REMATCH!  These two competitors played on the bubble at YCS Toronto last September; a Match that Mak won, landing him in the Top 32 and shunting Ahearn out of the tournament entirely.  Now, almost seven months later Ahearn would get a shot at some redemption.  The winner here moves on to the Top 4, with an extremely strong shot at a Championship Prize Card.

 

Ahearn kicked things off with a Redraw, trading his hand away to get a new one.  He Summoned Cyber Valley.

 

Mak had a hand of White Night Dragon; Evilswarm Heliotrope; Magical Arm Shield; Time Machine; Embodiment of Apophis; and Evilswarm Obliviwisp.  He Summoned Heliotrope, attacked Cyber Valley, triggering its effect to banish Valley and give Ahearn a draw.  Mak Set three cards to his backrow.

 

Ahearn Summoned another Valley and passed again!

 

Mak drew Goblin Elite Attack Force and attacked to trigger Cyber Valley once more.  Ahearn drew to seven cards and Mak Set Obliviwisp.

 

Ahearn drew to eight cards in hand and Special Summoned The Fiend Megacyber, then Normal Summoned Zombyra the Dark.  Zombyra attacked Heliotrope, and Make flipped Magical Arm Shield to take The Fiend Megacyber forcing Zombyra to attack it.  Ahearn got his Megacyber back and Set one Spell or Trap.

 

Mak drew Invader of Darkness – his draws were running really Tribute-heavy, really early in the game.  He normal Summoned Goblin Elite Attack Force to trade off in battle against Megacyber, then scored a direct hit with Evilswarm Heliotrope.

 

 

Ahearn Special Summoned another Fiend Megacyber, then attacked the Set Obliviwisp, destroying it.  He Set another monster.

 

Mak drew Prideful Roar and flipped Embodiment of Apophis, placing it on the field as a monster.  That let him Tribute Summon White Night Dragon!

 

 

Mak attacked The Fiend Megacyber with White Night Dragon, destroying it!  A Set Spell or Trap Card ended his turn.

 

Ahearn drew to five cards in hand, with one monster Set and one backrow Set.  He Set another monster.

 

Mak drew Miracle Locus and attacked Ahearn’s oldest Set monster, destroying Vylon Prism.  He Set a backrow.

 

Ahearn Set a monster.

 

Mak drew Blackwing – Elphin the Raven and ran his White Night Dragon into Legendary Jujitsu Master!  It spun his Dragon to the top of his Deck!  Mak Set a third Spell or Trap Card.

 

This was a big opening for Ahearn.  Could he capitalize?  He Summoned Evocator Chevalier, then Flip Summoned Tasuke Knight to attack for 1700 Battle Damage, then 1900 Battle Damage.  Mak was down to 4400 Life Points.

 

Mak drew his White Night Dragon again and was forced to pass.

 

Ahearn attacked again, pressing first with Tasuke Knight, then ending the game with Evocator Chevalier bolstered by a surprise Ego Boost!

 

 

Alejandro Ahearn captures a quick victory in the first Duel, as his monster-heavy hand made short work of Mak’s all spell and trap hand!  That said, Mak still had his Redraw for Games 2 and 3.  Ahearn was stuck with whatever he’d draw across the next two games.

 

Mak opened with Rising Energy; Embodiment of Apophis; Dimension Gate; Magical Arm Shield; Prideful Roar; and Goblin Elite Attack Force.  He Summoned the Attack Force, then Set three cards to his backrow.

 

Ahearn Set a monster then Set a backrow card.

 

Mak drew Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer and Summoned it.  He attacked with Attack Force, destroying Ahearn’s Set Bazoo the Soul Eater, then made a direct shot with Kycoo for 1800 Battle Damage, banishing Bazoo.  He Set a fourth Spell or Trap Card.

 

Ahearn Special Summoned The Fiend Megacyber and attacked Goblin Elite Attack Force: Mak had no response and lost his monster.  Ahearn Set another Spell or Trap Card.

 

Mak drew and Summoned Goblin Attack Force, trying to swing over The Fiend Megacyber and running into Shrink in the Damage Step!  The Goblins went to 1150 ATK, but in Damage Calculation Mak paid 1150 Life Points to boost the Goblins up with Prideful Roar!  That was enough to take down The Fiend Megacyber, dishing out 300 Battle Damage.  Kycoo swung for 1800 next, banishing Megacyber.

 

Ahearn activated Pot of Duality, revealing Ego Boost, No Entry!!, and Butterflyoke.  He added the Butterlfyoke to his hand, then Summoned Chow Len the Prophet, activating its effect and correctly calling Mak’s Set Embodiment of Apophis as a Trap Card: but Mak Chained it, and Special Summoned it before Ahearn would lock it down!  He sent Chow Len to destroy Goblin Attack Force in battle.

 

Mak drew Sergeant Electro.  The Duel stood at 4100 Life Points for Ahearn, to 6850 for Mak.  He Set a third Spell or Trap Card and ended.

 

Ahearn targeted Mak’s Rising Energy with Chow Len’s effect, keeping him from activating it this turn.  He sent Chow Len to attack Kycoo, destroying both.

 

 

Ahearn Set a third Spell or Trap Card.

