This was a classic matchup for this format: Zombies versus Perfect Circle. Levi Yoder traveled here from Vermont, and at age 21 this was his first Shonen Jump Championship. He was up against the most experienced duelist in the Top 16, John Jensen, a two-time Champion and largely considered co-Champion of a third Shonen Jump in addition. Despite Jensen’s credentials though, Yoder had already defeated him once before in this tournament, taking a match win over Jensen in Round 4 yesterday. Jensen was in striking distance of his third title, and was hoping for a different result this time around.
He won the roll and opened up with Gold Sarcophagus, searching his deck for Crush Card Virus! “Ay-yi-yiiiii,” moaned Yoder. Jensen set a card to each zone. “It’s your move.”
“I might as well be annoying.” Yoder summoned Neo-Spacian Grand Mole, attacked with it and bounced both monsters off the field. He set two cards to his back row and stated that he was finished with his turn.
Jensen activated Destiny Draw, discarded Destiny Hero – Malicious and summoned Sangan for an attack. He set a second spell or trap card and ended. “Go.” Yoder set a monster, Jensen drew, and took his Crush Card Virus. He tributed Sangan for Raiza the Storm Monarch, searched his deck for Disk Commander, targeted his opponent’s monster, and Yoder chained Torrential Tribute, destroying Raiza and his face down Sangan. Yoder searched for Card Trooper with Sangan’s effect, and Jensen activated another Destiny Draw, this time discarding the Commander he’d searched out. He set a second spell or trap to finish his turn.
Yoder summoned Card Trooper next turn and sent Ryu Kokki, Lightning Vortex, and Card of Safe Return to the graveyard to power it up. Book of Life brought back his Ryu Kokki and removed Jensen’s Destiny Hero – Malicious from the graveyard. He followed it up with Premature Burial on Sangan and attacked with Ryu Kokki, but Jensen responded with Scapegoat! Three successive attacks destroyed three of the resulting Sheep Tokens, and Yoder announced that Jensen was up.
“Three cards in hand?” asked Jensen. “Three,” confirmed Yoder, who also controlled a face down spell or trap card, the Sangan with Premature Burial, Card Trooper, and Ryu Kokki. Jensen had six cards in-hand, the Sheep Token, and a set spell or trap. He thought for a moment, then summoned Mystic Tomato, activated Lightning Vortex and discarded Treeborn Frog! Yoder heaved a sigh and searched his deck for Snipe Hunter with Sangan, before drawing a card with Card Trooper’s effect. Jensen set a spell or trap card, the second currently in his back row, and ended his turn without attacking. He realized moments later that he’d forgotten to do so.
Yoder activated Book of Life, bringing back his Ryu Kokki and stripping Jensen’s graveyard of Treeborn Frog. Yoder set a card to each zone, attacked a Sheep with Kokki, and ended. He was doing a great job of shutting down Jensen’s graveyard tricks.
Jensen turned his Tomato to defense and set a card to each of his zones. Yoder summoned Neo-Spacian Grand Mole, attacked Jensen’s face down monster, and attacked the Mystic Tomato with Ryu Kokki. Jensen special summoned another from his deck in attack mode, surprising Yoder, who was expecting Destiny Hero - Fear Monger or Spirit Reaper.
The Tomato went to defense next turn, Jensen’s only move. Yoder summoned Grand Mole and Jensen flipped Torrential Tribute; Yoder chained My Body as a Shield! He paid himself down to 4700 life points and kept all three of his monsters, a huge play. Grand Mole attacked Mystic Tomato, bumped it to Jensen’s hand, and Kokki struck directly for 2400 damage. Jensen was knocked down to 5600 life points. “You’re up.”
Jensen special summoned Cyber Dragon, normal summoned Destiny Hero - Fear Monger, and sent him to attack Ryu Kokki. Cyber Dragon didn’t attack, but Jensen set a third spell or trap. Yoder flipped Dust Tornado in the end phase, not destroying the freshest set, and hit Crush Card! “Yes!” He gave an arm pump and moved on to his turn.
Yoder summoned Snipe Hunter and discarded Zombie Master to target the card Jensen had set last turn with priority. Jensen chained it, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, discarding his own Snipe Hunter and spinning Ryu Kokki. Yoder discarded Pyramid Turtle next targeting Jensen’s remaining spell or trap, and Jensen chained it too, another Wind Blast! It cost him the last card in his hand, but removed Yoder’s set monster from the field. Jensen had nothing but his Cyber Dragon left. Yoder discarded Grand Mole next, targeted Cyber Dragon, but missed! He changed dice. He discarded Zombie Master, left himself with one last card, and missed again! He discarded his last card, Spirit Reaper, and missed again with a third die! He could do nothing against the Cyber Dragon and had to pass!
Jensen drew for his turn, special summoned Disk Commander with Fear Monger from last turn, tributed him for Raiza the Storm Monarch to get Snipe Hunter off the field, then activated Premature Burial to bring back Disk Commander again! Jensen didn’t even need the extra two cards; with the combined ATK he had on the table, he had Yoder beat by 100 damage.
