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April 25, 2009
Round 6 Feature Match: Justin Trias Versus Jacob Fonseca
Justin Trias hails from Northern California, and has made Day 2 at two of the four SHONEN JUMP Championships he’s played in. Today he’s running Gladiator Beasts and representing Team Punishment.
But the real story is his opponent – Las Vegas’ Jacob Fonseca! He just came off a big win over Hector Heras last round, and is undefeated here today with Blackwings! Fonseca was the burgeoning new archetype’s best hope for a Top 16 showing.
Trias opened the match, Summoning “Gladiator Beast Darius” and Setting a spell or trap – perhaps “Gladiator Beast War Chariot”? Fonseca opened with a hand of “Gravekeeper's Guard,” “Destiny Hero - Dasher,” “Trap Dustshoot,” “Torrential Tribute,” “Dark Grepher,” and “Jinzo.” ‘This hand is embarrassing’ remarked Fonseca.
‘My hand’s only worth, like, a dollar’ grinned Trias. He revealed it next turn: Fonseca Set two Spell or Trap Cards, Set a monster, and flipped “Trap Dustshoot” to reveal “Enemy Controller,” “Book of Moon,” “Monster Reborn,” “Gladiator Beast Equeste,” and “Gladiator Beast Laquari,” sending the latter back to his opponent’s Deck. Trias Normal Summoned “Gladiator Beast Equeste,” attacked with it, and ran into “Gravekeeper's Guard.” The Guard’s effect sent Equeste back to Trias’s Deck. Darius attacked the Guard next, and Trias tagged it back into his Deck to Special Summon “Gladiator Beast Murmillo” in Defense Position. Murmillo’s effect destroyed the Guard, Trias Set a second Spell or Trap, and play was to Fonseca.
He Normal Summoned “Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame,” but Trias responded with “Bottomless Trap Hole” to remove Shura from the game. “Go.” Fonseca passed. Trias Summoned “Gladiator Beast Equeste.”
“If you had Torrential, you’d’ve used it earlier” remarked Trias, confidently. He’d made the wrong read – Fonseca immediately flipped “Torrential Tribute” to wipe the field! But Trias had “Monster Reborn” – he brought back Murmillo, attacked for 800 damage, tagged out to Equeste and returned another copy from his Graveyard to his hand. He ended with one card in his back row, and three cards in his hand.
Fonseca drew to four cards and desperately activated “Cold Wave”! He had “Dark Grepher,” “Jinzo,” and Dasher in hand, and Normal Summoned Grepher. He discarded Dasher for Grepher’s effect, searched his Deck for “Plaguespreader Zombie,” and sent it to his Graveyard. Grepher destroyed Equeste in battle and Fonseca ended. Trias’ only move was to Set a monster.
Fonseca drew “Crush Card Virus”! He returned “Jinzo” to the top of his Deck to bring back “Plaguespreader Zombie” in Defense Position, then Set the Crush – Trias could see where this was going. Fonseca passed without attacking, knowing he couldn’t risk the Crush to “Gladiator Beast Bestiari’s” effect or the “Plaguespreader Zombie” to Murmillo. Trias Summoned Murmillo next turn, Set one card to his back row, then sent Murmillo after “Plaguespreader Zombie” – Fonseca tributed it for Crush and destroyed nothing! Trias’ face-down monster was Secutor, and his in-hand card was “Book of Moon.”
Trias was faced with a replay opportunity on his attack. He activated his face-down “Enemy Controller,” turned Grepher to Defense Position, and slammed Murmillo into it. He sent Murmillo back to his Deck, laughed, and groaned: “I messed up!” He had to bring out Bestiari, and destroyed his own “Book of Moon” with Bestiari’s mandatory effect! He Special Summoned “Gladiator Beast Gyzarus,” destroyed “Dark Grepher,” and Set a spell or trap to end. He had Gyzarus, his Set spell or trap, and nothing else.
