Chris Bowling is “the next big thing” for Team Outphase, and he’s undefeated at Table 1. Now he’s up against Jeff Jones, perhaps the best player in North America to never make a Top 8, and, while Bowling is armed with a deck made by Ryan Spicer and Velvet Jones, Jeff Jones has borrowed a page from Mike Powers. Like everything involving Jeff Jones, this is going to be interesting.

Bowling began the match with almost a minute of silent consideration and hand-shuffling. He summoned Card Trooper, sent Swords of Revealing Light, Magician of Faith, and Morphing Jar from his deck to the graveyard and set one back row card.

Jeff Jones special summoned Cyber Dragon, normal summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, and broke his opponent’s set Sakuretsu Armor. Cyber Dragon attacked Card Trooper, Breaker hit directly, and Bowling was down to 4700 life points. Jones set two back row cards and passed.

His opponent special summoned Cyber Dragon as well, but lost it to Bottomless Trap Hole. He special summoned another Dragon, and then normal summoned Elemental Hero Stratos to search his deck for another Stratos. Stratos attacked Breaker, destroying him, and the two Cyber Dragons traded off. Bowling set a spell or trap to end his turn.

Stratos then came down from Jones’ hand and searched his deck for another as well. He activated Smashing Ground and attacked directly, but was rebuked by Call of the Haunted bringing back Cyber Dragon. Jones did not replay his attack, and instead set a second spell or trap card to end his turn. Bowling summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, but Jones flipped Solemn Judgment to negate and destroy it! He dropped to 3900 life points as a result of paying for Solemn. Bowling attacked with Cyber Dragon, but lost it to Sakuretsu Armor! He activated Dimension Fusion in main phase 2, desperate for a wall, and brought back his lone Cyber Dragon in attack position.

Jones summoned his second Stratos, searching his deck for the third. “Pass,” he announced, with nothing in his back row.

Bazoo hit Bowling’s side of the field, and immediately went to 2500 ATK! Bowling removed Stratos, Morphing Jar, and Breaker the Magical Warrior to feed the monkey, and then attacked to wipe out Jones’ two copies of Stratos. He set one card to his spell and trap zone and ended.

Jones drew for his turn and perused his hand. “You got it,” he stated, folding his hand and starting to side deck for the next game.

Chris Bowling pulls out of some rough first turns, and superior monsters earn him the first-duel win!

Play began quickly for the second game. Jones set two cards to his spell and trap zone, considered setting a monster, and then opted not to do so. Bowling activated Heavy Storm, but Jones chained Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell, discarding Smashing Ground! “You can’t play Heavy Storm again this duel.” Good to know.

Bowling summoned Stratos next, and Jones flipped Bottomless Trap Hole to remove the on-field one from play. It seemed like rough beats for Jones, who was now behind two cards. Bowling ended his turn with nothing on his field.

Jones summoned Don Zaloog, hit directly, and discarded Bazoo the Soul-Eater! He set one card to back Don up and ended. “Pass.” Bowling summoned another Stratos and searched out his third on the following turn. He lost the on-field copy to Mirror Force. “Your go.” He had nothing to set in his back row.

Elemental Hero Wildheart was summoned by Jones, and he hit for 2900 damage and forced Bowling to discard Limiter Removal! He set one spell or trap, ended, and Bowling summoned his third Stratos. He had no more to search for in his deck, but activated Premature Burial to bring up another to destroy Jones’ set Smashing Ground. Both Stratos’ attacked, and Jones lost his Don Zaloog and Elemental Hero Wildheart. In main phase 2 Bowling activated Future Fusion, targeted Cyber Twin Dragon to send two Cyber Dragons to his graveyard and ended.

Jones special summoned Cyber Dragon, and sent it to destroy Stratos in battle. Bowling turned his other Stratos to defense and set a monster, just waiting on that Cyber Twin Dragon. Jones’ Cyber Dragon took out the second Stratos, and he set a monster and a back row card.

Cyber Twin Dragon came out of Bowling’s Fusion deck, and Jones’ set Solemn Judgment was no help. Bowling summoned Cyber Phoenix, Jones examined his opponent’s graveyard, and Cyber Twin Dragon attacked Jones’s Cyber Dragon. It attacked Jones’s set monster (Magician of Faith) next, and Jones took back Smashing Ground. Cyber Phoenix then attacked, and Bowling ended.

Jones activated Smashing Ground, and then took out Cyber Phoenix with Exiled Force. He ended with his one set card. Bowling flip summoned Card Trooper, pumped it to 1900, summoned another Cyber Phoenix and attacked for 3100. Jones was down to 700 life points, and Bowling set one back row card.