This was a huge match for a lot of different reasons. First, both Jason Holloway and Paul Levitin have captured Shonen Jump Championships in this format — Holloway just two weeks ago at Nashville, and Levitin one month before at Minneapolis. Both players had put forth multiple impressive showings over the past several months, and each played for rival teams: Overdose and YugiohETC. Finally, this match would pit Dark Armed Dragon against Lightsworn, making it a formative set of games for the coming months.
Holloway won the roll and opened with a set card to each zone. He flipped Trap Dustshoot in Levitin’s draw phase, revealing Levitin’s hand of Ehren, Lightsworn Monk, Necro Gardna, and four spells. He shuffled back Ehren, and Levitin activated Card of Safe Return. He followed it up with Foolish Burial for Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, special summoned it, and drew a card. He activated Solar Recharge next, discarding the Ehren he’d just topdecked, and drew two before sending Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner and Heavy Storm to the graveyard. Wulf attacked into Card Trooper, Holloway drew a card, and Levitin set a card to each zone.
Much head-shaking from Holloway, as he shuffled his hand before activating Premature Burial for Card Trooper. “Call priority with its effect, for three cards.” He sent Destiny Hero – Malicious, Allure of Darkness, and Light and Darkness Dragon to the graveyard, and then activated Heavy Storm. Paul chained Crush Card Virus, tributing his set Necro Gardna and leaving Holloway with Disk Commander and Malicious in hand, destroying Card Trooper and Holloway’s in-hand Light and Darkness Dragon!
Holloway drew Gold Sarcophagus for Card Trooper, then special summoned Trooper in defense mode with the Dragon’s effect. He activated Sarcophagus, knowing he was in a bad position — Malicious and Disk were practically useless against the onslaught Levitin would surely unleash next turn. After searching through both graveyards Holloway removed Crush Card Virus from his deck with Sacrophagus’ effect, then ended with no more moves to make. “Go ahead.”
Levitin swung with Wulf, destroying Card Trooper. Holloway drew Snipe Hunter, discarded it, and topped into Destiny Draw next turn — he passed. Next turn Levitin activated Card of Safe Return, played Monster Reborn to bring back Lumina, and drew a card. He discarded Wulf to Lumina, special summoning his second Wulf and drawing again. Premature Burial brought back Ehren, Lightsworn Monk, and he normal summoned Honest to make game in five attacks!
Crush Card Virus cripples Jason Holloway, leaving Paul Levitin to bat a quick cleanup and take the first duel. Both duelists took the maximum amount of time to side and shuffle.
“I really didn’t know what to do,” admitted Holloway. “Once I was in Crush mode I didn’t really have any outs. As soon as I picked Crush Card [for my Sarcophagus] I remembered you had My Body as a Shield. There was nothing I could do,” Holloway offered Levitin a handshake, and once decks were double-shuffled and double-cut he began the second duel.
He activated Gold Sarcophagus and searched out Crush Card Virus again.
“The one thing that’s great about that,” smiled Levitin, “is that I know you don’t have it first turn! That’s the one thing that can make me happy.” Holloway shuffled his hand a bit, nodded, and then set a monster. “Go.”
Levitin summoned Lumina and attacked, destroying Holloway’s face-down Sangan: Holloway fetched D.D. Crow, and Levitin set one card to his back row. He was left holding Wulf, another Lumina, Card of Safe Return, and My Body as a Shield. He passed, Lumina sent two cards and a Wulf to the graveyard in the end phase, and Holloway gave up D.D. Crow to remove it before it could be special summoned.
Next turn he summoned Card Trooper, pumped it to 1400 ATK and attacked over Lumina. Levitin activated Card of Safe Return, summoned another Lumina, and discarded Wulf for her effect, but Holloway had another D.D. Crow to remove the Lumina Levitin had targeted! Levitin had to attack with just Lumina yet again, and ran over Card Trooper to feed Holloway another draw. Lumina sent Royal Decree and two other cards to the graveyard in the end phase.
