The Shmod Forum

Aarikku · Last edited by Aarikku on Sun Apr 13, 2008 6:09 pm; edited 1 time in total

Chapter Three

“Luke! Lu-uke!” Tyson called, looking around the counters. “Geez… why did I have to watch that card game when I was supposed to be finding Luke?”

“Because it was a good one.” Said a familiar voice. “Yo.”

“Luke? Don’t sneak up on me like that! What are you doing here?”

“I walked. Left a note for Mom and Dad.”

“Walking… right. I thought Dad said not to go this far alone.”

“I was like three feet behind you!”

“Erk… whatever. Glad you’re here. You didn’t… enter, did you?”

“I would’ve had to lie about my age. Remember? The reason you told me not to enter? Gambling and all.”

“Ah, yes. So… what have you got there?” Tyson looked at what appeared to be a booster pack in Luke’s hand.

“Oh, man; I totally forgot!” Luke riffled through the already-opened pack. “Ta-da!” He held up a card that shone with a magnificent holographic ink. “Tetra Dragon – the Alchemic Beast! Not bad, huh?”

“Not bad?!” Tyson gaped. “More like amazing. That thing’s crazy-rare! Nice job! You should hold onto it, or maybe let your dear old brother borrow it for the rest of the tournament.”

“You’re not allowed to change your deck until right before the quarter-finals, aren’t you? Maybe then. I dunno, though… I don’t want you to break my card.”

==

“Dun-dun. Duh-duh. Du-nah. Du-nah.” Cassandra’s eyes shifted from left to right, as she sang to herself the ‘sneaking’ theme from The Legend of Zelda. She tiptoed with highly exaggerated sneaking.

“And you wonder why my mom thought you were on meds.” Kevin sighed, walking normally beside Cassandra.

“Your mom thought I was on meds! Oh, yeah, right. She did.”

“What are we sneaking around for, anyway?”

“I want to find that girl that hangs out with Tyson and Kyle.”

“Linlan.”

“Yeah, her. If I can secretly figure out what kind of deck or strategies she uses, we’ll be in better shape for later. You and I are probably the best gamers here, and those guys are good. We’ll have to play ‘em eventually.”

“I wouldn’t mind a rematch with Kyle,” Kevin considered. “but I don’t see why this plan of yours constitutes sneaking, when you could just, I dunno, play a card game with Linlan?”

==

“My spidey senses are tingling.” Linlan commented, their regular group now up to four thanks to Luke. “Is someone right behind me?”

“Yeah. Hi.” Said Cassandra, and then introducing herself with a tip of a cowboy hat.

“I don’t even know where you got that.” Kevin sighed.

“Ah, Kevin!” Kyle said, glancing upon his frog-using rival. “Come back to finish that game?”

“Okay. You summon Volcano Element and destroy my Wicked Frog. You attack with it and your two Elements. I use Monster Bash, tap 3, send all your Elements back to your hand. Next turn, I use Tadpole Flute for Arch-Tadpole, play it, Transform it, play the Orange-Striped Tadpole in my hand, use Croaking Chorus for a second Wicked Frog and attack for game.”

“You did not have the cards to do that!” Kyle argued.

“‘Course I did. But I’m still happy to call it a draw… for now.”

“Enough about that!” Cassandra declared. “Kevin won, he’s great, whatever. I’m here to challenge Linlan.”

“Well, I accept.”

“The next round will be… Cassandra Christie versus Linlan Yin!” The shopkeep declared.

“Oh.” Said Linlan. "Big stakes now."

==

Linlan won rock-paper-scissors, and began the game. “I’ll charge Charging Rhino, and tap it to play Forest!” The 3D screen showed a grassy world of trees. “Next, I sacrifice Forest in order to play Bamboo Forest.” The trees changed into wide stalks of bamboo. “Your turn.”

“Bamboo? …Okay.” Cassandra began her turn. “I’ll charge Living Bullet, and tap it to play Burning Tiger!” A glowing fiery cat appeared, and roared. “I’ll attack!” (Linlan: 9 Life)

“Fine then.” Linlan drew, charged Mountain Golem, and tapped both her Mana. “For Hungry Panda and Happy Panda!”

“Pandas? You’re kidding me!”

“Not at all. By Bamboo Forest’s effect, all Pandas gain 500 ATK and DEF! So, Hungry Panda’s at 2000, and Happy’s at 2300!”

