibrahim summoned D. D. Warrior Lady for another direct attack. Labounty was down to 4900 LP, while Ibrahim sat at a comfortable 7100.

Labounty summoned Asura Priest yet again, and rammed it into D. D. Warrior Lady. Was his hand really that bad? D. D. Warrior Lady removed herself and the Priest from play, Labounty set a back row card, and play passed to Ibrahim. He set a second spell or trap and ended.

Another Asura Priest came down for Labounty, answering my Question: yes, his hand was really that bad. Labounty would later confirm that his opening hand had two Asura Priest cards. When Priest attacked, Ibrahim flipped Call of the Haunted to special summon his Mystic Tomato. Asura Priest attacked and destroyed it, and Ibrahim used its effect to special summon Spirit Reaper. Priest attacked it, knocking Ibrahim down to 6000 LP, and Labounty followed up with Creature Swap in main phase 2! Creature Swap traded Asura Priest for Ibrahim’s Reaper, Labounty ended, and he took back his Priest.

Ibrahim passed, and Labounty hit him with his own Reaper to discard his Creature Swap. Labounty set a monster, Ibrahim set one too, and Labounty activated Graceful Charity. He discarded Zaborg the Thunder Monarch and Old Vindictive Magician, activated Nobleman of Crossout to remove Ibrahim’s set Magical Merchant from the field, and attacked with Reaper again, this time forcing the discard of Zaborg the Thunder Monarch! Ibrahim special summoned Chaos Sorcerer, removed the Spirit Reaper from Labounty’s side of the field, then tributed the Sorcerer for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. He was trying to destroy Labounty’s last set monster and make a direct attack, but Labounty responded with a chained Torrential Tribute. Labounty summoned Asura Priest. Ibrahim used a Torrential Tribute of his own, but Labounty had a Chaos Sorcerer to special summon! He then activated Premature Burial to bring back Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, used Last Will to bring out Sangan, and that was game. Sangan, Zaborg, and Chaos Sorcerer all attacked directly!

Jonathan Labounty plays out of a horrible opening hand, stealing the win from Team Akura’s number one star!

Ibrahim opened game 2 with a set card to each zone. Labounty shuffled his hand, set it on the table, and considered his next move, steepling his fingers. He picked up his cards, set a spell or trap, set a monster, and passed.

“Dekoichi?” Yup.

Ibrahim flipped Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, drew a card for its effect, attacked to flip Labounty’s set Spirit Reaper, and set a monster. On the next turn, Labounty tributed his Reaper for Mobius the Frost Monarch, destroyed Ibrahim’s set Mirror Force, and nailed Dekoichi, hammering home 1000 damage. Ibrahim set a monster and passed play back to Labounty. Labounty passed, Ibrahim set a monster, and play was again to Labounty. He summoned Asura Priest and attacked into his opponent’s set Mystic Tomato, then Ibrahim pulled Sangan. It was destroyed by Asura Priest in turn, and fetched Ibrahim Tsukuyomi. Mobius then attacked into Ibrahim’s set Treeborn Frog, and Asura Priest was returned to Labounty’s hand.

Cyber Dragon came down for Ibrahim, who then summoned Tsukuyomi. Tsukuyomi turned Mobius face down, attacked, and destroyed it, and then Cyber Dragon attacked . . . into Scapegoat! He left all four Sheep tokens on Labounty’s side of the table, locking him down and preventing him from over-extending. Labounty passed, Ibrahim summoned Sangan and passed back, and Labounty stole Sangan next turn with Creature Swap. Ibrahim got a Sheep token in return.

Labounty summoned Asura Priest, attacked into Cyber Dragon, and activated Book of Moon to turn the Dragon face down and destroy it in battle. The Priest then attacked the last Sheep token, and Sangan attacked directly.

Ibrahim summoned Cyber Dragon, attacked his own Sangan, and picked his monster in a flash that made it impossible for anyone but Labounty to tell what the card was. He passed with nothing but Cyber Dragon on the table. Labounty set a card to each zone, still with three Sheep on his side of the field. Cyber Dragon attacked his set monster, Apprentice Magician, and Labounty pulled Magician of Faith to the field with its effect. Ibrahim set a monster, set a spell or trap, and passed.

“How many in hand?” asked Labounty. Ibrahim replied that he had four cards remaining. Labounty flip summoned his set Magician of Faith, targeted the Scapegoat in his graveyard, and chained Torrential Tribute to clear the field. He summoned Asura Priest, attacked directly to lower Ibrahim to 1900 LP, set a spell or trap and passed. Ibrahim set two spell or trap cards and a monster. Labounty tried to bring out Cyber Dragon, but lost it to Bottomless Trap Hole. A turn later he swung again with Asura Priest, this time into Dekoichi.

Ibrahim had no monster to set next turn, and Labounty hoped to score another direct hit with Asura Priest—he didn’t get it: Ibrahim stopped him with Torrential Tribute, destroying the Priest. Ibrahim set another spell or trap, but Labounty activated Graceful Charity on the turn that followed, and discarded Old Vindictive Magician and Treeborn Frog. He summoned Spirit Reaper and hit directly. “If you run Goldds I’m gonna scream . . .” Ibrahim didn’t, and was forced to discard Cyber Dragon.

He used a Smashing Ground on the following turn to destroy Labounty’s Reaper, and set another spell or trap. But a turn later it was all over though—Labounty summoned the Priest again, fearlessly pressed it through Ibrahim’s back row cards, and hit for game.

Jonathan Labounty moves on, recovering from some rough hands to move on undefeated!