Jonathan Navarro was one of the pioneers of the Empty Jar deck-out strategy. Some maintain that he was the first to create the idea and drive it to success; he placed well with it at Shonen Jump Championship Los Angeles last April.

Torossian was the out-of-nowhere champion from SJC Indianapolis, and he has traveled to a wide array of SJCs since claiming his victory. That Des Volstgalph money goes a lot further when you aren’t sharing it with a team.

The champ opened, and both players started off by setting a card to each of their zones.  Torossian flip summoned his D. D. Assailant, watched it fall into Trap Hole, and summoned D. D. Warrior Lady.  The lady slammed into Navarro’s facedown—a Gravekeeper’s Spy—and Navarro brought out Gravekeeper’s Guard. Navarro set another monster, another spell or trap, and passed.

Torossian played Nobleman of Crossout on the set monster, a Legendary Jujitsu Master. He then set another monster. Navarro set one too, then Torossian flipped his set Magician of Faith, took back Nobleman of Crossout, and crossed out the new facedown—Gear Golem, the Moving Fortress. A turn later, Torossian cleared the clogged field with Torrential Tribute and made a play with Don Zaloog. He swung against an open field with one set spell or trap, but it was Call of the Haunted. Navarro brought up Mobius the Frost Monarch, stopping Zaloog in his tracks. Mobius attacked next turn, but Sakuretsu Armor destroyed it and kept Don safe. Navarro set one monster and passed.

Torossian used his own Call of the Haunted, targeting D. D. Warrior Lady. The lady flew at the facedown monster but was repelled by Book of Moon. Don Zaloog hit the facedown, a Spirit Reaper, and then Smashing Ground cleared it out.

Navarro set a monster and passed. Torossian attacked it with D. D. Warrior Lady and removed it from play because of Sangan. Don hit but was destroyed next turn by another Sakuretsu Armor. Torossian was clinging to control of the game.

Navarro tried to take the Exiled with Brain Control, but Book of Moon pinned it down. It kept swinging, taking Navarro all the way down to 1800 LP. But Navarro stopped the absurdity by using Soul Exchange to tribute the Exiled for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, discarding D.D. Survivor from Torossian’s hand.

Torossian set one monster, but Nobleman of Crossout removed it from the game. Navarro swung with the Monarch and hit Sakuretsu Armor, but he blew through it with My Body As a Shield! Next turn, Torossian summoned Cyber Dragon with its effect but had no follow-up; he set one spell or trap and passed. He was making Navarro guess what it was, either baiting him to attack with the Monarch into a possible trap, or tricking him into not attacking.

The Firestorm Monarch was tributed for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, and its effect destroyed Cyber Dragon. Zaborg attacked, but it ran into another Sakuretsu Armor. Torossian topdecked Spirit Reaper, summoned it, and attacked, and this was enough to end the game. Torossian wins the first duel!

Navarro began the second game and played a set to each zone. Torossian used Mystical Space Typhoon to blow away the set Sakuretsu Armor, activated Reinforcement of the Army to get Don Zaloog, and then special summoned Cyber Dragon. He normal summoned Don, and sent Cyber Dragon into the set monster—but it was Gear Golem the Moving Fortress, too big for Cyber Dragon to defeat! Enemy Controller turned it to attack, and Don smashed it, costing Navarro a card. Torossian set two S/Ts and ended, seeming to again have control of the match.

The tables turned as Navarro played Heavy Storm and brought back Thestalos with Premature Burial. He kept the pressure on Torossian, flip summoning Gravekeeper’s Spy a short few moments later, bringing out Gravekeeper’s Guard and attacking two turns in a row with the Spy directly. Smashing Ground eventually brought it down, but then Navarro just set another monster and attacked with the Guard. He had two set S/Ts…

…which were quickly nailed with Heavy Storm! Torossian set one monster and passed with his last card on the table. 

Navarro played Nobleman of Crossout, removing Torossian’s Spirit Reaper from the game. He attacked, and when Torossian topdecked Sakuretsu Armor, he admitted defeat. He literally couldn’t draw a monster to save his life. Both players shuffled up and contemplated side decking for game 3.

Torossian again opened with two cards, one set to each zone. Navarro, again, met him with the same. This time, however, both players were dueling defensively. Each set one more S/T across the next two turns.

Navarro blinked first, flipping Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive and removing Torossian’s D. D. Warrior Lady from the game with Nobleman of Crossout before attacking. Torossian summoned Exiled Force, used priority to destroy the facedown on Navarro’s side (Legndary Jujitsu Master), and then contemplated his next move; he was holding Premature Burial. He opted not to use the Burial, instead just passing with one S/T on his field. Dekoichi poked him again, Navarro set another monster, and it was Torossian’s play yet again.

Cyber Dragon came down to support Torossian, but Bottomless Trap Hole swallowed it up…or so Navarro thought. Torossian played Book of Moon to save the Dragon’s hide, and Premature Burial brought back D. D. Warrior Lady. She attacked the facedown—a Spirit Reaper—and removed it. 

Navarro turned his Dekoichi to defense, set a monster, and passed. Cyber Dragon then took down Dekoichi. Navarro set a spell or trap, played Snatch Steal on the Cyber Dragon, and considered his options. He flip summoned Spirit Reaper and attacked with both it and the Dragon.

Torossian summoned D. D. Survivor, attacked Spirit Reaper, and set two more S/Ts to put himself at a total of three. The Cyber Dragon again attacked, but Enemy Controller turned it to defense position. Navarro willingly changed Spirit Reaper to defense, set a monster, and ended his turn.

D.D. Survivor took out the DEF-challenged Cyber Dragon, Call of the Haunted brought back Torossian’s Exiled Force, and Torossian tributed it off to destroy Navarro’s facedown—Gravekeeper’s Guard. He passed.

Navarro set one S/T and ended his turn. Torossian used Smashing Ground on the Spirit Reaper, attacked with the Survivor, and passed. In the end phase, Navarro used Mystical Space Typhoon—clearing out Torossian’s field—but he had no follow-up. He filled his empty field with one card to each of his zones and concluded his turn.

Survivor destroyed the facedown monster (another Dekoichi) in battle. Torossian set a monster and ended his turn. Navarro took his D.D. Survivor with Brain Control and slammed it into Torossian’s facedown. The facedown was Spirit Reaper, so the Brain Control seemed to have been wasted. Navarro played Soul Exchange, targeting Spirit Reaper to destroy it, and he then tributed the Survivor for Mobius the Frost Monarch.

Torossian took Navarro’s Mobius with Brain Control, tributed it for his own Mobius, and watched as it promptly fell into the Bottomless Trap Hole it was trying to destroy.  He set his last in-hand card. Navarro drew, used Premature Burial to bring up Mobius, and attacked Torossian…

…who neatly flipped Scapegoat! Mobius was forced to sate himself on mutton. Next turn, Torossian set another S/T, and Mobius ate another Sheep. There were then only two left protecting Torossian’s life points. Navarro set a monster—Gravekeeper’s Spy—but Nobleman of Crossout revealed and removed it. Torossian summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior and broke the Premature Burial, keeping Mobius on the field. When he went to attack with Breaker, Call of the Haunted just brought the Mobius back. Next turn, Navarro summoned Sangan and sent it after a Sheep before Mobius attacked Breaker the Magical Warrior.  A turn later, Sangan chased the final Sheep off the table, and Mobius attacked directly; Torossian flipped Sakuretsu Armor. He set another S/T, but it didn’t deter Sangan from poking him for another 1000 LP next turn.

A turn after that, Navarro summoned Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. There was nothing Torossian could do, and he offered Navarro the handshake.