John Jensen pulls out all the horseshoes and leprechauns in his arsenal to completely luck out, scoring a massive comeback! Both duelists did some siding.
Yoder opened with a set card to each zone. Jensen did the same, but lost his set Mystical Space Typhoon to Yoder’s own Typhoon in the end phase. Nobleman of Crossout next turn cleared Magician of Faith off Jensen’s field, and Yoder set a spell or trap, unable to find an offensive follow-up. Jensen set a card to his back row, Yoder summoned Spirit Reaper and Jensen took the hit, losing 300 life points and a copy of Raiza the Storm Monarch from his hand. “You’re up.”
Breaker the Magical Warrior came down for Jensen, and broke Yoder’s Call of the Haunted before attacking Reaper. Yoder took 1300 damage and Jensen ended. Each duelist had three cards in hand and two cards on the field.
Yoder drew, flip summoned Pyramid Turtle, and attacked Breaker, eating 400 damage and special summoning Il Blud from his deck. Il Blud attacked over Breaker for 500 damage, Spirit Reaper attacked directly and Jensen dropped to 6900 life points. This time Reaper robbed him of Destiny Draw. Things were looking good for Yoder!
“I’ll give up my summon to Gemini summon Il Blud,” he declared. “And I’ll bring up Pyramid Turtle in defense mode.” That ended Yoder’s turn. Jensen set a card to each zone and play was back to Yoder.
He activated Card of Safe Return, tributed his Pyramid Turtle for Ryu Kokki, and then brought back the Turtle with Il Blud. Card of Safe Return got him a draw. Il Blud attacked, but Jensen activated Needle Ceiling, wiping all four monsters from Yoder’s field! “Nice,” complimented Yoder. He passed, having used his normal summon when he tributed for Ryu Kokki.
Jensen set another card to his back row and Yoder summoned Zombie Master. He passed priority and Jensen considered a response, opting to tribute Destiny Hero - Fear Monger for Crush Card Virus! That destroyed Zombie Master, and revealed Yoder’s hand of Premature Burial, Book of Life, Giant Rat, and Pyramid Turtle, a killer hand. Yoder activated Premature Burial for Zombie Master, discarded Pyramid Turtle to bring back Spirit Reaper, and drew two cards total for Card of Safe Return. Zombie Master attacked directly, Spirit Reaper followed up, and Jensen lost his last in-hand card, Heavy Storm! Yoder set a spell or trap to his back row, and when Jensen set his topdecked Wind Blast next turn Yoder’s card flipped: Dust Tornado, destroying Jensen’s Wind Blast.
Yoder drew Cyber Dragon, losing it to Crush Card Virus. He activated Book of Life, brought back Il Blud, and removed Jensen’s Raiza from the graveyard, drawing for Safe Return. Il Blud was normal summoned, Ryu Kokki came back from the graveyard and Jensen scooped.
Levi Yoder scores a landslide victory over John Jensen, dominating the duel to press the match to a third and final game! Side decking was quick and shuffling was thorough.
Jensen opened with Gold Sarcophagus yet again, but this time he searched out Destiny Draw with its effect! He removed it from play, then summoned Elemental Hero Stratos, using Stratos’ effect to grab Destiny Hero – Disk Commander. He set one card to his back row: “It’s your move.”
Yoder summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, attacked Stratos, and dealt 100 damage. In main phase 2 Breaker destroyed Jensen’s face down Brain Control, and he set two cards to his spell and trap zone.
Reinforcement of the Army was activated by Jensen, letting him search out Destiny Hero - Fear Monger. Jensen was setting up a lot of plays around that Disk Commander, a risky but potentially profitable strategy. He set a monster, ended, and Yoder nailed him with Nobleman of Crossout, ripping Disk Commander off the field! What would Jensen do now?
He’d take 3400 damage next, actually, as Yoder summoned Zombie Master and attacked with both it and Breaker. Jensen drew for his turn, took Destiny Draw, and discarded Destiny Hero – Malicious for its effect. He drew two, special summoned Cyber Dragon and removed Malicious, smartly refusing to give Yoder a chance to remove it with Book of Life. “No Torrential this time,” remarked Yoder. Jensen tributed his Malicious for Raiza the Storm Monarch, but Yoder had Pulling the Rug to negate the Monarch’s effect and destroy him! Cyber Dragon attacked Zombie Master, Jensen set a spell or trap, and Yoder was up.
Mystical Space Typhoon destroyed Jensen’s Mirror Force, and Lightning Vortex, discarding Ryu Kokki, wiped away Cyber Dragon. Breaker attacked, and Yoder flipped Call of the Haunted to bring back Kokki for 2400 more damage! He had control of the field but was now out of cards.
The duel stood at 500 life points to 7700, with Yoder leading. Jensen drew, and shuffled his four remaining cards while shaking his head. He summoned Card Trooper, sent away two cards and lost Crush Card Virus and Destiny Draw. He crashed Trooper into Breaker the Magical Warrior digging desperately for some sort of out, but Card Trooper’s draw didn’t get him anything of use. He immediately offered the handshake.
Levi Yoder comes back from a brutal run of bad luck to win two duels straight, shattering John Jensen with bold aggression and moving on to the finals!