Only 8 Teams remain here at Team YCS Las Vegas, NV. At this point, the competition is fierce, and all of the Duelists are eager to walk away as champions.

Team E.A.T. Shifter consists of Elliot Horowitz, Allen Cai, and Thomas Rafter. Allen Cai won the Genesys Proto-YCS at Richmond, VA, two months ago, but this is the first time that Horowitz and Rafter have topped a YCS. They finished in 7th Place after the Swiss rounds and are excited to get to play some more Yu-Gi-Oh!

Team Neal 4 Papa has multiple wins, with Antonio Papa being one of our current Master Duel World Champions! He is joined by veteran champions Cristian Urena and Cameron Neal. They finished in 2nd Place after the Swiss rounds this weekend and are all looking to add another win to their countless accolades. 

Duel One

Papa won the dice roll and chose to start the Duel. He started with a hand of Dracotail Lukias; Nibiru, the Primal Being; The Fallen & The Virtuous, Dracotail Urgula, and Mulcharmy Fuwalos.

Papa Normal Summoned Dracotail Lukias and activated its effect to add Dracotail Faimena, which he then activated. Papa Fusion Summoned Secretarion Dragon using his Urgula and Lukias. He activated Urgula and Faimena’s effects and Set both Ketu Dracotail and Rahu Dracotail. Papa then activated Urgula’s other effect and added back his Faimena. He flipped his Ketu Dracotail face-up and added Dracotail Mululu.

Papa then activated Rahu Dracotail, but Rafter Chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! 

“That’s unfortunate,” Papa said with a smile while looking over his options. 

He Set The Fallen & The Virtuous, and ended his turn.

Rafter Set 1 card and then Normal Summoned Maliss <P> Chessy Cat. Papa activated The Fallen & The Virtuous and sent Albion the Branded Dragon, Rafter Chained Maliss <C> MTP-07 by banishing his Chessy Cat and added Maliss <P> March Hare. He then activated his banished Chessy Cat and Special Summoned it back to the field.

After the Chessy Cat hit the field, Papa activated Dracotail Faimena and Fusion Summoned Dracotail Arthalion using Mululu and Faimena. 

Papa activated Arthalion and targeted Rafter’s Chessy Cat and his own Lukias, then activated Mululu’s effect. With Mululu, he Set Dracotail Sting and returned Chessy Cat and Lukias to his hand.

Rafter continued his turn by activating March Hare’s effect. He banished his Chessy Cat to Special Summon March Hare. Rafter used March Hare to Link Summon Linguriboh. He then Special Summoned Wizard @Ignister and Maliss <P> March Hare. When they hit the field, Papa activated his Nibiru, the Primal Being!

Rafter paused and looked over his options before he Set 1 card and moved to his End Phase. During the End Phase, Papa activated Albion’s effect and added Branded Fusion to his hand.

Papa started his turn and drew another Branded Fusion! He activated Dracotail Sting and targeted Wizard and MTP-07. He banished them with Sting, put Ketu back into his Deck, and drew a Blazing Cartesia.

Papa activated Branded Fusion! He used Fallen of the White Dragon and Dracotail Phryxul to Fusion Summon Albion the Branded Dragon! Papa activated Albion and Chained Phryxul’s effect. With Phryxul, he Set Ketu Dracotail, and with Albion, he Fusion Summoned Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon using the Fallen of White and Albion in the Graveyard.

Papa then Normal Summoned Dracotail Lukias and activated its effect, but Rafter Chained Infinite Impermanence. Papa flipped his Ketu Dracotail and added Dracotail Pan and Fusion Summoned Dracotail Arthalion with Lukias and Pan.

As Papa started to build his Chain of Dracotail effects, knowing what the result would be, Rafter conceded the first duel!

Duel Two

Rafter chose to start the second Duel. He Set 1 and then Normal Summoned Maliss <P> Dormouse and activated its effect. He banished Maliss <P> March Hare from the Deck and then activated March Hare and added it back to his hand. After the March Hare made its way back to the hand, Papa activated Mulcharmy Fuwalos!

Rafter Link Summoned Linguriboh with his Dormouse, and Papa drew Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous. Rafter activated March Hare and banished Dormouse from his Graveyard to Special Summon March Hare. He activated Dormouse, and then Link Summoned Maliss <Q> Hearts Crypter with his three monsters. Papa drew Mulcharmy Purulia from the Hearts Crypter Link Summon. He Set 1 more and passed.

Papa had Ketu Dracotail, The Fallen & The Virtuous, Lightning Storm, Branded Fusion, Incredible Eccelsia, and Purulia in his hand. He drew Dracotail Lukias at the start of his turn.

Papa started off his turn by activating Lightning Storm to destroy Rafter’s back row! Rafter Chained Maliss <C> TB-11 and Special Summoned Maliss <P> White Rabbit from his Deck.

Papa then Special Summoned Incredible Ecclesia and activated its Quick Effect. He Special Summoned Fallen of Albaz and discarded Purulia to attempt a Fusion Summon. Rafter Chained Bystial Baldrake and targeted his own March Hare. Baldrake was Summoned, March Hare was banished, and Papa Fusion Summoned The Dragon that Devours the Dogma using Hearts Crypter and Baldrake!

On the Fusion Summon, Papa activated Dogma and Rafter Chained March Hare. Rafter added back his March Hare while Papa shuffled the Hearts Crypter and Dormouse into Rafter’s Deck.

Continuing his turn, Papa Normal Summoned and activated Dracotail Lukias. He added Dracotail Faimena to his hand. Papa then activated Ketu Dracotail to add Dracotail Urgula, then Fusion Summoned Secretarion Dragon with Urgula and Faimena. He used both Urgula and Faimena’s effects and Set Rahu Dracotail and Dracotail Horn. Papa then activated Urgula’s effect and added back his Faimena.

Papa activated Secretarion Dragon’s effect and Special Summoned his Incredible Ecclesia. He tried to go into the Battle Phase, but Rafter activated March Hare and summoned it to the field. Papa continued his Main Phase and activated Rahu Dracotail and used the Faimena in his hand and Dracotail Pan from his Deck to Fusion Summon Dracotail Arthalion. He activated Arthalion to add back his Faimena and Chained Pan’s effect. With Pan, Papa grabbed another Rahu and destroyed the March Hare. 

Going into the Battle Phase, Papa attacked with all of his monsters to wipe out Rafter’s Life Points!

Papa wins his match 2-0! Both Rafter and Papa packed up their Decks and then started watching over their teammates’ matches. 

Not long after, Cristian Urena won his match, and Team Neal 4 Papa is going to the Top 4!