We are here for Round 1 at YCS Anaheim, and we have one of the most accomplished Duelists in the room right next to me. Aditya Dharap, from Plano, Texas, is a back-to-back World Championship Competitor and the 2024 NAWCQ Champion. He is facing off against Andric Reyna from Southern California. This is Reyna’s second YCS after last year’s YCS Anaheim, and he’s just happy to be here while dressed up as his favorite video game character. 

Dharap is piloting a Dracotail deck, which got some new support in Doom of Dimensions, while Reyna is playing a tried-and-true Memento deck. Both duelists are geared up and ready to start this tournament off with a win!

Duel 1:

Reyna won the dice roll and opted to start the duel.

Reyna started off the match by activating Mementotlan Bone Party and destroyed Mementotlan Akihiron to Special Summon Mementotlan Dark Blade. He activated Dark Blade’s effect and destroyed it to special summon Mementotlan Angwitch from his Deck. Reyna activated Angwitch’s effect and added Mementotlan Tatsunootoshigo from his Deck to his hand. He then activated Tatsunootoshigo’s effect and Special Summoned it, then used its other effect and destroyed itself to send Mementotlan Ghattic and Mementotlan Shleepy. Reyna used the effect of Ghattic to Special Summon itself and then added back his Shleepy. 

Reyna paused for a bit before activating Mementotlan Fusion! He shuffled back his Tatsunootoshigo, Dark Blade, and Akihiron to Fusion Summon Mementomictlan Tecuhtlica – Creation King. Reyna tried to activate Creation King’s effect but was stopped by Dharap’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! He looked over his Extra Deck for a moment, then activated Shleepy’s effect in his hand to Special Summon itself, then Fusion Summoned Mementotlan Twin Dragon. Reyna activated Twin Dragon’s effect and destroyed itself to add Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation and Mementotlan Mace. He then activated Twin Dragon’s effect in the Graveyard to Special Summon back his Shleepy that he just used.

Reyna continued his turn by banishing his Mementotlan Fusion and destroying his Shleepy to add another copy of Mementotlan Fusion. He triggered Shleepy’s effect and sent Mementotlan Goblin from the Deck to the GY. Reyna looked over his hand, and then Link Summoned S:P Little Knight using his Creation King and Angwitch. He shuffled back his Twin Dragon, Ghattic, Goblin, Angwitch, and Shleepy to Special Summon Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation from his hand. Then, he Set 2 cards to his back row and activated Prohibition! He declared Yummy★Snatchy and passed his turn.

Dharap started with Dracotail Lukias, Dracotail Mululu, Dracotail Horn, and Ketu Dracotail. He drew Branded Fusion for his turn. He began his turn by activating Ketu Dracotail. Dharap added Dracotail Pan and Fusion Summoned Khaos Starsource Dragon using Pan and Mululu. Dharap activated Starsource Dragon as Chain Link 1 and targeted one of Reyna’s face-down cards, then Pan as Chain Link 2 and Mululu as Chain Link 3. Reyna didn’t chain anything.

Dharap Set Rahu Dracotail with Mululu and negated the effect of S:P Little Knight, he then Set Dracotail Flame with Pan and destroyed Combined Creation, then, Starsource Dragon ended up destroying Reyna’s Set Book of Eclipse! 

Dharap continued his turn by Normal Summoning Dracotail Lukias. He activated its effect and added Dracotail Faimena, then flipped his Rahu and used Dracotail Urgula and Faimena to Fusion Summon Dracotail Arthalion.

Starting a new series of Chain Links, Dharap activated Arthalion and targeted his Ash Blossom from the previous turn, then chained Faimena and Urgula. Reyna responded to this with his other face-down card: Mementotlan Fusion! Reyna shuffled back his Combined Creation and Creation King to Fusion Summon Mementotlan Twin Dragon. Dharap Set a copy of Rahu Dracotail and destroyed Prohibition with Urgula, then Faimena Set Ketu, and then Arthalion added back his Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.

Now that the Chain was completely resolved, Reyna activated his Twin Dragon’s effect and destroyed his Dragon to add a copy of Shleepy and Angwitch from his Deck to his hand.

Dharap continued his turn by activating Branded Fusion! He sent Fallen of Albaz and Dracotail Phryxul to Fusion Summon Albion the Branded Dragon. He activated Albion’s effect and banished his Fallen of Albaz and Dracotail Pan from his GY to Fusion Summon Titaniklad the Ash Dragon. Dharap tried to move out of his Main Phase, but Reyna stopped him by activating and Special Summoning his Shleepy! He then used Shleepy’s effect to Fusion Summon Creation King. Reyna tried to use Creation King’s effect, but Dharap stopped it with Ash Blossom!

