It all came down to this: two of Canada’s greatest celebrity duelists squaring off after nine consecutive rounds for the title of National Champion. The flagship champions of Team Xtreme and Team Scrubs, throwing down for a trip to Tokyo and the ultimate in national prestige.

Tsang won the roll, and opened with a set to each zone. Pittao summoned Spirit Reaper, played Nobleman of Crossout to remove Calvin’s set Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, as well as a few from each duelist’s deck, and then attacked. He knocked Royal Decree out of Calvin’s hand, set a spell or trap, and passed.

Calvin set a monster and played Swords of Revealing Light. Pittao set a monster, turned Reaper to defense, and passed. Calvin flipped Magical Merchant, topped into Limiter Removal, activated Smashing Ground, and ended. Pittao was up.

He flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, summoned Sangan and finished his turn. Calvin topdecked into Tsukuyomi, turned his Merchant face down with it, and passed. Pittao tributed his Sangan for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, searched his deck for Treeborn Frog with its effect, destroyed Merchant, and then activated Graceful Charity to discard Frog and Tomato. Swords of Revealing Light was destroyed and play passed to Calvin.

He activated Premature Burial, going down to 6900 life points. He brought back Merchant, tributed it for Zaborg, destroyed Pittao’s Zaborg with his own, but then attacked into Mirror Force. Pittao activated Heavy Storm, summoned Reaper, attacked with both Dekoichi and Reaper, and discarded Calvin’s Chaos Sorcerer! Pittao set a spell or trap and ended. Calvin looked utterly beaten, and with 5200 life points, was just holding on.

But then he topdecked into Cyber-Stein! He summoned it, paid 5000 life points, special summoned Cyber End Dragon with its effect to go down to 200 life points, and attacked Spirit Reaper with Cyber End, ignoring Pittao’s one set spell or trap card! In the damage step he dropped Limiter Removal from his hand, doubling the Cyber End Dragon’s ATK and taking the duel in one swift blow!

Pittao was stunned. He could NOT believe how Calvin had turned the duel around, a duel that he had controlled throughout. “That was the dirtiest game ever,” he remarked, still reeling and blown away.

“Wow. I totally topdecked that,” said Calvin. “That was the ONLY way to win that game! I’d like you to know I am the biggest lucksack in the game of Yu-Gi-Oh!” Calvin grinned as Pittao recovered from his initial shock.

Pittao opened game 2 with Confiscation, revealing Calvin’s hand: Chaos Sorcerer, Sakuretsu Armor, Magical Merchant, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. He discarded the Sorcerer, set a monster, set a spell or trap, and ended. Calvin fired back with a set to each zone as well, and play passed back to Pittao: he flipped Mystical Space Typhoon in Calvin’s end phase, destroying Calvin’s Typhoon!

He tributed his set Spirit Reaper for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, destroying Calvin’s Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive and attacking directly. He set a spell or trap and passed.

Calvin set a spell or trap, a monster, and then activated Smashing Ground to destroy Zaborg. Pittao summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, broke Calvin’s set Sakuretsu Armor, and debated attacking. He did, hitting the Merchant, forcing Calvin through two Magician of Faith and Sorcerer before getting Calvin Sakuretsu Armor. Two Sorcerers down, and Calvin’s hopes were again sinking. Calvin used Confiscation on the next turn, revealing Chaos Sorcerer and Sakuretsu: Pittao was forced to discard Sorcerer. Calvin set a spell or trap and passed. Breaker hit him next turn, dropping him to 3000. Pittao set a monster and Calvin was up.

He special summoned Cyber Dragon, tributed it off for Zaborg, and destroyed Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive with its effect. Then he attacked Breaker the Magical Warrior, destroying it as well! Play passed to Pittao.

He summoned Tsukuyomi, turned Calvin’s Zaborg face down, used Premature Burial on his own Zaborg, and attacked with Tsukuyomi to destroy Calvin’s Zaborg. When his Zaborg attacked it was destroyed by Sakuretsu Armor. Pittao passed, and Calvin was topdecking. He set a monster, Pittao activated Nobleman of Crossout, and removed Skelengel from the game. Pittao ended.

Calvin drew, set his topdeck to the back row, passed, Pittao passed, Calvin drew, and passed again. Pittao passed back, Calvin passed, and Pittao summoned Sangan. Sangan attacked and Calvin went down to 2000. Calvin drew for his turn, passed, and Pittao was up.

He summoned Mystic Tomato. Sangan attacked first. Tomato attacked next, and Calvin flipped Scapegoat! Mystic Tomato hit a Sheep, and Calvin was at 1000 life points to Pittao’s 5400. Calvin was hanging on by a thread.

Calvin set two spell or trap cards and passed. He lost two Sheep next turn, and Pittao passed without playing anything to the field. Calvin drew Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, set it, and ended.

Pittao activated Graceful Charity, discarded Treeborn Frog and Cyber Dragon, and activated Nobleman of Crossout. It removed Calvin’s set Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive from play, and both duelists searched their decks for extra copies. Sangan hit a Sheep, the last one, and Tomato attacked into Book of Moon. Calvin was running on empty.

Play passed to him, and he set a spell or trap card. Pittao flip summoned Mystic Tomato, Calvin responded with Torrential Tribute, and Pittao took Spirit Reaper with his Sangan’s effect. He set a card to each zone and passed.

Calvin drew and exhaled deeply. He flipped Return from the Different Dimension! He brought back two Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive and Skelengel, tributed Skelengel for Mobius, and targeted Pittao’s two set back row cards with Mobius’s effect! Pittao chained Call of the Haunted to bring back Sangan, and lost Sakuretsu Armor. He took Magician of Faith for Sangan.

But Calvin wasn’t finished! He special summoned Chaos Sorcerer, and he showed Pittao the Nobleman of Crossout, his final card. That was it! Nobleman removed Pittao’s set monster, all of Calvin’s monsters attacked directly, and it was all over!

Calvin Tsang is the newest Canadian National Champion, and will be representing the country of Canada at the World Championships in Tokyo!