“Whoa!” Kevin cried.

“That’s Linlan for you.” Kyle muttered. “Secretly, Pandas are really cheap.”

“Now, by the other effect of Bamboo Forest, I can create a Bamboo Token!” Linlan did so, playing a token from a ridiculous stack beside her deck. (0/0) “It can’t attack, and if it’s the only monster I control, you can attack me directly. However, I can use it for effects that I’ll show you soon. But for now – I’ll attack!” (Cassandra: 8 Life)

“Mental note, build a Panda deck.” Cassandra considered. “I’ll charge Phoenix, and tap both for Hellfire Explosisaur!”

“Cool!” Declared Tyson, upon witnessing the reptilian beast forged from the very fires of the underworld appear on the screen.

“At 2500 ATK, it’s slightly stronger than either of your Pandas! I’ll attack Hungry Panda!” (Linlan: 8 Life) “And now, during my End Phase, I can destroy Hellfire Explosisaur. If I do, I can also destroy one of your non-Water monsters. So I will!” The screen showed, basically, the fiery beast exploding in a blast that covered Linlan’s field as well. Neither the Explosisaur or Happy Panda survived. “I’ll set one card. Enjoy.”

“She just cleared Linlan’s field with one monster!” Kyle exclaimed.

“Yep. Cassandra’s all about wiping out the opponent quickly, no matter what stands in her way.” Kevin foretold. “Her star card’s the epitome of ruthless brute force. Have you guys – ”

“Kevin! It’s a trump card. You keep those secret!” Cassandra snapped.

“Oh, right. Sorry.” Kevin turned back to Kyle and Tyson. “Trust me, though. It’ll be good. I feel sorry for your poor friend to be taken out of the tournament so quickly, but it’ll be so cool.”

“If we may continue?” Linlan asked. “I’ll charge Living Lunch, and tap one Mana for Panda Drummer! It’s at 2100 ATK with the Forest in play, and I can tap one Mana to add a deceased Panda from my deck or Graveyard to my hand. I’ll add Hungry Panda, and play it. I’ll create another Bamboo Token with the Forest, and I’ll attack with my pandas! I’ll set one card and end.” (Cassandra: 6 Life)

“Odd.” Kevin declared. “Linlan had enough Mana to play a Level Two monster, or even another Level One. That Trap must be worth it.”

“My go! Ooh… nice. I charge Double Wisp! It counts as 2 Fire Mana instead of 1, but I can’t tap it the turn I charge it. So I’ll have to make do with the two Mana I already have. I’ll tap one for Unstable Pyrodon (2300)!”

“2300 on a Level One? This game is crazy – neither side’s following the rules of Level One monsters!” Tyson argued.

“Cassandra’s Pyrodon destroys itself at the end phase,” Kevin explained. “So it’s really not as bad as those Pandas.”

“Now, I attack your Drummer with my Pyrodon!” Cassandra decided.

“Sorry – you’ve run into this! Activate, Panda-Jitsu!” Linlan triggered her trap. “When you attack a Panda, I can equip my Panda with a Bamboo Bo-Staff from my hand – like this one!” Linlan’s Panda exchanged its drum for a giant staff. “Its ATK rises by 800 to 2900 while this is equipped.”

“Gah!” Cassandra gulped, as her Pyrodon was vanquished and she lost 1 Life. (Cassandra: 5 Life) “Well, I suppose I should activate this. Wild Explosion!” Cassandra used her rather similar Trap. “When a FIRE monster dies by battle, it takes the opponent with it! Also, you take 1 damage.” (Linlan: 7 Life)

“Fine. I’m still in the lead.” Linlan drew. “I’ll charge this Forest… I won’t need it. Next, I’ll tap two for Angry Panda, and one for Hungry Panda. I’ll attack!” (Cassandra: 3 Life)

“You’re making me angry. You won’t like me when I’m angry.” Cassandra warned. “I charge Burning Tiger, and tap three Mana for Shrödinger’s Blood!”

“Poor Shrödinger.” Linlan sighed.

“He never saw it coming.” Kyle agreed.

“It lets me discard the top five cards of my deck – Hell Mulligan, Living Bullet, Hellfire Explosisaur, Replenish, and… ooh, Yoink. I could’ve used that. In return, however, I can draw 3 cards.”

“I’m unimpressed.”

