This is Denny Yu’s third YCS Top 32, while for Brandon Wigley this is his fourth trip to the Top 32 tables.  Mere minutes from now, one of these competitors would become a first-time Champion; the winner of YCS Las Vegas.  The entire field had been reduced to just two competitors.  It all comes down to this.

 

Wigley had Zombyra the Dark; Archfiend of Gilfer; Full-Force Strike; Hyper Hammerhead; and Swallowtail Butterspy.  He opted to use his re-draw, and Yu used his as well.  Now Wigley had Bull Blader; Helping Robo For Combat; Gene-Warped Warwolf; Machine Lord Ur; and Cursed Armaments.  He drew Evilswarm Obliviwisp and considered his options a moment, before Summoned Warwolf and Setting Armaments.

Yu Set a monster and a backrow card.

 

Wigley drew Blade Knight and Summoned Bull Blader, attacking with it to destroy Big Shield Gardna.  Wigley made a direct attack with Gene-Warped Warwolf… into Memory of an Adversary!  The Warwolf was banished, soon to reappear on Yu’s side of the field.

Yu Summoned Axe Dragonute, attacking into Bull Blader to destroy both. He activated Card Trader.

Wigley drew Ape Fighter and Set Obliviwisp.  Yu Special Summoned the Warwolf off Memory.

 

Yu sent back a card with Card Trader, Summoned Ape Fighter and activated Reptilianne Rage, equipping it to Ape Fighter. Yu attacked with Ape Fighter, destroying Obliviwisp.

 

Wigley drew Half Shut and Summoned his own Ape Fighter, activating Cursed Armaments to drop Gene-Warped Warwolf to 1400 ATK.  He attacked it with Ape Fighter, boosting the Fighter to 2200 ATK with its effect, then re-equipped Armaments to the opposing Ape Fighter.

 

Yu drew, got a new card with Card Trader, and Summoned Blizzard Dragon, activating its effect to freeze Wigley’s Ape Fighter.  He attacked, sending his own Ape Fighter with 2100 ATK into Wigley’s 2200 ATK Ape Fighter.  In the Damage Step, Wigley smelled a rat and activated Half Shut, to keep his Ape Fighter alive.  Yu hit it, then attacked it again with Blizzard Dragon, lowering Wigley to 4300 Life Points.  Yu Set a single Spell or Trap.

 

Wigley drew Gene-Warped Warwolf.  He Summoned it to attack over Blizzard Dragon, but lost out to Forbidden Dress – Warwolf was destroyed!  Wigley had three cards left in hand, controlling Cursed Armaments and his frozen Ape Fighter.

 

Yu drew to two cards in hand, controlling Reptilianne Rage, Ape Fighter, and Blizzard Dragon with Card Trader. He Traded away a card, Set a monster, and froze the Ape Fighter again with Blizzard Dragon.

 

Wigley Summoned Machine Lord Ur, equipped it with Gravity Axe – Grarl, and took out Yu’s Blizzard Dragon, then cleared Yu’s face-down Evilswarm Obliviwisp!

 

Yu attacked Machine Lord Ur, trading his Ape Fighter against Ur to destroy both.  That triggered Reptilianne Rage’s ATK-reducing effect, which Yu applied to Wigley’s  Ape Fighter.  Yu Set a monster.

 

Wigley Summoned Blade Knight and Set a Spell or Trap to boost the Knight to 200 ATK.  Blade Knight negates the Flip Effects of any monster it destroys by battle, so Wigley attacked, but Yu’s Set card was Shocktopus – not a Flip Effect monster!  Yu equipped it to Blade Knight, with its ability, reducing Blade Knight’s ATK to 0.

 

Yu drew and sent back a card with Card Trader, then Summoned Chiron the Mage to attack Blade Knight, destroying it.  He Set his last card to his backrow.

 

Wigley drew Cyber Jar!  He Set it, holding Heroic Challenger – Night Watchman.  Yu Summoned Zoma the Spirit in the End Phase (so he could shift it to Attack Position next turn).

 

Yu drew and shipped back his one card with Card Trader, drawing and Summoning Flame Tiger.  He turned Zoma to Attack Position, attacked to wipe out Ape Fighter, then attacked into Cyber Jar!  He lost his Zoma, Chiron, and Flame Tiger!

 

Each Duelist revealed the top five cards from their decks: Wigley got Chow Len the Prophet; Full-Force Strike; Gyroid; Twin-Sword Marauder; and Zombyra the Dark.  Yu had Evilswarm Heliotrope; Draining Shield; Big Bang Shot; The Golden Apples; and Ribbon of Rebirth.  Yu conceded immediately, knowing he was outmatched by a whopping three monsters.

The first Duel is a back-and-forth contest that favored Denny Yu for turns on end, but Brandon Wigley dug in, survived, and managed to come back with a massive Cyber Jar!  One more win and Wigley would become a first-time Champion.

 

Wigley offered Yu a handshake and a wish of good luck, and Yu Summoned Chow Len the Prophet, Setting four cards to his backrow.

 

Wigley had Needle Ceiling; Half or Nothing; Half Shut; Shield & Sword; Goblin Attack Force; and Bull Blader.  He Summoned Blader, attacked Chow Len, and Yu flipped Memory of an Adversary!  He banished the Bull Blader and took 1600 damage.  Wigley Set Half Shut, Half or Nothing, and Shield & Sword.

