Top 8 Feature Match: Chris Arantes vs. Jay Hornung
For each of the 4 Matches in the Top 8, the winner of that Match would be invited into the 2010 Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG World Championship in Long Beach, California, to compete against several Duelists from around the world for the honor of being named the world champion. Jay Hornung made it here with his Frog Monarch Deck and Chris Arantes made it here with X-Sabers. This is the most anxious either Duelist has ever been before playing, and in mere moments, we would know which of these Duelists would advance to the Top 4 and compete in the World Championship.
Arantes won the dice roll and chose to go first. He opened up with X-Saber Airbellum, Sangan, Call of the Haunted, Summoner Monk, Compulsory Evacuation Device, and Rescue Cat. He Set Sangan before setting Call of the Haunted and Compulsory Evacuation Device, ending his turn.
Hornung started things off by activating Heavy Storm! He destroyed the Call of the Haunted and Compulsory Evacuation Device. He Set a monster and ended his turn.
Arantes drew another Compulsory Evacuation Device next turn. He Summoned Rescue Cat and Tributed it to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum and XX-Saber Darksoul from his Deck. Then he flipped his Sangan and Tuned Darksoul with X-Saber Airbellum to Synchro Summon Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier! He discarded Summoner Monk from his hand to return Hornung’s Set monster to his hand with Brionac’s effect. Then he attacked directly with Sangan, and Hornung Special Summoned Battle Fader from his hand to block the attack and end the Battle Phase. Arantes Set Compulsory Evacuation Device in Main Phase 2 and then searched his Deck for XX-Saber Boggart Knight in his End Phase and added it to his hand with the effect of his Darksoul.
Hornung Set a monster next turn before Setting a back row and passing.
Arantes drew XX-Saber Faultroll next turn. Then he Normal Summoned XX-Saber Boggart Knight and activated its effect to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum from his hand in Attack Position. Next, he Special Summoned, XX-Saber Faultroll from his hand. He Tuned Sangan with X-Saber Airbellum to Synchro Summon Goyo Guardian, and searched his Deck for XX-Saber Fulhelmknight to add to his hand with Sangan’s effect. Next, Arantes discarded XX-Saber Fulhelmknight to return Hornung’s Set monster to his hand. Then he activated the effect of his Faultroll to Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum from his Graveyard. XX-Saber Boggart Knight attacked Hornung’s Defense Position Battle Fader and then Brionac, Goyo, Faultroll, and Airbellum finished Hornung off.
Chris Arantes was just one Duel away from an invitation to 2010 Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG World Championship!
Hornung chose to go first and started things off by Setting one card to his back row and ending his turn.
Arantes opened up with Compulsory Evacuation Device, Bottomless Trap Hole, Thunder King Rai-Oh, Mind Control, Call of the Haunted, and Book of Moon in his hand. He Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh and attacked directly, dropping Hornung down to 6100 Life Points. He Set Compulsory Evacuation Device and passed.
Hornung activated Soul Exchange next turn, targeting Thunder King Rai-Oh, but Arantes chained Compulsory Evacuation Device to return Rai-Oh to his hand. Hornung Set one more card to his back row before passing.
Arantes Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh back to the field next turn and attacked, but Hornung flipped Raigeki Break and discarded Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World to destroy it.
Hornung passed his next turn without making a play.
Arantes flipped Call of the Haunted to revive Thunder King Rai-Oh on his next turn and then attacked directly, dropping Hornung down to 4200 Life Points. He Set a back row and passed.
Hornung passed without making a play.
Arantes attacked for another 1900 points of damage next turn, dropping Hornung down to 2300 Life Points. Then he Set Mask of Restrict and ended his turn.
Hornung passed once again without making a play.
Arantes attacked again with Thunder King Rai-Oh, but Hornung Special Summoned Battle Fader from his hand to stop the direct attack. He ended his turn.
Hornung was up and Arantes flipped Mask of Restrict. Then Arantes Summoned Swap Frog and used its effect to send Ronintoadin from his Deck to his Graveyard. He bounced the Swap Frog back to his hand with its effect and passed.
Arantes attacked and destroyed Battle Fader with Rai-Oh next turn. Then he Set Book of Moon and ended his turn.
Hornung Summoned Swap Frog next turn. He activated its effect to send Swap Frog from his Deck to his Graveyard. Then he removed Swap Frog from his Graveyard to Special Summon Ronintoadin in Defense Position and bounced Swap Frog to his hand with its effect. In his End Phase, he discarded Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World because he had too many cards in his hand.
Arantes drew X-Saber Airbellum next turn. He Summoned it to the field and then activated Mind Control to take control of Ronintoadin. Then he attacked directly with Thunder King Rai-Oh to drop Hornung down to 400 Life Points. X-Saber Airbellum attacked next, ending the Duel. Hornung revealed his hand of Vanity’s Fiend, Swap Frog, Caius the Shadow Monarch, Light and Darkness Dragon, Dark Dust Spirit, and Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World, with a Divine Wrath face-down. There was nothing he could do to prevent it.
Chris Arantes sweeps Jay Hornung 2-0 and advances to the Top 4 while securing his spot in the 2010 Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG World Championship!
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)
Chris Arantes’ opened the first Duel Setting Sangan, Compulsory Evacuation Device, and Call of the Haunted. Call was the most important part, because Arantes had Rescue Cat in-hand. If Hornung hadn’t destroyed the Call, Arantes could’ve used Rescue Cat’s effect not once, but twice. Arantes took a risk and got nailed with Heavy Storm, but the chance at a huge Turn 2 made it a good play.
Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
In Duel 2, Arantes flipped Mask of Restrict to lock Hornung out of the Duel while Hornung’s hand was filled with Tribute monsters. Mask of Restrict is a great card to Side Deck if you aren’t using Tribute monsters, since it can single-handedly shut down an entire Monarch Deck.
Michael McTavish (Top 8 Finalist – 2009 Canadian National Championship)
In Game 1, Arantes should have held his Call of the Haunted until after his Sangan was destroyed. Then, if his opponent activated the Heavy Storm, he could have Chained it, giving himself a search at the expense of his opponent’s Storm.
P.J. Tierney (Duelist from across The Pond)
Duel 2 highlighted the key weakness to Hornung’s Frog Monarch Deck. While Hornung was trying to hold off Arantes’ Thunder King Rai-Oh for as long as possible, Arantes was getting closer and closer to Mask of Restrict, the card that would win him the Match. Once he got it, all he had to do was Set it, activate it, and keep it on the field until he won the Duel. Once Hornung has lost, he revealed his hand which contained several higher Level monsters that needed to be Tribute Summoned.
