The last time we saw Jesse Kotton he was getting destroyed in our Round 1 Feature Match.  But once again, Kotton’s demonstrated that hard work pays off; after that early stumble he successfully grinded his way straight to the Top 32.  He’s running what we now know to be the strongest new mainstream Deck of the weekend, Thunder Dragons, but he’s up against Dirk Wagner with Dark World Danger! Which if you’re just joining us now, has transformed into a strategy that’s a looping Firewall Dragon FTK first, and everything else second.

It’s unpredictable and arguably fragile, but with the right cards it’s impossible to stop unless you have Droll & Lock Bird.  While we featured Warrior-heavy builds earlier in the day, piloted by Jeff Jones and Maximillian Reynolds, it’s important to note that Wagner’s build is different: it’s much heavier on actual Danger! monsters, making it a very different beast.

As a two-time World Championship competitor, Kotton’s one of the smart money bets in this tournament.  But Wagner already has a win over Kotton in this tournament: he beat Kotton in Round 6, dealing Kotton his second defeat in the Swiss Rounds. If history repeats itself this one might be academic.  Both Duelists desperately wanted to win this die roll.

Moments later, Kotton won that roll and opted to start. Both Duelists exchanged a handshake and wished each other luck.  Kotton opened with Thunder Dragon, discarding it to get another, and discarding that to get his third copy.  He banished ten cards and drew two with Pot ofDesires, then activated Instant Fusion to Special Summon Kaminari Attack.  Kotton followed up with Thunder Dragonhawk, discarding it to Special Summon Thunder Dragon, then used both monsters to Link Summon Some Summer Summoner.  He pitched Thunder Dragondark next, getting another copy to his hand from his Deck, and activated Thunder Dragon Fusion to Fusion Summon Thunder Dragon Titan.

Kotton continued, paying 3000 Life Points Special Summon The Ascended of Thunder, then Tributed it for Thunder Dragon Colossus. He used Some Summer Summoner to Tribute for another Thunder Dragon Colossus, replacing it in his Extra Monster Zone, then pitched his last Thunder Dragon to get the two he recycled with Thunder Dragon Fusion moments before.  That was it.

“Main Phase 1.”  Wagner had a hand of Danger! Nessie!; Danger!? Tsuchinoko?; Grapha,Dragon Lord of Dark World; Broww, Huntsman of Dark World; Danger! Dogman!; and Allure of Darkness.  He activated Allure to Draw Danger! Chupacabra! and another Broww, banishing Nessie to complete Allure’s effect. He revealed Dogman for its ability, Kotton discarded Broww from Wagner’s hand when it resolved, and Wagner Special Summoned Dogman, drawing Shaddoll Beast and Card Destruction.  He activated it!  Kotton spent a moment counting his deck (25 cards left) and decided to chain Thunder Dragondark to destroy Dogman! With Titan’s effect.  Kotton got another Dragondark to replace the one he used, then discarded ThunderDragon and Dragondark to get two more.

Wagner discarded Shaddoll Beast; Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World; Danger!? Tsuchinoko?; Danger! Chupacabra!; and Broww for Card Destruction, drawing two copies of Danger! Bigfoot!; Danger! Monthman!; Danger!? Tsuchinoko?; and Danger!? Jackalope?.  It resulted in a chain where Shaddoll Beast was Chain Link 1, Broww was Chain Link 2, Jackalope! was Chain Link 3, and Tsuchinoko? was Chain Link 4.  He got Dogman! back on the field with Chupacabra’s effect and continued playing.

Wagner revealed Bigfoot! for its effect, discarded Mothman, Summoned Bigfoot! and both players drew for Mothman!’s effect.  Wagner got Allure, pitched Jackalope, and Special Summoned another Dogman.

Wagner revealed Danger!? Tsuchinoko?, lost Chupacabra, and activated The Beginning Of The End.  He banished five cards from his gaveyard to draw three, hitting Soul Charge, Upstart Goblin, and Danger! Nessie!.  He combined Bigfoot! and Tsuchinoko? to Link Summon Space Insulator, combined it with the other Tsuchinoko? to Link Summon Knightmare Unicorn, discarded Nessie for Unicorn to bounce away Kotton’s Thunder Dragon Colossus, and used Nessie’s effect to search out Danger! Thunderbird!.  Kotton conceded.

“I’ve played you,” laughed Kotton, mildly vexed but still convivial. “I know where this goes!”

Dirk Wagner absolutely goes off, crushing his first Duel in Top 32 with a massive Card Destruction, followed up by The Beginning of the End and a steady stream of Danger! monsters. With Kotton paying so many Life Points, it might’ve been possible for Wagner to win that one without Firewall Dragon.  Brutal stuff.

