Alabama’s Chioh Yim is undefeated with what seems like the most creative Deck at the top tables – a Synchro Cat variant packing Flamvell monsters and “Stardust Dragon /Assault Mode”! He uses “Flamvell Firedog” to get to “Flamvell Magician,” Tunes them for “Stardust Dragon,” and then unleashes “Stardust Dragon /Assault Mode”to crush his opponents. And it’s working! He’s 4-0 so far in this competition. That’s especially good news for him, because today he’s one of the Bounty Duelists! 

His opponent is New York’s Jarel Winston, a veteran Lightsworn player who made his first Day 2 appearance at SHONEN JUMP Championship Anaheim last year. He repeated at Orlando, and is being quite frank today about his desire to make the Top 16 with Lightsworns.

Winston opened the Match with “Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress,” Summoning her and sending “Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter,” “Monster Reincarnation,” and “Honest” to his Graveyard in the End Phase.

Yim’s hand was “Mystic Tomato,” “Book of Moon,” “Brain Control,” “Dimensional Prison,” “Gravekeeper’s Spy,” and “Compulsory Evacuation Device.” He Summoned Tomato, turned Lyla face-down with “Book of Moon,” and attacked her to destroy her. Winston fired back next turn, Summoning “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner” and discarding “Shire, Lightsworn Spirit” to Special Summon Lyla back from the Graveyard. It seemed as if his main priority was just getting cards into the Graveyard, suggesting he was holding “Beckoning Light.” Sure enough, he Set 2 cards to his Spell & Trap Card Zone, ended, and sent “Heavy Storm,” “Celestia, Lightsworn Angel,” “Cold Wave,” “Archlord Kristya,” “Honest,” and “Ehren, Lightsworn Monk” to his Graveyard.

Yim Summoned “Sangan,” crashing it into Lumina to destroy both monsters in battle and search his Deck for “Rescue Cat” with “Sangan’s” effect. “Mystic Tomato” attacked Lyla. “I don’t even know these moves, I can’t read them!” exclaimed Winston, who was a bit baffled at Yim’s aggression.

The Tomato was destroyed, Yim took 300 damage, and he Special Summoned “Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind” from his Deck. Winston shook his head, knowing what was coming. “Brain Control” let Yim take Winston’s Lyla, he activated her effect to target Winston’s “Beckoning Light,” and he Chained it to discard Celestia and “Wulf, Lightsworn Beast,” retrieving Lumina and “Honest.” Yim Tuned Gale to Lyla, trying to Synchro Summon “Arcanite Magician,” but Winston negated the Summon with “Royal Oppression”! He Set 2 cards to his Spell & Trap Card Zone.

Winston Summoned Lumina, attacked, and Yim flipped “Dimensional Prison”! He Normal Summoned “Gravekeeper’s Spy” next turn (he had another copy in his hand), and attacked to drop Winston to 6000 Life Points. Yim had 6900.

Winston Set a monster, Yim Set 1 himself, Winston Set another, and Yim Flip Summoned “Mystic Tomato.” Tomato attacked Winston’s face-down “Necro Gardna,” Yim Set another “Gravekeeper’s Spy,” and next turn Winston discarded “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner” for “Solar Recharge.” He drew 2 cards and sent “Archlord Kristya” and another “Necro Gardna” to the Graveyard.

Winston Summoned “Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior,” now in control of the biggest attacker on the field. He attacked into the face-down “Gravekeeper’s Spy” though, and Yim got a third copy from his Deck in Defense Position! He Set “Bottomless Trap Hole,” attacked another “Necro Gardna” with “Mystic Tomato,” and Winston Set a monster.

Yim drew another “Bottomless Trap Hole” and passed. Winston Summoned “Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress” and Yim blasted her with “Bottomless Trap Hole.” Winston ended his turn, Yim set his second “Bottomless Trap Hole,” and Winston was up.

He discarded “Charge of the Light Brigade” for “Monster Reincarnation,” nabbing “Celestia, Lightsworn Angel” from his Graveyard. He Tributed Garoth to Summon her, blew away a Spy and “Mystic Tomato,” and lost Celestia to Bottomless. He ended with a Set monster and “Royal Oppression” on the field, holding just 1 card in-hand.

