Two years ago, Billy Brake took the first of two legendary back-to-back Championship wins right here in Toronto.  Now, two years later he’s looking to score his third YCS win with an innovative Fire Fist deck that straddles Levels 3 and 4.

His opponent is Evan Smith, a competitor from nearby St. Catharines in southern Ontario (for those not familiar, St. Catharines is recognized as the Donut Capital of the World).  He’s never topped a YCS before, and has one Regional top to his name.  Regardless, he’s here this weekend with a killer build of Agents packing Transmodify – a matchup Brake remarked he didn’t want to play.  This could get really interesting.

Brake opened with a hand of Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Gorilla; Fire Formation – Tensu; Phoenix Wing Wind Blast; Compulsory Evacuation Device; Bottomless Trap Hole; and Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos.  He Set all three Trap Cards.

Smith set one card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.  Brake spun it to the top of his Deck with Wind Blast in the End Phase, discarding Blaster.

Brake drew another Tensu and activated it, Summoning Gorilla for a direct attack: Smith Special Summoned Gorz the Emissary of Darkness!  He Special Summoned an Emissary of Darkness Token, and Brake activated his second Tensu.

Smith attacked the Gorilla with Gorz next turn, and Brake bounced it back to his hand with Compulsory Evacuation Device.

Brake drew Mystical Space Typhoon; attacked to destroy the Emissary of Darkness Token; then set the Typhoon.

Smith Summoned The Agent of Mystery – Earth to search out The Agent of Creation – Venus from his Deck, holding seven cards in hand.  He thought a moment, then discarded Mystical Shine Ball in his End Phase to get down to six cards in hand.

Brake used Tensu to Summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Leopard, Tributing it to Set Fire Formation – Tenki.  He flipped it, searching out Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Spirit, Normal Summoning it to Special Summon Leopard: Smith chained the effect of Maxx “C”, drawing a card.  Brake took a moment to consider his options.

He entered his Battle Phase, attacking Earth with Gorilla.  Smith dropped Honest, boosting Earth’s ATK and destroying Gorilla!  That left Brake to move to Main Phase 2, Xyz Summoning Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Lion Emperor and adding Spirit back to his hand.  Smith got another draw for the Xyz Summon.

Smith Normal Summoned Venus, and Brake banished it with Bottomless Trap Hole.  Smith Set a spell or trap – Mirror Force – and Brake blew it away with Mystical Space Typhoon in the End Phase.

Brake drew Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Bear.  He used Lion Emperor to return Blaster to his hand, then Summoned Spirit for its effect: Smith had another Maxx “C”!  Brake brought back his Leopard.  “I already know you have Gorz… Is it worth Summoning?”  Brake talked himself through his possible plays.  “I’m definitely gonna use my Normal Summon on Bear…” he Summoned it.  “I’ll enter my Battle Phase.”  He sent Bear to attack over Earth, destroying it and triggering Bear’s effect to Set another Fire Formation – Tenki.  He moved to Main Phase 2, activating it to search his Deck for Coach Soldier Wolfbark!  He overlaid Leopard and Spirit for another Lion Emperor, detaching Spirit to take it back to his hand.  “Those Maxx “C”s, man… that card’s so annoying.”

Smith Summoned another Earth, searching out another Venus.  He activated Transmodify, sending Earth to the Graveyard to Special Summon another Venus from his Deck.  That gave him four Fairies in his Graveyard, letting him Special Summon Kristya and retrieve his Honest from the Graveyard!  Kristya attacked over Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Bear, and Smith Set two cards to his backrow.

Brake drew Pot of Duality.  He discarded Wolfbark for Blaster, destroying Kristya and sending it to the top of Smith’s Deck.  He used Lion Emperor’s effect to take back Blaster, then Summoned Spirit to Special Summon Leopard a third time!  This time he Tuned them together for Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Horse Prince, Special Summoning Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Rooster from his Deck.  That triggered its effect, getting him Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Bear from his Deck.  He used his Normal Summon to Summon Bear, blowing away Earth with Tenki, but swung right into Mirror Force.  He lost everything but his Defense Position Rooster and Horse Prince.

Smith Normal Summoned Venus, Special Summoned Kristya, and took back another Venus to his hand, running over Rooster and Horse Prince.

Brake drew another Tensu, then activated Pot of Duality to reveal Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Leopard; Effect Veiler; and Fiendish Chain.  He took the Chain and shuffled the remaining cards back into his Deck.  He Set the Chain, out of options.

Smith Summoned another Venus, then made direct attacks with both copies.  When he tried to swing with Kristya, Brake heaved a sigh and flipped Fiendish Chain to stop it.  He had 3000 Life Points left to Smith’s 7100.  Smith had four cards in hand, with one card set in his backrow.  He stacked the two Venuses for Mechquipped Angineer.

Brake had two face-up Tensus; a face-up Tenki; Fiendish Chain on Kristya; and a hand of Tensu and Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos.  He drew Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Bear.  “This is kind of tough…” Brake’s Bear wasn’t very useful with Angineer’s effect there to shut down Bear’s ability.  Brake Summoned Bear with Tensu anyways, knowing he was pushing his Bear into Honest, and ran it into the Angineer.  He dropped to 1200 Life Points, getting him the Graveyard he’d need to banish Bear and Gorilla to Special Summon Blaster in Attack Position.  He was scrabbling to just stall out, but when Smith flipped Enemy Controller next turn to Tribute Kristya and take Blaster it was all over!

