Ryan Cerda, representing Team Hpnotiq, hails from San Marcos. At the age of 17 he’s one of the top fan picks for a Day 2 qualification here this weekend. Chase Hobbs is only 13, and plays for Team Static. From Grand View, Texas, he’s astounded duelists here today with his intense style and solid success. Both of these competitors hold 5-1 records going into this match.
Hobbs won the roll and opted to go first. He opened the duel by setting Ceasefire and opted not to summon a monster; he had Bazoo the Soul-Eater and Hydrogeddon in hand. Cerda summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior at the first opportunity and broke the Ceasefire. Hobbs chained it for a quick 500 damage. Breaker attacked directly and Cerda finished out his turn by setting a card to his spell and trap zone.
Hydrogeddon was Hobbs’ next normal summon but it was immediately swallowed up by Bottomless Trap Hole. Hobbs set a second back row card but the tribute summon of Mobius the Frost Monarch next turn punished him. Still, Hobbs chained Torrential Tribute to slow down his opponent and kill Cerda’s momentum, leaving Cerda to do nothing but set a spell or trap card.
Hobbs set a card to each zone and passed back. Cerda special summoned Cyber Dragon, attacked to destroy Hobbs’ set Cannon Soldier, and concluded his turn by setting a monster. Things looked grim for Hobbs, and they were about to go from bad to worse. Hobbs summoned Exiled Force, in what appeared to be an effort to destroy the Cyber Dragon. Instead, he tributed the Exiled to destroy Cerda’s set monster; it was Treeborn Frog. He ended his turn and Cerda hit him with Cyber Dragon. There’s a mistake Hobbs won’t make again any time soon. Cerda finished his turn by setting a spell or trap card.
Graceful Charity got Hobbs a new lease on life on the following turn! He activated it, drew, and eyed his hand: Jinzo, Bazoo the Soul-Eater, Return from the Different Dimension, Mirror Force, and D. D. Assailant. He tossed Jinzo almost immediately, and then discarded the Assailant moments later. He flipped his set Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Cerda’s set Smashing Ground, summoned Bazoo, and removed three monsters from his graveyard to pump up the monkey. Bazoo attacked Cerda’s Cyber Dragon, pressing through 400 damage in the process. It was 5900 to 7100, with Cerda leading. Hobbs set a spell or trap and passed.
Cerda drew, brought back his Treeborn in defense position, and then activated Graceful Charity. He discarded Spirit Reaper, then D. D. Warrior Lady, and set his entire hand: two cards to his back row and one more monster.
Hobbs drew Mobius the Frost Monarch and tributed Bazoo for it, blowing away Sakuretsu Armor and Call of the Haunted! Mobius attacked one of the set monsters, Sangan, and Cerda fetched Exiled Force with its effect. Hobbs set Return from the Different Dimension, his last in-hand card, and passed. He was setting Cerda up.
Exiled came down to destroy Mobius the Frost Monarch, and Cerda passed. Hobbs eyed his two set cards, Mirror Force and Return from the Different Dimension, and looked at his removed from game pile: Jinzo, Exiled Force, Cannon Soldier, and Hydrogeddon! There was a definite play there, but he wasn’t ready to make it. He passed his turn.
Cerda activated Reinforcement of the Army off the top of his deck, bringing out Don Zaloog. Zaloog attacked and Hobbs flipped Mirror Force to destroy it. Cerda ended.
Hobbs summoned his draw for the turn — Breaker the Magical Warrior. With Breaker’s 1900 ATK on the field Hobbs would have game. He could flip Return, bring back Cannon Soldier, Jinzo, Exiled, and Hydrogeddon, and pop Cerda’s face down with Exiled. Hydro would then attack Treeborn Frog, and he’d pull another. The second Hydrogeddon, Jinzo, Cannon Soldier, and Breaker would all attack at once, and Cannon Soldier’s launch wouldn’t even be necessary. Cerda saw it.
. . . But Hobbs didn’t. He attacked with Breaker into the face down, hitting Spy. Cerda couldn’t pull another. Hobbs then activated Return from the Different Dimension, brought back his four monsters, sent Hydrogeddon into Treeborn Frog and couldn’t get another. His monster slots were all full. Cannon Soldier attacked the Spy, and Enemy Controller turned it to attack position. Jinzo and Exiled Force attacked, and with all attacks finished, Cannon Soldier tributed all the Returned monsters. It wasn’t nearly enough — Cerda was left with 1500 life points and Hobbs had nothing left but the Breaker.
