. Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Event Coverage » Round 1: Tombkeeper Mike Papalazaros VS Einherjar Jeff Jones
Home > 2011/03 – Charlotte, NC, Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series > Round 1: Tombkeeper Mike Papalazaros VS Einherjar Jeff Jones

Round 1: Tombkeeper Mike Papalazaros VS Einherjar Jeff Jones

March 19th, 2011

Jeff Jones is here this weekend piloting Double Aesir, the Nordic Synchro Deck that wields Thor, Lord of the Aesir and Odin, Father of the Aesir.  There’s been a lot of talk about the Nordic theme since its release in Storm of Ragnarok, but this Feature Match represents its first big Championship-level outing.  Will Jones come through, or will Round 1 see an early demise for Tanngnjostr and its beastly buddies?

The answer may just come down to the matchup.  53 year-old Duelist Mike Papalazaros is a Charlotte local, and he’s competing this weekend with arguably the best Deck to take against Nordics: Gravekeepers with Thunder King Rai-Oh.  Papalazaros can lock down the opposing Aesir, as well as Jones’ Pot of Avarices, with Necrovalley, while harrying his Set monsters with Gravekeeper’s Descendant.  Thunder King is a huge threat, staving off Synchro Summons and locking out Gleipnir, the Fetters of Fenrir.  Nordics are about to be tested.

Papalazaros opened with Pot of Duality, revealing Mystical Space Typhoon and taking it over Gravekeeper’s Descendant and Gravekeeper’s Spy.  He discarded Gravekeeper’s Commandant to go get Necrovalley from his Deck, and activated it.  He Set a monster and Set a card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Jones’ opening hand was Dimensional Prison; Gleipnir, the Fetters of Fenrir; Vanadis of the Nordic Ascendant; 2 Pot of Duality; and Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts.  Duality revealed another Gleipnir, Tanngrisnir, and Effect Veiler from the top of his Deck: Jones added Veiler to his hand and shuffled the other two back.  He Summoned Vanadis, activated her effect, and sent another Vanadis to his Graveyard.  He Set Prison, Gleipnir, and Duality.  Gleipnir was destroyed in the End phase by Papalazaros’s Mystical Space Typhoon.

Papalazaros activated another Duality, this time revealing Mystical Space Typhoon, Solemn Warning, and Gravekeeper’s Recruiter.  He took the Typhoon, and activated it to destroy Jones’ Dimensional Prison.  With 3 cards left in-hand Papalazaros Flip Summoned Gravekeeper’s Spy – Duality kept him from Special Summoning.  He Summoned Recruiter, attacked over Vanadis, and destroyed it.  Spy’s attack kept Jones from using Tanngnjostr’s effect, and he took 1700 Battle Damage.  Papalazaros Set a Spell or Trap.

Jones drew Book of Moon and flipped Pot of Duality, revealing Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts, Monster Reborn, and another Tanngnjostr.  He took Guldfaxe, Set Book of Moon, and Set Guldfaxe.

Papalazaros attacked with Recruiter, and Jones stopped it with Book of Moon.  Spy attacked, destroyed Guldfaxe, and Jones Special Summoned Tanngnjostr.  Papalazaros Set another monster. (You can Special Summon Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts from your hand when one of your monsters is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard.)

Jones drew Super-Nimble Mega Hamster.  He switched Tanngnjostr to Attack Position and Special Summoned another Guldfaxe.  He Synchro Summoned Black Rose Dragon and wiped the field, destroying Papalazaros’s Chained Bottomless Trap Hole, his Necrovalley, his 2 Gravekeeper’s Spies, and Recruiter!  Papalazaros got Gravekeeper’s Assailant with Recruiter’s effect, and Jones Set Hamster with Veiler in hand. (When Tanngnjostr is switched to Attack Position, you can Special Summon a Nordic Beast from your Deck in Defense Position.)

