Five TeleDAD decks, two Lightsworn decks, and one Zombie deck remain here in the Top 8. Of the two surviving Lightsworn players Henry Su may be the most promising, but now he’s up against the fan-favorite in this tournament: Jerry Wang, piloting TeleDAD with Plaguespreader. Could Su overcome the thirteen-time Day 2 champ?

Jerry opened the match with Elemental Hero Stratos, searching his deck for Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude. He’d opened with not one, not two, but three copies of Malicious, and no Destiny Draw in site. He set one spell or trap and ended.

Su activated two copies of Card of Safe Return, activated Charge of the Light Brigade, sent Celestia, Lightsworn Angel, Necro Gardna, and Solar Recharge off the top of his deck to dig for Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress, and summoned her. He activated her effect, lost her to Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, and Jerry discarded one copy of Malicious. But Su wasn’t finished!

He activated Monster Reborn, bringing back Celestia and drawing two cards! Celestia ran over Stratos and play was to Jerry. He summoned Snipe Hunter, discarded another Malicious, and destroyed Celestia, Lightsworn Angel. He discarded his third Malicious to blow away one Card of Safe Return, special summoned Dark Armed Dragon, and removed his first Malicious to destroy the second copy of the continuous spell. Jerry ended with one card left in hand.

Su summoned Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress and sent her after Snipe Hunter: he ended, sending Beckoning Light, Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, and Charge of the Light Brigade to his graveyard in the end phase. Jerry blew away Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress with his second Malicious, summoned Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude, attacked with both, and Su activated Necro Gardna’s effect to stop Dark Armed Dragon’s attack. He had 2300 life points remaining.

Jerry set Trap Dustshoot and flipped it next turn, revealing Su’s hand of Ehren, Lightsworn Monk, Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, Celestia, Lightsworn Angel, Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior, and Judgment Dragon — he sent Judgment Dragon back to Su’s deck, and there was nothing he could do! He summoned Ehren, Lightsworn Monk, ran over Diamond Dude, and ended his turn hoping to catch at least one copy of Necro Gardna: he sent Honest, Wulf, and Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner instead — no help!

Jerry Wang wins out of an opening hand with three Destiny Hero – Malicious! “No complaining today,” remarked a grateful Jerry. “No — complaining — today . . .” Both duelists sided and shuffled up. Su would open Game 2.

He opened with Honest, Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner, Ehren, Lightsworn Monk, Charge of the Light Brigade, Beckoning Light, and Royal Decree. He activated Charge, sending Monster Reincarnation, Threatening Roar, and Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress off the top of his deck to search out Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior. He summoned Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner, discarded Garoth to special summon him, and set Royal Decree to finish out. He ended his turn to send Heavy Storm, D.D. Crow, Judgment Dragon, Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, and Solar Recharge to the graveyard, special summoning Wulf and drawing Solar Recharge with Garoth!

Jerry fired back with Allure of Darkness, drawing two and removing Krebons from his hand to satisfy Allure’s effect. He summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, destroyed Su’s set Royal Decree, and attacked over Lumina — he responded with Honest to let Lumina destroy Breaker and dish out 1000 damage. Jerry played another Allure.

It got him two more cards at the price of his Dark Armed Dragon, and he activated Monster Reborn to summon Su’s D.D. Crow, telegraphing Crush Card Virus! He set three cards to his back row and ended.

Su drew Judgment Dragon, and activated Solar Recharge, pitching Ehren, Lightsworn Monk from his hand and Royal Decree and Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner from his deck. That Beckoning Light was now his best hope: with one Judgment Dragon in hand and another in his graveyard, it could end the game after Jerry activated Crush Card Virus. But he wasn’t activating it yet, so Su set Beckoning and attacked the Crow with Wulf.

That drew out the Crush Card Virus, wiping Su’s field of everything but Lumina and leaving him with Lumina and Crow in hand. Lumina attacked for 1000 damage, and when Su tried to send cards to the graveyard in his end phase Jerry activated Light-Imprisoning Mirror. Su had two cards in his hand, two Judgment Dragons in his graveyard, and Beckoning Light set.

Jerry summoned Sangan and attacked with it, destroying Lumina and claiming Snipe Hunter from his deck with Sangan’s effect! Su flipped Beckoning Light in the end phase, Jerry had no response, and Su got both copies of Judgment Dragon back!

He drew Necro Gardna next turn, special summoned one Judgment Dragon, then special summoned the other — he lost the second copy to Bottomless Trap Hole, and the remaining Dragon would have a tough time against Snipe Hunter backed by two in-hand cards once Jerry drew next turn. Su summoned Necro Gardna in attack position, attacked with it and Judgment Dragon together for a combined 3600 damage, and ended. Jerry was down to 2400 life points.

He drew to three cards in his draw phase, summoned Snipe Hunter, and discarded Plaguespreader Zombie to target Judgment Dragon — he missed! He discarded his lat card, Emergency Teleport, and managed to destroy the Dragon! “Yesss!” Jerry gave a little fist pump and attacked over Necro Gardna.

Su drew Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress, losing her to his last turn on Crush Card Virus. Jerry topdecked Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude, activated his effect, and caught a free Destiny Draw! Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude and Snipe Hunter both made direct attacks. Su set his topdecked spell or trap card.

Jerry drew, activated the effect of his free Destiny Draw, then activated Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude again (missing on a flipped Phoenix Wing Wind Blast). He discarded Malicious for Snipe Hunter’s effect, targeted Su’s face-down card, and Su considered chaining the targeted Mystical Space Typhoon: he didn’t, and Jerry missed. He discarded Spirit Reaper next, and Su chained Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Light-Imprisoning Mirror.

That left Jerry to remove one Malicious to special summon another, sending his last card to the top of his deck to special summon Plaguespreader Zombie. He Synchro summoned for Colossal Fighter, attacked with it, and lost his attack to Necro Gardna. Snipe Hunter and Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude made direct attacks and Su was down to 1300 life points. I’m pretty sure he was drawing to no outs. Jerry ended his turn by bringing out his last Malicious in defense.

Su topped Charge of the Light Brigade, activated it, and sent another Charge, Monster Reincarnation, and Necro Gardna to his graveyard! He searched a copy of Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress from his deck, summoned her, and ran over Snipe Hunter. In the end phase Lyla sent Celestia, D.D. Crow, and Compulsory Evacuation Device to the graveyard.

Jerry activated Diamond Dude’s effect, missed on Krebons, and activated Allure of Darkness with no hand — he removed Dark Armed Dragon to keep his one remaining card. Colossal Fighter attacked, Su removed Necro Gardna, and Diamond Dude was blocked by Lyla — Jerry turned him to defense position. “Go ahead.”

Su topdecked Solar Recharge — useless with no other card to discard for it. He had seven cards remaining in his deck and sent Lyla to attack Diamond Dude, sending Monster Reborn, Celestia, Lightsworn Angel, and Wulf, Lightsworn Beast off the top of his deck — not enough for him to survive Jerry’s attacks next turn.