Jerry Wang is no stranger to competition in this format, coming fresh off a Top 8 in Chicago two weeks ago. He’s up against Josh Cohen, the duelist we feature earlier today with the innovative Chain Energy aggro burn deck. Both competitors had taken a single loss each thus far.
“I’m pretty sure I need to win here,” remarked Cohen, “since I have one loss and my tie-breakers are abysmal. I need to beat you and beat two more people.”
“How early did you lose?” asked Wang, shuffling up.
“I lost Round 5.”
“I lost Round 1!” retorted a saddened Wang with a grin. He was in the same position he’d had to recover from at the first Shonen Jump Chicago, and the last Shonen Jump Durham. Both of these competitors were playing for their continued life in this tournament.
Cohen opened the first duel with one set spell or trap, summoning D. D. Assailant. “It’s all you.” Wang activated Brain Control, took the Assailant, and attacked directly for 1700 damage. He tributed him away in main phase 2 for Raiza the Storm Monarch, but Cohen responded with Bottomless Trap Hole to remove Raiza from play. Wang ended by setting a card to his back row.
Heavy Storm destroyed it next turn — Solemn Judgment. Cohen activated Premature Burial, dropping to 5500 life points to special summon D. D. Assailant, then attacked to reduce Wang to 5500 life points as well. “You may go.”
Wang special summoned Cyber Dragon, normal summoned D.D. Survivor, and attacked the Assailant with Survivor! Survivor was removed, Cyber Dragon attacked directly, and Survivor came back in the end phase. Wang was perfectly equipped to deal with one of Cohen’s most important monsters.
Cohen special summoned Cyber Dragon next turn, set a monster, and set two cards to his back row. Cyber Dragon ran over D.D. Survivor, and, when Wang tried to crash his Cyber Dragon into Cohen’s next turn, Cohen flipped Magic Cylinder to send the damage back. Wang summoned Exiled Force in main phase 2, tributed it to target Cohen’s set monster, and gave a little fist-pump when it destroyed Morphing Jar.
Cohen summoned Banisher of the Radiance next turn. “You have 3100 life points?” Wang nodded. Cohen flipped Ceasefire to deal 1500 damage, traded Cyber Dragons in battle, then attacked with Banisher to deal 1600 damage, exactly the amount needed to end the duel!
Josh Cohen takes the first game against Jerry Wang, taking a slick victory when both duelists had very cards remaining. Both competitors began side decking, and Josh took a considerable amount of time deciding what to side out.
Wang opened the game with a set card to each zone. Cohen summoned Snipe Hunter, passed priority, and Wang activated Bottomless Trap Hole in response, removing Snipe from play. Cohen set a spell or trap, Wang set one on the turn that followed, and play was back to Cohen.
He summoned D. D. Warrior Lady, attacked, and the Warrior Lady bounced off Wang’s face down D. D. Assailant; she removed both Assailant and herself from play, and Cohen took 100 damage from battle. He set a second spell or trap and flipped his first: Chain Energy! Wang summoned D.D. Survivor, took 500 damage, and attacked into Mirror Force; D.D. Survivor was destroyed. Cohen drew, paid 500 life points to summon Mei-Kou, Master of Barriers, and hit directly for 1700 damage. Wang dropped to 5800 life points. Cohen set another spell or trap, paying 500 life points.
Wang flipped his set Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying Chain Energy. He’d paid for D.D. Survivor just to bluff Cohen into taking more damage. He summoned D.D. Survivor, attacked Mei-Kou and ended after setting another spell or trap. Cohen had been firmly outplayed!
He pressed on, special summoning Cyber Dragon. It attacked, and Wang flipped his set Shrink; Cohen chained Limiter Removal, unaware that Shrink’s reduction would wind up with Limiter being ignored anyway. Limiter doubled Cyber Dragon’s ATK, Shrink reduced it to half the original ATK, and Cyber Dragon was destroyed. “That was bad,” confessed Cohen.
Wang attacked with D.D. Survivor but hit into Dimension Wall. He set a spell or trap, and the duel stood at 6050 to 4000 in Cohen’s favor. Cohen dropped to 5250, bringing back Cyber Dragon with Premature Burial, and attacking over D.D. Survivor. Wang was left with 3700 life points.
