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TopiYugioh.com's
Match 5 of the Battle for North America
August 21, 2006

Awaiting Jason Tan after his huge victory over Robert Morgan was Emon Ghaneian . A player that really needs no introduction, Emon has been an absolute sensation this Shonen Jump Championship season, winning two Shrinks and placing in the top eight of US Nationals, unquestionably the toughest tournament of the year by far (yes, this includes Worlds). Tan realized he was in for a long, protracted struggle. Play began at a brisk pace with Emon winning the roll and deciding to open.

Emon Turn One: In a conservative but methodical manner, Emon opens with a normal monster and passes. This might have indicated a sub-optimal hand, but Emon's general strategy is to conserve cards in hand while building resources. We'll see this general pattern over the course of the duel.

Tan Turn Two: Jason Tan holds both Graceful and Confiscation in hand. He slowrolls the Graceful, summons Cyber Dragon which cracks Emon's Dekoichi. When he plays Confiscation, it appears Emon has drawn Graceful Charity with Dekoichi's effect. The other cards in hand are Tsukuyomi, Sorcerer, Magician, DDWL, and Cyber Dragon. Tan's only play is to rid the Graceful. Powerful plays next turn include summoning Cyber+ Tsuku for the +1 or setting Faith and bringing out Sorcerer next turn. It's quite obvious Tan does not have the Crossout. Tan passes with no backfield, conceding the +1.

E3: Emon summons Cyber and Yomi for the +1. He hits for 1100 and passes. Tan should have had a better start with Confi+ GC, but both player's hands are great. 5900 8000.

T4: Tan plays Graceful. With such an exposed field from Emon, Tan has no choice but to mill for Spirit Reaper. He discards Sorcerer and Tsukuyomi, then removes Cyber and Sorcerer for a Sorcerer from hand. Cyber Dragon is Emon's Light, but Faith is in hand as well. If Tan can't pull a Crossout in the next turn, he's in trouble. The Graceful has given him the Reaper, so Reaper pokes for 300, discarding Emon's Reaper. Tan sets Decree. 5900 7700.

E5: Emon sets a monster and passes. His hand is obviously sub-optimal, but the Faith is telegraphed.

T6: Tan attacks the Faith, which retrieves Charity. Reaper then hits for 300, discarding Tsukuyomi. With Graceful and Sorcerer coming next turn, Tan is in huge trouble. 5900 7400

E7: Emon summons Sorc, removing Sorcerer. He clearly has answers and holds the Charity. He then sets one of each.

T8: Tan summons Breaker, which hits a face-down Shrink! Apparently, Emon has dug into his war chest and is playing at least one copy of the 5,000 dollar card.  The Shrink chains, destroying Reaper. Breaker then hits the face-down Dekoichi, plays Creature Swap, and Tan removes his own Breaker. A good turn. Tan then sets a second s/t and passes.

E9: Emon plays his Graceful, discarding Mobius and Morphing Jar. He then sets one of each.

T10: Tan attacks into the face-down Warrior Lady with Sorcerer. When Sakuretsu is activated, Tan chains Decree (another +1, ban Decree!). Both are removed, and Tan passes.

E11: Acting on instinct, Emon summons Breaker and reads Scapegoat. He attacks for 1900, Tan conserves the goats, and Breaker hits Decree in mp two. This subtle play will prove crucial. 4000 7400

T12: Tan summons Cyber Dragon, attacking the spent Breaker for 500. With "Scapegoat" down, his field is secure. 4000 6900

T13: Emon summons Cyber Dragon which cancels. He then sets a face-down monster and passes.

T14: Tan summons Mystic Tomato which hits Merchant. Merchant reveals Storm, and Tan passes. In a miscalculation of epic proportions, Tan fears the Storm + Asura combination (which would nullify both his Tomato and Scapegoat), and decides to end phase Scapegoat, locking his board.

T15: Having cowed his opponent into mistakenly locking himself, Emon passes.

T16: Tan now has only four goats and Tomato with no Swaps in hand. Tomato goes in for 1400 and Tan passes. 4000 5500

T17: Emon sets one of each and passes.

T18: Tan's Tomato attacks into Dekoichi. Tan sets a spell or trap and passes.

T19: Emon sets a monster and passes. T20: Tan's Tomato attacks the second Faith, which retrieves Graceful again. The game is a close one.

T21: Emon plays Graceful Charity. He discards Night Assailant and Crossout, retrieving Magician from the graveyard. He plays Smashing Ground on Tomato, then sets one of each.

T22: Tan flips his Storm. Emon has just been pro stormed! He summons Sangan, Crosses out the face-down Faith, and attacks for 1000. After the huge Storm play, Emon appears to be reeling. Unfortunately, all of Tan's momentum is cut off by his self-imposed goat locked field. 4000 4500.

T23: Emon sets a monster and passes.

T24: Tan tributes Sangan for Zaborg, which hits Emon's Sangan! Tan searches Angel, Emon searches Frog. Tan attacks. He then sets a spell or trap and passes. 4000 2100.

