For Round 3, our VIP Teams have finally joined the fray. Team Heavy Favourites is our VIP Team, consisting of Jesse Kotton, Michael Albanese, and Dominic Couch. They’re facing off against Team Franco Persono, consisting of Steven Santoli, Luka Forjan, and Herman Hanssen. All six of these Duelists are familiar with Feature Matches and were eager to show off their strategies for this weekend.

Team Heavy Favourites, formally Team Legionnaires, is back and ready to try and claim back-to-back TEAM YCS Las Vegas titles. Let’s see if they have what it takes!

Duel One

Couch won the dice roll and chose to start the Duel. He had Mulcharmy Purulia, Super Polymerization, Shiina, Twin Tempests of Celestial Thunder, Radiant Typhoon Chant, and Mystical Space Typhoon. 

Couch began the Duel with Radiant Typhoon Chant in the Draw Phase, Hanssen activated Dimension Shifter! Couch added Eldam to his hand, then went to his Main Phase and Special Summoned Radiant Typhoon Eldam. He tried to use its effect but was stopped by Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. He Set 2 cards and passed the turn.

Hanssen drew and Normal Summoned Vanquish Soul Razen. He activated it and added Vanquish Soul Jiaolong to his hand. Hanssen then went into the Battle Phase and had Razen attack Eldam. He then activated Razen’s effect and revealed Jiaolong, then used Jiaolong’s effect, and Special Summoned it. Hanssen activated Jiaolong’s effect and revealed two more Ash Blossoms! He searched his Deck for Vanquish Soul Heavy Borger, then tried to attack with Jiaolong, but Couch flipped Super Polymerization! Discarding his Purulia, Couch Fusion Summoned Mudragon of the Swamp with Razen and Jialong.

In the Main Phase 2, Hanssen activated “A Case for K9”, and Couch flipped his Mystical Space Typhoon. Hanssen grabbed and Set K9-X Forced Release.

Couch drew Mystical Space Typhoon and went straight into his Battle Phase and attacked directly with Mudragon. He Set his Space Typhoon and passed turn.

Hanssen drew, Couch activated Mudragon’s effect, and changed his Mudragon into a WIND monster. Then, Hanssen passed.

Couch drew Forbidden Droplet and attacked directly with Mudragon. He Set Droplet and ended his turn.

Hanssen drew, Couch activated Mudragon’s effect, and changed his Mudragon into a WIND monster. Then, Hanssen passed.

Couch drew Radiant Typhoon Eldam. He Normal Summoned it, then tried to use its effect, but was stopped by Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Couch Chained the effect of Shiina, Twin Tempests of Celestial Thunder, then Chained his Mystical Space Typhoon on Hanssen’s Set Forced Release. Shiina returned Mudragon of the Swamp to the Extra Deck. Couch went into his Battle Phase.

At the start of the Battle Phase, Hanssen activated and Special Summoned K9-17 Izuna! He tried to use its effect, but Couch activated his Forbidden Droplet and sent Eldam to negate Izuna. He declared an attack on Izuna with Shiina and then ended his turn.

Hanssen drew to start his turn and started to look at his Graveyard. He activated Bystial Magnamhut in his Draw Phase, banishing his own Dimension Shifter. During the End Phase, he added Bystial Druiswurm with Magnamhut’s effect.

Couch drew Called by the Grave. He went into the Battle Phase and had Shiina attack over Magnamhut. He Set Called by the Grave and passed.

Hanssen drew and activated Druiswurm in his Main Phase. He banished Magnamhut and then Tribute Summoned K9-04 Noroi. He activated Noroi and Druiswurm’s effects, and Couch conceded the first Duel!

Despite having a rough start, Hanssen was able to win the first Duel!

Duel Two

Couch started with The Fallen & The Virtuous, Dominus Purge, Radiant Typhoon Swen, and two copies of Mystical Space Typhoon

Hanssen activated Mulcharmy Purulia in Couch’s Draw Phase.

Couch Set The Fallen & The Virtuous, and one of his Mystical Space Typhoon and tried to end his turn. During Couch’s Main Phase, Hanssen activated Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue by revealing Jialong. He activated and Special Summoned Jiaolong afterward. 

Hanssen started his turn and activated Reinforcement of the Army. Couch activated Purge from his hand! Hanssen paused for a moment, then Xyz Summoned Vallon, the Super Psy Skyblaster. He went straight into the Battle Phase and tried to attack with Vallon, Couch flipped his The Fallen & The Virtuous, and destroyed Vallon by sending The Dragon that Devours the Dogma to the Graveyard. 

In the Main Phase 2, Hanssen Special Summoned K9-17 Izuna and used its effect to send K9-ØØ Lupis from his Deck to the Graveyard. Then, he ended his turn. 

Couch drew Radiant Typhoon Swen and Special Summoned it. He activated its effect and added Radiant Typhoon Chant. Couch tried to use Chant but was stopped by the last card in Hanssen’s hand: Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring!

Couch paused for a moment, then Chained his Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy his own Chant. In a new Chain, he activated Chant and reset it. Then Normal Summoned the other Swen from his hand and Link Summoned the Radiant Typhoon Varuroon, the Marine Eidolon. He used its effect and added Mystical Space Typhoon from his Deck to his hand. He Set the Mystical Space Typhoon and then ended his turn.

