The final four were down to three Canadian greats and one relative unknown. At one table, Dexter Dalit and Calvin Tsang squared off, the two returning Top 8 alumni from 2005. At this one, the newcomer Marcus Spanier, who had actually competed at all three Canadian Nationals but had flown under the radar with unimpressive showings, was up against Team Xtreme’s Chris Pittao. One of them was going to the finals.
Pittao won the opening roll, and opened with a set monster. Spanier summoned Asura Priest, attacked Pittao’s set monster, Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, and set a spell or trap. Pittao shook his head briefly, and considered his next move carefully: Mystic Tomato. He summoned it, attacked with it, and Spanier took 1400 damage.
He set a spell or trap card, but lost it to Mystical Space Typhoon in the end phase: Call of the Haunted. Play passed to Spanier.
He summoned Asura Priest yet again, and attacked the Tomato. Pittao pulled Sangan with Tomato’s effect, and Asura rammed it for 700 damage. Pittao searched his deck for Treeborn Frog, added it to his hand, and Spanier set a spell or trap card. He was bluffing with Premature Burial.
Pittao set a monster and passed back. Spanier had a hand full of monsters: two Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World, Tomato, Asura, and others. He summoned the Tomato, smacked Pittao’s set Treeborn Frog, and passed. Frog came back in Pittao’s standby, he tributed it for Mobius, destroyed Premature Burial, and attacked into the Tomato. Spanier pulled Spirit Reaper with its effect.
“Of coursen” said Pittao, who was now forced to act under the assumption that Spanier had Smashing Ground. He set a spell or trap and passed. Spanier set his topdecked Sacpegoat, turned Reaper to defense, and passed, but lost his Goat to Dust Tornado in the end phase.
Treeborn Frog came back up for Pittao. He summoned Tsukuyomi, turned Mobius face down, flip summoned Mobius, and used Creature Swap to trade his attack position Frog for Spanier’s Reaper. Tsukuyomi and Mobius attacked, lowering Spanier to 2200 life points.
Spanier wasn’t done, though! He summoned Asura Priest, rammed it into MObius, and used it as fodder for Chaos Sorcerer in main phase 2. He used the Sorcerer’s effect to remove Mobius from the game, set his only non-monster, Heavy Storm, and ended.
Pittao drew for his turn and set a card to each zone. Spanier drew into Creature Swap: he was holding two Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World and Don Zaloog. He activated his set Heavy Storm, destroying Pittao’s Return from the Different Dimension, removed with Reaper, and summoned Don Zaloog. Don attacked into Pittao’s set monster, Magician of Faith, and Pittao took back Creature Swap. “Evil” remarked Spanier, matter-of-factly. He set one spell or trap.
Pittao brought back his Treeborn in attack position, summoned Asura Priest, and used Creature Swap. Swap sent the Frog to Spanier’s side of the field, Asura attacked, and that was the game.
After some side decking on both sides of the table, Spanier began the duel. “Hey, I’ve got a less pathetic hand! I’m enjoying this!” He set a spell or trap and ended. Pittao set one as well, and passed back. Spanier summoned Mystic Tomato, but when it attacked it was repelled by Mirror Force. Pittao set another spell or trap card, ended, and Spanier attacked with Sangan on the following turn.
Pittao activated Graceful Charity, discarded a Light and Dark, special summoned Chaos Sorcerer, and removed his opponent’s Sangan from play. He set a monster, ended, and Spanier drew for his turn.
He special summoned Cyber Dragon, and Pittao removed it with Bottomless Trap Hole. He summoned Exiled Force, tributed it off to destroy Pittao’s set Magician of Faith, and ended with one card in his spell and trap zone. Pittao tried to detroy it next turn with Mystical Space Typhoon, but it was chained: Scapegoat! Pitato summoned Tsukuyomi, turned Sorcerer face down, and attacked two Sheep. He forgot to remove one Token first. He set a spell or trap, a bit rattled at his own mistake and shaking his head, and passed.
Spanier used Metamorphosis to tribute off a token, special summon Thousand-Eyes Restrict, and absorb the Sorcerer. Thousand-Eyes Restrict attacked directly, Spanier set one spell or trap, and passed. In his end phase he lost the set card, Call of the Haunted, to Dust Tornado. Tsukuyomi cleaned out the Thousand-Eyes Restrict next turn. Pittao set a spell or trap and passed.
Spanier set a card to each zone and announced that that was his turn. Pittao summoned Mystic Swordsman LV2, attacked, and hit Morphing Jar! He ended. Spanier drew Snatch Steal, laughed a bit at the uselessness of the card, and passed. Mystic Swordsman LV2 destroyed a Sheep token, Pittao set a spell or trap, and ended.
Spirit Reaper came down on Spanier’s side, and he ended his turn without doing anything. Pittao summoned Tsukuyomi, turned the Reaper face down with it, destroyed it with Mystic Swordsman LV2’s blade, and attacked directly with Tsukuyomi. Spanier topdecked Mystical Space Typhoon, another useless card, and there was just nothing he could do. He set a spell or trap and ended.
Mystic Swordsman LV2 attacked directly to bring him down to 6000. Pittao then set a monster, now in clear control of the game. Spanier drew Royal Decree, used Snatch Steal to take the Mystic Swordsman LV2, and tributed it for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch to destroy Pittao’s set Spirit Reaper. He attacked with Zaborg and Pittao took the hit. Spanier set Decree and passed.
Pittao summoned Asura Priest, activated Creature Swap, took the Zaborg, and took back his Asura. Spanier set a fourth spell or trap and passed, still drawing cards that were useless for the situation. Pittao hit him with Zaborg on the following turn, set a monster, set a third spell or trap, and passed. Spanier activated Nobleman of Crossout, removed Pittao’s set Dekoichi from the game,a nd both players shuffled their decks: neither had any left there. Spanier set a spell or trap to replace the Nobleman of Crossout that he’d flipped and ended.
Pittao attacked with Zaborg, but lost the Monarch to Mirror Force. He set a monster and ended. Spanier special summoned Chaos Sorcerer, removing Zaborg and Thousand-Eyes Restrict from his graveyard, and attacked Pittao’s set monster, Sangan. Spanier’s only remaining in-hand card was Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World, and Pittao pulled Spirit Reaper with Sangan’s effect.
He special summoned Cyber Dragon and contemplated his options. He summoned Tsukuyomi, turned Sorcerer face down, and then used Nobleman of Crossout to remove it from play. Cyber Dragon attacked, but Book of Moon turned it face down to interrupt the attack. Tsukuyomi hit directly, reducing Spanier to 2500 life points.
Pittao then activated Return from the Different Dimension, but Spanier chained Decree! Pittao ended his turn, took his Tsukuyomi, and passed.
“Graceful for game” wished Spanier. He didn’t top Graceful: he got a useless Smashing Ground, and was forced to pass with Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World and Smashing in his hand. Pittao activated Heavy Storm, clearing the field. He then flip summoned Cyber Dragon, normal summoned Asura Priest, and attacked against an open field for game!
Chris Pittao moves on to the finals to face Calvin Tsang for the Canadian National Championship!