Neither of these duelists needs an introduction. Twenty-five-year-old Jason Holloway is a star player for Team Outphase, while twelve-year-old Austin Kulman is the reigning American National Champion.
Holloway won the roll and Kulman took a deep breath as the duel began, setting his hand down while Holloway played his first turn. He set a card to each zone and ended. Kulman special summoned Cyber Dragon: “Any response?”
“You have to summon a second one to get me to activate Torrential Tribute,” remarked Holloway.
“What if I summon Jinzo?” asked Kulman. Holloway seemed to brush off the possibility.
. . . Until Kulman summoned Jinzo. It hit the field and tore through Holloway’s set Mystic Tomato, bringing out Sangan in attack position. Kulman set a spell or trap and ended.
Holloway tried to take Jinzo with Snatch Steal, but Kulman flipped his set Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Snatch Steal on the chain! Holloway was stymied, and set a spell or trap after turning Sangan to defense.
“Machine Duplication?” asked Holloway, giving voice to his biggest fear.
“Nope,” replied Kulman, swinging on Sangan with Jinzo to send Holloway to his deck. He used Sangan’s effect to search out Magical Merchant and Kulman passed. Holloway set a monster, ended, and play was back to Kulman. He attacked again, hitting Magical Merchant, and Holloway got Destiny Draw with its effect. Kulman set a monster to end his turn.
Holloway activated Destiny Draw, discarding Destiny Hero – Malicious to draw two. He summoned Elemental Hero Stratos, searched his deck for Destiny Hero - Dasher and attacked Kulman’s set monster. Stratos collided with Sangan, and now it was Kulman’s turn to search his deck! He fetched Destiny Hero – Malicious, but Holloway activated Confiscation! He revealed Kulman’s hand: Malicious, Destiny Draw, and Dark Magician of Chaos. He discarded the Destiny Draw to strand Kulman with dead cards and passed. A skillfully played turn for Holloway.
Kulman attacked with Jinzo, destroying Stratos and bringing Holloway down to 6400 life points. “Cards in hand?”
“Five,” replied Holloway. Kulman shook his head briefly and thought a moment, before passing his turn and watching Holloway flip Scapegoat in the end phase. Holloway removed one Malicious from his graveyard to special summon another in defense position. He activated Destiny Draw, discarded Destiny Hero – Disk Commander, and drew two before tributing Malicious for Destiny Hero – Dasher. He tributed one of his Sheep tokens to Dasher, then ran over Jinzo and ended his turn.
Another Cyber Dragon came down for Kulman, and he tributed it once again. He set the tribute monster face down and gave, well, there’s no other word for it — he gave a giggle. “I’m afraid to attack you.” He ended his turn.
Holloway tributed Dasher for Raiza and targeted the set monster with its effect, which he knew to be Malicious. But Kulman chained Crush Card Virus! Holloway lost two Cyber Dragons and was left with Treeborn Frog, Torrential Tribute, and his own Crush Card Virus. Kulman had played Holloway big time!
There was nothing he could do but pass. He had three cards in hand, one set in his back row, and three Sheep. Kulman drew, putting himself at four cards in hand, and used Premature Burial to bring up Jinzo again. Jinzo hit a Sheep and the young reigning Champion passed.
Holloway drew and revealed Mind Crush, giving Kulman more intelligence thanks to Crush Card Virus. He considered setting Treeborn Frog, thinking long and hard before doing so. Play was back to Kulman. He searched his deck for Elemental Hero Stratos with Reinforcement of the Army, summoned him, and searched out Destiny Hero – Disk Commander with his effect. He giggled again and ran some numbers. "You're at 6400?" Stratos attacked the last Sheep, Jinzo attacked directly, and Holloway was down to 4000.
“I’ll activate Giant Trunade,” announced Kulman, taking back his Premature Burial. He set one back row card and ended: “Now you can bring back Treeborn. I hope that didn’t cost me the game.” Kulman seemed to regret his move immediately, and heaved a big sigh.
Meanwhile, Holloway had nothing but traps in his hand, and he topdecked into Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch. He had to think for more than two minutes as to whether or not he would special summon him with Dasher’s effect, but eventually opted not to, instead special summoning Treeborn Frog. He then tributed summoned for Thestalos and forced Kulman to discard his Premature Burial! “Ooh. That was the best one. Good pick.”
Holloway brought out another Malicious from his deck by removing the second in his graveyard. Thestalos traded with Jinzo and Holloway (and his big hand full of traps) was back in the game!
“Let’s see . . . I saw Crush Card, Mind Crush . . .” Kulman audibly ticked down the contents of Holloway’s hand as Holloway set three cards to his back row. He set a fourth, then a fifth! “I’m playing Chain burn,” he joked, ending his turn. Holloway flipped Crush Card Virus in Kulman’s draw phase, revealing a hand of Disk Commander, two Malicious, Dark Magician of Chaos, and Morphing Jar. Magician and Stratos went to the graveyard. Kulman set a monster and ended.
Holloway flipped Call of the Haunted to bring back Sangan, then responded with Torrential Tribute! He searched for Destiny Hero – Fear Monger with its effect, and then ended his turn. No offensive follow-up from Holloway.
