Richard Treadwell is a seventeen-year-old from Wilson, North Carolina, and he’s pleased to be representing the local players. “There was a lot of talk about people coming in to win,” I observed.

“Yeah,” he smiled. Richard is here as part of Team Spanc, the name proudly displayed on his playmat.

Omar Gaspar traveled to Durham from New York. He’s sixteen, came here on his own rather than part of a group, and he made a strong showing yesterday. “I’ve seen you at Neutral,” he observed.

We didn’t get the chance to see much of them yesterday, so let’s see what they have to show us here in the Top 8. They’re both playing Warrior decks, so the matchup should be fast and full of action.

Head Judge Simon Sangpukdee announced the start of the round, told the players they had an hour for the round, and with a handshake, things began!

Omar won the die roll and opted to go first. Both drew, and he looked through his hand carefully. The players got to look over each other’s decklists and they know who they’ll be facing. They know what they’re up against, so opening decisions are crucial. Omar set a monster, and ended his turn.

Richard drew, and played Reinforcement of the Army. He sorted through his deck, and smiled “I wonder what’s coming . . .” He pulled out Mystic Swordsman LV2, and summoned it. He attacked and destroyed Omar’s set monster, then set a spell/trap card and ended.

Oman drew, and summoned Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. He attacked with it, and Richard looked at his set spell or trap, considered briefly, and flipped up Widespread Ruin. Omar set one spell or trap, then ended his turn.

Richard drew, and attacked directly with Mystic Swordsman LV2, dealing 900 damage to Omar. First blood! Not a great deal of it, but damage had been done. He set a spell or trap and ended.

Omar drew, and in his draw phase Richard flipped up the Dust Tornado he’d set his previous turn, taking out Omar’s set Mystical Space Typhoon. Omar then summoned Exiled Force, and attacked Richard’s puny little Swordsman.

Richard drew, and retaliated with Smashing Ground to destroy Exiled. The game was moving along at a blazing pace, with neither player content to let the other’s cards stay on the field for more than one or two turns. Richard set a spell or trap, set a monster, and ended his turn.

Omar drew, and studied his hand. He didn’t take long to make a decision, and set a monster and ended his turn. Each player had a light field, with only one set spell or trap and one set monster.

Richard checked over both graveyards, then summoned Exiled Force, tributing it to wipe out Omar’s face-down Gravekeeper’s Spy, and ended.

Omar activated Call of the Haunted to bring back Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, which he tributed to summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, and struck back at Richard’s set monster, a Magician of Faith. He then attacked directly with Zaborg, bringing the life point totals to Richard at 5500 and Omar with 7100.

Richard wasn’t going to let that go without an answer. He activated Smashing Ground to take out Zaborg, then summoned Don Zaloog to attack directly for 1400 and peel a card out of Omar’s hand. “Good old Smashing Ground,” he said. He set a spell or trap and ended his turn.

Omar activated Premature Burial, only to have it shut down by Richard’s set Mystical Space Typhoon. He ended his turn

Richard again attacked directly with Don Zaloog, further whittling down Omar’s hand. Omar moved back on the offensive by summoning D. D. Warrior Lady, and striking out at that irritating Don. Don had done his work, however, and Omar no longer had a hand. With the life point totals showing Richard at 5400 and Omar at 3500, and a solitary D. D. Warrior Lady on the field, Omar needed to mount more of a comeback if he was going to regain control of the duel.

Richard drew, after looking through both graveyards. He summoned D. D. Assailant, and attacked Omar’s D. D. Warrior Lady. Both were removed, leaving the field looking very bare. Richard set a spell or trap and ended.

Omar drew, and summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior. He used it to break Richard’s set Call of the Haunted. “I’ll chain,” Richard announced. “Hmm . . . can I get anything?” He decided to bring Don Zaloog out for a brief return to the field, and laughed as he sent it back to the graveyard. Omar then attacked directly with Breaker.

Richard drew, set a spell/trap and ended his turn. Omar attacked again with breaker, bringing the life point total to Richard 2200 and Omar 3300. The tide seemed to have turned! Omar set a monster and ended his turn.

Richard played Dark Hole, asking “Was it Reaper?” Indeed it was, and it was off to the graveyard along with the Breaker. “I called that one right.” Richard then summoned D. D. Warrior Lady and attacked directly. Omar set another spell or trap and ended his turn.

Richard attacked directly once more with D. D. Warrior Lady, straight into Omar’s Sakuretsu Armor. He ended, and Omar summoned Mystic Tomato, only to lose it to Richard’s Trap Hole. Nothing seemed to last long on the field in this game.

Richard summoned his own Breaker the Magical Warrior, and stopped to think. “Can I see your graveyard?” he asked. He decided to break the set card anyway, and it turned out to be Nobleman of Crossout! “Ohhhhh!” he said. “Nice, nice, nice!”