“I’m gonna start,” announced Kotton.  He opened with Gold Sarcophagus banishing Thunder Dragonroar from his Deck, Special Summoning Thunder Dragondark.  He Normal Summoned Thunder Dragonmatrix, Link Summoned Some Summer Summoner, and used the Graveyard effects to search Thunder Dragon and another Dragonmatrix. He pitched Thunder Dragon to get two more, activated Thunder DragonFusion to shuffle back everything but Sarcophagus and Dragonmatrix from his Graveyard to his Deck, and Fusion Summoned Thunder Dragon Titan.

Kotton activated another Gold Sarcophagus!  That banished Thunder Dragonhawk, and he shuffled back three cards from his hand to his Deck for three fresh draws. That put him on four cards in hand with Some Summer Summoner and Thunder Dragon Titan on the field.  He Tributed Some Summer Summoner for Thunder Dragon Colossus, appeared to remark that he’d shuffled the wrong cards back by mistake, and he Set two cards to end his turn.

“I mulliganed the wrong card.  I’m so tilted.”  Kotton would later confirm that he’d mistakenly shuffled away his Thunder Dragonmatrix.  Ouch.

Wagner had two copies of Danger! Chupacabra!; a Danger!? Tsuchinoko?; Danger! Mothman!; Danger! Dogman!; and Shaddoll Beast.  He revaled Chupacabra! and lost his Shaddoll Beast, Special Summoning Chupacabra, drawing Nessie, and then drawing Card Destruction!  He activated Card Destruction and Kotton visibly winced, and then shook his head.

“I’m a gangster, I know, Jesse.”  Wagner was almost embarrassed by his good fortune. He pitched his hand of five cards to draw five more, resulting in a chain of Chupacabra! at Chain Link 1 targeting Nessie to revive it, Tsuchinoko? at Chain Link 2 reviving itself, and Dogman! at Chain Link 3.  Kotton had no responses.

Wagner Special Summoned Danger!? Tsuchinoko? and Nessie.  He played Allure of Darkness to draw two cards, banished Chupacabra! for Allure’s effect, and Link Summoned Knightmare Phoenix.  He tossed Jackalope to destroy Kotton’s bluffed Monster Reborn with the Phoenix’s ability, Special Summoned Danger! Dogman! from his Deck, and then played The Beginning of the End again!  He banished five monsters from his Graveyard to draw three cards, ending with a hand of six total, and revealed Dogman! for its ability. Kotton discarded Wagner’s Broww as the beatings continued and Wagner drew two cards total.  He Link Summoned Knightmare Unicorn, tossed Mothman for Unicorn’s effect, targeted Thunder Dragon Titan, and Kotton chained Thunder Dragondark to trigger Titan’s effect.

Kotton spent a moment drumming his fingers on the table before deciding to target Danger! Dogman! for destruction.  It was destroyed, Kotton got his Thunder Dragondark, and Titan was spun back to Kotton’s Extra Deck.  Wagner had used the Mothman’s resolution to load Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World to the Graveyard, while Kotton lost Twin Twisters.  Wagner activated Danger! Nessie!’s effect and Kotton discarded it.  He revealed Danger!? Jackalope?, discarding The Winged Dragon of Ra – Sphere Mode as the result.

Moments later Wagner had Snoww, Unlight of Dark World; Broww, Huntsman of Dark World; and Danger! Bigfoot! in hand, with Jackalope, Nessie! and Knightmare Unicorn on the field to Kotton’s lone Thunder Dragon Colossus.  Wagner revealed Bigfoot! for its effect, Kotton discarded Wagner’s Broww, and Wagner Special Summoned the Bigfoot! drawing another copy plus a Danger!? Tsuchinoko. He Normal Summoned Snoww so he could take it back and Special Summon Grapha, then revealed his next Bigfoot. He lost it as Kotton picked correctly again.

But Wagner combined Grapha, Bigfoot, and Nessie for Curious, the Lightsworn Dominion, sent Cannon Soldier to his Graveyard with Curious’ first effect, and then sent three more cards to his Graveyard before using Jackalope? and Curious to Link Summon Firewall Dragon.  He traded Knightmare Unicorn for Knightmare Mermaid, and from there the combo was complete with Snoww, Grapha, and Cannon Soldier in place!  Kotton offered the handshake!

Dirk Wagner takes a straight 2-0 win in the Top 32 with Dark World Danger! FTK, never actually going first in the process!