Bo Tang is Canada’s last hope for a Worlds representative.  A win here for Tang would place Canada into the World Championships.  Defeat would mean a six-Duelist team representing the United States.

Jibri Thomas’ weekend had inauspicious beginnings: he headed into Round 4 yesterday with a 1-2 record.  After taking two losses, he won his way all the way to the Top 8, and was now on the bubble for a Worlds qualification.  His story in this tournament is a fable about perseverance.

Both of these Duelists are playing Tengu Synchro Decks.  While the Top 4 had all secured their seats at the World Championship, only the winner of this playoff would get to go to Amsterdam.

Thomas started the Match, Normal Summoning Reborn Tengu and Setting a card to his back row.

Tang had a hand of 2 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter; Reborn Tengu; Solemn Warning; Call of the Haunted; and Foolish Burial.  He Set a Ryko, then Set both Traps.

Thomas attacked with Tengu, destroying Ryko.  Ryko’s effect destroyed Thomas’ Mirror Force, then sent Pot of Avarice, Book of Moon, and Torrential Tribute to Tang’s Graveyard.  Thomas Set a monster.

Tang drew Glow-Up Bulb.  He Summoned Reborn Tengu and attacked Thomas’ Tengu: both Duelists Special Summoned another copy each.  Tang sent his second Tengu to destroy Thomas’, and while Tang had a third Tengu to Special Summon, Thomas did not.  Tang’s third Tengu attacked to destroy Thomas’ Spore.

Thomas Summoned his third Tengu, and rammed it at Tang’s to destroy both.

Tang drew Pot of Duality.  He activated it, revealing Spore; Solemn Warning; and Card Trooper from the top of his Deck, and added Trooper to his hand.  He Summoned it, then sent Solemn Judgment; Dandylion; and Pot of Avarice to his Graveyard to boost Trooper to 1900 ATK.  He couldn’t Special Summon due to Duality, so he just attacked with Card Trooper.

Thomas Set a Spell or Trap.

Tang drew another Duality!  He activated Trooper’s effect, and Thomas Chained Effect Veiler to stop it. He still sent Solemn Warning; Spore; and Effect Veiler to his Graveyard, but didn’t get the ATK boost.  Tang attacked for 400 Battle Damage.  In Main Phase 2, he activated Duality, revealing Monster Reborn; Mystical Space Typhoon; and Debris Dragon: he took the Dragon and Set Ryko to finish his turn.

Thomas activated Pot of Avarice, and shuffled everything in his Graveyard back into his Deck to draw 2 cards.  Thomas Set a monster, then Set a card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Tang drew Caius the Shadow Monarch.  He Flip Summoned Ryko to target Thomas’ Enemy Controller, and Thomas Chained it, Tributing his Set Dandylion to take control of Card Trooper.  Tang sent One for One; Dust Tornado; and Sangan to his Graveyard for Ryko’s effect, and Thomas Special Summoned 2 Fluff Tokens.  Tang Normal Summoned Debris Dragon, and Special Summoned Dandylion!  Tang Tuned everything together to Synchro Summon Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, and banished Thomas’ on-field Mystical Space Typhoon; his in-hand Giant Trunade; and the Dandylion from his Graveyard.  Tang Special Summoned his 2 Fluff Tokens, and when he went to Special Summon Spore, Thomas conceded the first Duel.

Multiple copies of Pot of Duality and a ton of Card Trooper and Ryko effects let Bo Tang set up everything he could possibly want, giving him the easy win in the first Duel!  Tang was now a single victory away from the World Championship.  Could Jibri Thomas battle back?

Thomas started the second Duel with Thunder King Rai-Oh and 3 Set cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Tang had D.D. Crow; Mind Control; Card Trooper; Solemn Warning; Chaos Sorcerer; and Giant Trunade.  He activated Trunade to clear the field, then Summoned Card Trooper!  He sent Torrential Tribute; Thunder King Rai-Oh; and Mystical Space Typhoon to his Graveyard to boost its ATK, then attacked to trade off against Thunder King: Tang drew Call of the Haunted with Trooper’s effect.  He Set Call and Warning.

Thomas Set 3 cards to his back row.  In the End Phase of his turn, Tang activated Call of the Haunted, Special Summoning his Card Trooper.

Tang drew Dandylion.  He tried to move to his Main Phase, but Thomas blasted Call of the Haunted with Dust Tornado to destroy Card Trooper, before Tang could activate its effect and send more cards to his Graveyard.  Tang drew, and activated Pot of Duality to choose between Pot of Avarice; Mystical Space Typhoon; and Effect Veiler: he took Veiler.  Tang Set Dandylion to finish out, nickle and diming Thomas to death card by card.

