Round 9 Feature Match: Sang Bui vs. Adam Corn
This Match would pit the 2007 U.S. National Champion, Adam Corn, against 2004 U.S. National Championship Runner-Up Sang Bui. Both of these competitors are from Southern California and each knows the other through previous Dueling. Bui is playing X-Sabers here today, while Corn is running Gladiator Beasts.
Bui started us off with XX-Saber Fulhelmknight and a Set card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.
Corn’s hand was Bottomless Trap Hole, Elemental Hero Prisma, Solemn Judgment, Book of Moon, Gladiator Beast Laquari, and Starlight Road. He Summoned Laquari, attacked Fulhelmknight, and Bui negated the attack with Fulhelmknight’s ability. Corn then Set everything but Prisma.
Bui activated Mind Control. He took Laquari, then Normal Summoned Rescue Cat. He sent it to the Graveyard, Special Summoned X-Saber Airbellum and XX-Saber Darksoul, and Corn responded with Bottomless Trap Hole to remove the Airbellum from play. With Fulhelmknight and Darksoul on the field, that left Bui free to Special Summon XX-Saber Faultroll! He Tuned Darksoul and Fulhelmknight together, Synchro Summoned XX-Saber Hyunlei, and activated her effect, targeting only the middle card of Corn’s 3 Set cards. Corn Chained Book of Moon – not the card that was targeted – turning Faultroll face-down to stop Bui from using its effect. That ensured Corn would get back his Laquari at the end of the turn, as Bui didn’t have any more Tuners to Tune to the Gladiator Beast. Hyunlei’s effect destroyed Corn’s Solemn Judgment, and Bui made a direct attack with Hyunlei. In Main Phase 2, Bui activated Gold Sarcophagus to remove XX-Saber Boggart Knight from his Deck, and ended by handing over Laquari and searching his Deck for Airbellum with Darksoul’s effect. He had 2 cards in his hand, a Set Spell or Trap, Hyunlei face-up, and Faultroll face-down.
Corn drew Thunder King Rai-Oh, holding Elemental Hero Prisma. He had Starlight Road Set, and Laquari on the field. He Summoned Prisma, activated its effect revealing Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, and Bui Chained Torrential Tribute to try and wipe the field! Suddenly Corn’s Starlight Road was useful again, and he Chained it to stop Torrential and Special Summon Stardust Dragon! Prisma’s effect resolved, renaming it Gladiator Beast Bestiari and sending Bestiari to the Graveyard. He sent Laquari and Prisma back to his Deck for Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, attacked with it, and made another direct attack with Stardust. Corn then tagged Gyzarus out for Gladiator Beast Darius, Special Summoned Bestiari with its effect, and Special Summoned Gladiator Beast Laquari for his second Gyzarus Summon. He sent all 3 Gladiator Beasts back to his Deck to Summon Gladiator Beast Heraklinos, and ended with one card in hand!
Bui’s next draw didn’t help him, and he conceded moments later!
Sang Bui takes early control of the Duel with some surgical play, but an overzealous Torrential Tribute costs him everything, as Starlight Road tilts the playing field in Adam Corn’s favor!
Bui opened the second Duel with a Set monster and a Set card to his back row.
Corn had 2 Test Tigers, 2 Books of Moon, Gladiator Beast Equeste, and Gladiator Beast War Chariot. He Set a Book, Set War Chariot, and ended.
Bui activated Cold Wave, Flip Summoned XX-Saber Darksoul, Normal Summoned X-Saber Airbellum, and Special Summoned XX-Saber Faultroll! He Synchro Summoned XX-Saber Hyunlei, destroyed Corn’s face-down Book of Moon and Gladiator Beast War Chariot, and Special Summoned Airbellum. Three direct attacks cost Corn his in-hand Gladiator Beast Equeste and he was conceding moments later.
Corn opened the last Duel with Dimensional Fissure, Gladiator Beast Murmillo, Book of Moon, Smashing Ground, Spirit Reaper, and Gladiator Beast Bestiari. He Set Reaper, Set Book, and ended
Bui Summoned Summoner Monk, turning it to Defense Position before discarding Book of Moon for its effect. He Special Summoned Rescue Cat, sent it to the Graveyard, and Special Summoned X-Saber Airbellum and XX-Saber Darksoul. Corn responded, turning Airbellum face-down with Book of Moon. Bui Set a Spell or Trap, moved to his End Phase, and got XX-Saber Fulhelmknight with Darksoul’s effect.
