Cho won the opening roll, and both players set to the task of pummeling each other in record time. Cho opened with Delinquent Duo, a set Sinister Serpent, and a set Dust Tornado. Though Ye would Nobleman of Crossout the Sinister Serpent, he’d lose a face down Ring of Destruction to Dust Tornado, and he had no monsters to summon! Cho summoned and attacked directly with King Tiger Wanghu, and after drawing, Ye still had no monster. Cho attacked directly again with the King Tiger, used Mystical Space Typhoon on a Call of the Haunted, tributed for Jinzo and played Swords of Revealing Light. He attacked with Jinzo and quickly passed the turn, waiting to see what Ye would pull out.

Ye pulled a fistful of nothing, and sighed at his draw. He looked at his hand, looked at Cho, and announced “That’s game.”

Game Win: Elton Cho

“Do you want to go first?” asked the tiny Cho, watching Ye side deck. Ye accepted.

Ye seemed to open strongly, but again Cho hit Delinquent Duo on turn one. Both players played defensively at first, each setting a face down monter and a spell or trap. Cho would be the first to break stride though, summoning a D. D. Warrior Lady and attacking with it, but it was nailed by a Ring of Destruction. Next turn he attacked into a Pyramid Turtle with King Tiger Wanghu, and Ye summoned Vampire Lord with its effect. Cho looked a little concerned by its presence, but when the Lord attacked into King Tiger Wanghu on Ye’s next turn it ate nothing but Book of Moon.

Cho looked to press his advantage, but ran two attackers straight into a Mirror Force. Vampire Lord attacked Cho’s remaining face-down monster, and lucky for him it was a Nimble Momonga—two more came up. When it was his turn to throw an offensive, Cho had just what he needed, and he suicided a Berserk Gorilla into Vampire Lord. Ye shook his head a bit, but then played Hand of Nephthys. He cleared out the two Momongas with the Hand and Magician of Faith before summoning Sacred Phoenix with the Hand’s effect. Cho had no recourse and a turn later the Phoenix swung directly. Cho was at 6100 life points to Ye’s 6500, and both players were in topdecking situations. Ye drew into a Swords of Revealing Light, and it looked bad for Cho, until Cho played Smashing Ground on the Phoenix. He set a monster, forcing Ye to blow up his own Swords! Ye chained Torrential Tribute to at least clear out the new monster.

Cho’s clever use of Ye’s Phoenix against him wasn’t quite enough though, as a turn later the Phoenix attacked directly. One more turn passed, and with one last fiery blow the Phoenix, shattered Cho’s life points.

Game Win: Keanson Ye

It was Cho’s turn to do some side decking, and he opted to go first.

Cho finally missed the turn one Delinquent Duo that had treated him so well. He summoned King Tiger Wanghu in face up attack and set a spell or trap. Ye set two spell or traps and a Pyramid Turtle, and next turn, Cho cleared them all out with Mobius the Frost Monarch and Nobleman of Crossout. In the process, he lost the Mobius to a Bottomless Trap Hole. Next turn he attacked, and activated Swords of Revealing Light.

Ye was clearly on the defensive, and on Cho’s next turn another King Tiger ripped thropugh Siniser Serpent and D.D. Assailant punched into Ye’s life points. Ye would stat to recover though, first equalizing the field with Lightning Vortex and then activating Graceful Charity. Cho opted not to summon his only monster: Tribe-Infecting Virus and instead built a wall of two spell or traps. Ye went to Book of Life his Vampire Lord, but Bottomless Trap Hole removed it from the game. He flipped summoned D. D. Warrior Lady and attacked directly. Cho made a gamble on his next turn, setting a Torrential Tribute instead of a Mirror Force. It didn’t pay off, as Ye only set another monster and attacked directly again. Cho began struggling to build an offense, but both players were packing huge amounts of monster removal—a Ring of Destruction blew away the offending D. D. a turn later.

Ye used Premature Burial on the D. D. to bring it back, and again Cho waited to use the Torrential for a second summon, but it never came. Mirror Force killed off the D. D., but Ye had five cards total to Cho’s three. It was 2000 life points to 4000 in Ye’s favor.

Cho summoned a Tribe-Infecting Virus, but was met with a Vampire Lord, which quickly destroyed it. “You’re at 1600, right?” asked Ye. Cho confirmed, and Ye flipped Ring of Destruction to blow away his own Vampire Lord. It was enough to knock Elton Cho out of the tournament.

Match Win: Keanson Ye