Papalazaros drew to 3 cards in hand.  He discarded another Commandant for another Necrovalley, then Summoned Gravekeeper’s Assailant to attack and destroy Hamster.  Hamster’s Effect Special Summoned Tanngnjostr, and Papalazaros Set a Spell or Trap.

Jones drew another Hamster.  He Flip Summoned Tanngnjostr and got another Guldfaxe, drawing out Papalazaros’s Bottomless Trap Hole.  Jones Set Super-Nimble Mega Hamster.

Papalazaros drew to 1 card in hand, and attacked over Tanngnjostr.  Jones dropped to 4600 Life Points.

Jones drew Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts and Set it.

Papalazaros drew to 2 cards, and Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh.  Assailant attacked to destroy Hamster, getting Jones another Tanngrisnir in Defense Position.  Papalazaros attacked the other Tanngrisnir, and Jones Special Summoned 2 Nordic Beast Tokens.

Jones drew Dimensional Prison and Set it.

Papalazaros attacked the two Nordic Beast Tokens, with Assailant scoring a hit for 2000 Battle Damage.  Thunder King Rai-Oh was removed with Dimensional Prison, and Papalazaros Summoned Gravekeeper’s Descendant.  He Tributed Assailant for Descendant’s effect, but lost out to Veiler.

Jones was now topdecking: he drew Pot of Avarice, but was locked down by Necrovalley!  He Set Avarice. (Cards in the Graveyard can’t be affected by anything other than their own effects while Necrovalley is in play. Pot of Avarice requires you to return 5 monsters from your Graveyard to the Deck, so its a no-go here.)

Papalazaros Summoned Gravekeeper’s Assailant, attacked the Nordic Beast Token with it to drop Jones to 600 Life Points, and attacked into the Tanngrisnir to get Jones another 2 Nordic Beast Tokens.  Papalazaros then returned Gravekeeper’s Recruiter and an Assailant to his hand with Gravekeeper’s Stele, and destroyed Pot of Avarice with Descendant.

Jones drew Giant Trunade next turn and Papalazaros attacked for game a turn later!

R1FMatch-Josh

Jeff Jones runs into what must be his worst matchup possible, as Gravekeepers with Thunder King Rai-Oh lock him down early thanks to double Mystical Space Typhoon!  That second Typhoon  ruined what would’ve otherwise been a winning Duel for Jones, and now the pressure was on.  Jones flew to his Side Deck.

“You know where that went wrong?  At the Thunder King,” commented Jones.  “It stopped me from bringing out Ancient Fairy Dragon, popping Necrovalley, and running over the Assailant.  And that Trunade was a turn late for the Avarice.”

Jones opened Duel 2 with Vanadis of the Nordic Ascendant; Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts; Super-Nimble Mega Hamster; Gleipnir, the Fetters of Fenrir; Solemn Judgment; and Nobleman of Crossout.  He Set the Traps, Set Hamster, and ended his turn looking strong.

Papalazaros activated Necrovalley, Set a monster, and Set 2 cards to his back row.

Jones drew Dimensional Prison.  He Flip Summoned Hamster and Special Summoned Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts.  He activated Nobleman of Crossout and succeeded in removing Papalazaros’s Gravekeeper’s Spy, but his other 2 copies appeared to be in his hand!  “Well that’s not really what you want to see when you activate Nobleman,” quipped Jones.  He Set Prison, hoping to keep that Tanngnjostr around.

Papalazaros destroyed Prison with Mystical Space Typhoon, Set another Spell or Trap, and Set a monster.  “I bet I know what that is,” laughed Jones.

Jones Flip Summoned Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beast, and Papalazaros responded with Chain Disappearance: Jones let it go, and removed all his Tanngnjostrs from his Deck and field.  He resolved Tanngnjostr’s effect to Special Summon Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts, though, and Tuned it to Hamster to make Scrap Dragon!  He targeted his Gleipnir and his opponent’s Gravekeeper’s Spy for Scrap Dragon’s effect; Chained Gleipnir; and got another Guldfaxe while destroying Spy!  He still hadn’t Normal Summoned, so he Set Tanngrisnir and didn’t attack.

