Michael Balan won the last YCS held in California. That was YCS Long Beach, the record-shattering event with over 4,000 players! He’s back to try taking another win, but in his way is Yang Yang. Yang’s here from China, and is a Bounty Duelist in today’s event!

Duel 1

Balan began with DUCKER Mobile Cannon, Doomcaliber Knight, Blast Sphere, Guardian Sphinx, Witch of the Black Forest, and Yaksha. He Set Witch.

Yang destroyed Witch with Shield Crush, and Balan added Asura Priest to his hand. Yang played Des Mosquito and attacked directly, then Set a back row card.

Balan drew Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter. He Set it and passed.

Yang played Fortress Warrior. Mosquito destroyed Ryko, and Ryko destroyed Yang’s Compulsory Evacuation Device. Balan sent Mad Dog of Darkness, United We Stand, and Darkworld Shackles to the Graveyard due to Ryko.  Yang passed without attacking with Fortress Warrior.

Balan drew Shield Crush. He played Doomcaliber Knight and attacked Des Mosquito, removing a counter from it (Doomcaliber did not negate it, because Mosquito’s effect is Continuous and does not start a Chain). Balan Set Shield Crush.

Yang Set a monster, then turned Mosquito and Fortress Warrior to defense position.

Balan drew Night Assailant. He played his Asura Priest. Next, he used Shield Crush to wipe out Yang’s face-down Slate Warrior. Doomcaliber Knight attacked Fortress Warrior, then Asura destroyed it. Asura attacked again, taking off Mosquito’s last counter. In the End Phase, Asura Priest tried to return to the hand, but Doomcaliber Knight was forced to Tribute itself and destroy Asura Priest! (Balan could have Xyz Summoned, but he had briefly forgotten that Asura Priest was a Spirit Monster)

Next turn, Yang Tributed his Mosquito for Airknight Parshath! He attacked directly and drew a free card.

Balan drew Pot of Duality, and played it without hesitation. He revealed Fissure, Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, and Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts. He took Fissure and destroyed Airknight with it. Next, he played Yaksha, but when he attacked directly, Yang had Gorz the Emissary of Darkness! Yaksha returned to the hand in the End Phase.

Yang made things worse next turn, with Premature Burial reviving Slate Warrior! He attacked directly with everything, and Balan couldn’t stop him!

Yang Yang takes the first Duel, taking advantage of a lot of tough-to-destroy monsters before finally exploding with Gorz! Michael Balan will be going first in the second Duel.

Duel 2

Balan had Blast Sphere, Darkworld Shackles, Witch of the Black Forest, Mad Dog of Darkness, Yaksha, and United We Stand. He Set Witch.

Yang revealed the Witch with his Swords of Revealing Light. He played Slate Warrior and destroyed it, and Balan searched out Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts. Yang Set a card to his back row.

Balan drew Greenkappa and Set Blast Sphere.

Yang played D.D. Assailant. He attacked first with Slate Warrior, and Blast Sphere latched onto it. Assailant hit directly, and Yang passed.

Balan drew The Tricky. He Set his Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts, trying to stall until Swords of Revealing Light was finished.

In the Draw Phase, Yang played Compulsory Evacuation Device on his Slate Warrior, saving it from Blast Sphere! He followed up with Ape Fighter, and it destroyed Tanngrisnir. Assailant destroyed a Nordic Beast Token.

Balan drew Goblin Attack Force and Summoned it. “Finally I can attack!” Balan exclaimed, with Swords of Revealing Light destroyed at the end of the turn.

Yang played Fortress Warrior, then stacked Assailant and Ape Fighter for Number 39: Utopia! Utopia destroyed Balan’s goblins, and Fortress Warrior destroyed the last token.

Balan drew Inverse Universe. He discarded Greenkappa to Special Summon The Tricky, then played Mad Dog of Darkness. He put Darkworld Shackles on Utopia, and attacked with both of his monsters. Utopia detached its Xyz Materials to negate both attacks.

Yang played Cyber Valley, banishing it and Fortress Warrior to draw two new cards. He attacked with Utopia into The Tricky… forgetting that Utopia had only 100 ATK! Utopia went down! (Darkworld Shackles just one of the cards that is extremely good in Sealed play, but few people have read outside of the format. It’s easy to forget all the effects of cards you don’t always see – case in point, both players also forgot that the equipped monster cannot declare an attack!)

