The final round of today’s tournament sees Vincent Wielandt making one heck of a recovery from his first round. The reigning European Champion is battling his way back from that early loss and has won out thus far, seemingly well on his way to the Top 8 tomorrow. Back-to-back championships would be unheard of, and Wielandt wants it bad.
He’s up against celebrated German player Bjorn Krause, a duelist who was once known for running wacky 56-card burn decks. His style has settled into something more solid now, and today he finds himself at a 5-1 record with lockdown burn, a strong bid for the playoff rounds.
This was the last round of Day 1.
Krause won the roll and set a monster, then set all five of his remaining cards to his back row! Wielandt’s face was priceless: he appeared to have no idea what was going on. “Storm?” teased Krause, as Wielandt began his turn.
He set three cards to his back row. “Let me think about this a moment.” He summoned Sangan, and Krause flipped Mask of Restrict! Sangan attacked, hitting Krause’s set Giant Germ; Wielandt took 500 damage and Krause special summoned two more Germs from his deck. Krause set another monster and passed back.
Wielandt turned Sangan to defense and set a monster. Krause flipped Nightmare Wheel in the end phase, and targeted the face down monster. He flip summoned his set Stealth Bird, but Wielandt flipped Torrential Tribute in response! Krause lost his monsters, Wielandt lost his Sangan and set Gravekeeper’s Spy, and Krause’s Nightmare Wheel was destroyed, now deprived of a target. Wielandt searched his deck for Cyber Phoenix with Sangan’s effect and Krause passed.
Wielandt drew and got nailed by Trap Dustshoot, losing Cyber Phoenix while revealing Raiza, Thestalos, and Snatch Steal, a completely dead hand. The Monarchs had no tribute fodder, and even if there was a spare monster lying around, Mask of Restrict was cutting off tributing anyway. As for Snatch Steal, Krause certainly wasn’t going to give Wielandt a face up monster to take advantage of. “Sure. Your turn.” Krause set another back row card and ended. Wielandt drew Mobius — still no help. He shuffled his hand, set the Snatch Steal as a bluff, passed, and Krause passed back. Wielandt got another Cyber Phoenix (“the same one!”) and summoned it. It attacked, but Krause flipped Mirror Force to destroy it. He needed to keep Wielandt off the field to keep those Monarchs dead in his hand.
He drew for his turn and activated Wave-Motion Cannon. Wielandt set a fifth card to his back row, and Krause set a monster. “Go.” Wielandt was at 6000 life points. “Your turn.” He passed.
Krause flip summoned Mask of Darkness, taking back Mirror Force from his graveyard with the Mask’s effect. The Mask attacked, but Wielandt flipped Widespread Ruin. Krause chained Book of Moon, but Wielandt chained another Widespread! Mask of Darkness was lost. Krause set another spell or trap, probably Mirror Force, and Wielandt was up.
He drew Heavy Storm. He set it and ended, betting that Krause would get greedy with his Wave-Motion Cannon. Krause drew for his turn and passed, with the Cannon sitting at three turns’ worth of ammo. “Go.”
Wielandt passed back, still holding off on the Heavy. It was like a game of chicken, and only Wielandt knew it was happening. He set a monster and ended his turn yet again. He was playing it really close.
Krause fired off the Wave-Motion Cannon, dishing out 5000 damage and bringing Wielandt down to 1000 life points! He set another card to his back row to fill his spell and trap zone again and, when Wielandt drew, he flipped Ceasefire. It revealed Wielandt’s set Treeborn Frog, and the European Champion dropped to 500 life points.
He flipped Heavy Storm, but watched as it was negated by Solemn Judgment! The Mask of Restrict was still on the field, and Wielandt was powerless; he couldn’t tribute for his Monarchs, so he ended his turn. Krause was almost there.
He set two back row cards, ended, and Wielandt set another monster. Krause had four cards set and three in hand; he surely had to have the win. He flipped Ring of Destruction, targeting Treeborn Frog, and Wielandt had to wonder what his opponent was doing. He had Book of Moon set. “Interesting move. He may just want to set another spell or trap, and that’s pretty interesting.” He let Treeborn be destroyed, and Krause flashed another Wave-Motion from his hand. “It’s an interesting play,” repeated Wielandt, “but I have some interesting plays as well.”
He flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, drew for its effect, and attacked with Dekoichi. He flipped Limiter in the damage step, shaving 2800 life points from Krause’s total of 3900. He dropped to 1100, but there was nothing at all that Wielandt could do: he perished to Wave-Motion on the following turn.
Krause revealed two set Solemn Judgment. “I knew it!” remarked Wielandt. “Very good play.”
“It’s ‘interesting,’” agreed Kraus with a friendly smirk. Both players began siding for game 2.
Wielandt opened the second duel with not one, but two Wave-Motion Cannons! He set a third card to his back row and ended. “Good luck!” He grinned devilishly. “Let’s Gamble!”
Krause brought out a Cannon himself, then set a monster, three cards to his back row, and activated Messenger of Peace. He ended, and Wielandt special summoned Cyber Dragon. He activated Soul Exchange, but Krause activated Solemn Judgment to negate it! He halved his lifespan in one fell swoop, hurting himself more than Wielandt ever could. Wielandt tributed his Cyber Dragon for Raiza, targeted Krause’s Cannon with Raiza’s effect, and then chained Torrential Tribute! It blew away his Raiza, but also destroyed Krause’s set Morphing Jar!
There was nothing Krause could do. He ended his turn, and each of Wielandt’s Cannons went to two turns total He launched them both and it was over in an instant.
Vincent Wielandt beats Bjorn Krause at his own game, taking the match to a third duel!
Both competitors did a substantial amount of siding and shuffling to prepare. Whoever left here the winner would have a strong chance of making Top 8 tomorrow. Whoever faltered would have to win out to have even a chance at making it.
Krause was up. He activated Wave-Motion Cannon, set one card to his spell and trap zone, then another, and another, and ended with two cards remaining in his hand. “Go. Do you have three Wave-Motions?” asked Krause, eliciting a laugh from Wielandt.
The reigning champ activated a Wave-Motion of his own and set a monster. Krause drew for his turn, summoned Snipe Hunter and pitched Ceasefire for its effect, destroying Wielandt’s Wave-Motion Cannon! He set another spell or trap, then a fifth and final one, the last card in his hand, and ended.
Wielandt drew and went to peek at his face down monster: Krause asked him to wait before leaving his draw phase, and ran some numbers. “Okay.” Krause didn’t take any actions. Wielandt moved to main phase 1, flip summoned Stealth Bird, dealt 1000 damage, and then flipped it back face down. He set Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive and ended, holding a hand of Gravekeeper’s Spy, Spirit Reaper, Cyber Phoenix, and Des Koala. In the end phase, Krause locked down the Stealth Bird with Nightmare Wheel.
He set a monster, set another back row card, and ended. Wielandt flipped his set Dekoichi, drew into another Wave-Motion, and tributed the Stealth Bird for Raiza the Storm Monarch. Krause pondered negating Raiza’s summon, then did it, flipping Solemn Judgment to do so. Raiza went to the graveyard. Wielandt set Wave-Motion Cannon and attacked Krause’s set monster with Dekoichi, but Mirror Force destroyed it. He activated Wave-Motion Cannon by flipping it, a play that raised questions from Krause (who was unsure as to whether or not that was legal — it was), then ended.
It was 3500 to 7500, with Wielandt in the lead and the clock ticking down. Krause ran some more numbers, and then flip summoned his set Morphing Jar as the buzzer rang to indicate the end of the round. He took five new cards, discarded Nightmare Wheel to destroy Wielandt’s Wave-Motion Cannon, then attacked with both Snipe Hunters for 3000 damage, Morphing Jar for 700, and launched Cannon for 3000 more.
“If you have Ring, just show me,” said Wielandt flatly.
Krause had it, and revealed it from a set position on his field. Next turn the Ring would destroy Snipe Hunter, dish out 1500 damage both ways, and Wielandt would lose the duel. He conceded on the spot and gave Krause a handshake!
Bjorn Krause defeats the European Champion Vincent Wielandt, leaving Saturday with a 6-1 record!