Here at the WCQ, Duelists have been competing in Battle Pack Sealed tournaments all afternoon.  The fifth Battle Pack tournament is just winding down, and two Duelists remain: Craig Potter is set to Duel Jared Becker in the Finals.  The winner of this Match will claim a Battle Pack Starfoil promo card that can only be won at Championship-level events, while the other Duelist will score a Battle Pack Deck Holder for their efforts.

Duel One
Becker opened the Match with a hand of Asura Priest; Fortress Warrior; Wind-Up Dog; Blue Thunder T-45; Airknight Parshath; and Darkworld Shackles.  He Set Fortress.

Potter activated Pot of Greed, drawing two cards!  He Set a monster.

Becker drew Creature Swap and Normal Summoned Blue Thunder T-45.  Blue Thunder attacked, hitting Potter’s Snowman Eater: Blue Thunder was destroyed by Snowman’s effect.

Potter Tributed his Snowman Eater to Summon Guardian Sphinx.  He attacked with it, revealing Becker’s Fortress Warrior, and in Main Phase 2 Potter flipped his Sphinx face-down with its effect.  “You are up.”

Becker drew Snatch Steal.  He Summoned Asura Priest, and activated Creature Swap to trade the Priest for Guardian Sphinx.  He ended his turn, and took Asura Priest back to his hand – nice combo!  Suddenly the tables were turned and Potter’s powerful Tribute Monster had turned traitor.

Potter needed something big to recover from that Creature Swap play: he couldn’t rely on Set monsters anymore, because Guardian Sphinx could bounce them away.  He Set a monster, and Set a Spell or Trap.

Becker Tributed Fortress Warrior for Airknight Parshath, and punched 1600 Battle Damage through Potter’s Set monster: Dark Resonator!  Resonator survived, but Becker got to draw Noisy Gnat with Parshath’s effect.  In Main Phase 2, Becker Flip Summoned Guardian Sphinx to bounce away Potter’s monsters, then stacked his Sphinx and Parshath to Xyz Summon Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon.  “First time in the tournament I’ve Summoned him!”

Potter drew to seven cards in hand, but shook his head as he considered his options.  He Special Summoned Gilasaurus, allowing Becker to Special Summon back his Fortress Warrior in Defense Position.  He Tributed Gilasaurus for Enemy Controller, taking control of Adreus, and detached Airknight Parshath to destroy Fortress Warrior with Adreus’ effect.  That left Potter free to make a direct attack with Adreus, and he Set a Spell or Trap in Main Phase 2.  He activated Premature Burial next, paying 800 Life Points to Special Summon Gilasaurus.  Potter Set a monster, then handed back Adreus.

Becker drew Freed the Matchless General.  He activated Adreus’ effect to try and destroy Potter’s Premature Burial, but Potter negated the effect and destroyed Adreus with Divine Wrath, discarding Big Shield Gardna!  Becker took control of Gilasaurus with Snatch Steal, and Tributed it to Summon Freed.  He then activated Pot of Duality, revealing Ego Boost; Shine Knight; and Hardened Armed Dragon from the top of his Deck.  He added Ego Boost to his hand.  Becker then attacked with Freed, bouncing off another Dark Resonator.  In Main Phase 2, Becker activated Darkworld Shackles on Resonator, and Set a Spell or Trap.

Potter Set another Spell or Trap and ended.

Becker drew Goblin Attack Force, and dealt 500 damage to Becker with Darkworld Shackles.  The Duel stood at 5100 Life Points to 5200, with Becker narrowly leading.  Becker Summoned Asura Priest and attacked Dark Resonator, but Potter stopped Freed’s attack with Nightmare Wheel.  Asura Priest returned to Becker’s hand.

Potter Summoned Raging Flame Sprite to make a direct attack for 100 Battle Damage.  The Sprite’s effect increased its ATK to 1100.

Becker drew Mask of Darkness, and each Duelist took 500 damage: Potter for Shackles, and Becker for Nightmare Wheel.  Becker Summoned Asura Priest again, attacking Raging Flame Sprite to destroy it, and ended.