Fonseca drew his “Jinzo” again, and Special Summoned it with Dasher’s effect. “Jinzo” attacked Gyzarus, “Book of Moon” turned it face-down, and next turn Trias lost his freshly-drawn “Gladiator Beast Samnite.” Gyzarus attacked “Jinzo,” tagged out to Special Summon two copies of “Gladiator Beast Laquari,” and Fonseca had to pass his next turn. Trias drew “Enemy Controller,” revealed it for “Crush Card Virus’” effect, then made two attacks with his Laquaris! Fonseca was scooping moments later as Trias tagged out to “Gladiator Beast Darius.”
Justin Trias makes a huge misplay, but still manages to capitalize on his opponent’s poor hand to take the first Duel! Both competitors did a lot of side Decking. Play was to Fonseca.
He opened with “Destiny Draw,” “Allure of Darkness,” “Heavy Storm,” “Brain Control,” “Solemn Judgment,” and “Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind.” He activated “Allure of Darkness,” got “Cyber Dragon” and “Destiny Hero - Defender,” and removed Gale for Allure’s effect. He passed his turn. Trias Summoned “Gladiator Beast Darius,” Special Summoned “Test Tiger,” then Tributed the Tiger to shuffle back Darius and tag it out for “Gladiator Beast Secutor.” Secutor attacked, Trias Special Summoned “Gladiator Beast Laquari” and “Gladiator Beast Equeste,” and gave up all three to Summon “Gladiator Beast Heraklinos”! He then activated “Gladiator Proving Ground,” searched his Deck for “Gladiator Beast Bestiari,” Set one card to his back row and ended. Fonseca drew “Crush Card Virus,” one turn too late.
He activated “Brain Control,” and Trias negated it with Heraklinos’ effect – he discarded the Bestiari he had searched out last turn, loading the Graveyard for “Gladiator Beast Darius.” Fonseca activated “Heavy Storm,” destroying Trias’s “Torrential Tribute,” leaving himself with “Cyber Dragon,” “Solemn Judgment,” “Crush Card Virus,” “Destiny Draw,” and “Destiny Hero - Defender.” He Special Summoned “Cyber Dragon” in Defense Position, Set “Solemn Judgment,” and then Set the Defender and “Crush Card Virus.”
Trias Summoned “Rescue Cat”! Fonseca had no choice but to respond with “Solemn Judgment.” Heraklinos took out “Cyber Dragon” in battle, and Fonseca drew another copy of Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind! It was exactly what he needed.
“There’s only one way to do this!” He Summoned Gale, used its effect to halve the ATK of Heraklinos, then Flip Summoned Defender. He sent both monsters to his Graveyard to Synchro Summon “Blackwing Armor Master,” then attacked over Heraklinos for 1000 damage. Fonseca ended with “Crush Card Virus” Set and one card in hand, with Armor Master on the field.
But Trias drew, and had “Smashing Ground”! He activated it, destroyed Armor Master, and Summoned Murmillo for an attack. Murmillo tagged out to “Gladiator Beast Darius,” Darius brought back “Gladiator Beast Bestiari,” and the two were fused to Summon “Gladiator Beast Gyzarus”! Gyzarus destroyed “Crush Card Virus” and Fonseca was up.
He drew “Elemental Hero Stratos”! He Summoned it, searched his Deck for “Destiny Hero – Malicious,” then discarded it for his “Destiny Draw”! But he drew “Dark Armed Dragon” and another Malicious, and immediately conceded. He had four Dark monsters in his Graveyard, and if he hadn’t drawn the second Malicious he could have removed his in-Graveyard copy and Special Summoned “Dark Armed Dragon.” He would’ve won a turn later.
But fate was just not on Jacob Fonseca’s side. Blackwings are dealt a swift defeat by Gladiator Beasts, and Justin Trias moves on to what may be his third Shonen Jump Championship Day 2!
-Jason Grabher-Meyer
