Round 5 Feature Match: Jerry Hemphill vs. Alex Mitchell
Alex Mitchell is known for two things: playing his spaceships Deck and being well-dressed at events. “This is the third time I’ve done this this year,” he beamed at the start of this feature match. “Hey, and I get a picture taken!” Mitchell is playing a new version of his “Spaceships” deck, newly christened “Thunder Ships” with the addition of Thunder King Rai-Oh. Mitchell is always playing his signature Deck in big events like this one. We’ve never seen him run anything else, and we’ve never seen anybody else run it. Mitchell is 4-0 so far.
His opponent is another undefeated competitor: Frog Monarch Duelist Jerry Hemphill. With a tight, conservative style, Hemphill had won his way to the top tables this afternoon. But would he know how to defeat Mitchell’s unique strategy? Hemphill actually didn’t know what he was playing against, and was basing his knowledge of the matchup strictly on what was said at the Feature Match table: “I know he’s got a spaceship in it,” he stated, laughing in a friendly way.
Mitchell started the Match with a hand of Shining Angel, Lord British Space Fighter, Solemn Judgment, Blue Thunder T-45, Dark Bribe, and Thunder King Rai-Oh. “I’ll Summon Thunder King in attack mode,” announced Mitchell with his signature flair, “Set 2 cards, and pass play.”
Hemphill activated Heavy Storm, but Mitchell Chained Dark Bribe to negate it. Hemphill drew a card for Dark Bribe, Set Treeborn Frog, and Set Spiritual Water Art – Aoi. He flipped it next turn, Tributing Treeborn to make Mitchell reveal his hand of Shining Angel, Blue Thunder, Lord British, and Enemy Controller. Hemphill made him discard Shining Angel, and Mitchell attacked with Thunder King for 1900 Damage. Hemphill Special Summoned Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, Special Summoned an Emissary of Darkness Token with 1900 ATK, and Mitchell Set Enemy Controller.
Hemphill Special Summoned Treeborn Frog in Defense Position, then activated Cold Wave. He Tributed his Token and Treeborn for Light and Darkness Dragon, sent Gorz to attack over Thunder King, and made a direct attack with the Dragon.
Mitchell drew Book of Moon and Set Blue Thunder.
Hemphill attacked with Light and Darkness Dragon to destroy Blue Thunder, then made a direct attack with Gorz to drop Mitchell to 1900 Life Points.
Mitchell drew Sangan. He Set it, Set Book of Moon, and ended. With Book and Enemy Controller, he could form a Chain to survive the Dragon’s assault.
Play was back to Hemphill. He Sent the Dragon to attack Sangan, and Mitchell Tributed Sangan for Enemy Controller, trying to take control of Gorz. The Dragon’s effect tried to negate Enemy Controller, and Mitchell Chained Book of Moon to turn the Dragon face-down! With the Dragon face-down it couldn’t negate Enemy Controller, and Mitchell took control of Gorz. He then searched his Deck for a card with Sangan’s effect: Honest. He handed back Gorz at the end of the turn.
Mitchell drew his second Honest and announced “Summon Lord British!” He sent Lord British Space Fighter to attack Gorz, activated the effect of 1 Honest, then activated the next! Lord British went to 6600 ATK, and Gorz was destroyed! “I’ll opt to attack again” announced Mitchell, using Lord British’s effect. Light and Darkness Dragon was destroyed, its effect Special Summoned Gorz in Defense Position, and Lord British blasted it apart next! Its effect was triggered one last time, and Lord British attacked directly for 6600 damage, ending the Duel!
Some skilled Chaining and a lucky Honest draw gets Alex Mitchell 2 copies of Honest for his Lord British, and Mitchell attacks four times with his 6600 ATK Space Fighter for the win! Both competitors swapped cards in and out of their Side Decks before starting the second Duel.
Hemphill started with a Set monster.
Mitchell had D.D. Crow, Honest, Blue Thunder T-45, Banisher of the Radiance, Enemy Controller, and Dark Bribe. He Summoned Banisher, attacked, and crashed into Hemphill’s face-down Dupe Frog! The Frog survived, Mitchell took 400 Battle Damage, and he Set his Enemy Controller and Bribe.