Dharap went into the Battle Phase, Titaniklad attacked over Creation King, and then Dharap attacked directly with everything else on his field to wipe out Reyna’s Life Points.

Dharap wins Duel 1!

Duel 2

Both Duelists took their time exchanging cards with their Side Decks before presenting their Decks. Reyna opted to start the second Duel.

Reyna started the second Duel by activating Mementotlan Bone Party, Dharap responded with Mulcharmy Fuwalos! Reyna couldn’t stop Fuwalos, but he destroyed his Mementotlan Akihiron with the Bone Party and Special Summoned Mementotlan Dark Blade from his Deck.

Dharap blinked and asked, “Again?”

Reyna laughed as he responded, “Yeah, drew the brick again.”

“You bricked into full combo,” Dharap responded as he drew a card off the Fuwalos effect.

Reyna continued his combo by activating his Dark Blade’s effect to destroy itself and Special Summon Mementotlan Angwitch. He then activated Angwitch’s effect and added Mementotlan Tatsunootoshigo. Reyna activated and Special Summoned Tatsunootoshigo, then used its effect to destroy itself and sent Mementotlan Mace, Mementotlan Goblin, and Mementotlan Shleepy from the Deck to the GY. 

Reyna activated his Angwitch’s effect and targeted Angwitch for destruction. Dharap responded with his Mulcharmy Meowls. Reyna destroyed Angwitch and Special Summoned back Mementotlan Mace. Dharap drew a card. Reyna activated and destroyed Mace to add Mementotlan Fusion from his Deck. He tried to use Fusion, but Dharap had Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion! Reyna paused for a moment, then Normal Summoned Mementotlan Goblin.

On the Normal Summon, Dharap activated Dracotail Faimena from his hand to Fusion Summon Dracotail Arthalion! He activated Arthalion as Chain Link 1 and targeted itself and the Goblin, then he chained Dracotail Urgula, and Dracotail Lukias. With Lukias’ effect, he Set Rahu Dracotail, with Urgula’s effect, he Set Dracotail Sting, then Arthalion’s effect returned itself and Goblin to the hand.

Reyna Set 2 cards to his back row and then ended his turn.

Dharap drew for turn and had Dracotail Lukias, Ketu, and Dracotail Urgula. In the Draw Phase, Reyna flipped Dimensional Barrier and declared Fusion!

Dharap activated Ketu Dracotail and added Dracotail Pan. He then activated the Graveyard effect of Dracotail Urgula and returned Urgula to the deck to add the Faimena he used last turn back to his hand. Dharap then Normal Summoned Dracotail Lukias and activated its effect to add Dracotail Mululu. He went into the Battle Phase and attacked with Lukias, dropping Reyna to 6200 Life Points before ending his turn.

Reyna drew for his turn and proceeded to the Main Phase. He Normal Summoned Mementotlan Goblin. Dharap activated Faimena from his hand to Fusion Summon. Knowing what this combo would entail from last turn, Reyna chained another Dimensional Barrier! He called Fusion and stopped the effect of Faimena. Dharap activated Sting and banished Mementotlan Akihiron and Mementotlan Fusion in the Graveyard. 

Reyna activated Goblin to destroy itself and sent Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation and Mementotlan Ghattic from his Deck to the GY. He activated Ghattic’s effect and Special Summoned it back to the Field. Then, Reyna used Ghattic’s effect to add back his Angwitch.

Reyna then shuffled back five Memento monsters from his GY to his Deck to Special Summon his Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation from the GY. 

Reyna went into the Battle Phase and had Combined Creation attack over Lukias for 3200 damage! Then, he ended his turn.

Life Points were now in Reyna’s favor, 6200 to 4800.

Dharap drew Effect Veiler for turn and Normal Summoned Dracotail Mululu, then activated his Set Rahu Dracotail. Dharap sent Lukias from his deck and Pan and Urgula from his hand to Fusion Summon Dracotail Arthalion.

Dharap activated Dracotail Arthalion, targeting both of Reyna’s monsters. He then made Urgula’s effect Chain Link 2 and Pan’s effect Chain Link 3. Reyna responded with his Combined Creation’s effect as Chain Link 4. Reyna Special Summoned Mementotlan Angwitch with Combined Creation. Pan’s effect let Dharap Set a copy of Ketu Dracotail and destroyed the Angwitch. Urgula’s effect grabbed another copy of Ketu, and Arthalion’s effect bounced the two monsters on the field.

Dharap then activated Dracotail Mululu’s effect to Fusion Summon; Reyna (now with an empty field) activated Mulcharmy Fuwalos! Dharap Fusion Summoned Dracotail Gulamel with his Lukias and Effect Veiler. Reyna didn’t draw anything useful with the Fuwalos, and that was enough to close the match!

Aditya Dharap wins Round 1 at YCS Anaheim with his Branded Dracotail deck!