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Pojo.com Exclusive: Match 2 of the Battle for North America
August 26, 2005

America needed a victory in the worst way, and turned to its Nationals champion to even the score. On the other side, looming large, was one of Canada’s best players, Kyle Duncan. 

Max Suffridge needs no introduction. The current Nationals Champion, he is no stranger to high stakes and prestigious championships. In addition to being a great real life player, he heads one of the best online teams, Alpha Omega. 

Kyle Duncan has made his name on the internet as a part of the online Team Ignition, and has secured a top eight finish in his only Shonen Jump event, at Charlotte.  

The two had faced each other prior to this match, splitting a pair of matches at regionals, so they were no strangers to each other’s playstyle. Kyle opted to go first. 

Duncan Turn 1: Duncan opens with a set monster and no backfield. Once again, this can be taken to mean either a self-regenerating monster that wants to be attacked, or that he has a bad hand with no settable spell/traps. A Reaper/Don build will jump all over this type of opening.

MS Turn 2: Max plays Delinquent Duo, randomly discarding Mirror Force and then Asura Priest. Our suspicions are correct; Duncan did not want to risk a Force to Breaker or some other creature. Max then sets 1 of each.

8000 7000 

D3: Duncan flips his DDWL, the most popular play by all duelists in the team battle. He attacks into Sakuretsu Armor. He then sets a s/t. 

MS4: Max flips Dekoichi, a neat piece of tech. After drawing a card, he sets a s/t. Then he attacks into Kyle’s f/d Gravekeeper’s Spy, which gets another Spy. Max wryly remarks “where’d you get that piece of tech?” Peals of laughter erupt from spectators. He then summons Moon Diviner to flip his Dekoichi face-down.  

This type of combination, a resource flipper like Dekoichi or Merchant, plus a defensive trap, plus a Tsukuyomi leads to automatic +1  resource generation. With the lock in place, it’ll be very difficult for Kyle to break through.

8000 6400 

D5: Duncan breaks through by attacking Dekoichi with a Spy. One defensive Spy is more than enough; he then sets a s/t. 

MS6: Max summons a Breaker, which breaks the Torrential Tribute. It then attacks a Spy, netting a 2 for 1 in terms of raw advantage (although that Spy already “paid” for itself twice). He then sets two s/t. Kyle simply sets a monster on his turn.

7600 6400. 

MS 8: Max uses a Call of the Haunted at Kyle’s end phase (turn 7) to bring back Dekoichi. Tsukuyomi flips it down then up, he then sets another s/t. Breaker hits a face-down D.D Assailant. His resource advantage is tremendous at this point. 

D9: Kyle has no backfield, signifying a weak hand. DDAssailant hits into a Sakuretsu Armor. After triggering, Kyle chooses to summon Breaker, which is Book of Mooned. The bad hand seems to have gotten to the unflappable duelist; a summoned Breaker prior to attacking might have been better, and Max has already flashed Tsukuyomi. 

M10: Max realizes he’s in complete control. Tsuku flips Dekoichi down, while Breaker kills the f/d Breaker. He then sets a s/t. 

D11: The Spy is the only thing holding back Max’s offensive. Kyle summons Tribe, and passes priority. It is ringed. He then snatches Dekoichi, the only way to break the resource lock. Kyle ends with 1 CIH. After the snatch, the game is basically over.

6000 to 4800. 

In the next sequence of turns, Max rids the board of Spy by summong Tsuku and using NoC. Kyle is on his heels and simply sets each turn, until Max can summon an Abyss Soldier. The combo with Abyss and Sinister simply forces Kyle to return a card each turn, and the life points trickle down steadily. 

D25: Kyle still has not given up though, a mark of a great duelist. He morphs a Scapegoat to absorb Abyss Soldier, then sacs for Mobius to hit a f/d Mirror Force and Snatch Steal. It then hits a Breaker. This 3 for 1 brings Kyle back into the game! 

M26: Max simply flips over his set Tsukuyomi, then summons a Tribe, pitches Sinister for the remaining goat tokens, and attacks for game. 

Max Suffridge leads 1-0. Game 2 Begins. 

Duncan Turn 1: Duncan sets 1 of each. 

MS Turn 2: Max plays a Pot of Greed. He then summons Abyss Soldier and uses Sinister Serpent to return the monster. It is Ringed. He then sets a s/t. By all accounts, having a Pot into a Sinister/Abyss is a very strong hand.

6200 6200 

D3: Duncan summons a DDAssailant, which attacks into Saku. He chains a Book from hand to preserve it. He then sets a s/t. 

M4: Max returns Sinister, then sets a monster and 2 s/t. 

D5: Draws 4. Duncan flips DD Assailant, sets a second s/t, and attacks into a face down Sangan. Max thinks for a bit, then searches out Magician of Faith. On his own turn, Max sets a monster with 2 s/t already down. 

D7: Duncan is unable to deal with the Magician. It attacks, Mof gets pot of greed, and Duncan is down a great amount. 