Yim drew to 4 cards in-hand, Summoned “X-Saber Airbellum,” and ended. Winston Set a card to his back row, Yim passed, and Winston passed back. Yim turned a Spy to Attack Position, attacked Winston’s face-down “Honest,” and Special Summoned “Tragoedia” after taking battle damage! “Royal Oppression” was useless in the Damage Step, and Yim had 4 cards in hand – he attacked “Honest” with “Tragoedia” and Winston let the attack through. “Honest” was destroyed, Yim attacked with “X-Saber Airbellum,” and Winston removed “Necro Gardna” to block the attack and stop Airbellum from forcing him to discard a card.

Next turn, Winston activated “Beckoning Light,” discarding “Judgment Dragon,” “Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid,” and Lumina. He took back “Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter,” “Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior,” and “Judgment Dragon” from his Graveyard, then Set the Ryko.

Yim spent a little time considering his options, before activating “Compulsory Evacuation Device” to send Ryko back to Winston’s hand! Yim turned his second “Gravekeeper’s Spy” to Attack Position, Winston blocked the attacks of “Tragoedia” and Airbellum with “Necro Gardnas,” then lost 2400 Life Points to the two copies of “Gravekeeper’s Spy.” Winston drew for his next turn, flexed his knuckles, and offered the handshake, seemingly in a state of disbelief that he’d just lost to “Compulsory Evacuation Device” and his own “Royal Oppression” preventing the Summon of his “Judgment Dragon.”

No “Stardust Dragon /Assault Mode” in sight for Chioh Yim, but he ekes out the win anyways, building a wall with “Gravekeeper’s Spy” and slowly grinding Winston out of the Duel! Both Duelists made extensive use of their Side Decks, and Duel 2 began.

Winston got the Duel started with “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner,” sending “Judgment Dragon,” “Bottomless Trap Hole,” and “Honest” to the Graveyard.

Yim had 2 “Assault Beasts,” “Book of Moon,” “Solemn Judgment,” “Skill Drain,” and “Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode.” He Summoned “Assault Beast,” attacked over Lumina, then Set “Solemn Judgment” and “Skill Drain.” Winston Set a monster, set a card to his Spell & Trap Card Zone, and Yim drew next turn before flipping “Skill Drain”! But when he attacked, Winston flipped “Malevolent Catastrophe.” Yim Chained “Solemn Judgment”!

“WHAT?” Winston shrieked, and lost his “Plaguespreader Zombie” in battle. Yim Summoned another “Assault Beast.” “What? What did you Side into, Beatdown?” Winston was shocked.

He drew, and dove straight for his Extra Deck. “What’d it say in my last Feature Match? Creative Synchro Summoning.” He Normal Summoned “Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress,” placed a card on top of his Deck to Special Summon “Plaguespreader Zombie,” then Tuned it to Lyla. “Why did he side into that card? I don’t understand!” He Synchro Summoned “Goyo Guardian,” attacked an “Assault Beast,” and Set a card to his back row.

Yim was up: he Normal Summoned “Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind,” Tuned it to “Assault Beast,” and Synchro Summoned “Blackwing Armor Master.” He Set a card to his back row, and Winston passed his next turn. Yim passed back. “Wait, does his effect still work?” asked Winston, looking at Armor Master and wondering if he should’ve attacked the turn previous. It was quickly confirmed that “Blackwing Armor Master’s” effect was indeed negated.

Winston Set another monster, then a Spell or Trap, suspicious of Yim’s face-down back row card. Yim attacked Winston’s “Honest” with Armor Master, destroyed it, and Winston Summoned “Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid.” He ended. Yim was bluffing with a Set “Bottomless Trap Hole.”

He Normal Summoned “Gravekeeper’s Spy,” attacked Aurkus, and Winston balked: “You are testing me!” Winston flipped Malevolent Catastrophe, Chained “Beckoning Light,” and the jig was up – Yim immediately conceded, though he hid that “Bottomless Trap Hole” from Winston’s view.

Chioh Yim opens strong, but “Goyo Guardian” breaks the game open for Jarel Winston and Yim simply can’t fight back. With no clear path to a Synchro Summon, Yim had to play the Duel beatdown-style, and the draws just didn’t go in Yim’s favor.

