Scott Dushkin is here with a Samurai deck inspired by Dr. Vowler and refined (and Trooper powered) by Cedric Sequerra. Jordan Denk is here with a Monarch deck. Both duelists are two rounds away from making Day 2, and the pressure is on.

Scott won the roll and started with Card Trooper and dropped Great Shogun Shien and two The Six Samurai — Irou into his graveyard before setting a spell or trap and passing. Jordan set a card to each zone and passed over to Scott who used Reinforcement of the Army to pull The Six Samurai — Yaichi from his deck. Yaichi was dropped followed by Grandmaster of the Six Samurai, and Denk lost his Sakuretsu Armor. Card Trooper pumped and attacked into Spirit Reaper, but, during the damage step, Scott flipped Shrink to give Grandmaster an open shot. In main phase 2, Scott set a spell or trap and passed back to Jordan, who had some serious thinking to do. He set a spell or trap and passed. Confiscation was destroyed by Yaichi next turn, and Jordan did some counting to see if he had game. He did, but he misplayed, playing Zanji instead of a second Card Trooper. Jordan went into his last turn with only 100 life points, but it didn’t matter as he dropped his hand revealing five Monarchs. Bad beats, but that’s why we play best of three!

Both players did a bit of side decking between games, and, after some questions regarding the naming of various shuffling methods, Jordan opted to begin. He started with a set monster, and Scott started with The Six Samurai — Zanji. Zanji attacked headlong into Gravekeeper’s Spy, and Scott had already put himself in a tight spot. He set a spell or trap and passed over to Jordan, who summoned Mobius the Frost Monarch to destroy Scott’s set The Warrior Returning Alive. Mobius defeated Zanji, and play was to Scott. Scott picked up the Solemn Judgment he needed last turn, and he summoned Card Trooper and activated its effect, knocking Reinforcement of the Army, Ring of Destruction, and Cyber Dragon into the graveyard. Snatch Steal came down next to steal away Mobius, and the renegade Monarch blew away Jordan’s Spy. Card Trooper swung directly, and Scott set his Solemn Judgment before ending. Jordan drew, gained his life points from Snatch Steal, and summoned Cyber Dragon. The Dragon beat down Card Trooper and Jordan then activated Brain Control to take Mobius and tribute him for another Cyber Dragon. He finished with a set spell or trap, and play was back to Scott. Scott summoned Cyber Dragon, rammed it into one of Jordan’s Cyber Dragons, and then set a monster before ending trying to tempt Jordan into a Monarch summon. It didn’t quite work though, as the set Zanji was mauled by Cyber Dragon before Jordan set a monster and passed. Scott drew into his second Great Shogun Shien (ouch) and set Irou before ending.

Jordan set a third spell or trap and ended after blasting the set Samurai. Scott drew another Cyber Dragon and summoned it, but it fell into Bottomless Trap Hole. Jordan had a Sangan next turn, and both the fuzzy critter and Cyber Dragon attacked directly. Yaichi came down next for Jordan, and he attacked Sangan prompting Jordan to search for Spirit Reaper. Hydrogeddon came down for Jordan next turn, and Scott had to use Solemn Judgment to stay in the game. Cyber Dragon brought Scott down to 400 by destroying Yaichi, and Scott had one turn left. He drew Shrink though, and conceded the game with two Shoguns in hand.

Scott hadn’t seen a single Grandmaster of the Six Samurai in game 2, any one of which could have turned that loss into a spectacular win. He had the option to begin the third game, and he took it, starting off with two set spell or traps. Heavy Storm would be devastating right now, and Jordan had it. He blew away Mystical Space Typhoon and Bottomless Trap Hole before setting a card to each zone and ending. Scott had a Cyber Dragon, and he summoned and attacked with it. Mirror Force blocked the attack and Scott set two spells or traps before passing. Jordan simply set a spell or trap and passed over to Scott who summoned Zanji and attacked into a Legendary Jujitsu Master. Zanji spun to the top of the deck and Scott passed. Jordan simply passed, and Scott re-summoned his Zanji.

Jordan continued on with Soul Exchange tributing the Samurai for Vanity’s Fiend! Torrential Tribute swallowed everything up, however, and play was back to Jordan. He activated The Warrior Returning Alive to pull back The Six Samurai — Zanji, and he summoned him. The Samurai connected, and Scott set a spell or trap before ending. Jordan summoned Sangan and ended his turn. Yaichi came down for Scott next turn, but he had fallen right into Torrential Tribute! You may recognize this exact situation from a School of Duel homework assignment. This is exactly why you don’t summon more monsters in that situation. Jordan searched out Spirit Reaper, and Scott passed. Premature Burial brought Sangan back for Jordan and it was tributed for Mobius. Solemn Judgment blocked the summon, but Sangan still pulled Legendary Jujitsu Master to Jordan’s hand. Scott was really hurting for a Grandmaster at this point, but they just weren’t showing up. Jordan set a spell or trap and passed over to Scott who activated Reinforcement of the Army to fetch out The Six Samurai — Irou. He summoned him, set a spell or trap, and passed. Jordan had Snatch Steal next turn, and he attacked with the pilfered Irou before setting a monster and passing back to Jordan.

Scott flipped The Warrior Returning Alive to pull back Zanji, but he summoned Card Trooper instead. Trooper pumped itself up, knocking two Zanji’s and a Premature Burial off the deck before it turned its ire on the traitorous Irou. Brain Control was flipped from Jordan’s side of the field to steal Card Trooper, and he pumped it after gaining control of it. It was then tributed for Thestalos, and Scott lost Zanji from his hand. Thestalos attacked directly, dropping Scott to 500 life points. He drew into Irou next turn and used his set Shrink to take down Thestalos, but a topdecked Mobius from Jordan sealed the deal. Scott has a pair of no-Grandmaster games that bounce him to X-2 while Jordan Denk moves on, now one round away from guaranteeing himself a Day 2 appearance.