Final Round Feature Match: Chris Arantes vs. Sean Montague
This was the final Match of the 2010 WCQ tournament season! Both of these Duelists had won Dark End Dragons, both had won Darklord prize card sets, and both were headed to the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG World Championship! But there was one last prize to be decided – the title of 2010 U.S. National Champion! X-Sabers versus X-Sabers in the Finals of the U.S. World Championship Qualifier!
Arantes opened with XX-Saber Boggart Knight, XX-Saber Darksoul, X-Saber Airbellum, Giant Trunade, Summoner Monk, and Gold Sarcophagus. He Set Darksoul but didn’t activate Sarcophagus, probably holding it in case he wanted to use it for the Monk’s effect.
Montague Set a monster, then Set a card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.
Arantes drew Heavy Storm. He activated it, destroying Montague’s Set Royal Oppression. He Normal Summoned Summoner Monk, discarded Sarcophagus for its effect, and Special Summoned Rescue Cat. He sent it to the Graveyard, Special Summoned 2 Airbellums, and Flip Summoned Darksoul. He Tuned 1 Airbellum to Monk to Synchro Summon Arcanite Magician, Synchro Summoning it in Defense Position. He fired off 1 of its counters to destroy Montague’s face-down Sangan, which got him Rescue Cat. He then attacked with Airbellum, forcing the discard of Brain Control before making a direct attack with Darksoul. He Tuned Airbellum to Darksoul, Synchro Summoned Goyo Guardian, and ended, getting XX-Saber Faultroll from his Deck with Darksoul’s effect.
Montague drew to 5 cards, and Summoned that Rescue Cat he’d searched last turn with Sangan. He Special Summoned Darksoul and Airbellum, Speical Summoned Faultroll, and Synchro Summoned Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier. He then brought back Airbellum with Faultroll’s effect. Montague had 3 cards left in-hand. He discarded Starlight Road to send Arantes’ Goyo Guardian back to his Extra Deck, then debated a moment before discarding XX-Saber Emmersblade to send Arcanite back, too. Airbellum attacked to make Arantes discard Giant Trunade, Faultroll and Brionac both attacked, and Montague Synchro Summoned XX-Saber Gottoms in the End Phase. He Tributed Gottoms to make Arantes discard Faultroll, then ended to get XX-Saber Fulhelmknight with Darksoul’s effect.
Arantes drew. He had Gottoms’ Emergency Call, Airbellum, and Boggart Knight. He Summoned Boggart Knight, Special Summoned Airbellum, and Set Gottoms’ Emergency Call.
Montague drew, and activated Mystical Space Typhoon next turn, but Arantes Chained Gottoms’ Emergency Call! The Duel stood at 1700 Life Points to 6300, with Montague leading. Arantes used Emergency call to Special Summoned XX-Saber Gottoms and Airbellum from Montague’s Graveyard. Montague discarded Giant Trunade for Brionac to bounce Airbellum back to his hand, then discarded Airbellum to bounce Gottoms! Brionac then attacked Arantes’ Airbellum.
Arantes drew Cold Wave – no help, but he set it as a bluff.
Montague discarded to bounce it with Brionac next turn, then discarded XX-Saber Fulhelmknight to get Boggart Knight off the field. Montague then attacked with Brionac for the win!
Sean Montague makes some skilled plays with Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier to win the first Duel! One more like that, and he’d be the new U.S. National Champion!
Arantes started Duel 2 with Brain Control, Thunder King Rai-Oh, XX-Saber Emmersblade, Torrential Tribute, and 2 Book of Moon. He Set Emmersblade, Set Book of Moon, and ended.
Montague activated Giant Trunade. He Summoned Thunder King, attacked, and destroyed XX-Saber Emmersblade, letting Arantes Special Summon XX-Saber Fulhelmknight from his Deck.
Arantes drew Giant Trunade. He activated it, then activated Brain Control, taking Thunder King. He Summoned his own Thunder King, attacked with all 3 of his monsters, and Montague was down to 2900 Life Points. He Tuned his Fulhelmknight to Montague’s Thunder King, Synchro Summoned X-Saber Urbellum, and Set Book of Moon. He ended with Torrential Tribute and the second Book in-hand.
Montague Summoned XX-Saber Boggart Knight, Special Summoned Airbellum, and Arantes turned Airbellum face-down with Book of Moon. Montague had 3 cards left in-hand, and activated Saber Slash, destroying Urbellum. He attacked Thunder King with Boggart Knight, flipped it down with Book of Moon, and Thunder king was destroyed. Montague Set a Spell or Trap.
Arantes Set a monster, then Set his Torrential Tribute and Book. Montague activated Gottoms’ Emergency Call in Arantes’ End Phase, Special Summoning Urbellum and Fulhelmknight.
Next turn, Montague attacked Arantes’ face-down Darksoul with Fulhelmknight. Boggart Knight and Urbellum each made direct attacks and Arantes was down to 3100 Life Points. Montague ended, Arantes drew for his turn, and realized he’d forgotten his Darksoul search! Without an X-Saber monster to Summon and trigger his own Torrential Tribute, he couldn’t survive. Arantes conceded.
Sean Montague is your 2010 U.S. National Champion!
Post-Event Analysis!
See what our panel of experts had to say about this Duel after the event was over.
Jason Grabher-Meyer (The Old Man of Dueling)
Montague Summoned Boggart Knight and Airbellum, forcing Arantes to use Book of Moon and turn Airbellum face-down to block a possible Synchro Summon. That kept Montague from Saber Slashing away both of Arantes’ monsters, but even just destroying Urbellum was enough, as Book let Montague’s Boggart Knight take down Thunder King. If you’re not playing Saber Slash, give it a try.
Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
In Duel 2, Arantes attacked Montague directly with XX-Saber Fulhelmknight and 2 copies of Thunder King Rai-Oh after activating Giant Trunade. Since Montague had exactly 4 cards in his hand at the time, Arantes may have been better off Tuning Fulhelmknight and Rai-Oh together in Main Phase 1 so that he could score a direct attack with X-Saber Urbellum. This way, he’d be able to lock Montague’s next Draw Phase with a card he already had in his hand. He would’ve done 1000 fewer points of damage, but preventing Montague from drawing a new card more than makes up for that.
P.J. Tierney (Duelist from across The Pond)
Arantes made a direct attack with X-Saber Airbellum in Duel 1, discarding Montague’s Brain Control. This was probably the best card that could have been discarded at the time, as Montague could have used that Brain Control on Arantes’ Arcanite Magician next turn, destroying his Goyo Guardian by removing a Spell Counter. With Rescue Cat also in Montague’s hand at the time, that Brain Control would have sealed the Duel there and then.