Corn drew Thunder King Rai-Oh. He labored over his next move for a while, before finally activating Dimensional Fissure. Corn then Summoned Gladiator Beast Murmillo, Flip Summoned Spirit Reaper, and activated Smashing Ground to destroy the Monk! Murmillo attacked Airbellum, destroying it, and Reaper made a direct attack, forcing Bui to discard the Fulhelmknight he’d searched out. All three monsters were removed from the game by Dimensional Fissure. Corn tagged out Murmillo, Special Summoned Gladiator Beast Hoplomus in Defense Position, and ended.
Bui Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh, attacking to press 1600 damage through Spirit Reaper.
Corn Summoned his own Thunder King, lost it to Bottomless Trap Hole, and turned Reaper to Defense Position. He had Torrential Tribute and Gladiator Beast Bestiari in-hand, finishing his turn by Setting Torrential.
Bui Summoned XX-Saber Boggart Knight next turn, Special Summoning Airbellum with Boggart Knight’s effect. He then Special Summoned Faultroll, leaving himself with just 1 card left in-hand! When Bui went for XX-Saber Darksoul with Faultroll’s ability Corn activated Torrential Tribute, wiping the field and ending Bui’s turn!
That left Corn free to attack with Bestiari next turn, tagging out to Gladiator Beast Laquari. He Set a Spell or Trap.
Bui Set a monster.
Corn attacked it next turn – it was X-Saber Pashuul. He had no choice but to trade his 2100 ATK Laquari out for Murmillo, destroying Pashuul. He Set his last in-hand card, Mystical Space Typhoon.
Bui Summoned Thunder King, attacked Murmillo, and destroyed it, removing it from the game.
Corn drew and Set a Spell or Trap.
Bui attacked for 1900 damage with Thunder King.
Corn drew and activated Smashing Ground, destroying Thunder King.
Bui Summoned Sangan, attacking for 1000 damage. The Duel stood at 7400 Life Points to 6200, with Bui leading.
Corn drew and Set another card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.
Bui attacked with Sangan again.
Corn passed, took another 1000 damage from Sangan, and Bui Set a Spell or Trap.
On the next turn, Corn Summoned Gladiator Beast Laquari! It attacked Sangan, removing it from the game so it wouldn’t get its effect.
Bui drew for his turn, and Corn activated Dust Tornado in Bui’s Standby Phase to destroy Bui’s face-down Gottoms‘ Emergency Call. Bui tried to Special Summon Cyber Dragon and Corn negated the attempt with Solemn Judgment!
Laquari attacked next turn, and now the Life Points were 3600 to 200. Corn took some time, trying to navigate the choice between keeping Laquari on the field, or tagging it out for something more secure. He eventually settled on trading Laquari for Gladiator Beast Darius. “I wanted the Hoplomus,” he remarked, referring to the monster he forgot he’d removed from the game earlier. With Hoplomus removed, Corn had mistakenly traded his 1800 ATK Laquari for a 1700 ATK Darius.
Bui couldn’t capitalize, and Set a monster next turn.
Corn drew, holding Heavy Storm and Dimensional Fissure. He activated Heavy Storm, flipped his own Starlight Road to negate it, and Special Summoned Stardust Dragon! He attacked with Stardust , and Bui revealed his Set monster: XX-Saber Darksoul. Darius made a direct attack and Corn tagged it out to bring back his Laquari, this time with 2100 ATK. Bui had 1900 Life Points. He drew his card next turn and conceded.
Corn accepted it sincerely: “That was a really intense Match! That was really great!” Both competitors immediately flew into discussion of the finer points of the Match.
Adam Corn moves on to Day 2 with an 8-1 record, finishing Day 1 of the US World Championship Qualifier!
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)
Corn played very conservatively throughout the Match. For example, you may have noticed that Corn held on to his Solemn Judgment, even through Bui’s Summon of Rescue Cat and Synchro Summon of XX-Saber Hyunlei. Conservative plays will often pay off for Gladiator Beast Duelists. It usually allows them to make big pushes that turn the Duel in their favor, using cards that built up in their hand and on their field throughout the conservative plays.
P.J. Tierney (Duelist from across The Pond)
In Duel 1, Bui Summoned XX-Saber Hyunlei while Corn had 3 Spells and Traps Set, but only targeted 1 card. He had made the right call here, as Corn did have Starlight Road Set, which would have taken care of Hyunlei had Bui targeted a second card.
