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The Finals:
Kris Ferber versus Michael Kohanim
This is Kris Ferber’s first big showing at a major Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME tournament, and what a showing it’s been! After fifteen rounds of Dueling, only two competitors remain in this tournament, and Kris Ferber is one match away from becoming the United States National Champion.
But his opponent won’t make that easy. Former SHONEN JUMP Champion Michael Kohanim is back, and has Dueled his way to the Finals with his Gladiator Beasts; we may very well see Gladiator Beasts take a second U.S. National Championship. Both these competitors were eager to get to it, and play began after a friendly handshake.
“I’ll go first,” stated Ferber. “Good luck.”
“You too,” replied Kohanim, amiably.
Ferber opened with two Set cards to his back row and a Set monster. Kohanim and “Gladiator Beast Murmillo,” “Gladiator Beast Samnite,” “Trap Dustshoot,” “Solemn Judgment,” “Cyber Dragon,” and “Gladiator Beast Hoplomus.” He Special Summoned “Cyber Dragon,” Normal Summoned “Gladiator Beast Murmillo,” and attacked with “Cyber Dragon.” The Dragon destroyed Ferber’s face-down “Mystic Tomato,” letting Ferber Special Summon “Sangan.” Kohanim Set two cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone to match his opponent and ended his turn.
Ferber attacked Murmillo with “Sangan” next turn, destroying it. Kohanim drew “Waboku,” attacked “Sangan” with “Cyber Dragon,” and Ferber searched his Deck for “Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind.” Kohanim Set “Gladiator Beast Hoplomus,” Set “Waboku,” and ended his turn.
He flipped “Trap Dustshoot,” revealing Ferber’s hand of Gale, two “Rescue Cats,” “Dark Armed Dragon,” Gorz, and “Book of Moon.” Kohanim reeled! Ferber had two DARK monsters in his Graveyard, so Kohanim sent the “Dark Armed Dragon” back to his Deck. Ferber Normal Summoned Gale, activated its effect to halve the ATK and DEF of “Cyber Dragon,” and attacked to destroy it. The Duel stood at 7550 to 6900 with Kohanim narrowly leading.
Kohanim drew “Book of Moon,” Normal Summoned “Gladiator Beast Samnite,” and lost it to “Bottomless Trap Hole.” He Set Book and ended. He lost “Waboku” in his End Phase to “Mystical Space Typhoon.” Ferber drew to five cards in hand with Gale on the field: Kohanim just had his Set Hoplomus and two Spell or Trap Cards. Ferber Normal Summoned “Summoner Monk,” Tuned Gale to it, and tried to Synchro Summon “Black Rose Dragon”! Kohanim responded with “Solemn Judgment” to negate the Summon, dropping to 3775 Life Points.
Ferber ended his turn. Kohanim drew another Solemn and Set it. Ferber Normal Summoned “Rescue Cat” and Kohanim let it go. Ferber sent the Cat to his Graveyard, Special Summoned “Des Koala” and “X-Saber Airbellum” from his Deck, then Tuned them to try and Synchro Summon “Goyo Guardian.” Kohanim answered back with another “Solemn Judgment.” He dropped to 1888 Life Points to pay for his Counter Trap and Ferber ended.
Kohanim topdecked “Test Tiger”! He took a quick peek at his Extra Deck, Flip Summoned “Gladiator Beast Hoplomus,” and Special Summoned “Test Tiger.” He Tributed it to send Hoplomus back to his Deck, Special Summoned “Gladiator Beast Secutor,” and Secutor attacked! Ferber Special Summoned Gorz, Special Summoned an “Emissary of Darkness Token,” and Kohanim Special Summoned “Gladiator Beast Laquari” and “Gladiator Beast Equeste” with Secutor’s effect. He got back Murmillo with Equeste’s effect, then sent back all three Gladiator Beasts to his Deck to Special Summon “Gladiator Beast Heraklinos”! He had one card left in hand, with “Book of Moon” Set.
Ferber Set two cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone and passed. Kohanim drew “Gladiator Beast Laquari,” attacked with Heraklinos to destroy Gorz, and ended. Fer
ber Set a monster, ended, and Kohanim drew “Bottomless Trap Hole.”
“Two in hand?”
