We’re halfway through the tournament now, and star players John Jenson and Adam Corn are still undefeated. John Jenson has one of the best resumes in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG with two SJC wins and plenty of Top 8s. Adam Corn has a few Day 2 finishes to his name and holds the enviable record of being called for a side event promo more than any other player. Corn won the roll and opted to go first.
He set a monster and a spell or trap before passing to Jenson. Jenson opened with Reinforcement of the Army for Elemental Hero Stratos. Stratos was summoned and found Destiny Hero - Fear Monger before attacking into the face-down Gravekeeper’s Spy. Jenson took 200 and Corn grabbed another Spy in defense mode. Jenson set a spell or trap card and passed to Corn. Corn simply set a monster before passing the turn to Jenson, who attacked the face-down monster. Mystic Tomato became Sangan, and Jenson passed. Corn switched his Sangan to defense mode, set another monster, and passed his turn.
Jenson attacked the new face-down monster with Stratos, but Corn flipped Sakuretsu Armor to destroy it. Jenson passed his turn and was forced to discard a card for holding too many—Destiny Hero - Malicious. Corn drew and flipped Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. He summoned Card Trooper and sent three cards to the graveyard with priority. Sangan switched to attack mode, and the three monsters attacked directly, dropping Jenson to 3500. Corn set a spell or trap and passed.
Jenson began by flipping Brain Control on Card Trooper and sending three cards to his graveyard, one of which was Destiny Hero - Dasher. He removed a Malicious from the Graveyard to special summon another one in defense mode. He activated Metamorphosis to trade Malicious for Ryu Senshi. Adam’s trooper was tributed for Destiny Hero - Dasher. Ryu Senshi was sent into Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, and Jenson passed with no further attacks. He set a monster and ended his turn.
Corn was up now, and he tributed Sangan for Raiza the Storm Monarch. Jenson activated Torrential Tribute, and Corn searched for Mystic Tomato. Pot of Avarice came down for Corn, sending some Tomato targets and Raiza back to the deck. Corn passed with the single spell or trap card face down. Jenson simply used his turn to set a monster and then passed back to Corn.
Corn set a monster and ended his turn, as well. Jenson set only a back row card, and Corn set a monster before passing. Jenson had no plays at all, and Corn tributed his face-down Gravekeeper’s Spy for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, destroying Destiny Hero - Fear Monger. His attack was met with Mirror Force, though, and Zaborg was destroyed. Jenson brought out Cyber Dragon next turn and attacked the face-down Mystic Tomato, who once again became Sangan. Jenson set a spell or trap and passed to Corn. On his turn, Corn played Brain Control on Cyber Dragon. Seeing enough damage on board to reduce his life points to 0, Jenson scooped his cards up.
Both made some changes to their decks with their side decks, and Jenson went first, asking for some better luck from his deck. He got some, opening with Confiscation! Looking at Book of Moon, Ring of Destruction, Cyber Dragon, Sangan and Mystical Space Typhoon, Jenson chose to discard Cyber Dragon. He summoned Elemental Hero Stratos to search for Destiny Hero - Malicious and ended his turn. Corn set a monster and a spell or trap card before ending his turn. Jenson pressed into the Sangan with Stratos on his turn, and Corn searched his deck for Gravekeeper’s Spy. Jenson set a spell or trap and ended his turn. Corn set a monster and passed to Jenson, who summoned Snipe Hunter and used his effect to discard Destiny Hero - Malicious in an attempt to destroy the monster. Jenson hit it and pushed in with both monsters. Adam took the damage and Jenson passed.
Corn began his turn by playing Mystical Space Typhoon on Jenson’s Pulling the Rug before playing Brain Control on Stratos, then tributed it to put Snipe Hunter back on Jenson’s deck. Raiza got in for 2400, and Jenson was up. Jenson summoned Snipe Hunter and discarded Jinzo to destroy Raiza. Snipe attacked directly and Corn dropped to 2400. Jenson set a pair of spell or trap cards and it was back to Corn.
Corn played Snatch Steal to take Snipe Hunter and attacked directly. Jenson took it, and then Corn set a spell or trap and passed. Jenson drew into Mystical Space Typhoon and tried to use it on Snatch Steal, but Corn had the Book of Moon to save the Snipe Hunter. Jenson played Call of the Haunted to special summon Jinzo, and Corn chained his own Call to bring back Raiza. Jenson attacked Raiza with Jinzo and used Limiter Removal to pump the attack enough to deal exactly game. “It was game anyway,” explained Corn. “He had Malicious to attack over the Snipe.”
Neither player spent much time side decking, and the third game was underway quickly. Corn opened the game up by setting a spell or trap card and passing his turn. On Jenson’s turn, he set a spell or trap card and summoned Sangan to attack directly. Corn took it, and on his turn he special summoned Cyber Dragon to attack the Sangan. Jenson searched Destiny Hero - Malicious, and Corn set another spell or trap card, worried about a Snipe Hunter. He did have it, and pitched Malicious to destroy Cyber Dragon but lost the roll. Corn played Ring of Destruction before Jenson could play any other cards or use Snipe’s effect again. Jenson took the Dragon with Snatch Steal, though, and attacked directly. Corn used Sakuretsu Armor to destroy it, and Jenson passed. Corn set two spell or trap cardss and passed.
Jenson summoned Card Trooper and attacked directly after pumping it three times. Jenson set another spell or trap card and passed to Corn, who used Call of the Haunted on his turn to special summon Cyber Dragon. The Dragon attacked into Ring of Destruction, and Corn set another in the back row before passing. Jenson summoned Elemental Hero Stratos and chose to search, and Corn just picked up his cards.
John Jenson takes a close one over Adam Corn 2-1!