Thomas Mak took third place at the 2011 World Championship Qualifier and earned a chance to compete in the 2011 World Championship in Europe. Now he’s back, competing for another chance to represent North America at the World Championship, this time in Tokyo, Japan. But to get there, he’ll need to get through Jerome Porter, who’s Dueling in his first WCQ! Both Duelists are 8-1, so a victory here will put one of them in a great position for a Top 64 finish.

Duel One

Porter started off the Match by Summoning Wind-Up Rabbit and Setting a card to his back row.

Mak opened up with Charge of the Light Brigade, Allure of Darkness, Darkflare Dragon, Tour Guide From the Underworld, Eclipse Wyvern, and Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter. He activated Charge of the Light Brigade by sending Tour Guide, Dark Hole, and Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard and then searched his Deck for Lyla with its effect. Next, he activated Allure of Darkness to draw another Lyla and a Chaos Sorcerer from the top of his Deck, and banished Darkflare Dragon from his hand. Mak Set Ryko before ending his turn.

Porter Summoned Wind-Up Hunter and then combined it with his Rabbit to Summon Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity. He detached Wind-Up Hunter from it to Summon Wind-Up Rat and then used the Rat’s effect to Special Summon Wind-Up Hunter back from his Graveyard. He used his Hunter’s effect to Tribute Zenmaity and send Lyla from Mak’s hand to his Graveyard. Next, Porter combined his Rat and Hunter to make another Zenmaity, detached Hunter to Special Summon another Rat, and used the Rat to Special Summon Hunter back from the Graveyard. He used the Hunter’s effect to Tribute Zenmaity and send another Lyla from Mak’s hand to this Graveyard. Then he combined his Rat and Hunter to make another Zenmaity, detached Hunter to Special Summon another Rat, used the Rat’s effect to Special Summon Wind-Up Hunter, and Tributed Zenmaity with Hunter to send Eclipse Wyvern from Mak’s hand to his Graveyard. Mak banished Dark Armed Dragon from his Deck with the effect of his Wyvern. Porter followed up by combining his Rat and Hunter to make Number 17: Leviathan Dragon, and detached Hunter from it to boost its ATK by 500. Then he used Monster Reborn to revive his Wind-Up Rat and used its effect to Special Summon Wind-Up Hunter. He Tributed Rat with Hunter to send Chaos Sorcerer from Mak’s hand to his Graveyard and then attacked Mak’s face-down Ryko with Number 17: Leviathan Dragon. Ryko destroyed Porter’s face-down Bottomless Trap Hole and sent Lightpulsar Dragon, Future Fusion, and Effect Veiler from the top of Mak’s Deck to his Graveyard. Porter Set a back row before ending his turn.

Mak drew Darkflare Dragon next turn. He banished Eclipse Wyvern and Chaos Sorcerer to Summon it, and then used his Wyvern’s effect to return his banished Dark Armed Dragon to his hand.

Next, Mak Summoned Tour Guide From the Underworld and used its effect to Special Summon another Tour Guide from his Deck. He combined his Tour Guides to Summon Number 20: Giga-Brilliant and then detached Tour Guide from it to activate its effect. With 3 DARK monsters in his Graveyard, Mak Special Summoned Dark Armed Dragon! He banished Tour Guide to activate its effect and target Porter’s face-down Forbidden Lance, and Porter Chained the Lance to decrease the ATK of Dark Armed Dragon by 800. Next, Mak banished Tour Guide from his Graveyard to destroy Wind-Up Hunter with his Dragon’s effect. He used his 2700 ATK Darkflare Dragon to attack over Number 17: Leviathan Dragon and then attacked directly with Number 20: Giga-Brilliant and Dark Armed Dragon to bring Porter down to 3700 Life Points.

Porter Summoned Wind-Up Rabbit and then Special Summoned Wind-Up Shark from his hand. He reduced Shark to Level 3 and Xyz Summoned Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction by combining his 2 monsters!

