Game 1

As the match began, both players seemed a bit on edge. Shuffling didn’t take nearly as long as it had in previous matches—it was clear that these two were ready to play.

Theeresak won the die roll and elected to go first. He started off strong with Pot of Greed, followed by Graceful Charity and Delinquent Duo, which is arguably the strongest opening move in the game. He discarded D. D. Warrior Lady and Scapegoat with Graceful Charity, and then Duo discarded Mario’s Graceful Charity and Card Destruction. He set a monster and a face-down card and ended. After some confusion about where Mario’s hand was, he summoned Blade Knight and attacked into D.D. Assailant and then set two cards. Theeresak started his next turn with Heavy Storm, chaining his own Scapegoat to it.

Mario used a Book of Moon to flip his Blade Knight down, and Theeresak attacked it. He set a card and ended. Mario used Premature Burial next turn to pull back a Blade Knight and attacked. Theeresak put the Knight into defense with an Enemy Controller, so Mario set a monster and ended. D.D. Assailant took out the Blade Knight, and Mario could only set a face-down card. During the end phase, Dust Tornado took care of the Mirror Force. Theeresak attacked Mario’s face-down Tribe-Infecting Virus, and Mario was forced to hide behind Swords of Revealing Light for three turns in the hope of drawing something to get him out of this hole.

It wasn’t enough, however, as Theeresak continued his relentless assault with a Don Zaloog, eliminating Mario’s Snatch Steal. Mario topdecked Jinzo and passed again. He did a little better on the next turn with a Pot of Greed, but the momentum from Theeresak’s opening turn carried on strong, and one Ceasefire and one Ring of Destruction later, the game was over.

Theeresak-1 Mario-0

Game 2

Mario was not particularly happy about the way the first game had started and he decided to side deck in two cards. Theeresak also chose to side deck, swapping in five new cards. After shuffling, the two played head games about who would go first, even though they both knew that Mario would start. He opened with a face-down card. Theeresak once again had the Graceful Charity, but this time its partners in crime were nowhere to be seen. He discarded Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer and Smashing Ground, set two cards, and passed. A Mystical Space Typhoon destroyed Theeresak’s Dust Tornado, and Mario played Swords of Revealing Light and passed. Theeresak pulled out Breaker the Magical Warrior next turn and destroyed Swords, attacking for 1600. It happened again next turn as Mario simply set a card and passed. He tried it one more time on the next turn, but this time Scapegoat interrupted his strike. After attacking a sheep, Theeresak ended. Mario used Metamorphosis to turn a sheep into a Thousand-Eyes Restrict, but his attack was foiled by Theeresak’s Scapegoat. In main phase two he tributed the Thousand-Eyes Restrict for a face-down monster and passed. Theeresak was a bit puzzled as to the identity of the monster and opted to play it safe by using Mystical Space Typhoon on Mario’s face-down card before summoning Berserk Gorilla to attack into the face-down Guardian Sphinx.

Theeresak then used Snatch Steal to take the Sphinx and flip it face down, keeping it permanently. Mario had no choice but to use Nobleman of Crossout on his own Sphinx to stay in the game. Theeresak just attacked a sheep and then used Nobleman of Crossout on Mario’s face-down monster. D.D. Assailant left the field, and Mario used Dust Tornado to destroy Theeresak’s Mirror Force. Mario set a monster on his turn and passed back over to Theeresak, who attacked it. The Apprentice Magician brought out a Magician of Faith, and Theeresak decided simply to end his turn. On his next turn, Mario flipped the Magician to get back a Metamorphosis and he used it to turn his Magician into another Thousand-Eyes Restrict. He sucked up the Berserk Gorilla and attacked a sheep token. He set one more face-down card and passed. Theeresak thought long and hard on his next move and finally decided to set a monster and pass.

Mario attacked a sheep and passed. Theeresak simply passed, and during the end phase, Mario’s Dust Tornado took out his Bottomless Trap Hole. Mario flipped over Premature Burial targeting Apprentice Magician and tributed them both for Dark Magician of Chaos. He took back a Nobleman of Crossout and flipped Magician of Faith to take back Metamorphosis. He finished off the sheep and passed back to Theeresak. Theeresak had a huge hand at this point, and it was barely a cost at all for him to discard Sangan to his Lightning Vortex to wipe Mario’s field clean.

Don Zaloog took out Mario’s last card, putting him in topdecking mode. He drew a monster and set it. Theeresak set a card and attacked, revealing Sinister Serpent. Mario re-set the Serpent and another face-down card. He drew into Graceful Charity and looked for an answer to the rapidly degrading situation. He found Breaker the Magical Warrior and summoned it, only to see it hit by a Ring of Destruction. Theeresak topdecked Pot of Greed and checked the graveyards extensively before deciding to attack. Mario responded with Call of the Haunted on his Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer. Theeresak couldn’t stop it, so he recalled his attack, set two cards, and passed. Mario looked like he was ready to make a stand, and he flipped Lightning Vortex to dispatch Theeresak’s Don Zaloog. He had to let it go, and Don Zaloog left the field. Mario attacked, and that too made it through with Kycoo removing Sangan and Berserk Gorilla from play. He set a monster and passed. Theeresak inspected his face-down cards, then played Reinforcement of the Army to go fetch a Blade Knight. Blade Knight hit the field and attacked Mario’s face-down Blade Knight, destroying it. Then Theeresak flipped Enemy Controller to take control of Mario’s Kycoo and attacked, ending the game.

Theeresak advances to the semifinals 2-0.