Round 4 Feature Match: Tom Curry vs. Cody Miller
Last round we showed you Herman Herrera’s Fortune Lady “Dark Simorgh” Deck chalking up a win, but Herrera isn’t the only Duelist packing Fortune Ladies here today! Cody Miller is playing a dedicated Fortune Lady Deck with “Future Visions” and all the trimmings, and this round he’ll Duel Tom Curry.
Curry is playing Destiny Hero Zombies, complete with “Shutendoji” from Stardust Overdrive. If everything goes to plan, Curry’s flurry of Special Summons may help him work around “Future Visions,” but this is an all-new match-up we’ve never seen before, so it’s anybody’s game.
Miller opened the Match with “Future Visions,” “Thunder King Rai-Oh,” “Rai-Mei,” “Fortune Lady Wind,” and 2 “Fortune Lady Light.” He activated “Future Visions,” Normal Summoned “Thunder King Rai-Oh,” and removed Rai-Oh from the field. “Oh wow.” Miller blanched. “I just did that in the wrong order!” Miller should have Summoned Thunder King, then activated “Future Visions” – a very strong opening if a Duelist plays those two cards in the correct order. Miller beat himself up a bit as Curry started his turn.
Curry activated “Gold Sarcophagus,” removed “Heavy Storm” from his Deck, and Set a monster and a card to his Spell & Trap Card Zone. Miller drew “Book of Moon,” brought back “Thunder King Rai-Oh” to the field, and Normal Summoned “Fortune Lady Wind” to destroy Curry’s face-down “Bottomless Trap Hole.” Wind was removed by “Future Visions,” Miller attacked Curry’s “Sangan” with Thunder King, and Curry couldn’t search! He was pinned down under Thunder King’s effect.
Curry activated “Destiny Draw,” discarded “Destiny Hero – Malicious,” Set a Spell or Trap, and ended. Miller drew “Terraforming,” brought back “Fortune Lady Wind,” and bumped her to Level 4. She attacked, Curry flipped “Scapegoat,” and Miller destroyed two of the “Sheep Tokens” in battle. In Main Phase 2, Miller Normal Summoned Light, removed her with “Future Visions,” and Special Summoned “Fortune Lady Water” to draw 2 cards! Miller drew “Lightning Vortex” and “Fortune Lady Dark,” putting himself at 6 cards in hand.
Curry drew to 4 cards, then took his “Heavy Storm” back as his fifth in-hand card. He Set a card to his Spell & Trap Card Zone and ended. Miller drew another “Future Visions,” brought back Light in Attack Position, and all of his Fortune Lady monsters gained a Level.
Light and Water took down the remaining “Sheep Tokens,” leaving Wind and “Thunder King Rai-Oh” to make direct attacks. Curry was down to 4600 Life Points. He Set “Book of Moon.”
Curry shook his head. “This is a tight spot.” “Fortune Lady Wind” and “Fortune Lady Water” each had 1500 ATK, while Light had 400 ATK. Curry activated “Heavy Storm” from his hand, losing his own “Call of the Haunted” to get rid of “Book of Moon” and “Future Visions”! Curry had 4 cards left in hand, while Miller had 4 monsters on the field with 6 cards in hand. Miller was thrilled “I just wanted to get rid of that “Heavy Storm”!”
“Destiny Hero – Malicious” was removed to let Curry Special Summon another copy in Defense Position from his Deck. Curry Normal Summoned “Elemental Hero Stratos,” but couldn’t search due to Thunder King’s presence on the field. He followed up with “Brain Control,” took control of “Fortune Lady Wind,” and ran Wind into Water to destroy both. Stratos then attacked over “Fortune Lady Light” for 1400 damage, destroying her.
Miller drew “Tragoedia”! He activated “Future Visions,” Normal Summoned another “Fortune Lady Light” to remove her from play, and Special Summoned “Fortune Lady Dark” from his Deck. Thunder King destroyed Malicious in battle, “Fortune Lady Dark” attacked over Stratos, and Miller Special Summoned “Fortune Lady Water” from his Graveyard to draw 2 more cards! He now had 7 cards in hand to his opponent’s 2. He Set one to his Spell & Trap Card Zone and Curry conceded after seeing his next draw.
Cody Miller swarms the field with every Fortune Lady in the book except “Fortune Lady Fire,” and overwhelms Tom Curry in the first Duel! Both competitors made use of their Side Decks before heading into Duel 2.
Curry opened up with “Destiny Draw,” discarding “Destiny Hero – Plasma.” He shook his head a little, then Set a card to his Spell & Trap Card Zone. Miller had two “Future Visions,” 2 “Fortune’s Future,” “Book of Moon,” and “Chaos Sorcerer.” He activated “Future Visions,” Set “Book of Moon” and ended. Curry discarded “Destiny Hero – Diamond Dude” for another “Destiny Draw,” drew 2, and activated “Allure of Darkness” to draw 2 more. He removed “Goblin Zombie,” then Normal Summoned “Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer,” removing it with “Future Visions.” He Set a second Spell or Trap and ended.
Miller drew “Fortune Lady Dark” – still no help. But he activated his second “Future Visions,” stranding “Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer” in the ‘removed zone’! Curry Set a monster, Miller drew “Lightning Vortex,” and play was back to Curry.
Curry Flip Summoned “Card Trooper,” and activated its effect sending “Destiny Hero – Malicious,” “Heavy Storm,” and another “Destiny Hero – Malicious” to the Graveyard! Miller’s face went from sad to happy in a span of three seconds, as he saw that second Malicious hit the Graveyard. He took 1900 damage from “Card Trooper” and Curry ended.