Cerda brought back his Frog, set Gravekeeper’s Spy, and then set a spell or trap. There was nothing he could do though and, a turn later, Hobbs had the duel.
Cerda was visibly annoyed, losing when his opponent had thrown away the immediate game win. He got even more annoyed as Hobbs took his time to shuffle Cerda’s deck. By the time the second duel rolled around, Cerda was steamed.
He started the second duel with a card to each zone, setting them quickly. Hobbs special summoned Cyber Dragon, summoned Exiled Force, tributed the latter to destroy Gravekeeper’s Spy, and attacked into Sakuretsu Armor with the Dragon. He set a spell or trap card to end his turn. Cerda summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, broke Hobbs’s Scapegoat (it was chained), and attacked one of the resulting Tokens. He set a spell or trap to end his turn.
Hobbs summoned Hydrogeddon and attacked Breaker the Magical Warrior. “I don’t get its effect,” stated Hobbs, as his opponent tried to decide whether or not to block the attack. Cerda made the trade. Hobbs set a spell or trap and ended. Cerda special summoned another Cyber Dragon next turn, attacked with it, and eliminated a token before setting a monster. Hobbs set a spell or trap, lost another Token to the Dragon, and Cerda set a monster. Hobbs passed. Cerda flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive and tributed it for Mobius the Frost Monarch. Mobius’ effect destroyed Return from the Different Dimension, but Ring of Destruction was chained to destroy Mobius. Cerda flip summoned D. D. Warrior Lady, attacked the last Token, and Cyber Dragon attacked directly.
Hobbs special summoned Cyber Dragon, normal summoned Mirage Dragon, and traded both of his monsters for both of Cerda’s. He then set a spell or trap to end. Cerda activated Reinforcement of the Army, searched his deck for Don Zaloog, and dropped it to the field only to lose it to Torrential Tribute. Confiscation took Hobbs’ last card from his hand anyways, Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, and Cerda set a second spell or trap. Hobbs passed. Cerda flipped Call of the Haunted to bring back Mobius, and attacked directly. He set Ring of Destruction and activated it during Hobbs’ draw phase on the following turn, finishing the duel!
A motivated Ryan Cerda takes the second duel from Chase Hobbs, scoring an authoritative victory! Both players smoke-screened and side decked extensively, with just over 20 minutes remaining in the match. “Plenty of time,” remarked Cerda, now seeming much more confident and far calmer.
Hobbs opened the third and likely final duel, setting Spirit Reaper and ending. Cerda blasted him with Nobleman of Crossout, and then dropped a Reaper of his own for a direct attack! It robbed Hobbs of Call of the Haunted. Cerda set a spell or trap to end his turn, a spectacularly strong beginning to the duel! Hobbs summoned D. D. Warrior Lady, attacked Reaper, and removed it and the Lady from the game after dealing 1200 damage. Hobbs set two back row cards, but in his end phase he lost Return from the Different Dimension to Cerda’s Mystical Space Typhoon.
Reinforcement of the Army opened Cerda’s next turn. He searched for Don Zaloog. Zaloog attacked, but was repelled by Book of Moon. Hobbs summoned Hydrogeddon and attacked, taking out Don and bringing out another Hydro for a direct shot! Hobbs passed, Cerda special summoned Cyber Dragon, and one Hydro fell to its attack. Cerda set a monster and passed.
Hobbs attacked with his remaining Hydrogeddon, hitting Cerda’s set Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, giving Cerda a card. A third Hydro came out of his deck, and Hobbs set Ring of Destruction. He set a monster to match and passed. When Cyber Dragon attacked on the following turn it was hit by Ring of Destruction, forcing Cerda to use Smashing Ground to take out a Hydro in order to minimize Hobbs’s offensive potential. Hobbs flip summoned Sangan, normal summoned Bazoo the Soul-Eater, and removed two monsters from his graveyard to give it 2200 ATK. Hobbs ran the math, took a chance, and attacked his opponent’s set monster with Hydrogeddon. Cerda scooped.
The final duel blazed to a finish, and was over in less than 3 minutes.
“I can’t believe I lost to that deck,” said Cerda. “Good job, I guess.” He shook Hobbs’ hand.
Young Chase Hobbs moves on with a 6-1 record, overcoming a few misplays and escaping one of the strongest players of the tournament to keep his Day 2 dreams alive!