Thomas activated Mind Control to take Tang’s face-down Dandylion next turn, then Normal Summoned Debris Dragon. He didn’t have a target in his Graveyard for its effect, but he Tuned it to the stolen Dandylion to try and bring out Ancient Fairy Dragon in Attack Position: Tang let it go.  Tang Special Summoned his Fluff Tokens, and Ancient Fairy Dragon destroyed 1 of them in battle.  Thomas Set a third Spell or Trap.

Tang drew Royal Oppression.  He Summoned Effect Veiler, then activated Mind Control to take Ancient Fairy Dragon, threatening Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!  Thomas reeled in his seat a moment: “Does this get any worse?”  He handed over the Ancient Fairy.  Tang Tuned Veiler to it, going for Stardust Dragon, but Thomas negated the Summon with Royal Oppression!  Tang Set his own Oppression and ended.

Thomas Set a monster.

Tang drew Lonefire Blossom and passed.

Thomas Flip Summoned Sangan, then tried to Normal Summon Reborn Tengu: Tang negated the Summon with Solemn Warning.  Sangan destroyed Tang’s Fluff Token.

Tang drew Thunder King Rai-Oh, and when he tried to Summon it, Thomas stopped him with Solemn Judgment.  The Duel stood at 6000 Life Points to 3600, with Tang leading.

Thomas attacked with Sangan for another 1000 Battle Damage.

Tang drew Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, and Set a monster.

Thomas flipped Giant Trunade to clear the field!  He Summoned Lonefire Blossom, Tributing it for another Lonefire and then Tributing that to Special Summon Spore.  He Tuned Spore to Sangan, making Armory Arm, and got Effect Veiler from his Deck with Sangan’s effect.  He banished Lonefire Blossom from his Graveyard to try and Special Summon Spore with its effect, but Tang had D.D. Crow to banish Spore on the Chain!  Armory Arm attacked to destroy Tang’s Lonefire, and Thomas Set a Spell or Trap – very likely Royal Oppression again.

Tang drew Dark Hole and passed.

Thomas inquired as to how many cards Tang had in-hand: “Four.”  Thomas passed.

Tang drew Effect Veiler and passed.

Thomas Set a monster.

Tang drew Pot of Avarice!  He activated it, and targeted 2 Thunder Kings; Stardust Dragon; Card Trooper; and Effect Veiler, trying to return them to his Deck to draw 2 cards.  Thomas Chained D.D. Crow, banishing the Trooper to stop the draws.

Thomas Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh.  He attacked with Armory Arm, lowering Tang to 3200 Life Points: Tang Special Summoned Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, and Thunder King destroyed its Token.  Thomas Flip Summoned Effect Veiler, Synchro Summoned Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, but lost its effect to Tang’s Effect Veiler!  “I can’t get a break,” grimaced Thomas.  Gorz remained on the field!

Tang drew Lonefire Blossom.  He turned Gorz to Attack Position, and attacked to destroy Gorz and Trishula.  Tang Set Lonefire, then Set a card to his back row.

Thomas passed.

Tang drew Reborn Tengu!  He Summoned it, and attacked for 1700 Battle Damage: Thomas dropped to 1900 Life Points.

Thomas Set 2 more cards to his back row, then Set a monster.

Tang drew Debris Dragon, and attacked again with Tengu: Thomas’ Set D.D. Crow was destroyed.

Thomas Set a fourth Spell or Trap Card, then Set another monster.

Tang drew Sangan, and Summoned it.  Tengu attacked to destroy Thomas’ face-down Effect Veiler, and Sangan dropped him to 900 Life Points!  Tang Flip Summoned Lonefire Blossom in Main Phase 2, and Tributed it to Special Summon Spore.  Thomas activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Tang’s Royal Oppression, and Tang Tuned Spore to Sangan for Armory Arm: Sangan’s effect activated, and Thomas Chained Debunk to negate it.

Thomas drew his next card, and shook his head a moment before taking a look through Tang’s Graveyard, searching for help.  He Summoned Reborn Tengu and slammed it into Tang’s copy: both Duelists Special Summoned another, and Thomas rammed his into Tang’s: Thomas didn’t have another, but once again Tang did, and he Special Summoned it.

Tang drew Foolish Burial: Thomas was telegraphing Mirror Force.  “Just attack me.”  Tang wasn’t about to fall for it. Instead, he banished Lonefire Blossom to Special Summon Spore, and Tuned it to Tengu for Scrap Dragon!  He set Foolish, then destroyed it, and Thomas revealed his Set cards as he conceded: Solemn Warning and Royal Oppression.  No Mirror Force at all.

A valiant effort from Jibri Thomas, but Bo Tang is headed to the World Championship!