Round 6 Feature Match: Jimi Johnson vs. Naveen Shankar
Naveen Shankar became a Dragon Duel Champion with his Blackwing Deck at last year’s Dragon Duel Championship in Pittsburgh. Now, he’s competing in the World Championship Qualifier and holds a 4-1 record with Blackwings, heading into Round 6. His opponent, Jimi Johnson, has the same record as Shankar and is using a Frog FTK Deck in today’s tournament.
Johnson won the dice roll and chose to go first. He activated One for One and discarded Beelze Frog to Special Summon Substitoad from his Deck. Then he Normal Summoned Swap Frog and used its effect to send Ronintoadin from his Deck to his Graveyard. He removed Beelze Frog to Special Summon Ronintoadin and then Tributed it with Swap Frog to Special Summon another Frog from his Deck. He went through almost all of the frogs in his Deck one at a time before stopping after Summoning a Poison Draw Frog to the field. Then he removed a Unifrog from his Graveyard to Special Summon Ronintoadin back to the field, and Tributed it to Special Summon another Poison Draw Frog. He repeated this process to bring a 3rd Poison Draw Frog onto the field. He returned Swap Frog from his field to his hand, Special Summoned another Ronintoadin from his Graveyard by removing a Frog, and then Tributed it to Special Summon Swap Frog from his Deck. He used his Swap Frog’s effect to send Poison Draw Frog from his field to his Graveyard and draw a card. Next, Johnson Special Summoned another Ronintoadin, Tributed it to Special Summon another Swap Frog, and sent Poison Draw Frog to his Graveyard with its effect to draw another card. Johnson activated Moray of Greed next, to send 2 Frogs from his hand back to his Deck and draw 3 more cards. Next, Johnson bounced Swap Frog back to his hand and Special Summoned it by discarding Fishborg Blaster. Johnson activated Mass Driver next, and Shankar conceded, knowing Johnson had more than enough cards to launch.
Naveen Shankar chose to begin the second Duel. Shankar opened up with Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame, Icarus Attack, Skill Drain, Blackwing – Bora the Spear, Dust Tornado, and Royal Oppression. He Set Dust Tornado and Royal Oppression after Summoning Shura to the field. Then he ended his turn.
Johnson drew. “Anything?” Johnson asked. “No. You probably sided out the Mass Drivers,” Shankar said. Shankar was right – Johnson had. Johnson Set a monster and ended his turn.
Shankar Special Summoned Bora next turn and then attacked Johnson’s Set monster with Shura. He ran into Dupe Frog and lost 200 Life Points. He Set a Skill Drain to his back row before ending his turn.
Johnson activated Moray of Greed next turn. He sent 2 of his Frogs back to his Deck to draw 3 new cards. Then he activated Giant Trunade to return all 3 of Shankar’s Set cards back to his hand. Next, he activated Foolish Burial to send Fishborg Blaster from his Deck to his Graveyard. He discarded Des Frog from his hand next, to Special Summon Fishborg Blaster from his Graveyard. Then he Normal Summoned Substitoad and activated its effect to Tribute Dupe Frog and Special Summon Treeborn Frog from his Deck. Next he went through another Treeborn Frog, a Flip Flog Frog, and 2 Unifrogs by Tributing his Frogs off one at a time with Substitoad. Then he Tributed the Unifrog to Special Summon Swap Frog from his Deck and send Ronintoadin to the Graveyard with its effect. Then he removed Unifrog from his Graveyard to Special Summon Ronintoadin and Tributed it to Special Summon Des Frog. Next he removed Flip Flop Frog to Special Summon Ronintoadin from his Graveyard and Tributed it to Special Summon Unifrog from his Deck. Then he Tuned Des Frog, Unifrog, and Fishborg Blaster together to Synchro Summon Colossal Fighter. Next, he removed a Frog from his Graveyard to Special Summon another Ronintoadin and Tributed it to Special Summon Beelze Frog from his Deck. Then he discarded Quickdraw Synchron to bring back Fishborg Blaster from the Graveyard. He Tuned Fishborg Blaster with Beelze Frog to Synchro Summon Armory Arm. Then he removed another Frog from his Graveyard to Special Summon Ronintaodin, Tributed it to Special Summon Flip Flop Frog from his Deck, and discarded a card from his hand to Special Summon Fishborg Blaster back to the field. He Tuned Fishborg Blaster with Flip Flop Frog to Synchro Summon another copy of Armory Arm and then equipped both copies of Armory Arm to Shankar’s Shura. Colossal Fighter repeatedly rammed into Shura until all of Shankar’s Life Points were depleted.
In a quick 2-0 victory, Jimi Johnson defeats last year’s Dragon Duel Champion with Frog FTK!
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)
Shankar didn’t stand much of a chance in this Match. He only got to take a total of 2 turns! If Shankar Side Decked and drew Hanewata to use against Johnson’s OTK, he would have been able to buy himself an additional turn, which he may have been able to use to mount a comeback.
P.J. Tierney (Duelist from across The Pond)
While Frog FTK is a Deck that’s known for ending Duels in an instant with the effects of Substitoad, Ronintoadin and Mass Driver, Johnson proved that the Deck has several more tricks up its sleeve. In Duel 2 he Synchro Summoned 2 Armory Arms and a Colossal Fighter, and used them together to take down Shankar with 2 swift attacks from his Fighter into a boosted Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame. Johnson had even sided out his Mass Drivers, knowing that Shankar would try to stop them in Duel 2.
