Subject: Black Shield & Skull Sword, Matthew Wasson, Olde Centre, DE Back again after another tournament. And what a tournament it was. A total of 88 people showed up because apprently some local news station did a report on it. This brought a mass of duelists out of the wood work. I decided to play a new deck for this tourney; Black Shield & Skull Sword Monsters: 3x Labyrinth Wall (Sure i have to tribute but it's invaluable with s&s) 2x Summoned Skull (A piece of my black skull) 2x La Jinn (stall till shield & sword) 2x 7-Colored Fish (stall till s&s) 22 Monsters 1x Axe Raider (traded for it and since I couldn't find a third 7c or la jinn in it went) 2x Magician of Faith (bring back the ever valuable magic) 2x Versago the Destroyer (Since i couldn't find any REBD i traded for these) 2x Sangan (Get my low attack, high def monsters) 2x Mystical Elf (s&s beast) 2x Prevent Rat (s&s beast) 1x Time Wizard ("da' time wizard has really pulled my butt out of da' fire") 1x Man Eater Bug (kiss one monster good bye) Magic: 3x Shield and Sword (makes there la jinns and ss into nothing) 2x Polymerization (Gets me the black skull) 2x Horn of Light (Raise the def) 16 Magic 2x Heavy Storm (no magic for them) 2x Ring of Magnetism (forces them to attack what i want) 1x Raigeki (clears the field) 1x Pot of Greed (more cards, better chances) 1x Change of Heart (what was theirs, is mine) 1x Swords of Revealing Light (stall away) 1x Monster Reborn (bring back my monster) Traps: 2x Mirror Wall (Hurts there attack for meager lp) 2x Magic Jammer (stops magic) 11 Traps 2x 7 Tools of the Bandit (cursed traps need dealing with) 2x Solemn Judgment (steep price but worth it) 1x Mirror Force (no explanation needed) 1x Trap Hole (bye bye monster) 1x Waboku (block an attack) Fusion Deck: 2x Black Skull Dragon 49 cars total not including fusions. A bit heavy on magic but a deck like this needs support more then a rushing offense. The idea is to a) get my black skull dragon out or b) create strong monsters with shield and sword. The tournament was to be narrowed down to 64 for an even set of matches so 25 people had 64 participants had to compete for 32 of the spots. The other 32 were giving to those of us that had ranked in the top 10 at the last tourney or drew their lots with luck. After the initial dueling the real thing was to begin. We play standard duel rules (2 wins for a duel victory, restrictions, etc) 1st Round: Matt vs. Heavy Bob (A japanese Yugi Structure Deck) 64 remain This guy was annoying. He was like 30 something and one of those stereotypes of nerds that live with there parents. To top it off he used an almost exact replica of the Yu Gi Structure with a large chunk being Japanese cards. 1st Duel: I draw a mirror wall, labyrinth wall, prevent rat, polymerization and versago the destroyer. I put prevent rat face down in defense and my mirror wall in the trap zone. He plays aa mammoth graveyard (yes a mammoth graveyard) and hooks it up with an axe od despair. It hits my mirror wall and he loses lp to my prevent rat. I draw and play SoRL and tribute for my labyrinth wall. I eventually get my s&s and attack with not one but 2 labyrinth walls. He struggles and gets na useless dark magician out to be the last of his sacrificial lambs. Victory for me 2nd Duel: I draw a pot of greed, horn of light, wabaku, la jinn and sangan. I lay sangan down and use pot of greed to get summoned skull and axe raider. He destroys my sangan with a neo. I get my labyrinth wall and put la jinn out to slay neo. He brings out an amazing string of strong attackers including dark elf and jirai gumo (with correct flips)i mount s defense but he chips away at my life. I can't keep a tribute out long enough to put labyrinths wall down. He then gives this devilish laugh (i snicker) and tributes his dark magician and battle ox for the black magician of chaos (japanese of course). He says he'll let me live for...now. I get SoRL and stall once again. I draw Versago and put a 7-Colored Fish down. H laughs but doesn't see my surprise i the future. I tribute that fish for my Summoned SKull and put Versago down with a polymerization to create the Black Skull Dragon. I crush his monster one by one straight into victory. 