Matthew Vanden Heuvel from Toronto, Canada and Kassim Hakim from Queens, New York have both made the Top Cut of a bunch of YCS events, but neither one of them has taken home a trophy. Now, they’re looking to change that this weekend with their K9 Vanquish Soul Decks – but first, they’ll need to Duel against one another in the Top 8! One of them will advance to the Top 4, while the other will be eliminated. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Hakim started off Duel 1 by activating the effect of Mulcharmy Fuwalos in the Main Phase.

He then Special Summoned Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue from his hand by revealing Vanquish Soul Jiaolong from his hand. He revealed Jiaolong and Bystial Magnamhut from his hand to use Hollie Sue’s effect and Special Summon Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love from his Deck. He activated its effect to add Vanquish Soul, Start! to his hand and then activated it. He used its effect and targeted Hollie Sue, allowing him to add Vanquish Soul Razen from his Deck to his hand. He Normal Summoned Razen and used its effect to add Jiaolong from his Deck to his hand. He then used Razen’s other effect by revealing Jiaolong and then activated Jiaolong’s effect in a new Chain to Special Summon it. He combined Jiaolong and Holly Sue to Xyz Summon K9-17 “Ripper” and then detached an Xyz Material to activate its effect and add K9-66a Jokul from his Deck to his hand. He sent Razen to the Graveyard to Link Summon Rock of the Vanquisher and then activated the effect of Jokul in his hand by revealing K9-17 Izuna. He Special Summoned both monsters and then used Izuna’s effect to send K9-ØØ Lupis from his Deck to his Graveyard. He used Jokul’s effect to add an Izuna from his Deck to his hand. Next, he combined Jokul with Izuna to Xyz Summon N.As.H. Knight. He used Rock of the Vanquisher’s effect to return Hollie Sue from his Graveyard to his hand and then ended his turn.

Vanden Heuvel opened up Duel 1 with “A Case for K9”, Vanquish Soul Caesar Valius, Vanquish Soul Snow Devil, and 2 copies of D.D. Crow. He drew Vanquish Soul Razen from his turn and then Normal Summoned it. He activated its effect and Hakim Chained his N.As.H. Knight’s effect. He detached both Xyz Materials from it to attach Number 101: Silent Honor ARK from his Extra Deck and the Razen on the field to his N.As.H. Knight. Vanden Heuvel added Jiaolong from his Deck to his hand with Razen’s effect and then activated “A Case for K9”. He added Jokul from his Deck to his hand with its effect and then activated Jokul’s effect by revealing Jiaolong from his hand. Hakim negated its effect by detaching an Xyz Material from Ripper. Vanden Heuvel Set Snow Devil face-down before trying to end his turn. While still in the Main Phase, Hakim Special Summoned Hollie Sue from his hand. In the End Phase, he used Hollie Sue’s effect to Special Summon Caesar Valius from his Deck. He used Caesar Valius’s effect to destroy the face-down Snow Devil by revealing Izuna, Magnamhut, and Jiaolong from his hand, and Vanden Heuvel conceded.

Kassim Hakim takes a quick victory in the first Duel of the Match!

Duel Two

Vanden Heuvel opened up Duel 2 with Vanquish Soul Razen, Vanquish Soul Heavy Borger, 2 copies of Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue, and an Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.

He Special Summoned Hollie Sue from his hand by revealing Heavy Borger and then activated its effect on the field by revealing Razen and Heavy Borger from his hand. Hakim Chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate its effect and prevent Vanden Heuvel from Special Summoning a monster from his Deck. Vanden Heuvel Normal Summoned Razen next and activated its effect to add Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love from his Deck to his hand. He sent Razen from his field to his Graveyard to Link Summon Rock of the Vanquisher and then used Rock’s effect to Special Summon Mad Love from his hand. He used Mad Love’s effect to add Vanquish Soul, Start! from his Deck to his hand and then activated it. He used its effect by targeting Mad Love and added Jiaolong from his Deck to his hand. Next, he Special Summoned Heavy Borger by returning Mad Love to his hand and used Heavy Borger’s effect to draw D.D. Crow. He Special Summoned Jiaolong in a new Chain and then combined Jiaolong with Hollie Sue to Xyz Summon K9-17 “Ripper”. He activated Ripper’s effect by detaching Jiaolong and added Jokul from his Deck to his hand and Set K9-X Forced Release from his Deck. He activated Jokul’s effect by revealing Hollie Sue and Special Summoned both monsters. He used Jokul’s on-field effect to add Izuna from his Deck to his hand and Special Summoned Izuna. He used Izuna’s effect to send K9-ØØ Lupis from his Deck to his Graveyard and then combined Izuna and Jokul to Xyz Summon N.As.H. Knight in Defense Position. He used Lupis’s effect in the Graveyard to Special Summon it and then used the effect of Vanquish Soul, Start! in his End Phase to Set Snow Devil from his Deck.

