Justin Womack is a fifteen-year-old duelist from Wisconsin. He distinguished himself this weekend by playing an incredibly aggressive deck with three Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World, three Injection Fairy Lily, three Dimension Wall, and Magic Cylinder. Yesterday he won every single match he played, save one where he sat at the wrong table

Bryan Rockenbach’s biggest achievement until this weekend was a Top 8 appearance at SJC Denver earlier this year. The fifteen-year-old Arizona duelist is running a high-risk Twelve-Gauge variant with thirteen Monarchs and Jinzo — no Card Troopers.

“I tried Troopers in this deck,” explained Rockenbach, “but a lot of the time I would wind up sending something like three Brain Controls or three Soul Exchange to the graveyard. They just didn’t fit.” A surprising standpoint, but one that evidently showed a great deal of testing. Rockenbach knew what he was doing.

Rockenbach opened the duel with a set card to each zone. Womack matched him, and activated Ceasefire in his opponent’s draw phase to flip his own Cyber Phoenix and Rockenbach’s set Spirit Reaper: Rockenbach lost 1000 life points. “I thought that was Spy,” admitted Womack. His opponent tributed the Reaper for Raiza the Storm Monarch, bounced the Cyber Phoenix to the top of Womack’s deck, and attacked for 2400.

The duel stood at 5600 to 8000, and Womack drew for his turn. He began running numbers, calculating how much damage he could deal this turn. He dropped to 4800 life points to activate Brain Control, taking Raiza, attacking with him, and then tributing him in main phase 2 for a set monster. “Go ahead.” He was clearly trying to keep Rockenbach off the field. If he could do it, Rockenbach would have a hard time tributing and maintaining his offensive initiative.

He wasn’t going to let that happen. Rockenbach used Premature Burial to bring back Raiza, and then tributed him for another Raiza to spin Womack’s set monster and attack for 2400 damage. Womack summoned his Cyber Phoenix in face-up attack and ended. Rockenbach attacked with Raiza, but Limiter Removal pumped Cyber Phoenix to 2400 ATK in the damage step — both monsters traded off! Womack drew for Cyber Phoenix and Sangan attacked directly.

Womack dropped to 600 life points, activating Premature Burial to special summon Cyber Phoenix. He normal summoned Card Trooper, sent three cards to the graveyard, to raise it to 1900 ATK, then attacked with it. Card Trooper ran over Sangan and Cyber Phoenix attacked directly while Rockenbach searched his deck for Gravekeeper’s Spy. Womack set a spell or trap and play passed to Rockenbach.

“What do you have in hand? Five cards? I wish I had Secret Barrel,” quipped Womack. Rockenbach set a monster, unfazed.

Womack tributed his Card Trooper for Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World and attacked the set monster — Gravekeeper’s Spy. The on-field Spy was destroyed in battle, but she searched for another to special summon in defense position. Rockenbach only had 1700 life points left.

“Where’s a Ceasefire when you need it? I should have saved it.” Womack had regretted flipping Ceasefire since he realized he’d made the wrong read, and that regret was building. Soul Exchange let Rockenbach tribute his opponent’s Goldd for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. He used the Monarch’s effect to destroy Cyber Phoenix, but refused to attack, wisely fearing the possibility of Dimension Wall. Rockenbach passed, and Womack set a third card to his back row.

Rockenbach shifted Gravekeeper’s Spy to attack position, immediately attacking with her: Womack tried to force a draw with Ring of Destruction, targeting Zaborg in an attempt to send 2400 damage both ways, but Book of Moon was chained to stop it! Womack responded with Dimension Wall, blocking Spy’s attack and dropping Rockenbach to 500 life points! Womack set his topdecked card, but Rockenbach tributed for Granmarg the Rock Monarch and blew it away next turn: the card Womack had topdecked and lost was another Dimension Wall! His only remaining card was his set Brain Control, and the duel was over.

Bryan Rockenbach narrowly ekes out a win and takes the first duel!

Both competitors side decked carefully, shuffling each other’s decks with obvious care. Womack pile shuffled, commenting on his showing today: “I’ve lost every game 1 in Top 16 today.” He was doing a good job of keeping the first loss from getting to him.

He drew his opening hand and made a noise of alarm. He set one card to his back row, passed, and Rockenbach set Trap Dustshoot. He activated it in Womack’s following turn, and revealed that the only monster Womack had was Injection Fairy Lily. The rest of his hand consisted of two Machine Duplication and other momentarily useless cards. It was a rough situation.

