Our final feature match of the night begins with a deck check. Both of these players have made Top 8 at multiple Jumps, 2 for Keanson and 3 for Holloway, and both players are looking to add yet another Day 2 to their list of accomplishments. Holloway is playing for local Team Outphase while Keanson is simply representing himself at the event. The players exchanged pleasantries while they waited for the deck check to be completed, and, by the time it was finished, both of them were ready for action. Jason’s 6 beat Keanson’s 2 in the roll to decide who would go first, and he opted to begin the match.

Jason started things off with a set monster and passed his turn. Keanson brought out Cyber Dragon and Card Trooper and burned two Sakuretsu Armors and a Gravekeeper’s Spy to pump the Trooper. Cyber Dragon hit a face down Treeborn Frog and Trooper swung away for 1900. Keanson set a card and passed to Holloway who brought back his Frog from the graveyard. He tributed for Thestalos and knocked Call of the Haunted out of Keanson’s hand before running headlong into Mirror Force! Jason had an all monster hand and was forced to pass over to Keanson who brought down D. D. Assailant, dropped cards for Card Trooper and swung for the fences! Jason was at 400 life points and needed a miracle to get back in this game! He thought long and hard after returning his Frog to play, and eventually decided that he would activate Reinforcement of the Army to fetch an Exiled Force from his deck.

Looking to minimize Keanson’s total ATK on the field, he summoned the Exiled Force and attacked into Card Trooper and tributed the Exiled Force to destroy D. D. Assailant. He then set a card and passed to Keanson who threw down another Trooper. He didn’t activate the effect right away, and Torrential Tribute cleared the field earning Keanson his second bonus draw from a Trooper. He set a spell or trap and passed back to Jason. Frog came back and Jason set a card to each zone before passing to Keanson. In the next turn, Cyber Dragon came down and attacked Treeborn Frog, and Nobleman of Crossout removed Jason’s set Legendary Jujitsu Master from play! He set a card to each zone and passed to Keanson who tributed for Zaborg! Zaborg destroyed a set D. D. Warrior Lady and then attacked into Mirror Force! Next turn Jason set Sakuretsu Armor which had to be used on a Gravekeeper’s Spy in order to keep him in the game! Keanson made the most of the setback however and activated Pot of Avarice to shuffle both Troopers back into his deck along with Assailant, Sangan, and a Mystic Tomato that had been dropped in his graveyard via Trooper. He drew his two and passed to Jason who simply passed back and scooped when Keanson put a Mystic Tomato on to the field. Keanson Ye dominates game 1 with Card Trooper!

Jason was visibly upset with the cards he was dealt in the first game and the entire table could feel it under the force of his pile shuffling. The players remained silent, however, as they finished their side decking. It was Jason’s option once more, and he went first, again setting a spell or trap and passing. Keanson had Card Trooper once more and lost Grand Mole, Tomato, and Scapegoat to nail Jason for 1900.  Keanson set a spell or trap, Mirror Force, and lost it to Mystical Space Typhoon next turn. Cyber Dragon came down on Jason’s side of the field and was joined by a Don Zaloog that Jason fetched via Reinforcement of the Army. The Dragon took down the Trooper, forcing Keanson to draw before Don Zaloog picked out a Premature Burial from Ye’s hand and took it home.