Hakim drew a card and then looked at his hand for a moment. He looked at Vanden Heuvel’s field, and then quickly conceded.

The Match is going to a third and final Duel!

Duel Three

Hakim started off Duel 3 by activating Stake your Soul! by revealing Heavy Borger and Vanden Heuvel Chained 2 copies of Mulcharmy Fuwalos!  Hakim Special Summoned Mad Love from his Deck and Vanden Heuvel drew 2 cards. Hakim used Mad Love’s effect to add Vanquish Soul, Start! from his Deck to his hand and then activated it. He used its effect by targeting Mad Love and added Razen from his Deck to his hand. He Special Summoned Heavy Borger by returning Mad Love to his hand and then revealed Mad Love from his hand to draw a card with Heavy Borger’s effect. Hakim activated Triple Tactics Talent to look at Vanden Heuvel’s hand of Jiaolong, Triple Tactics Talent, Fuwalos, Droll & Lock Bird, and Lupis. He returned Jiaolong to the Deck and then Normal Summoned Vanquish Soul Razen. He used Razen’s effect to add Jiaolong from his Deck to his hand and then Special Summoned Izuna. He Special Summoned Lupis from his hand next and then Xyz Summoned Ripper, allowing Vanden Heuvel to draw 2 more cards. Hakim added an Izuna from his Deck to his hand and then used the effect of Vanquish Soul, Start! in the End Phase to Set Snow Devil from his Deck.

Vanden Heuvel drew Stake your Soul! and added it to his hand of Triple Tactics Talent, Vanquish Soul Jiaolong, Lupis, Droll, Fuwalos, and Hollie Sue. He activated Fuwalos’s effect in the Main Phase and then used Stake your Soul! by revealing Jiaolong. He Special Summoned Razen from his Deck in the same column as Ripper and activated its effect to add Mad Love from his Deck to his hand. He activated Razen’s other effect by revealing Mad Love and Jiaolong from his hand and destroyed Ripper. Next, he Special Summoned Hollie Sue from his hand by revealing Jiaolong. He activated Hollie Sue’s effect by revealing Mad Love and Jiaolong from his hand and Special Summoned Caesar Valius from his Deck. He activated Caesar Valius’s effect by revealing Lupis, Mad Love, and Jiaolong from his hand. Hakim Chained Snow Devil and revealed a DARK, EARTH, and FIRE monster from his hand. He destroyed all monsters on Vanden Heuvel’s field and inflicted 1800 points of damage to Vanden Heuvel’s Life Points. Vanden Heuvel destroyed Vanquish Soul, Start! with Caesar Valius’s effect. Next, Vanden Heuvel Normal Summoned Mad Love and used its effect to add Vanquish Soul, Start! from his Deck to his hand. He activated its effect by targeting Mad Love and then added Hollie Sue from his Deck to his hand. He sent Mad Love to his Graveyard to Link Summon Rock of the Vanquisher and used its effect to add Mad Love from his Graveyard to his hand. He ended his turn with 6 cards in his hand and Rock on the field. In the End Phase, Hakim used Heavy Borger’s effect to reveal Mad Love from his hand and draw a card.

Hakim drew a card and then activated Hollie Sue’s effect in his hand to Special Summon it by revealing a Jiaolong. Vanden Heuvel Chained his Rock’s effect to return Caesar Valius from his Graveyard to his hand. Next, Hakim revealed Mad Love and Jiaolong from his hand to use Hollie Sue’s effect and Special Summon Caesar Valius from his Deck. He Normal Summoned Mad Love next and tried to enter his Battle Phase, but Vanden Heuvel kept him in his Main Phase. Vanden Heuvel activated the effect of Hollie Sue by revealing Jiaolong, but Hakim Chained Called by the Grave to banish a Hollie Sue from Vanden Heuvel’s Graveyard and negate Hollie Sue’s effect. In a new Chain, Vanden Heuvel activated the effect of the Jiaolong in his hand to Special Summon it in Defense Position. Next, Vanden Heuvel used Caesar Valius’s effect in his hand and Special Summoned it by returning Jiaolong to his hand. Hakim revealed Mad Love, Izuna, and Jiaolong from his hand to use Caesar Valius’s effect and destroy Vanquish Soul, Start!. He then sent Razen to the Graveyard to Link Summon Rock of the Vanquisher. He used Rock’s effect to Special Summon Jiaolong from his hand and then combined Jiaolong with Hollie Sue to Xyz Summon N.As.H. Knight. He Xyz Summoned Super Starslayer TY-PHON – Sky Crisis over Caesar Valius next and used TY-PHON’s effect to return Vanden Heuvel’s Caesar Valius to his hand. Vanden Heuvel Special Summoned Lupis from his hand in Defense Position and Hakim entered his Battle Phase. Mad Love attacked and destroyed Lupis and then attacks from Heavy Borger, TY-PHON, and N.As.H. Knight finished Vanden Heuvel off!

Kassim Hakim is moving on to the Top 4 with his K9 Vanquish Soul Deck!