Jerome Baisey sunk out of the tournament spotlight after Shonen Jump Championship St. Louis two years ago, but resurfaced in Baltimore just a few weeks ago. He made a big impression, running a groundbreaking Dark Gaia build that main-decked three copies of Granmarg the Rock Monarch and three Doomcalibre Knight cards.

This weekend he was running a totally different deck: Oppression Gadgets with Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo and all the trimmings we’ve come to expect. Teched to take on TeleDAD, it had carried him to a 3-0 record so far. His opponent is Justin Arnwine, a TeleDAD player. This matchup should be in Baisey’s favor, but metagamed decks frequently just don’t pan out against Teleport Dark Armed. Could Baisey succeed where Philip Black failed just minutes before? We were about to find out.

Arnwine opened the match with Reinforcement of the Army, grabbing Elemental Hero Stratos and summoning it to search for Destiny Hero - Malicious. He discarded Malicious for Destiny Draw, then set three cards to his back row. It was a huge opening!

Baisey had Mystical Space Typhoon, Green Gadget, Fissure, Solemn Judgment, Banisher of the Radiance, and Compulsory Evacuation Device. He played Mystical Space Typhoon and destroyed Arnwine’s face-down Solemn Judgment. He followed it up with Green Gadget, activated its effect, and searched Red Gadget from his deck. Fissure took out Stratos, Green Gadget attacked, and Arnwine flipped . . . Mirror Force?! How bad was his hand? Was he setting Baisey up for a kill turn by keeping the field clear? Two set spell or trap cards ended Baisey’s turn, but he lost Compulsory in his end phase to Arnwine’s Mystical Space Typhoon.

Arnwine summoned Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude next turn, missed on its effect (sending Spirit Reaper to the bottom of his deck), then attacked for 1400 damage. He set a spell or trap and ended.

Baisey summoned Banisher of the Radiance next turn, drawing a flinch and Torrential Tribute from Arnwine. Arnwine had two cards left in hand and Baisey had the same. “This is such a numbers game . . .” He let the Torrential go and ended, holding Red Gadget and Yellow Gadget with Solemn Judgment set.

Arnwine activated Reinforcement of the Army, fetching Dark Grepher from his deck. He normal summoned it and attacked for 1700 damage. The duel stood at 8000 to 4900 life points with Arnwine leading.

Baisey topdecked Giant Rat. He set it and ended. “Your turn.” Arnwine removed his Malicious to special summon another in defense, then tributed it for Caius the Shadow Monarch: Baisey negated the summon with Solemn Judgment, dropping to 2450 life points. Grepher attacked, Giant Rat went down, and Baisey dove for his deck.

He special summoned another Giant Rat: he really had to ride this one out, stuck with his hand full of Gadgets. His only hope here was to complicate the game state. Arnwine ended and Baisey drew Dimensional Prison. He summoned Red Gadget to get Yellow Gadget from his deck, then set the Prison and turned Giant Rat to defense position.

Arnwine summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior! Breaker destroyed Dimensional Prison and attacked Giant Rat, and then Baisey special summoned Psychic Commander with its effect! Grepher attacked Red Gadget and Baisey was reduced to 2050 life points. Next turn he topdecked Royal Oppression: between that and Psychic Commander, he was really short on life points.

Baisey sent Psychic Commander into Dark Grepher, paid 400 life points, and destroyed Grepher while dishing out 100 damage. Royal Oppression was set and play was back to Arnwine. He removed his second Malicious from his graveyard to special summon his third in defense, then followed up with Allure of Darkness. He removed Doom Lord for its effect, then activated Emergency Teleport. Krebons hit the field, but when Arnwine Synchro summoned Thought Ruler Archfiend Baisey flipped Royal Oppression to negate the summon! A set card to each zone emptied Arnwine’s hand and ended his turn.

Baisey had 850 life points left, and topdecked Shrink. He added it to his hand of two Yellow Gadget cards. He summoned one Yellow Gadget, searched out Green Gadget, and sent Psychic Commander to attack Breaker. He paid 300 life points to press the Commander over Breaker’s 1600 ATK, then attacked with Yellow Gadget straight into Spirit Reaper. He set Shrink to end his turn.

Arnwine topdecked and summoned Mystic Tomato! No matter what Baisey did here with that Shrink, he was in trouble if Mystic Tomato went after Psychic Commander. Arnwine didn’t go for it though, and instead attacked Yellow Gadget. Baisey activated Shrink to reduce Tomato’s ATK and deal 500 damage, but Mystic Tomato’s effect kicked in and Arnwine got to special summon.

Luckily he didn’t have anything bigger than Krebons to summon with Tomato’s effect. He ended his turn without making another attack, and Baisey was back up. He set a monster, set a card to his back row, shook his head, and turned both Yellow Gadget and Giant Rat to defense mode. “Go ahead.”

Krebons attacked Psychic Commander and destroyed it. Baisey set another spell or trap and ended, and Arnwine set another one himself. “Go ahead.”

Baisey drew another Royal Oppression: his third copy was set as a bluff. He set a monster and ended, and Arnwine set a third spell or trap. He ended again, without sending Krebons into either of Baisey’s face-down monsters. Baisey set another spell or trap card. He had three spell or trap cards face down, Royal Oppression face-up on the field, two face-down monsters, and Yellow Gadget in defense position.