Potter passed.

Becker drew Battle Fader, and both Duelists took another 500 damage.  Becker Summoned Goblin Attack Force.

Potter Set a monster.

Becker drew Hardened Armed Dragon and both Duelists took 500 damage yet again.  Becker Summoned Hardened Armed, and stacked it with Goblin Attack Force for Wind-Up Zenmaister.  He detached Hardened Armed to flip Freed face-down, freeing it from Nightmare Wheel, and then attacked with Zenmaister to destroy Potter’s Set monster: Witch of the Black Forest!  That got Potter Super Conductor Tyranno from his Deck, and Potter flipped Freed back up to finish his turn.

Potter activated Soul Exchange, Tributing Zenmaister and Dark Resonator for Super Conductor Tryranno!  Tyranno attacked Freed, and Becker flipped Ego Boost to boost Freed to 3300 ATK. Unfortunately, neither player actually read Soul Exchange OR Freed before plunging into battle, and so the monsters traded blows and both went down. In actuality, this Battle Phase should have never occurred in the first place due to Soul Exchange, but one mistake begets another and Freed gains the benefit of a Spell he actually should have negated to take down the monster that should not have been able to attack him.

Becker drew Psi-Blocker, holding Noisy Gnat, Battle Fader, Wind-Up Dog, and Asura Priest, and Mask of Darkness.  He Summoned Wind-Up Dog and used its effect, attacking to knock Potter down to 1200 Life Points.

Potter Summoned Ape Fighter, and attacked Wind-Up Dog to destroy it.

Becker drew Worm Barses and passed.

Potter Summoned Luster Dragon and attacked, but Becker Special Summoned Battle Fader to end the Battle Phase.

Becker drew White Night Dragon.  He Set Barses.

Potter Tributed both of his monsters for Ancient Gear Golem, and attacked Battle Fader!  Since Ancient Gear Golem inflicts Piercing Battle Damage through Defense Position monsters, that one attack won Potter the Duel!

Craig Potter brings a back-and-forth exchange to a surprising close, as Jared Becker tries to wall up  and suddenly finds his walls ripped apart by Ancient Gear Golem!

Duel Two

Becker’s hand for the second Duel was Deep Diver; Twin-Barrel Dragon; Mobius the Frost Monarch; Beast King Barbaros; Noisy Gnat; and Worm Barses.  He Set the Diver.

Potter Set a monster.

Becker drew Inverse Universe, and Summoned Twin-Barrel Dragon.  He missed the coin flip for Twin-Barrel’s effect, and attacked into Snowman Eater, losing the Dragon to Snowman’s ability.  He Set Inverse Universe.

Potter Set a monster.

Becker drew Call of the Haunted and Summoned Worm Barses, turning Snowman Eater to Attack Position so Barses could attack over it for 1400 Battle Damage.  Becker Set Call.

Potter Set a card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone, then Normal Summoned Ape Fighter.  He attacked Worm Barses with it, but when he did, Becker flipped Inverse Universe!  Ape Fighter went to 1200 ATK, while Barses chagned to 1600 ATK: Ape Fighter went down!

Becker drew Big Bang Shot, and Tributed Barses for Mobius the Frost Monarch.  The Monarch’s effect destroyed Potter’s Set Liberty at Last!, and Becker equipped Mobius with Bang Shot.  That let Mobius pierce through Potter’s Set Luster Dragon for 1200 Battle Damage (Mobius went to 2800 ATK thanks to Big Bang Shot), ending Becker’s turn.

Potter Summoned Amazoness Sage and attacked Deep Diver, destroying it and triggering its effect: Becker searched his Deck, placing Theban Nightmare on top of it.  The Sage’s effect destroyed Big Bang Shot, banishing Mobius, and Potter moved to his End Phase.  Becker flipped Call of the Haunted to bring back his Twin-Barrel Dragon.  He tried to destroy Amazoness Sage with Twin-Barrel’s effect, but failed on the first coin flip.

