It all came down to this! Two Monarch decks going head to head, each with Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch and Apprentice Magician engines. While Spicer had the advantage of experience, and had won in a feature match against Tristian just yesterday, this one was anybody’s game. The winner would walk away with a copy of Shrink, a brand new laptop, an awesome trophy, and the title of Shonen Jump Champion.
Patillo won the roll and immediately opened with a set card to each zone. Spicer did the same, and Patillo flipped Old Vindictive Magician to destroy Spicer’s set monster, Treeborn Frog. Vindictive attacked, another set card hit each zone of Patillo’s field, and play was to Spicer.
He activated Brain Control to take the Vindictive, then tributed it for Zaborg. Zaborg blew away Patillo’s set Apprentice, but attacked into Sakuretsu Armor. Spicer set a second spell or trap, Patillo topped into Graceful, discarded Treeborn and Smashing Ground, and passed. Spicer set a monster, Patillo brought down Exiled Force to destroy it, but was dismayed to see that it was Sangan! Patillo was swinging in hard and fast, and Spicer was just abusing his recklessness. Still, Patillo activated Last Will and special summoned Sangan himself, attacking for 1000 life points. “Go.”
Spicer activated Graceful Charity, discarded Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive and Apprentice, and set a monster. Patillo’s Sangan attacked, hitting another Dekoichi and bouncing off while Spicer drew a card for its effect. Patillo set a card to each zone and ended.
Mystical Space Typhoon destroyed his freshest back row set, Bottomless Trap Hole, and Spicer attacked with the Dekoichi to wipe away Sangan. Sangan fetched Spirit Reaper for Patillo and Spicer set a monster. “Your go.”
Patillo set a monster too and, when Spicer went to attack with Dekoichi, Patillo flipped Ring of Destruction to stop it dead in its (train) tracks. Spicer set another monster, Patillo took back his Treeborn Frog and activated Heavy Storm. Spicer chained his Ring of Destruction to destroy the Frog, ensuring two things. First, if Patillo was going to tribute summon this turn it would cost him a real monster. Second, if Patillo were to set something in his back row, Spicer might be able to lock his Treeborn in the graveyard. It was a subtle move, but a smart one. Patillo flip summoned Skelengel, drew for its effect and then spent a while contemplating his next play decision. He looked through Spicer’s graveyard, tributed for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, and discarded Spirit Reaper from Spicer’s hand.
Premature Burial brought back Exiled Force for Patillo, and he debated which set monster he should tribute it for. He went for the one that had been on the field the longest, and destroyed Spicer’s Apprentice Magician. Reaper turned to attack position and Thestalos rushed Spicer’s last set monster — it was Mystic Tomato, which in turn brought another Tomato to the field to block the Reaper. Patillo set a spell or trap card to finish his turn.
Treeborn Frog came back up for Spicer, and he tributed it for Thestalos! Magician of Faith was discarded from Patillo’s hand, his last in-hand card, and Spicer turned Tomato to defense. Spicer’s Thestalos took down his opponent’s, and he set two cards to his back row, before passing. Patillo set a monster and passed, Spicer passed back, and Patillo flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. He followed it up by summoning Exiled Force, but lost his field to Torrential Tribute. Robbed of his momentum, Patillo ended his turn, leading Spicer to set a monster in an effort to rebuild. When Spicer tried to end his turn though, Patillo activated Mystical Space Typhoon in Spicer’s end phase. It hit Scapegoat, which Spicer chained.
Patillo brought back his Treeborn Frog, tributed it for Thestalos to cost Spicer Cyber Dragon from his hand, and attacked Spicer’s set monster. Dekoichi flipped, drew a card for Spicer, and then derailed right into the graveyard. Treeborn Frog came back up on Spicer’s side of the field and he tributed it for Thestalos. The next two turns were a flurry of cards that were nearly impossible to follow. Both duelists were intensely invested in the duel, and the match moved at a blinding pace.
