Sean McCabe and Traviis Massengale have been showing up in YCS playoffs quite a bit lately!  McCabe has scored multiple Top 32 appearances since exploding into the spotlight late last year, while Massengale made his first top last Summer at YCS Chicago.  Both have come deleriously close to winning recent Championships: McCabe made the Finals of YCS Atlanta in December, while Massengale came within a hair of winning YCS Dallas in February.  McCabe was playing X-Sabers, while Massengale was running a cool Debris Zombie Deck.

McCabe opened up with a single Set Spell or Trap.

Massengale had Charge of the Light Brigade; Creature Swap; Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter; Creature Swap; Book of Moon; and Glow-Up Bulb.  He Set Ryko.

McCabe passed.

Massengale drew another Ryko and activated Charge, sending Torrential Tribute, Solemn Judgment, and his last Ryko to the Graveyard!  He had nothing left in his Deck to take with Charge’s effect.  Massengale Flip Summoned Ryko to destroy McCabe’s Set Mystical Space Typhoon, sending Spirit Reaper, Pot of Avarice, and Lonefire Blossom to the Graveyard.  Ryko attacked, and Massengale Set Bulb and a Spell or Trap.

McCabe activated Pot of Duality, revealing Royal Oppression, X-Saber Pashuul, and Monster Reborn from the top of his Deck: he added Pashuul to his hand.  He Set 2 cards to his back row.

Massengale drew Monster Reborn.  He flipped Book of Moon, turning his Ryko face-down so he could Flip Summon it again: he destroyed McCabe’s Seven Tools of the Bandit, sending his Spore, Giant Trunade, and Mirror Force to his Graveyard.  He activated Monster Reborn to Special Summon Lonefire, and Tributed it to Special Summon another from his Deck.  He Tributed that 1 to Special Summon Dandylion, then Flip Summoned Glow-Up Bulb to Tune it to Dandylion, bringing out Armory Arm and 2 Fluff Tokens.  Ryko and Armory Arm both attacked and in Main Phase 2 Massengale sent Tytannial, Princess of Camellias to the Graveyard to Special Summon Glow-Up Bulb.  He Tuned it to a Fluff Token for Formula Synchron, drawing Super-Nimble Mega Hamster.  He Tuned everything together for Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, but McCabe discarded Effect Veiler to negate Trishula’s ability!  Massengale Set Ryko.

McCabe Set 2 more cards to his back row.

Massengale drew Card Trooper, and attacked with Trishula for a direct shot.  McCabe dropped to 3100 Life Points.  He Flip Summoned Ryko, sending Zombie Master, Solemn Warning, and Plaguespreader Zombie to the Graveyard, destroying McCabe’s Mystical Space Typhoon.  He Summoned Trooper next, boosting it to 1900 ATK, and removed Lonefire Blossom to Special Summon Spore.  He Tuned it to Trooper and Ryko for another Trishula, removing McCabe’s on-field Gottoms‘ Emergency Call; his in-hand XX-Saber Faultroll; and his Graveyard Effect Veiler.  Massengale Set a spell or Trap, and McCabe activated Reinforce Truth in the End Phase, Special Summoning a Pashuul.

McCabe Normal summoned XX-Saber Boggart Knight, Special Summoning another Pashuul and Faultroll.  He Tuned Boggart Knight to Pashuul for XX-Saber Hyunlei, destroying Massengale’s Set Creature Swap.  Faultroll let him Special Summon back Pashuul, and he Tuned that to Hyunlei to Synchro Summon Scrap Dragon.  He Tuned the other Pashuul to Faultroll for Colossal Fighter, and both monsters attacked to destroy Massengale’s pair of Trishulas!

Massengale drew Debris Dragon!  He added it to his hand of Swap and Hamster, and Normal Summoned it to bring out Black Rose Dragon via Dandylion.  Colossal Fighter and Scrap Dragon were destroyed, and Massengale Summoned 2 Fluff Tokens.

McCabe drew and Summoned Boggart Knight, attacking a Token.

Massengale Summoned Pyramid Turtle, traded it for Boggart Kngiht with Creature Swap, and Special Summoned Plaguespreader Zombie from his Graveyard.  He attacked over Pyramid Turtle with Boggart Knight; Special Summoned Mezuki; and attacked with both the Plaguespreader Zombie and Mezuki to leave McCabe at 300 Life Points.  He Tuned Plaguespreader Zombie to Mezuki for Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, and McCabe couldn’t draw anything to save himself.

Traviis Massengale takes the first Duel, overcoming McCabe’s upset with Scrap Dragon and Colossal Fighter by drawing Debris Dragon to pull off a clutch Black Rose Dragon, and then pressing his advantage!  McCabe and Massengale have both come incredibly close to winning Championships over the past six months.  Only 1 would get the opportunity to take another shot at their title here this weekend.

McCabe opened with XX-Saber Boggart Knight, Special Summoning X-Saber Pashuul and Tuning for XX-Saber Hyunlei. He Set 4 cards to his back row.

Massengale had Debris Dragon; Smashing Ground; Nobleman of Extermination; Dark Hole; Mezuki; and Seven Tools of the Bandit.  He activated Smashing Ground to destroy Hyunlei, then removed his Dimensional Prison with Nobleman.  He Summoned Mezuki and attacked for 1700 Battle Damage, Setting a Spell or Trap.

McCabe Set a Spell or Trap.

Massengale hit him with Mezuki.

McCabe passed.

Massengale attacked again and Set a monster, then Set a Spell or Trap.

McCabe tried to Summon XX-Saber Fulhelmknight: Massengale responded with Solemn Warning; McCabe tried to stop it with Solemn Judgment; and Massengale negated that with Seven Tools of the Bandit!

Massengale Flip Summoned Card Trooper, sending Lonefire, Dandylion, and Debris Dragon to the Graveyard.  Moments later he was attackng for the win!

Travis Massengale is headed to the Finals once again, this time with Debris Zombies.