Alonzo Peters is an up-and-coming duelist from Torrance. At 18 years of age, he attends Leuzinger High, and is here packing a rather mundane Monarch build. Still, his skills as a player speak for themselves, and he’s got a fairly good reputation.
He’s up against the legendary Chris Moosman. “I’m almost 18,” he grinned, when asked his age. “I’ll be 18 in ten days. This is my birthday Jump!” The only player here representing Team J-Spot, he’s receiving a feature match today strictly for his deck. It’s a perfect example of the aggressive style that is emerging here today, packing Dust Tornado, Hydrogeddon, and even a Winged Rhynos.
“I’ll go first. Good luck.” Moosman opened the first duel with nothing but a set spell or trap. “Go ahead. Don’t OTK me with Demise.”
“Who told you?” grinned Peters jokingly. He set a card to each zone and ended.
“Draw,” announced Moosman. He special summoned Cyber Dragon, waited for a response, and Peters had nothing. Moosman then summoned Elemental Hero Wildheart and attacked with the Dragon. “Don’t want no Spies!” Cyber Dragon hit Sangan. “Aww! Why didn’t you summon and attack for a thou!” Peters gave a laugh and tapped the Cyber Dragon; he didn’t want to take the 1100 in return. He used Sangan’s effect to search his deck for Treeborn Frog, and Wildheart attacked directly.
Peters activated Soul Exchange, tributing Moosman’s Cyber Dragon for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch. It discarded Moosman’s in-hand Mirror Force, a big blow, and Peters ended.
“You’re at 65?” asked Moosman. Peters nodded, confirming that he had 6500 life points remaining. Moosman activated Reinforcement of the Army, searched his deck for Elemental Hero Stratos, and summoned him. “I’m thinking about which effect, gimme a moment.” He debated between searching out another Wildheart and destroying Peters’ set back row card. “I’ll blow it.” Stratos targeted Peters’ Book of Moon, which was chained to turn Stratos face down.
“That’s good though,” remarked Moosman, taking Thestalos with Snatch Steal and pressing for 3900 damage with him and Wildheart.
“No fear of Heavy, huh?”
“You don’t got Heavy,” noted Moosman. He set Trap Dustshoot and activated it on the following turn, revealing Treeborn, Gravekeeper’s Spy, Cyber Dragon, Thestalos, and Trap Dustshoot in Peters’ hand. “Like I said, you don’t got Heavy.” Moosman grinned. “Cyber? That’s the obvious play.” Indeed it was. Peters special summoned Cyber Dragon, tributed it for Thestalos and forced Moosman to discard Dust Tornado.
“Wow. Such an aggressive player.” Thestalos attacked, but Moosman’s last unknown card flipped: Widespread Ruin! With Thestalos gone and no monsters in hand, Peters could do nothing but concede.
Chris Moosman plays aggressively, prioritizing damage to take the first duel!
This was an interesting matchup. Moosman’s aggressive deck had been designed to take advantage of relatively conservative players, but now he was pitted against another duelist with a damage-oriented play style. It wasn’t what Moosman had planned for, but it seemed like his deck was in a better position than Peters’.
He finished side decking long before Peters. “Sorry this is taking so long.”
“Don’t worry about it,” reassured Moosman. “You’ve got three minutes. I don’t know how long it’s been, but you’ve got three minutes.” He grinned at Peters, who continued focusing on his siding.
Peters began the second duel with a card to each zone.
“Spy face down?” asked Moosman. Peters didn’t confirm, either verbally or through body language tells. Moosman summoned Banisher of the Radiance and Peters gave a sigh. Moosman set a spell or trap, and sent Banisher to attack the set monster: Mystic Tomato, removed from play! A perfect read from Moosman.
Peters set another monster after debating his next move. “That Banisher. It’s something else.”
“Commit,” replied Moosman. “You know I run Dust Tornado.” Peters did, setting another spell or trap card. “End phase — nothing,” noted Moosman, teasing Peters a bit.
He activated Reinforcement of the Army in main phase 1, searching out Exiled Force. He summoned it, used its effect with priority — Peters’ set card was Morphing Jar, and he lost it to the removed from play area! Banisher then attacked directly. Moosman ended his turn with another set back row card, matching his opponent’s two sets. “Go ahead.”
Brain Control let Peters take the Banisher, and, when it attacked, Moosman considered responding. He could afford to destroy it if he had the means. “I’ll take it, but then you’re going to tribute for what, Thestalos?”
Nope. Peters tributed for Mobius the Frost Monarch in main phase 2! “Oh, wow. Well, I’ll chain Ring of Destruction to target Mobius.” Peters reeled. “Then I’ll chain Mystical Space Typhoon to target your face down.” Peters reeled yet again, and had nothing left. He passed his turn with one set back row card.
He activated Trap Dustshoot in Moosman’s draw phase, sending Wildheart back to Moosman’s deck instead of D.D. Crow. Still, Moosman had Reinforcement of the Army, and searched his deck for Stratos. He summoned him, brought out Wildheart from his deck again, and attacked with Stratos to end his turn. “Puts you at 1400. Do you have game?”
Peters didn’t. He special summoned Cyber Dragon, attacked Stratos with it, and dropped Moosman to 3700. He set a monster and ended.