He special summoned Cyber Dragon, normal summoned Exiled Force, and destroyed Cohen’s Dragon with the Force’s effect. He then attacked directly with Cyber Dragon. Cohen drew, set a card to his back row, and shook his head.
Wang attacked, but walked right into Magic Cylinder! He was down to just 1600 life points! “End my turn,” he declared.
Cohen summoned Mei-Kou, tributed it for Enemy Controller and tried to attack for game. It was the only play he could make, but Wang responded with Scapegoat. Cyber Dragon attacked a Sheep, and next turn Wang flopped D. D. Assailant to attack for game.
A tactical slipup by Cohen costs him the duel, and the match moves to a third game! Wang finished siding before his opponent, just like after the first duel. Twelve minutes remained in the match.
Cohen opted to begin the third and final duel, doing so by setting a spell or trap and activating Chain Energy! Wang paid 500 to activate Nobleman of Extermination, removing Cohen’s set Dimension Wall from the field and forcing him to give up two more from his deck, a huge blow to Cohen’s strategy! “That was mean,” remarked Cohen. “You don’t like Dimension Wall?”
“I don’t like damage!” Wang took another 500, setting a spell or trap and ending. Cohen summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, paid 500 for him, and broke Wang’s set Dust Tornado — it was chained to destroy Chain Energy, and Wang set another spell or trap card. Breaker attacked for 1600, Wang dropped to 5400, and Cohen set one more card to his back row.
Wang had a mitt full of useless spells and traps, but he topped into Scapegoat, which he immediately set. Breaker attacked, Wang flipped Scapegoat, and Breaker destroyed a Sheep Token. Wang shuffled his hand of Macro Cosmos, Dimensional Fissure, and Return from the Different Dimension, all of which were dead cards. Cohen ended.
Morphing Jar came off the top of Wang’s deck, and he set the Jar as well as Macro Cosmos. Cohen read it, setting a second card to his back row before attacking — Wang discarded Dimensional Fissure for Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, bouncing away the spell or trap Cohen had just set, then flipped his Jar. The Jar was destroyed and each player got a new hand of five cards.
The duel stood at 5400 to 7500 in Cohen’s favor and he set a spell or trap before summoning Reflect Bounder. He set another spell or trap before ending, and Wang flipped Macro Cosmos.
He summoned D.D. Survivor and attacked Breaker the Magical Warrior, but Magic Cylinder reflected the damage! Wang set two cards to his back row and ended, as four minutes remained in the match. Time was not on his side.
Cohen summoned Snipe Hunter, discarded Card Trooper, and targeted one of Wang’s set spell or trap cards. It was Mystical Space Typhoon, and Wang chained it; Cohen chained the target, Ceasefire! Wang dropped to 1600 life points. The match could easily hinge on how Cohen played out this turn.
He turned Breaker the Magical Warrior to defense, Snipe Hunter attacked a Sheep, and Bounder attacked D.D. Survivor. Cohen activated Limiter Removal, but Wang chained Shrink! Bounder went back to 1700 ATK and crashed into Survivor, destroyed in battle. Cohen ended.
Wang summoned D. D. Assailant, and his two monsters wiped Cohen’s field clear. Cohen summoned Mei-Kou, attacked D. D. Assailant, and both were removed. Wang summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, Cohen chained Pulling the Rug and D.D. Survivor attacked. He had 5300 life points remaining.
Just a minute and thirty seconds remained. Cohen set a monster, Wang summoned D. D. Assailant and activated Dimensional Fissure. Assailant destroyed Cohen’s set Mei-Kou in battle, and D.D. Survivor attacked directly.
Cohen activated Premature Burial to special summon Cyber Dragon, and then ran over D.D. Survivor to reduce Wang to 1300 life points. It came back in the end phase.
Wang tributed his Survivor for Cyber Dragon, crashed it into Cohen’s Cyber Dragon, and attacked directly with Assailant. Wang brought back D.D. Survivor to finish his turn. Cohen looked at his next draw and conceded immediately, offering the handshake.
Jerry Wang defeats Josh Cohen with a series of knowledgeable plays, proceeding to the next round with just a single loss! Two more wins and Wang would be a shoe-in for Day 2.