Top 32 Feature Match: Calvan Tahan vs. David Creti
Montreal’s David Creti didn’t really get much of a Feature Match back in Round 10, and Calvin Tahan isn’t even really supposed to be here, so why not feature them in the Top 32?
Creti won the roll and decided to play second. Tahan opened the Match by banishing ten cards to draw two more with Pot of Desires, then Set four cards to his backrow. “Pass.”
Creti had Vanity’s Emptiness; Blue-Eyes White Dragon; Trade-In; The Melody of Awakening Dragon; Cards of Consonance; and Return of the Dragon Lords. Tahan flipped Anti-Spell Fragrance, and Creti Set everything but Blue-Eyes so he could use his cards next turn.
Tahan drew to three in hand, considered his options, and flipped Twin Twisters discarding Maxx “C” to destroy Creti’s Melody and Return. It cleared the not-so-useful Maxx “C” from Tahan’s hand, and helped keep Creti from building momentum.
Creti drew Sage with Eyes of Blue, Summoned it, and lost it. “I guess I’ll Strike,” replied Tahan, flipping Solemn Strike to shut down the Sage. “I don’t know what your Deck does.” Creti activated Trade-In, discarding Blue-Eyes White Dragon to draw… two copies of Effect Veiler. “Go ahead.”
Tahan: “Do I need to make the bad play? I guess I have to.” He flipped Allure of Darkness, drew two, checked his removed zone to see what he’d banished previously, and banished Alich, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to complete Allure’s effect. He Normal Summoned Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and attacked for 800 battle damage.
Creti drew Dragon Shrine and Set it.
Tahan Normal Summoned Crane Crane to destroy Scarm, then tried to revive the Scarm with the Crane Crane, but Creti locked him down with Vanity’s Emptiness! Tahan made a direct attack for 300 with Crane Crane, then Set a Spell or Trap Card and searched for what he called, “A card that is not Tour Guide” with Scarm. It was Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, heavily implying Tahan had banished the Tour Guide with Pot of Desires.
Creti drew Maxx “C”, now holding nothing but “hand traps”.
Tahan banished another ten cards, flipping another Pot of Desires! “Let’s see what I banished… Oh, hey! It’s my win condition!” Tahan drew two cards and made another attack with Crane Crane, dropping Creti to 6600 Life Points.
“At the rate of this Crane Crane, I feel like I can just Deck you out.”
Creti drew Blue-Eyes White Dragon. “I’ll just take this Crane Crane beatdown.”
Tahan: “I need to see if I lost Libic. I feel like, twenty cards, I probably did.” He looked at four or five of his twenty banished face-downs. “Yup. Alright, this’ll be interesting. Crane Crane, why. I’ll attack for another 300. There. Now I’m winning.” That was technically true. Tahan Set a monster, then Set a third face-down backrow.
Creti drew Soul Charge, double locked under Anti-Spell Fragrance and his own Vanity’s Emptiness, with barely anything to Special Summon with it anyways. “I’m honestly sure I can Deck you out if it stays like this.”
“Well, I’m playing 45 cards,” replied Tahan.
Creti passed. Play was back to Tahan.
“Main Phase 1…” Tahan Normal Summoned Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, banishing his Crane Crane so he could Flip Summon Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He flipped Twin Twisters next, discarding Graff to target Emptiness and Creti’s face-down Trade-In. “New Chain, Graff activates…” Creti Chained the effect of Maxx “C”, and Tahan Special Summoned Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. Creti drew Sage with Eyes of Blue. Tahan Synchro Summoned Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss and Creti drew Twin Twisters.
“I’m going to activate the effect of my beloved Barbar,” announced Tahan, banishing Graff, Rubic and Farfa for 900 points of damage. He attacked with Virgil, ended his turn, and Crane Crane returned to the field.
Creti drew Maxx “C”, and Tahan dropped a Maxx “C” of his own. “Go ahead. Deck me out. I’m looking forward to it.”
