He activated Graceful Charity which got a “Very nice,” comment from Adrian, and decided he didn’t need either Nobleman of Crossout or Cyber Dragon currently. He summoned Sangan, set a spell or trap and passed over to Adrian.

Breaker the Magical Warrior ran into Torrential Tribute which searched out a Spirit Reaper for Vincent. Adrian set a card to his back row and ended. Vincent’s turn started off with him raising his eyebrows and commenting, “Ooh quite good.” He used Mystical Space Typhoon on Adrian’s own Typhoon, and robbed Adrian of Smashing Ground with his Spirit Reaper. After setting a spell or trap Adrian returned the favor with his own Reaper and another Smashing Ground and he knocked a Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive out of Vincent’s hand. Vince destroyed Reaper with Snatch Steal and set a monster, which was revealed to be Magician of Faith when Shining Angel ran into it. Vince played his newly returned Graceful Charity and both players exchanged comments about lucky topdecks.

‘Discard my topdeck,’ said Vince, Treeborn Frog, along with Heavy Storm. He set another monster and ended, while Shining Angel ran into the Spirit Reaper that Vince had just set. The Dutchman bought out Zaborg the Thunder Monarch and attacked directly, before setting a spell or trap and ending.

Chaos Sorcerer came out for Adrian next and Zaborg was ‘sent to sleep’ with it’s effect. A card count checked Adrian’s two in hand, and Smashing Ground destroyed Zaborg before both players passed. Breaker from Vince tried to use it’s counter on the face-down Scapegoat, but it got chained and breaker hit nothing but fluff for the next two turns.

“You have three or four in your hand?” asked Vince.

“Three."

“You collect cards!”

Smashing Ground sent Breaker away and Adrian passed back to Vince who showed Cyber-Stein and Enemy Controller, which made Adrian scoop the first game.

Vincent 1 – 0 Adrian

For the second game both players smoke-screened while side-decking and game two began with Adrian activating Confiscation. Vince’s hand was two copies of Spirit Reaper, a Sakuretsu Armor, Scapegoat, and Return from the Different Dimension. He opted to discard a Reaper and set a spell or trap before ending.

Vince drew for his turn and considered his options before setting a card to each zone and passing right back. Adrian chose to special summon Cyber Dragon and attacked, flipped Spirit Reaper and destroying it in main phase 2 with Smashing Ground. Vince simply set a spell or trap while Vince flipped Heavy Storm and got Scapegoat chained to it. Vince lost his Mystical Space Typhoon and a sheep token to Cyber Dragon. Adrian simply set a monster before ending. Vince summoned his Breaker the Magical Warrior and used its counter to destroy Royal Decree. Snatch Steal took Adrian down to 3300 life points and Adrian cursed. Vince set a back row card and passed.

Adrian hit Vince with a Typhoon on his Sakuretsu Armor and a Snatch Steal of his own to run Cyber Dragon over Breaker before ending with two cards in his hand. Vince drew taking himself up to two in hand and thought about what he could do, but he settled with just a spell or trap. Adrian summoned Mystic Tomato and dealt with two more sheep tokens and it was back on Vince who simply drew, took his 1000 life points, and ended his turn.

Adrian attacked the Sheep token with Tomato and ran Cyber Dragon into Book of Moon. He set a monster and Vince drew, sitting pretty at 9500 life points. He set a back row card and passed back to Adrian who flipped Cyber Dragon and dropped Vince to 6000.

For Vincent’s turn, he flipped Smashing Ground after checking Adrian’s graveyard, set a card to each zone, and passed. Exiled Force took out Don Zaloog and Mystic Tomato attacked.

“Uh oh, Cyber-Stein is dead,” sneered Adrian.

Vince summoned Cyber Dragon and ran it into Tomato which searched another of its kind; while on the next turn Creature Swap bought an ‘ooh’ from the crowd. The attack connected, as did the new Tomato, and Vince was on 2500.

Vince set a monster but on the next turn Zaborg the Thunder Monarch ended things and both players once more dived in to their respective side-decks in order to prepare for the third game.

Vincent 1 – 1 Adrian.

For game three it was Vince who decided to go first, and Oliver Gehrmann and myself who exchanged words over the table. My reporting counterpart was looking mighty fine, but was he with it? We shall see.

Vince began with Graceful Charity taking his three cards and discarding Treeborn Frog (which got a large cheer from the crowd) along with Nobleman of Crossout. He followed with Confiscation which got an even larger cheer, and revealed Cyber Dragon, Premature Burial, Mystic Tomato, and two copes of Nobleman of Crossout. Adrian was irate and Vince took a while to think about his decision before taking Mystic Tomato. He set a card to each zone and Cyber Dragon fell in to a Bottomless Trap Hole. Premature Burial and a Nobleman of Crossout later Vince’s Mystic Swordsman LV2 was removed and things looked really bad for Adrian.

Meanwhile, Kevin Tewart announced that everyone should quiet the noise down, after all, even this reporter could barely hear himself think. Vince special summoned Cyber Dragon and then played Smashing Ground before biting Adrian for 2100 damage. It was 5100 to 5600 in Vince’s favor. He passed and Adrian drew his card.

Smashing Ground took out Cyber Dragon and after setting a spell or trap passed back to Vince. He bought back his frog and set a monster, which was promptly removed by a flipped Nobleman of Crossout. It was Magician of Faith and no more copies were removed. Spirit Reaper took Breaker the Magical Warrior from Adrian’s hand but he topdecked D. D. Warrior Lady and attacked the Reaper with it, opting not to remove.

Vince drew and checked his opponent’s graveyard before saying, “That was a very good topdeck,” and tributing his Frog for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch and attacking. Spirit Reaper went to defense position. Adrian topdecked a monster and set it while Vince drew and decided not to bring back his Treeborn Frog. He set a monster and attacked Shining Angel with Zaborg. It fetched another and Adrian threw his deck to Vince to shuffle.

Adrian topdecked Graceful Charity and prompted another response from the crowd. He discarded Smashing Ground and Last Will then attacked the Magician of Faith with Shining Angel. He took Smashing Ground and Adrian ended after playing Snatch Steal on Zaborg the Thunder Monarch.

Vince took his 1000 life points and bought back his Frog. “It’s too late for topdecking,” remarked Adrian as Vince ended, and he simply switched Angel to defence before ending. Vince gained 1000 life point bringing him up to 6400 before checking through his graveyard and setting a monster.

Adrian attacked Sangan with Zaborg on the next turn and Vince searched out Cyber-Stein safe in the knowledge that next turn he would be on 7400 life points. Adrian set a monster and time was called on the round. Yep, 40 minute round for the final, so we went in to end of match procedure.

Vince summoned Exiled Force and used priority to destroy the newly set monster, revealed to be Mystic Tomato. He checked the life point count, 7400 to 2400 in his favour; and after being reminded he could not set a monster he passed.

Adrian topdecked Zaborg the Thunder Monarch and after a flurry of attacks Vince was bought down to 2600, which turned in to 3600 after his standby phase. Vince returned his Treeborn Frog and wondered how he would spend his last move.

He decided to bring out Chaos Sorcerer and used priority to remove Adrian’s own Zaborg. Another Light and Dark monster later, Adrian was without any Zaborgs. Vince summoned D. D. Assailant and after showing Smashing Ground, Adrian flopped his face down Heavy Storm and scooped the game, giving Vincent the game and the match 2-1!

Vincent Wielandt of the Netherlands is the 2006 European Champion!