Omar had only 200 life points remaining, and it was down to topdecking. He set one spell or trap and ended his turn. Richard drew, and attacked directly with Breaker. Omar reached for his set spell or trap—could he stop it? He turned the card face up, revealing Bottomless Trap Hole, and reached across the table to shake his opponent’s hand. “That’s game,” he said.

Both players decided to use their side decks. The first match had taken only eight minutes to play.

Game 2

After side decking, both players shuffled thoroughly, shook hands, and began. Omar again went first, and studied his opening hand. He knew what he wanted to do, and quickly set one spell or trap and one monster.

Richard drew, looked at Omar and declared, “Let’s see if I can do this again!” He activated Reinforcement of the Army, and once again brought out Mystic Swordsman LV2 and attacked Omar’s set monster. Omar was ready for him this time, though, and responded with Widespread Ruin. Richard set one spell or trap and ended his turn.

Omar then flip summoned Dekoichi, getting the extra cards he was going to need to stand up to Richard’s Don and Reaper. He then summoned Spirit Reaper, and attacked directly, taking a Dust Tornado from Richard’s hand. Omar then attacked with Dekoichi, bringing Richard to 6300 life points.

Richard retaliated with Dark Hole, then summoned Sangan and attacked Omar directly for 1000. Omar drew, and looked at his hand and graveyard before setting a monster.

Richard drew, studied his hand in turn, and summoned D. D. Assailant. He attacked into Omar’s set Gravekeeper’s Spy, taking some backlash damage and enabling Omar to bring a second Spy to the field. Omar was definitely not at the disadvantage he’d experienced in the earlier duel, with a solid hand of cards and two monsters on the field. Richard turned Sangan to defense and ended his turn.

Omar drew, and tributed one Spy for Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. He destroyed D. D. Assailant with its effect, then turned the other Gravekeeper’s Spy to attack position. He attacked Sangan, and Richard searched out Spirit Reaper. Omar continued his battle phase, and attacked directly with Zaborg. The life point totals were Richard, 3600 and Omar, 7000. “That’s not going to be good,” Richard murmured.

“Go ahead,” said Omar.

Richard drew and thought. He then summoned D. D. Assailant, attacked Spy, and ended. Omar drew, and activated Heavy Storm. He then used Snatch Steal to take Richard’s D. D. Assailant, and summoned Sangan. Richard looked at the lineup of Zaborg, Sangan, and D. D. Assailant. “Yyyyyeah, that’s game,” he admitted, and extended his hand to Omar. “Not as exciting as the first one,” he added with a grin. The duel lasted less than six minutes.

Tied with one win each, Omar and Richard readied for game 3. At the rate these guys are playing, this match should be decided in no time at all. Richard announced that he would side deck, but Omar was happy with his deck the way it was. Omar shuffled, and waited for Richard to finish. Jerking his head over at the Zachary/Jerry matchup, he said, “I want to know what’s going on over there.”

Game 3

Richard went first, and drew his opening hand. He seemed to like what he saw, and quickly set a monster and a spell or trap, and ended his turn.

Omar drew, and played Reinforcement of the Army. Turnabout was fair play as he pulled out Mystic Swordsman LV2. “You gotta do what you gotta do,” Richard agreed, as Omar summoned the Swordsman and attacked Richard’s face-down monster. Richard did what he had to do, and flipped up Sakuretsu Armor. Omar set a spell or trap card and ended.

Richard drew, summoned Don Zaloog, then flip summoned Spirit Reaper. Don attacked directly, stripping Omar of his Heavy Storm. Reaper quickly followed suit, taking D. D. Assailant and reducing his life points to 6300. Richard then set a spell or trap card and ended.

Omar flipped up Premature Burial, bringing back D. D. Assailant. He then summoned Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, prompting Richard to check his set cards. Omar’s D. D. Assailant attacked Richard’s Don Zaloog, and Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer attacked Reaper. The life point totals now had Richard at 6200 and Omar with 4700.

“Go ahead,” Omar said.

Richard drew, and used Smashing Ground to wipe out Omar’s D. D. Assailant. Omar had one card in hand. “I wish I had Brain Control,” Richard mused. He then activated another Smashing Ground to kill off Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, summoned his own D. D. Assailant, and attacked directly for 1700.

Omar set a monster, and ended his turn. Richard summoned Mystic Swordsman LV2 and attacked it, revealing Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. Richard then activated Call of the Haunted, bringing back D. D. Assailant for a direct hit of 1700. Life points now showed Richard with 6200 and Omar at 1300.

Omar summoned Mystic Tomato and attacked Mystic Swordsman LV2. Then, on his turn, Richard summoned D. D. Warrior Lady. Looking at the fighting D. D. lineup, Omar reached over and shook Richard’s hand. “Good game,” he said.

All three games were over and done with in a half hour—a blazing rate of play for a Top 8 match. Richard would go on to the semifinals, while Omar received his DS and bragging rights from making the Shonen Jump Durham Top 8.