“Yeah,” confirmed Ferber. “I’ll attack the face-down,” declared Kohanim. Heraklinos attacked “Gravekeeper's Guard” and was bounced back to the Extra Deck. “That’s what I was afraid of.” He Normal Summoned “Gladiator Beast Laquari” but lost out to “Bottomless Trap Hole.”
Ferber drew to three cards in hand, with his Token and one Spell or Trap Card still on the field. He activated “Giant Trunade” and Kohanim cleared his field. Ferber Normal Summoned “Rescue Cat,” Special Summoned “X-Saber Airbellum” and “Neo-Spacian Dark Panther” from his Deck, and Kohanim instantly conceded. “Good game!”
“Yeah, good game” replied Ferber, as both Duelists started digging through their Side Decks.
Kris Ferber takes early control over the first Duel and slowly grinds away at Michael Kohanim’s Gladiator Beasts! Ferber was just one win away from becoming the U.S. National Champion! Kohanim prepared himself to try and mount a comeback.
He started Duel 2 with a hand of “Bottomless Trap Hole,” “Gladiator Beast Hoplomus,” “Solemn Judgment,” “Gladiator Beast Bestiari,” “Gladiator Beast Equeste,” and “Gladiator Beast Samnite.” He Set Hoplomus, Set Bottomless, and Set Solemn, a pretty strong opening.
Ferber Normal Summoned “Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind,” then activated “Mind Control”: Kohanim had to activate “Solemn Judgment”! Ferber had no intention of attacking, and Set two cards to his back row. Kohanim drew “Heavy Storm,” but still had that “Bottomless Trap Hole” on the field.
He activated Storm anyways, destroying his own Bottomless, as well as Ferber’s “Mystical Space Typhoon” and “Bottomless Trap Hole.” He Flip Summoned Hoplomus, Normal Summoned Equeste, and sent both of his Gladiator Beasts back to his Deck. He sent Equeste back to Special Summon “Gladiator Beast Laquari,” and Special Summoned a second copy with Hoplomus. That left him with Samnite and Bestiari in hand.
Ferber drew to three cards in hand with an empty field. He Set one monster and Kohanim drew, instantly Summoning Bestiari to unleash “Gladiator Beast Gyzarus”! Gyzarus destroyed “Gravekeeper's Guard,” both monsters attacked, and Ferber was down to 2500 Life Points. Kohanim tagged out “Gladiator Beast Laquari” for “Gladiator Beast Bestiari,” then tagged out Gyzarus for Laquari and “Gladiator Beast Retiari,” using Retiari’s effect to remove Gale from his opponent’s Graveyard. He Set “Book of Moon” and ended, threatening another Gyzarus next turn.
Ferber Summoned another copy of Gale. He usd its effect to halve the ATK of Bestiari, but when he attacked into “Book of Moon” he knew it was over and politely conceded.
Michael Kohanim presses this match and this tournament to one more Duel! In mere minutes we would have a brand new U.S. National Champion. Would this be another victory for Synchro Cat, or were Gladiator Beasts about to take two U.S. National Titles back to back?
Both competitors were friendly and surprisingly calm. “Know why we’re both calm?” asked Kohanim, pausing a moment for dramatic effect. “Because we both won our trips to Tokyo already!” Ferber laughed his agreement and got ready to open Duel 3.
He started with a Set card to each zone. Kohanim had “Test Tiger,” “Rescue Cat,” “Gladiator Beast Samnite,” “Gladiator Beast Retiari,” “Gladiator Beast War Chariot,” and “Mirror Force.” He Normal Summoned Samnite, attacked into “Gravekeeper's Guard,” and the Gladiator Beast was bounced back to his hand. He Set “Mirror Force” and Chariot and lost both to “Heavy Storm” next turn!
“I’ve got game unless you’ve got Gorz” announced Ferber. He Normal Summoned “Summoner Monk,” discarded to Special Summon “Rescue Cat,” sent it to the Graveyard for two copies of “X-Saber Airbellum” and Synchro Summoned two copies of “Dark Strike Fighter”! Each Fighter made a direct attack, and Ferber finished the tournament by Tributing each for their own effect: the classic One-Turn KO for 8000 damage!
Kris Ferber has defeated Michael Kohanim, and in doing so he becomes the new U.S. National Champion!
reported by
Jason Grabher-Meyer