Play was back to Keanson and he set a card to each zone before passing, clearly on the defensive. Jason needed to keep up the momentum to keep Ye out of the match, and he set a spell or trap before attacking with Cyber Dragon. Cyber Dragon attacked and ran into Sakuretsu Armor, but Don’s attack was allowed and revealed Gravekeeper’s Spy! Keanson was back in the game with two Spies on the field, but Thestalos in main phase 2 stole a Brain Control from Ye’s hand! Keanson was on the defensive again, but he had a Creature Swap in hand! He switched a Spy to attack position and swapped it for Thestalos! Thestalos fell to his owner’s Sakuretsu Armor, and Ye set a card to each zone before passing. Jason tributed the Spy for a Cyber Dragon and then activated Premature Burial to pull back his Thestalos. The Dragon whacked the Spy and Thestalos hit a set Dekoichi. Momentum was back in Jason’s favor, but Keanson topdecked Snatch Steal! The stolen Monarch took down Cyber Dragon and then Reinforcement of the Army brought D. D. Warrior Lady to Keanson’s hand. He set a card to each zone and passed back to Jason, who gained 1000 life points. He set a card to each zone and passed as Keanson topdecked into Mobius. Thestalos was tributed for Mobius, but Pulling the Rug claimed another victim! It was a set card to each zone for each player, but Keanson flipped his up! D. D. Warrior Lady attacked into a set Tomato and both were removed. It was time for a topdeck war! D. D. Warrior Lady came off the top for Holloway and connected for 1500 before Smashing Ground flopped to destroy it! Jason had to hold his next card while Keanson set his to the spell and trap zone. Jason topdecked into Pot of Avarice and shuffled 5 monsters into his deck before asking for a life point check. It was 5400 to 3400 in Jason’s favor (and he really ought to be keeping track on the piece of paper he has!). Holloway drew his two . . . and passed!

Ye set his next draw as well and Jason flopped a Hydrogeddon! The Dinosaur was wiped by Torrential Tribute, and Jason set a spell or trap before passing. Keanson topped into Heavy Storm, but with an equal commitment to the spell or trap zone and nothing to back it up with, he chose to hold it in his hand. Jason passed right back without doing anything, and Ye drew Ring of Destruction. He passed without setting it and Jason pulled another Hydrogeddon off the top of his deck. This time, its attack was met by Call of the Haunted for Neo-Spacian Grand Mole! In main phase 2, Smashing Ground was flipped by Jason to destroy it, but Ye’s set Book of Moon kept it on the field! Jason passed without further play and Keanson activated Heavy Storm taking out Jason’s Mirror Force! Sangan hit the field and Grand Mole bounced Hydro back to Jason’s hand! Keanson still had his Ring down, and he used it to blast Hydrogeddon off the field. Cyber Dragon connected with Sangan, however, and brought Ye down to 700 life points. He fetched Spirit Reaper with the Sangan effect and Jason passed. Keanson set a monster and passed, but Exiled Force from Jason caused Ye to scoop it up and go to game 3!

The players had 15 minutes left to complete their third game, and Jason was now much more confident in his ability to pull this off. By the time the game got underway there were only 12 minutes left, and Keanson Ye was going first. Ye got things underway with a set to each zone, and Jason played likewise. Keanson had a simply amazing draw though, as he flipped Dekoichi for a draw and tributed for Zaborg! Zaborg blew away a Frog and attacked for 2400. Keanson set a spell or trap but fell victim to the power of pro-Heavy! He chained Scapegoat however, and Jason set a card to each zone. Zaborg was lost to Mirror Force next turn, and Jason flipped his own Dekoichi. Frog was back on the field now thanks to the clear back field, and Jason tributed it for Thestalos, knocking Reinforcement of the Army from Keanson’s hand. Two Sheep bit the dust and Jason set a spell or trap before ending his turn.

Keanson was up, and he activated Mystical Space Typhoon on Jason’s bluff Pot of Avarice. Smashing Ground destroyed Thestalos and Mystic Tomato was summoned to attack Dekoichi! Both monsters were destroyed, but Tomato became Spirit Reaper and pulled Don Zaloog from Jason’s hand. Things were looking grim for the three time Top 8 player, and he looked to deal as much damage as he could in this round by summoning Cyber Dragon and Exiled Force, sending both into Reaper before popping the Exiled to destroy it. Brain Control stole his Dragon next turn and it was tributed for another Cyber Dragon! Keanson attacked directly and play was back to Jason who brought back his Frog and set Des Koala. The Koala didn’t do any good, however as Keanson didn’t have a hand after summoning D.D. Survivor and attacking Koala with it. Cyber Dragon finished it off, and next turn D. D. Assailant was summoned as well and marched through Jason’s field, which had been joined by a set Dekoichi. At this point, we had a bit of a life point dispute, but the score was settled and the game ended by a timely Ring of Destruction from Keanson Ye! Keanson Ye has made the cut, and Jason Holloway must now hope his tiebreakers are good enough to carry him to day 2!