This is the fourth time Billy Brake has made it to the Top 32 of a YCS this year: over the course of his Dueling career, he’s topped ten times total, but he’s never won.  His opponent here in the Top 8 is Tristan Gonzalez, and this was a mirror match between two Decks suited for Synchro Summoning..  Both of these Duelists were hungry for the win.

Brake started us off with a hand of Spirit Reaper; Scapegoat; One for One; Book of Moon; and 2 Reborn Tengu.  He Set Scapegoat.

Gonzalez Summoned Reborn Tengu and attacked for 1700 Battle Damage, then Set a Spell or Trap.  Brake activated Scapegoat in the End Phase, Special Summoning 4 Sheep Tokens.

Brake drew Effect Veiler and discarded a Tengu for One for One, Special Summoning Glow-Up Bulb.  He Tuned it to a Sheep Token for Formula Synchron, drawing Solemn Warning, and then Summoned Reborn Tengu.  He could make anything from a Level 6 Synchro Monster to a Level 9, and went for the gold with Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!  Gonzalez responded with Bottomless Trap Hole, and Brake banished Tengu from Gonzalez’s field, and Monster Reborn from Gonzalez’s hand.  Brake Summoned his Tengu, and Gonzalez Summoned his.  Brake smashed his into Gonzalez’s, and Gonzalez Summoned his third.  Brake Set 2 cards to his back row.

Gonzalez drew to 4 cards next turn, and lost his Sangan to Solemn Warning.  Gonzalez attacked with Tengu for 1700 Battle Damage, and Set another Spell or Trap.

Brake drew and Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh!  It attacked, destroying Gonzalez’s last Tengu.

Gonzalez Summoned his own Thunder King, destroying it and Brake’s, and Set a second Spell or Trap.

Brake drew Spore and tried for Spirit Reaper, but lost it to Torrential Tribute.

Gonzalez Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld, and Brake negated her effect with Effect Veiler.  Gonzalez attacked for 1000 Battle Damage, then flipped Call of the Haunted to bring up Thunder King Rai-Oh.  It attacked into Book of Moon.

Brake drew Maxx “C”, holding nothing else but Spore.  He Set Spore, then Special Summoned Glow-Up Bulb in Defense Position, walling up to try and survive.

Gonzalez Flip Summoned Thunder King next turn, then activated Foolish Burial to send Dandylion to the Graveyard: Brake Chained the effect of Maxx “C”, drawing Pot of Avarice when Gonzalez Special Summoned his 2 Fluff Tokens.  Gonzalez attacked to destroy Spore and Bulb.

Brake activated Pot of Avarice, sending three Tengus; Reaper; and Formula Synchron back to draw Tour Guide and Enemy Controller. He had another Maxx “C” in hand as well, but when he Summoned Tour Guide, Gonzalez dropped Effect Veiler.  Brake Chained!  He Tributed Tour Guide for Enemy Controller to get her effect, taking Thunder King and Special Summoning Sangan!  He banished Glow-Up Bulb for Spore; Tuned it to Thunder King to Synchro Summon Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier; and crashed Sangan into Tour Guide.  Brake searched Effect Veiler from his Deck, then destroyed a Fluff Token with Brionac.  He bounced the other by discarding Maxx “C”.

Gonzalez drew and Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld next turn, but Brake had the Veiler to stop her effect.

Brake ripped a Tour Guide too!  He Summoned her to get another from his Deck, then Xyz Summoned Leviair, and detached to Special Summon Reborn Tengu!  Brionac, Leviair, and Tengu all attacked, to drop Gonzalez to 3000 Life Points.  Gonzalez couldn’t topdeck any help next turn, and Brake won the first Duel!

Maxx “C” into Pot of Avarice gives Billy Brake a game-breaking Enemy Controller / Tour Guide combo, allowing him to fight back and win a Duel that had seemed absolutely doomed!  Billy Brake was a single victory away from the Top 4.

Gonzalez started things off with Tour Guide from the Underworld, getting Sangan in Defense Position and Setting a Spell or Trap.

Brake had Mystical Space Typhoon; One for One; 2 Thunder King Rai-Oh; Tour Guide from the Underworld; and Maxx “C”.  Brake activated Typhoon to destroy Gonzalez’s Set Book of Moon (he Chained it to turn Tour Guide face-down), then Summoned Thunder King to destroy Sangan and stop its effect.

Gonzalez Set a Spell or Trap.

Brake drew Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, and attacked to destroy Tour Guide with Thunder King.

Gonzalez Summoned his Thunder King, and slammed it into Brake’s.

