Dominic Couch from Chicago, Illinois is a 3-time TEAM YCS winner and still chasing his first solo YCS trophy. He’s using a K9 Vanquish Soul Deck this weekend, featuring the new Level 5 monsters from Justice Hunters. Now, he’s Dueling against Edward Lu and his Maliss Deck! Lu made it to the Top 16 of the last YCS Vancouver in 2023, and he’s looking to get even further this weekend. Decks featuring the new themes from Justice Hunters replaced many of the older strategies like Maliss at the top tables this weekend, but Lu is determined to show that Maliss Decks still have what it takes to compete at the highest levels of competition. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Lu started off the first Duel by Normal Summoning Maliss <P> Chessy Cat in his Main Phase.

He activated its effect and Couch Chained the effect of the Mulcharmy Meowls in his hand. Lu banished Maliss <P> White Rabbit from his hand to draw 2 cards, then paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon his White Rabbit, allowing Couch to draw a card from his Meowls’s effect. Next, he used White Rabbit’s effect to Set Maliss <C> MTP-07 from his Deck. Couch activated the effect of Mulcharmy Fuwalos next, and then Lu sent White Rabbit and Chessy Cat to the Graveyard to Link Summon Cyberse Wicckid, allowing Couch to draw again. Lu Special Summoned Backup @Ignister linked to Wicckid and used the effects of Wicckid and Backup. Wicckid banished Chessy Cat from his Graveyard to add Backup @Ignister to his hand, and Backup’s effect added Wizard @Ignister to Lu’s hand and Lu discarded the Backup. Lu Special Summoned Chessy Cat from banishment and Couch drew another card. Couch Special Summoned K9-17 Izuna from his hand and activated its effect, and Lu flipped MTP-07 by banishing Chessy Cat. He added Maliss <P> March Hare from his Deck to his hand. Couch resolved Izuna’s effect to send K9-ØØ Lupis from his Deck to his Graveyard. He Special Summoned it and then used its effect to try to Xyz Summon with it, but Lu activated Dominus Impulse from his hand to negate its effect and destroy it, causing it to be banished by its own effect! Next, Lu activated the effect of Maliss <P> March Hare in his hand by banishing Maliss <P> Dormouse from his hand and Special Summoned the March Hare. He paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon Dormouse and Couch drew another card. Next, Lu activated Dormouse’s effect by banishing March Hare from his Deck and paid 300 Life Points to return the banished March Hare to his hand. He sent Dormouse and Wicckid from his field to his Graveyard to Link Summon Maliss <Q> White Binder, allowing Couch to draw another card, and then Lu activated White Binder’s effect to Set MTP-07. He sent all 3 of his monsters to the Graveyard to Link Summon Maliss <Q> Hearts Crypter, giving Couch another card, and then used Hearts Crypter’s effect to banish Izuna by returning the banished Chessy Cat to his Deck. He Set a card to his back row and then ended his turn.

Couch drew Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love for his turn and added it to his hand of “A Case for K9”, Stake your Soul!, Mulcharmy Fuwalos, Vanquish Soul Jiaolong, 2 copies of Vanquish Soul Razen, K9-17 Izuna, and K9-66b Lantern. He activated Fuwalos’s effect in his Standby Phase and then entered his Main Phase. He Normal Summoned Vanquish Soul Razen and activated its effect. Lu Chained MTP-07 to add Dormouse from his Deck to his hand and banished Razen. Couch added Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue from his Deck to his hand with Razen’s effect. Next, Couch activated “A Case for K9” and used its effect to add K9-66a Jokul from his Deck to his hand. Couch Special Summoned Hollie Sue from his hand by revealing Razen and then used its effect by revealing Jokul and Razen from his hand. He Special Summoned Vanquish Soul Jiaolong from his Deck with its effect and then used Jiaolong’s effect by revealing Razen and another Jiaolong to add Caesar Valius from his Deck to his hand. Lu had seen enough. He conceded, realizing he had given Couch too many draws from the Mulcharmy cards and wouldn’t be able to win.

Dominic Couch takes the first victory of the Match thanks to his Mulcharmy cards! Edward Lu is going first in Duel 2!

Duel Two

Lu started off Duel 2 by Normal Summoning Backup @Ignister and activating its effect. Couch Chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring’s effect, but Lu negated it by banishing Ash Blossom from the Graveyard with Called by the Grave. Lu added Dormouse from his Deck to his hand and discarded it with Backup’s effect. He then Special Summon Druiswurm from his hand by banishing Dormouse from his Graveyard. He paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon the banished Dormouse and then Couch Special Summon Izuna from his hand with its effect. He used its on-field effect to send Lupis from his Deck to his Graveyard then used Lupis’s effect to Special Summon it from the Graveyard. He then used Lupis’s effect on the field to combine it with Izuna and Xyz Summon N.As.H. Knight. He used the Knight’s effect by detaching both Xyz Materials from it. He attached a Number 104: Masquerade from his Extra Deck to his Knight as an Xyz Material, then attached Dormouse to his Knight as an Xyz Material before Lu could use Dormouse’s effect. Lu sent Backup to the Graveyard to Link Summon Link Disciple then sent Link Disciple and Druiswurm to the Graveyard to Summon S:P Little Knight. Druiswurm’s effect sent N.As.H. Knight to the Graveyard and Little Knight’s effect banished Lupis from the Graveyard. Lu Set a card to his back row before passing his turn.

Couch drew a Vanquish Soul Jiaolong and added it to his hand of Vanquish Soul Heavy Borger and 2 more copies of Jiaolong. He ended his turn with no play.