“Wait a turn. I tap one for Genji on defence, and set a card.”

“No problem. I’ll create a Bamboo Token, and it’s time to attack!” Linlan decided. Cassandra’s Genie-thing was eliminated, as was a Life. (Cassandra: 2 Life)

“That’s it?” Tyson asked. “No new Mana? No new monsters? She could’ve nearly wiped Cassandra out.”

“She’s been using her cards in her hand like crazy. She might not have anything else she can use right now.” Kevin replied.

“I charge Cancel Spell. Now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for! I tap five Mana for Combustiploder Cannon!” The screen showed a steel orb rise from the card. A couple panels retreated into the sphere, and a wicked cannon extended from within. Finally, for no reason at all, the structure was set ablaze.

“That’s her star card.” Kevin whispered.

“3000 ATK for a Level Five? It better have some good effect!” Linlan said.

“But of course. Once, when it inflicts battle damage, the damage instead becomes the number of Fire monsters in the Graveyard. Let’s count – Burning Tiger, Explosisaur, Pyrodon, Genji, and then the two I discarded with Shrödinger’s Blood. That means that this attack will inflict six damage. I attack your Hungry Panda!”

“Block! Block!” Kyle and Tyson recommended.

“I can’t!” Linlan cried; her life dropping to 1. “But I’m okay. My go. I charge Cancel Trap, and tap three for my star card – Jade Orchid!”

“Your star card is a shiny flower?”

“Exactly. It stops one of your monsters from attacking! Permanently.”

“Impressive.” Kyle commented. “All Linlan has to do now is wait until she can play a monster stronger than Combustiploder Cannon.”

“Cassandra will find a way.” Kevin argued. “She always does.”

Linlan switched her Angry Panda into defence mode and ended her turn. Cassandra drew. “I don’t even see why a glass flower stops a flaming cannon from attacking. Your go.”

“Alas,” Said Linlan, looking at her draw. “Still nothing. Your go.”

“Ah! Here we are! I tap one for Whirlwind, allowing me to destroy a faceup Spell or Trap card. So I’ll eliminate that Orchid!”

“Nice!” Kevin cheered.

“Not really.” Tyson argued. “Observe.” The screen showed an Air Element-shaped twister fly over the shiny green flower. It exploded, but the shards remained airborn. The pointy petals of Linlan’s orchid flew towards Cassandra’s cannon, and whirled around it.

“What’s going on?” Cassandra demanded.

“You should read my cards. When Jade Orchid is destroyed, the targeted monster is as well!”

“Works for me.” Cassandra grinned.

“Eh?”

“I tap 1 to activate Uncontrolled Explosion! When a Fire monster is destroyed, both players take damage equal to its Level.”

“So…” Linlan began.

“It’s a draw.” Cassandra finished. (Cassandra: -3 Life, Linlan: -4 Life)

“Incredible!” The shopkeep announced. “The first draw of the tournament means that both players will be moving on, and a bitter rivalry is formed.”

“Bitter?” Cassandra questioned. “Um… I hate you?” She said, feigning bitterness.

“Ouch. That was personal. See you in the finals!” Linlan gestured a thumbs-up.

==

“Well, you guys really need to keep it together.” Tyson began, as the trio sat at a table.

“What do you mean by that?” Linlan snapped.

“We’ve been here for an hour or so, and I’m the only one who’s won a game.” Tyson leaned back and relaxed. "This tournament's gonna be a piece of cake."

Card of the Chapter is Combustiploder Cannon.

[5] Combustiploder Cannon (Fire)
When this card attacks directly, your opponent takes damage equal to the number of FIRE monsters in the Graveyard -1. This effect can only be activated once while this card is on the field.
ATK/ 3000 DEF/ 0

_________________

The Decktype Guide

Naardaas · Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 1:50 pm Post subject:

Nice recurring theme of making everyone seem like an idiot from time to time. I don't know whether this would be an anime or a sitcom, and I don't care either. It's great!

Also, I see you rewrote Shrödinger’s Blood so your character could use it. See, the card works.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:12 pm Post subject:

Well, it's wrong to assume that any person can go through their entire life and not do something silly. Thanks! And yeah, Shrödinger's Blood worked great for Cassandra. A bit high on the Mana - I was planning for her to summon Combustiploder Cannon in the same turn - but the effect works perfectly for her.

_________________

The Decktype Guide