Duelist Profile: Jonathan Lovett
Traveling here this weekend from nearby Santa Monica, Jonathan Lovett is sixteen years old, and has been Dueling since 2009. A competitive Duelist who’s attended several YCS and WCQ events in the past, he’s gone rogue today playing a HERO deck that he believes will give him an edge over other strategies. We sat with him for a moment to ask him a few questions after Round 1!
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What was the first booster pack you ever opened?
“Legend of Blue Eyes, I can’t remember what I pulled though.”
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YCS Long Beach is the biggest YCS of all time – before today, what was the biggest Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament you’d ever played in?
“In 2010, I played in the World Championship Qualifier in Minneapolis. That was a fun event! I lost in Top 64 to Daniel LaMartina, he ripped Brain Control to beat me.”
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What Deck are you playing, and why did you decide to play it?
“I’m playing Elemental HERO’s with Skill Drain. I feel like with all the ‘hand traps’ like Maxx “C” and Effect Veiler, plus all the Torrential Tributes, Fiendish Chains, and all the cards people play to take on Dino Rabbit, Inzektors, and Wind-Ups, I think HERO’s has a great matchup against the most popular strategies. Skill Drain is in my opinion the best trap of the format, and I feel like with Dino Rabbit and Inzektor being my two most-expected matchups, Skill Drain is really powerful. Super Polymerization is good against Dino Rabbit as well. Also, HERO’s can make some ridiculous topdecks. I think they’re the best Skill Drain Deck in the format right now. Unlike Tech Genus, they have easy answers to common threats, like Miracle Fusion to counter a big monster, and they have more of an ability to fight out from under Royal Decree, thanks to Gemini Spark. Hero Blast is a very good card.”
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What was your first Deck?
“I’d have to say… The Yugi Starter Deck, oh man! That takes me back. It was either Yugi or Kaiba, one of the two.”
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The Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series has been running for over seven years. What does the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series mean to you?
“Having gone through different phases… playing, not playing, being competitive, being casual… Or just putting fluctuating amounts of time into it. I think the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series is the best way to make a return to the game when you’ve been taking a break from competitive play. It’s THE place to make your comeback. And on another level, I know lots of people who go to these, so it’s always fun to go to high level events, see those people, compete, and do the best you can.”
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Jonathan sure seems confident of his strategy! We hope he does well here this weekend – maybe we’ll see him again later in the tournament.
Traveling here this weekend from nearby Santa Monica, Jonathan Lovett is sixteen years old, and has been Dueling since 2009. A competitive Duelist who’s attended several YCS and WCQ events in the past, he’s gone rogue today playing a HERO deck that he believes will give him an edge over other strategies. We sat with him for a moment to ask him a few questions after Round 1!
What was the first booster pack you ever opened?
“Legend of Blue Eyes, I can’t remember what I pulled though.”
YCS Long Beach is the biggest YCS of all time – before today, what was the biggest Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament you’d ever played in?
“In 2010, I played in the World Championship Qualifier in Minneapolis. That was a fun event! I lost in Top 64 to Daniel LaMartina, he ripped Brain Control to beat me.”
What Deck are you playing, and why did you decide to play it?
“I’m playing Elemental HERO’s with Skill Drain. I feel like with all the ‘hand traps’ like Maxx “C” and Effect Veiler, plus all the Torrential Tributes, Fiendish Chains, and all the cards people play to take on Dino Rabbit, Inzektors, and Wind-Ups, I think HERO’s has a great matchup against the most popular strategies. Skill Drain is in my opinion the best trap of the format, and I feel like with Dino Rabbit and Inzektor being my two most-expected matchups, Skill Drain is really powerful. Super Polymerization is good against Dino Rabbit as well. Also, HERO’s can make some ridiculous topdecks. I think they’re the best Skill Drain Deck in the format right now. Unlike Tech Genus, they have easy answers to common threats, like Miracle Fusion to counter a big monster, and they have more of an ability to fight out from under Royal Decree, thanks to Gemini Spark. Hero Blast is a very good card.”
What was your first Deck?
“I’d have to say… The Yugi Starter Deck, oh man! That takes me back. It was either Yugi or Kaiba, one of the two.”
The Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series has been running for over seven years. What does the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series mean to you?
“Having gone through different phases… playing, not playing, being competitive, being casual… Or just putting fluctuating amounts of time into it. I think the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series is the best way to make a return to the game when you’ve been taking a break from competitive play. It’s THE place to make your comeback. And on another level, I know lots of people who go to these, so it’s always fun to go to high level events, see those people, compete, and do the best you can.”