2nd Round: Me vs. Kyle (Ocean Attack)(32 Remain) 1st Duel: Kyle's deck is a mix of strong water creatures and magic cards most people don't use. I draw a Raigeki, mirror wall, man eater bug, axe raider and magician of faith. I play my raider and my mirror wall. His High Tide Gyoshins and Red Archery Girls ar useless but somehow he gets a Master FIsherman and Umi out. I'm astounded as he boosts it and it has immunity to my traps and magic. I finally get frustrated of having my life taken away so i spin with da time wizard and get it. I go to town on his LP for the rest of the duel. 2nd Duel: I'm a shame of myself for this. I draw all magic and traps to begin with and he proceeds to stomp me for the rest of the duel (to ashamed to even write it down) 3rd: Here's where the tourney got good. I draw axe raider, summoned skull, versago, polymerization and a prevent rat. I think great! In 3 turns i can have my black skull but no, he creates havoc with a card destruction. I reborn my skull and rip on him and his wave of red archery girls but he once again does something unexpected. He plays a Yami and uses dna surgery to turn my summoned skull fairy and wipe it away with a powered up curse fo dragon (why curse of dragon i ask?). He then burning land the yami next turn and goes back to his Umi- Fisherman strategy. I get labyrinth wall down with my horn of light hoping to get s&s ready. He uses ultimate offering-grave digger combo to make a polymerization monster (the deep sea shark) and explains that it his favorite monster and powers it up but he hits the wall. It takes a while but his plan falls through and my s&s monsters win the game for me. (A close but well won victory for me) 3rd Round: Me vs. Neo (name he gave me) (Rookie Beatdown) (16 Remain) 1st Duel: This guy's deck was very simplistic so figuring him out wasn't hard. I draw mirror force, solemn judgment, heavy storm, 7 colored fish and la jinn. I put all my magic and traps down and play the fish. He opens with witch of the black forest. I toy with him and don't attack so he just keeps playing small beatdown monsters with no powerups so they can't hurts my fish or la jinn. I eventually put down a labyrinth wall with s&s to take out his pathetic monsters. (you should never wait for summoned skull , he's usually too late) 2nd Duel: Same as the first except now he's scared. I draw Raigeki, Axe Raider (HE JUST KEEPS POPPING UP), Change of heart, Time WIzard and Summoned Skull. I open with axe raider and he slays it with the Fish. I change of heart his fish and get summoned skull. I keep his field clear the rest of the game thus reversing his strategy onto him. I win. 4th Round: Me vs. Jose (Harpies Ladies/ Exodia) (8 remain) Exodia finally reared it's ugly head but this guy had unfortunately not put his total focus on it. His divided strategy would end up costing him 1st Duel: Ok, this was luck for him. He draws four pieces his first turn and then kill his sangan to give him the fifth. No big deal 2nd: A real duel. I draw 7 Colored Fish, Trap Hole, Horn of Light, Sangan, and Prevent Rat. I put Sangan i defense and the trap hole i the magic zone. He attacks with a Dark Elf. I draw my labyrinth wall and put prevent rat down. He plays harpy lady with elegant egotist to get two sisters. His attacks fail so i tribute for my wall. I quip a horn of light on it and end my turn. He uses a magician of faith to ge this egotist back for some reason and ends his turn. I draw and use pot fo greed to get heavy storm and my second horn of light. I equip it as well and he attacks the wall with his dark elf (with only a malevolent nuzzler equipped!) I bounce him back and then out down my Fish and use a newly drawn s&s to kill his elf. He kills my fish and uses his egotist for another harpy lady and sister. Revive his dark elf with monster reborn and beat down his harpies for the rest of the match. 3rd: I added a card destruction cause i figured he wouldn't try harpies on me again. I was right. He played standard exodia style. I drew a MEB, MoF, Polymerization, Mirror Force and Summoned Skull. I put MEB and Mirror Force down. H attacks with a jirai gumo, flips wrong and loses it to boot. I put my magician of faith down (no other monsters) and he plays sangan. I tribute for skull and attack. He makes a big mistake and tells me he has 4 pieces as he plays witch of the black forest. I draw card destruction and boom! he's gone. I just dominate from then on. The final four consisted of me, my friend jim, the girl morgan who i dueled in the finals last tournament and this guy named Mitch, who's Monster Removal Deck had become legendary. We got a 15 minute break before we drew lots. Wouldn't you know it, I draw morgan's lot and a rematch of the last tournament finals commence. 5th Round: Me vs. Morgan (Gate Guardian Girl) The problem Morgan had was she was expecting me to use my old deck again but i didn't and she did. 1st Duel:I draw 2 Labyrinth Walls, Sangan, 7 Tools of the Bandit and Trap Hole. I put both traps down and my Sangan. She plays a face down defense monster as well and a trap and I tribute sangan for Labyrinth wall and draw versago. She uses a trap hole but i seven tool it. I draw skull but have nothing to use a tribute. She sues swords of revealing light to get two pieces out (but i trap hole one). I draw a time wizard i those turn and ut it down. She attacks the wall and loses life so i tribute for my skull. The stage is set for a heart of the cards moment and yes!... Polymerization! Black Skull is out and in full swing. She can't deal with it and loses. 