Any Given Sunday v2.10 (Kuriboh variant)
Michael Lucas
Jahinie Productions, Munhall PA
6/29/03 (Tournament #12/16)
24 participants (Maximum possible)

Side Note:  I mistyped "Exodia" as a Staple Magic in my previous report.  This should have read Raigeki.  Most of you probably figured that out though.

Deck List:
Monsters:  19
2 Gemini Elf
2 Goblin Attack Force
1 Spear Dragon
2 Marauding Captain
2 Exiled Force
1 Magician of Faith
1 Sangan
1 Witch of the Black Forest
1 Cyber Jar
1 Fiber Jar
2 Kuriboh
1 Jinzo
1 Yata-Garasu
1 Injection Fairy Lily

Magics:  21
1 Axe of Despair
1 United We Stand
2 Nobleman of Crossout
1 Heavy Storm
3 Mystical Space Typhoon (BEATDOWN STAPLE)
3 Hand Disruption (Delinquent Duo/Confiscation/The Forceful Sentry)
6 Staple Magics (Pot/Heart/Reborn/Raigeki/Hole/Feather Duster)
2 Graceful Charity
1 Premature Burial
1 Snatch Steal

Traps:  6
2 Torrential Tribute
1 Call of the Haunted
1 Mirror Force
1 Imperial Order
1 Magic Cylinder

Deck = 46

Side Deck:  15
1 Exiled Force
1 Gemini Elf
1 Magician of Faith
1 Axe of Despair
1 Mage Power
1 Card Destruction
1 Creature Swap
1 Exchange
2 Prohibition
2 Magic Jammer
1 Royal Command
2 Seven Tools of the Bandit

I've slowly been adding Kuribohs to my deck since the last couple of tournaments.  In the last tournament, I lost to Cory in the semifinals (who then lost to Jesse) because of horrible draws (not to mention him getting both of his Gracefuls and Pot early game, both Duels!).  This week, Cory was unable to attend - he's at Origins.  That in and of itself was an almost guaranteed win.  We saw a few new players here who DEFINITELY new what they were doing (Greg and Jeremy).  They're players who I am in the process of drawing away from the crooked Phantoms of the Attic, informing them of its less than honest nature.  They definitely have a fair bit of tournament experience, judging by their decks, although they did have their faults…

I found this out in Round One.  (At this point, I also knew I'd be facing Jesse in Round 2.  More on that later.)

Round 1:  Mike vs. Greg (Ritual Beatdown)

Duel 1:  When I was looking at the player's Deck Box, I saw a Giant Soldier of Stone through the transparent portion.  I expected a Defensive deck, but saw the opposite.  In two turns, he gets out a Summoned Skull - that hits a Magic Cylinder.  After that, his M/Ts are wiped out, Snatch Steal takes his Skull…and Yata-Garasu hits the field.  YATA LOCK!  (One more player now despises the crow.)

8000 to his 8000 - 5500 (Magic Cylinder) - 2800 (SS + Yata) - 3800 (Snatch Steal) - 4800 (Snatch Steal) - 4600 (Yata) - 5600 (Snatch Steal) - 2900 - Yata

Duel 2:  The perfect scenario.
Me:  Play Gemini Elf in ATK, set a F/D, end.
Him:  Ritual summon The Masked Beast.  Attack Gemini Elf (I activate Magic Cylinder).
Me:  Draw.  Play the Change of Heart I drew.  Summon another Gemini.  ATK with all.  Game.

8000 to his 8000 - 4800 - 0

Now, as far as I was concerned, Jesse was the biggest threat.  Brian had a low % chance of beating me, and I didn't even know about the other hidden good player.  If I could beat Jesse, then I should have it clinched.

Round 2:  Mike vs. Jesse's Hyper Beatdown

Duel 1:  I end up going first.   This proves SO vital.  I'd just like to note that 2000 LP is a great value for 3 out of your opponent's opening five cards.  (Delinquent + Confiscation in the opening draw!)  He uses a Confiscation of its own.  I wipe his field via Harpie's + Raigeki.  I soon get Graceful after a M/T spell on both sides.  Get Jinzo down, he had ALL traps down.  Jinzo hits direct.  He gets nothing.  I get Reborn, take his discarded IFL (what I hit with Raigeki), use the effect.  Game 1.

8000-7000 (Confiscation) - 6000 (Delinquent) - 5200 (Premature Jinzo) - 3200 (IFL effect) to his 8000 - 7000 (Confiscation) - 4600 (Jinzo) - 0

Duel 2:   Perfect setup.  I hit with GAF on my first attacking turn.  He gets nothing.  I get nothing.  He STILL has no monster.  I M/T clear, bring back GAF, play IFL, pay for effect.  Game, EXACTLY.

8000-6000 (IFL effect) to his 8000-5700 (GAF) - 0

At this point, word spread throughout the store of the first place prize.  Looks like a Mechanicalchaser's up for grabs.  My next opponent was Rob.  I did a lot of pre-tourney trading with him - a Jinzo, Imperial Order, and Asura Priest for three of his Exodia pieces (including the head!) and a Torrential Tribute.  We sat down.  I told him "I really hope I get that Mechanicalchaser."  He said "I really don't want to play you right now."  We both laughed, shuffled, and went on.