T25: Emon plays Heavy Storm on Tan's face-down Book of Moon. He then sets a monster and a spell or trap and passes.

T26: Tan's Zaborg attacks into Mirror Force. He passes.

T27: Emon flips his Treeborn Frog, attacking the Scapegoat. This is a brilliant play. He then sets two s/ts and passes, telegraphing the obvious Torrential Tribute, which would clear Tan's goats and summoned monster (2 for 1).

T28: Tan holds the Sorcerer. He can either summon Sorcerer, walk into Torrential, and neutralize the game,  or make the safe play and summon Shining Angel. He goes with the latter, cracking Frog for 1300. Surprisingly, there's no Torrential Tribute response from Emon. With no defenses in hand, Tan passes with the seemingly secure field of three goats and a Shining Angel. 4000 800.

T29: In one of the more incredible plays I have ever seen in my Yu-Gi-Oh life, Emon flips Return from the Different Dimension, returning Cyber Dragon, Magician of Faith, D.D Warrior Lady, Chaos Sorcerer, and Magician of Faith. Warrior Lady attacks into Angel, removing. Emon then flips Call for Mobius. The three monsters sweep the goats, and Sorc and Mobius get in for game. A perfect Torrential Tribute bluff mixed with some of the best instincts I've ever seen steal the game from Tan in the blink of an eye!

Emon takes game one in thrilling fashion. Tan had game but let it slip through his hands to a bizarre Scapegoat trigger. Emon's perfectly executed bluff then took control of the game in one rapid turn. Jason Tan opens game two, needing a win badly.

Tan Turn One: Tan sets one of each and passes.

Emon Turn Two: Emon summons Newdoria and attacks the face-down Reaper. He sets two spell or trap cards, telegraphing the obvious Shrink.

T3: With Mobius in hand, Tan chooses instead to Smash the Newdoria and attack with Reaper. It hits Emon's Shrink. Tan chains Moon from hand. Mobius would have picked a probable two for one (Shrink and spell or trap for Reaper). Tan sets another of each and passes.

T4: Emon summons Asura Priest, hitting Reaper to reveal it. Again, this telegraphs ANOTHER Shrink that Emon will be setting soon. The Asura then hits Tomato, which searches out Newdoria, which is attacked to kill Asura. First damage. Emon sets a second spell or trap again and passes. 7500 8000.

T5: Again Tan passes the Mobius and attacks with Reaper. This isn't a misplay persay, just a judgement call. As long as the face-down isn't Mobius, he can pull a definite two for one. Reaper attacks into Shrink number two. Emon's graveyard is now worth more than your life (kidding). Tan sets a second spell or trap, sets a monster, and passes.

T6: Emon end phases Goats, and for a second we think the pro Heavy is coming. Instead, Emon moves a goat to attack and plays Creature Swap. He gets Tan's Tomato, which is then tributed for Cyber Dragon (this isn't too great of a play-- Zaborg would have been huge). Emon was counting on the Tomato not being set, since Asura had hit one earlier. Cyber hits for 2100. 5400 8000.

T7: Tan plays his Graceful. He discards Cyber Dragon and Swap. He then plays Sorcerer removing Cyber Dragon, and passes. This might cost him.

T8: Emon has the Sorc of his own next turn, which removes Tan's.

T9: Tan gets a bit greedy/frisky and sets his Snatch Steal. He may be hoping for an overextension from Emon, but that's generally wishful thinking against a pro.

T10: Sorcerer hits for 2300. Emon then sets one of each and passes. 3100 8000.

T11: Now Tan plays Snatch, but Emon had set the answer anyways. MST is chained. Tan sets one of each and passes. Sorcerer has him on the ropes.

T12: Emon makes another professional manuever. He moves a goat to attack, revealing D.D Warrior Lady (trading 1600 life points for one card of advantage). Tan should have removed the goat, but he passes. Emon removes the DDWL with Sorcerer in the main phase. 3100 6400.

T13: Tan sets a spell or trap and passes.

T14: Emon moves his goat to defense and attacks into Mirror Force. He then sets one of each and passes.

T15: Tan plays Heavy Storm on Emon's Call of the Haunted. He then plays NoC on Emon's Magician of Faith.  He then passes. Emon passes as well.

T17: Tan sets his topdecked Scapegoat and passes. When Emon summons Dwiddle next turn, Tan responds with Scapegoat. 3 left.

T19: Tan summons Exiled Force, which attacks a goat. He then pops it on DDWL.

T20: Emon passes, Tan passes, and Emon passes.

T23: Tan summons Asura Priest which clears the goats. I smell a Cyber Dragon, do you?

T24: Emon summons Cyber Dragon which hits a goat. He then sets one of each. Tan has two goats left.

T25: Tan summons Asura which reveals Emon's Reaper. He passes with an open field.

T26: Emon summons Mystic Tomato. He plays Controller on a goat token. Cyber hits for 2100, Reaper hits the last goat, and Mystic Tomato attacks for game.