Creti Normal Summoned Effect Veiler. “Do you play Creature Swap?” Asked Tahan. “What is going on?! I don’t know what your cards do. No response.” Creti pitched Sage with Eyes of Blue targeting Effect Veiler. Tahan borrowed the card for a moment, “Oh, I get it, ‘Effect Monster’… and Effect Veiler says ‘Effect’ in the name. I’ll Warning.” He stopped Sage’s Special Summon effect with Solemn Warning, keeping Blue-Eyes off the field. Creti Set two cards to his backrow and Tahan noted that he had drawn no cards with Maxx “C” so far.
Creti flipped Dragon Shrine to send Blue-Eyes White Dragon and The White Stone of Ancients to his Graveyard, then moved to his End Phase to Special Summon Dragon Spirit of White from his Deck. Tahan drew a card with his Maxx “C” and spent some time reading Dragon Spirit of White. He banished Tahan’s last face-down spell or trap, which turned out to be another Anti-Spell Fragrance.
Tahan drew and had four cards left in his Deck. “Is there like, a Blue-Eyes monster that can destroy a monster on the field when it’s Summoned, like Dark Destroyer?”
“Yes.”
“Is that like, in your Deck, or Extra Deck, or…?”
“Main Deck.”
“Well. I lose. I don’t know. Let’s see.” He paused to think, before coming to his conclusion: “Can’t be done.”
Tahan dropped Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss for Virgil, and Creti negated its effect with Effect Veiler. He targeted Dragon Spirit of White with Farfa’s effect, and Creti Chained Dragon Spirit of White’s ability to Special Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon in Defense Position. “Oh that’s fair,” quipped Tahan. “I have nothing.” He paused a moment, riffling through his Extra Deck. “Wait, oooh! I DO have a play. You’re gonna be so mad! Normal Summon!”
Tahan Normal Summoned Speedroid Taketomborg. Creti dropped Maxx “C”. “UNLUCKY!” yelled Tahan, sighing. “How many Veilers are gone…” He borrowed Creti’s Graveyard a moment. “I think I just accept the loss if you draw the third Veiler.” He Xyz Summoned Number 20: Giga-Brilliant overlaying Taketomborg with Crane Crane, then upgraded to Digital Bug Corebage. No Veiler for Creti! Tahan detached Xyz Materials to bump away the Blue-Eyes White Dragon with Corebage’s effect and Creti scooped.
Calvin Tahan burns through nearly his entire Deck, fighting his way through a stream of “hand traps” on his way to a miraculous troubleshooting win in the first Duel! One more like that and he’d be in the Top 16.
“I have no idea what to Side Deck against you…” muttered Tahan. “I think they side… THIS one… in Japan…” He continued his muttering deliberations, thumbing through his Side Deck as Creti waited to start Game 2. “Sorry, I’m struggling really hard,” apologized Tahan, with less than a minute left to finish Side Decking.
By the time Duel 2 rolled around Creti had Blue-Eyes White Dragon; The Melody of Awakening Dragon; Maxx “C”; Flying “C”; and Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon. He Special Summoned Alternative, pitched Blue-Eyes White Dragon for Melody, searching another Blue-Eyes White Dragon and another Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon and passed.
Tahan went to Special Summon Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Creti Chained Maxx “C”. “That’s a lot of cards,” remarked Tahan, thinking through his plays in the context of the Maxx “C” and how many free draws he could wind up giving Creti. He Normal Summoned Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Creti dropped Flying “C” on him, destroying both of his monsters. Tahan paused a moment. “I’m debating conceding.”
“Are you going to activate that Graff?”
“I have no idea.” A beat. “Yes I will.” Tahan Special Summoned Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Creti drew again. Tahan got Tour Guide from the Underworld with Scarm in his End Phase.
