“You’ve gotta promote DuelistGroundz some more, by the way” commented Joe. “Remember, in case it’s not obvious, we’re Joejoe and Zee.”

“Man, I’m so amused,” joked Zee, and everyone had a huge smile on their face. After counting up cards and shuffling, both players got down to business and Zee won the roll to begin. “That is my hacking die, you know that, right?”

After a handshake, both players drew, and after joking about it, Zee opened with Confiscation prompting a sigh and a shake of the head from Whittaker; who revealed Exiled Force, Return from the Different Dimension, Call of the Haunted, Scapegoat and Mobius the Frost Monarch.

“Every time I play Confiscation their next card is Graceful, man,” said Zee as he selected Exiled Force. Zee set a card to each zone and Joe settled for just a spell or trap. Another monster was set by Zee, and Joe’s Nobleman of Crossout took it, Treeborn Frog, out of the game.

Both players passed for a few turns and occasionally set some cards, and the looks on their faces suggested a lot of thinking going on.

“Grr, I’ll get you some day Mushtaq,” said Joe, as his D. D. Warrior Lady gave Zee Magician of Faith off Apprentice Magician. Premature Burial on Exiled Force dealt with that, but Zee flipped Old Vindictive Magician, attacking and setting a card to each zone.

Joe had six in hand to Zee’s four, and passed his turn. Old Vindictive attacked and Joe went down to 6300 life points to Zee’s 7000.

Reinforcement of the Army bought Joe Mystic Swordsman LV2, which ran into Book of Moon. Joe passed and his Swordsman was destroyed by Old Vindictive Magician. That Magician was on a role! Joe set a back row card and took yet another attack from Old Vindictive! Zee ended his turn with two set spell or traps, a face-down monster and Old Vindictive, with six cards in his hand. Joe had seven cards in hand and two set back row cards, and his D. D. Assailant fell into Bottomless Trap Hole.

“Man if you’ve got a set storm.” said Joe, just before Zee flipped his set Heavy Storm with the grin of a Cheshire cat; and Whittaker chained Scapegoat. D.D. Warrior Lady and Old Vindictive took out two, but Joe had the answer in Snatch Steal on D.D. Warrior lady, removing it and the face down Night assailant. A turn later, Joe had continued to stay on the offensive, summoning Mystic Tomato and running it through Old Vindictive Magician which left the field at last!

Zee drew and carefully considered his next move, thoroughly checking through both graveyards first. He decided to summon Exiled Force and attack the goat, before tributing it to destroy the Tomato.

Spirit Reaper stripped him of 300 life points and a Nobleman of Crossout next turn, but he had the answer when his Chaos Sorcerer removed it from play. Zee played Metamorphosis to exchange it for Ryu Senshi and after a quick discussion on its errata; Joe flipped Call of the Haunted on Mystic Tomato. Zee looked to have complete control as he used Premature Burial to blow up the Tomato again with Exiled Force. The life points were Zee’s 4950 to Joe’s 5450.

Joe set a card to each zone and Zee summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, removing his token to destroy Sakuretsu Armor and Joe ate an attack from both Breaker and the Ryu Senshi after Nobleman of Crossout removed all copies of Magician of Faith in both decks.

Swords of Revealing Light was played by Joe and he bought out Bazoo the Soul-Eater. He got priority to remove one card before setting another back row card and ending. Two turns later Zee tributed Breaker for Mobius the Frost Monarch, targeting a face-down Torrential Tribute, which was activated and negated. Zee used Call of the Haunted on Exiled Force once more to take out the monster, and both attacked for the game after Joe realised that Zee could negate his Return from the Different Dimension.

Zee takes game one!

“Okay, let’s try a non-Confiscation opening hand, yeah?” Joe grinned as both players side-decked and shuffled up for game two.

Joe opened with his own Confiscation; “Haha! Tell me Mr Mushtaq, do you like justice?”

Zee showed Nobleman of Crossout, Heavy Storm, Treeborn Frog, Old Vindictive Magician, and Bottomless Trap Hole. “Take the Frog!” Zee begged.

Joe selected Bottomless Trap Hole and set a back row card before passing and taking a quick 100 damage from Treeborn Frog! He fought back, however, with D. D. Warrior Lady removing it, and action was back with Zee who set a monster.

Joe activated Reinforcement of the Army to search Mystic Swordsman LV2 and summoned it along with a Cyber Dragon to attack through Old Vindictive Magician and directly for 2100. Zee flipped Heavy Storm and a freshly summoned Apprentice Magician attacked Mystic Swordsman LV2 to give him a face down Magician of Faith. It turned into Thousand-Eyes Restrict through Metamorphosis and the Thousand-Eyes “absorbed” Cyber Dragon.

