This was the big one — Cesar Gonzalez, with the same deck he’s been running for multiple Jumps, against newcomer James Hames with Zombies. Hames is eighteen years old, and lives about five minutes away in Smyrna, Georgia. He plays for the local group Team Infusion.

Everybody knows Cesar — this is his tenth Shonen Jump Day 2, and today he had a few shout-outs: “Shout-out to Andrew Fredella for loaning me some cards, and to . . .” Cesar thought a moment . . . “Puerto Rico!” Interesting decision there, Cesar. Play started swiftly.

Cesar opened the match with Allure of Darkness, drawing two and removing Krebons before setting a card to each zone — no Elemental Hero Stratos opening. Hames had Plaguespreader Zombie, Emergency Teleport, Destiny Hero – Malicious, Goblin Zombie, Smashing Ground, and Mezuki. He needed to get to Zombie Master to discard his Malicious, so he summoned Goblin Zombie, attacked into Mystic Tomato, destroyed it with Smashing Ground, and set Emergency Teleport — he lost it to Mystical Space Typhoon in the end phase. Next turn, Cesar discarded Destiny Hero - Doom Lord for Destiny Draw.

He continued, activating Reinforcement of the Army to search out Stratos, summoning him to get his own Malicious from his deck. Stratos ran over Goblin Zombie, and sure enough Hames went and pulled Zombie Master with its effect. Cesar set a spell or trap card and ended. “Go.”

Play was to Hames, who drew Krebons. He summoned the Zombie Master, discarded Mezuki, and brought Goblin Zombie back to the field with Zombie Master’s effect. Zombie Master traded with Stratos, and when Hames attacked with Goblin Zombie its effect forced Monster Reborn into Cesar’s graveyard. Not much action from either side of the table.

Cesar summoned Krebons, attacked into Goblin Zombie, and Hames got another Mezuki — I’m not sure Cesar was approaching this matchup from the right perspective. He was feeding Hames pieces of his combo while thinning him toward Card of Safe Return and Crush Card Virus. He passed his turn, and Hames drew his second Malicious. He needed to get at least one into action this turn, so he removed Mezuki to special summon Zombie Master. He discarded one Malicious for its effect to bring up Goblin Zombie in defense position, normal summoned Plaguespreader Zombie, and Tuned it to Goblin Zombie to Synchro summon Revived King Ha Des.

He pulled another Goblin Zombie with the effect of his first one, which he had used as Synchro material. He then attacked into Krebons with both of his monsters: Cesar paid 1600 life points to negate both attacks and Hames ended, his hand full of monsters. Cesar summoned Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude, activated his effect, hit nothing but Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, and then Synchro summoned Goyo Guardian — the bane of the Zombie archetype. Goyo swung over Zombie Master, took control of it, and Cesar set a card to his back row — using Zombie Master’s effect to steal Plaguespreader and Synchro another Goyo might have been smart, but Cesar did have those two back row cards. Was he baiting out an attack, or had he misplayed leaving the Zombie Master vulnerable?

Hames drew Krebons for his turn, then sent Malicious back to the top of his deck from his hand to special summon Plaguespreader Zombie. That let him remove the copy in his graveyard to special summon the copy off the top of his deck, balancing the fact that he’d drawn two. He Synchro summoned Colossal Fighter, Tuning Plaguespreader Zombie to Revived King Ha Des, but the summon was negated by Cesar’s Solemn Judgment! Hames was left with his Plaguespreader Zombie removed from play and Malicious stuck on the field in defense.

He had no choice: he had to summon Krebons. He sent it to attack Cesar’s pilfered Zombie Master, surprisingly destroyed it, then Synchro summoned for Colossal Fighter. Cesar summoned Krebons and set another spell or trap, unable to get over the Colossal Fighter’s 3300 ATK. Next turn Hames attacked with it, but lost out to Phoenix Wing Wind Blast; Cesar discarded Malicious. Hames set Crush Card Virus, special summoned his last Malicious, and set a monster. He activated Crush Card Virus next turn to destroy Cesar’s Goyo Guardian. Cesar was holding Reinforcement of the Army, and fetched Dark Grepher.

He removed one Malicious to summon another, Tuned his Krebons to it, and Synchro summoned Colossal Fighter. He slammed it into Hames’ face-down Goblin Zombie, Hames pulled Zombie Master from his deck, and Cesar set Dark Grepher to end. Why he did that when he knew Hames had Zombie Master, I have no idea. Burial From a Different Dimension would improve Hames’ odds hugely now.

. . . And he drew it! He discarded Mezuki to bring back Goblin Zombie in defense position, with one more Mezuki removed from play alongside the Plaguespreader Zombie he’d used earlier. He was back in this duel. He sent his Zombie Master to attack Cesar’s face-down Dark Grepher, destroyed it, and set Burial.

Colossal Fighter had 3600 ATK, and Cesar sent it to crash over Zombie Master. He had the Fighter, a face-down spell or trap, and one card in hand; this was not looking good for Cesar. “Topdeck Brain Control?” asked Cesar. Hames summoned Krebons, removed Mezuki to bring back his Revived King Ha Des, and was indeed holding Brain Control! Had he really topped it?

He Tuned Krebons to Revived King, Synchro summoned Colossal Fighter, and flopped Brain Control; there was nothing Cesar could do. “I topped it just like you said,” smiled Hames, a bit bashful. This match was over, as Cesar conceded.

Misplays from The Princess and some huge topdecks in the late game let James Hames pull out of a difficult early game, destroying Cesar Gonzalez in Game 1! Both competitors sided quickly.

Cesar opened with a set spell or trap, and then summoned Krebons. Hames drew, and had Crush Card Virus, Allure of Darkness, Foolish Burial, Destiny Hero – Malicious, Goblin Zombie, and Krebons. He activated Allure, drew Heavy Storm and Emergency Teleport, and removed Krebons. Heavy Storm destroyed Cesar’s face-down Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, and Hames activated Teleport. He special summoned Krebons from his deck, attacked his Krebons into Cesar’s, who paid 800 life points, and he tributed Krebons for Malicious face down! He set Crush Card Virus.

He activated it next turn immediately, costing Cesar Caius the Shadow Monarch, Dark Armed Dragon, and Snipe Hunter! Cesar had nothing but Brain Control and Destiny Draw, and attacked with Krebons for 1200 damage. This one looked like it was over. “Go.”

Hames drew Card of Safe Return — yup, this one was over. He had Foolish Burial and Goblin Zombie, but needed one more card to start doing tricks with Plaguespreader via Foolish. He set Goblin Zombie, lost it to Krebons next turn, and pulled Mezuki from his deck. Cesar ended and Hames drew another Malicious.

He thought for a while, and then removed his Malicious to get another in defense position. He activated Foolish Burial, searched his deck for Plaguespreader Zombie, and then activated Card of Safe Return. He brought Plaguespreader Zombie back to the field by sending Malicious to the top of his deck, drew the Malicious with Card of Safe Return, and Synchro summoned Thought Ruler Archfiend. Thought Ruler Archfiend attacked Krebons, Cesar paid 800, and Hames set a monster. Cesar drew his last card under Crush Card Virus next turn: another Krebons, which he summoned. Hames drew, attacked with Thought Ruler Archfiend for another 800 life points, and set a spell or trap.

Cesar drew, set a spell or trap, and lost it to Mystical Space Typhoon in his end phase; it was his own Mystical Space Typhoon. Hames special summoned Dark Armed Dragon next turn, blew away all three of Cesar’s cards (his set card was Destiny Draw), and it was all over!