There were four competitors left in this tournament, and two of them – including Peter Tran – were playing Wind-Ups.  His opponent this round was Jeff Jones, who’d made it all the way to the Top 4 with a devastating Psychic Deck packing three copies of Grandsoil, the Elemental Lord!  

Jones opened with a hand of Creature Swap; Silent Psychic Wizard; Serene Psychic Witch; Gorz the Emissary of Darkness; and Silent Psychic Wizard.  He Set the Witch.

Tran Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld, getting another from his Deck and activating double Wind-Up Factory!  He Xyz Summoned Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity, and used it to Special Summon Wind-Up Rabbit.  He used his Factories to get two Wind-Up Sharks from his Deck, and attacked with Zenmaity to destroy the Witch.  That triggered her effect, and Jones banished Psychic Jumper from his Deck.  Rabbit made a direct attack and Jones Special Summoned Gorz the Emissary of Darkness and an Emissary of Darkness Token!  

Jones drew Grandsoil, the Elemental Lord and Special Summoned Psychic Jumper with his fallen Witch’s effect.  “That changes a lot,” remarked Jones, thinking about his Grandsoil and his new-found interest in filling his Graveyard with EARTH monsters.  He Summoned Card Trooper, and sent Pot of Avarice, Monster Reborn, and another Grandsoil to the Graveyard to power it up.  Jones shuffled his hand for a moment, looking at his Graveyard and considering his options.  He turned Gorz and the Token to Attack Position, entered his Battle Phase, and attacked over Carrier with Gorz.  Card Trooper attacked the Rabbit, which Tran banished, and Tran got Wind-Up Rat and his last Wind-Up Shark from his Deck with his Factories.  Jones made direct attacks with Trooper and his Emissary of Darkness Token.  He Tuned Jumper to Card Trooper in Main Phase 2, Synchro Summoning Naturia Beast.

Tran returned his Wind-Up Rabbit to the field, then Normal Summoned Wind-Up Magician.  He Special Summoned a Shark, used the effect of the first Magician to Special Summon another Magician, then turned Shark into a Level 5 to trigger the second Magician’s ability.  He Special Summoned Wind-Up Rabbit from his Deck in Defense Position, then stacked his Magicians to Xyz Summon Number 39: Utopia.  He stacked both his Rabbits for Wind-Up Zenmaines, then Special Summoned both of his Sharks, for a total of three Wind-Up Sharks on deck.  He combined two of them to Xyz Summon Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon and started to run numbers.  He detached a Material from Adreus to destroy Naturia Beast, then activated Monster Reborn, bringing back Shark.  He stacked the two Sharks for Number 20: Giga-Brilliant and detached for its effect, buffing up his Adreus, Zenmaines, Utopia, and Giga-Brilliant itself.  Adreus attacked to destroy Gorz; Utopia attacked to destroy the Emissary of Darkness Token; and Zenmaines, then Brilliant made direct attacks.  

Jones was down to 1100 Life Points.  He had a hand of Card Trooper; Miracle Synchro Fusion; Silent Psychic Wizard; Creature Swap; and Grandsoil the Elemental Lord, which he Special Summoned!  Last turn’s beating had put Jones’ Graveyard right at the five EARTH monsters he needed, and he used Grandsoil’s effect to Special Summon Psychic Jumper from his Graveyard.  He Summoned Psychic Wizard and banished Psychic Witch from his Graveyard with the Wizard’s ability, then paid for Jumper’s effect to trade his Wizard for Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon.  He detached for Adreus’ effect, destroying Number 39: Utopia!  “He’s at 3500, right?” asked Jones, confirming Tran’s Life Points with the table judge.  He activated Creature Swap: Tran chose to had back Psychic Wizard, and Jones gave back Adreus.  Jones Tuned Wizard and Jumper together to Synchro Summon Psychic Nightmare (Special Summoning Serene Psychic Witch), and activated its effect to call one of Tran’s in-hand cards – successfully – as a monster!  It was Wind-Up Rat, and the Nightmare went to 3400 ATK!  “Oh man, I just messed up,” commented Jones, as he looked at the field and counter more numbers.  Suddenly crestfallen, he sent Psychic Nightmare to attack Adreus, and then took down Brilliant with Grandsoil.  Jones set Miracle Synchro Fusion to finish his turn: he had just 100 Life Points left.