Moosman summoned Wildheart, activated Smashing Ground to destroy Cyber Dragon, and then attacked into Peters’ set monster: Mystic Tomato! “That works,” remarked Moosman. Peters special summoned Spirit Reaper from his deck and Moosman set a spell or trap.
Moosman ended, Peters set a spell or trap and turned Reaper to defense. “I have like, 20 outs,” noted Moosman. He drew for his turn. “Didn’t draw one.” He turned Wildheart to defense, Peters set a monster, and Moosman summoned Hydrogeddon. It attacked Peters’ set monster, Gravekeeper’s Spy, and Peters special summoned another. “Now I can’t win,” remarked Moosman, shaking his head. “Monarch?”
Peters still couldn’t do anything. He set another back row card and passed. Moosman tributed Hydrogeddon for Cyber Dragon, sent it after a Spy, but lost it to Mirror Force. “Go.”
Peters considered his next move carefully, eventually deciding to pass. Moosman drew yet another Hydrogeddon and passed back, his remaining in-hand card D.D. Crow. Peters passed, and Moosman drew Cyber Dragon, appearing to bluff as if he had drawn another Hydrogeddon: “Another one?” he complained in an exaggerated fashion. “Go.”
Peters tributed one Gravekeeper’s Spy for Raiza the Storm Monarch, sending Wildheart back to the top of Moosman’s deck. “I’m such a bad player,” remarked Moosman, flipping Mirror Force to destroy Raiza. Peters flipped Trap Dustshoot in Moosman’s draw, shuffling back his Cyber Dragon! “I really wanted to play that now.” Moosman shook his head.
He set a monster instead: “Go ahead.” Peters tributed his Spirit Reaper for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, destroyed Moosman’s set Wildheart, and turned Spy to attack position. It was over; Moosman had only 3300 life points remaining, and once Zaborg attacked directly the Spy hit for game.
Some careful, methodical play from Peters and a series of dead draws for Moosman finish the second duel. Peters presses this match to a third game!
“Good luck,” said Moosman, genuinely. “I’ll go first.” He looked at his hand. “Wh-What is this?” He set a spell or trap and passed his first turn. “That’s the opposite of good.” Peters set a monster and play was back to Moosman.
Moosman had Banisher of the Radiance, Hydrogeddon, Mirror Force, Snatch Steal, Heavy Storm, and Smashing Ground in hand. “I don’t know which is the smarter play.” He debated between Hydrogeddon and Banisher. He summoned the Banisher: “Attack your Tomato?” Nope — Sangan! Peters’ Sangan was removed from play. On the turn that followed he could do nothing but set another monster.
Banisher attacked, this time hitting Gravekeeper’s Spy. Peters brought another Spy from his deck in defense, and a groan of despair from Moosman. “Man, you always have that. Go.”
Brain Control let Peters take the Banisher, and he quickly tributed it for Jinzo! “Wow,” remarked Moosman. Peters left the Spies in defense, playing very defensively, and attacked with Jinzo. Peters passed, still nothing in his spell and trap zone. Perhaps a deficit of spells and traps were responsible for his defensive Spy decision?
Moosman took Jinzo with Snatch Steal, and sent it to smash one of the Spies. Smashing Ground destroyed the second in main phase 2 and Moosman added a set monster to his field. If Peters did indeed suffer from a paucity of non-monsters, he was in trouble.
Peters activated Soul Exchange on the following turn, and tributed Moosman’s set monster for Mobius the Frost Monarch. He destroyed Widespread Ruin and Snatch Steal! Suddenly the face of the game had changed, and Moosman was in trouble, staring down Jinzo and Mobius! He summoned Exiled Force, tributed it to destroy Jinzo and set Mirror Force. “Wow. Go.”
Peters attacked with Mobius the Frost Monarch, and since less than three minutes remained in the round Moosman flipped Mirror Force. Peters set a card to each zone and Moosman was up.
He activated Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying his opponent’s set Ring of Destruction. He summoned Hydrogeddon and Peters face palmed. Another Hydrogeddon came out, and Peters special summoned Spirit Reaper with Tomato’s effect. Hydrogeddon hammered 1300 damage through it, and then Moosman set two back row cards — the last two in his hand.
“Storm?” Peters shook his head. He turned Reaper to defense, set a monster, and the duel stood at 6900 to 5200. Peters was no longer playing to win; he was playing for time.
Reinforcement of the Army sought out Exiled Force for Moosman, and he tributed it to destroy Spirit Reaper. “I hope that’s not another Spy,” he remarked, referring to Peters’ set monster. It was, and Hydrogeddon bounced off of her, driving Moosman further into the hole. He ended his turn and time was called seconds later. Moosman would have two turns in which to win the duel; if he couldn’t press Peters below his life point total it was over.
Peters activated Pot of Avarice, drawing two cards after shuffling back five. He set one spell or trap and ended. Smashing Ground tore through the Spy, and Moosman attacked with Hydrogeddon — Peters flipped Widespread Ruin, stopping one Hydrogeddon but absorbing the attack from the second, dropping to 5300 life points. Moosman was at 4800. He still needed to deal more damage.
Peters set one more back row card and passed, but Moosman flipped Heavy Storm! Nothing but Hydrogeddon was left on the field, and Hydro struck directly to drop Peters down to 3700 life points!
Chris Moosman takes the match on the very Last Turn of a time situation!