Home > Championships > Round 10: Ervin So VS Mitchell Nguyen

Round 10: Ervin So VS Mitchell Nguyen

July 1st, 2012

With an 8-1 record, Ervin So is the highest-ranked Canadian Duelist remaining in this tournament.  Hailing from Toronto, So has two YCS playoff finished under his belt.  His opponent this round is Orange County’s Mitchell Nguyen, another veteran Duelist with multiple Championship tops.  Nguyen made the playoff rounds at YCS Chicago, YCS Long Beach, YCS San Jose, YCS Los Angeles, and several more Championship-level events.  Both of these competitors could easily make it to Tokyo, if they can make it into the playoffs.
Duel One

So opened the morning with a hand of Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon; Solar Recharge; Eclipse Wyvern; Allure of Darkness; Mystical Space Typhoon; and Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter.  He activated Recharge, pitching Ryko to draw Tour Guide from the Underworld and Mind Control.  He sent Heavy Storm and another Recharge to the Graveyard.  Allure of Darkness got him another Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon and D.D.R. – Different Dimension Reincarnation, and he banished a Red-Eyes.  Tour Guide from the Underworld Special Summoned Sangan, and So Set Mystical Space Typhoon, leaving both Level 3’s on the field.

Nguyen Normal Summoned Wind-Up Rabbit, and paid 1000 Life Points to activate Instant Fusion and Special Summon Dragoness the Wicked Knight.  He stacked them to Xyz Summon Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity, then activated Wind-Up Factory.  He detached Wind-Up Rabbit for Zenmaity’s effect, Special Summoning another Rabbit, and then used his Factory’s effect to search his Deck for Wind-Up Shark.  Zenmaity attacked Tour Guide, and Nguyen opted not to attack with Rabbit.  He Set two cards to his back row.

So drew Card Trooper, and Nguyen announced that he wanted to activate Rabbit’s effect, trying to trigger his Factory again.  After thinking a bit, So let it go, not activating Mystical Space Typhoon: Nguyen got another Wind-Up Shark.  So Summoned Card Trooper, and activated its effect by sending a Ryko, another Card Trooper, and Dark Hole to the Graveyard.  So flipped Mind Control, targeting Zenmaity, and Nguyen gave it over.  So blasted Nguyen’s Torrential Tribute with Space Typhoon, then discarded Eclipse Wyvern for Different Dimension Reincarnation, trying to bring back the Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon he’d banished with Allure!  Nguyen negated Reincarnation with Solemn Warning, leaving So to banish Dark Armed Dragon from his Deck with Wyvern’s ability.  So had two DARKs in his Graveyard, with a field of Sangan, Card Trooper, and the pilfered Zenmaity, with Red-Eyes still in hand.  So attacked with Trooper and Sangan, and gave back the Zenmaity, clearly unhappy with the situation.
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Nguyen brought back his Wind-Up Rabbit, then played a second Wind-Up Factory.  He detached Dragoness from Zenmaity to Special Summon Wind-Up Hunter, then added Wind-Up Rabbit and Wind-Up Shark to his hand with his two Factories.  He Tributed Zenmaity for Hunter’s effect, making So send his Red-Eyes to the Graveyard, and followed up by stacking Hunter and Rabbit for another Zenmaity.  He detached Hunter to Special Summon Wind-Up Magician from his Deck, then Special Summoned a Shark, triggering Wind-Up Magician’s ability and Special Summoning another.  He reduced Shark to Level 3, and Special Summoned Wind-Up Rat with the other Magician.  He stacked the two Magicians for Steelswarm Roach, then combined Rat and Shark for Number 20: Giga-Brilliant. Nguyen Normal Summoned another Rat, then detached the first Rat from Giga-Brilliant to boost the ATK of all of his on-field monsters.  Roach attacked over Trooper, and So drew Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress. Giga-Brilliant swung over Sangan, and So searched his Deck for Tour Guide from the Underworld.  Zenmaity and Rat both made direct attacks, dropping So to 1900 Life Points.  Nguyen had 2100 Life Points left, and in Main Phase 2 he brought back Hunter with Rat.  He Tributed Zenmaity to make So discard Tour Guide, then Xyz Summoned another Zenmaity to bring out Rat and Hunter again.  With his last card about to be sent to the Graveyard, So conceded the first Duel.

A wall of defense shatters what could have been a strong start for Ervin So, and Mitchell Nguyen quickly overwhelms him with a massive field of Wind-Up monsters!  Nguyen takes the first Duel.  So went straight to his Side Deck and flipped two copies of Maxx “C” into his Main Deck.