D8: Once Max uses Pot, then summons Tribe to pitch Sinister on Duncan’s DDA, the outcome of the game seems decided. Kyle chains his Book of Moon, Max follows that with a Delinquent Duo. It gets Mobius, then Duncan pitches MoF. Tribe attacks the f/d DDA.

6200 5200 

D9: Kyle activates Heavy Storm. It takes down Max’s Scapegoat and Sakuretsu Armor. It is clear he was hoping to generate more advantage out of Storm, but he needs to get rid of the Tribe. DDAssailant runs into Tribe for 100 damage, then Duncan sets a monster.

6200 5100 

MS10: Max draws a fifth card, then retrieves Sin. He has a monstrous 6 card hand. He morphs a Goat, absorbs the f/d (Sangan), and sets a s/t. In this Goat/TER dominated meta, you can see the expert players constantly setting Sangans/Sinisters to try to waste the TER effect. Good example here. Duncan passes his next turn with no plays. Max also passes with no plays. 

D13: Hoping to break the deadlock, Duncan plays Wave Motion Cannon. He then sets a monster.

MS14: At this point, Max does a combat trick that not many are familiar with. TER rams into the face/up DDAssailant, then absorbs the f/d monster. Max takes 1700 damage to trade for a card (Kyle’s monster), which is a great trade. The Wave Motion is a problem, but Max must already have a counter for it in hand. TER absorbs Duncan’s f/d Magician of Faith, and the Sangan searches out a Sinister Serpent.

6200 3400 

D15: Duncan sets one of each. At the end phase, Max plays Call of the Haunted on his Abyss Soldier. 

MS16: Max makes another unique play. Abyss pitches Sin on his own Call of the Haunted, returning it to hand but destroying Abyss Soldier. Then Heavy Storm hits Duncan’s Scapegoats and Wave Motion Cannon. Max’s own Ring of Destruction hits the D.D Assailant. Then the TER takes the face-down monster. This sequence of events traded Max’s Heavy Storm for Kyle’s Wave Motion Cannon and face-down monster. Unfortunately, he’s running low on lifepoints. He plays SORL.

4500 to 1700 

D17: Breaker is summoned to take down the f/d s/t. The bad hands are getting to Kyle; he realizes upon removing the counter that Max had already flashed the COTH, and it searches out Sangan, which searches out Tsukuyomi. Duncan sets a s/t. 

MS18: Suffridge gets Sin. Tsuku targets TER, TER flips up, takes Breaker. It attacks successfully. Max then sets another s/t.2900 to 1700. 

D19: Kyle draws to two cards in hand, then restrives Sinister. He can only set a monster and pass. 

MS20: Tsuku flips TER down/up, it takes a f/d Sinister. 

D21: Kyle plays Pot. He then summons King Tiger Wanghu. SORL is finally gone. 

MS22: This turn basically determines the outcome of the match. Suffridge plays Premature Burial on Tribe-Infecting Virus. He pitches Sinister to kill both Scapegoats AND King Tiger Wanghu. He then summons Skilled White Magician BEFORE pitching a monster to destroy his own Thousand-Eyes Restrict. Kyle has a f/d s/t, which is likely a bluff, and Max’s lifepoints are running low. He discards Scapegoats, calls spellcasters anyways, and destroys his own TER and Skilled White Magician. He leaves Kyle with 1300 life points he shouldn’t have had left. Max then sets a s/t.

1300 to 900. 

D23: Duncan morphs his Sinister. TER takes Tribe. He then plays Premature Burial, targeting Wanghu. Max skillfully chains Scapegoat to protect himself. Duncan’s s/t is still face down.

500 to 900. 

MS24: Max sets one of each with 4 goats on the field. 

T25: Duncan summons Tribe, killing Beasts by pitching Sinister. He then flips his face-down Crossout bluff! TER hits for game. 

Duncan overcomes a severe resource disadvantage to even the score 1-1.

Max opens the third game.

MS Turn 1: Max sets a s/t.

Duncan Turn 2: DDA attacks into a Scapegoat. Set 1 s/t.

MS 3: Max’s sideboarded tech makes an appearance. D.D Survivor attacks into a Book of Moon. He then sets a s/t.

D4: DDA kills the Survivor. He then sets a second S/T. Suffridge end phase COTH’s his Survivor, a bold play with 2 s/t on the field.

MS 5: Survivor hits DDA. Then Heavy Storm hits Duncan’s Goats and Torrential Tribute, which Duncan was holding for when Survivor came back! Duncan has 4 goats, he passes his next turn.

8000 7900

MS 7: Max hits a goat, ending with a bare backfield.

D8: Duncan sets one of each.

MS 9: Max attacks a goat, then plays morph to take the f/d Magician of Faith. His board is 2 goats, TER, and DDA. He plays SORL and sets another s/t.

D10: Kyle plays a WMC and ends. Max passes. Kyle sets a monster during his turn (turn 12).

