Bartlett opened predictably, with a solid set to each zone. Laurent laid into him with Sasuke Samurai #4, attacked, and used the Samurai’s effect to destroy Spirit Reaper! Laurent set a spell or trap and ended his turn, starting the game off with a bang!

Smashing Ground cleared out the Samurai on the turn that followed, and Bartlett attacked with another Reaper. Laurent flipped Scapegoat, and Spirit Reaper destroyed one of the Sheep that were special summoned. Play was to Laurent, who played Smashing Ground himself to wipe Bartlett’s field, and then attacked with Mystic Tomato for first blood. The life point totals were 6600 to 8000 in Laurent’s favor.

His opponent spent a moment looking over his in-hand options carefully. He set a card to each zone, still playing defensively, and ended. Laurent punished him for it, turning a Sheep to attack position and Creature Swapping it over for Bartlett’s set Magician of Faith. Tomato clocked the attack position Sheep for another 1400 damage, Laurent kept his pilfered Magician of Faith, and play passed to the local player from Atlanta.

Bartlett examined his hand, and then asked to see Laurent’s graveyard. He searched out Laurent’s spell options, and opted to do nothing for his turn. He passed with just a set spell or trap. Laurent flipped Magician of Faith, took back Creature Swap, and attacked with both of his monsters to reduce his opponent to 3500. Bartlett was in trouble.

With five cards in hand and one card set, Bartlett played Confiscation, revealing Creature Swap, Cyber Dragon, Last Will, and Chaos Sorcerer. He forced Laurent to discard Creature Swap. He summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, broke Laurent’s set Sakuretsu Armor, and attacked and destroyed Magician of Faith. It was 2500 to 6700. Bartlett set two back row cards and passed.

Laurent played Last Will, and attacked with Mystic Tomato into Breaker the Magical Warrior. Laurent pulled Newdoria with the Tomato’s effect, and brought Sangan to the field with Last Will. Newdoria smashed into Breaker, but destroyed Breaker with its effect, and Sangan then attacked directly. A great play that hammered through damage while keeping Bartlett’s options stranded in his hand, off the field!

A set monster was Laurent’s last move, and he ended his turn. Bartlett, with just 1500 life points remaining, set a third spell or trap card immediately after drawing. He then set a monster and ended his turn. The moment he passed Laurent flip summoned Magician of Faith, took back Creature Swap yet again, forcing Bartlett to activate Torrential Tribute. Sangan fetched Laurent a Spirit Reaper, which promptly attacked directly to force the discard of Return from the Different Dimension, Bartlett’s last card in hand.

Bartlett drew, and set his topdeck to his spell and trap zone. Laurent topdecked into Sasuke Samurai #4, summoned it, and attacked. With three useless spell or trap cards in his back row there was nothing Bartlett could do. Laurent’s signature card struck for game, ending the duel with one stab of his adorable little halberd.

James Laurent wins the first duel with a resounding Samurai strike!

Laurent announced that he did not wish to side deck anything. Bartlett side decked extensively, and his opponent sat there watching his every move carefully, trying to figure out the number of cards that Bartlett was rotating in.

“Can I see the decklists again?” asked Laurent.

Nice try. His request was summarily rejected.

Bartlett opened the second duel with a set spell or trap card. Laurent again had Sasuke Samurai on turn one, and he summoned it and attacked into Scapegoat. One Sheep fell to the cleaving stab of Sasuke, one spell or trap card hit Laurent’s back row, and Bartlett was up. He set a spell or trap, passed, and Sasuke hunted down another Sheep token.

Go ahead. Imagine him pouncing on a Sheep token. Adorable.

Bartlett turned Laurent’s trick against him, and played Creature Swap to send an attack position Sheep to Laurent’s side of the field, swiping the Samurai. Mystical Space Typhoon destroyed Laurent’s set Mirror Force. Bartlett summoned Spirit Reaper and Sasuke attacked: Bartlett was stunned to learn from the table judge that Sasuke’s effect was mandatory. Sasuke attacked the Sheep, and sure enough, he was halberd-happy. The Sheep was destroyed by Sasuke’s effect, and no life point damage was dealt from the attack! Spirit Reaper then attacked and forced the discard of Tsukuyomi. Play passed to Laurent.

He activated Confiscation, revealing Breaker the Magical Warrior, Call of the Haunted, and Nobleman of Crossout. Laurent had Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, Cyber Dragon, Heavy Storm, and Creature Swap in hand. He opted to discard Bartlett’s Call of the Haunted, and then activated Heavy Storm, destroying Bartlett’s set Torrential Tribute. He special summoned Cyber Dragon and debated tributing it for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. After a moment’s consideration he did it, and used Zaborg’s effect to destroy the Samurai! Zaborg hit the Spirit Reaper, pounding through 2100 damage. It was 5900 to 6700 in Laurent’s favor and he ended his turn.

Bartlett passed back after setting a spell or trap card, and Laurent ripped Breaker the Magical Warrior to destroy Bartlett’s Mirror Force. Zaborg hit a Sheep token, and Creature Swap exchanged the spent Breaker the Magical Warrior for Spirit Reaper. Bartlett set a monster, turned Breaker to defense and passed. Zaborg attacked the set monster, found it to be D. D. Warrior Lady, and both were removed from play. Laurent turned his stolen Spirit Reaper to defense, set a spell or trap and ended. Bartlett again passed back.

Laurent drew a spell or trap, set it to his back row, and finished his turn. Bartlett again passed. Laurent summoned D. D. Warrior Lady, attacked it into Breaker the Magical Warrior to remove both monsters from play, and Spirit Reaper, which had been switched to attack position in main phase 1, attacked directly to discard Bartlett’s Breaker the Magical Warrior.

Bartlett activated Heavy Storm to destroy Sakuretsu Armor, in fact, two of them. He set a spell or trap card. Laurent attacked with Reaper, but saw the attack prevented by Book of Moon. Laurent summoned Newdoria in main phase 2 and ended. Bartlett played Nobleman of Crossout to remove Spirit Reaper from the field, and it was 5600 to 6600 with Laurent leading. He had nothing but Newdoria face up on the field though, while Bartlett had two cards in hand. Bartlett passed with an open field.

Newdoria struck for 1200 damage, Smashing Ground destroyed it, Bartlett set a back row card, and Laurent set two. Play passed back to Bartlett, Bartlett passed, and Laurent topdecked Sasuke Samurai #4. Samurai attacked directly, and Call of the Haunted brought back Cyber Dragon for Laurent, attacking directly. Laurent then flipped Return from the Different Dimension to special summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, Breaker the Magical Warrior, and D. D. Warrior Lady for game! Bartlett had two Chaos Sorcerers in hand, with no Light monsters in his graveyard.

James Laurent of Team Villains takes a decisive 2-0 victory over Team Collusion’s Andrew Bartlett, and moves on to the semifinals!