Creti drew to five cards, holding Trade-In; two Blue-Eyes White Dragons; and two Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon. He discarded Blue-Eyes White Dragon with Trade-In to draw The Melody of Awakening Dragon and Rivalry of Warlords. He Special Summoned a second Alternative, destroyed the Flying “C” before overlaying both Alternatives to Summon Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon. He used it for Xyz Material to Summon Number 95: Galaxy-Eyes Dark Matter Dragon, and sent three cards to his Graveyard to power its banish effect: The White Stone of Ancients, The White Stone of Legend, and Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand. Tahan banished three cards to complete that effect, and Creti attacked for 4000 points of Battle Damage. Creti set Rivalry and in the End Phase he Special Summoned Dragon Spirit of White with The White Stone of Ancients.
Tahan drew to six cards in hand. He instantly blew away Creti’s field with Raigeki! Tour Guide Special Summoned Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Creti flipped Rivalry of Warlords: “Whaaaaaat?” Tahan balked for a moment. “What an interesting development. I’m gonna look through my Extra Deck and see if any of them are Fiends.” He looked. “They are not. What a coincidence.” He attacked with Tour Guide and Cir and Set one card to his back row. “I’ll Set a card that does nothing against your Deck.”
Creti drew Sage with Eyes of Blue and Summoned it; Tahan negated its effect with Veiler after taking some time to read it. Creti passed.
Tahan activated Foolish Burial to send Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to his Graveyard, Summoning Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He attacked with Cir over Sage with Eyes of Blue, destroying the Sage, and then made direct attacks with Tour Guide and Scarm. Creti dropped to 2000 Life Points. Tahan had 4000 LP.
Creti drew Return of the Dragon Lords. He Special Summoned Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon from his hand, used its effect to destroy Tour Guide, and activated Return of the Dragon Lords to revive his Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand. He activated its effect to banish Tahan’s Cir. “WHAAAAT?” Tahan took a moment to read Felgrand, then removed his Cir. Creti attacked with Felgrand over Scarm, Special Summoned Dragon Spirit of White with Felgrand’s effect, and then attacked for game.
David Creti reels in the second Duel after losing control over it, shifting the tone with a clutch Rivalry of Warlords! One more Duel would decide who would be headed to the Top 16, and who would be headed home.
“I have literally nothing to side for this deck,” reiterated Tahan. “I’ll go first.”
Tahan opened the final Duel with a handshake and Foolish Burial for Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, Special Summoning Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He Normal Summoned Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Creti wiped him with Flying “C”. Tahan Set his remaining three cards to his back row and searched Tour Guide from the Underworld with Scarm’s effect. “How am I gonna get outta this one,” Tahan vocalized. It wasn’t looking great.
Creti had Cards of Consonance; Blue-Eyes White Dragon; two copies of The Melody of Awakening Dragon; and Twin Twisters. Time was called just after Creti drew; this was Turn 0, and three more turns would be played. Tahan flipped Anti-Spell Fragrance Creti Chained the Twin Twisters, discarding Cards of Consonance for its cost. Tahan had Magic Deflector to negate it! He kept his Anti–Spell Fragrance on the table, effectively demolishing Creti’s remaining cards!
Turn 1 in overtime: Tahan controlled Flying “C”, Anti-Spell Fragrance, and a Set card in his Spell and Trap Card Zone with two cards in hand. He Normal Summoned the Tour Guide from the Underworld to Special Summon Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.
Creti was still reeling. “You sided Deflector, JUST for my Twin Twisters?”
“Yeah.” Tahan nodded. “I think there’s like, some other card, too?” He squinted. “Melo-… Is Melody a Quick-Play?” Creti shook his head, one part “no” and one part sheer disbelief. “No?” Tahan gave an ‘are you sure’ sort of head tilt. “I know there’s like, some other card in there…”
Tahan flipped Flying “C” to attack with it, then followed up with Tour Guide and Cir. Creti dropped to 4700 Life Points.
Turn 2 in overtime: It was Creti’s last turn. He drew another Melody of Awakening Dragon which was no help. He reeled a moment, placed his thumb on his forehead, considered, and offered the handshake!
Calvin Tahan, flying by the seat of his pants to take out Blue-Eyes in a tight 2-1 victory, uses Magic Deflector to take him to the Top 16!
