Here at the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series, there’s more than one way to win a set of the Darklord prize cards!  While the Top 3 Duelists in the main event YCS tournament each take home a set of Darklords, two more sets are reserved for Public Event competitors.  The Top 4 Public Event point-earners (who played and won the most) and four randomly-selected Public Event competitors each get a chance to Duel in a Top 4 Playoff, where the final victor walks away with a set of the Darklords.  This was one of the Top 4 Matches for the weekend’s top point earners.

Massacheusett’s Jack Hoyt just won the Sunday Dragon Duel: the tenth Dragon Duel win in his Dueling career.  Now, he was competing against Toronto’s Matthew Abrams, in a Match that pitted Hoyt’s X-Sabers against Abrams’ Herald of Perfection Deck.

Hoyt started with a hand of 2 Book of Moon, Enemy Controller, X-Saber Pashuul, XX-Saber Darksoul, and Giant Trunade.  He Set Darksoul, Set Book of Moon and ended.

Abrams Set 2 Spell or Trap Cards.

Hoyt drew Torrential Tribute.  He activated Giant Trunade, Flip Summoned Darksoul, and Normal Summoned Pashuul.  He Tuned them together to Synchro Summon Naturia Beast (3+2=5) and attacked for 2200 Battle Damage.  He then Set Book of Moon, and got XX-Saber Fulhelmknight from his Deck during the End Phase

Abrams activated Preparation of Rites, and Hoyt activated Naturia Beast’s effect, sending 2 XX-Saber Boggart Knight from his Deck to his Graveyard.  But Abrams discarded Herald of Green Light for Herald of Orange Light’s effect, negating Naturia Beast’s ability and destroying it!  Preparation of Rites got him Herald of Perfection from his Deck, and he Set 2 Spell or Trap Cards yet again.

Hoyt drew Super-Nimble Mega Hamster.  He Normal Summoned Fulhelmknight, attacked, and dealt 1300 Battle Damage, dropping Abrams to 4500 Life Points.  He Set Torrential Tribute and ended: Abrams flipped Royal Decree.

Abrams activated Pot of Duality, and revealed Archlord Kristya and 2 Sonic Birds from the top of his Deck: he took Sonic Bird and shuffled the other 2 cards back.  He Summoned Sonic Bird, activated its effect, got Advanced Ritual Art from his Deck, and attacked Fulhelmknight: Hoyt negated the attack.

Hoyt drew XX-Saber Faultroll next turn, adding it to his hand of Enemy Controller, Super-Nimble Mega Hamster, and Book of Moon.  He Set Hamster, turned Fulhelmknight to Defense Position, and ended.

Abrams activated Advanced Ritual Art, sending Gyakutteno Megami to his Graveyard from his Deck to Ritual Summon Herald of Perfection in Defense Position.  Sonic Bird then attacked Fulhelmknight to destroy it.

Hoyt drew another Faultroll.  He Set Enemy Controller and Book of Moon.

Abrams Summoned Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands, using it to get another Herald of Perfection to his hand.  Sonic Bird attacked, bouncing off Hamster, and Hoyt Special Summoned XX-Saber Darksoul from his Deck in face-down Defense Position.  Manju attacked the Hamster, Abrams discarded Honest to boost Manju’s ATK, and the Hamster was destroyed.  In Main Phase 2 Abrams Special Summoned Archlord Kristya!  Her effect let him return Honest to his hand, and Hoyt was now locked out of Special Summoning.

Hoyt drew XX-Saber Boggart Knight.  He activated Book of Moon, targeting Kristya, and Abrams discarded Herald of Perfection to negate the Book with his on-field Herald.  Hoyt flipped another Book: Abrams had only 2 cards left in his hand, and let Kristya be turned face-down.  Now free of Kristya’s effect, Hoyt Flip Summoned Darksoul, Normal Summoned Boggart Knight, and Special Summoned XX-Saber Faultroll! He Special Summoned a second Faultroll a moment later, then activated Enemy Controller, Tributing Darksoul to try and take control of Herald of Perfection.  It took quite a while for Abrams to make his decision, but he eventually discarded Honest to negate Enemy Controller and keep his Herald.  He had one more card in hand, not enough to stop both Faultrolls.  Hoyt activated the effect of his first Faulltroll, Special Summoning Fulhelmknight; Abrams had no response, and Fulhelmknight hit the field.  Hoyt Tuned it to Faultroll and Synchro Summoned XX-Saber Gottoms (6+3=9). He Special Summoned Darksoul back in Defense Position, then took out Herald of Perfection with an attack from Gottoms!  Faultroll attacked to destroy Kristya, sending her back to the top of Abrams’ Deck, and Boggart Knight attacked to destroy Manju.  In Main Phase 2 Hoyt Tributed Darksoul to make Abrams discard Dawn of the Herald, his last card, and used his 2 Darksoul searches to get Faultroll and Pashuul from his Deck.

Abrams conceded the Duel.

Matthew Abrams locks down Jack Hoyt under Herald of Perfection and Archlord Kristya, but Hoyt fights back with a flurry of Spells and monster effects to break out and take the Duel!  One more win like that, and the ten-time Dragon Duel winner would be playing for a set of the Darklord prize cards in the finals!  Both competitors spent some time bringing in cards from their Side Decks before starting Duel 2.