Becker drew Theban Nightmare, and Summoned it.  Twin-Barrel attacked over Amazoness Sage, then attacked for 1500 Battle Damage with the Nightmare.  In Main Phase 2, Becker stacked the Dragon and the Nightmare to Xyz Summon Number 39: Utopia.

Potter Set a monster, and Set a Spell or Trap.

Becker drew and Summoned Voltic Kong, then attacked with Utopia: it destroyed Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, which let Potter draw another card with its Flip Effect.  Voltic Kong made a direct attack, sending Premature Burial and Autonomous Action Unit from the top of Potter’s Deck to his Graveyard.

Potter Summoned Toon Gemini Elves, and Tributed it for Enemy Controller.  He took Utopia, and attacked over Voltic Kong to destroy it.  Potter handed back Utopia.  Becker drew Blue Thunder T-45 and attacked with Utopia for game!

Jared Becker controls the bulk of the second Duel, taking an assertive victory with Number 39: Utopia!  One more Duel would decide the winner of this tournament!

Duel Three

Potter Set a monster.

Becker’s hand was Deep Diver; Battle Fader; Power Giant; Night Assailant; Twin-Barrel Dragon; and Worm Barses.  He Summoned Barses to turn Potter’s Set Charcoal Inpachi to Attack Position, and ran it over in battle.

Potter Set a Spell or Trap, then Special Summoned Power Giant by discarding Bazoo the Soul Eater.  Power Giant attacked to destroy Barses.

Becker drew Big Bang Shot.  He Set Deep Diver and ended.

Potter Summoned Exarion Universe, and attacked to destroy Deep Diver; Becker searched his Deck to place Machina Fortress on top of his Deck. When Power Giant tried to make a direct attack, Becker blocked with Battle Fader.

Becker drew Machina Fortress next turn, discarding Twin-Barrel and Machina Fortress to Special Summon the Fortress.  Fortress attacked Power Giant, but Potter stopped it by flipping Nightmare Wheel.  Becker Set a card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Potter reduced Exarion Universe’s ATK by 400 to give it piercing damage with its own effect, and attacked into Becker’s Set Night Assailant.  Assailant destroyed Power Giant, and Potter Set a monster.

Becker drew The Calculator.  He Summoned it, boosting it to 2700 ATK, then took it to 3100 ATK with Big Bang Shot!  The Calculator attacked over Exarion Universe for 1300 Battle Damage, dropping Becker to 5400 Life Points.  Fortress still couldn’t attack, due to Nightmare Wheel’s effect.

Potter Normal Summoned Big Shield Gardna, then Flip Summoned Gravitic Orb to shift The Calculator to Defense Position.  Potter attacked to destroy it, banishing The Calculator thanks to Big Bang Shot.

Becker Tributed his paralyzed Machina Fortress to Tribute Summon Power Giant, then ran over Big Shield Gardna.

Potter turned Gravitic Orb to Defense Position and Set a card to his back row.

Becker drew and activated Pot of Duality, revealing Call of the Haunted; Psi-Blocker; and Voltic Kong.  He took Call to his hand, shuffling the other two cards back.  Power Giant attacked to destroy Gravitic Orb, and Becker Set Call.

Potter passed.

Becker drew Noisy Gnat.  He tried to make a direct attack with Power Giant, but Potter protected himself with Battle Fader.  Becker Set the Gnat.

Potter Summoned Goblin Elite Attack Force, and ran it into Power Giant to destroy both monsters.

Becker drew Airknight Parshath!  He Tributed Noisy Gnat to Summon Parshath, then attacked Battle Fader to destroy it; hammer through 1900 Battle Damage; and draw Fortress Warrior with Parshath’s effect!  Potter was down to just 1400 Life Points, while Becker still had 1400.  Becker flipped Call of the Haunted to Special Summon back Machina Fortress, and attacked with it to win the Duel, the Match, and the tournament!

Jared Becker wins the fifth Battle Pack Sealed tournament of the day, claiming victory in a clash of Power Giants!