Hanssen drew to start his turn, Couch activated Chant and tried to add a monster, and Hanssen conceded the second Duel!

Duel Three

Hanssen chose to start. During the Standby Phase, Couch activated Mulcharmy Purulia. Hanssen started with Stake your Soul! and revealed Vanquish Soul Razen. He was stopped by Couch’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. 

Hanssen Normal Summoned Razen and activated its effect to add Jiaolong. He activated Razen again and then activated and Special Summoned Jiaolong. Hanssen then used Razen to Link Summon Rock of the Vanquisher and used its effect to add back Razen.

Hanssen activated Jiaolong and added Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue to his hand. He then Xyz Summoned K9-17 “Ripper” and used its effect to add K9-66a Jokul and Set Forced Release. He used Jokul’s effect and Special Summoned it and Hollie Sue. Hanssen then activated Jokul’s effect and added K9-66b Lantern to his hand. He used Hollie Sue’s effect and Special Summoned Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love from his deck, then used Dr. Mad Love’s effect and added Vanquish Soul, Start!.

Hanssen activated Start, added Vanquish Soul Caesar Valius, and during his End Phase set Vanquish Soul Snow Devil.

Couch had two copies of Mystical Space Typhoon, Forbidden Droplet, Shiina, Twin Tempests of Celestial Thunder, Radiant Typhoon Krosea, two copies of Radiant Typhoon Eldam, and he drew Illusion Gate for his turn.

Couch activated Mystical Space Typhoon in his Draw Phase and destroyed K9-X Forced Release. In the Main Phase, he activated Illusion Gate! He paid half his Life Points, Hanssen activated Rock of the Vanquisher and added back Jiaolong, Illusion Gate cleared Hanssen’s field, and Couch Special Summoned the K9-ØØ Lupis to his field.

Continuing his turn, Couch activated Mystical Space Typhoon and targeted the Snow Devil, Hanssen Chained Snow Devil, and revealed three different attributes to gain all of the effects of Snow Devil. He Special Summoned Razen, and destroyed Lupis. In a new Chain, Couch activated Krosea, and Hanssen activated Razen to get Heavy Borger. Couch added Radiant Typhoon Varuroon, the Vibrant Vortex, and added back his Space Typhoon.

Couch Special Summoned Radiant Typhoon Eldam and used its effect to add Radiant Typhoon Swen to his hand. He then Special Summoned Swen and used its effect ot add Radiant Typhoon Chant. Couch activated Chant and added Radiant Typhoon Meghala to his hand. Swen and Eldam were used to Link Summon Radiant Typhoon Varuroon, the Marine Eidolon. 

He activated Varuroon and added back Space Typhoon, then activated it to destroy Hanssen’s Field Spell. Hanssen Chained Hollie Sue and revealed Caesar Valius and Lantern, Couch Chained Forbidden Droplet, and sent his Space Typhoon and Eldam from his hand. With Droplet, Couch negated the Hollie Sue and Dr. Mad Love, then Space Typhoon destroyed Vanquish Soul, Start!. In a new Chain, Couch activated both his Varuroons, and Hanssen chained Jiaolong. Jiaolong and Radiant Typhoon Varuroon, the Vibrant Vortex, were both Special Summoned, and the Link Varuroon grabbed Radiant Typhoon Mandate face-up onto the field. 

Couch Special Summoned Radiant Typhoon Meghala. He then activated his Link Monster’s effect on itself and Hollie Sue, Hanssen chained the effect of Vanquish Soul Heavy Borger, and bounced the Hollie Sue to his hand. Couch Chained Mystical Space Typhoon and targeted his Mandate, then used Mandate and negate Razen, and then Chained Mandate to draw a card. He drew Dominus Purge, negated Razen, destroyed his Mandate, then Heavy Borger was Special Summoned, and Varuroon went to the back row.

In a new Chain, Couch activated Meghala and Chained Mandate’s effect. He reset Mandate and Special Summoned Radiant Typhoon Fonix, the Great Flame, with Meghala’s effect.

Moving to the Battle Phase, Couch had Fonix attack over the Jiaolong. On the declaration of the attack, Hanssen activated Jaiolong and revealed Razen to change the battle position of Fonix, Couch Chained Varuroon to negate Jiaolong, and Hanssen Chained Heavy Borger to burn 1500 Life Points away from Couch.

Fonix attacked over Jiaolong. Then, Couch sent Krosea into Havy Borger. Couch moved to his Main Phase 2 and tried to end his turn. Hanssen activated Hollie Sue and Special Summoned itself, then activated Caesar Valius and tried to bounce Hollie Sue, Couch Chained Shiina, Twin Tempests of Celestial Thunder! 

Shiina bounced everything, and Couch Normal Summoned Meghala, then Link Summoned Wynn the Wind Charmer, Verdant. He used Wynn’s effect to bring back Ripper, and Hanssen activated K9-ØØ Lupis. He then Link Summoned Hraesvelgr, the Desperate Doom Eagle, and shuffled Jokul back into the Deck with Hraesvelgr. 

Couch Set Purge and tried to end his turn again. Hanssen activated Lupis and Xyz Summoned Super Starslayer TY-PHON – Sky Crisis. He drew for his turn, activated Ty-Phon, and bounced Hraesvelgr. Then, Hanssen activated Lantern, and Couch offered the handshake.

Team Franco Persono is now 3-0 after a 2-1 victory!