Balan drew Divine Wrath. He played Yaksha, then boosted The Tricky with United We Stand! Mad Dog of Darkness hit directly, and Yang played his Gorz the Emissary of Darkness in defense position. The Tricky destroyed Gorz, but Yaksha couldn’t destroy the defense position Emissary of Darkness Token. Yaksha returned in the End Phase.

Yang Set two back row cards and a monster. He turned his token to attack position.

Balan drew Cyber Valley. He played Yaksha again, returning one of Yang’s back row cards. The Tricky attacked Yang’s token, but was held back by Fiendish Chain. Yaksha attacked the Set monster, Greenkappa, and Balan negated it with Divine Wrath. He discarded Cyber Valley. Finally, Mad Dog collided with the 1900 ATK Emissary of Darkness Token. Yaksha returned once again in the End Phase.

Yang Set a monster and a back row card.

Balan drew Compulsory Evacuation Device. Once more he played Yaksha, and returned Fiendish Chain to Yang’s hand. The Tricky destroyed Night Assailant, which in turn destroyed The Tricky. Yaksha attacked directly. Balan Set Compulsory Evacuation Device before returning Yaksha to his hand in the End Phase.

Yang played Bazoo the Soul-Eater! He banished Greenkappa, Night Assailant, and Utopia to power it up, and it dealt 2500 damage. He Set a second back row card.

Balan drew Blast with Chain. He played Yaksha again, and it was negated by Fiendish Chain. Balan Set Blast with Chain.

Yang used Bazoo again, banishing D.D. Assailant and Ape Fighter. Bazoo attacked Yaksha, but Balan won the battle with Blast with Chain! In Main Phase 2, Yang played Twin-Sword Marauder.

Balan drew Ring of Destruction! He returned Yaksha to his hand with Compulsory Evacuation Device, then played it again to bounce away a Spell or Trap. Yaksha destroyed Marauder, dropping Yang to 1800 Life Points. Balan Set his Ring of Destruction. Yaksha returned in the End Phase.

Yang played Slate Warrior, just what Balan needed! He played Ring of Destruction, finishing off Yang’s Life Points!

Michael Balan evens the score with Ring of Destruction! Yang Yang is going first for the final Duel.

Duel 3

Yang Set one card to each zone.

Balan had Goblin Attack Force, Mad Dog of Darkness, Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, Half or Nothing, Shield Crush, and Blast Sphere. Shield Crush destroyed Yang’s Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts, then Mad Dog of Darkness struck directly. Balan Set Half or Nothing.

Yang Set a monster.

Balan drew his own Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts. Mad Dog destroyed Yang’s Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, giving Yang a new card. Balan Set Ryko.

Fissure destroyed Mad Dog, then Yang played Beast King Barbaros. It destroyed Ryko, which sent United We Stand, Doomcaliber Knight, and Yaksha to the Graveyard to destroy Barbaros.

Balan drew Inverse Universe. He played Tanngrisnir and attacked directly, then Set Inverse Universe.

Yang Set a second back row card and a monster, and the time limit in the round was called! There would be five turns after this one.

Balan drew Pot of Duality. He used it to reveal Night Assailant, Ring of Destruction, and Fiendish Chain. He took the Fiendish Chain. Tanngrisnir went to defense position, and Balan Set Fiendish Chain and Blast Sphere.

Yang destroyed Tanngrisnir with Ring of Destruction, dealing 1200 damage to each player. Next, he Flip Summoned Mask of Darkness, getting back his Ring! He played Swords of Revealing Light to flip up Blast Sphere, nullifying its effect (Blast Sphere must be attacked while face-down). Yang Normal Summoned Des Mosquito and attacked, prompting Balan to use his Half or Nothing. Yang chose to end his Battle Phase, then Set a card to his back row.

Balan drew Big Shield Gardna. He Set it and passed.

Yang played Bazoo the Soul-Eater. He banished his Tanngrisnir, Dekoichi, and Barbaros to power it up. Des Mosquito attacked Big Shield Gardna, and Yang took 1100 damage! Gardna went to attack position. Bazoo attacked, but was halted by Fiendish Chain. Yang knew he wouldn’t be able to deal enough damage to win in the End of Match procedures, and offered the handshake!

Michael Balan moves on undefeated!