Jeff’s certainly getting his share of attention at this weekend’s event — he’s come very close to Top 8’ing before but has never quite made it. Andrew isn’t a stranger to the Top 8 or to the winner’s spot — this should be an interesting match! They shook hands, wished each other luck, and began.

Game 1

Jeff won the high roll and opted to go first, then drew his opening hand deliberately, one card at a time, looking at each card as he picked it up. He drew his first card, studied his hand, and set a spell or trap. “Your turn,” he said. Andrew picked up his hand, and drew his first card. He looked through his cards, then activated Mystical Space Typhoon on Jeff’s set card. Jeff turned it over, revealing Sakuretsu Armor, and placed it in the graveyard. Andrew summoned D. D. Warrior Lady, and attacked directly for 1500. “Go ahead,” he said.

Jeff drew, and studied his hand. He held his cards still and fanned out, without the rapid shuffling affected by most players. His eyes flicked across Andrew’s field, and then he set a card. “Finished,” he said.

Andrew drew, looked briefly through his hand, and then attacked once more with D. D. Warrior Lady. “Go ahead.” Jeff drew. “How many in your hand?” “Five,” Andrew responded. Jeff activated Smashing Ground to take out D. D. Warrior Lady, and ended his turn. Andrew drew, again examining his hand before making a move. He paused over Graceful Charity — would he decide to use it? He did, taking three more cards into his hand. He discarded Zaborg the Thunder Monarch and Nobleman of Crossout, then summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior. He broke Jeff’s set card — Mirror Force — then attacked directly for 1600, bringing the life point total to Jeff — 3400 and Andrew — 8000.

Jeff drew his card, and then activated Smashing Ground to take out Breaker. He set a spell or trap and ended his turn — still without putting a monster on the field. “Pass,” he said.

Andrew drew, set two spell or trap cards, and ended his turn. Jeff drew, and looked at his hand. “Pass,” he said.

Andrew drew. “Pass,” he said. Jeff drew. “Cards in your hand?” he asked? “Five,” Andrew responded. “Pass,” Jeff replied. Andrew drew, summoned Hydrogeddon, and attacked directly once more for 1600. Those steady hits were really adding up — Jeff now had only 1800 life points remaining. “Go ahead,” Andrew said.

Jeff drew, and looked at his hand. He shuffled the two end cards back and forth as he thought about his options. He summoned Exiled Force, and tributed it to destroy the Hydrogeddon, and ended his turn. Andrew drew. “Go ahead,” he said. Jeff drew. Both players were holding a lot of cards, but Jeff didn’t seem to have many options — he activated Graceful Charity. After some consideration, he discarded Hydrogeddon and Stratos, then set a spell or trap and ended his turn.

Andrew drew, and then checked through Jeff’s graveyard. He looked through his own, and then activated Premature Burial. Jeff had no response, and Andrew brought back Zaborg. Jeff winced. “It’s too late to activate Solemn, right?” he asked the table judge. It was, and Andrew attacked with Zaborg for game. The first game was over in less than ten minutes, and both players immediately turned to their side decks.

Game 2

After the table judge verified they each had a 15-card side deck, the second game began. Jeff again chose to go first, and drew his opening hand. Picking up his first card, he looked through his choices and activated Confiscation. Andrew laid his hand out on the table — Hydrogeddon, Breaker the Magical Warrior, Gravekeeper’s Spy, Sakuretsu Armor, and Jinzo. Jeff studied the lineup, and looked back at his own hand. “Jinzo,” he finally decided, then set one spell or trap card and ended his turn.

Andrew drew, and thought. Jeff knew most of his hand, and would anticipate his next move. He considered for a moment, then set one monster, and ended his turn. Jeff summoned Exiled Force, tributed it to destroy the set monster — Gravekeeper’s Spy — then set a spell or trap card and ended his turn. Andrew drew, checked his set spell or trap, and summoned Spirit Reaper. He attacked directly, costing Jeff a Graceful Charity.

Jeff set a monster, then a spell or trap card. “Go,” he said. Andrew drew, checked his set card, and shuffled through his hand before summoning Breaker, which Jeff promptly nailed with Bottomless Trap Hole. Andrew turned his Reaper to defense, and ended his turn. Jeff flip summoned Magician of Faith to retrieve his lost Graceful Charity, and activated it. After looking through his hand, he discarded Solemn Judgment and Don Zaloog. He then set one monster, a spell or trap, and then the last spell or trap in his hand and ended.

Andrew drew, and set a spell or trap then a monster. “Go ahead,” he said. Jeff drew, checked his numerous sets, turned his Magician of Faith to defense and ended his turn. Andrew drew, and got busy. He used Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy one of the set cards — Solemn Judgment — then flip summoned his own Magician of Faith to take the Typhoon back and use it again, wiping out Mirror Force. He summoned Hydrogeddon, and attacked Jeff’s Magician of Faith — only to be checked by Sakuretsu Armor. “Go ahead,” he said.

Jeff drew, and looked through his graveyard. He used his own Mystical Space Typhoon to eradicate Andrew’s set card — alas, Soul Exchange — considered a few moments more, and then ended his turn. Andrew drew, turned Reaper to defense, then summoned Hydrogeddon, attacking Magician of Faith and sending her to the graveyard. He brought another Hydro out and attacked the face down, which flipped up to reveal Spirit Reaper. That wasn’t holding Andrew back — he activated Enemy Controller to change the Reaper’s position, destroying it, then continued his Battle Phase by attacking with Magician of Faith and Spirit Reaper.

Jeff drew, and activated Pot of Avarice. He shuffled two Hydrogeddon, Don Zaloog, and Magician of Faith back into his deck, and then drew two new cards. He set both of them and ended his turn, with life points at Jeff — 6100 and Andrew — 8000. Andrew had no cards in hand, and drew to begin his turn. He turned his Magician of Faith and Reaper to defense, and attacked directly with both Hydrogeddon, dropping Jeff to 2900. “Go ahead,” he said.

Jeff drew, and looked at the field. He summoned Exiled Force, then activated Torrential Tribute to clear the field, and ended his turn. Andrew drew, set a spell or trap, and ended. Jeff did the same. Andrew drew. “Go ahead,” he said. Jeff drew. “Go ahead,” he said. Andrew did the same. Jeff then summoned Elemental Hero Stratos, and used its effect to bring another to his hand. He attacked, taking Andrew down to 6200. Andrew drew, and summoned Cyber Dragon, which he tributed for Thestalos. He reached out and plucked the other Stratos from Jeff’s hand, then attacked with Thestalos to destroy the Stratos on the field.

Jeff retaliated with Smashing Ground to take out Thestalos, then set a monster and ended. Andrew drew. “Go ahead,” he said. Jeff drew, and looked at the field, then checked through Andrew’s graveyard. Jeff checked his set cards, and then flip summoned Morphing Jar. Each player took in a new hand of five cards, and Jeff studied his thoughtfully. “Reinforcement,” he said, placing Reinforcement of the Army on the field. He searched out Don Zaloog, and summoned him. Andrew flipped up Torrential Tribute, and Jeff activated Premature Burial, paying 800 to bring Don back to the field. He attacked, and discarded Andrew’s Confiscation.

Andrew drew, and looked through his hand. He set one monster, and one spell or trap, and ended his turn. Jeff drew, and Andrew held up his hand. “In your draw phase,” he began, and flipped up Ring of Destruction, “I’ll ring Don for game.”

It was a fast match, over in just under a half hour, and with a 2-0 victory over Jeff, Andrew would be moving on to face Carlo Perez in the semifinals.