Here at the quarterfinals, neither player is nervous, now that they have both qualified for the European Championships, but having the paid trip would be nice, they both agree. After waiting for the confirmation from Trevor Ralph, our head judge, we got underway with a coin toss and Jamie won it, deciding to start us off.
He did so with a handshake and a set to each zone. Wayne drew and played Graceful Charity, discarding Smashing Ground and Book of Moon. He activated Mystical Space Typhoon on Sakuretsu Armor, and played Nobleman of Crossout on Spirit Reaper. His Don Zaloog nudged Jamie for 1400 and Book of Moon from his hand, and he set two back row cards.
Jamie had a think and set another card to each zone. Don crashed into D. D. Warrior Lady and Jamie chose not to remove. Wayne set another monster and Jamie went for another defense position monster.
Wayne summoned Mystic Swordsman LV2 and Torrential Tribute cleared the field. Jamie set yet another monster in defense position and it met with Cyber Dragon, followed by Premature Burial on Swordsman. Magician of Faith was destroyed and Jamie lost 2100. He summoned Tsukuyomi and targeted Cyber Dragon, then attacked Swordsman, running in to Mirror Force before passing. Things weren’t looking good and Wayne decided to do some math.
He flipped Cyber Dragon back face-up and attacked for 3000, setting another monster. “Go”. Jamie set a back row card and summoned D.D. Assailant, attacking Swordsman with a bit more luck this time. Wayne however flipped Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive and attacked with both for a quick game one!
“I’ll take a gander at my side deck,” announced Pinkney, as they both checked through some options and shuffled up, ready for game two.
Although both players declined to say they were feeling nervous, the atmosphere was very tense as they both were silent in preparation for the second game, in which Jamie was to go first again.
He this time chose to set a spell or trap and summon Sangan. Wayne however had a different idea and played Reinforcement of the Army to fetch himself Don Zaloog. He summoned it and ran in to Torrential Tribute, and Jamie’s Sangan searched out Treeborn Frog.
Wayne activated Premature Burial on Don Zaloog and attacked for 1400, discarding Smashing Ground from Jamie’s hand. Setting a back row card, he passed.
“That’s better” said Jamie as he drew and played Graceful Charity, pitching Chaos Sorcerer and Treeborn Frog. He set a card to each zone and passed over to Wayne who attacked Spirit Reaper with Don Zaloog. He set another cards to each zone and passed. Jamie had four in hand to Wayne’s two; but on the field it was Spirit Reaper in defense position and a spell or trap for Jamie to Wayne’s Premature Burial on Don, set monster and two face-down back row cards.
Both players passed twice, “This is fun,” and Jamie set a monster. Neither played blinked, though, and play continued slowly, with Wayne activating Dust Tornado on a face-down Waboku from Jamie, which was chained.
D.D. Warrior attacked and removed the Spirit Reaper, and in his standby phase Jamie bought back Treeborn Frog. He tributed it for Zaborg destroying a Spirit Reaper of Wayne’s, “Excellent,” and Zaborg attacked Don. Nobleman removed another Spirit Reaper of Jamie’s and he now had two back row cards as he passed.
Zaborg met Sakuretsu Armour and Jamie set a card to each zone before control went back to Wayne, whose Cyber Dragon fell into Bottomless Trap Hole. Jamie flipped Magical Merchant and netted himself a Nobleman of Crossout, while Wayne ate 200 damage. Jamie set a card and action was back with Wayne, who checked through his graveyard before playing Call of the Haunted on Don Zaloog. He tributed it for Mobius the Frost Monarch, which hit Sakuretsu Armour, and attacked Magical Merchant for 2200. The life points were Wayne’s 7000 to Jamie’s 4400.
Jamie sighed and played Smashing Ground on Mobius, set a monster and Wayne passed his turn. Jamie flipped Magician of Faith for Graceful Charity and activated it immediately, discarding Nobleman of Crossout and Brain Control. He tributed Frog for Jinzo and ran in to sheep, destroying two. Wayne simply set a back row card, but Jamie continued his relentless assault summoning Breaker and ridding Wayne of Mystical Space Typhoon before clearing out the rest of the sheep tokens. Wayne played Smashing Ground on Jinzo and Jamie summoned Tsukuyomi flipped Magician of Faith face-down, but Tsukuyomi ran into Trap Hole.
“Let’s have some fun,” said Jamie as he flipped Magician of Faith for Graceful Charity, and attacked with both his monsters, to have Breaker run into Sakuretsu Armor.
Wayne set a monster and passed, but Jamie dropped Nobleman of Crossout removing any remaining copies of Magician of Faith from the game. He played Graceful Charity again and pitched Sakuretsu Armour and D.D. Assailant; before switching Magician of Faith to defense position and setting a monster.
Wayne played Heavy Storm on Mirror Force and his Blade Knight negated a face-down Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive.
Jamie fetched Treeborn Frog and Wayne was left with only Blade Knight under his control! Jamie set a face down spell or trap and passed to Wayne, who attacked Magician of Faith with Blade Knight. He set a monster and said go.
Jamie sighed and checked through his graveyard, then activated Call of the Haunted for Jinzo, before summoning D. D. Warrior Lady. Jinzo slashed through Blade Knight and D. D. Warrior Lady removed Spirit Reaper, Wayne was left with nothing! He drew and passed and ate some attacked from Jinzo and a fresh Cyber Dragon. Next turn he topped Chaos Sorcerer and removed Jinzo, and it looked like he may have pulled an amazing comeback. He set a back row card, and ended.
Jamie had other plans, though, and played Heavy Storm, and as soon as he announced he would remove a Light and a Dark monster, Wayne scooped.
This quarterfinal match was going to a deciding third game!
Wayne started game three off quickly with a set card to each zone, and Jamie was praying for a God hand. He summoned Blade Knight and it attacked, running in to Sakuretsu Armor. Next turn Wayne flipped Dekoichi and summoned Don, but Don ran into an Armor of Jamie’s! Dekoichi scored 1400 and Wayne passed. Jamie settled for just a set monster and Nobleman of Crossout took care of that. D. D. Warrior Lady bit Jamie along with Dekoichi for 2900, and Jamie top decked Heavy Storm, to which Wayne chained Book of Moon. Premature Burial on Blade Knight stopped the Dekoichi from getting its effect though and a turn later his Zaborg the Thunder Monarch was attacking through a Magician of Faith.
Wayne drew and played his Graceful Charity, and Jamie had a face down card in each zone along with Zaborg and one card in hand, to Wayne’s four card hand and set spell or trap. Wayne had a hard look of concentration on his face and played Heavy Storm destroying Scapegoat. Mystic Swordsman LV2 dealt with a face down Spirit Reaper and next turn Zaborg ran into a Sakuretsu Armor. Jamie summoned Spirit Reaper to avoid Swordsman’s effect and passed, but Wayne tributed Swordsman for Mobius and attacked Reaper. Jamie was on 800 to Wayne’s 8000! Mobius ran into D. D. Assailant, Cyber Dragon fell in to a Bottomless Trap Hole, and Smashing Ground took care of Reaper. Jamie topdecked a tribute monster and passed, and Wayne got Blade Knight for game!
Wayne Pinkney moves on to the semifinals!