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Top 8 Feature Match:
Michael McTavish versus Patrick Lepine-Grenier
If you asked around, any Duelist that watched Patrick Lepine-Grenier’s games today would tell you the same thing: today was his lucky day. Top-deck after top-deck and match after match just seemed to go his way, and after eight Swiss rounds his luck had become a miniature legend amongst the weekend’s competitors. Hailing from Montreal, Quebec, the 21 year-old Lightsworn Duelist was armed with a weird Trap lineup: two “Royal Decree” and “Crush Card Virus,” with a conflicting pair of “Beckoning Light” instead of “Monster Reincarnation.” It defied reason, but Grenier still snuck into the Top 8 by landing an 8th place finish.
His opponent was the undefeated Michael McTavish. This was McTavish’s first big showing in a Championship-level event, and while he entered the day as a dark horse pick he shattered all expectations with a Trap-heavy Blackwing Deck. Though McTavish didn’t play “Reckless Greed,” he did run three copies of “Threatening Roar,” which set his Deck apart from the other two Blackwing Decks that made the Top 8.
McTavish opened with “Book of Moon,” “Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind,” “Threatening Roar,” “Solemn Judgment,” and two copies of “Bottomless Trap Hole.” He Set one copy of Bottomless and ended.
Lepine-Grenier blew it away with “Mystical Space Typhoon,” activated “Charge of the Light Brigade,” and sent “Celestia, Lightsworn Angel,” “Plaguespreader Zombie,” and “Wulf, Lightsworn Beast” to the Graveyard! Wulf was Special Summoned, Lepine-Grenier pulled “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner” from his Deck with Charge, and discarded a second Wulf for “Solar Recharge”! He drew two cards then sent “Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter” and “Beckoning Light” to the Graveyard. This was exactly what McTavish did not want to see.
It got worse: Lepine-Grenier discarded “Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior” to Special Summon him with Lumina’s effect, then attacked with all three monsters. In the End Phase he sent five cards to the Graveyard. He didn’t get to draw any extra cards with Garoth’s effect, but was still in complete control of what was looking like a short Duel.
McTavish’s next draw was “Mystical Space Typhoon.” He really had nothing going on at this point. “That is scary stuff” he remarked, Setting four cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone. “Who needs monsters, right?” McTavish gave an upbeat smile and passed play to Lepine-Grenier. He drew, discarded “Necro Gardna” for Lumina’s effect, and Special Summoned a second copy of Wulf. He turned Lumina and Garoth to Defense Position, and when he tried to move to his Battle Phase he was denied by “Threatening Roar.”
McTavish topdecked “Dark Armed Dragon” and was forced to Summon “Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind.” He used its effect to halve Wulf’s ATK and DEF and Set a fourth Spell or Trap Card to finish out. Lepine-Grenier drew and activated “Gold Sarcophagus,” removed “Judgment Dragon” from his Deck, and then discarded a second “Necro Gardna” for Lumina’s effect. That got him “Jain, Lightsworn Paladin” and McTavish removed her from play with “Bottomless Trap Hole.” He was bleeding cards at an alarming rate while Lepine-Grenier’s field was still strong.
Lepine-Grenier sent Wulf to attack Gale, but McTavish protected his monster with “Book of Moon” by turning Wulf face-down. The other Wulf was still too small to attack over Gale since McTavish had reduced its stats, so Lepine ended. In the End Phase, Lepine’s third Wulf was sent to the Graveyard, giving him yet another monster!
Gale reduced that Wulf’s ATK and DEF next turn as well, and McTavish attacked the face-down Wulf to destroy it. He was still just barely holding on. The Duel stood at 3050 to 8000, with Lepine-Grenier leading in both card count and Life Points.
He tried to Special Summon “Judgment Dragon,” but McTavish negated it with “Solemn Judgment,” keeping in mind that Lepine would get his second “Judgment Dragon” next turn. He sent a card from his hand back to the top of his Deck to Special Summon “Plaguespreader Zombie,” tuned it to “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner” to Synchro Summon “Magical Android,” and Android attacked Gale! Gale was destroyed, and the attacks from the two copies of Wulf ended the first Duel!
With no monsters to generate an offense there was no way McTavish had any chance in that Duel, and now he’d have to win two games straight in the face of Lepine-Grenier’s aggressive playstyle to continue on in this tournament.
McTavish opened Game 2 with “Allure of Darkness,” “Dark Armed Dragon,” “Book of Moon,” “Torrential Tribute,” and two copies of “Blackwing - Bora the Spear.” He activated Allure, drew “Light-Imprisoning Mirror” and “Brain Control,” and removed his second copy of Bora for Allure’s effect. He Set “Torrential Tribute” and ended. “Go ahead.” It wasn’t a bad opening, but certainly wasn’t ideal either.
“Draw” announced Lepine-Grenier. He activated “Solar Recharge,” discarded “Ehren, Lightsworn Monk” for its effect, drew two cards, and sent “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner” and another Recharge off the top of his Deck to his Graveyard. Lepine-Grenier had “Mystical Space Typhoon” once again, and he quickly used it to eliminate McTavish’s Trap Card! With “Torrential Tribute” out of the way he was free to Summon Lumina, use her to Special Summon Ehren, and make two direct attacks. He sent six cards off the top of his Deck to his Graveyard and scored a “Necro Gardna” as well as a free Special Summon of “Wulf, Lightsworn Beast.” Lepine-Grenier’s lucky day indeed!
McTavish drew “Blackwing – Kalut the Moon Shadow,” and Summoned “Blackwing – Bora the Spear.” He inspected his opponent’s Graveyard, then opted not to attack, seemingly fearing “Honest.” He Set two cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone and ended instead.
Lepine-Grenier sent “Wulf, Lightsworn Beast” to attack Bora next turn, drawing out Kalut. He Chained “Honest” and edged over Bora by 700 ATK when the Chain resolved. Lumina attacked, but McTavish shut her down with “Book of Moon.” He took 1600 damage when Ehren attacked, and Lepine-Grenier Set a Spell or Trap Card sending three more cards to his Graveyard in the End Phase. A quick inspection of his Graveyard revealed enough Lightsworn to Summon “Judgment Dragon.”
McTavish Normal Summoned “Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn” from his hand, and bemoaned the move he was now forced to make. He slammed Sirocco into Wulf to get a third DARK monster into his Graveyard, took 100 damage, and Special Summoned “Dark Armed Dragon”! He removed Kalut to destroy Ehren, Bora to destroy Wulf, and Sirocco to destroy Lepine-Grenier’s face-down “Royal Decree.” Lepine-Grenier was up.
He flipped Lumina and tried to discard “Honest” for her effect. McTavish chained “Light-Imprisoning Mirror,” and realized too late that it was exactly what Lepine-Grenier had been banking on! Lumina’s effect was negated, but Lepine-Grenier sent “Light-Imprisoning Mirror” to the Graveyard to Summon “Trap Eater.” With the Mirror gone, he Summoned his last card: “Judgment Dragon”! “Judgment Dragon’s” effect ripped through “Dark Armed Dragon” and the rest of the field, and Lepine-Grenier attacked to end the match!
reported by
Jason Grabher-Meyer
