Brent Yetter, now affiliated with Team Scoop, has been around the block as well, making Day 2 at Shonen Jump Boston last September. Another competitor who’s had a dry spell since his last success, he’s also got high hopes for the day. A Top 8 finish for either of these players would be a shot in the arm for their dueling career.

Torossian won the roll and opted to begin the duel. He started with a set card to each zone, a more conventional play than one might anticipate from him, given his feature match history. Yetter fired back with two back row sets and a face down monster. Torossian set another card to each zone, but Dust Tornado in his end phase destroyed his freshly set Torrential Tribute.

Yetter summoned Exiled Force, used its effect with priority to destroy Magician of Faith on Torossian’s side, and passed. Torossian set a monster, lost his only set spell or trap, Bottomless Trap Hole, to Dust Tornado, and Yetter was up.

He did nothing, passing after a bit of thought. Torossian flip summoned Gravekeeper’s spy, brought out a second in defense position, and tributed his attack position one for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. Its effect destroyed Treeborn Frog, but Bottomless Trap Hole removed it from play.

The Frog came back up on Yetter’s side, and he played Card Destruction. He brought out two copies of Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World! It even cost Nareg a copy of Pot of Avarice! One Goldd took down the remaining Spy, the second hit Torossian’s face down, but it was Apprentice Magician. Torossian set Old Vindictive with its effect, Yetter discarded Thunder Dragon to search his deck for two more, set a spell or trap card, and ended his turn. He had two Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World, a Frog, a set spell or trap, and three cards in hand to Torossian’s set Vindictive and four cards in hand (after Torossian drew).

He flipped the Vindictive, blew away one Goldd, and sent the Vindictive to hit Frog. He then special summoned Chaos Sorcerer, removed the other Goldd from play, set a monster, and set a spell or trap. Mystical Space Typhoon blew away the set spell or trap, Call of the Haunted in his end phase.

Yetter brought back his Frog, tributed it for Thunder Dragon, set a spell or trap, and attacked the Vindictive with Thunder Dragon. Chaos Sorcerer removed it from play on the following turn, Torossian flipped Magical Merchant, got Sakuretsu Armor, and turned Sorcerer to defense position. Merchant pecked directly, Torossian set a card to each zone and he passed.

Breaker the Magical Warrior was summoned by Yetter. He broke Sakuretsu Armor and then debated attacking. “I don’t want that to be Sangan.” He committed though, flipping Call of the Haunted, bringing back Eixled Force, and tributing to blow away the set monster, revealing another Merchant! Breaker the Magical Warrior then attacked the other Merchant, Smashing Ground destroyed Sorcerer, and Yetter passed. He had one card left in hand, and Torossian knew it was Thunder Dragon.

He took Breaker with Snatch Steal and hit Yetter directly. Yetter topdecked Cyber Dragon, brought it out thanks to Treeborn Frog, and hit Breaker the Magical Warrior. Torossian set a monster, Frog came back up on Yetter’s side, and he tributed it for Thunder Dragon! Cyber Dragon attacked into Torossian’s set Night Assailant, and the Assailant’s effect destroyed the Thunder Dragon. Torosssian set another monster, Yetter attacked it, finding it to be Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, and set a back row card. Torossian set one too, set a monster, and passed.

Cyber Dragon swung again, and was removed by D. D. Warrior Lady. Yetter either didn’t have, or didn’t choose to set, another monster, and he ended his turn. Torossian passed back, Yetter set a monster, and Torossian drew into, and played Graceful Charity. He used Nobleman of Crossout to remove Yetter’s set Magical Merchant from play, leaving him with only one set back row card on the field. He didn’t press the advantage though, and instead just set a card to each zone. Yetter set another monster and passed, Torossian flipped Dekoichi, summoned Sangan, played Nobleman of Crossout to remove Yetter’s set Magician of Faith from play, and attacked with Sangan. It hit, but Yetter blocked the Dekoichi with Sakuretsu Armor. The life point totals were 6200 to 1450 for Yetter.

He returned Treeborn Frog to his field in defense position, debated setting Widespread Ruin, but then opted to end his turn. Torossian summoned Tsukuyomi, turned the Frog face down, and attacked with Sangan and Tsukuyomi. Yetter brought back the Frog again and finally had something to tribute it for! Mobius the Frost Monarch hit the field, destroyed Torossian’s set Sakuretsu Armor, and then wiped out Sangan! Torossian had only 1450 life points remaining. He took his card, but showed it to Yetter too quickly for the onlookers to see.

Yetter set a back row card, ended his turn, and Torossian set a card to each zone. Mobius attacked, but hit a set Old Vindictive Magician, getting destroyed by the Magician’s effect. Yetter passed.

