Jerome McHale’s car died this morning, so he had to steal a truck to get here. Since this match was randomly selected for the deck check this round, this point created a lot of conversation.

“Who did you steal a truck from to get here?”

“My aunt,” replied Jerome.

“Is she going to mind that?”

“Not if I get it back to her garage before she gets back tomorrow! If I win a Shonen Jump and don’t go to prison, I’ll be the most successful person ever.”

Jon Moore wandered over, looking at his phone, and looked up from it to ask a question. “Hey Jason — Is having someone in your trunk illegal?”

“See!?” yelled Jerome. “Stealing a truck is not nearly the worst thing people have done here this weekend!” Everyone laughed.

Jerome McHale is 6-1 here this weekend with Counter Fairies, winning out thus far from a first round loss in which he managed to draw no traps. Two more wins here today would land him in his first Day 2 showing at a Shonen Jump Championship, but his opponent, Matt Hoey is in the same situation. A repeated feature match competitor, Hoey has made X-2 finishes at multiple Shonen Jump Championships, but has never managed to make Top 16. He was playing Dark Armed Dragon, a relatively favorable matchup for McHale.

McHale opened with a set card to each zone. “Your go.” Hoey used Reinforcement of the Army, searched his deck for Elemental Hero Stratos, activated the search effect, and lost him to Bottomless Trap Hole. He searched out Disk Commander and set a spell or trap to end. “You’re playing Lightsworn,” remarked Hoey. He was convinced, and when Jerome flipped Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter next turn he was even more sure. Ryko’s target was Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, which Hoey chained to send Ryko back to the top of the deck. As a result, McHale lost Ryko and two Harvest Angel off the top for Ryko’s second effect.

Harvest Angel came down for McHale, swinging for 1800 damage. He set one spell or trap and ended. Hoey activated Monster Reborn and brought back Disk Commander, but McHale chained Divine Wrath, discarding Bottomless Trap Hole! Hoey set a card to each zone and passed with two more cards in hand. McHale swung with Harvest Angel next turn, hitting Strike Ninja and destroying him. He set a card to each zone and ended. Hoey just passed back.

“Take a swing,” stated McHale again, hitting for another 1800 damage. Hoey was down to 4400 life points and McHale set another spell or trap. Hoey passed again.

McHale set another spell or trap, considered summoning his last card, Sangan, and swung again for another 1800 damage! “My hand is so awful,” moaned Hoey. McHale set a fourth trap to his back row, attacked with Harvest Angel, and counted Hoey as having three Darks. Seeing that Dark Armed Dragon was imminent, McHale flipped Morphing Jar! Next turn Hoey activated Destiny Draw, discarding Destiny Hero – Malicious. Magic Drain forced him to pitch another Draw to force it through. Hoey removed Malicious to special summon another in attack mode, then activated Allure of Darkness — McHale let it through, and Hoey removed Snipe Hunter. Malicious attacked Morphing Jar, and Hoey summoned Cyber Valley. He set a spell or trap and ended. Play was back to Jerome.

He summoned D. D. Warrior Lady, sent Harvest Angel to attack over Malicious, then played Book of Moon on Cyber Valley! D. D. Warrior Lady ran over the face-down Cyber Dragon, and McHale set two more cards to his back row. Hoey played Heavy Storm next turn.

“Do you even think so?” asked McHale.

Hoey sighed: “No.” McHale flipped Solemn Judgment. Hoey tried to activate Return from the Different Dimension next, dropping to 1600 life points to do so, but another Solemn Judgment stopped him. “I’ll move to the scoop phase.”

“I’m not playing Lightsworn,” laughed Jerome. “I don’t even own three Judgment Dragon!” A fact Hoey would’ve known if he read Metagame more.

Hoey opened game 2 with a set monster, and McHale fired back with two set spell or trap cards before swinging into Legendary Jujitsu Master with D. D. Warrior Lady — he removed him. Hoey set another monster, McHale considered summoning Harvest Angel, and then decided not to. Hoey set another monster. “See, this is the real Jujitsu Master, and this is the bluff one.” Hoey’s draws didn’t seem very good, but he was coping with it quite nicely.

Next turn, McHale summoned Harvest Angel and flipped Torrential Tribute — sure enough, Hoey had another Jujitsu Master, but his other monster was Sangan — it let him get Spirit Reaper. McHale passed. Hoey activated Heavy Storm next turn, McHale chained Magic Drain, and Hoey let it go. He summoned Spirit Reaper, hit directly, and robbed McHale of his own Heavy Storm. He ended with no back row.

McHale summoned Freed the Brave Wanderer and attacked for 1400 damage. He set another card to his back row and ended. Hoey tried for Reinforcement of the Army next turn, pressing it past another Magic Drain by discarding Brain Control. He pulled Stratos, summoned him, and McHale had to flip Solemn Judgment to stay in the game. Hoey still had four cards in hand, and turned Reaper to defense mode.

Next turn, McHale set another spell or trap and ended. Hoey activated Allure of Darkness, removing Snipe Hunter for its effect, and then summoned Dark Grepher. McHale dropped another Judgment to stop it, leaving Hoey with two Darks in his graveyard. Hoey kept the pain coming though, activating D.D.R. - Different Dimension Reincarnation and discarding Phantom of Chaos to bring back Snipe Hunter. D.D. Crow removed the Phantom of Chaos in response, keeping Hoey from summoning the Dark Armed Dragon he was holding. He rammed Snipe Hunter into Freed though, and with three Darks was free to special summon Dark Armed. The Dragon came down, blew away freed, and McHale was down to topdecking. Hoey set his last card.

