What more could we ask for? It was at this very venue two years ago, the San Mateo Event Center, that Fili Luna won his first of two Shonen Jump Championships. Today he’s back to try and defend his title, but his path certainly isn’t starting off easy. He’s up against long-recognized competitor Jerry Wang.
Both of these duelists had opted to play Destiny Hero builds of Light and Darkness Dragon, so this match was definitely going to set the tone for a good portion of the Shonen Jump. This isn’t the last time we’ll see this matchup go down this weekend.
“I came to defend my title, and now I gotta go through Jerry Wang?!” Fili couldn’t believe it, and gave an exaggerated look of disgust at his luck.
“I guess I’m your first obstacle, right?” Wang grinned.
“Yup,” nodded Fili.
Wang did a double take. “That’s a bad sign! That just means I’m gonna lose!” Both duelists laughed, clearly relishing the challenge. Fili grinned: “What a way to start the day. This is gonna be good!”
Jerry nodded. “Good luck, bro.” He gave Fili a quick handshake and play began.
Fili got things started with Reinforcement of the Army, searching his deck for Elemental Hero Stratos, summoning him, and searching for Destiny Hero – Disk Commander next. He passed without making another move. “Go ahead.”
“Okay!” Wang cheerily dropped a Reinforcement of his own, searching for Stratos and grabbing Disk Commander as well! Both duelists were off to an awesome start. “Same play,” remarked Fili, narrating the obvious.
Wang corrected him: “Except I’ve got Destiny Draw!” He played it, discarded the Commander and drew two cards. He set one card to his spell and trap zone and ended. Play was to the defending champion.
Fili rammed his Stratos into Wang’s, trading off and quickly setting a card to each zone. Wang set another spell or trap card, ended, and Fili flip summoned Sangan to attack for 1000 damage. He set another monster and ended, developing the kind of securely controlled situation that has won him two Championships.
Wang activated a second Reinforcement of the Army and searched out Destiny Hero – Fear Monger! He summoned him, attacked into Sangan and Fili fingered his set card: Mirror Force. He flipped it! Wang was forced to end, and next turn Fili immediately swung for another 1000 damage with Sangan before setting a card to his back row.
A set monster was Wang’s only move, and Fili tributed his Sangan next turn to target Wang’s set monster with Raiza’s effect. Wang responded with Torrential Tribute, destroying his own set Sangan and Fili’s face down Marshmallon! Fili searched his deck for Snipe Hunter, while Wang then got Treeborn Frog from his deck. “That sucked,” remarked Fili, ending his turn.
Wang activated Destiny Draw next, discarding Destiny Hero – Malicious! With Treeborn in his hand, and Malicious and Disk Commander in the yard he was clearly building infrastructure. He summoned Spirit Reaper, attacked, and hit Fili’s Destiny Hero – Malicious from his hand! “Well, that was the wrong card to hit,” noted a disappointed Wang. He set a second card to his back row to finish out.
Fili summoned Snipe Hunter, discarded Disk Commander, and blew away the Reaper; Wang had to have seen that one coming, and when Snipe Hunter attacked he destroyed it with Mirror Force. It seemed as if Wang was simplifying the game, partly to capitalize on his strong tribute options and Disk Commander, but perhaps also to stymie Fili’s playstyle — he frequently favors complicated game states. Plus, Wang needed to suppress any chance Fili had of dropping Light and Darkness Dragon, and that meant keeping him off the field. Yet again, a second spell or trap card face down ended Wang’s turn.
His opponent activated Destiny Draw, discarded Fear Monger, and then activated Pot of Avarice on the following turn. Fili shuffled back Raiza the Storm Monarch, Marshmallon, Elemental Hero Stratos, Malicious, and Fear Monger, leaving Snipe Hunter, Disk Commander, and Sangan in his graveyard. Fili drew two cards, leaving himself with six cards in hand and Reinforcement on the field — that made returning Stratos and the other Heroes back to his deck an incredibly good move. He flipped Reinforcement, searched out Stratos again, summoned him, and used his effect to search out the Fear Monger he’d shuffled back! Stratos attacked, Wang flipped Scapegoat, and Stratos attacked a Token. In the end phase Wang activated Phoenix Wing Wind Blast to discard Treeborn Frog and bounce Fili’s spell or trap card back to his deck. Great plays on both sides.
Next turn Wang brought the Frog back, tributed it for Raiza, and bounced Stratos back to Fili’s deck. Raiza attacked directly for 2400 damage, leaving the duel at 5300 to 6000 in Wang’s favor. Fili set a card to each zone and ended.
Wang brought back Treeborn, activated Heavy Storm to destroy his opponent’s Torrential Tribute and then tributed his Frog for another Raiza! Two direct shots from the Raizas dropped Fili into dangerous territory, and when he set a card to each zone next turn Wang just didn’t buy it. One Raiza attacked Fili’s set Fear Monger, and the second attacked directly to win the first duel.
Two Destiny Hero Light and Darkness Dragon decks go head to head, and neither player gets a Dragon to the field! Aggressive pacing kept both duelists off guard, letting Wang score a huge advantage with his Raizas. Jerry Wang wins game 1!