He opened Duel 3 with “Gravekeeper’s Spy,” “Assault Beast,” “Caius the Shadow Monarch,” “Torrential Tribute,” “Compulsory Evacuation Device,” and “Book of Moon.”  He Set Spy, Set “Book of Moon,” and ended. Winston Set a monster, Set a card to his back row, and ended as well. Yim Flip Summoned “Gravekeeper’s Spy,” got another in Defense Position, Tributed the first for “Caius the Shadow Monarch,” and targeted Winston’s monster – it was “Necro Gardna,” and Winston Chained “Torrential Tribute” to wipe the field! Yim Set another card to his Spell & Trap Card Zone.

Winston Summoned “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner,” Set a card to his back row and ended – Yim turned Lumina face-down with “Book of Moon,” then Summoned “Flamvell Magician” to dodge a potential “Bottomless Trap Hole” and attack Lumina – Winston removed “Necro Gardna” to keep his Lumina safe.

Winston discarded “Celestia, Lightsworn Angel” for “Solar Recharge” next turn, drew 2 cards, and sent “Monster Reincarnation” and another Celestia to the Graveyard. “Charge of the Light Brigade” sent “Honest” and 2 more Recharges to the Graveyard, getting him “Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior” from his Deck. He Flip Summoned Lumina, Normal Summoned Garoth, then lost his entire field to Yim’s “Torrential Tribute”!

Yim Summoned “Assault Beast,” attacked for 1900 damage, and Set a Spell or Trap. Winston Summoned Lumina, discarded “Malevolent Catastrophe” to Special Summon Garoth, and lost Garoth to “Bottomless Trap Hole.” “Assault Beast” attacked Lumina next turn, and Yim Set a monster and a Spell or Trap. The Duel stood at 5400 Life Points to 8000, with Yim in the lead. Winston drew for his turn and time was called – each Duelist had 2 turns before the Duel would be called on Life Points.

Winston discarded “Judgment Dragon” to Special Summon “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner” in Defense Position, then ended. Yim sent one Lumina back to the hand with “Compulsory Evacuation Device,” and Winston sent “Ehren, Lightsworn Monk,” Lyla, and “My Body As A Shield” to the Graveyard with his remaining Lumina. He had 2 cards remaining in-hand and 1 card Set in his back row.

Yim Flip Summoned “Gravekeeper’s Spy,” Normal Summoned “Banisher of the Radiance,” and attacked to drop Winston to 1900 Life Points. Winston drew for his turn and busted out his calculator – he dropped it to the table moments later, dissatisfied with his calculations, Special Summoned “Judgment Dragon,” paid 1000 Life Points to clear the field, and Summoned Lumina. He discarded for a Special Summon, but even after his attacks it wasn’t enough – he’d had to pay himself down to 900 Life Points with “Judgment Dragon” and he couldn’t recover.

Chioh Yim captures a tight 2-1 Match against Jarel Winston, now 5-0 with his Synchro Cat Assault Mode Deck!

See what our panel of experts had to say after the Duel.

Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
In Duel 1, Winston was off to a weak start and Yim took advantage of it by being exceptionally aggressive. This was a great idea, as it allowed Yim to win quickly despite his own mediocre draws. Sometimes, this type of aggression can really pay off, as it did for Yim.

Michael McTavish (Top 8 Finalist – 2009 Canadian National Championship)
This match more than ever shows the importance of playing as quickly as possible, while still making sure you’re making the best plays possible. Due to End of Match procedures, Winston was unable to win a Match he may have had a great shot at winning if the game had lasted another minute or two. Keep this in mind at your next tournament and don’t be afraid to ask your opponent/ask a judge to tell your opponent to pick up the pace a bit if you feel they are playing slowly.

P.J. Tierney (Duelist from across The Pond)

Winston’s comments throughout the Duel showed just how an unusual deck can put a player off. Since Winston didn’t know exactly what he was playing against, he didn’t know which moves were the ‘right’ ones and which ones to stop. That’s one of the advantages of taking an off-beat Deck to a tournament, and since Yim knew both how his Deck and Winston’s functioned, he had a significant advantage.

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