After a long hiatus Bryan Coronel has appeared at a few recent Shonen Jump Championships, and now he’s well on the comeback trail. A former Nationals Top 4 competitor, he’s made Day 2 of multiple Shonen Jump Championships in the past and is a former headliner of Team Overdose.
Chhoeun Noun is a relatively new player as far as media coverage is concerned, but his intelligent Earth beatdown deck has brought him to a 7-1 finish thus far here today. Both of these duelists are just two matches away from winning a spot in the Top 8 tomorrow.
Coronel won the roll and opted to go first, activating Confiscation to reveal his opponent’s hand: Pot of Avarice, D. D. Assailant, Mobius the Frost Monarch, Hydrogeddon, and Nobleman of Crossout. After about a minute of thought, Coronel discarded the D. D. Assailant. He then set a spell or trap card, considered setting a monster, didn’t, and ended his turn. “Go.”
Noun drew into Creature Swap, another useless card to go with his Pot of Avarice. He summoned Hydrogeddon, swung for 1600 directly, set the Pot of Avarice as a lightning rod and ended.
Cyber Dragon came crashing down on Coronel’s side of the field, special summoned and attacking the Hydrogeddon. Coronel ended, Noun summoned Exiled Force and tributed it to destroy the Dragon. He passed. Both duelists were playing very conservatively in order to feel each other out.
Coronel did nothing on his turn, simply passing. Noun drew Nobleman of Crossout, another dead spell, and set it to his back row. Coronel summoned Treeborn Frog, seeming to read the Nobleman of Crossout, and attacked for 100. He set a second spell or trap to match his opponent and passed his turn.
A third set card in the back row was Noun’s only move, and Coronel immediately turned his Frog to defense position when he became the turn player. Noun flipped his freshest set card, Call of the Haunted, and targeted his Hydrogeddon, but Mystical Space Typhoon flipped from Coronel’s back row on the chain to destroy it. Noun ended his turn.
Coronel summoned Spirit Reaper and took a swing at Noun’s life points directly. The Reaper hit, and forced Noun to discard Creature Swap. Coronel ended and Noun shuffled his hand: Cyber Dragon, Mobius the Frost Monarch, Mirror Force, and Gigantes. He special summoned Cyber Dragon, his only move, and attacked the Frog, attempting to strand it beneath Coronel’s one set spell or trap. That set spell or trap flipped though, and it was Ring of Destruction: Cyber Dragon went up in flames. Noun set another spell or trap to leave himself with three total again, and ended. Heavy Storm here would be an insane play for Coronel.
He didn’t have it, and instead attacked with Reaper again. Noun flipped Mirror Force to destroy it, Coronel set another spell or trap, and play was back to Noun. He summoned Hydrogeddon and tried to attack, prompting Coronel to check Noun’s graveyard — Noun had one left in his deck, and would double up if he could score a hit. It would also be his fifth monster, meaning he could use the Pot of Avarice he’d been holding. Still, Coronel had no choice but to activate Torrential Tribute. Noun accepted it, activated Pot of Avarice, shuffled back his five monsters and drew two to end his turn.
Coronel brought back his Treeborn Frog in defense, then special summoned Cyber Dragon with Premature Burial. The Dragon attacked directly, scoring a fast hit of 2100 damage, and then set a monster. A set spell or trap followed, and Noun was up. He special summoned Cyber Dragon, tributed it for Mobius to wipe Coronel’s back field and destroyed Cyber Dragon. Nobleman of Crossout removed Coronel’s set Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive from the game, and Treeborn Frog was then attacked. He passed with nothing but Mobius.
Coronel brought back his Treeborn, summoned Sangan, and then used Brain Control to take the Mobius! With 3400 ATK on the field it was game, as Noun had nothing to defend himself with. Bryan Coronel takes the first duel.
Both duelists side decked, conversing casually. Neither player seemed to be making major changes to their decks. Play began swiftly.
Noun set a card to each zone and passed. Coronel activated Graceful Charity, activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Noun’s set Enemy Controller, and then special summoned Cyber Dragon. Dragon rammed into Noun’s set D. D. Assailant, both were removed from play, and Coronel then dropped Confiscation. It revealed Call of the Haunted, Gigantes, Nobleman of Crossout, and Sakuretsu Armor. Nobleman of Crossout was removed, Coronel set a card to each zone, and play was to Noun.
He summoned Mystic Swordsman LV2 and attacked, but lost his Swordsman to Sakuretsu Armor. He removed it from the graveyard to special summon Gigantes, set a spell or trap, and passed. Coronel set a second monster and passed right back. Gigantes attacked, hitting Sangan, and Coronel used its effect to pull Treeborn Frog without a moment’s hesitation or thought. Noun ended his turn.
Coronel flip summoned his Magician of Faith, bringing Graceful Charity back to his hand. He activated it, pitching Treeborn Frog and Magical Merchant. He tributed the Magician of Faith for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, blew away Gigantes, and then activated Last Will, saving its effect. Zaborg attacked, and Coronel decided to use Last Will’s effect to bring out Gravekeeper’s Spy in defense position. He briefly read the effect of the Gigantes in Noun’s graveyard and then ended his turn.
Noun had Call of the Haunted, Creature Swap, and Zaborg in his hand. He set the Call and then passed, unable to do anything with the other two cards. Coronel brought back his Frog in defense, summoned Spirit Reaper, and then turned Gravekeeper’s Spy to attack, too. Reaper hit directly first, discarding Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. Spy then swung, and Zaborg attacked — it was repelled by Sakuretsu Armor. Coronel set a spell or trap and ended.
Scapegoat came off the top of Noun’s deck and he flipped Call of the Haunted to special summon back his Zaborg. Coronel activated Ring of Destruction to destroy it, and Noun set Scapegoat. Coronel tributed his Frog for Cyber Dragon and attacked. Noun flipped Scapegoat, lost two tokens to Spirit Reaper and Cyber Dragon, and Coronel turned his Spy to defense.
Noun turned one of his Sheep to attack position and activated Creature Swap. Coronel gave him Gravekeeper’s Spy, and Noun set another spell or trap before passing. Coronel brought back his Frog, summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, and broke Noun’s set card: it was Mirror Force! Cyber Dragon ran over the Spy, Reaper took out the Sheep token, and Breaker attacked directly.
Noun couldn’t draw his way out of it. He topdecked Treeborn Frog and scooped, unable to do anything to stop Coronel’s onslaught.
Bryan Coronel moves on, one win away from making another Top 8!