Torossian summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, broke Yetter’s set Widespread Ruin, and attacked for 1600. He set a second back row card, passed, and Yetter immediately flopped Heavy Storm – he destroyed Book of Moon and Sakuretsu Armor. Torossian opted not to chain the Book to turn his Breaker face down, and Yetter punished him for it – Snatch Steal took control of Breaker and Torossian loses the first duel to his own monster.

Torossian opened game two with a set to each zone. Yetter played Cyber Dragon, but attacked into Sakuretsu Armor. He set a card to each zone as well and passed.

Nobleman of Crossout robbed him of his set Dekoichi as soon as Torossian hit main phase 1. Torossian again opted not to follow up Nobleman of Crossout with a push and instead just set a monster. Yetter set a second spell or trap and passed.

Torossian flipped Magical Merchant, losing Sangan, Chaos Sorcerer, Tsukuyomi, Treeborn Frog, and another Merchant before hitting Graceful Charity. He used it, discarding Apprentice Magician and Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. He then played Pot of Avarice, drawing two and shuffling back five of the monsters he lost. He then flip summoned Magician of Faith, took back Graceful Charity, and asked Yetter how many cards he had left in hand. “Three.”

Roy St. Clair broke in from the sidelines: “Torossian has 17, or something.”

Torossian summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, broke Yetter’s set Sakuretsu Armor, and attacked! No Mirror Force for Yetter as each attack sunk right into his life points. After some thought, Torossian set one spell or trap card and ended his turn. The life point totals were 5900 to 8000 in Torossian’s favor.

“He’s got 14 cards in his hand,” joked St. Clair, “and Yetter’s got none.”

Yetter was holding two Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World and a Pot of Avarice. He drew Exiled Force, sent it at Magician of Faith and destroyed the Magician in battle. Call of the Haunted brought back Cyber Dragon, but Nareg flipped Torrential Tribute! “All these options . . . ” remarked Yetter, looking at his Goldds. He set his Pot of Avarice and passed.

Torossian brought back Treeborn Frog, set a monster, and then set a card to his back row. Yetter played Premature Burial, brought back Exiled Force, and tributed it to destroy Torossian’s faced own monster—or, at least, he tried. Torossian flipped My Body As a Shield, paying the life points to keep his set monster around!

Next turn he revealed why. He flip summoned Gravekeeper’s Spy, brought out another, and attacked with both. Yetter was down to 2700. Torossian set another back row card, Yetter passed, and Torossian hit him with the spies again, bringing him down to 300.

Yetter drew and set a monster. Torossian tributed his Treeborn Frog for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch and that was enough to make Yetter scoop.

Both players pile shuffled repeatedly. “You’re running 42 cards?” asked Torossian. Pretty dang observant, and Yetter acknowledged that he was as play began.

Yetter opened with a set Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, and then set a spell or trap card. Nobleman of Crossout removed the Kycoo from play, and Torossian eyed the Kycoo, getting an idea of what Yetter’s hand might look like. He set a card to each zone before ending his turn.

There was only one monster in Yetter’s hand, and it was Magician of Faith. He set it and debated setting a second spell or trap card, before doing so. He ended his turn.

Torossian punished him. He flipped Night Assailant, destroying the Magician of Faith, and then tributed the Assailant for Mobius, destroying Sakuretsu Armor and . . . another Sakuretsu Armor. He attacked directly, and Yetter was forced to set two back row cards.

Mobius attacked, hit Mirror Force, and was brought back with Call of the Haunted. Yetter played Torrential Tribute, Torossian set a monster, and passed. Yetter set a back row card, passed, and Nareg flipped Magical Merchant. It got him Graceful Charity again! He played it, discarded two monsters, and played Pot of Avarice again! It was the same cycle that he’d hit Yetter with last turn, and Yetter had already used Mirror Force and Torrential Tribute.

Torossian’s Magical Merchant attacked directly, and he set a monster before passing. Time was called. Yetter passed, Torossian flipped another Magical Merchant, and attacked with both of his Merchants. Yetter drew, topdecked Cyber Dragon, and looked at his hand, which was Dragon, Chaos Sorcerer, Smashing Ground, and Premature Burial.

He summoned the Dragon first. He didn’t have a Dark monster to bring out the Sorcerer with, and his only monster in the graveyard was Magician of Faith! He brought back Magician of Faith with Premature Burial, played Smashing Ground, and Torossian chained Ceasefire, dishing out 2000 damage! Yetter sent Magician of Faith into Magical Merchant, but Book of Moon turned the Merchant face down! Magician of Faith bounced off the Merchant harmlessly, Sorcerer was forced to attack it, and there was no way that Yetter could even out the life point totals by the end of his turn.

Nareg Torossian takes the match on time!