Fili opened the second duel with a set Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, his hand packed with dead cards: The Transmigration Prophecy, Raiza the Storm Monarch, Call of the Haunted, Destiny Draw, and Light and Darkness Dragon. Wang had more live cards, summoning Stratos, searching for Disk commander and attacking for 1800 damage. This one could be academic.
Sangan was Fili’s next draw, and he set it immediately before ending his turn. Stratos attacked it, Fili searched for a Disk Commander of his own and suddenly had options! Call of the Haunted and Destiny Draw could let him go off if Wang didn’t have The Transmigration Prophecy or D.D. Crow at the ready. Still, Wang set a card to each zone and ended.
Destiny Draw got Fili two more cards while placing Disk commander into his graveyard. He set both cards he drew: Scapegoat and Morphing Jar, both exceptionally lucky given the situation. He set everything he could, but next turn ate a Heavy Storm from Wang in a flurry of cards that wiped Wang off the field. Fili chained Call of the Haunted to the Storm, brought up Disk Commander, and drew two, leaving Wang to pass with an open field.
Fili punished him for it next turn, summoning and attacking with Spirit Reaper! Wang was forced to discard Spell Striker. Next turn he destroyed Fili’s Reaper with Brain Control, set a monster, and ended. He shook his head, the tables now clearly turned; Fili had options while Wang didn’t. Fili was out-carding him six cards to three.
Wang activated Treeborn Frog’s effect in his next standby phase, but Fili chained that once-dead copy of The Transmigration Prophecy to send Treeborn back to his opponent’s deck on the chain! He sent his own Morphing Jar back as well. Wang set a second monster and play was to Fili.
He summoned Asura Priest! It wiped away both of Wang’s monsters, Sangan and Disk Commander, prompting Wang to search his deck for Treeborn Frog again. Wang set another monster, still clearly on the defensive. Fili tributed Treeborn Frog next turn for Raiza the Storm Monarch, spinning Wang’s set monster and swinging for 2400. Wang set a monster once more, still locked down. Fili brought back his Frog in defense mode, summoned Asura Priest and destroyed Wang’s Treeborn with it. Raiza then attacked directly. Fili set Trap Dustshoot and flipped it at his first opportunity, revealing two Malicious, two Raiza, and Light and Darkness Dragon in Wang’s hand. He shuffled one Raiza back. Wang tributed for the other and both Raizas traded off in battle. Wang was still struggling to survive!
Next turn Fili set a spell or trap. Wang brought back his Frog, set another card to his back row, and Fili summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior. He shot Breaker’s token and Wang chained the target, Call of the Haunted, to bring back Disk Commander and draw two cards. Fili set another spell or trap and Wang was back in the game!
He set a card to each zone next turn, now firmly stabilized and anticipating a Light and Darkness Dragon on his next turn. Fili was in trouble if he couldn’t disrupt Wang’s field. He attacked Treeborn Frog with Breaker, set another monster and ended. In his end phase Wang flipped Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, sent Fili’s set monster to the top of his deck, and discarded Malicious! That let him bring back his Treeborn Frog next turn, setting him up with two tributes for Light and Darkness Dragon (with or without the Malicious). He didn’t go for it though, instead tributing his Treeborn for Cyber Dragon: Fili activated Torrential Tribute in response! Revealing Asura Priest from his hand was enough to get Wang to scoop, and play moved quickly to a third duel. Why, oh why, did Wang not tribute for Light and Darkness Dragon?
A big mistake on Wang’s side lets Fili capitalize, handing him the second duel on a silver platter!
Wang opened the final game with Destiny Draw, discarding Destiny Hero – Malicious. “That’s a good hand,” he remarked. He brought out the second Malicious from his deck, set a monster, then set a spell or trap card. “Go.”
“Morphing Jar?” joked Fili. He played a Destiny Draw of his own, discarded Malicious just as Wang had, and fingered his hand: Raiza the Storm Monarch, two Light and Darkness Dragon, Treeborn Frog, Disk Commander, and Pot of Avarice. He brought out his second Malicious in attack mode and sent him to attack Wang’s set monster! The Overdose star cradled his cheek in his hand for a moment, then revealed his attacked Spirit Reaper. In main phase 2, he activated Crush Card Virus, tributing Malicious and robbing Fili of his two Dragons and Raiza! That let Fili bring back his Raiza.
Next turn Wang activated Brain Control, tributed Fili’s Raiza for one of his own, and attacked to make Fili discard: he missed the Pot of Avarice that was Fili’s only chance in this match! Fili activated it next turn, set Scapegoat and Treeborn Frog, and ended, out of cards. Next turn Wang summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, broke Scapegoat, Fili chained it, and three of his tokens were destroyed in battle. He set a spell or trap next turn and was scooping moments later, unable to defend himself!
A bold Crush Card Virus devastates Fili Luna, giving Jerry Wang a decisive victory in game 3! Not a single Light and Darkness Dragon in sight from either duelist.