Duel Two

This time around So had a hand of Sangan; Tour Guide from the Underworld; Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter; Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon; Card Trooper; and Darkflare Dragon.  He Set Ryko.

Nguyen Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld, and Special Summoned Sangan from his Deck.  He attacked into Ryko with Tour Guide, and Ryko destroyed her, sending Monster Reborn, Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, and Maxx “C” to the Graveyard.  Sangan made a direct attack for 1000 Battle Damage, and Nguyen Set a single card to his back row.

So drew another Maxx “C” and Set Sangan.

Nguyen Normal Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh, and attacked So’s Sangan to negate its effect!  his own Sangan made another direct attack, and Nguyen Set a second card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

So drew Mystical Space Typhoon and activated it, destroying Nguyen’s Dimensional Prison.  He Summoned Card Trooper, and Nguyen thought for a minute before announcing that he didn’t have a response.  So sent two cards – only two cards – to his Graveyard to fuel Trooper: Eclipse Wyvern and a Ryko.  He banished Dark Armed Dragon with the Wyvern’s ability, then attacked over Sangan, taking advantage of his opponent’s own Thunder King to keep Sangan from getting its effect!

Nguyen attacked over Card Trooper, letting So draw Dark Hole.

So drew Torrential Tribute, and counted cards in his Graveyard – one DARK and four LIGHTs, including the Eclipse Wyvern tied to Dark Armed Dragon.  So Summoned Tour Guide, drawing out Nguyen’s Effect Veiler.  He then banished Wyvern and Sangan to Special Summon Darkflare Dragon, which Nguyen negated with Thunder King.  So attacked directly with Tour Guide and Set Torrential.

Nguyen drew to four cards in hand with one card Set, and then activated not one, but two copies of Level Limit – Area B!  “Go ahead.”

So drew Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress. He attacked for 1000 damage with Tour Guide.

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Nguyen passed.

So drew Mystical Space Typhoon and attacked again with Tour Guide, dropping Nguyen to 4600 Life Points.  So had 4500 himself, and Set Space Typhoon.

Nguyen Summoned Wind-Up Hunter, and So let it go.  Hunter attacked over Tour Guide.

So activated Instant Fusion, paying himself down to 3600 Life Points to Special Summon Dragoness the Wicked Knight.  So Chained the effect of Maxx “C” and drew Allure of Darkness.  Nguyen Xyz Summoned Wind-Up Zenmaines: so responded with Torrential Tribute, and drew Effect Veiler with Maxx “C”.  Before the End Phase, So blasted Nguyen’s Set Torrential Tribute with Mystical Space Typhoon, forcing So to destroy one of his own Level Limits!  Nguyen had two cards left in hand.

So drew to seven cards, including Solar Recharge!  He activated it, discarding Lyla to draw Torrential Tribute and Lightpulsar Dragon, sending Chaos Sorcerer and Darkflare Dragon to the Graveyard.  He banished Sorcerer and Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning for Lightpulsar in Defense Position, then Special Summoned Dark Armed Dragon in defense.  So banished Tour Guide and Darkflare Dragon, destroying Level Limit and knocking a Material off Zenmaines, before clearing the field with Dark HoleLightpulsar Dragon let him Special Summon back Darkflare Dragon; he banished it for Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon; then Special Summoned Lightpulsar Dragon to seal the Duel!

Ervin So battles back from under Thunder King Rai-Oh with a clever Card Trooper play, then hits the all-important Maxx “C” to lock down Mitchell Nguyen, and capitalizes by unleashing a swarm of Dragons!  We were headed to a third and final Duel.

Duel 3

Nguyen activated Instant Fusion, bringing out Dragoness the Wicked Knight once again.  He Summoned Wind-Up Rabbit; activated Wind-Up Factory; then Xyz Summoned Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity. He detached Rabbit to Special Summon another Rat, and got Wind-Up Shark from his Deck with Factory’s effect.  He Set a Spell or Trap to end.

This time around Ervin had Future Fusion; Solar Recharge; Tour Guide from the Underworld; Sangan; Book of Moon; and Allure of Darkness.  Nguyen banished Wind-Up Rabbit with its own effect, triggering Factory and getting Wind-Up Magician from his Deck to his hand.  Allure of Darkness got So Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter and Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, and he banished Sangan to complete Allure’s effect.  He discarded Ryko for Recharge, drawing another Recharge and Mind Control, then sent Mystical Space Typhoon and Card Trooper to the Graveyard.  He activated Future Fusion, sending two Eclipse Wyvern; a Darkflare Dragon; a Lightpulsar Dragon; and Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon to the Graveyard: he banished Dark Armed Dragon and another Red-Eyes, just as time was called on the Match.  Five turns would be played after this one.  So Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld and Special Summoned another copy from his Deck, then Xyz Summoned Leviair the Sea Dragon.  He detached a Tour Guide to Special Summon the banished Wind-Up Rabbit, keeping Nguyen from returning it to the field, then attacked Zenmaity with Leviair: Nguyen blocked the attack with Book of Moon.  Stymied, So set his own Book and ended.

