Chad Justice created the Ben-Kei OTK that took Shonen Jump Championship Houston by storm almost two years ago. Today he was back, and he and Nick Synodis were 3-0 with an innovative new twist on Machine Beatdown. Both versions of the deck run three Des Koala, some burn traps, and Mataza the Zapper. Sounds like an odd mix, but you just can’t argue with results like these!
We found Chad in a predicament this round, paired off against his son, Kodi Justice. Just twelve years old, young Kodi was also undefeated. Despite their family ties, neither duelist was going to be giving any quarter in this match.
Kodi opened with two back row cards, and blasted his father with Trap Dustshoot on the following turn, sending Des Koala back to his deck.
“You’re not nervous are you?” asked his dad with a grin.
“Nope. I play you at home.”
Chad set two cards to his back row and set Morphing Jar. “Are you gonna Cyber Dragon and Zaborg me?” Not quite — Kodi dropped Raiza instead, bouncing the Morphing Jar before attacking into Mirror Force. Chad drew the Morphing Jar, set it, and then set the rest of his hand to his back row. Kodi followed suit, setting all but one card (including a monster). He lost his set Brain Control to Mystical Space Typhoon in the end phase.
Morphing Jar flipped, and Chad drew a monster-rich hand: Cyber Phoenix, two Des Koala, Card Trooper, and Heavy Storm. He set Card Trooper and ended, letting Kodi flip summon his set Gravekeeper’s Spy. He summoned another in defense position, attacked Morphing Jar with the other, and then set a monster. “Go.”
Cyber Dragon came off the top of Chad’s deck, and his set Card Trooper kept it from being special summoned. He set a monster, and next turn lost his set Card Trooper to Zaborg the Thunder Monarch; Kodi tributed his set Treeborn Frog for him. Zaborg attacked, and Chad flipped Sakuretsu Armor to destroy him. “Go ahead.”
He flip summoned Des Koala, dishing out 2000 damage for its effect! He proceeded to set Magic Cylinder, and then another Koala, needing to get those Koalas off quickly before his son could empty his hand. Next turn one Spy was tributed by Kodi for Mobius the Frost Monarch, and Chad lost Premature Burial and the Cylinder!
Gravekeeper’s Spy attacked over Chad’s attack position Koala, and Mobius attacked the set one. Chad tried to activate Heavy Storm, but Kodi chained Book of Moon to turn his Spy face down! His father reeled a moment, then chained his own Enemy Controller to turn Mobius to defense. He special summoned Cyber Dragon, normal summoned Cyber Phoenix, and cleared both of Kodi’s monsters, sending him to the deck to fetch another Spy in defense.
He tributed that Spy on the following turn to bring out Raiza, bouncing Chad’s Cyber Dragon back to the top of his deck. Premature Burial brought back Zaborg, who attacked Cyber Phoenix, and Raiza attacked directly. The duel stood at 3800 to 3200, with Chad leading. Kodi set a spell or trap to end.
Chad set Sangan, then Scapegoat. Raiza attacked Sangan next turn and Chad used its effect to search his deck for Card Trooper. When Zaborg attacked, he was stopped by Scapegoat and destroyed a Sheep Token. Kodi continued developing his field, setting a monster to finish his turn.
“I made a mistake,” noted Kodi with a smile. “I had a Frog in my graveyard two turns ago.” His dad gave him some props across the table for catching his mistake. “Just say go,” grinned Kodi. His dad chuckled and activated Brain Control, targeting Zaborg. Zaborg attacked into Sakuretsu Armor.
Kodi flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, drew, and activated Pot of Avarice. He tributed his Dekoichi for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, discarded his father’s Limiter Removal, and attacked two Sheep. “Set one,” he announced, setting a spell or trap, “and go.”
Chad took control of Raiza with Enemy Controller, tributing his last Sheep to do so. Again, his offensive maneuver was met with Sakuretsu Armor. He set Card Trooper, lost it to Thestalos next turn, and drew. Kodi set a card to each zone and ended.
Chad was in a bad way; he had Cyber Dragon, Jinzo, and Snipe Hunter in hand. He special summoned Cyber Dragon, normal summoned Snipe Hunter, and missed when he tried to destroy Thestalos! A turn later it was all over, and Kodi took the win!
Twelve year-old Kodi Justice dominates his father in the first duel! Both competitors dove into their side decks.
The elder Justice began the second duel, setting a card to each zone. Kodi did the same, and Chad set another card to each zone, building his field presence. Kodi flip summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, normal summoned Banisher of the Radiance, and attacked with Banisher . . . into Magic Cylinder! Dekoichi then crashed into Des Koala, and Kodi dropped to 4000 life points, a huge deficit. He ended his turn.
Chad activated Brain Control, took Banisher, and then tributed it for Cyber Dragon. He flip summoned Card Trooper, activated Machine Duplication, and the younger Justice revealed his one set card: Sakuretsu Armor. It wouldn’t be nearly enough, and he quickly conceded, moving the match along to a third duel.
Chad Justice fights his way back, taking a quick and decisive win!
“I’ll go first,” announced Kodi, activating Confiscation. It revealed his father’s hand, of two Mobius the Frost Monarch, Cyber Phoenix, Pulling the Rug, and Brain Control. He discarded Rug, and then set a card to each zone. Chad fired back with a set card to each zone himself.
“It’s hard to beat someone who gets Confiscation turn 1,” grinned Chad, jokingly teasing Kodi.
Kodi activated Soul Exchange, and tributed his dad’s set Cyber Phoenix for Mobius the Frost Monarch, but fell victim to yet another Pulling the Rug! “You drew another one?” Chad set a single spell or trap and Kodi flip summoned his set Gravekeeper’s Spy. “Attack for twelve?” asked Kodi. The Spy hit directly, and Kodi set another spell or trap.
Brain Control let Chad take the defense position Spy, and he tributed her for Mobius the Frost Monarch to destroy Kodi’s set Sakuretsu Armor. Mobius then attacked the attack position Spy to destroy her.
Kodi fired back, tributing his set monster, another Spy, for Zaborg! He destroyed Mobius, but his attack was repelled by Enemy Controller. Chad summoned Card Trooper and tried to attack, but ran into Mirror Force. He set Mirror Force himself, but Kodi’s Zaborg was tributed for another Mobius, which destroyed Chad’s Mirror Force and then attacked.
Chad activated Brain Control to target Mobius, but Kodi shut him down with Book of Moon, turning Mobius face down on the chain! Chad summoned Snipe Hunter to attack the Monarch, and a flurry of cards later Kodi had one set monster to Chad’s in-hand Ring of Destruction and another Snipe Hunter.
Chad did not want to see Morphing Jar. “I’m taking the chance,” he remarked. He summoned Snipe Hunter, discarded Ring of Destruction, and destroyed Kodi’s set monster: Treeborn Frog! He laughed, and gave his son a high-five for the excellent bluff. Snipe Hunter hit for 1500, Kodi took back his Frog, and play was to Chad again.
He summoned Des Koala, attacked the Frog, and hit directly with Snipe Hunter for 1500 damage. Next turn Kodi special summoned his Frog, tributed it for Zaborg, blew away Snipe Hunter, then attacked over Des Koala! Chad special summoned Cyber Dragon as a last ditch defensive on the following turn, but Kodi brought back his Frog and took the Dragon down with Zaborg. A turn later he tributed the Frog for Cyber Dragon, swung with Zaborg to clear his father’s field, and attacked with Cyber Dragon for game!
Young Kodi Justice defeats his father, the famed Chad Justice, to move on 4-0!