Patillo set Night Assailant and, when Spicer’s Zaborg attacked it on the following turn, the Zaborg was lost. Spicer set a spell or trap and ended. Patillo activated Pot of Avarice, shuffling back two Thestalos, Magician of Faith, Sangan, and a fifth monster that moved too fast to verify. He set a card to each zone to conclude a rather conservative turn. Spicer summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, broke Patillo’s Torrential Tribute, and attacked to clear out a monster. Spicer set a spell or trap, Patillo set Dekoichi, and Breaker attacked it on the turn that followed. Spicer finished his turn with yet another set spell or trap card.
Patillo set a monster and Breaker attacked it; it was Apprentice Magician. The Apprentice fetched Magician of Faith, special summoning it face down on Patillo’s side of the field. Spicer passed, Patillo flipped it and took back Pot of Avarice. He tributed the Magician of Faith for Cyber Dragon and tried to run over Breaker, but his Cyber Dragon was destroyed by Sakuretsu Armor. He activated Pot of Avarice one more time in main phase 2, shuffling back Exiled Force, Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, Magician of Faith, and two Apprentice Magician. He set a spell or trap card and passed with Treeborn Frog in defense, and one set spell or trap in his back row.
Breaker smacked the Frog, Spicer set a second spell or trap card yet again and play was to Patillo. Patillo passed. Breaker attacked into Scapegoat and destroyed a Token. Patillo summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, but lost it to Bottomless Trap Hole. “Go,” said Patillo flatly.
Breaker destroyed another of Patillo’s Tokens, and Spicer tributed it for Thestalos in main phase 2, forcing Patillo to discard Book of Moon. Treeborn Frog came back up for Patillo, who set a spell or trap to end his turn. Thestalos sniped a Sheep, Spicer set a second spell or trap, and play was back to his opponent.
Treeborn was tributed by Patillo for another Thestalos, discarding Spicer’s Magician of Faith. Patillo changed his last Sheep to attack position, activated Creature Swap, and stuck Spicer with the vulnerable token! Thestalos then attacked the Sheep and Spicer had no way of blocking the attack. It was game, and both duelists began side decking.
Whew. It was a long, intense duel, and both competitors were clearly starting to feel the fatigue of the match.
Spicer finished siding first, and then rested his face in his hands while Patillo shuffled and counted out his side deck. Spicer had been the definite odds-on favorite going into the day, but now he was behind and would have to win out in order to stay. Would he side into Stein for the second game? The decision to side into OTK would likely be the difference between a win and a loss in this second duel.
Spicer opened with a set spell or trap card and nothing else: his only monsters were Magician of Faith, a Zaborg, and a Thestalos. Patillo matched him with one spell or trap card and ended. Spicer passed back, Patillo passed as well, and Spicer activated Confiscation to reveal Patillo’s hand: Premature Burial, Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, Skelengel, Mystical Space Typhoon, Cyber Dragon, and Breaker. “Get rid of . . .” Spicer paused, thinking, “Zaborg.” The Thunder Monarch was discarded, Spicer set a card to each zone, and Patillo was up.
He special summoned Cyber Dragon and attacked. Spicer lost his Magician of Faith, but took back Confiscation. Patillo set a second spell or trap and ended without using his normal summon. Spicer special summoned Cyber Dragon, activated Heavy Storm, and Patillo chained Scapegoat and Ring of Destruction, targeting Cyber Dragon with the Ring! Spicer had lost his Torrential Tribute and Bottomless Trap Hole . . . it was a painful misplay, and the situation would have been far different had Spicer activated Heavy Storm before special summoning Cyber Dragon. He activated Confiscation again, revealing Premature Burial, Magician of Faith, Breaker the Magical Warrior, and Mystical Space Typhoon. Spicer had nothing left in his hand but three Monarchs, and discarded Patillo’s Premature Burial. There was nothing he could do. He passed, Cyber Dragon hit him for 2100, and Patillo set a spell or trap card.
Spicer set Sakuretsu Armor, but there was no way he could play out of it. Patillo dropped Mystical Space Typhoon and it was all over as Cyber Dragon took another swing!
Tristian Patillo overcomes Ryan Spicer in a rematch from their feature match yesterday, pulling out a crushing 2-0 victory!