Nguyen detached Dragoness from Zenmaity, Special Summoning Wind-Up Hunter and triggering Wind-Up Factory to get Wind-Up Shark.  He Tributed Zenmaity for Hunter’s effect, sending So’s Mind Control to the Graveyard, and Normal Summoned Wind-Up Magician. He activated Shark’s Special Summon effect, and So turned Magician face-down with Book of Moon.  Nguyen Special Summoned another Shark, changed one Shark to Level 3, then stacked it with Hunter for Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity.  He Special Summoned Wind-Up Rat with Zenmaity’s ability, then brought back Hunter and Tributed Zenmaity, to send Gorz to the Graveyard from So’s hand.  He stacked Rat and Hunter for another Zenmaity, then Special Summoned another Rat to bring Hunter back again.  He Tributed the Zenmaity to pitch So’s last card, Solar Recharge, then activated Pot of Avarice to shuffle back all of his Carriers, a Shark, and a Rat into his Deck.  He drew two cards, putting himself at four cards in hand, and stacked Rat and Hunter to Summon a Zenmaity yet again.  He detached Hunter to bring out Shark; made them both Level 5’s; and combined them for Tiras, Keeper of Genesis!  Tiras attacked to destroy Leviair the Sea Dragon, and Carrier attacked Rabbit: So dodged, banishing the Rabbit temporarily and then took a direct attack from Zenmaity.  At the end of the Battle Phase, Tiras destroyed Future Fusion. Nguyen activated Level Limit – Area B and Set Dimensional Prison and Bottomless Trap Hole.  When So drew his next card – Torrential Tribute – he conceded.

A ton of draw power just doesn’t bring things together for Ervin So, and Mitchell Nguyen takes a dominant win in the third Duel!  Nguyen moves on with a 9-1 record, likely a shoe-in for the Top 64 cut.

Round 10: Ervin So VS Mitchell Nguyen

With an 8-1 record, Ervin So is the highest-ranked Canadian Duelist remaining in this tournament.  Hailing from Toronto, So has two YCS playoff finished under his belt.  His opponent this round is Orange County’s Mitchell Nguyen, another veteran Duelist with multiple Championship tops.  Nguyen made the playoff rounds at YCS Chicago, YCS Long Beach, YCS San Jose, YCS Los Angeles, and several more Championship-level events.  Both of these competitors could easily make it to Tokyo, if they can make it into the playoffs.

So opened the morning with a hand of Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon; Solar Recharge; Eclipse Wyvern; Allure of Darkness; Mystical Space Typhoon; and Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter.  He activated Recharge, pitching Ryko to draw Tour Guide from the Underworld and Mind Control.  He sent Heavy Storm and another Recharge to the Graveyard. Allure of Darkness got him another Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon and D.D.R. – Different Dimension Reincarnation, and he banished a Red-Eyes. Tour Guide from the Underworld Special Summoned Sangan, and So Set Mystical Space Typhoon, leaving both Level 3’s on the field.

Nguyen Normal Summoned Wind-Up Rabbit, and paid 1000 Life Points to activate Instant Fusion and Special Summon Dragoness the Wicked Knight.  He stacked them to Xyz Summon Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity, then activated Wind-Up Factory.  He detached Wind-Up Rabbit for Zenmaity’s effect, Special Summoning another Rabbit, and then used his Factory’s effect to search his Deck for Wind-Up Shark.  Zenmaity attacked Tour Guide, and Nguyen opted not to attack with Rabbit.  He Set two cards to his back row.

So drew Card Trooper, and Nguyen announced that he wanted to activate Rabbit’s effect, trying to trigger his Factory again.  After thinking a bit, So let it go, not activating Mystical Space Typhoon: Nguyen got another Wind-Up Shark.  So Summoned Card Trooper, and activated its effect by sending a Ryko, another Card Trooper, and Dark Hole to the Graveyard.  So flipped Mind Control, targeting Zenmaity, and Nguyen gave it over.  So blasted Nguyen’s Torrential Tribute with Space Typhoon, then discarded Eclipse Wyvern for Different Dimension Reincarnation, trying to bring back the Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon he’d banished with Allure!  Nguyen negated Reincarnation with Solemn Warning, leaving So to banish Dark Armed Dragon from his Deck with Wyvern’s ability.  So had two DARKs in his Graveyard, with a field of Sangan, Card Trooper, and the pilfered Zenmaity, with Red-Eyes still in hand.  So attacked with Trooper and Sangan, and gave back the Zenmaity, clearly unhappy with the situation.