Papalazaros Set a monster.

Jones drew Mystical Space Typhoon!  He activated it to destroy Papalazaros’s Set Gravekeeper’s Stele and Flip Summoned Tanngrisnir.  He then Normal Summoned Vanadis; used its effect to send another Vanadis to the Graveyard; and Tuned it to Tanngrisnir for Ancient Fairy Dragon.  Papalazaros conceded the Duel.

R1FMatch-Jones

Things go a bit better for Jeff Jones in Duel 2, as the intelligence gained from Nobleman of Crossout lets him outplay Papalazaros’s remaining Gravekeeper’s Spies with Scrap Dragon!  This next Duel would decide the winner of the Match.  Jones would be playing from behind, as Papalazaros would open Duel 3.

Papalazaros started the final Duel with a Set monster and nothing else.

Jones had Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts; Trap Stun; Super-Nimble Mega Hamster; Nobleman of Crossout; Vanadis of the Nordic Ascendant; and Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts. Nobleman of Crossout wiped away Papalazaros’s Gravekeeper’s Recruiter, and Jones Set Hamster and Trap Stun.

Papalazaros activated Dark Hole to destroy Hamster, then Summoned Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo for a quick attack.  He Set a Spell or Trap.

Jones attacked into Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo with Tanngrisnir next turn, destroying both and Special Summoning 2 Nordic Beast Tokens!

Papalazaros attacked with Thunder King Rai-Oh next turn, destroying a Nordic Beast Token and Setting a Spell or Trap.

Jones drew another Gleipnir, locked down under Thunder King Rai-Oh!  He Summoned Vanadis, and used its effect to send another Vanadis to his Graveyard.  He then tried to Synchro Summon Black Rose Dragon, drawing out Thunder King Rai-Oh’s effect.  Both monsters went to the Graveyard. (Thunder King Rai-Oh stops you from adding cards from your Deck to your hand, except by drawing them. It can also be sent to the Graveyard to negate a Special Summon as seen here.)

Papalazaros got another Thunder King Rai-Oh with Pot of Duality next turn, and Jones used Gleipnir to get Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts from his Deck before Papalazaros could Summon.  He played another Gleipnir, and that one got him Tanngnjostr. Thunder King Rai-Oh attacked for 1900 Battle Damage, lowering Jones to 4900 Life Points.

Jones drew another Trap Stun and Set Tanngrisnir.

Papalazaros Set a third Spell or Trap, attacked Tanngrisnir, and Jones activated its effect.  He Chained Tanngnjostr’s effect, and Special Summoned 2 Nordic Beast Tokens and Tanngjostr.  Papalazaros tried to remove Tanngnjostr with Chain Disappearance, but couldn’t activate it since he was still in the Damage Step.  He Set a monster. (Chain Disappearance removes all copies of a monster with 1000 or less ATK that’s just been Summoned from both players hands and Decks.)

Jones drew Super-Nimble Mega Hamster.  He switched Tanngnjostr to Attack Position and Special Summoned Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts.  He Tuned it to a Nordic Beast Token to Synchro Summon Black Rose Dragon, and attacked over Thunder King Rai-Oh: Papalazaros tried to stop it with Dimensional Prison, and lost out to Trap Stun.  Thunder King was destroyed.

Papalazaros Flip Summoned Gravekeeper’s Assailant, attacked Tanngnjostr, and Jones Special Summoned another one in its place when the first was destroyed!

Jones drew Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror.  He flipped Tanngnjostr to Attack Position; brought out another Guldfaxe; and Synchro Summoned Thor, Lord of the Aesir!  Thor attacked, and Papalazaros conceded the Match!  There was no escaping Thor.

R1FMatch-JonesThor

Jeff Jones overcomes a brutal first Duel to recover and claim victory in Duel 2 and 3, unleashing Thor, Lord of the Aesir to take the third and final Duel!

Welcome to YCS Charlotte!