Readers who joined us for the coverage of Shonen Jump Championship Toronto may remember Audrey Tan’s rampage through the early rounds of that tournament, making devastating bluff plays and handing out crushing defeats to competitors like Jason Tan and two-time National Champion Dexter Dalit. But after scooping to boyfriend Dale Bellido, Tan hit a run of bad luck, and ended up losing on the bubble to Nareg Torossian in the last round of Day 1. It knocked her out of Day 2, but now, she’d get a chance at a rematch.
She won the roll and opened with a single set card to her back row. Nareg fired back with a set card to each zone, then set another card to his spell and trap zone. Tan was back up, activating Solar Recharge: she discarded Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior to draw two cards, then sent Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress and Beckoning Light off the top of her deck to the graveyard. She spent a few moments thinking over the field, then activated Premature Burial targeting Lyla—Nareg paid 800 life points to activate Royal Oppression and negated the summon! If Tan couldn’t get that off the field soon she’d be in trouble.
She let the negation go, then activated Phoenix Wing Wind Blast after the fact, spinning away Royal Oppression. She discarded Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter for Solar Recharge, sent Celestia, Lightsworn Angel and Honest off her deck to the yard, then activated Monster Reborn, bringing back Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress. She turned Lyla to defense mode, targeting Nareg’s face-down Reckless Greed, and Nareg did not chain it.
She tributed Lyla for Celestia, then blew away Nareg’s Gravekeeper’s Spy with her effect! One of the monsters sent to the graveyard for Celestia’s activating was Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, and it was special summoned. Both monsters then attacked Nareg directly, dropping him to 2800 life points. She ended with three cards in hand.
Nareg drew, and had four cards in hand. He set one to each zone and ended. Next turn Tan discarded Necro Gardna for Monster Reincarnation, then brought back her first Celestia, and Nareg scooped.
Audrey Tan overcomes a misplay in the face of Royal Oppression, taking the game in short order anyways!
“Damn, I never even saw any of your cards,” noted Tan as she began side decking.
“What?” Nareg blinked, and looked up from his own siding.
“I didn’t see anything but your Spy,” noted Tan. By beating Nareg so quickly she’d deprived herself of any advantage in siding for game 2. Not exactly a tremendous problem, and she wasn’t complaining much: it almost seemed like a very polite way to rub in how quickly she’d won. Almost.
“I don’t even know why I run Reckless,” commented Nareg. “I never get double, triple Reckless.”
“Awww . . .” Tan’s sympathy seemed genuine. Granted, it was coming from someone who had distinguished herself as a superb bluffer, so I suppose that sincerity was up in the air.
“I’ll start,” announced Nareg. He opened with Gravekeeper’s Spy, Bottomless Trap Hole, Book of Moon, Spirit Reaper, Caius the Shadow Monarch, and Dark Bribe. He set Spy, set Bottomless, and ended.
Tan summoned Cyber Dragon to begin her turn, then normal summoned Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress—Nareg was forced to play Bottomless Trap Hole in response, losing out on the opportunity to remove Cyber Dragon. He lost his Spy as a result as Cyber Dragon attacked it, but got to special summon another. Tan set one card to her back row and ended.
Nareg tributed his Spy for Caius the Shadow Monarch, removing Cyber Dragon from the field but losing out to Phoenix Wing Wind Blast. Tan discarded Celestia, Lightsworn Angel to pay for it, then spun away Caius, and Nareg set another spell or trap. He was now trapped with a dead draw next turn.
Tan knew it and leaned on him immediately, summoning Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior, attacking, and setting another card to her back row. Nareg drew and had Caius, Reaper, Night Assailant, and Dark Bribe: he set Assailant and Bribe. Next turn Tan tributed for Celestia, blew away Bribe and Assailant, and hit another Wulf off her Celestia!
Both monsters attacked, and Nareg was down to 1750 life points. Tan still had a pristine 8000. “Go ahead.”
Nareg topped Allure of Darkness and activated it, getting two new cards in exchange for his Caius. He activated Wave-Motion Cannon, set a monster, and set his last card to his back row.
Tan activated Cold Wave! Nareg checked his face-down cards, briefly stunned. “Did you topdeck that?”
“Just a little bit,” Tan laughed. Celestia attacked into Nareg’s Reaper, and she ended. Nareg passed next turn, and Tan summoned Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner! Tan flipped Torrential Tribute!
“How many cards are in your hand?”
“One,” laughed Tan. She special summoned Judgment Dragon . . .
. . . but Nareg had Solemn Judgment to shut it down. It was a huge mistake: Tan should’ve played the Dragon first, forcing out the Solemn without losing the rest of her field—it was a big error and it left her with nothing.
Nareg drew and activated Level Limit - Area B. “Don’t draw another Judgment Dragon.” Tan didn’t, and passed her next turn, setting a spell or trap. Nareg passed back, his Cannon at 4000 damage. Tan passed again.