Kulman revealed his draw: Torrential Tribute. Kulman set another spell or trap, matching Holloway’s pair, then set a monster. “Hey, you’re gonna deck out,” grinned Kulman. Holloway’s deck was getting thin, but not quite thin enough for that to be a concern.
Holloway set everything but his last in-hand card to the spell and trap zone, and then ended. Kulman revealed his draw, Call of the Haunted, and Holloway got rid of it with Mind Crush: Jinzo would crush him and Holloway knew it. Kulman ended his turn and passed play back to Holloway.
He ended, stuck with Reinforcement of the Army, Raiza, and Jinzo in his hand. Kulman set another card to his back row and Holloway drew Premature Burial: his dead tribute monsters were suddenly live cards, or at least one step closer to being so. Kulman shuffled his hand at the speed of light as he waited to see what Holloway would do: Holloway flipped Heavy Storm.
He lost Ring of Destruction, Brain Control, and Mirror Force, while Kulman lost Mirror Force, Torrential Tribute, and Ring of Destruction. Premature Burial brought up Disk Commander, Holloway drew two cards and Holloway tributed for Raiza the Storm Monarch! Raiza bounced Kulman’s set monster and then swung directly. He set one back row card to end.
Kulman set a card to each zone and ended, but lost his set Brain Control to Mystical Space Typhoon in the end phase. Holloway topdecked Raiza, special summoned him with Dasher, and then brought back Treeborn Frog! He tributed it for Jinzo and Kulman scooped immediately, wanting to move the match along as fast as possible. Only seven minutes and thirty seconds remained.
Kulman opened the second duel with two Destiny Draw, discarding Disk Commander and Malicious. He set two cards to his spell and trap zone, set a monster, and ended. Kulman needed to win this one quick.
“My hand is, like, trash.” Holloway set two back row cards, and Kulman moved into his turn. He set two more cards to his back row and gave Holloway a new hand, courtesy of his flipped Morphing Jar!
Holloway moaned as he took his new cards. Kulman brought another Malicious from his deck, traded him for Ryu Senshi with Metamorphosis, and then brought back Disk Commander with Call of the Haunted to draw two cards! Another Destiny Draw discarded another Malicious, and Holloway joked about scooping then and there. Kulman went on to summon Card Trooper, activated its effect with priority and Holloway labored over his next move until the table judge asked him to make a decision. He flipped Torrential Tribute, Ryu Senshi negated it, and Kulman attacked with everything. Holloway was down to 3100. “Go ahead.”
Holloway flipped his set Heavy Storm to clear Kulman of his Mirror Force, Mystical Space Typhoon, Call of the Haunted, and attached Disk Commander. Holloway removed his in-graveyard Malicious to bring out another as time was called, and then activated Destiny Draw to discard Fear Monger. He tributed Malicious for Cyber Dragon, removed Malicious to bring his last one to the field, and activated Premature Burial. It brought back Raiza.
Raiza attacked Ryu Senshi for 400 damage, Cyber Dragon attacked Morphing Jar, and Malicious attacked Card Trooper. Trooper gave Kulman a card and Holloway set two more to his back row. “This is your chance to pro-Heavy me.”
Kulman had two turns to win.
Sure enough, Heavy Storm fell from Kulman’s hand! Holloway chained Crush Card Virus, but Kulman revealed a hand that included Card Trooper, Snatch Steal, and enough complementary cards to make Holloway scoop!
Play would continue. Austin Kulman presses the match to a third game, but it will only last four turns!
The third match began and Holloway went first, activating Destiny Draw to discard Destiny Hero – Malicious. He searched his deck for another, special summoned him, and then activated Destiny Draw again! He discarded Disk Commander this time.
“How good is your hand?”
“My hand’s bad,” replied Kulman. “I guess it’s okay.”
Holloway set a monster, set two cards to his back row, and then set Crush Card Virus. He followed it up with a fourth set to his back row!
Kulman drew for his turn, and Holloway tributed for Crush Card Virus: Kulman’s only monster was Card Trooper, and Holloway had wasted two cards! He had succeeded in locking down Kulman’s next draw phase though, and he gained some intelligence about Kulman’s hand. He flipped Mind Crush and called Card Trooper, removing Kulman’s only monster.
He set a card to his back row and teased setting a monster. Holloway laughed and Kulman grinned, never one to lose his cool under pressure. “Your move.”
Holloway activated Mystical Space Typhoon to begin his turn, but Kulman chained the target: a Mystical Space Typhoon of his own. It threatened Holloway’s set Call of the Haunted, but he chained it to bring back Destiny Hero – Disk Commander, giving Holloway two more cards. He needed to cause as much damage as possible this turn, but the fact that he had Scapegoat in his hand gave him a hefty amount of security regardless. He flip summoned D. D. Survivor, summoned another, and attacked with both. He set Scapegoat and ended. There was no way Kulman could come back.
He revealed his draw, Destiny Hero – Fear Monger. “My heart’s beating so fast.” He summoned Fear Monger, activated Snatch Steal, assumed control of one Survivor and then took the other with Brain Control. Survivor attacked, but Holloway flipped Scapegoat and Kulman gave him the handshake immediately!
“Congratulations. You deserved it.” Kulman congratulated his opponent with nothing so much as a wince: classy as always.
Jason Holloway moves on, still alive in the tournament! Kulman will need a miracle of tiebreakers to get into Day 2.