Since the start of the Shonen Jump Championship series, teams have rapidly become an important part of the competitive scene. Teams form for many different reasons. Some join together to create a large card pool to draw from. Others just want to have a group to test out deck ideas with. Then, there are people like Rick and Ricky Farasy, who join together just for the love of the game.

Rick and Ricky Farasy are a father-son team from Portland, Oregon. Ricky, the younger, started playing when his friends from school began to pick up the cards. He soon became hooked on the TV show, and picked the game up himself. “I don’t watch it, really!” protests Ricky. It’s okay, Ricky—we all watch it, too.

It wasn’t long after that Ricky and his father Rick were playing together on the kitchen table. Neither one knew the rules very well, but after they found their local card shop, things began to change. Soon after, they decided to try their luck on the Regionals circuit, earning respectable finishes in their attempts.

They have yet to reach the Top 8 of an event, but given their passion for the game, it’s only a matter of time. “It’s a great thing that we can do together, and it’s a lot of fun!” says Rick. This is the third Premier-level event that they’ve traveled to, playing in two Regional tournaments previously. Both have brought along a Chaos/Control deck utilizing Tsukuyomi, the new hotness in the metagame. I got the chance to watch Rick play a duel against another hopeful player, and I was quite impressed by the way his deck worked. It may be similar to what we’ve seen in the past, but it works. When a Cyber-Stein is on the line, that’s all that counts.

Speaking of that Cyber-Stein, Rick and Ricky seem to each have their own ideas on what to do with one if they win it. Ricky was quite outspoken about his desire to sell the Stein for as much money as he possibly can. Rick, on the other hand, feels that it would make a great trophy for the mantelpiece. Either way, they have to get the Stein first—then they can worry about what to do with it.

It’s a rare thing to see a father-son team enjoying this game. I can only hope that this becomes a trend, and we begin to see more families getting into organized play together.