Porter attacked Dark Armed Dragon with Number 30: Acid Golem and passed.

Mak drew Solar Recharge. He detached an Xyz Material from Number 20: Giga-Brilliant to bring his Darkflare Dragon up to 3000 ATK and then attacked into Number 30: Acid Golem with it, destroying them both! Then Giga-Brilliant attacked directly for 2400 points of damage, bringing Porter down to 1300 Life Points.

Porter drew Pot of Avarice next turn! He used it to return 3 Rats, a Zenmaity, and a Wind-Up Shark to his Deck and draw 2 cards. Then he Normal Summoned Wind-Up Rabbit and Special Summoned Wind-Up Shark. He Xyz Summoned Zenmaity and detached the Rabbit to Special Summon Wind-Up Magician from his Deck. Next, he Special Summoned another Shark from his hand, using his Magician’s effect to Special Summon another Wind-Up Magician. Next, he increased his Shark to Level 5 and used his other Magician’s effect to Special Summon another Shark.

Porter increased his other Shark to Level 5 and then combined his Sharks to make Tiras, Keeper of Genesis and combined his Magicians to Xyz Summon Steelswarm Roach. Tiras attacked and destroyed Giga-Brilliant and then Steelswarm Roach and Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity attacked directly, dropping Mak down to 4200 Life Points.

Mak drew Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress next turn, with a Solar Recharge in hand! He used the recharge to discard Lyla and draw Chaos Sorcerer and Solar Recharge before sending the top 2 cards from his Deck to his Graveyard. With Steelswarm Roach on the field, Mak knew his Sorcerer’s Summon would be negated and there was nothing he could do. He conceded.

Jerome Porter sends 3 cards from Mak’s hand to his Graveyard with Wind-Up Hunter to gain the early lead and later takes the victory with a key Pot of Avarice later on! Thomas Mak will be going first in Duel 2!

Duel Two

Mak opened up Duel 2 with Monster Reborn, Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, Solar Recharge, Eclipse Wyvern, Maxx “C”, and Allure of Darkness. He used Allure of Darkness to draw another Recharge and a Royal Decree and banished Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon from his hand. He Set Decree and then ended his turn.

Porter Summoned Tour Guide From the Underworld and used its effect to Special Summon Sangan from his Deck. Then he combined his 2 monsters to Summon Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity in Defense Position and detached Sangan to activate its effect and Special Summon Wind-Up Rabbit. Porter attacked directly with his Rabbit and Mak dropped down to 6600 Life Points. Porter Set 2 cards and Mak flipped Decree in his End Phase.

Mak drew Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter and then activated Solar Recharge by discarding it. He drew Divine Dragon Apocralyph and Tour Guide From the Underworld and sent Mystical Space Typhoon and Eclipse Wyvern from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard. He banished a Dark Armed Dragon from his Deck with his Wyvern’s effect.

Mak Normal Summoned Tour Guide From the Underworld and used its effect to Special Summon Sangan from his Deck. He combined Tour Guide with Sangan to Xyz Summon Temtempo the Percussion Djinn. He entered his Battle Phase and used Temtempo’s effect to remove an Xyz Material from Zenmaity. Then he attacked Rabbit, and Porter saved it by having it banish itself. Temtempo attacked Zenmaity and destroyed it.

Porter returned Rabbit to his field and Summoned Wind-Up Hunter. He Xyz Summoned Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity and used its effect, but Mak Chained Maxx “C” from his hand and drew Darkflare Dragon when Porter Special Summoned Wind-Up Rabbit. Porter activated Book of Moon to put Temtempo face-down next, and then attacked it with Wind-Up Rabbit. Temtempo’s effect removed another material from Zenmaity when it flipped face-up, and then was destroyed in battle. Zenmaity attacked directly, dropping Mak to 5100 Life Points. Porter Set a card to his back row before passing. (Temptempo has an effect that directly modifies the ATK of a monster, making it a valid Damage Step play.)

