Round 1 Constructed: Joaquin Bigornia Versus Steven Woo
Nine Rounds into YCS San Diego, we are back in Round 1! Today we’ll see five Rounds of Swiss competition played in the Advanced Constructed Format. It’s effectively a new tournament, and just a couple of missteps could be enough to take a Duelist down, killing their dreams of making the Top 32. Finish 4-1, and you’re virtually guaranteed to make the Top 32. But finish 3-2, and everything’s up in the air.
This Match pits two So Cal veterans against each other, both of whom are regulars at the Top 8 tables of Los Angeles and Anaheim Regional Qualifiers. If that doesn’t sound impressive, remember that here in So Cal Regionals shatter the 1000-person mark on a regular basis. Joaquin Bigornia and Steven Woo are life-long competitors forged in the crucible of one of the most competitive Dueling communities in the country.
Both Duelists rolled off with a twenty-sided die to to determine who’d go first in Duel 1. Bigornia rolled a seventeen, feeling pretty good. Woo then proceeded to roll an eighteen. Keep that in mind, because it’s going to become increasingly relevant as the Match goes on.
Woo opened Day 2 with Rescue Rabbit, Special Summoning a pair of Kabazauls to Xyz Summon Evolzar Laggia! He Set three cards to his back row.
Bigornia had a hand of Tour Guide from the Underworld; Rescue Rabbit; Spirit Reaper; Torrential Tribute; Fiendish Chain; and Jurrac Guaiba. He Set Reaper, Torrential, and Fiendish. Woo blasted Torrential with Mystical Space Typhoon in the End Phase!
Woo Summoned a Tour Guide of his own! Bigornia Chained Fiendish Chain, and Woo negated it with Laggia! He Chained Macro Cosmos to his own effect, then Special Summoned another Tour Guide.
![[D1TourGuideLaggia]](https://yugiohblog.konami.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/D1TourGuideLaggia-480x360.jpg "[D1TourGuideLaggia]")
He overlaid the Tour Guides for Leviair the Sea Dragon, and Special Summoned Rabbit to use its effect. He brought out the classic double Sabersaurus, and Xyz Summoned Evolzar Dolkka. It attacked, smacking into Spirit Reaper, and he blew it away in Main Phase 2 with Soul Taker. He Set his last card to his back row.
Bigornia drew Starlight Road and Summoned Rescue Rabbit. He tried to use its effect, and Woo shut him down with Dolkka. He Set the Starlight Road, bluffing.
Woo brought back Spirit Reaper with Leviair, and attacked to force Bigornia to discard Jurrac Guaiba! All three Xyz Monsters then made direct attacks. Bigornia dropped to 2200 Life Points.
![[D1Finish]](https://yugiohblog.konami.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/D1Finish-480x360.jpg "[D1Finish]")
Bigornia drew Bottomless Trap Hole: no help there. “I opened up nutty,” remarked Woo.
“I opened up nutty too…” responded Bigornia. “But you went first.” He flipped up his Starlight and revealed his dead Bottomless and Tour Guide, conceding. Woo was just one step ahead of him the entire Game. Seventeen to eighteen.
Steven Woo makes one of those classic, massive Dino Rabbit openings, and has the Soul Taker to trump Joaquin Bigornia’s Spirit Reaper! Bigornia had an equally great opening hand, but no opportunity to use it. Now the tables would turn and Bigornia would get a chance to fight back in Game 2. Would it be enough?
Bigornia opened with Mystical Space Typhoon; Sabersaurus; Kabazauls; Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo; and two Dimensional Prison. He Set Kabazauls, Typhoon, and both Prisons.
Woo mirrored the play, Setting a monster and three backrows. He lost his Bottomless Trap Hole to Bigornia’s Typhoon in the End Phase.
Bigornia drew and Set Needle Ceiling, then Set Sabersaurus.
Woo Summoned a Sabersaurus of his own and ran it into Dimensional Prison.
Bigornia drew Cardcar D, Summoning it and using its effect to draw Sabersaurus and Tour Guide from the Underworld! That’s the kind of difference-making play that wins these kinds of grind games.
Woo Summoned Kabazauls, and slammed into the second Dimensional Prison.
Bigornia drew and Set Bottomless Trap Hole. He was gonna ride this grind as long as he could.
Woo Set a third backrow.
