Team Fanboy 3’s Andrew Lam fought his way through thick and thin over the last two days with his unusual deck—maining United We Stand and Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu. He was looking to take the title back to his home town of Manchester this year: the same place Wayne Pikney took it last year.

Joe Whittaker of team WHAM made second place at the 2005 National Championships, and was looking to improve on that this year by going all the way. His Gadget build, main-decking Royal Decree, had torn through players in thirteen gruelling rounds.

The duelists rolled a die to start. Joe wanted to do odds or evens, but he finally conceded to Andrew Lam’s wish of high roll, and won with a 6.

Yellow Gadget was summoned, raising a cheer from the crowd. Joe set a back-row card and ended while Card Trooper came down for Lam. It ate three cards and ran over Yellow Gadget for 700 damage.

Lam set a card to his back row and ended, while Whittaker flipped Heavy Storm to rid Lam of Call of the Haunted.

Cyber Dragon and Hydrogeddon came down, and bystander Duncan Tang said, “I still hate Hydro!”

At the end of the turn’s battle, Joe had two Hydrogeddon cards and a Cyber Dragon to Lam’s empty field.

“Dark Hole?”

“I wish!”

Joe set a spell or trap to end his turn, and his full field (“Overextension!”) met Lam’s five-card hand. Cyber Dragon was special summoned, followed by a Brain Control on Joe’s Cyber Dragon. Lam used both Cyber Dragon cards to rid Joe of his pair of Hydrogeddon cards, and tributed Joe’s Cyber Dragon for Jinzo in main phase two. Field control had just changed dramatically! Lam finished his turn by bringing himself up to two set spell or trap cards.

Joe started his turn with a Cyber Dragon and followed it up with a Green Gadget. The Dragons clashed, and in main phase two, Whittaker used Smashing Ground to try and get rid of Jinzo.  But Lam used Enemy Controller to destroy the Green Gadget in its place!

D.D. Warrior Lady stripped Joe of 1500 life points next turn, and Joe brought out a Red Gadget before ending.

Lam confirmed that Joe had three cards in hand and then summoned Card Trooper. He sent three cards to his graveyard, including Snatch Steal.  Then D.D. Warrior Lady went through the Red Gadget and Joe took another 1900 damage from Trooper.

Whittaker summoned Green Gadget and attacked Card Trooper, but ran straight into Mirror Force. Royal Decree dealt with that threat and Lam drew a card for his Trooper. Joe set another back-row card and ended.

Andrew Lam flipped Pot of Avarice, and he shuffled two Card Troopers, Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, Giant Rat, and Jinzo back in to his deck before drawing and adding two more cards to his hand. He had four cards in hand and the D.D. Warrior Lady on his side of the field, and upon the summoning of Giant Rat, Joe wordlessly scooped his cards, heading for his side deck and Game 2.

Andrew led, one game to none.

Joe smokescreened his side deck, while Lam had been penalized for sleeves during Day 1 and had to side-deck with un-sleeved cards.

There was no exchange of conversation between the games, and both players had looks of hardened concentration on their faces. This title meant a lot to both players and it was going to be a hard-fought finale.

Lam had sided five cards, and Joe took a stab at what he’d sided.

“I’m not going to listen to you . . .” replied Lam with a small smile.

“I wouldn’t, but hey, I’m right aren’t I?”

Game 2 began with Whittaker setting a spell or trap card and ending.

Card Trooper took him down to 6100, and Lam himself set a back-row card before ending. Hydrogeddon ran through his Trooper on the next turn, and another hit the field. Joe set another card to end his turn.

Lam set Spirit Reaper and two spells or traps, while Joe used Royal Decree in the end phase.

Green Gadget joined the field for Joe, who also then set a back-row card, and Hydrogeddon attacked into the face-down Spirit Reaper. Rush Recklessly destroyed it and Lam took another 3000 damage from the resulting attacks.

Lam drew and had three dead cards and Exiled Force in his hand. He considered summoning the Exiled, but then thought better of it and knocked on his deck. “Scoop.”

“Scoop?” asked Whitaker.

“Yes, scoop,” came the confirmation. This year’s finals were going to Game 3!

Once again Joe smokescreened, and once again Lam had to make an uneasy decision over whether to side or not.

The final game began with Lam, who opened with a set monster followed shortly by a single back-row set.

Whittaker thought about his move, considered his hand, and seemed visibly unhappy with his draw. He summoned Red Gadget—which was met with Pulling the Rug—and set a back-row card before passing.

Spirit Reaper was tributed for Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6, which took Joe for 2300 life points.

Snipe Hunter used priority to target Horus and Joe rolled a 6. He tried again and rolled a 3 to destroy it, while Andrew decided to take the 1500 damage from Snipe Hunter’s attack shortly after.

Andrew flipped Call of the Haunted, bringing back the Horus LV6. He then summoned Giant Rat and sent Horus to attack the Snipe Hunter, attacking directly for 1400 with the Rat.

Joe was up after a back-row set, and he summoned Yellow Gadget. Another spell or trap joined his current set and he passed. Andrew summoned Injection Fairy Lily and Joe had no response. Enemy Controller switched Lily to defense, but Rat connected. Confiscation stripped Joe of his Gadget, and on the next turn, Joe looked at his top-deck and then conceded!

Andrew Lam had taken out all the competition and used his unique deck to become the UK National Champion 2007! The title was going back to Manchester!