Hemphill Tributed his Dupe Frog for Dark Dust Spirit! Its effect destroyed Banisher, and it attacked for 2200 damage. Hemphill returned it to his hand.
Mitchell drew Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo and passed.
Hemphill Summoned Substitoad. He Tributed it for its own effect, Special Summoned Swap Frog, and used its ability to send Treeborn Frog from his Deck to his Graveyard. Swap Frog made a direct attack, and Hemphill returned it to his hand. A Set card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone ended the turn.
Mitchell drew and immediately Set Mask of Restrict. He Summoned Fossil Dyna, attacked, and Hemphill considered his hand for a few moments before taking the 1200 damage. Mitchell ended.
In Hemphill’s Draw Phase, Mitchell activated Mask of Restrict, leaving Hemphill to Normal Summon Swap Frog. He sent Ronintoaden to his Graveyard and ended.
Mitchell drew Lord British Space Fighter. He Summoned Blue Thunder, attacked, and Hemphill responded with Enemy Controller, turning Blue Thunder to Defense Position. Fossil Dyna destroyed Swap Frog in battle.
Hemphill activated Twister, but Mitchell Chained Dark Bribe! “Can’t allow it.” Hemphill drew a card, then Set a card to his back row.
Mitchell drew Morphing Jar, Set it, and attacked with Fossil Dyna and Blue Thunder for 2900 damage total.
Hemphill activated another Twister, dropping to 1600 Life Points and destroying Mask of Restrict. He then flipped his Set Soul Exchange, Tributing Mitchell’s face-down Morphing Jar for Dark Dust Spirit. The Spirit hit the field and Mitchell swept his Fossil Dyna and Blue Thunder to the Graveyard. Hemphill returned Spirit to his hand.
Mitchell Drew and Set Royal Oppression, passing.
He removed Treeborn Frog from his opponent’s Graveyard next turn, activating the effect of D.D. Crow. Hemphill removed Swap Frog from his Graveyard to try and Special Summon Ronintoaden, but Mitchell Chained Oppression to negate the Summon. He was down to 3600 Life Points. Hemphill Set another card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.
Mitchell drew Creature Swap. He Summoned Lord British, attacked, and Hemphill tried to Special Summon Battle Fader, but Mitchell negated the Summon by paying 800 Life Points. Hemphill activated Enemy Controller to turn Lord British to Defense Position, and Mitchell ended.
Hemphill Summoned Swap Frog, sending another Treeborn Frog from his Deck to the Graveyard. Mitchell turned to it to Defense Position with Enemy Controller, and Hemphill returned it to his hand to finish the turn.
Mitchell drew another Creature Swap. He turned Lord British to Attack Position, Summoned Honest, and attacked for 1100 Damage, but Hemphill Summoned Gorz! Lord British attacked over the Emissary of Darkness Token, Summoned a Multi Token, and moved to Main Phase 2 where Mitchell traded the Token for Gorz with Creature Swap! Hemphill had 500 Life Points left to Mitchell’s 2800.
Hemphill Special Summoned Treeborn Frog next turn, and activated Soul Exchange. He Tributed Lord British and Treeborn Frog for Light and Darkness Dragon, then turned the Multi Token to Defense position!
Mitchell drew Fossil Dyna! He Summoned it, activated Creature Swap to lower the Dragon’s ATK, and attacked over it with Gorz! The Dragon’s effect cleared Hemphill’s field, Fossil Dyna stopped Hemphill from Special Summoning, and Mitchell made a direct attack with Fossil Dyna for victory!
Alex Mitchell takes a 2-0 victory over Jerry Hemphill, as Thunder Ships take Mitchell to a 5-0 record!
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)
Mitchell made a great play in Duel 1 when he used Enemy Controller to take control of Gorz and chained Book of Moon to the effect of Light and Darkness Dragon to put the Dragon face-down. Mitchell knew that putting Light and Darkness Dragon face-down would prevent it from negating his Enemy Controller. He was able to use this move to protect himself with Gorz, while searching his Deck for Honest with the effect of Sangan. When you’re staring down a Light and Darkness Dragon, be on the lookout for cards you can Chain to the Dragon’s effect to take it down. Light and Darkness Dragon’s ability to negate a card effect can only trigger once per Chain, so Chainable cards can be a strong weapon to use against it.
