The last time these two duelists faced off it was at last year’s Shonen Jump Championship Houston. In Round 8 of that tournament, Corn dealt Moore his only loss in the Swiss rounds. It was a memory that was fresh in Moore’s mind now that he was facing Corn in the finals, fighting not just for his first Shonen Jump Championship title and a copy of Gold Sarcophagus, but for the competitive viability of The Six Samurai. A win here would make the Samurai a big deal heading into Costa Mesa and really shake things up. But could Moore pull it off? Taking an underdog deck against the most dominant strategy in the format, Moore was playing the reigning American Champion, one of the most feared and respected duelists in the game. This was going to be an epic victory, or a savage beating of the must public degree.

Corn won the roll and opened with a single set spell or trap. “Let’s go for game,” shouted Moore, drawing his sixth card.

He summoned The Six Samurai – Zanji, Grandmaster of the Six Samurai, and Great Shogun Shien, and lost his field to Torrential Tribute! He took back Grandmaster and set a spell or trap. Geeze . . . Moore’s playstyle really seemed to cost him. Corn searched out Armageddon Knight with Reinforcement of the Army, summoned Armageddon Knight, and searched his deck: “This is gonna suck,” noted Moore.

Disk Commander was sent to Corn’s graveyard, and he activated Premature Burial to bring the Commander back and draw two cards! Armageddon Knight and Disk Commander both attacked directly, dishing out 1700 damage. Corn ended with nothing set.

More summoned The Six Samurai – Irou, special summoned Grandmaster, and attacked with both. Corn dropped to 5100 life points and Moore set another spell or trap card.

He activated Call of the Haunted next turn to bring back Shien; Corn had seven cards in hand, but if none of them could destroy Great Shogun Shien he’d be in a rough spot. He normal summoned Prometheus, rammed it into Irou to drop to 4700, and then special summoned Dark Armed Dragon — Moore negated the summon with Solemn Judgment! Corn set two cards to his back row. “Go.”

Moore activated Reasoning, Corn called Level 3, and Moore lost his The Six Samurai – Kamon. It didn’t matter; Moore summoned a second Irou and attacked with everything for game! A stunned Corn shook his head a moment and sighed before diving into his side deck.

A hugely aggressive gambit from Moore draws out Torrential Tribute early, leaving him free to launch a second swarm and control the game with Great Shogun Shien! Both competitors began side decking.

Corn opened game 2 with a set spell or trap, just as he did last time. Moore activated Heavy Storm, Corn chained his set Threatening Roar, and Moore set one card to his spell and trap zone. If Corn had Torrential Tribute in his hand again, he’d made the perfect play to protect it. Corn fired back with Allure of Darkness and removed Darklord Zerato! He summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, broke Moore’s set Solemn Judgment, and set a spell or trap to end. He contemplated setting another, and then decided not to — Corn’s conservative playstyle was really being challenged by Moore’s reckless aggression.

Moore activated Six Samurai United, and then activated Reasoning: hitting a Samurai here would be huge, loading a Bushido counter onto United. Corn guessed 4 and Moore special summoned Great Shogun Shien! That wasn’t a Samurai, but it was still a great rip. Moore activated another Reasoning, Corn guessed Level 4, and this time Moore lost Irou. He summoned Spirit of the Six Samurai and Corn flipped Torrential Tribute again! A stymied Moore ditched Six Samurai United to draw a card. He activated Swords of Revealing Light and set a spell or trap, the last card he had. “I’m screwed.”

Corn passed and Moore passed back. Corn passed again and Moore passed again. With one more turn on Swords, Corn set a card to each zone, then ended. Swords was destroyed. Moore activated Reinforcement of the Army to search out The Six Samurai – Yaichi, who he summoned. Premature Burial targeted Irou, and Yaichi destroyed Corn’s set Return from the Different Dimension. Irou then destroyed his Marshmallon in battle, and Call of the Haunted brought back Great Shogun Shien to attack for 2500 damage! “Vortex me?”

Corn had six cards in hand to Moore’s one, and Moore controlled three monsters on the field. Corn began running numbers. “You probably have me.”

“Yeah I do,” replied Corn. He summoned Prometheus, removed Breaker from his graveyard for its effect, and then activated Dimension Fusion! Darklord Zerato and Breaker came back, Corn pitched Strike Ninja for Zerato’s effect to clear the field, and then he struck for game!

Adam Corn presses the finals to one last duel! Both competitors began side decking, thinking long and hard about their final siding decisions in this tournament. One of these duelists was going to leave this match a Shonen Jump Champion, a feat neither had achieved before.

Moore got to open the third duel, and did so by setting a card to each zone. “Your move.” Corn activated Allure of Darkness, drew two, and removed Mystic Tomato from play. Another Allure let him draw again, and this time he completed its effect by giving up Darklord Zerato, easily one of the best removes possible as the weekend had come to demonstrate. He summoned Snipe Hunter, activated it with priority, and targeted Moore’s set Phoenix Wing Wind Blast by discarding D.D. Crow — Moore chained, discarding Zanji to spin away Snipe Hunter. 

 

But Corn activated Dimension Fusion! He special summoned Mystic Tomato and Darklord Zerato, then discarded Armageddon Knight to destroy Moore’s face-down Spirit of the Six Samurai. Darklord Zerato and Mystic Tomato attacked directly, Corn ended, and Zerato was sent to the graveyard by its own effect.

Moore summoned Irou and attacked Mystic Tomato to put Corn at four Darks in his graveyard. Corn special summoned Spirit Reaper; Moore set Torrential Tribute and ended. That left Corn to set a monster, then a back row card, and end.

Moore summoned Yaichi! He used priority to target Corn’s set spell or trap; Corn chained it, revealing it to be Threatening Roar. Moore brought out Great Shogun Shien, and next turn Corn flip summoned Sangan to ram it into Yaichi. He pulled Prometheus with Sangan, summoned it, removed two monsters to get himself down to three, and then brought out Dark Armed Dragon! He used its effect with priority, but Moore flipped Torrential Tribute in response, wiping the field! Both duelists were almost reduced to topdecking. Both were incredibly tense, and it was clear that the end of this tournament was fast approaching.

Moore passed, Corn set a monster, and Moore passed again. Corn set Mirror Force, and next turn Moore activated Six Samurai United! He summoned Yaichi, special summoned Grandmaster, and sent United to the graveyard to draw two cards: Great Shogun Shien and Lightning Vortex! Yaichi destroyed Corn’s set Mirror Force and Moore attacked . . . into Marshmallon!  There was nothing Moore could do but hold his last card, the Vortex, and hope.

Corn drew and passed. Moore drew into The Six Samurai – Zanji, discarded it for Lightning Vortex, and hammered both cards to the table. Unbelievable! Marshmallon was destroyed and Corn took direct shots from Yaichi and Great Shogun Shien. Finally, an attack from Grandmaster of the Six Samurai ended the duel, the match, and the tournament!

Massive, risky aggression clashes violently with Adam Corn’s conservative playstyle, and Jonathan Moore takes the title of Shonen Jump Champion!