Shane Scurry had a lot of team support backing him at home: Kris Perovic and Anthony Alvarado sent wishes of good luck before this feature match began. “I’m gonna need that luck,” remarked a somewhat downtrodden Scurry. “This is the first time I’ve ever walked into a Jump not thinking I’m gonna win.” Scurry’s matchup in this round was rough: Counter Fairies.

Jerome McHale, on the other hand, is pretty pleased. Gladiator Beasts are his best matchup from the expected field yesterday, and Scurry’s deck is only running one copy of Elemental Hero Prisma — that lack of speed will probably cost him. He’s also playing dead cards in game 1, like three copies of Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror. He’d need to draw this game out if he wanted a shot at winning.

Jerome opened game 1 with Harvest Angel and a set spell or trap. He was holding Honest, Freed the Brave Wanderer, Bountiful Artemis, and Monster Reborn, but didn’t have enough counter traps for Artemis to be worthwhile yet. Scurry set a monster, borrowed Harvest Angel for a moment to read it, and passed. “Go ahead.”

“Draw,” announced Jerome, who then summoned Artemis. Artemis attacked, hit Spirit Reaper, and Jerome set a second spell or trap. Next turn Scurry activated Heavy Storm, Jerome flipped Dark Bribe, and both players drew a card. Scurry attacked with Gladiator Beast Laquari on Artemis, but Honest hit in the damage step, and Scurry took 1600 damage!

“He’s damage step?” asked Shane. The table judge confirmed that Honest did indeed activate in the damage step. “I did not know that.”

Scurry set two cards to his back row and flipped Trap Dustshoot next turn: Jerome revealed Heavy Storm, another Artemis, Monster Reborn, and Freed the Brave Wanderer. Scurry sent Artemis back to Jerome’s deck, and gained an important piece of info: Jerome didn’t have any way through Spirit Reaper yet. Scurry had three cards in hand, one spell or trap set, and Spirit Reaper in defense mode. Jerome had two monsters out, three cards in hand, a set spell or trap, and passed.

Another Laquari came down for Scurry, but another attack on Artemis was rejected by Book of Moon. “If I activate counters . . .”

“. . . I draw,” finished Jerome. Scurry let it go. Did he telegraph a Solemn Judgment, or did he bluff? Scurry ended his turn.

Jerome attacked into Laquari and destroyed it! Scurry hadn’t been bluffing. Jerome set a spell or trap and ended. “Your turn.” That Reaper was keeping Scurry in the match. He summoned Gladiator Beast Darius, attacked, and finally nailed Artemis! Darius got tagged out for Gladiator Beast Murmillo and Jerome lost his Harvest Angel. Could Scurry really win this? “That’s horrible,” remarked Jerome, not happy with his loss.

He activated Monster Reborn next turn, targeting Artemis, and Scurry activated Solemn Judgment. Jerome chained Dark Bribe! Artemis came up, and Jerome attacked Murmillo to destroy it. He set a card to each zone, Ryko and Heavy Storm, and ended. It was a big gamble — another beatstick Gladiator Beast would let Scurry unleash Bestiari and virtually wipe the field.

He activated Swords of Revealing Light, and Jerome’s Ryko flipped, destroying Reaper! It sent Divine Wrath, Honest, and Solemn Judgment to the graveyard. Scurry activated Gladiator Proving Ground, pulled Darius from his deck, and attacked over Artemis! Bestiari hit the field as Darius tagged out, and Jerome lost his Heavy Storm. Scurry was now in huge control of the match. He had three cards in hand, set one to his back row, and passed with Bestiari and Swords of Revealing Light still on the field.

Jerome drew Magic Drain, set it, and ended. Scurry summoned Gladiator Beast Hoplomus, attacked Ryko, and then made a direct attack with Bestiari. Hoplomus tagged out for another Bestiari, and Jerome lost Magic Drain — he had nothing but his in-hand Freed the Brave Wanderer remaining, and Scurry brought out Gladiator Beast Secutor in defense mode! He set one spell or trap and ended.

Another Ryko came off the top of Jerome’s deck — he set it and passed. Secutor attacked next turn, hit Ryko, and Jerome destroyed the Bestiari — a strange decision. He sent Honest, Mirror Force, and another Divine Wrath to the graveyard. Secutor brought out two Darius from his deck, and used their effects to pull up Bestiari and Laquari from the graveyard. He passed without contact Fusing.

Jerome topped into Solemn Judgment and summoned Freed. He activated his effect to remove two Ryko from his graveyard, targeting Laquari for destruction, and Scurry chained Book of Moon to turn Laquari face down and save it. Jerome set his Solemn and passed. Since Scurry had Laquari to beat Freed, and two Darius to crash into it if needed, this was pretty much over.

He contact Fused Secutor and Bestiari for Gyzarus, and Jerome flipped Solemn Judgment — Scurry chained his own, and Jerome scooped!

Jerome McHale has problems drawing traps, and a risky gambit with a set Heavy Storm just doesn’t pan out. Shane Scurry keeps his defenses up, and takes a near-unwinnable game 1 with no problem! Both duelists dove into their side decks. Shane had little to side in, but would definitely ditch his Shadow-Imprisoning Mirrors. Jerome was definitely going for his Nobleman of Crossout.