Arnwine drew and passed, with Spirit Reaper, Krebons, and three back-row cards on the field, plus two cards in hand. Baisey set a monster, Arnwine summoned Snipe Hunter, and he discarded Dark Armed Dragon to destroy Baisey’s face-down Dimensional Prison with Snipe Hunter’s effect! He turned Krebons to defense mode, then attacked Yellow Gadget with Snipe Hunter. He ended, Baisey drew, and he replaced the destroyed Dimensional Prison with another face-down card.

Anrwine set a fourth spell or trap himself, content to wait this out until he could unleash a flurry of game-winning Synchros. Baisey set a fifth card to his back row, Arnwine attacked with Snipe Hunter, and Baisey destroyed it with Mirror Force. Arnwine set a fifth spell or trap card to finish his turn.

Baisey passed, holding his third Oppression and Smashing Ground. Arnwine passed back, Baisey passed, and Arnwine passed again. Baisey activated Shrink next turn, targeting Spirit Reaper, but Arnwine tributed it for Crush Card Virus on the chain! It didn’t destroy anything, but it did reveal Baisey’s face-down monsters: Yellow Gadget, Green Gadget, and Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo. He took note of Baisey’s hand (still Smashing Ground and Oppression), and Baisey continued on.

He activated Smashing Ground to destroy Krebons. He flip summoned Green Gadget, attacked for 1400 damage, and ended. Arnwine was down to 5900 life points, but Baisey was still hovering at just 550 points. Arnwine passed, Baisey drew and revealed Creature Swap for his second turn under Crush Card Virus’s effect, and he flip summoned Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo!

He followed it up by flip summoning Yellow Gadget, then attacked with Yellow, Green, and Fossil Dyna for 3800 damage total. Arnwine was now reduced to 2900 life points. Could Baisey really pull this out?

Arnwine discarded Trap Dustshoot for Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, targeting Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo. Baisey didn’t activate his face-down Solemn Judgment and Dyna was sent to the top of his deck. Arnwine flipped a second Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, discarding Destiny Draw to target one of Baisey’s face-down spell or trap cards. It was spun, and Arnwine proceeded to activate Emergency Teleport from his hand. That got him Krebons from his deck, and he activated Allure of Darkness with an empty hand.

He removed Sangan from his hand and activated Heavy Storm: Baisey chained Compulsory Evacuation Device to target Krebons! It was sent to Arnwine’s hand: Arnwine lost two Solemns, while Baisey lost two copies of Oppression. Arnwine summoned Krebons, rammed it into Yellow Gadget, and ended.

Baisey revealed his last draw under Crush: Solemn Judgment! He set it, attacked with Green Gadget, and lost it to Baisey’s trap next turn when Arnwine activated his topdecked Allure of Darkness! There was nothing he could do: Green Gadget would finish the duel next turn, and Arnwine had to concede.

Jerome Baisey fights back from a massive life-point deficit, complicating a simplified duel and then simplifying it again to steal the win! Remarkable. That was one of the best displays of dueling skill we’ve seen in a while. Both competitors sided and shuffled for Game 2: only two minutes remained in the match.

Arnwine played quickly, summoning Stratos and getting Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude from his deck as quickly as possible. He activated Allure of Darkness, drew two, then removed Diamond Dude from his hand. He set a spell or trap to finish. “Go.”

Baisey set a monster, set two cards to his back row, and had no response when Arnwine flipped Royal Decree in the end phase. “Cool.”

Arnwine summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, set a spell or trap, then attacked with Stratos—Baisey’s Giant Rat went down, and he summoned another as time was called. Breaker attacked Giant Rat for 500 damage and Baisey summoned Neo-Spacian Grand Mole. Breaker destroyed Baisey’s face-down Bottomless Trap Hole and Arnwine set a spell or trap to end.

Baisey summoned Exiled Force, tributed it to destroy Stratos, then ended: Arnwine flipped another Royal Decree. Next turn he activated Brain Control and Baisey conceded. The match would go to a third duel in time.

Baisey would decide who would go first, and each duelist would have two turns to deal as much damage as possible. If at the end of those four turns no damage had been done, or the life point totals were equal, the first duelist to deal damage would be declared the winner.

Red Gadget hit the table as Baisey started the third and final game. He searched for Yellow Gadget, and added it to his hand of Exiled Force, Torrential Tribute, Royal Oppression, Shrink, and Mystical Space Typhoon. He set Torrential Tribute and Oppression to end.

Arnwine activated Reinforcement of the Army, getting Stratos from his deck. He summoned it and Baisey flipped Torrential Tribute. Stratos and Yellow Gadget were both destroyed, and Arnwine searched Malicious from his deck.

He discarded Malicious for Destiny Draw, drew two, then removed Malicious to summon another from his deck in attack mode. He activated Emergency Teleport, special summoned Krebons from his deck, and Synchro summoned Stardust Dragon—Baisey flipped Royal Oppression and paid 800 life points to negate the summon! “That messes up a lot of cards,” noted Arnwine. He set two cards to his back row and ended.

Baisey was on his last turn. He activated Mystical Space Typhoon and targeted Arnwine’s face-down Phoenix Wing Wind Blast! Arnwine chained it to discard his Allure and send away Oppression.  Baisey summoned Yellow Gadget, ran it into Mirror Force, and the duel was over! Baisey’s Royal Oppression payment left him with no way to win!

Yet another anti-TeleDAD deck bites the dust, and Justin Arnwine moves on undefeated!