Bigornia drew and Summoned Kabazauls, but ran right into Torrential Tribute, losing all three of his Normal monsters to Woo’s Torrential and Night Assailant! Bigornia had five cards total to Woo’s four.
But Woo drew to five, and revived Bigornia’s Sabersaurus with Monster Reborn: Bigornia banished it with Bottomless Trap Hole, leaving Woo to Set a third Spell or Trap.
Bigornia drew Mirror Force, Summoned Sabersaurus, and lost it to Dimensional Prison. “So your Rabbits are dead now?” asked Woo.
“It’s all good!” laughed Bigornia. “I sided them out!” He Set Mirror Force.
Woo drew and pased.
Bigornia drew Soul Taker and Normal Summoned Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo, attacking… into another Dimensional Prison! “We had the same exact cards,” laughed Woo. “At least you had your first turn advantage.”
Woo Set a third Spell or Trap yet again.
Bigornia drew and Set Torrential Tribute, still holding Tour Guide from the Underworld and Soul Taker.
Woo Summoned Sabersaurus and attacked for 1900 Battle Damage, the first hit of the Duel.
Bigornia drew a Kabazauls and Normal Summoned it, then destroyed Woo’s Sabersaurus with Soul Taker. Kabazauls made a direct shot! The Duel stood at 7300 Life Points to 6100, with Woo leading.
Woo Summoned Rescue Rabbit, with two Kabazauls still in his Deck. He banished it to Special Summon the two remaining Kabazauls, and when Bigornia flipped Torrential Tribute, Woo Chained Starlight Road! He Special Summoned Stardust Dragon!
![[KabazaulsErrywhurrSon]](https://yugiohblog.konami.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/KabazaulsErrywhurrSon-480x360.jpg "[KabazaulsErrywhurrSon]")
Bigornia took a moment to consider his responses, then decided to flip Needle Ceiling: Woo Tributed his Stardust to negate it, then overlaid his Kabazauls to Xyz Summon Evolzar Laggia. It attacked Kabazauls; Bigornia flipped Mirror Force; and Woo negated it with Laggia’s ability. Kabazauls went down.
Bigornia drew Mystical Space Typhoon. “Go big or go home, right?” He Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld, not using the Typhoon blind in anticipation of a Fiendish Chain. The effect went through, and Bigornia Special Summoned another Tour Guide from his Deck. He overlaid for Wind-Up Zenmaines in Defense Position, then Set the Typhoon. All he had left was Typhoon and Zenmaines.
Woo passed.
Bigornia drew Dark Hole.
Woo Set a third Spell or Trap.
Bigornia drew and Set another Mystical Space Typhoon.
Woo Set a fourth Spell or Trap.
Bigornia drew Spirit Reaper and activated Dark Hole: Woo Chained Forbidden Lance, protecting his Laggia! Bigornia destroyed it with Zenmaines in Main Phase 2.
Woo Summoned a Tour Guide of his own, Special Summoning another and overlaying for Temtempo the Percussion Djinn. He detached a Material to detached one from Zenmaines, then ran it over to destroy it.
Bigornia drew Starlight Road: the draws just were not going his way. He Set Starlight and Reaper.
Woo attacked into Reaper with Temtempo the Percussion Djinn next turn.
![[D2 Reaper Temtempo]](https://yugiohblog.konami.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/D2-Reaper-Temtempo-480x340.jpg "[D2 Reaper Temtempo]")
Bigornia drew a near-useless Rescue Rabbit and Set it.
Woo blew away Reaper with Lance, then attacked to destroy the Set Rabbit.
Bigornia drew another Rabbit, with not enough Normal Monsters in his Deck to make it work! He Set it.
Woo ran it over.
Bigornia drew his last Sabersaurus.
Woo made a direct attack with Temtempo the Percussion Djinn.
Bigornia drew and Set Snowman Eater.
Woo attacked into it, and had Forbidden Chalice in the Damage Step to negate its effect! Woo just could not do any wrong in this Match!
Bigornia drew and Set a fourth Spell or Trap.
Woo unleashed Heavy Storm; Bigornia flipped Starlight Road; and again, Woo had the perfect answer in Solemn Warning! Bigornia conceded.
Joaquin Bigornia makes all the right moves, but Steven Woo just has answer, after answer, after answer – and the skill to put it all to use! Woo scores a decisive 2-0 victory, as Bigornia just has to sit back and laugh. Woo moves on 1-0 with Dino Rabbits.