Brake drew Solemn Warning and Summoned Tour Guide, losing her effect to Effect Veiler.  She struck for 1000 Battle Damage, and Brake Set Warning.  He lost it to Mystical Space Typhoon in the End Phase.

Gonzalez Summoned another Tour Guide, and Brake dropped Maxx “C”, drawing D.D. Crow.  Gonzalez brought out another Tour Guide, and crashed his into Brake’s, then made a direct attack with the remaining copy.

Brake drew Monster Reborn!  A huge hand was coming together with frightening speed for the Texan Duelist.  Brake Summoned Thunder King and ran over Tour Guide.

Gonzalez activated Dark Hole, then Set a card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Brake drew Gorz the Emissary of Darkness.  He activated Monster Reborn to target Gonzalez’s Thunder King; Gonzalez Chained Call of the Haunted; and Brake Chained D.D. Crow!

Gonzalez Set a card to his back row.

Brake drew Enemy Controller and passed.

Gonzalez passed.

Brake drew Scapegoat and Set it.

Gonzalez Summoned Thunder King and attacked: Brake flipped Scapegoat, and lost one of his Sheep Tokens to Thunder King’s attack.  Gonzalez activated Pot of Avarice, shuffling back all 5 monsters in his Graveyard to draw 2 cards.  The Duel stood at 7000 Life Points to 6100, with Brake leading, and Gonzalez ended.

Brake drew HIS Pot of Avarice!  He activated it, shuffling back all 5 of HIS monsters from his Graveyard to draw Spore and Foolish Burial.  He had Enemy Controller; One for One; Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning; and Gorz the Emissary of Darkness in hand.  Brake discarded Spore for One for One; Gonzalez dropped Maxx “C”; and Brake Special Summoned Glow-Up Bulb.  He Tuned it to a Sheep Token for Formula Synchron, but Gonzalez negated the Synchro Summon with Thunder King.

Gonzalez Summoned Reborn Tengu and attacked a Token.  Brake had one left.

Brake drew Chain Disappearance and activated Foolish Burial, sending Dandylion to the Graveyard and Special Summoning 2 Fluff Tokens.  Brake Special Summoned Spore, banishing Dandylion to make Spore Level 4, and Tributed his last Sheep Token to take Tengu with Enemy Controller.  Brake Tuned Spore to his 2 Fluff Tokens for Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, then discarded Gorz to bounce away… Nothing, because Gonzalez Chained the target, Torrential Tribute!  “I screwed up,” groaned Brake.  “I should’ve bounced that first.”  Gonzalez Special Summoned a new Tengu, and Brake Special Summoned Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning.  It attacked over the second Tengu, then smashed the third.  Brake Set Chain Disappearance.

Gonzalez cleared Chain Disappearance with Mystical Space Typhoon, then took Black Luster Soldier with Mind Control, banishing itself.

Brake drew Thunder King Rai-Oh and Summoned it, attacking!  Gonzalez was down to 2900 Life Points.  Brake had 7000, but was down to topdecking.

Gonzalez drew to 4 cards in hand, and activated Monster Reborn to Special Summon Brake’s Brionac.  Brionac attacked over Thunder King.

Brake drew Tour Guide and Special Summoned another one from his Deck, then Special Summoned Glow-Up Bulb.  He stacked the Tour Guides together for Leviair the Sea Dragon, then Special Summoned Dandylion with Leviair’s effect.  He Tuned Bulb to Dandylion for Armory Arm; attached it to Leviair; and attacked over Brionac to drop Gonzalez to 100 Life Points.  Brake ended with 2 Fluff Tokens on the field, plus Leviair packing Armory Arm.

Gonzalez discarded Black Luster Soldier for One for One, Special Summoning Glow-Up Bulb.  He Normal Summoned Debris Dragon; Summoned Maxx “C”; and Tuned for Orient Dragon.  He then Tuned Bulb to Orient Dragon to Synchro Summon Black Rose Dragon, desperately clearing the field.  Gonzalez had one card left, which he Set to his back row.

Brake topdecked Maxx “C”, and when he tried to Summon it, Gonzalez negated the Summon with Solemn Judgment.

Gonzalez Set a Spell or Trap.

Brake drew and Set Solemn Judgment.

Gonzalez tried for Tour Guide, but lost out to Judgment.

Brake drew and Set Debunk.

Gonzalez Set a back row.  Brake drew Reborn Tengu, and Gonzalez couldn’t stop it when Brake attacked next turn!

Billy Brake is going to the Top 4 of a YCS for the third time this year!