Miller drew yet another “Fortune Lady Dark”! “Card Trooper” attacked for 400 damage – Curry was telegraphing that he had “Dark Armed Dragon” in-hand by not activating “Card Trooper’s” effect. Miller drew his third “Future Visions” – unbelievable. He Set “Fortune’s Future” as a bluff and lost it to “Dust Tornado” in his End Phase.
Curry Flip Summoned “Dark Grepher,” attacked for 400 damage with Trooper, and attacked for 1700 damage with “Dark Grepher.” He Set a monster, Set another spell or trap, and ended. Miller finally drew a Fortune Lady he could play!
He Summoned “Fortune Lady Wind” and destroyed Curry’s face-down “Call of the Haunted.” Wind was removed from play. Miller sent her from the removed zone to the Graveyard to draw 2 cards with “Fortune’s Future,” and drew “Call of the Haunted” and “Book of Moon.” He activated “Lightning Vortex,” discarded “Fortune Lady Dark,” and set “Call of the Haunted” and another Book.
Curry activated “Allure of Darkness,” drew 2, and removed “Dark Armed Dragon” from his hand – that Grepher had put him over 3 DARK monsters in his Graveyard, so the Dark Armed was useless. He Normal Summoned Kycoo, “Future Visions” removed it, and Curry Set a second Spell or Trap. In the End Phase Miller brought back “Fortune Lady Dark” with “Call of the Haunted.”
She went to 2400 ATK next turn, and attacked to destroy “Plaguespreader Zombie.” Dark’s effect Special Summoned “Fortune Lady Wind,” who attacked for 900 damage. Miller activated his third “Future Visions” to strand Kycoo out of play, Set a fourth Spell or Trap and ended.
Curry activated “Lightning Vortex,” discarding “Mezuki.” Miller chained “Book of Moon,” turning his “Fortune Lady Dark” face-down: “Fortune Lady Wind” was destroyed. Curry took it with “Mind Control,” then reeled. “I made a mistake.” He removed “Mezuki” to Special Summon “Plaguespreader Zombie,” Flip Summoned “Fortune Lady Dark,” and Miller responded with “Book of Moon” to target “Plaguespreader Zombie.” Curry Chained “Torrential Tribute” to clear the field, then Set a monster, stymied. He had 1 card left in his hand, with a monster and a Spell or Trap Set. Miller Set a monster next turn.
Curry activated “Giant Trunade,” Chained “Burial From a Different Dimension,” and sent Kycoo, “Mezuki,” and “Goblin Zombie” back to his Graveyard. He Flip Summoned “Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter,” destroyed the “Thunder King Rai-Oh” that Miller had Set last turn, and sent “Mystical Space Typhoon,” “Mirror Force,” and “Trap Dustshoot” to his Graveyard. Miller had 3600 Life Points left.
He brought back “Plaguespreader Zombie” with “Mezuki’s” effect, Tuned it to Ryko, and Synchro Summoned “Armory Arm.” He Special Summoned “Plaguespreader Zombie” with its own effect, Tuned it to “Armory Arm” for “Goyo Guardian,” and attacked for 2800 damage.
Miller drew, Special Summoned “Chaos Sorcerer,” and removed “Goyo Guardian” from play. He Normal Summoned “Fortune Lady Light,” Special Summoned “Fortune Lady Dark” with her effect, and attacked with “Fortune Lady Dark.” He Set 2 cards to his Spell & Trap Card Zone and ended. “I have no fear!”
Curry drew. “I misplayed hard.” He had one card left, which he activated – “Brain Control.” He targeted “Chaos Sorcerer,” Miller forked it over, and Curry activated its effect to remove itself. Miller returned “Fortune Lady Light” to the field. Miller Tributed Light to Set a monster, attacked for 2400 damage, and Curry Set a Spell or Trap. When “Fortune Lady Dark” attacked next turn, Curry kept himself in the game with “Scapegoat”! Miller ran over one of the “Sheep Tokens,” then Flip Summoned another “Fortune Lady Dark” in Main Phase 2. He Set a third card to his Spell & Trap Card Zone. Curry passed his next turn.
Miller Summoned “Fortune Lady Light,” removed her with “Future Visions,” Special Summoned “Fortune Lady Fire,” and destroyed a “Sheep Token.” Fire attacked a Sheep, one “Fortune Lady Dark” attacked the last Sheep, and the second Dark made a direct attack to finish the match!
Cody Miller takes a 2-0 victory over Tom Curry’s Zombies, chalking up another win with Fortune Ladies!
Post-Event Analysis!
See what our panel of experts had to say about this Duel after the event was over.
Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
Both Duelists in this Feature Match acknowledged their misplays right after making them and will keep them in mind for future Duels. This is extremely important for you to do when you’re trying to improve, so you don’t repeat your mistakes. I’m confident that both Tom Curry and Cody Miller will become great players in no time as long as they keep up their current attitude.
Matt Peddle (2009 Canadian National Championship Runner-Up; Five-Time Top 8 National Finalist)
Miller has a terrible hand in game two. Curry was beating him down with “Card Trooper” and had “Dark Armed Dragon” waiting along with three darks in the Graveyard. Then Curry made a mistake we all make at one point in time: he got greedy. With “Call of the Haunted” down, Curry played a fourth Dark monster to pile on the damage. He hoped that if that fourth Dark was destroyed he could use Call to put himself at three Darks in the Graveyard. But then both the fourth Dark monster and “Call of the Haunted” were destroyed, leaving Curry no way to play his powerful Dragon and unable to come back in the Duel.
Michael McTavish (Top 8 Finalist – 2009 Canadian National Championship)
Instead of telegraphing the “Dark Armed Dragon” in his hand by attacking two turns in a row for 400 damage, Curry may have been more successful if he had simply turned the “Card Trooper” to defense mode.