Holloway special summoned one Dark Armed Dragon, waited for a response, then dropped another! “Cards in hand?” Levitin had two, and Holloway played a third Dark Armed Dragon! It was over: Levitin scooped.
Triple Dark Armed Dragon — a feature match first — seals the duel in a matter of turns and keeps Jason Holloway alive in the match! Levitin was set to begin the third and final duel.
He opened with Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner and Card of Safe Return, sending Solar Recharge, Divine Wrath, and Card of Safe Return to the graveyard — no Wulfs, which Levitin seemed to be banking on. Holloway activated Heavy Storm to destroy Card of Safe Return, and then set a card to each zone fearing Honest — Levitin was indeed holding a copy.
Lumina attacked, and Holloway spun her away with Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, discarding his Treeborn Frog. Levitin set one card to his back row and ended, leaving Holloway to special summon Treeborn next turn.
He flip summoned Spirit Reaper, attacked, and forced Levitin to discard Wulf, Lightsworn Beast. Reinforcement of the Army then got him Elemental Hero Stratos, who he summoned to search out Destiny Hero – Disk Commander. He discarded the Commander for Destiny Draw, then tried to bring him back with Premature Burial: Levitin played Mystical Space Typhoon in response to keep Holloway from claiming his two draws, and the duel stood at 7200 to 7700. “Go.”
Levitin activated Monster Reborn, taking the Disk Commander and drawing two cards. He summoned Lumina, discarded Wulf to bring up his other Wulf, then ran over Stratos with it. Lumina pressed over Spirit Reaper, and in the end phase Levitin ditched three more cards off the top of his deck. He had three cards in hand and three monsters to Holloway’s two monsters and two in hand.
Holloway drew a third card, then activated Reinforcement of the Army to search for Dark Grepher. He normal summoned Grepher, discarded Snipe Hunter for its effect, and sent Destiny Hero – Malicious to the graveyard. Grepher attacked Disk Commander, Spirit Reaper turned to defense mode, and Holloway special summoned Dark Armed Dragon! He removed Snipe Hunter in main phase 2 to destroy Lumina, then removed Disk Commander to destroy Wulf. He passed with nothing left in hand.
Foolish Burial came off the top of Levitin’s deck! He had Phantom of Chaos, Honest, Foolish Burial, and Solar Recharge, so he had to use that Foolish to get Wulf, then press over Dark Armed Dragon with Honest. It was his only play. He went for it, brought out his third Wulf with Foolish, and normal summoned the Phantom, removing Wulf to copy its ATK. Phantom of Chaos attacked over Dark Grepher, Wulf attacked Dark Armed Dragon, and Honest dropped to press 2100 damage over the Dragon! Levitin ended with one more card in his hand. “I hope you don’t top another Dark Armed Dragon.”
Holloway drew Strike Ninja, summoned him, and ran over Phantom of Chaos. The duel stood at 4100 life points to 6000. Wulf attacked Strike Ninja next turn, Holloway dodged, and Levitin set one spell or trap to end. Next turn Holloway topdecked Monster Reborn and played it, bringing back Elemental Hero Stratos. Stratos got him Destiny Hero - Plasma, and he removed Destiny Hero – Malicious from his graveyard to summon another to the field. Things were coming to a close.
He tributed Treeborn Frog, Malicious, and Strike Ninja for Plasma, then used its effect to suck up Wulf. Plasma, Stratos, and Spirit Reaper all struck directly, lowering Levitin to 950 life points and forcing him to discard his Solar Recharge.
Levitin drew, set his topdecked monster, and Holloway turned Spirit Reaper to defense mode. Stratos attacked, hit Necro Gardna, and when Plasma attacked for game Levitin removed the Gardna to block the attack! He needed Judgment Dragon, but only had three Lightsworn in his graveyard.
He activated Card of Safe Return, flipping it, then activated Premature Burial to bring back Honest and draw. He tried to return it to his hand, but had managed to forget about Plasma. He’d drawn Foolish Burial, a useless card now that all of his Wulfs were in the graveyard or on Holloway’s field. He scooped immediately, realizing his mistake.
Jason Holloway moves on, undefeated in this tournament.