In 2005, Guy Israel won the title of Belgian National Champion. A year later that title was captured by fan favorite Wim Eliano, and now the two countrymen were facing off with undefeated records. This is the kind of drama you get at the European Championships.

Israel’s first concern was the shout out list: “Shout out to Max Suffridge and Brian Bodkin!” He grinned.

“Me too,” echoed Wim. “Bodkin and Jeff Jones! Also, thank you Theerasak, for the deck.” Wim made a gesture to Israel: “He thanks Matt Peddle.”

“Max Suffridge, too,” chimed in Israel, who was running a Machine beatdown that lay somewhere between the Suffridge and Peddle builds.  

Wim won the roll and opened with a set card to each zone, then added a second spell or trap. Israel special summoned Cyber Dragon and attacked into Mirror Force, setting a card to each zone in main phase 2. Eliano set the rest of his cards, leaving him with four in his spell and trap zone and a set monster, and then he flipped Morphing Jar.

He flipped Destiny Draw next, pitching Malicious to the graveyard to draw two more cards. He then proceeded to end his turn, a rather anti-climactic finish to such a splashy series of events.

Israel activated Heavy Storm, and Wim considered chaining Ring of Destruction. He chose not to, and lost his Scapegoat, Ring, and Mystical Space Typhoon, while Israel lost Snatch Steal. Israel summoned Card Trooper, flipped Mystic Tomato, pumped the Trooper to 1900 ATK, and then attacked with the Tomato. It ran into Wim's set monster, another Card Trooper, and that left Israel free to make a direct attack with his.

He set Trap Dustshoot to end and flipped it next turn. It revealed Wim’s hand of Elemental Hero Stratos, Heavy Storm, Card Trooper, Limiter Removal, Call of the Haunted, Cyber Dragon, and Premature Burial. He opted to shuffle back the Trooper.

Wim removed his Malicious from his graveyard to special summon another. He was up three cards on his opponent, and he summoned Stratos in an effort to widen the gap even more. He elected to use Stratos’ removal effect, but hit Ring of Destruction, which promptly blasted Stratos into oblivion. He set one back row card and ended.

Israel attacked with Tomato again, destroying Malicious. Card Trooper attacked once more for 1900, and Wim was down to 1700 life points. Israel still had a comfortable 6200, despite the fact that he was being brutally out-carded.

He flipped another Dustshoot in Wim’s draw phase! It robbed Wim of his Cyber Dragon this time, leaving him with Metamorphosis, Limiter Removal, Heavy Storm, and Premature Burial. If Wim was going to make a move it had to be this turn.

He flipped Call of the Haunted to bring back Stratos, using his effect to search his deck for Destiny Hero – Fear Monger. He brought out the last Malicious from his deck in attack mode, then took a moment to ponder his lot in life. “I have no choice,” he maligned: he activated Metamorphosis, brought out Steam Gyroid, and ran it over Card Trooper. Israel dropped to 4400 life points and drew a card. Wim set a card to each zone and ended.

Israel changed Tomato to defense position and set a spell or trap card. Wim activated Heavy Storm, but Israel chained — Scapegoat! Wim chained Limiter Removal, which would prove to be a terrible mistake. He lost Stratos since it was attached to Call of the Haunted, which Heavy Storm destroyed, and he gave a curse. He was truly unhappy with how he had played things out, and shook his head. “Big misplay.” Steam Gyroid hit a Sheep and was destroyed by Limiter Removal at the end of the turn.

Israel set two more back row cards and ended. Wim set two as well and set a monster. Israel attacked with the Tomato, destroying Fear Monger in battle, but then activated Call of the Haunted! It brought back Cyber Dragon, which was free to attack directly and end the duel!

Guy Israel profits from Wim Eliano’s misplayed Limiter Removal, taking the second duel with authority!

“That was such a misplay.” Wim was beating himself up pretty hard. “I thought I would have enough monsters, but forgot that I was going to lose Stratos because of Call.” Ouch. “I always lose game 1 today though.” So far, it hadn’t turned out all that badly for him.

The second duel began after some side decking, and Wim opened with a set card to his spell and trap zone. Israel fired back with a set card to each zone, Wim passed, and Israel flip summoned his set Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. He summoned Card Trooper, pitched three cards for its effect, and swung into Scapegoat: two Sheep went down.

Wim summoned Snipe Hunter, and he discarded Destiny Hero – Malicious to destroy Israel’s set Heavy Storm with Hunter’s effect. Israel chained D. D. Crow to remove the Malicious from play before Wim could activate him on a successive chain! Snatch Steal took the Card Trooper for Wim, which pumped and attacked, followed closely by Snipe Hunter. Wim set a spell or trap to end and had a very secure field.

Israel broke it up with Brain Control, taking Snipe Hunter and tributing it for Raiza. Raiza targeted Wim’s set Threatening Roar with his effect, but he chained it, and Israel could do nothing but set another spell or trap.