Tran activated Heavy Storm, destroying Jones’ set Miracle Synchro Fusion.  His opponent’s one possible defense gone, Tran Xyz Summoned Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction and attacked over Grandsoil for game!

“I miscounted with this,” remarked Jones, tapping his Miracle Synchro Fusion.  “I thought I’d be able to attack over Zenmaines three times.”  Ultimate Axon Kicker would not have been enough to take the Duel that way, and the miscalculation led to Jones’ downfall in the first Duel.  He was extremely quick Siding for the second though, and dove right in.

Jones had a hand of Card Trooper; Neo-Spacian Grand Mole; Serene Psychic Witch; Grandsoil, the Elemental Lord; and two Psychic Commanders.  He Set the Witch.

Tran Set a card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone, and Set a monster.

Jones drew yet another monster: Giant Rat.  He Summoned Grand Mole, Flip Summoned Psychic Witch, and attacked into Mirror Force.  He banished another Witch with his first Witch’s effect.

Tran drew for his turn and Jones Special Summoned Serene Psychic Witch.  Tran Flip Summoned Wind-Up Magician, then Normal Summoned Wind-Up Rabbit.  He banished Rabbit to Special Summon another Rabbit from his Deck with Magician, then Set one card to his back row.

Jones Summoned Card Trooper, sending Pot of Duality; Maxx “C”; and Tragoedia to his Graveyard to boost Trooper to 1900 ATK.  Trooper attacked the Magician, and Tran had another Mirror Force!  He activated it, destroying Trooper and Witch, allowing Jones to banish his third Witch and draw Mind Control.  He Special Summoned Grandsoil, then Special Summoned Neo-Spacian Grand Mole in Attack Position.  In the End Phase, Tran banished Magician with Wind-Up Rabbit.

Tran brought back his Magician and his second Rabbit.  Jones Special Summoned his Psychic Witch.  Tran Normal Summoned another Magician, then banished one of his Rabbits to trigger both Magicians’ effects, Special Summoning his third Magician and Wind-Up Rat.  When Tran made Photon Papilloperative to try and turn his Rat to Attack Position, Jones Chained Effect Veiler’s ability to negate Photon’s.  Tran stacked Rat and Rabbit to Xyz Summon Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity, detaching to Special Summon with Zenmaity and his last Magician: he got Wind-Up Shark in Attack Position and another Rat in Defense Position (Tran had built his Chain in the opposite order of what he’d intended).  He made the Shark Level 3 and stacked it with Rat, Summoning Wind-Up Zenmaines.  Zenmaines crashed into Grandsoil, and Tran Set two cards to his back row.  In the End Phase, Zenmaines destroyed Grandsoil.

Jones drew another Veiler.  He Summoned Psychic Commander, then activated Mind Control to take Magician.  He Synchro Summoned Black Rose Dragon and blasted the entire field!  Tran Chained Bottomless Trap Hole to banish Black Rose but it didn’t save his field: Tran lost everything but his last in-hand card and his Zenmaines, which he detached an Xyz Material from to save from destruction.  Jones banished Esper Girl with his Psychic Witch’s effect, and had three cards left in hand: Giant Rat, Commander, and Veiler.  He played nothing to the field, forcing Tran to destroy his own Zenmaines in the End Phase.  

Tran’s turn started with Jones Special Summoning Esper Girl with Psychic Witch’s effect and banishing the top card of his Deck. Tran attacked Esper Girl with Wind-Up Rabbit next turn.  That gave Jones the Mystical Space Typhoon banished by Esper Girl.