Nguyen brought back his Wind-Up Rabbit, then played a second Wind-Up Factory.  He detached Dragoness from Zenmaity to Special Summon Wind-Up Hunter, then added Wind-Up Rabbit and Wind-Up Shark to his hand with his two Factories.  He Tributed Zenmaity for Hunter’s effect, making So send his Red-Eyes to the Graveyard, and followed up by stacking Hunter and Rabbit for another Zenmaity.  He detached Hunter to Special Summon Wind-Up Magician from his Deck, then Special Summoned a Shark, triggering Wind-Up Magician’s ability and Special Summoning another.  He reduced Shark to Level 3, and Special Summoned Wind-Up Rat with the other Magician.  He stacked the two Magicians for Steelswarm Roach, then combined Rat and Shark for Number 20: Giga-Brilliant.  Nguyen Normal Summoned another Rat, then detached the first Rat from Giga-Brilliant to boost the ATK of all of his on-field monsters.  Roach attacked over Trooper, and So drew Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress.  Giga-Brilliant swung over Sangan, and So searched his Deck for Tour Guide from the Underworld.  Zenmaity and Rat both made direct attacks, dropping So to 1900 Life Points.  Nguyen had 2100 Life Points left, and in Main Phase 2 he brought back Hunter with Rat.  He Tributed Zenmaity to make So discard Tour Guide, then Xyz Summoned another Zenmaity to bring out Rat and Hunter again.  With his last card about to be sent to the Graveyard, So conceded the first Duel.

A wall of defense shatters what could have been a strong start for Ervin So, and Mitchell Nguyen quickly overwhelms him with a massive field of Wind-Up monsters!  Nguyen takes the first Duel.  So went straight to his Side Deck and flipped two copies of Maxx “C” into his Main Deck.

This time around So had a hand of Sangan; Tour Guide from the Underworld; Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter; Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon; Card Trooper; and Darkflare Dragon.  He Set Ryko.

Nguyen Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld, and Special Summoned Sangan from his Deck.  He attacked into Ryko with Tour Guide, and Ryko destroyed her, sending Monster Reborn, Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, and Maxx “C” to the Graveyard. Sangan made a direct attack for 1000 Battle Damage, and Nguyen Set a single card to his back row.

So drew another Maxx “C” and Set Sangan.

Nguyen Normal Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh, and attacked So’s Sangan to negate its effect!  his own Sangan made another direct attack, and Nguyen Set a second card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

So drew Mystical Space Typhoon and activated it, destroying Nguyen’s Dimensional Prison.  He Summoned Card Trooper, and Nguyen thought for a minute before announcing that he didn’t have a response.  So sent two cards – only two cards – to his Graveyard to fuel Trooper: Eclipse Wyvern and a Ryko.  He banished Dark Armed Dragon with the Wyvern’s ability, then attacked over Sangan, taking advantage of his opponent’s own Thunder King to keep Sangan from getting its effect!

Nguyen attacked over Card Trooper, letting So draw Dark Hole.

So drew Torrential Tribute, and counted cards in his Graveyard – one DARK and four LIGHTs, including the Eclipse Wyvern tied to Dark Armed Dragon.  So Summoned Tour Guide, drawing out Nguyen’s Effect Veiler.  He then banished Wyvern and Sangan to Special Summon Darkflare Dragon, which Nguyen negated with Thunder King.  So attacked directly with Tour Guide and Set Torrential.

Nguyen drew to four cards in hand with one card Set, and then activated not one, but two copies of Level Limit – Area B!  “Go ahead.”

So drew Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress.  He attacked for 1000 damage with Tour Guide.

Nguyen passed.

So drew Mystical Space Typhoon and attacked again with Tour Guide, dropping Nguyen to 4600 Life Points.  So had 4500 himself, and Set Space Typhoon.

Nguyen Summoned Wind-Up Hunter, and So let it go.  Hunter attacked over Tour Guide.