A rough start for Billy Brake, as a middling opening hand and two copies of Maxx “C” give Evan Smith a distinct advantage in the first Duel.  Could Brake capture Games 2 and 3?  Or would Smith start his day with a Match win over a two-time YCS Champion?  We were about to find out, as play moved to the second Duel.

Brake opened with a hand of Rekindling; Mystical Space Typhoon; Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos; Coach Soldier Wolfbark; Fiendish Chain; and Effect Veiler.  He Set Chain and Typhoon.  “My Deck does not like me opening with the right monsters.”

Smith Summoned The Agent of Creation – Venus; paid 500 Life Points for its effect; Brake chained Fiendish Chain; Smith chained Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy it; and Brake chained Effect Veiler to shut Venus down!  Smith Set COH ** and lost it in the End Phase to Brake’s Typhoon.

Brake drew Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Spirit, then Summoned Wolfbark to crash it into Venus – both monsters were destroyed.

Smith drew to four cards in hand.

Brake drew Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Rooster, Summoning it to make a direct attack for 1500 Battle Damage.  Smith dropped to 6000 Life Points.

Smith Set a monster.

Brake drew Book of Moon.  “We’ll do this the HARD way!”  He Summoned Spirit, Tuned it to Rooster for Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Horse Prince… and lost it to Herald of Orange Light!  Smith discarded a second Herald for the effect of the first, blowing the Horse Prince away, and Brake set Book of Moon.

Smith Summoned another Venus, and Brake turned it down in response to the Summon with Book of Moon.

Brake drew Fire Formation – Tenki, Summoning it, but losing out to Effect Veiler.  He activated Rekindling to bring back Spirit, making another Horse Prince and using its effect to Special Summon another Rooster from his Deck.  “I didn’t use Spirit’s effect yet, right?  Let’s see if I can do something with that…”  He used Rooster to grab Bear, then traded his Tenki for Fire Formation – Tensu with Rooster’s effect.  He Summoned the Bear with Tensu, then sent the Tensu to the Graveyard to destroy Smith’s Set monster – a bluffed Mystical Shine Ball.  Brake Special Summoned Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos , then sent Rooster to attack and destroy Smith’s face-down Venus, leaving him to make three direct attacks to win the Duel!

Smith opened the third Duel with The Agent of Creation – Venus.  He activated its effect to Special Summon a Mystical Shine Ball, but Brake chained Maxx “C”.  Brake drew Spirit with its effect and Smith abandoned his turn.

Brake had two Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Leopard; Effect Veiler; Fire Formation – Tensu; Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Spirit; and Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Bear.  He activated Tensu to Summon Leopard, then Tributed it to go get Fire Formation – Tenki from his Deck.  He Set it, flipped it, and searched for another Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Bear.  He Normal Summoned it, then destroyed Venus with its effect, giving up Tenki, and attacked over the Shine Ball to destroy it.  Brake had four cards in hand.

Smith drew to six cards with a blank field.  He banished Venus to Special Summon Master Hyperion, banishing Shine Ball to destroy Bear.  He made a direct attack with Hyperion.

Brake drew another Veiler.  He used Tensu to Summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Spirit; Smith had Maxx “C”; and Brake Special Summoned Leopard.  He used its effect to search Fire Formation – Tenki, then flipped it to get Bear.  He Summoned it and traded away Tenki to destroy Master Hyperion, then ended his turn.  He was trying to wait out that Maxx “C”, and wasn’t willing to walk into a Gorz or Tragoedia.

Smith Summoned The Agent of Mystery – Earth, and Brake let him search out another Venus.  Brake didn’t use either of his Effect Veilers.  Earth swung over Spirit to destroy it, and Smith ended with no backrow.

Brake drew Book of Moon and Summoned another Bear.  He sent Tensu to the Graveyard to destroy Earth, and swung into a Gorz.  Bear’s effect got Brake a Tensu, and in Main Phase 2 he activated it and used it with Bear to destroy Gorz.  He overlaid for Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Cardinal in Defense Position, shuffling back Smith’s Gorz into his deck and eliminating the Token.  He returned his Bear and Tenki to his own Deck.  Brake finished up by Setting Book, then Normal Summoning Leopard to set Tenki.  He activated it, getting back a Bear.

Smith Summoned another Agent of Creation – Venus and Brake let him use its effect, Special Summoning a Mystical Shine Ball in Defense Position.  When he dropped to 4900 Life Points to try for the effect again, Brake hit him with Veiler.

Brake drew Fiendish Chain and Summoned Bear.  He kicked away his Tenki to destroy Venus, then attacked Shine Ball with Cardinal.  Bear attacked, getting Brake a Tensu, but Smith Special Summoned Tragoedia.

Smith turned Tragoedia to Attack Position and moved into his Battle Phase, but Brake used Fiendish Chain to stop Smith’s aggression and drop Tragoedia to 0 ATK!  Smith Set a single monster.

Brake drew Mystical Space Typhoon and now it was all academic!  He blew away Smith’s Set Honest with Bear’s effect, then swung through Tragoedia with Cardinal and finished the Duel with a direct shot from Bear!

Billy Brake loses Duel 1, only to battle back and take Duels 2 and 3!  Brake scores a 1-0 record with Fire Fists!