MS 13: Max plays Book from hand on his TER. Survivor attacks a goat. TER flips up, this time to take Sangan! Kyle passes his next two turns, Max also passes, bringing Wave Motion Cannon to 3 counters.

MS 17: Max summons Tsukuyomi, flipping down TER (Kyle retrieves Sin with Sangan’s effect). Survivor attacks a goat. Max then says “you have either a Sakuretsu or Mirror Force f/d as your spell/trap, I’m not going to attack with Tsukuyomi.”

D18: Wave Motion launches. Duncan plays GC, pitching Sin and Mobius. He brings out Berserk Gorilla, which attacks the f/d TER. He sets a second s/t.

4000 7900.

MS 19: Max draws his seventh card. Survivor moves to def, he morphs another goat. It absorbs Gorilla, then TER attacks into Kyle’s face-down……. SAKURETSU ARMOR. ZOMG Maxwell Suffridge calls the face-down s/t! Max sets a monster, quite pleased with himself.

D20: Duncan summons Sinister Serpent. He crosses out the f/d Tsuku. Sin hits the 200 def Survivor. Yes, in one turn, Max made one of the best plays I’ve ever seen AND a savage misplay. His new nickname is Sweet n Sour sauce. Duncan then plays Delinquent Duo, hitting Max’s BLS and Abyss Soldier. He then sets a s/t.

4000 6900

M21: Max sets a monster. Kyle’s great turn of draws has put him on the defensive. 

D22: Duncan crosses out DDWL. Sin attacks the last goat, then he sets a monster. Max sets 1 of each.  

D24: Duncan flips Spy, which gets another Spy. It attacks into a f/d Morphing Jar! Max purposely set Tsuku and DDWL in a row to set up for the Jar, an expert play that gets him back into the game! Kyle discards 2 goats and an MST, while Max discards a Des Koala and a Scapegoat.

MS25: Max plays Pot. He summons Tribe, priority on Spellcasters. Tribe attacks into Mirror Force. 

D26: Kyle activates his Heavy Storm. It hits Premature Burial and Scapegoats. He then sacrifices for Airknight Parshath. It hits for 1900, then Wave Motion Cannon is played.

2100 6900 

MS27: Max plays Snatch Steal, hit its for 1900, then he sets 2 s/t and a monster.

2100 5000 

D28: Usually having AKParshath snatched is terrible, but Kyle seems to have prepared for it well. He summons Breaker, which hits Max’s f/d Sakuretsu. He then plays Snatch on Airknight (it gets Booked). Max didn’t book Breaker because he anticipated the Snatch Steal. Breaker attacks the f/d AKP. 

MS29: With s/t removal in his GY, Max plays Pot to try to draw either an MST, Abyss, or Breaker. He does not, morphs a goat which takes Breaker, and attacks for 1600. He then sets 2 s/t.2100 4400 

D30: WMC is launched for 2000. He set s amonster and a s/t. Ceasefire is activated to Max’s draw step for game. 

Duncan turns an 0-2 hole into a 2-1 lead! Game 4 begins. 

MS Turn 1: Max opens with a Pot of Greed. He sets a s/t. 

Duncan Turn 2: Duncan sets 1 of each.  

MS3: Max sets one of each. 

D4: Duncan flips DDA. He sets a second s/t and then attacks a f/d MOF. Max retrieves Pot of Greed.
MS5: Max plays Pot, then Graceful tossing Abyss and DDWL. He sets 2 more ST (4 ST are down).

D6: DDA attempts to hit Scapegoat. In the same chain, Max uses Sakuretsu Armor.

MS7: Max sets a third S/T. Kyle passes his next turn with 2 S/T down.

MS9: Max sets a fourth s/t with 4 goats on the field. This has turned into a very slow duel. Kyle plays a WMC and ends. 

MS11: Max Morphs a Goat on an Empty TER with no absorption target. He sacrifices it for Mobius. Kyle triggers Torrential before thinking of triggering Scapegoat. This leaves a clear field. Max then RFG DDWL and TER for BLS, Morphs for Gatling Dragon, then Premature Burials his BLS. He attacks for 5600, then uses Ring of Destruction on Kyle’s draw phase for game.

7200 0.
 

Wow what a short game! To those who expect a long drawn out game 5, expect to be disappointed. The two are even at 2-2, with Kyle opening. 

Duncan Turn 1: Kyle opens with a Delinquent Duo. He hits DDWL randomly, Max pitches a Mystical Space Typhoon. He then sets one of each.

7000 8000 

MS Turn 2: Max sets one of each. 

D3: Kyle flips his Magician of Faith for a Delinquent Duo. DDA is summoned. NoC hits Max’s Morphing Jar, then another Delinquent Duo wipes away Max’s hand. Max concedes the game.  

In a shocking turn of events, Max concedes the final game to an unlucky string of events, and a grueling match is finished. Team Canada leads 2-0!