So activated Instant Fusion, paying himself down to 3600 Life Points to Special Summon Dragoness the Wicked Knight.  So Chained the effect of Maxx “C” and drew Allure of Darkness.  Nguyen Xyz Summoned Wind-Up Zenmaines: so responded with Torrential Tribute, and drew Effect Veiler with Maxx “C”.  Before the End Phase, So blasted Nguyen’s Set Torrential Tribute with Mystical Space Typhoon, forcing So to destroy one of his own Level Limits!  Nguyen had two cards left in hand.

So drew to seven cards, including Solar Recharge!  He activated it, discarding Lyla to draw Torrential Tribute and Lightpulsar Dragon, sending Chaos Sorcerer and Darkflare Dragon to the Graveyard.  He banished Sorcerer and Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning for Lightpulsar in Defense Position, then Special Summoned Dark Armed Dragon in defense.  So banished Tour Guide and Darkflare Dragon, destroying Level Limit and knocking a Material off Zenmaines, before clearing the field with Dark Hole. Lightpulsar Dragon let him Special Summon back Darkflare Dragon; he banished it for Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon; then Special Summoned Lightpulsar Dragon to seal the Duel!

Ervin So battles back from under Thunder King Rai-Oh with a clever Card Trooper play, then hits the all-important Maxx “C” to lock down Mitchell Nguyen, and capitalizes by unleashing a swarm of Dragons!  We were headed to a third and final Duel.

Nguyen activated Instant Fusion, bringing out Dragoness the Wicked Knight once again.  He Summoned Wind-Up Rabbit; activated Wind-Up Factory; then Xyz Summoned Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity.  He detached Rabbit to Special Summon another Rat, and got Wind-Up Shark from his Deck with Factory’s effect.  He Set a Spell or Trap to end.

This time around Ervin had Future Fusion; Solar Recharge; Tour Guide from the Underworld; Sangan; Book of Moon; and Allure of Darkness.  Nguyen banished Wind-Up Rabbit with its own effect, triggering Factory and getting Wind-Up Magician from his Deck to his hand. Allure of Darkness got So Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter and Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, and he banished Sangan to complete Allure’s effect.  He discarded Ryko for Recharge, drawing another Recharge and Mind Control, then sent Mystical Space Typhoon and Card Trooper to the Graveyard.  He activated Future Fusion, sending two Eclipse Wyvern; a Darkflare Dragon; a Lightpulsar Dragon; and Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon to the Graveyard: he banished Dark Armed Dragon and another Red-Eyes, just as time was called on the Match.  Five turns would be played after this one.  So Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld and Special Summoned another copy from his Deck, then Xyz Summoned Leviair the Sea Dragon.  He detached a Tour Guide to Special Summon the banished Wind-Up Rabbit, keeping Nguyen from returning it to the field, then attacked Zenmaity with Leviair: Nguyen blocked the attack with Book of Moon.  Stymied, So set his own Book and ended.

Nguyen detached Dragoness from Zenmaity, Special Summoning Wind-Up Hunter and triggering Wind-Up Factory to get Wind-Up Shark.  He Tributed Zenmaity for Hunter’s effect, sending So’s Mind Control to the Graveyard, and Normal Summoned Wind-Up Magician.  He activated Shark’s Special Summon effect, and So turned Magician face-down with Book of Moon.  Nguyen Special Summoned another Shark, changed one Shark to Level 3, then stacked Shark with Hunter for Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity.  He Special Summoned Wind-Up Rat with Zenmaity’s ability, then brought back Hunter and Tributed Zenmaity, to send Gorz to the Graveyard from So’s hand.  He stacked Rat and Hunter for another Zenmaity, then Special Summoned another Rat to bring Hunter back again.  He Tributed the Zenmaity to pitch So’s last card, Solar Recharge, then activated Pot of Avarice to shuffle back all of his Carriers, a Shark, and a Rat into his Deck.  He drew two cards, putting himself at four cards in hand, and stacked Rat and Hunter to Summon a Zenmaity yet again.  He detached Hunter to bring out Shark; made them both Level 5’s; and combined them for Tiras, Keeper of Genesis!  Tiras attacked to destroy Leviair the Sea Dragon, and Carrier attacked Rabbit: So dodged, banishing the Rabbit temporarily and then took a direct attack from Zenmaity.  At the end of the Battle Phase, Tiras destroyed Future Fusion. Nguyen activated Level Limit – Area B and Set Dimensional Prison and Bottomless Trap Hole.  When So drew his next card – Torrential Tribute – he conceded.

A ton of draw power just doesn’t bring things together for Ervin So, and Mitchell Nguyen takes a dominant win in the third Duel!  Nguyen moves on with a 9-1 record, likely a shoe-in for the Top 64 cut.

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