Jerome opened game 2 with Ryko, Nobleman of Crossout, Smashing Ground, Monster Reborn, Honest, and Bottomless Trap Hole. It was a good starting hand, but again, it was anemic on the trap side. Scurry summoned Hoplomus, attacked into Ryko, both monsters were destroyed, and Jerome lost Book of Moon, Artemis, and Torrential Tribute. Scurry set two cards to his back row and ended. Jerome summoned Sangan next turn and poked for 1000 damage. “Go ahead.”

Gladiator Proving Ground got Scurry Gladiator Beast Laquari, and Jerome activated Bottomless Trap Hole to take Laquari out of the picture. Scurry ended, took another 1000 damage from Sangan, and Jerome set another spell or trap card. “Go.” Scurry was up, set a spell or trap, and set a monster. He now had three cards in his back row, two in hand, and one set monster.

Monster Reborn brought back Bountiful Artemis! Scurry had no response, and Nobleman of Crossout targeted his face-down monster: Scurry chained Solemn Judgment, Jerome chained Dark Bribe, and Scurry considered chaining back — he did, playing another Solemn! He dropped to 1500 life points and Jerome drew a card for each Solemn (Dark Bribe was negated), a huge boon as Jerome was holding Honest. He drew into Snipe Hunter, discarded with priority, and walked into Torrential Tribute! What was he thinking responding with priority to that? He set two of his last three cards and ended. Scurry drew to three.

He summoned Prisma and activated its effect with priority, but Jerome chained Bottomless Trap Hole. Bestiari was sent to the graveyard, and Scurry passed with an empty field — he’d forgotten about the damage from Sangan earlier, and believed he was at 2000 life points. Jerome summoned Freed the Brave Wanderer and swung for game.

Jerome McHale comes out on top of a triple-counter trap chain, emerging victorious and pressing this match to a third game! He still had a strategic advantage in this matchup, but Scurry had the huge advantage of going first. Something as simple as Trap Dustshoot could seal victory for the two-time Champ. Side decking was thorough, and shuffling even more so.

“I’ll go first,” announced Scurry, opening with a set monster. “Go ahead.” Jerome had Divine Wrath, Bottomless Trap Hole, Book of Moon, Harvest Angel, Snipe Hunter, and Honest. He set one card to his back row, summoned Harvest, and ended his turn without attacking. Scurry set another monster and passed.

Play was back to Jerome, who drew Dark Bribe and set Divine Wrath, then the Bribe. “Go. Are you going to like, natural Heraklinos me? Like, literally play three Gladiator Beasts and Fuse them all? That would be the most embarrassing thing ever.”

Scurry set a third monster. “Go ahead.” Jerome drew Solemn Judgment. “You don’t play three Hoplomus, so I’ve got to be able to kill one of these . . . With that said, I’m going to set a card and end.”

Bait Doll hit the field! It targeted one of Jerome’s set cards, and he chained Dark Bribe to stop it. Scurry went to six cards in hand with three monsters set, and heaved a deep sigh. He activated Heavy Storm next, forcing Jerome to play Solemn Judgment. Jerome shook his head, and Scurry summoned Gladiator Beast Bestiari — Jerome removed it with Bottomless Trap Hole and Scurry passed.

Harvest Angel attacked — into Spirit Reaper! “There he is.” Jerome followed it up with a set spell or trap, and summoned Snipe Hunter, discarding Freed to destroy Spirit Reaper automatically. He passed, with two monsters, two set spell or trap cards, and one card in hand. Scurry drew to five cards in hand, had two monsters set, and summoned Gladiator Beast Darius to attack Snipe Hunter. Book of Moon denied it, and next turn Jerome discarded Divine Wrath for Snipe Hunter, trying to destroy a face-down monster. He missed, but attacked into Darius. “That was unfortunate. Go.”

Scurry summoned Gladiator Beast Laquari, attacked over Snipe Hunter, and traded out Laquari for Murmillo, destroying Harvest Angel! He now had seven cards to Jerome’s two, and set another spell or trap to his back row. There seemed to be no way Jerome could win out of this.

He summoned Honest, and Scurry responded with Light-Imprisoning Mirror! Honest ran over Murmillo, but was stuck in attack mode on the field. Gladiator Proving Ground let Scurry fetch another Laquari, which he summoned, and Laquari ran over Honest! “This has been the worst game I’ve ever played,” confessed Jerome. Laquari tagged out to Bestiari, and Jerome discarded Dark Bribe for Divine Wrath. “Ehh, for what it’s worth.” He topdecked a monster next turn and set it.

Another Proving Ground got Scurry another copy of Laquari, and it attacked into Ryko as time was called — Ryko’s effect was suppressed by Light-Imprisoning Mirror, and Laquari turned into Darius, bringing back Bestiari. Jerome set his topdecked card to his back row, and next turn Scurry made a contact Fusion, bringing out Gyzarus to destroy Jerome’s sided Raigeki Break! Gyzarus and the rest of Scurry’s Gladiator Beasts attacked for game!

Shane Scurry wins a terrible matchup, scoring the upset and moving on to the Top 8!