Nareg’s Cannon went to 5000 damage, and he had Gravekeeper’s Spy, Messenger of Peace, and Ceasefire in hand. He set Ceasefire, set Spy and ended. Tan passed again.
The Cannon went to 6000 damage and Nareg fired it off. He flip summoned his Gravekeeper’s Spy, turned herto defense mode, and then realized he was out of monsters to special summon with her. He set another monster and bemoaned his play. “That was a game-changing play right there.”
Tan tried to summon and attacked with Ehren, Lightsworn Monk next turn, but had forgotten about Level Limit - Area B. Ehren went to defense mode, and in the end phase she sent Wulf, Lightsworn Beast to the graveyard. Nareg finished the game moments later with Ceasefire.
“Looks like it really is a rematch,” remarked Nareg. At SJC Toronto both duelists had played the same decks, with Tan taking a crushing victory in Game 1 and losing to Nareg in Game 2. Would history repeat itself?
Game 3 started with Tan discarding Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner for Solar Recharge. It sent another Recharge and Phantom of Chaos to the graveyard. She summoned Card Trooper, then sent Necro Gardna, Monster Reincarnation, and Mobius the Frost Monarch to the graveyard. “No Wulf, no Wulf . . . Yes! I can deal with Gardna!” Nareg was happy to not face another free Wulf, and next turn he activated Soul Exchange to tribute Tan’s Card Trooper for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch.
Thestalos forced Tan to discard Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, and Nareg passed: he was holding Night Assailant, Thestalos, and Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. Tan’s only move next turn was to set a card to her back row.
“Attack.” Nareg sent Thestalos to attack Tan’s life points, then set a monster. Tan activated Premature Burial to bring back Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner, and tributed her for Celestia, Lightsworn Angel! Celestia destroyed both of Nareg’s monsters—Thestalos and Dekoichi—then attacked for 2300 damage. She sent two Lightsworn to the graveyard, but none of them were Wulf.
Nareg set a monster, then set a spell or trap. Tan activated Cold Wave, summoned Honest, and attacked with Celestia, hitting Nareg’s face-down Night Assailant. He destroyed Honest, not wanting to give Tan a fourth Lightsworn in her graveyard, and on the turn that followed he set another monster. Tan was up again.
She activated another Cold Wave! Celestia attacked, and Nareg lost his face-down Gravekeeper’s Spy and brought another to the field. Since he still had Thestalos, things didn’t look good for Tan, who set another monster.
Nareg tributed for Thestalos, forced Tan to lose her last in-hand card (Heavy Storm) and attacked over Celestia. Tan let it go, seeming to forget about her Necro Gardna. She drew and each player had just three cards: Tan had one in hand, a set monster, and a set spell or trap card. Nareg had Thestalos, a set spell or trap, and a card in hand.
She flip summoned Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, blowing away Thestalos and sending Honest, Judgment Dragon, and Necro Gardna to the graveyard. Ryko attacked, and Nareg activated Allure of Darkness next turn, removing Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive.
He set all of his remaining cards save one, then summoned Morphing Jar. Jar attacked Ryko, and Tan removed Necro Gardna to block the shot, clearly wanting to keep a tribute for Celestia. Tan drew her next card and reeled. “I’m so pissed. I completely misplayed.” She didn’t explain what that misplay was, but turned Ryko to defense mode and ended.
Nareg drew, and flipped Reckless Greed, then another! He’d finally hit that elusive double Reckless Greed. With Royal Oppression set and a freshly-drawn Solemn Judgment, things seemed pretty final. He summoned Sangan, attacked Ryko with Morphing Jar, and made a direct attack with Sangan before setting two cards.
Tan had nothing yet again, and passed her next turn. Nareg summoned Gravekeeper’s Spy and Tan responded with Torrential Tribute: Nareg lost his field, not flipping the Solemn. He searched out Mask of Darkness with Sangan’s effect and ended: “You can go.”
Tan set two cards to her back row and ended—Nareg set a monster, and Tan set another spell or trap. Nareg flip summoned Mask of Darkness, took back Reckless Greed, and tributed the Mask for Prime Material Dragon. The Dragon attacked for 2400 damage, Tan dropped to 1300 life points, and Nareg set the Greed—he lost Mystical Space Typhoon in his end phase.
“I have three Solemns set,” remarked Nareg.
“Maybe . . .” Tan considered setting a monster, then opted just to pass. Nareg attacked with Prime Material Dragon, drawing out another Necro Gardna. Tan special summoned Cyber Dragon, but Nareg negated the summon with Royal Oppression. She set a monster and ended as time was called. She’d have only one turn in which to win the duel after this. Nareg would have two.
He tributed Prime Material Dragon for Caius the Shadow Monarch—removing Tan’s face-down Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior—and attacked for game!
Multiple misplays lead to Audrey Tan’s defeat, and Nareg Torossian moves on with a 4-1 record!