Yohan is from France, while Guus is a local. Since neither speaks the other’s first language, they agreed to speak English during the match.

Guus is playing a direct damage deck packed with combos—Cannon Soldier and Scapegoat, Ring of Destruction and Barrel Behind the Door, and more. He’s got a solid lockdown engine as well and has earned his spot at table one. Yohan is playing an interesting Chaos deck. It’s technically a Chaos Beatdown deck since it uses very few monsters, some of which are high in level such as Jinzo, Airknight Parshath, and Mystical Knight of Jackal.

After short pleasantries were exchanged, they quickly began the match.

Game 1

Yohan began with a standard opening, and Guus looked to do the same but attempted to play Graceful Charity as well. Yohan negated it with Imperial Order, and when his turn rolled around he debated quite a bit as to whether or not he’d keep it on the field. He did, and then launched an attack with Cannon Soldier and Sangan, dealing some damage and gaining monster advantage.

It seemed like just a matter of time for Yohan’s victory, until Guus dropped Injection Fairy Lily. Ambitiously, he attacked Yohan, causing both players to lose 2000 life points. Yohan kept his Imperial Order lock going, and both players played conservatively for a bit until Yohan reset the field with Fiber Jar.

Yohan followed up the Fiber Jar with a set monster, two spells or traps, and a Mirage of Nightmare, belying a potentially weak hand. Guus looked to use Pot of Greed, but in a case of déjà vu, Yohan’s Imperial Order blocked it again, which Yohan then used to negate the discard effect of his own Mirage of Nightmare. Guus activated Last Will and then Cyber Jar, summoning a Witch of the Black Forest and tributing it for Jinzo. Guus got two face-down monsters from the Cyber Jar and a handful of spells, and Yohan spent some time deliberating over his next move. Jinzo attacked one of the face-down monsters, revealing a 4-Starred Ladybug of Doom, which was wasted on the level six Jinzo. Yohan played Monster Reborn to get Witch of the Black Forest, hit his end phase, and was forced to discard. He discarded Sinister Serpent, but even better, he also discarded Peten the Dark Clown, summoning another to the field.

Guus loaded his back row with a total of four face-downs and passed. Yohan responded with a Raigeki and tributed Witch of the Black Forest to summon Airknight Parshath. When Yohan went to attack, all Jinzo and Airknight got their teeth into were Scapegoat tokens. Yohan played Graceful Charity and pulled Harpie’s Feather Duster, causing Guus to lose his last three back row cards.

Guus set a monster, and that was his only play.

Yohan then summoned Tribe-Infecting Virus to take care of the remaining sheep tokens, and that was game.

Game 2

Guus opened the game, again using Pot of Greed and this time succeeding with it. Guus set three spells and a monster, causing Yohan to go for a Harpie’s Feather Duster, but this time it was Guus’ turn to Imperial Order.

Guus used Graceful Charity once his turn arrived, after opting to not pay for Imperial Order. It proved to be a mistake as Yohan played Raigeki to destroy the three monsters Guus had set, but he lacked a follow up of any sort. Play continued for a bit with both competitors having Sangans on the field. Yohan lost his first, nabbed a Cyber Jar, and set it at the first opportunity. Guus still had his huge back row, but after attacking into the Cyber Jar it was anybody’s game. Yohan played a face up Tribe-Infecting Virus, and Guus quickly played Ring of Destruction to take out the Tribe-Infecting Virus. As a follow-up, he played Barrel Behind the Door to redirect the damage to Yohan, and to add insult to injury, he played Harpie’s Feather Duster at him as well. Guus made a small press that amounted to some damage and a wasted Change of Heart, and ended his turn. Yohan quickly got Airknight Parshath on the table and took a chunk out of Guus through a face down Sinister Serpent, but Guus quickly used Fiber Jar to remove the card advantage.

Guus stared at his new hand in what appeared to be amused alarm, and proceeded to set three spells or traps and no monster. Yohan played defensively and Guus passed his next turn. Yohan eventually flipped a Cyber Jar to summon D. D. Warrior Lady, but Guus hit it with Ring of Destruction, and after some thought Yohan refused to respond in the chain. Guus grinned and flipped up a Barrel Behind the Door for the second time, and that was the end of game 2!

Game 3
 
Yohan opened with The Forceful Sentry, making sure to get a good look at Guus’ hand. He set three spells or traps and activated Mirage of Nightmare, trying to play himself out of the hand he had. He repelled an attack from Guus with Book of Moon, but didn’t have a Mirage combo when his own Standby Phase arrived, forcing him to discard. After seeing Cyber Jar and a few other cards hit the graveyard as a result, both competitors laughed. “I need some luck!” Yohan pleaded good-naturedly.

Yohan still wasn’t doing a lot monster-wise. Worse yet, within two turns he was locked down by Guus who was now picking off anything Yohan set with Swarm of Scarabs. Yohan managed to play Raigeki to destroy it, but his follow-up attack with Don Zaloog was blocked by more Scapegoats. Yohan wasn’t pleased with his lack of luck and uttered a profanity in what could only be described as a comical fashion.

Guus didn’t attack on the successive turn, but Yohan hadn’t drawn into an Mystical Space Typhoon and was still getting walloped during every standby phase by Mirage. Guus got some card advantage going with Pot of Greed, but couldn’t play a monster because his field was choked with sheep. Yohan eventually topdecked his Mystical Space Typhoon, and quickly Special summoned Chaos Emperor Dragon, looking to make a comeback. He used his priority to activate its effect, dealing 3000 damage to Guus, and lost a Peten from his hand in the process, which he quickly activated to summon another in defense.

Guus set a monster, and Yohan tributed for Jinzo, summoning another Peten. He attacked, hitting Witch of the Black Forest, and Guus searched for Injection Fairy Lily.

Next turn Guus used Change of Heart on Jinzo and attacked to clear out the last Peten. Guus attacked with Injection Fairy Lily for 3400, and handed back the Jinzo. Yohan managed to take control of the field and attacked with Jinzo, trying to win the game, but Guus played Scapegoat yet again! Another sheep bit the dust and a second was Snatch Stolen by Yohan to get it out of the way. Next turn, Jinzo took out the last sheep.

Guus set one last monster. Yohan drew, swore, and attacked it, revealing a Sinister Serpent. Guus set the Sinister again, but Yohan finally drew another monster, which turned out to be Cannon Soldier. With relief, he attacked to win the game and the match.

Match Win: Yohan Descamps