 

Mak drew Evilswarm Mandragora and Summoned Sergeant Electro, randomly locking down one of Ahearn’s four backrow cards.  “Sure,” replied Ahearn.  Mak passed without attacking.

 

Ahearn Special Summoned The Fiend Megacyber, attacking to destroy Embodiment of Apophis.

 

Mak drew Dimension Slice and froze another of Ahearn’s four backrow cards with Sergeant Electro.  Its impact was quickly adding up!  Mak Set a fourth backrow.

 

Ahearn Set a fifth backrow card and passed.

 

Mak drew Tiki Curse and tried to freeze a third card, but lost out to Memory Loss, which negated Sergeant Electro entirely!  Mak set a fifth card ot his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

 

Ahearn activated Dark Core, discarding No Entry!! to banish Sergeant Electro.  When Ahearn attacked with The Fiend Megacyber, and Mak Summoned Tiki Curse.  He then banished Fiend Megacyber with Dimension Slice, leaving Ahearn to Set a monster.

 

Mak drew and Summoned Chow Len the Prophet, correctly guessing that Ahearn’s face-down Nordic Relic Laevateinn was a trap.  That kept him from using it, and Tiki Curse attacked into Legendary Jujitsu Master, spinning back to the top of his Deck.  “Go ahead.”

 

Ahearn Set a fourth Spell or Trap Card.

 

Mak drew Tiki Curse again, Set it, and ended.

 

Ahearn Normal Summoned Chiron the Mage and attacked Chow Len: Mak responded, pitching Evilswarm Mandragora for Rising Energy to dish out 1500 Battle Damage and destroy Chiron!  Ahearn flipped Nordic Relic Laevateinn, destroying Chow Len.

 

 

Mak drew Beast King Barbaros, with three cards Set in his backrow and nothing else.  He Normal Summoned it, then ended.

 

Ahearn Summoned Zombyra the Dark and attacked into Magical Arm Shield!  Mak took Legendary Jujitsu Master, forced Zombyra to attack into it, and as the Jujitsu Master was destroyed Zombyra was spun off the field!  Ahearn would have to draw it again next turn.

 

Mak drew Tiki Soul, then activated Tiki Curse to Summon it as a monster.  He attacked for 1800 Battle Damage, then attacked into Butterflyoke with Beast King Barbaros; it was changed to Defense Position.

 

Ahearn borrow Tiki Curse to give it a quick read, then Normal Summoned another Zombyra.  He attacked Tiki Curse with Zombyra, but Mak responded with Tiki Soul, which allowed him to re-Set Tiki Curse.

 

Mak drew Flame Tiger, then Special Summoned Tiki Curse.  He Summoned the Tiger and started running some numbers, debating turning his Tiki Soul to Attack Position.  He eventually decided to do so, but when he entered his Battle Phase Ahearn changed his Barbaros to Defense Position. He attacked with Tiki Curse into Zombyra, re-Setting his Tiki Trap monster and dropping Zombyra to 1700 ATK.  He attacked with Flame Tiger next, but Ahearn responded with Skill Successor, taking down Flame Tiger in battle!  Mak passed.

 

 

Ahearn attacked Tiki Soul with Zombyra the Dark, and Mak created a replay opportunity by flipping and Special Summoning Tiki Curse.

 

Mak drew Graceful Charity!  He drew Shrink, Chiron, and Goblin Elite Attack Force, taking Goblin Elite and discarding the rest.  He Summoned the Elite and attacked Zombyra,  but Ahearn Special Summoned Gentlemander from his hand: Mak attacked to destroy it, then attacked Zombyra with Tiki Curse to finish out the game!  Ahearn had thought he could use his Skill Successor from his Graveyard on Mak’s turn, but its from-the-Graveyard effect can only be used on its owner’s turn.  Mak took Game 2!

 

A long back-and-forth sees Thomas Mak play to an aggressive pace, and a series of long blocking plays with Tiki Soul and Tiki Curse let him build toward an eventual win!  One more Duel would decide our victor, and see someone off to the Top 8!

 

Ahearn Summoned Cyber Valley and Set two cards to his backrow.

 

Mak had Dimension Slice; two White Night Dragon; Power Giant; Tiki Curse; and Goblin Elite Attack Force.  He Set two cards to his backrow and time was called.  Three turns remained after this one.  Mak Summoned Goblin Elite, attacking Cyber Valley; Ahearn banished it, negating the attack and drawing a card.

 

Ahearn Set a monster.  That was Turn 1.

 

Mak drew Tribute to the Doomed, discarding his extra White Night Dragon to destroy Ahearn’s Mecha Phantom Beast Stealthray!  He attacked with Goblin Elite Attack Force for 2200 Battle Damage under time!  The Goblin Elite shifted to Defense Position, a defensive asset in this situation!

 

The last turn was to Ahearn, who looked through his two face-downs and his five in-hand cards several times, searching for a way out!  He Summoned Twin-Sword Marauder; attacked Goblin Elite, and when Mak revealed Tiki Curse Ahearn conceded the Match!

 

 

Thomas Mak drafted three Tiki Curse and two Tiki Soul, and they just won him this Match!  Mak is headed to the Top 8… with a Tiki Deck?!?