Rockenbach set a spell or trap, leading Womack to draw and pass back. Rockenbach passed too. Womack activated Heavy Storm, and destroyed both Ring of Destruction and Soul Exchange on his opponent’s side of the field!

He grinned: “Trooper!” Womack summoned the Card Trooper he had drawn that turn, and then brought out two more with Machine Duplication! He sent nine cards to the graveyard for the effects of all three Card Troopers, but lost Limiter Removal to the graveyard in the process. Rockenbach dropped to 2300 life points after each Trooper attacked.

A set card to his spell and trap zone ended Womack’s turn. Rockenbach special summoned Cyber Dragon, then used Soul Exchange to tribute one of the Troopers and bring out Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch: it discarded Womack’s remaining Machine Duplication, a relatively useless card at this point since Womack had already brought out all his Troopers.

“You missed Goldd,” said Womack, jokingly disappointed. “That Card Trooper though, it put me at five monsters.” He activated Pot of Avarice, shuffling back all five and drawing two more cards. He sent six cards to the graveyard from his deck with the remaining Troopers, activated Premature Burial to bring back Jinzo, and then took control of Thestalos with Brain Control! Rockenbach’s Cyber Dragon didn’t stand a chance, and he conceded the duel before Womack began declaring attacks.

Justin Womack plays a devastating duel, coming back from a game 1 loss to force the match to a third and final confrontation!

“I’m guessing you’re starting?” asked Womack. Rockenbach replied with a yes. Womack wished him good luck and the third duel began. “Come oooooon, OTK!” Womack grinned. “Justin needs a new 42-inch TV!”

Rockenbach set a card to each zone. “Wow,” remarked Womack. “Watch my hand be two Troopers and one Dupe.” It didn’t appear to be, but it wasn’t an OTK either: Womack set one card to his back row and ended.

Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive flipped from Rockenbach’s field and attacked for 1400 damage directly. Womack let it pass, and Rockenbach set another monster. Womack activated Mystical Space Typhoon, Rockenbach chained his own, but the card he targeted was chained as well: Womack flipped Ceasefire! It revealed Rockenbach’s set Treeborn Frog and dealt 1000 damage.

Brain Control stole the Dekoichi and Womack tributed it for Goldd. “Attack Frog?” The amphibian went down. Womack set one back row card and ended. Rockenbach brought the Frog back, set a monster, then set a spell or trap card.

Card Trooper came down for Womack, and he flipped his set Machine Duplication! His opponent reeled, and two more Troopers hit the field from Womack’s deck. He immediately sent three cards to his graveyard for the effect of each. “I’ll send nine, so I can walk into your Mirror Force,” Womack joked. One Trooper took down Frog, but when Goldd attacked he was destroyed by Sakuretsu Armor. Womack swung on the face down monster with another Trooper, but it was Gravekeeper’s Spy! The attacked Spy remained on the field, brought out another from Rockenbach’s deck, and Womack was less than thrilled: “I hate Spy. I really do.” He ended his turn without setting either of his two remaining cards.

Rockenbach didn’t have any Monarchs. He special summoned Treeborn Frog, tributed it for Cyber Dragon and picked off one of the Troopers with it. Both copies of Gravekeeper’s Spy stayed in defense position and play passed to Womack.

He tributed one of his Troopers for Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World, attacked the Cyber Dragon, and turned Card Trooper to defense position. He set one back row card and ended. The duel stood at 4000 life points to 6800 in Rockenbach’s favor, and he began his next turn by special summoning Treeborn Frog. He activated Heavy Storm, destroying Womack’s set Dimension Wall! Frog was tributed for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch. His effect forced Womack to discard Snatch Steal, and Rockenbach activated Premature Burial to special summon Cyber Dragon. One copy of Spy went to attack position, and Rockenbach considered shifting the second one as well. If Thestalos attacked Goldd and a Spy destroyed the remaining Card Trooper, Cyber Dragon and the second Spy would be free to attack directly. The total damage would equal 3400 total, but it wouldn’t be enough to finish Womack off, and he’d get to draw two more cards before his next main phase.

He went for it anyway. Rockenbach sent Thestalos to take Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World, one Spy destroyed Card Trooper, and Cyber Dragon and the other Spy hit directly. Womack was down to 600 life points! He drew for his turn, set two cards to his back row and normal summoned Injection Fairy Lily, far below the life point threshold needed to activate her effect.

Rockenbach shifted one Spy to defense position, then the other. Cyber Dragon attacked and that was it — Womack’s elaborate bluff had no effect, and he extended the handshake!

Bryan Rockenbach moves on to the Finals, one match away from becoming the National Champion!