Shane Scurry is a two-time Shonen Jump Champion, coming into this event hot off a Top 8 showing at Shonen Jump Championship Costa Mesa. Largely responsible for Dark Armed Return’s current dominance, Scurry was packing a Dreadmaster-teched build of his masterpiece.

But he was up against 19 year-old Nicolas Nunez, a duelist from Pennsylvania who was armed with a deck designed to destroy Scurry’s. Wielding oppression Gadgets teched with Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer and Protector of the Sanctuary, Nunez had already used it to peel apart multiple Dark Armed Return decks thus far in the tournament, and now had a 4-0 record.

He won the roll and opened the match by summoning Green Gadget, searching out Red Gadget from his deck. He set Enemy Controller, holding back on his Solemn Judgment. Scurry activated Destiny Draw next turn, discarding Destiny Hero – Dasher to draw two cards and following it up with Reinforcement of the Army. That got him Elemental Hero Stratos, Stratos in turn got him Destiny Hero – Dreadmaster, and Scurry was well on his way to building a big press with Destiny Heroes.

He pitched Dreadmaster for another Destiny Draw and attacked with Stratos, and Nunez flipped Enemy Controller to block the attack. Scurry set one spell or trap card and play was back to Nunez.

Monster Reborn let Nunez special summon Scurry’s Destiny Hero – Dasher. Green Gadget ran over Stratos, Dasher attacked for 2100 damage, and two cards to the back row ended Nunez’s turn. Scurry drew for his draw phase and Nunez flipped Royal Oppression! Scurry gave a small sigh and then activated Mystical Space Typhoon.

“Solemn,” announced Nunez, flipping it to negate Mystical Space Typhoon and protect Oppression. Scurry activated Gold Sarcophagus, removed Heavy Storm from his deck, and gave a deeper sigh. He summoned Prometheus, King of the Shadows and removed Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster to boost it to 1600 ATK. Prometheus attacked Dasher and Scurry passed, waiting on that Heavy Storm.

Nunez summoned Red Gadget, searched Yellow Gadget from his deck, and added it to his hand. Green Gadget attacked Prometheus and destroyed it, and Red Gadget attacked directly. Scurry was down to 4400 life points. “Go ahead.”

Scurry passed back with just that set spell or trap on the field, seemingly unable to do anything. Next turn he’d get Heavy Storm, but for now, Nunez was going to do everything he could: he summoned Yellow Gadget, got another Green and then attacked for a total of 3900 damage. Scurry was down to 500 life points, too low to use Dimension Fusion. Nunez ended.

Scurry drew, and then took his Heavy Storm. “If I Heavy and then chain Return, can you still pay 800 to negate it?”

“I can,” confirmed Nunez. Scurry flipped Return, Nunez paid 800 to negate it and Scurry activated Heavy Storm to destroy Oppression. He set all but one card in his hand to his back row, and then activated Allure of Darkness, drawing two cards: he opted to give up Strike Ninja to complete Allure’s effect. He checked his four set cards and muttered a faint curse. “Go ahead.”

Nunez turned Red Gadget to defense mode, then attacked with Yellow Gadget. “Game?” Scurry responded with Escape from the Dark Dimension, bringing Dreadmaster back to the field in defense mode. In response to his own summon he flipped Torrential Tribute, clearing the table of the Gadgets but keeping his Dreadmaster. Nunez moved to main phase 2, counted two Dark monsters in Scurry’s graveyard, and summoned Red Gadget to get another Yellow. He set two cards to his back row, one Mirror Force and the other Smashing Ground, and ended.

Scurry had a chance! A Return here could mean game if it were backed by the proper monsters, but it would take some set up. He flipped his face-down Monster Reborn to start, special summoning Destiny Hero – Dasher. He set Disk Commander, fed it to Dasher, and turned Dreadmaster to attack mode: Dasher attacked, and Nunez took the damage?! He’d later explain that he was holding the Mirror Force in case of Return, but hadn’t remembered how low he was on life points.

Nunez realized his error once Dreadmaster attacked: he flipped the Mirror Force at that point, but since Dasher was in defense he couldn’t destroy it. The debacle left Scurry with three Darks in his graveyard, so he brought out Dark Armed Dragon and removed Dreadmaster to destroy Nunez’s face-down Smashing Ground.

But Nunez pressed on, gave himself a shake, and next turn he summoned Neo-Spacian Grand Mole. Scurry had no response. Nunez revealed Lightning Vortex and Scurry was scooping instantly!

Nicolas Nunez makes a terrible misplay with that Mirror Force, doesn’t draw Protector of the Sanctuary or Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, and still wins! Both duelists began siding and shuffled up for game 2.

Scurry did nothing on the first turn of game 2 but set a spell or trap. Nunez set a card to each zone, ended, and Scurry discarded Destiny Hero – Dasher for Destiny Draw before passing back. Nunez summoned Red Gadget next turn, searched out Yellow Gadget, and attacked into Malevolent Catastrophe; the attack went through, but Nunez lost his set Bottomless Trap Hole: Scurry had no doubt been hoping to destroy Oppression.

So Nunez set Oppression, and flipped it next turn in Scurry’s draw phase. Scurry could do nothing but set a single card to his back row and end. He looked anything but confident.

Red Gadget hit for another 1300 damage, dropping Scurry to 5400 life points. Nunez opted not to normal summon, telegraphing a set Protector of the Sanctuary. In the end phase, Scurry flipped Dust Tornado to destroy Oppression and set a spell or trap. He set a second on his following turn and passed.

Nunez flip summoned his set Protector! Scurry gave a chagrinned smile and had to flip Torrential Tribute. That left Nunez free to summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer and attack, removing Scurry’s Dasher from his graveyard. Nunez was holding Mirror Force, Torrential Tribute, and a bunch of monsters, and opted to set Torrential. “Go ahead.”

Scurry set a second spell or trap once more, and ended without doing anything yet again. He took 1800 damage from Kycoo, Nunez set another spell or trap, and play was back to Scurry. He drew for his turn and flipped Heavy Storm, then chained Return from the Different Dimension! Nunez lost his set Torrential Tribute and Bottomless Trap Hole, and Scurry brought out Dasher to attack over Kycoo. Scurry set a spell or trap, and tributed Dasher to set a monster.

Next turn, Nunez activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Scurry’s set Return from the Different Dimension! He followed it up with Blue Thunder T-45! Blue Thunder attacked, destroyed Jinzo, and the resulting Token monster was more than enough to finish the match!

Nicolas Nunez passes the ultimate test, defeating two-time Champion Shane Scurry 2-0 with his Protector Gadget deck!