This match saw two relative unknowns going head to head. No big names here, but both of these duelists were undefeated: Cunningham with TeleDAD and Partridge with yet another King Tiger Wanghu deck. This was a big matchup here today, and with no other feature match screaming for coverage this was a great chance to see these decks in action.
Partridge opened by setting three cards to his back row and summoning Thunder King Rai-Oh. Cunningham hit him with a blind Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying Dark Bribe, and set a card to each zone. Thunder King attacked, Cunningham flipped Crush Card Virus, tributing his Sangan, and Partridge shut him down with Solemn Judgment! Cunningham couldn’t even get his search with Sangan due to Thunder King’s effect! Partridge passed after taking 1900 damage from Thunder King’s direct attack.
Cunningham set Necro Gardna, lost it to Thunder King next turn, and Partridge set another spell or trap. Cunningham summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior and tried to attack Thunder King, but lost out to Dimensional Prison. He set a spell or trap, ended, and Partridge swung for another 1900 damage before setting a fourth spell or trap card.
Monster Reborn fell from Cunningham’s hand next turn, targeting Sangan; Partridge chained Royal Oppression, paid 800 life points, and Cunningham chained Solemn Judgment. He ended his turn without making any other moves.
Partridge summoned King Tiger Wanghu, activated Burden of the Mighty, and attacked Sangan. Necro Gardna negated the other attack: Cunningham had just 2100 life points left. He paid 800 of them a turn later to take control of Thunder King, and he tributed it for a face-down monster. Next turn Partridge summoned Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, attacked Cunningham’s face-down Destiny Hero – Malicious with Wanghu, and then attacked directly with Kycoo for game!
34 minutes remained in the match — Partridge had made short work of the first duel.
“Are we allowed to do shoutouts?” asked Partridge as he side decked. “I owe thanks to Patrick Hoban — a really great friend of mine who I’m staying with here. Stephen Abramson convinced me to play this, and KC gave me the build.” Cunningham was more focused on the matter at hand: siding his way out of a terrible matchup.
Cunningham got Game 2 started with a set card to each zone. Partridge had D.D. Warrior Lady, Dimensional Prison, Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, Torrential Tribute, and two Burden of the Mighty. He set D.D. Warrior Lady, set Torrential, and set one of the Burdens. “That is so a pro-set Heavy.”
Cunningham tributed his face-down Plaguespreader Zombie for Destiny Hero – Malicious and sent a card back to the top of his deck to special summon the Plaguespreader, but Partridge responded with Torrential Tribute! Cunningham removed his first Malicious from his graveyard to special summon his second from his deck, and then activated Emergency Teleport to summon Krebons. He Synchro summoned for Thought Ruler Archfiend, attacked for 2700 damage, and ended.
Partridge activated two copies of Burden of the Mighty, summoned King Tiger Wanghu, and ended. Cunningham took it with Brain Control next turn, flipped Skill Drain, and then normal summoned Krebons! The Skill Drain kept Krebons from being destroyed by King Tiger, and he Synchro summoned with both to bring out Goyo Guardian. Goyo attacked, Partridge flipped Dimensional Prison to remove it, and Thought Ruler attacked for 1100 damage. Next turn Partridge summoned Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer to attack over Thought Ruler.
Cunningham drew to two cards in hand with Skill Drain activated. He set a monster, ended, and Partridge drew Shrink. He had the two Burdens face up, a face-down spell or trap, and Kycoo. Kycoo attacked, took down Cunningham’s face-down Stratos, and Cunningham set Sangan. Kycoo ran it over next turn, set a spell or trap, and Cunningham got Destiny Hero – Defender from his deck with Sangan’s effect.
“Draw for turn,” announced Cunningham, before setting another monster. Partridge topped another Shrink, attacked into Defender, and lost 900 life points; he was down to 3300. Cunningham set two cards to his back row, and then activated Allure of Darkness — he lost his two topdecked cards, Mirror Force and Mystical Space Typhoon. “I’ll end my turn.”
Partridge summoned King Tiger Wanghu, ended, and Cunningham summoned Krebons. He Synchro summoned Goyo Guardian, lost it to Compulsory Evacuation Device, and ended.
King Tiger attacked, Kycoo attacked, and Cunningham set a spell or trap. Partridge swung into Mirror Force next turn, and then summoned Banisher of the Radiance in main phase 2. Cunningham removed his second Malicious to summon his third in defense mode next turn, set Crush Card Virus, and activated it next turn. Cunningham lost his on-field Banisher and in-hand D.D. Assailant, but summoned Neo-Spacian Grand Mole for an attack. He ended, Cunningham set another spell or trap, and Partridge lost his topdecked Thunder King. Cunningham set another spell or trap, Partridge revealed his topdecked Solemn Judgment, and attacked with Neo-Spacian Grand Mole. Cunningham tried to stop the attack by flipping Emergency Teleport, but when he searched his deck for a Krebons to block with he found that he was fresh out of Psychics.