Abrams started with Senju of the Thousand Hands, searching his Deck for Herald of Perfection with Senju’s effect.  He then activated Advanced Ritual Art, sending Gyakutteno Megami to the Graveyard from his Deck and Ritual Summoning the Herald!  It was a big start for Abrams, who Set a Spell or Trap Card to finish out.  He had 3 cards left in his hand.

Hoyt had XX-Saber Boggart Knight, XX-Saber Faultroll, Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, Super-Nimble Mega Hamster, XX-Saber Darksoul, and Book of Moon.  Hoyt Set Book and Hamster.

Abrams Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh, attacked Hoyt’s Hamster with it, and Hoyt Special Summoned XX-Saber Darksoul with Hamster’s effect (his only Ryko was in his hand).  Senju attacked Darksoul, Hoyt tried to stop it with Book of Moon, and Abrams negated the Book by discarding Herald of Green Light for Herald of Perfection’s ability.

Hoyt drew another Book, Set it, and Set Ryko.

Abrams attacked Ryko with Thunder King, and Abrams negated Ryko’s effect by discarding a Senju.  He attacked for 1400 Battle Damage with his on-field Senju to finish his turn.

Hoyt drew Gold Sarcophagus.  He activated it, and Abrams didn’t discard one of his 2 remaining cards.  Sarcophagus resolved, and Hoyt removed X-Saber Pashuul from his Deck with Sarcophagus’ effect.

Abrams made a direct attack next turn with Thunder King Rai-Oh, and when Hoyt defended himself with Book of Moon, Abrams let Thunder King go face-down.  Senju made another attack, and Hoyt was down to 5200 Life Points.

Hoyt Normal Summoned Boggart Knight next turn, but lost it to Bottomless Trap Hole.

Abrams Flip Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh, activated Monster Reborn, and Special Summoned Gyakutenno Megami.  He turned Herald of Perfection to Attack Position, announced an attack with Senju, and Hoyt conceded.

Matthew Abrams starts the second Duel in a huge way with a first-turn Herald of Perfection, and a monster-heavy hand leaves Jack Hoyt with no way out!  One more Duel would decide who’d go on to the Finals of the Prize Card Playoffs.

Hoyt had a hand of XX-Saber Fulhelmknight, Gold Sarcophagus, Thunder King Rai-Oh, XX-Saber Faultroll, XX-Saber Darksoul, and Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter.  He Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh and activated Gold Sarcophagus, removing Vanity’s Fiend from his Deck.

Abrams Summoned Nova Summoner.

Hoyt drew Book of Moon.  He Set Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter and Book, wanting to destroy Nova Summoner with Ryko, instead of destroying it in battle and letting his opponent Special Summon

Abrams Summoned his own Thunder King Rai-Oh, attacked into Ryko, and Hoyt destroyed Nova Summoner, sending Vanity’s Fiend, Mirror Force, and Enemy Controller to the Graveyard!  Abrams ended.

Hoyt drew Solemn Judgment, took his Vanity’s Fiend from his “removed zone,” and Tributed Thunder King to Summon the Fiend.  He activated Book of Moon to turn Thunder King Rai-Oh face-down, knowing the risk of Honest, and attacked to destroy it.  He Set Solemn Judgment.

Abrams Summoned Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands, got Herald of Perfection from his Deck, and ended.

Hoyt drew another Book of Moon.  He Summoned XX-Saber Fulhelmknight, turned Manju face-down with the Book, and destroyed Manju with Fulhelmknight.  Vanity’s Fiend then attacked for 2400 Battle Damage.

Abrams Summoned another Manju, and searched his Deck for Advanced Ritual Art.  He had 7 cards in hand, and Set 1 of them to his back row.

Hoyt drew Chivalry, precisely what he needed to play around that threat of Honest!  He had Darksoul and Faultroll in hand, plus Solemn Judgment Set.  He Set Darksoul, Set Chivalry, and didn’t attack.

Abrams attacked Fulhelmknight, drawing out Fulhelmknight’s negation effect.  Time was called, and Abrams Set a monster.  The Duel stood at 8000 Life Points to 5600, in Hoyt’s favor.

Hoyt drew Mind Control.  He attacked Manju with Vanity’s Fiend, Abrams activated Honest’s effect, and Hoyt negated it with Chivalry: Manju went down!  Fulhelmknight attacked and revealed Abrams’ Set monster: Arcana Force 0 – The Fool.

Abrams Summoned Herald of Orange Light and activated Torrential Tribute: Hoyt negated the Trap Card with Solemn Judgment, dropping to 4000 Life Points.  Abrams was now in the lead with 4600 Life Points.  Still, several more turns remained before Life Points would be checked, and Abrams couldn’t protect himself!  “You win,” he told Abrams, offering him a handshake.  “Good luck in the rest!”

Jack Hoyt moves on to the Finals of the Prize Card Playoff, now just a single Match away from winning a set of prize cards!

Post-Event Analysis!
See what our panel of experts had to say about this Duel after the event was over.  

Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
Never lose hope in a Duel, even when it looks like your opponent has a virtual lock. Hoyt didn’t lose hope, and ended up winning Duel 1 because of it. Even though Abrams had Archlord Kristya and Herald of Perfection on the field, Hoyt knew there was a way out. He was able to overwhelm Abrams by using so many cards in a single turn, that Abrams was unable to negate all of them with the effect of his Herald of Perfection. Then he was able to Synchro Summon XX-Saber Gottoms and break open Abrams’s field.

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