Thousand-Eyes ran into Sakuretsu Armor and Zee set a spell or trap. Both players looked bored and Zee said “It’s Mirror Force, dude, seriously, don’t attack.” But he took 900 from Swordsman anyway.

Joe activated Swords of Revealing Light and set a spell or trap before passing to Zee who set a monster. Joe summoned Spirit Reaper and went for a direct attack, but hit nothing but Sakuretsu Armor with the Swordsman, only to bring it back with Call of the Haunted and attack again! It went in to Sangan who searched Exiled Force and Spirit Reaper poked for 300 life points and a Nobleman of Crossout.

Joe had two in hand and a good field to Zee’s three cards in hand. The life point totals were Joe’s 6900 to Zee’s 2800. Exiled Force came out for Zee and destroyed Swordsman, and it gave him enough monsters in the graveyard to activate Pot of Avarice, netting him another two cards.

The match was moving along and a faster speed now and both players looked restless as Zee took his two cards and set a Torrential Tribute. Spirit Reaper nudged for 300 and Jinzo from hand, while Zee drew. His hand was Chaos Sorcerer and Premature Burial. Spirit Reaper took another 300 from Zee and his Chaos Sorcerer, while Joe set a monster before passing.

Zee checked Joe’s hand count, three—along with his Spirit Reaper and face-down monster to just Zee’s back row card and two in hand—and set a monster before passing. Exiled Force triggered Torrential Tribute and the field was cleared! Sangan poked for 1000 from Joe who summoned Cyber Dragon and then Mobius the Frost Monarch. Mobius attacked Sangan and Zee searched for Apprentice Magician. He drew and set a monster while Joe attacked in to the Apprentice and looked pretty sceptical. Zee searched Magician of Faith and set a card to each zone before passing.

Heavy Storm took out Joe’s own Enemy Controller and Zee’s Sakuretsu Armor, while Premature Burial bought back Joe’s Mystic Swordsman LV2. He cleared out Zee’s field, and Zee took Old Vindictive Magician from Apprentice Magician. He flipped it and destroyed Mobius, but Joe showed him Return from the Different Dimension and Zee scooped his cards.

This was going to a deciding match, and both guys shook hands once more and shuffled up.

The crowd was huge around our feature match area now and many people were attracted to who was going to win this important Round 9 game between friends.

Ten minutes was called on the round as Zee started off game three with a little smirk and a set to each zone. Joe fired right back summoning Mystic Swordsman LV2 and attacking in to Sakuretsu Armor. Joe set Bottomless Trap Hole, which took out Breaker the Magical Warrior next turn and Joe set another back row card before passing. Zee settled with another card to each zone and tension was high as Joe brooded over his options before Summoning Breaker the Magical Warrior, and using it’s token to take out a chained Enemy Controller. Zee tributed Treeborn Frog for Cyber Dragon, and ran in to Sakuretsu Armor. Joe set another monster. “Your turn, man.”

Snatch Steal took Breaker and Nobleman of Crossout removed Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, while Joe took 1600. Next turn, Heavy Storm from Joe gave him Breaker back and destroyed Bottomless Trap Hole in the process. A set to each zone put action back on Zee, who bought back Treeborn Frog in his standby phase.

Magician of Faith re-used Nobleman of Crossout on D. D. Assailant and Joe took some more damage before summoning Cyber Dragon and normal summoning D.D. Warrior Lady. The lady removed Treeborn Frog while the Dragon cleared out Magician of Faith. A turn later Zee was taking another 2100 from Cyber Dragon and both players clarified life points. Joe’s two in hand led him to set a monster and pass and a next turn it was revealed as Magician of Faith, which prompted Zee to activate Torrential Tribute when he targeted Heavy Storm. Joe bought out Chaos Sorcerer and hit for 2300 and Zee was in a bad way with just a back row card and one in hand to Joe’s two in hand, Chaos Sorcerer and back row card. Zee set a monster and Joe used Heavy Storm again, chaining Deck Devastation Virus! Chaos Sorcerer paid the cost and D. D. Warrior Lady was shown and destroyed, and it also revealed Chaos Sorcerer which was discarded by Joe’s Spirit Reaper. Zee top decked Premature Burial and it bought back D. D. Warrior Lady which hit for 1200 without removing reaper from play. “That’s ridiculous, man!” said Joe and he topdecked Snatch Steal to take D. D. Warrior Lady for the win!

Joe Whittaker comes from behind to defeat Team Recoil’s Zee Mushtaq 2-1 in an intense game!