Jones drew Emergency Teleport and Summoned Giant Rat, attacking Rabbit and making it banish itself.  But when Giant Rat made a direct attack, Tran dropped Gorz the Emissary of Darkness!  “This is not my day,” maligned Jones, staying upbeat.  He Set Typhoon.

Tran activated Monster Reborn, bringing back Wind-Up Rat to try and Special Summon Wind-Up Magician: Jones Chained Effect Veiler.  Tran attacked Giant Rat with Gorz for 1300 Battle Damage, and Jones Special Summoned another Giant Rat with the first one.  The Duel stood at 6700 Life Points to 5300, with Train leading.

Jones drew Monster Reborn: could it be enough to get him an against-all-odds comeback?  He activated Emergency Teleport, but Tran Chained Maxx “C”!  Jones Special Summoned Psychic Jumper, then Normal Summoned Psychic Commander.  He paid 1000 Life Points to trade Commander for Gorz, then attacked Rabbit with it to make it banish Wind-Up Rat; attacked Commander to destroy it; then sent Giant Rat into Wind-Up Rabbit to destroy both monsters.  He Special Summoned Card Trooper.

Tran drew to three cards in hand next turn, and returned Wind-Up Rat to the field.  He activated Heavy Storm to destroy Jones’ Mystical Space Typhoon, then turned Wind-Up Rat to Defense Position to Special Summon Wind-Up Rabbit.  He stacked Rabbit and Rat to Xyz Summon Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction and attacked Gorz to detroy it, then attacked with the Emissary of Darkness Token over Trooper.  Tran Set his last two cards to his back row.

Time was called as Jones drew for his turn.  There would be three more turns after this one.  Jones Summoned Silent Psychic Wizard and banished Esper Girl from his Graveyard, Tuning Jumper and Psychic Wizard for Naturia Barkion.  He Special Summoned Esper Girl in Defense Position, and activated Monster Reborn to revive Wind-Up Shark.  Jones turned him into a Level 5, then Tuned him to Esper Girl, getting Psychic Lifetrancer, but Tran activated Solemn Judgment to negate the Summon!  Jones grabbed Grandsoil, the Elemental Lord with Esper Girl’s effect and Set Emergency Teleport.  He lost it to Mystical Space Typhoon in the End Phase.

Tran detached a material from Acid Golem and attacked over Barkion.  He Set one card to his back row.

Jones drew, and had two cards in hand: both were useless Grandsoils.  The Duel stood at 4400 Life Points to 900 with Jones in the lead, but with no field and no cards he could play!  

Tran’s turn was the last of the Duel.  He detached his second material from Acid Golem, couldn’t attack, and had to concede!  We were going to Game 3 in time, which meant neither Duelist could Side Deck, and each would have only two turns to deal as much damage as possible!

“I haven’t opened Maxx “C” or Veiler yet,” laughed Jones.  “Come on!”  He extended a handshake to Train and the third Duel began.

Turn 1: Tran Set a card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone and Set a monster.

Turn 2: Jones had Tragoedia; Silent Psychic Wizard; Psychic Jumper; Dark Hole; Effect Veiler; and Gorz the Emissary of Darkness.  He activated Dark Hole, destroying Tran’s Snowman Eater.  He tried to Summon Wizard, but Tran negated it with Solemn Judgment, very pricey in an overtime Duel!

Turn 3: Tran drew Wind-Up Magician.  He had another Wind-Up Magician, two Wind-Up Rats, a Tour Guide from the Underworld, and no way to get through the Gorz and the Tragoedia that Jeff revealed!  This was Tran’s last turn in the Match and he had no way to battle back from his own Solemn Judgment.

Jeff Jones makes what may be the most amazing comeback of the year, and Grandsoil Psychics are headed to the Finals!