This is our chance to find out what could have happened yesterday in round 10 had Jeff Jones felt a need to show up for his match. As you can see from the Day 1 coverage, Jeff is playing a new variant of Big City based on the powerful interactions of Elemental Hero Ocean, Elemental Hero Stratos, and Skyscraper 2 — Hero City. The deck only has ten monsters though and has a definite weakness to Banisher of the Radiance which Paul is side decking. Paul is playing his Monarch deck as seen yesterday in round 9, with main decked Trap Dustshoots. Whoever can resolve a Dustshoot first has a big advantage, but it could be especially deadly to Jones if he loses a key monster and can’t find a search spell to get it back.

Paul won the opening roll and started off with a set to each zone. Jeff brought down Snipe Hunter and pitched Elemental Hero Wildheart to destroy Paul’s set Dekoichi. The Hunter fell to Sakuretsu Armor and Jeff set a spell or trap before passing. Paul dropped Spirit Reaper, and Jeff dropped 4000 life points to Solemn Judgment and kept his hand safe. Paul then set a card, which he revealed to be Bottomless Trap Hole when Jeff summoned Ocean on his next turn. Jeff set a back row card and Paul set a card to each zone before passing back to Jeff, who added a second back row card to his field. Dekoichi flipped on Paul’s side of the field and was almost stymied by Gravity Bind, but Paul flipped Mystical Space Typhoon in response to force the attack through. E — Emergency Call fetched Elemental Hero Stratos for Jeff, who in turn grabbed Elemental Hero Wildheart. Stratos took down Dekoichi and play returned to Paul.

Paul special summoned Cyber Dragon and attacked into Stratos, destroying him. Jeff dropped Wildheart and then put down Skyscraper 2 — Hero City to resurrect his Stratos and pop Paul’s set Soul Exchange. He then flipped Lightning Vortex, pitching a second, and attacked directly with both monsters. Soul Exchange took away Wildheart and he was tributed for Zaborg, clearing out Jeff’s field! Paul set a spell or trap, and Jeff summoned Elemental Hero Ocean for an attack, but lost him to Mirror Force. Paul passed his next turn, and Jeff dropped his third Ocean to beat for 1500. Card Trooper came down for Paul, and he lost three cards off his deck to pump it over Ocean. He finished out with a set spell or trap and play was back to Jeff, who regenerated Ocean and swung past the Trooper. He set a card and passed back to Paul, but during the draw phase a Trap Dustshoot from Jeff revealed Paul’s only playable monster, a Cyber Dragon and, without any way to stop the attack of Ocean next turn, Paul scooped up his cards! Jeff comes back from a rough start to take game 1 against Paul Levitin!

Both players side decked briefly and Paul opted to go first once again. He started off game 2 with a set monster, which was quickly destroyed by Exiled Force. It was Treeborn Frog, however, and Jeff winced. He set four cards to his back row and activated Trap Dustshoot in Paul’s draw to reveal his hand and shuffle back Gravekeeper’s Spy. Mind Crush then stole away Heavy Storm, and Paul returned his Frog before ending. Jeff set a monster, and Thestalos came down for Paul. He was negated by Solemn Judgment and Cyber Dragon was up next. The attack was blocked by Gravity Bind, and play was back to Jeff, who set a spell or trap and passed. Paul brought back his Frog and set a monster before passing again to Jeff, who just set another spell or trap. Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive flipped for Paul and he drew into Mystical Space Typhoon, which he immediately used to blast Gravity Bind. Mirror Force wiped his monsters during the battle phase, however, and Paul set a card. Jeff flipped Ocean but lost him to Bottomless Trap Hole and proceeded to set Trap Dustshoot. He used it in Paul’s draw phase to rob him of Sangan and Paul passed his turn. Jeff passed as well and Card Trooper came down for Paul. Paul pumped and attacked before setting a card and Jeff brought down Wildheart to attack. Enemy Controller stopped the attack, and Jeff played Confiscation to steal away Snatch Steal from Paul. Pot of Avarice was up next for Paul but Solemn Judgment blocked it! Card Trooper took down Wildheart, but a new Wildheart took down the Trooper! Paul summoned Cyber Dragon and set a spell or trap. During Jeff’s draw, he flipped it: Ring of Destruction! After all of Jeff’s life point payments to Solemn Judgment, the Ring on Cyber Dragon was enough to end the game! Paul Levitin forces this match into a third game!

It was Jeff’s turn to start, and he opened with a four cards to his backfield. One was Trap Dustshoot, and he used it to steal away Paul’s Card Trooper before flipping a second to take away his other playable monster, Gravekeeper’s Spy! Paul had two Monarchs, Premature Burial, and Pot of Avarice. The double Dustshoot crippled him and he passed. Jeff couldn’t capitalize though and both players passed for a turn before Confiscation came down for Paul to reveal Jeff’s hand. He forced Jeff to discard Pulling the Rug and play passed back and forth for a set of turns before Jeff got Confiscation. He dumped Paul’s Brain Control, and finally Paul found a monster to set. Jeff had nothing though, and he set a spell or trap before passing back to Paul, who flipped his rediscovered Gravekeeper’s Spy. A second Spy hit the field, but Gravity Bind blocked the hits. Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch came down in main phase two, and Torrential Tribute blew up the field before Thestalos robbed Jeff of Call of the Haunted. E — Emergency Call brought Elemental Hero Stratos to Jeff’s hand, and he summoned him to fetch Elemental Hero Wildheart. He couldn’t attack though, and play returned Paul, who played Mystical Space Typhoon on Gravity Bind but lost it to Solemn Judgment. Premature Burial brought up a Spy and Paul tributed her for Mobius the Frost Monarch to destroy the Bind anyway. Stratos fell in battle, and play returned to Jeff. He dropped Skyscraper 2 and regenerated Stratos in defense, choosing to search for Elemental Hero Ocean. Jeff set a monster and a Trap Dustshoot, which he flipped to force Paul to send a Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch back to his deck.

Paul shuffled his hand and set a card to each zone before passing back to Jeff who blew away Paul’s set Bottomless Trap Hole with R — Righteous Justice. Jeff set a monster and Paul set a spell or trap, which he also lost next turn to R — Righteous Justice. Jeff summoned his Ocean, set a spell or trap, and flipped Morphing Jar to get a new hand before flipping his freshly set Reinforcement of the Army for another Ocean. He set a new spell or trap and checked Paul’s graveyard before passing. Paul summoned Banisher of the Radiance and attacked into Stratos and Ocean, removing both from play! He set a spell or trap to finish out his turn and Jeff summoned Exiled Force to blow Banisher off the field, Morphing Jar went to defense mode, and Jeff dropped Swords of Revealing Light. Royal Decree was flipped in the end phase, and Jeff lost his field card and the Swords to Mobius during the next turn. Faced with a clear field except for a set card, likely a useless trap, Jeff was in trouble. E — Emergency Call brought him Elemental Hero Wildheart, and Jeff set a card to each zone before passing back to Paul, who summoned Zaborg the Thunder Monarch and swung direct for 4800. Jeff was down to 700 and he really needed a Lightning Vortex. He couldn’t find it though, and he offered the handshake to Paul Levitin! Paul Levitin defeats Jeff Jones to move on to the Top 8!