2nd Duel: I draw La Jinn, Prevent Rat, Mystical Elf, SoRL and Axe Raider. I put La Jinn down and she puts only a magic card down. She says she ahs no monsters. My mistake for believing. I try and attack only to be mirror forced. She bring out jirai gumo (but a wrong flip! yes!). She goes nuts on me with constant beatdown beasts while still getting out her gate guardian pieces. I pull off a labyrinth wall/ s&s combo but she ends up with a win thanks to that cursed gate guardian. 3rd Duel: I draw Change of Heart, Magic Jammer, Versago, Summoned Skull and Labyrinth Wall. I put both magics and traps down and play versago face down. She plays a card face down in defense. I draw and play a la jinn. She plays a jirai gumo but doesn't attack. I change of heart ti and attack her monster and life. I tribute la jinn for skull on my next turn but she trap holes me! She tries to use Monster Reborn but i Magic Jammer it. I get my Labyrinth wall down. She brings out the first piece of Gate Guardian but I draw my s&s and with some maneuvering of two mystical elves and a prevent rat i kill her off. Hard fought victory for me. The finals. Me and one fo the closest friends Jim are playing. I'm a bit intimidated by Jim's deck since it has always been designed around beating whatever deck i create. It also is based on one fo our favorite monsters: the Great Moth. It all comes down to this for the championship and actual tourney packs! It feels like Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome when they were all chanting "Two men enter. One man leaves" 6th Round: Me vs Jim (Great Moth Burner) (2 Remain) 1st Duel: I draw 2 shield and swords, a pot of greed, a 7 colored fish and a Monster Reborn. I use pot of greed to get not only versago but my ss too! I play the Fish and he plays dark elf but holds off his attack. I draw a heavy storm and put it face down. I tribute the Fish for my SS and attack his life. He uses ultimate offering to put a card face down and a Dark Elf with a sword of deep seated. I'm suspicious but i drew my polymerization and sue it and versago to get my skull dragon. I attack this face down card only to learn it's a cyber jar! Curses! He gets his petit moth down and attaches the cocoon. I try attacking ti from many angles but it only has one turn to go. Then i figure out he's using magic to keep it afloat so i use my heavy storm t wipe the boards clear and raigeki it away. I barely clench victory. 2nd Duel: What a turnaround from the last. I get MEB, Time Wizard, Magician of Faith, Change of Heart and Mirror Wall. I try mirror wall and MEB but he uses soul exchange and a cannon solider to chip my life down. He refuses to attack! Nothing but direct damage. I get a labyrinth wall down but it was too little too late cause he launches a SoRL/ direct damage assault. Bravo jim. No lp lost for him 3rd Duel: Down to the wire. I draw Sangan, Wabaku, Heavy Storm, Monster Reborn, and Axe Raider. I play the Raider and stand off against his battle ox. I put sangan down so he attacks it and i draw versago. He put down Jirai Gumo and then destroys my lien and par of my life. I raigeki him and play a 7 colored fish. I kill his white magical hat and draw a ss. He uses two consecutive to SoRL to set up two moths. I draw all 3 labyrinths and a polymerization. I tribute the skull and two labyrinths onto the field. I've got two more turns. I tribute a magician of faith to get the final labyrinth down and put my mirror force and 7 tools down. 1 more turn! Indeed s&s! Heart of the Cards don't fail me now and.. I GOT IT?! HIZZAA! I poly my skull dragon and use s&s to wipe away his hopeful moths. His traps are useless. I win a clean, straight victory! WHAT A TOURNAMENT! I lucked out again and won 1st for the second time. I got 2 of every kind of pack, a 1st edition toon mermaid and a nifty plaque. I got a messenger of peace, a tri horned dragon, a buster blade, and another versago. Luck again! I guess i should do a props and slops thing too Props: -For the great tourney -To Kyle for daring to be original -To Morgan for giving me a good duel and a Giltia, the D. Knight afterwards - To Jim for the best duel ever -To my own dumb luck -The guy who packed my winning packs -For Jim's 3 Mechanical Chasers Never Getting Out -Axe Raider for always being ready for pull when i needed it Slops: -The annoying old guy in the first round -The pLace being to crowded -EXODIA! -The communist owner for hassling me -The trading being really tame Matthew Wasson, whoa_trippy@hotmail.com