Round 3 Feature Match: Nikos Boulmpasakos vs Aris Samaras

For our third round we are going to watch the moves of 2009 greek national champion, top 8 finalist at the European championship 2008 and top 16 finalist at the European Championship of 2009, Nikos Boulmpasakos playing Frognarch versus Aris Samaras (top 8 nationals 2010) playing Six Samurai. The dice roll is won by Samaras who opted to start first.

Initial hand of Boulmpasakos: Tragoedia, 2x Swap Frog, Fishborg Blaster and Enemy Controller.

Samaras passed his first turn in the duel by not committing any cards on the field.

Boulmpasakos drew Foolish Burial. He normal summoned Swap Frog to send Treeborn Frog to the graveyard and attack for 1000 damage before returning the Swap Frog back to his hand.

On his turn, Samaras normal summoned Kagemusha of the Six Samurai and then special summoned Grandmaster of the Six Samurai. He attacked first with Kagemusha and then with Grandmaster for a total of 2500 damage. Boulmpasakos let both attacks pass without summoning Tragoedia. He then set 2 cards in his backrow and ended his turn.

Boulmpasakos drew Soul Exchange. On standby phase he special summoned Treeborn Frog in defense position. He entered main phase and discarded Fishborg Blaster to special summon Swap Frog and dump Ronintoadin. He then attacked Kagemusha to destroy him and inflict 600 damage to his opponent. In main phase 2, Swap Frog is returned to his hand and then discarded to special summon Fishborg, which is tuned with Treeborn to synchro summon Formula Synchron in defense position and draw Light and Darkness Dragon. Pressing on, he removed Swap Frog to special summon Ronintoadin and used Enemy Controller on it to take control of Grandmaster. Both of his monsters were tributed for Light and Darkness Dragon and he ended his turn.

Samaras drew to 4 cards in his hand and 2 set cards in his backrow. He normal summoned Hand of the Six Samurai and then special summoned another Grandmaster. Hand tributes itself to destroy the dragon and Samaras chains Double-Edged Technique to the effect of the dragon, in order to special summon Hand and Kagemusha back to the field. Synchro summon for Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En which destroyed in battle the weakened dragon. Boulmpasakos brings back Fishborg Blaster in defense position by the effect of Light and Darkness, which is destroyed by Grandmaster. He concluded his round by setting one more card to this back row.

Play back to Boulmpasakos who drew Caius the Shadow Monarch. He brought back the Treeborn and then discarded Swap Frog for Fishborg. Another Formula was formed and he drew Mystical Space Typhoon by its effect. Foolish Burial was activated but Shi En negated it. He followed up with Soul Exchange targeting Shi En and then tributed it to summon Caius but he was stopped by Solemn Warning. The life points were 4400-5300 at this point, with Boulmpasakos leading.

On his following turn, Samaras normal summoned another Kagemusha. Grandmaster destroyed the Formula and Kagemusha pressed for 400 damage, with Boulmpasakos still keeping Tragoedia in his hand. Main phase 2 he synchro summoned Naturia Landoise and passed with one card in his hand.

Boulmpasakos drew Soul Exchange for his turn. He Brought back the Treeborn and then used Soul Exchange on Landoise to tribute both it and the frog for Tragoedia face down.

Samaras drew and passed.

Boulmpasakos drew Effect Veiler. He again brought Treeborn back and Veiler was discarded for Fishborg. His third and final Formula was summoned and he drew Soul Exchange. He flipped Tragoedia and used its effect to copy the level of Caius and after some thought tuned it with Formula for Stardust. Stardust attacked for 2500 damage and play was back to Samaras.

He drew for his turn and then activated Reinforcements of the Army to get Kagemusha from his deck. Then activated Six Samurai United and summoned it. He sent United to the graveyard to draw one card and set 2 cards in his backrow before passing.

Boulmpasakos drew Caius but Stardust Dragon attacked to end the first duel!

Quick side decking from both players.

Initial hand of Boulmpasakos: Dark Hole, Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, Burial from a Different Dimension, Fishborg Blaster.

Samaras kicked off things with Six Samurai United and the classic summon Kageki for Kagemusha. He sent it to the grave to draw 2 cards and then special summon Grandmaster and synchro for Shi En. He set one card to his backrow and ended his turn.

Boulmpasakos drew Swap Frog. He decided to special summon it by discarding Fishborg and then dump Treeborn to his graveyard. He pressed on discarding Burial to special summon Fishborg and then tribute it for Caius the Shadow Monarch targeting Shi En. The summon was successful and Shi En was removed for 1000 additional burn damage. Caius run over Grandmaster, Swap Frog added another 1000 damage and in main phase 2 Swap Frog returned Caius to his hand.

Samaras drew for his round and started to check both graveyards. He activated Doubld-Edged Technique to special summon Kageki and Kagemusha back from his grave. Then he special summoned Kizan and tuned all 3 of his monsters for Trishula! He selected to remove Treeborn from the graveyard, the Swap Frog from the field and deprived Caius from the hand of his opponent. However, its attack was met with Gorz! The life points were 5700-5300 with Samaras leading.

Boulmpasakos drew Thunder King Rai-Oh and normal summoned it. The token traded with Trishula but when Thunder King attacked, Samaras dropped Gorz, as well! Gorz destroyed the token and play was back to Samaras.

Gorz run over Thunder King and in main phase 2 Samaras activated Shien's Smoking Signal to get Kageki. He normal summoned it and special summoned Hand of the Six Samurai with its effect. Hand tributed Kageki to destroy Gorz and Samaras set one card to his backrow to end his turn.

Boulmpasakos drew Fishborg Blaster. He activated Dark Hole to clear the field and then set the Fishborg before passing.

Samaras drew and set another card to his backrow.

Boulmpasakos drew Caius and tribute summoned it to remove the card last set by his opponent which was revealed to be a Double-Edged Technique. Samaras opted not to activate it. Caius attacked directly to lower Samaras life points to 1400.

Samaras drew and activated 2 Shien's Smoke Signals to get a Kageki and Kagemusha from his deck which he promptly summoned them. He then synchro summoned Shi En and run over Caius. He ended his turn without any cards in his backrow or his hand.

Boulmpasakos top decked Puppet Plant to win the match!!!