Tomas Mijares is sixteen years old, and hails from Hayward, California. He was pretty ecstatic about his success here this weekend: “I’m just a Vs. player, mainly! I came here to have fun . . . I just ended up having way more fun than I thought I’d have.” He gave a shining grin. “I’m just proud of how I’ve done already.” He noted that he owed Raymond Ye a big thanks for building his deck, and more thanks to Anthony Alvarado for telling him to play it. “I got to give them both their props.”
21 year-old Mario Matheu is from Los Angeles, and is representing Team Comic Odyssey, which managed to get two players into the Top 8 this weekend. He’s not a familiar face on the Shonen Jump circuit, but that’s because he only recently started taking the game seriously. “I just didn’t play that seriously before; I just played at the store.” He looked at me and made a request. “Can I say something in the coverage?” I replied that he could, and he smiled with a devilish glee: “Hey Chris — I told you so!”
Mijares won the roll and opted to go first. He opened with Meteor of Destruction to deal 1000 damage, and then followed it up by setting two cards to his back row. “Go ahead.” Matheu summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, but when he targeted a card it was chained: Threatening Roar. He set one card to his back row and passed to his opponent.
Another set card hit Mijares’s back row immediately, followed by Wave-Motion Cannon, another set spell or trap, and a set monster. “Let’s pray — Heavy?”
“No, but I did draw the Mobius.” Mobius came down to destroy Wave-Motion Cannon and a Secret Barrel that was chained. Ojama Trio was added to the chain next to bump up Barrel’s damage to 1800 total. Matheu was down to 5200. Mobius attacked into Morphing Jar, and both players drew new hands, a huge boon for Mijares! But Last Will brought out Snipe Hunter from Matheu’s deck, and he discarded Scapegoat to target and destroy Mijares’s last set card: Dimension Wall. “Your turn.”
Tremendous Fire ripped through Matheu’s life points, dropping him to 4200 life points. Another Wave-Motion Cannon hit the field, followed by two back row sets to end Mijares’s turn. Matheu discarded Mystic Tomato to destroy Wave-Motion Cannon, blasted Threatening Roar which was chained, and then discarded Zaborg as well, drawing out a chained Ceasefire. Mobius the Frost Monarch and Snipe Hunter attacked for 3900 and play was to Mijares.
He set all three of his cards to his back row, and, in Matheu’s standby phase, he flipped Thunder of Ruler — he didn’t have anything else to chain. Snipe Hunter discarded Exiled Force to target Just Desserts, but Mijares chained it for 2500 damage. Matheu activated Graceful Charity, drawing Creature Swap, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Ring of Destruction, keeping the Mystical Space Typhoon and discarding the rest. He had only 700 life points remaining, and set the Mystical Space Typhoon to end his turn.
Mijares set one spell or trap to his back row and lost it to Mystical Space Typhoon in his end phase: it destroyed Meteor of Destruction, a useless card. Matheu began his turn, drew one last card and pitched it to Snipe Hunter — Mijares scooped immediately, before Matheu rolled to see if Snipe Hunter would be successful! It was a huge error — Mijares had a one-in-three chance of keeping his set card, Dimension Wall, on the field. If Matheu had failed the roll and then attacked, Mijares would have won. Mijares didn’t even realize his mistake until about 20 seconds later, and reeled.
For fun, the confused Matheu rolled anyway. He rolled a 1: he wouldn’t have destroyed the Wall. Mijares was not happy, but regained his composure and cheer.
After some quick side decking from both players, Mijares opened the second duel with Meteor of Destruction and Tremendous Fire for 2000 damage. He set a card to each zone and passed. Matheu summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, broke into Ojama Trio and Mijares chained it. Breaker attacked and hit Mecha-Dog Marron, dealing 1000 damage to each duelist. “Go ahead,” said Matheu.
Mijares set one card to his back row and passed, flipping it in his opponent’s draw phase: Threatening Roar. Matheu summoned Exiled Force, tributed it to destroy an Ojama Token, and then used Last Will to bring out Snipe Hunter.
“You going to discard to get rid of those last two tokens?” joked Mijares. Matheu grinned and shook his head.
Mijares set two cards to his back row. Snipe Hunter discarded Zaborg the Thunder Monarch and its target was chained: Waboku. Matheu targeted the other set card too, and it was also chained: Secret Barrel. Matheu was down to 3300 life points. He passed, and Mijares set his last two cards to his back row. Snipe Hunter discarded Mirror Force, but lost the roll! Matheu discarded Mystic Tomato to target the card again and destroyed it: Chain Strike. A discarded Dekoichi made for another whiff, and Matheu had one last card in hand. He discarded it, Creature Swap, to destroy Mirror Force! “Yes, sir,” said Matheu cheerfully. Snipe Hunter and Breaker attacked.
One set topdeck was Mijares’s only move. Matheu summoned Des Wombat and attacked, but was blocked by Scapegoat. He lost three tokens, drew for his turn, set his draw to his back row and ended. Matheu drew Pot of Avarice and shuffled back five monsters to draw two more cards! Things didn’t look good for Mijares.
Matheu discarded Exiled Force for Snipe Hunter’s effect, but missed Mijares’s back row card. Snipe Hunter attacked the last Sheep token, Breaker and Wombat attacked directly and Mijares activated Wave-Motion Cannon! “Do I have an out?” wondered Mijares aloud.
He slipped his draw off the top of his deck and peeked at it, poker-style: it was Threatening Roar, and it wouldn’t stop the Cannon. He flipped it, and his set Just Desserts over to reveal them, smiled, and offered Matheu the handshake. “I’m sorry Nor-Cal — I couldn’t do it.”
Mario Matheu moves on to the semifinals!