Mak drew another Darkflare Dragon and then banished his Wyvern and Sangan from his Graveyard to Summon it. He returned Dark Armed Dragon to his hand with his Wyvern’s effect. Next, he activated the effect of his Dragon. He discarded his Divine Dragon to send Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon from his Deck to his Graveyard and banished Wind-Up Hunter from Porter’s Graveyard. Then he Summoned Dark Armed Dragon and activated its effect to destroy Porter’s Torrential Tribute by banishing Tour Guide. Mak followed up by activating Monster Reborn to revive Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon and used its effect to Special Summon Darkflare Dragon from his hand. Then he banished his Divine Dragon from his Graveyard to destroy Zenmaity, and Normal Summoned Eclipse Wyvern.

Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon attacked Wind-Up Rabbit to destroy it and then Mak’s other 4 Dragons attacked directly to end the Duel!

Thomas Mak swarms the field with 5 Dragons in a single turn to win Duel 2! Jerome Porter will be going first in Duel 3!

Duel Three

Porter Summoned Wind-Up Rabbit and Set 2 cards to his back row.

Mak opened up with Charge of the Light Brigade, Spirit Reaper, Forbidden Lance, Tour Guide From the Underworld, and 2 copies of Mystical Space Typhoon. He activated Charge of the Light Brigade by sending Future Fusion, Maxx “C”, and Lightpulsar Dragon from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard and then Searched his Deck for a copy of Lyla to add to his hand. Next, he activated both copies of Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Porter’s face-down Mystical Space Typhoon and Bottomless Trap Hole. Then he discarded Tour Guide From the Underworld and Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress from his hand to Special Summon Lightpulsar Dragon from his Graveyard, and Normal Summoned Spirit Reaper. Lightpulsar Dragon attacked Porter’s Rabbit, and Porter banished the Rabbit to protect it. Then Mak’s Dragon attacked directly. Spirit Reaper attacked next, forcing Porter to discard a Wind-Up Rat from his hand.

Porter activated Dark Hole, and Mak Chained Forbidden Lance to protect his Dragon. Porter Chained Rabbit’s effect to banish it and Spirit Reaper was destroyed by Dark Hole. Porter Set 2 cards to his back row before ending his turn.

Mak drew Tour Guide From the Underworld next turn and tried to Summon it; but Porter flipped Solemn Warning and paid 2000 Life Points to negate its Summon. Then Lightpulsar Dragon attacked, and Porter flipped Dimensional Prison to banish it!

Porter returned his Rabbit to the field and then activated Dimensional Fissure. Rabbit attacked and Porter passed.

Mak drew Ryko and Set it.

Mak drew Wind-Up Shark and Summoned it. He reduced it to Level 3 and combined it with Rabbit to Summon Zenmaity. Then he used Zenmaity’s effect to Summon Wind-Up Rat from his Deck. Next, he used his Rat to Summon another Shark, and reduced it to Level 3. He combined the Shark with his Rat to Summon another Zenmaity, and then used its effect to Special Summon another Rat from his Deck. He activated his Rat’s effect to Special Summon Wind-Up Shark, and reduced his Shark’s Level once again. Porter combined his Rat and his Shark to Xyz Summon Wind-Up Zenmaines and then attacked Mak’s face-down Ryko with Zenmaines.

Ryko destroyed a Zenmaity and banished 3 monsters from the top of Mak’s Deck due to Dimensional Fissure. Then Zenmaity attacked Mak directly, and play passed to Mak.

Mak drew Royal Decree next turn and Set it, but it was all over on the following turn! Porter Summoned Wind-Up Magician and Wind-Up Shark, prompting Mak to concede!

Jerome Porter is moving on with a 9-1 record, but Thomas Mak is still in the tournament with an 8-2 record!