Lu attacked directly with S:P Little Knight and then Set a card to his back row before passing.

Couch drew Nibiru, the Primal Being and passed.

Lu activated Bystial Magnamhut’s effect by banishing Dormouse from his Graveyard and used the effects of Dormouse and Magnamhut. He Special Summoned Dormouse to the field and used its on-field effect to banish White Rabbit from his Deck. He paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon it and then used its on-field effect to Set MTP-07 from his Deck. He attacked directly with Little Knight, Magnamhut, Dormouse, and White Rabbit, wiping out all of Couch’s Life Points.

A weak hand for Dominic Couch allows Edward Lu to take an easy win in Duel 2! The Match is going to a third and final Duel!

Duel Three

Couch opened up Duel 3 with There Can Be Only One, Nibiru, the Primal Being, K9-17 Izuna, and 2 copies of K9-66a Jokul.

In the Standby Phase, Lu activated the effect of Mulcharmy Purulia. Couch activated the effect of Jokul in his hand to Special Summon both Jokuls and then used a Jokul’s on-field effect to add K9-66a Lantern from his Deck to his hand. He combined both Jokuls to Xyz Summon K9-17 “Ripper”. Lu activated Infinite Impermanence to negate Ripper’s effect and then Couch Special Summoned Izuna from his hand, allowing Lu to draw another card from Purulia’s effect. Izuna’s on-field effect sent Lupis from his Deck to his Graveyard and then he activated Lupis’s effect to Special Summon it from the Graveyard. He combined Lupis with Izuna to Xyz Summon another Ripper and used its effect by detaching an Xyz Material. He added an Izuna from his Deck to his hand and Set K9-X Forced Release from his Deck. He Special Summoned Lantern from his hand next, along with the Izuna in his Graveyard, allowing Lu to draw another card. He used Lantern’s effect to add “A Case for K9” to his hand and then activated it to add a Jokul from his Deck to his hand. He sent Izuna and Lantern to the Graveyard to Link Summon S:P Little Knight and then Set There Can Be Only One before ending his turn.

Lu activated Harpie’s Feather Duster and Couch Chained Forced Release to Special Summon K9-X “Werewolf” using Ripper as an Xyz Material. Couch’s other back row cards, including There Can Be Only One, were destroyed. Lu Normal Summoned Chessy Cat next and activated its effect. He banished Dormouse from his hand to draw 2 cards and then activated Dormouse’s effect by paying 300 Life Points. Couch Chained Werewolf’s effect by detaching an Xyz Material and looked at Lu’s hand of Triple Tactics Talent, Triple Tactics Thrust, Dominus Impulse, Dormouse, and 2 Ash Blossoms. He banished the Talent until the End Phase and Lu Special Summoned his Dormouse. He used Dormouse’s effect to banish White Rabbit from his Deck, then paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon the White Rabbit. He used its effect to Set MTP-07 from his Deck to his field and then sent Dormouse and Chessy Cat to the Graveyard to Link Summon Cyberse Wicckid. He Link Summoned Linguriboh next, linked to Wicckid, and activated Wicckid’s effect by banishing Chessy Cat from his Graveyard. Couch Chained his Little Knight’s effect to banish the Wicckid and his own Ripper until the End Phase. Lu added Backup @Ignister from his Deck to his hand and then paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon the Chessy Cat in a new Chain. Lu Link Summoned Splash Mage next and used its effect to Special Summon Chessy Cat back to the field. He sent Chessy Cat and Splash Mage to the Graveyard to Link Summon White Binder and used its effect to banish Forced Release and Lupis from Couch’s Graveyard. Next, he Summoned Backup from his hand and used its effect to add Wizard @Ignister to his hand and discard an Ash Blossom. He sent White Binder and Backup to the Graveyard to Link Summon Accesscode Talker and used its effect to destroy Werewolf by banishing White Binder. He paid 900 Life Points to Special Summon the White Binder back to his field and draw a card, then banished Splash Mage from his Graveyard to destroy Little Knight. He attempted to enter his Battle Phase, but Couch activated the effect of Nibiru, the Primal Being! He sent Lu’s monsters to the Graveyard and gave Lu a Primal Being Token in their place. Couch Special Summoned the Nibiru to his own field. Lu used the Primal Being Token as a Link Material to Summon Link Spider. Next, Lu Special Summoned Wizard @Ignister from his hand along with a Chessy Cat from his Graveyard using Wizard’s effect and then sent his 3 monsters to the Graveyard to Link Summon Hearts Crypter. He attacked Nibiru with Hearts Crypter to destroy it and inflict 100 points of damage to Couch’s Life Points. In Main Phase 2, Lu activated Triple Tactics Thrust to Set Infinite Impermanence from his Deck. Lu Set another card to his back row and ended his turn. Ripper and Wicckid returned to the field in the End Phase, and Triple Tactics Talent returned to Lu’s hand.

Couch drew a Dr. Mad Love for his turn and then activated Jokul’s effect in his hand by revealing Izuna – but Lu Chained Dominus Impulse to negate the effect and destroy it. Couch Summoned Dr. Mad Love next and activated its effect, but lost out to Infinite Impermanence. Lu flipped MTP-07 next, adding a card from his Deck to his hand and banishing the Mad Love. Couch attacked Wicckid with Ripper to destroy it and then ended his turn.

Lu Special Summoned March Hare from his hand by banishing White Binder from his Graveyard and paid 900 Life Points to Special Summon White Binder back from banishment. With that, Couch conceded, realizing he would be defeated that turn.

Edward Lu advances with a 6-1 record using his Maliss Deck!