Round 3:  Mike vs. Rob's 1800 Beatdown

The first duel, he was just another victim.  The second duel, he shows his potential…

Duel 1:  After much discarding and field clearing, I reborn HIS Maha Vailo, Axe it, and attack with it, along with Sangan and Exiled Force.  He Raigekis and sets a DEF monster.  I Crossout and respond with Gemini.  He has no play and I have game.

8000 to his 8000 - 2950 - 1050 - 0

Duel 2:  I get a good hit, then everything starts reversing.  I pay for Delinquent and IFL's effect early on, and bring him down to 3400 with Marauding Captain + the IFL.  He Raigekis and responds with 3200 somehow (an 1800 ATKer and a 1400?)  I get a GAF to run over the 1800.  We're deadlocked now, trying to get monsters - except I'm pinging him with a Sangan.  I end up Prematuring the Sangan just to get a monster on the field, keeping a Kuriboh in hand at all times because I was at 1,000 LP.  He kills my Sangan with Gearfried.  I Dark Hole/Raigeki (I forget which) Gearfried, MST his only F/D (Which was Cylinder!) and attack with  an Exiled Force for game.

8000-7000 (Delinquent) - 5000 (IFL) - 1800 (Beatdown monster + 1400 ATKer) - 1000 (Premature) - 200 (Gearfried over Sangan) to his 8000-3400 (IFL + Marauding) - 2400 (Sangan) - 1900 (GAF over 1800) - 900 (Sangan) - 0

Now the weird way this tournament structure worked, there would be 3 finalists.  We would all roll a d20, and the lowest roll would receive a bye.  Brian (Silent Bob) rolled…11.  I rolled…1!  1!  A 1 on a d20!  Jeremy finally finished his match with Luke (a dark horse contender in every tournament) and rolled…11.  LOL 2 11's.  They play, I wait.  Jeremy wins due to a misplay EVERYONE missed:  Removing for a Bazoo while an opponent had Kycoo in play.  No one caught it, and Brian was out of the store before anyone even noted it.  (Of course I saw it…like I want to play Brian?)

Mike vs. Jeremy's Ritual Beatdown

Now I saw this guy's strategy by watching him game after game - discard from the hand for The Masked Beast, and Reborn one of the ones discarded.  I had to be wary of this, or he'd get too much out on me too fast.

Duel 1:
I hit with Marauding Captain.  He gets rid of it somehow.  I attack with an axed Gem.  He gets rid of the Axe, but Gemini finishes it.  He did 600 somehow…

8000-7400 (?) - 6400 (Confiscation) to his 8000-6800-3900-2000-0

Duel 2:
A failed Yata lock costs me a game.  I thought I had it early on with quick Yata pings.  He starts putting up a defense, then plays one F/D monster.  I change of heart…a dang Sinister Serpent.  At this point, Yata Lock is broken.  He gets too many monsters up and I can't fight.

8000-7000 (Delinquent) - 3800 (Masked Beast?) - 3600 (?) - 2200 (Sonic Bird) - 1400 (Premature?) - 0 to his 8000-7900 (Gem over Kycoo) - 7400 (GAF over Kycoo?) - 7200 (Yata) - 7000 (Yata)

Duel 3:  Okay, now I was worried.  I needed to hit and hit fast.  It looked like he had the upper hand the whole time, except for those Kuriboh in my hand should things get wary.  I hit him with two Gemini Elves early.  He gets me for 500 by plowing over my Gemini with a Jinzo.  He Prematures a Bazoo to go with the Jinzo and hits a F/D I set…Cyber Jar.  He gets 4 monsters to my one, but none were all that powerful.  He set all of his in Defense.    He nukes my F/D M/T…Nobleman of Crossout (BLUFF!).  My turn.  I have about 10 cards in hand.  I have one Nobleman and one Change of Heart along with a Jinzo, but he has no M/Ts I need to worry about.  No field clears in the hand…I drew…Raigeki.  Nuke the monsters, Reborn HIS Jinzo, Axe it, and he has no Kuriboh.  Game.

8000-7500 to his 8000-4200 (2 Gemini) - 3400 (Premature) - 0

All they had pack-wise was Metal Raiders.  I hope for Mirror Force, end up with Shadow Ghoul.  I still got the Chaser though.

200+ points in the standings should do nothing more than pad an already sick lead.

Props:
Rob for trading me 3 Exodia pieces
Some other kid for trading me 2 pieces for IFL
Another little kid for trading me an IFL for Freed/Exiled/Twin-Headed
Chaser
Limiter Removal going off the Restricted List in Japan so Chaser can be even more evil here

Slops:
Someone traded Jesse a Morphing Jar =/  Now he has card advantage.  Have to pray I can Change of Heart it, or maybe Creature Swap will go back in when I play him.

E-mail:  MewtwoStruckBack@aol.com