Wim activated Premature Burial, brought back Snipe Hunter, and pitched another Malicious to destroy Raiza — he missed. He dropped a Cyber Dragon to the graveyard next, and this time Raiza went down. Wim then went for his third Malicious, special summoning him to the field. He buffed up his Card Trooper with three cards, attacked with it, then attacked with Snipe Hunter. Israel was down to 2800 life points.

He gained 1000 in his standby phase, and flipped his set Brain Control, again taking Snipe Hunter. “Puts me at 3000,” he noted. “Oh no! I made a mistake!”

“Cyber Dragon in his haaaand!” sung Wim cheerily. That wasn’t it; Israel just should have taken the Trooper. He summoned Card Trooper, activated its effect and sent it to destroy the one Wim had taken from him earlier. “I can’t believe I did that,” he groaned, referring to the mistake. Wim set a spell or trap, Israel summoned Sangan, and his Trooper and Sangan each attacked a Sheep.

Wim set a spell or trap and play was back to Israel. He pumped Card Trooper, examined his graveyard, and attacked with it, hitting Fear Monger. Sangan attacked for another 1000 damage. It was 3000 to 4700 with Wim leading.

Fear Monger’s effect was triggered and Wim brought back Malicious in defense, passing his turn afterward. He just didn’t have any other options. Israel sent three cards away for Card Trooper, and then activated Premature Burial: Wim blew it away on the chain with Mystical Space Typhoon. Sangan attacked and destroyed Malicious, and Card Trooper hit for 1900, lowering Wim to 2800. Israel activated Confiscation in main phase 2, revealing Wim’s two remaining cards to be Reinforcement of the Army and Dark Magician of Chaos. The Reinforcement of the Army was discarded, as Israel was perfectly happy to let his opponent keep the dead card instead of the live one.

Wim summoned Card Trooper, sent three cards to the graveyard and attacked over Israel’s Trooper. Israel was down to just 500 life points. He sent Sangan to attack Wim’s Card Trooper and Israel set his last three cards to the back row. Wim blasted him with Heavy Storm, and Israel lost all three cards!

Still, Wim had no offensive follow-up. He set a card to his back row and ended. Israel topped into Pot of Avarice, and activated it to draw two cards: Dustshoot and Snatch Steal. He turned Sangan to defense, set one card and passed.

But Wim had Brain Control on the next turn! He took Sangan and attacked Israel with it, ending the duel.

Wim Eliano forces the match to a third game!

After a bit of intense side decking and some verbal back-and-forth, Israel opened with Confiscation. It revealed Wim’s hand of Sangan, Scapegoat, Jinzo, Call of the Haunted, and Brain Control. He thought a moment and decided to ditch the Scapegoat, not wanting to give Wim any room to breathe. He set one card to each zone, set another to his back row, and ended, the calling card of a man with Trap Dustshoot. Sure enough, next turn he activated Dustshoot in Wim’s draw phase, sending Sangan back to his deck and revealing his most recent draw: Fear Monger. Not good for Wim.

Wim set a card to each zone and Israel flipped his set Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. He summoned Cyber Phoenix, sent it into the face down Fear Monger, and then struck directly with Dekoichi. Wim dropped to 6600 life points and Israel set another spell or trap. Wim brought back Fear Monger with Call, tributed him away for Jinzo, attacked Dekoichi, and Israel set a monster on the following turn. Wim summoned Card Trooper, sent three cards to the graveyard for it (including Heavy Storm), then ran over Israel’s Cyber Phoenix and set Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. “Done.”

A set monster was Israel’s only move. Wim activated Card Trooper to boost to 1900 ATK, attacked Israel’s set monster, and found it to be Mystic Tomato; Israel brought out another with its effect, and Wim didn’t attack with Jinzo: “Screw you, Snipe Hunter.” Wim smirked, denying Israel of his intended pull. He set one card to his back row and ended.

Israel was up again, and he attacked over Card Trooper with the Tomato. A set monster and a spell or trap concluded his turn. Wim attacked the set monster, Dekoichi, with Jinzo, and added another card to his back row too.

Israel tributed for Mobius the Frost Monarch, destroying both of Wim’s set cards: both Royal Decree! He then sent Mobius to slam into Jinzo, resulting in both monsters being destroyed in battle. He set Trap Dustshoot, activated it on the following turn and robbed Wim of Destiny Hero - Disk Commander. Wim set a spell or trap. Israel was up again, and he searched his graveyard before activating Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy a face down card that wound up being Wim’s third Royal Decree! Israel special summoned Cyber Phoenix with Call of the Haunted and attacked directly, reducing Wim to 4400 life points.

Elemental Hero Stratos was summoned by Wim, who searched his deck for the Disk Commander he had been so rudely relieved of a turn before. Stratos attacked Cyber Phoenix, Wim looked through Israel’s graveyard, and he finished his turn with a set card to his spell and trap zone.

Israel activated Heavy Storm, destroying two of his own set cards to make a press for the win! He special summoned Cyber Dragon, normal summoned Card Trooper, fed it three cards, and the game was over!

Guy Israel emerges from one of the hardest fought matches I’ve ever seen, laurelled with the garlands of victory!