“Show me a Freed!” shouted McHale, calling for his only out. He drew it! Freed hit the table, blew away Dark Armed Dragon, and McHale ended, down in cards but high in spirits. Next turn Hoey flipped Return from the Different Dimension and McHale scooped.

Jerome grinned. “Well, if I have to lose, I’m at least losing in style.”

Matt Hoey comes back from a weak early game to dominate the field turns later, pushing this match to a third and final duel! Both duelists sided quickly — McHale would be in far better shape if he could actually draw a copy of Bountiful Artemis in game 3.

He opened with Mirror Force, Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror, Honest, Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, Heavy Storm, and Book of Moon. He set Heavy Storm, set Ryko, and passed. Hoey summoned Stratos thanks to Reinforcement of the Army, searched for Malicious, and attacked into Ryko — he lost Stratos, and McHale lost Bountiful Artemis to Ryko’s effect. Hoey set a spell or trap to end.

Harvest Angel hit the field for McHale next turn, and he attacked for 1800 damage. A set spell or trap finished McHale’s turn, and Hoey activated Destiny Draw, discarding Destiny Hero – Malicious. He played Heavy Storm from his hand on the next: He lost Phoenix Wing Wind Blast while McHale lost Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror and his own Heavy. He brought up Malicious, tributed him for Jinzo, and ran over Harvest Angel — or tried to, as Honest swooped in to protect the Angel and take Jinzo down! “That was bad,” sighed Hoey, who set a spell or trap. Harvest hit him again next turn, and Hoey was down to 2600 life points. McHale set another spell or trap, Hoey set a monster, and play was back to McHale.

“I lost the game for myself,” remarked Hoey. Harvest Angel attacked Hoey’s set monster, Spirit Reaper, and McHale set another spell or trap. Heavy Storm being out of the way was pretty darn good for him.

Hoey drew, and had Reaper, a set spell or trap, and four cards in hand. He activated Reinforcement of the Army, possibly hoping to draw out a counter trap, since he had no idea what to search for when he went to his deck. He ended up getting Dark Grepher, and set a second spell or trap to his back row. A set monster finished the turn. “Go.”

McHale flipped Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror. He attacked with Harvest Angel, destroying the Dark Grepher Hoey had set, then set one more card to his back row — Mirror Force. Hoey set a monster yet again, seemingly just trying to get into Dark Armed Dragon territory. McHale attacked into Legendary Jujitsu Master, and responded with Divine Wrath discarding Bottomless Trap Hole. The Jujitsu Master was destroyed.

Dark Armed Dragon came down next turn, but McHale had Bottomless Trap Hole! Hoey had to set another monster, and McHale attacked it next turn — Phantom of Chaos. Hoey brought out another Dark Armed Dragon, removed Dark Grepher as a half-joke / half Return from the Different Dimension ploy with its effect, then activated Return from the Different Dimension! Hoey had Jinzo in his removed from play pile, but when Jinzo came back McHale flipped Book of Moon to turn it face down. No Dark Armed Dragon effect for Hoey. McHale had one more set card: the Mirror Force.

Dark Armed attacked, and Mirror Force flipped! Hoey looked stricken, and lost all of his attackers! The duel stood at 1300 to 8000. Hoey ended.

Harvest Angel took down Jinzo, but Hoey brought it back next turn with Monster Reborn. Jinzo ran over Harvest Angel, McHale took back Solemn Judgment with the Angel’s effect, and was holding Freed the Brave Wanderer! Hoey set a monster, McHale summoned Freed, and a quick removal of two Lights toasted Jinzo. McHale set two more cards to his back row with 9 minutes remaining in the game. He refused to attack Hoey’s face down. Hoey drew, set a spell or trap, passed, and McHale set a monster. Hoey passed, McHale drew, and he summoned Harvest Angel. Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter flipped, and targeted Hoey’s face-down monster — Jujitsu Master. But just as soon as the move was executed Jerome realized his mistake: “I had game and I threw it away!” He could have destroyed the Reaper with Ryko, then attacked into Jujitsu Master and flipped Divine Wrath, swinging for game afterward. Would he get another chance?

Hoey drew and passed. McHale set another spell or trap, and Hoey activated Allure of Darkness. He removed Destiny Hero – Dasher for its effect, activated Premature Burial targeting Jinzo, and lost out to Solemn Judgment — McHale dropped to 3700 life points with Hoey sitting at 500.

McHale drew for his turn and Hoey was instantly suspicious. “I don’t trust that look. You got it, didn’t you?” McHale tried to look deadpan. “You got it.” Hoey flipped Mind Crush and called Smashing Ground.

. . . And Jerome chained his freshly-drawn Book of Moon, targeting his Ryko! It was over. Mind Crush was Hoey’s last set spell or trap, and Ryko would destroy Spirit Reaper. Ryko flipped, blew away Reaper, and Freed attacked directly for game!

Jerome McHale moves on, one match away from Day 2!