Eric Blum is back from his Top 8 showing in Shonen Jump Championship Philadelphia, once again finding himself in a semi-final match. Sixteen years old and hailing from Abington, Pennsylvania, he’s a student of Abington High and an advocate of Recruiter Chaos.
His opponent is Corey Faibish, a fifteen year-old student from right here in Toronto. He’s running OTK Stein, and is coming into this match hot off a win over Anthony Alvarado. Against a Recruiter deck, he seemed to have the theoretical advantage due to his explosive speed.
Faibish won the die roll and chose to go first. Faibish set a monster and passed with nothing in his back row. Blum attacked with Shining Angel, hitting Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. A turn later it was over; Faibish summoned Cyber-Stein, used Snatch Steal to take control of the Angel, and then special summoned Cyber End Dragon. Megamorph buffed up the Cyber End and it attacked directly for game.
Blum looked less than thrilled. The game took less than 27 seconds. Faibish, however, was quite happy.
“You have to write down that this is my second consecutive Top 8,” noted Blum.
“Yes, and you have to note that I am perfect,” retorted Faibish, lampooning Blum’s ego.
Oof.
Blum opened the second game with two set spell or trap cards and a set monster. Faibish set a card to each zone and passed. Blum tributed his set Mystic Tomato for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, destroyed Faibish’s set Dekoichi with it, and attacked into Enemy Controller. Faibish attacked with Banisher of the Radiance into Mirror Force, and used Chaos Sorcerer to remove Blum’s Zaborg from play.
Blum fired back with Snatch Steal taking control of the Sorcerer. He summoned D. D. Warrior Lady and attacked with both monsters directly, scoring a huge hit. Faibish special summoned Cyber Dragon on the following turn, tributed for Zaborg to destroy D. D. Warrior Lady, then attacked Chaos Sorcerer. Both of his opponent’s monsters were wiped out. “Pass.”
It was 7900 to 5200.
Blum summoned Kuriboh! He used Creature Swap to trade it for Zaborg, and attacked it to press through damage. He set a spell or trap, Faibish turned down Zaborg with Tsukuyomi, and attacked to destroy it. Blum summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, but when he went to break Faibish’s set card it was chained: Book of Moon, which turned Breaker face down.
Faibish set a card to each zone, but Blum flipped Heavy Storm to destroy Premature Burial. Blum summoned Spirit Reaper, Breaker attacked Faibish’s set Dekoichi, and Spirit Reaper hit directly. Faibish special summoned Cyber Dragon and smacked Spirit Reaper. He set a card, passed, and Blum turned Reaper to defense before setting a monster.
Cyber Dragon hit the set monster, Mystic Tomato, and Blum pulled another. Faibish set a monster and ended his turn. Blum attacked Faibish’s set with Mystic Tomato, revealing it to be Magician of Faith, and Faibish returned Premature Burial to his hand from his graveyard. Blum set his last cards to the field, one to each zone, and ended.
Faibish searched Blum’s graveyard and attacked his set monster, Sangan, with Cyber Dragon. Sangan’s effect got Blum Tsukuyomi from his deck, and Faibish eyed his hand: Premature Burial and Treeborn Frog. Faibish activated Premature Burial, brought back his Sorcerer, and removed the Reaper from the game. He then set the Treeborn Frog, fully committed to the field.
Blum set a monster and turned Tomato to defense position. Cyber Dragon attacked the set monster, Spirit Reaper, on the turn that followed, and Sorcerer removed it. Faibish set another spell or trap, Blum set a card to each zone, and play was to Faibish.
Cyber Dragon attacked into Blum’s set Tsukuyomi, which turned Tomato face down. It was a great play by Blum which kept Tomato from being removed by Sorcerer! Sorcerer was forced to attack it, and Blum fetched Spirit Reaper from his deck. Faibish had the answer — Enemy Controller exploded Reaper in his second main phase. Blum drew and passed, holding his draw for the turn in his hand.
Cyber Dragon and Chaos Sorcerer attacked, but hit nothing but Scapegoat. Blum turned one Sheep to attack position, activated Creature Swap, and traded the token for Treeborn Frog. He tributed it for Cyber Dragon, attacked the attack position Sheep token, and that was it! Faibish only had 2000 life points remaining, and Blum had the duel by 100 life points!
Eric Blum forces the match into a third and final game!
Faibish set a card to each zone, and lost his Royal Decree to Breaker the Magical Warrior next turn. Breaker attacked, but hit Nimble Momonga, and Faibish special summoned two more! Blum set a spell or trap card to end his turn. His opponent set two cards to his back row, set a monster, and ended.
Breaker hit the freshly-set monster, and it was Morphing Jar. Each player got a new hand of five cards. Blum activated Confiscation, revealing Mirror Force, Cyber Dragon, Book of Moon, Giant Trunade, and Enemy Controller in Faibish’s hand: he pitched the Mirror Force to Faibish’s graveyard and set a monster to conclude his turn. “Go.”
Faibish shuffled his hand after drawing into Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. He settled on just setting another spell or trap. Blum set a third spell or trap too and ended. Faibish drew Last Will, so he flipped his set Premature Burial, brought back Exiled Force, and activated Giant Trunade to clear the spell and trap zones on both sides of the table. He tributed Exiled to destroy Blum’s set Spirit Reaper, tributed a Momonga for Zaborg to destroy Breaker, and then used Last Will to bring out Cyber-Stein!
Premature Burial, which had been bounced back to Faibish’s hand by Trunade, then special summoned Cyber Dragon. Faibish flip summoned his last Nimble Momonga, used Stein to bring out Cyber Twin Dragon, and attacked!
“Win?” he asked. He knew Blum was running Kuriboh, so victory was not ensured. Blum only had one in his hand! His other had been eaten by Morphing Jar, and while he could stop one of Cyber Twin Dragon’s attacks he couldn’t stop them both. Faibish had more than 11000 ATK on the table, and there was just no way for Blum to survive the turn!
Toronto’s own Corey Faibish is heading to the finals!