 

Yu Summoned Chiron the Mage and revealed Wigley’s Half Shut with Chow Len, calling traps incorrectly.  He attacked with both monsters to drop Wigley to 4400 Life Points.

 

Wigley drew Gravit Axe – Grarl.  He Set Goblin Attack Force and Needle Ceiling.  He was setting Yu up for a huge field wipe!

 

Yu Special Summoned the Bull Blader, and when he tried to attack Wigley flipped Needle Ceiling!  If the Chain ended there he’d keep his face-down while destroying all three of Yu’s monsters.  But Yu had other ideas!  He activated Forbidden Dress on Bull Blader, allowing it to destroy Goblin Attack Force after all.  Yu equipped the Bull Blader with Black Pendant.

 

Wigley drew Ape Fighter and flipped Shield & Sword, then Summoned Ape Fighter to attack and trade off with Bull Blader.  He took 500 damage from Black Pendant, and in the End Phase Yu flipped Zoma the Spirit.

 

Yu turned his Zoma to Attack Position and Normal Summoned another Ape Fighter.  He attacked with Zoma and Ape Fighter, lowering Wigley to 200 Life Points.

 

Wigley drew Twin-Sword Marauder, holding Grarl.  He Summoned the Marauder, activated Grarl, and swung over the Ape Fighter.  Yu activated Cursed Armaments on Marauder lowering it to 1500 ATK, and attacked with Zoma.  This was a dangerous situation; if Wigley destroyed Zoma the resulting burn damage would lose him the game instantly.  But at the same time, Zoma was a threat to his few remaining Life Points as an attacker.

 

The solution?  HALF SHUT!  Wigley flipped Half Shut, lowering Zoma to 900 ATK but ensuring that it couldn’t be destroyed by battle this turn!  Half Shut saved the game for Wigley, stopping Zoma from burning him out.  Insane.

 

Wigley turned Marauder to Defense Position and Set a monster.

 

Yu Summoned Blizzard Dragon, attacked Marauder, and then attacked into Cyber Jar again!  This time Wigley got Jurrac Gallim; Ego Boost; Gyroid; Gene-Warped Warwolf; and Monster Reborn.  Yu got Junk Forward; Flame Tiger; Axe Dragonute; Aye-Iron; and Tiki Curse.  Yu put Junk Forward in face-down Defense Position, and Dragonut, Aye-Iron, and Flame Tiger in face-up attack.  Wigley played Gyroid and Gallim in Defense Position face-down, and briefly considered putting Warwolf in face-up attack.  He eventually decided to Set it as well; he was taking no chances.

Yu attacked to destroy Warwolf with Flame Tiger; hit Gyroid with Dragonute; and destroyed Gyroid with a second attack from Aye-Iron.  He Set one card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

 

Wigley drew Brain Crusher.  The Duel stood at 200 Life Points to 5600 with Yu leading.  Wigley activated Monster Reborn to bring back Twin-Sword Marauder.  He Tributed both of his monsters for Brain Crusher, then attacked to destroy Aye-Iron!  Yu took 800 Battle Damage and Wigley took control of the Aye-Iron, bringing it back in Defense Position.

 

But it was all over anyways!  Yu Tributed Flame Tiger and Junk Forward next turn to Tribute Summon Super Conductor Tyranno!  He Tributed for its burn effect and finally finished the Duel.  We were headed to Game 3 to decide the Championship.

One last handshake of respect got things started.  Wigley had Big Bang Shot; Evilswarm Salamandra; Full-Force Strike; Jurrac Gallim; Needle Ceiling; and Helping Robo For Combat.  He Set Gallim.

Yu Set a Spell or Trap.

 

Wigley drew Gene-Warped Warwolf, Flip Summoned Gallim, and Summoned Warwolf to attack with the Jurrac.  Yu Special Summoned Gagaga Gardna to stop the attack, and Wigley Set Big Bang Shot.

 

Yu Summoned Swallowtail Butterspy and changed Gardna to Attack Position.  He ran it over, and discarded Evilswarm Mandragora for Butterspy’s effect. Yu attacked with Gardna over Warwolf, shrunk to 1400 ATK, and Set a second Spell or Trap.

 

Wigley drew Machine Lord Ur.  He Summoned Salamandra, removed Gallim and Warwolf to boost it to 2450 ATK and attacked Swallowtail.  Yu responded with Draining Shield, gaining 2450 Life Points and stopping the attack.  Wigley Set Needle Ceiling and Full-Force.

 

Yu activated Cursed Armaments to drop Salamandra to 1250 ATK.  He attacked with Swallowtail, destroying Salamandra, and then made a direct attack for 1500 Battle Damage with Gagaga Gardna.  The Armaments were destroyed, and Yu Set one card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

 

Wigley drew a Swallowtail Butterspy of his own.  He Summoned Machine Lord Ur, activating Full-Force Strike targeting it, and attacked with it to destroy both Swallowtail and Gagaga Gardna.  Yu End Phased a Zoma.

 

Yu shifted Zoma to attack mode and Summoned Flame Tiger, attacking to take out Machine Lord Ur and drop Wigley to 3250 Life Points.

 

Wigley drew Ego Boost!  He Summoned Helping Robo for Combat, activated Big Bang Shot to equip it, then attacked to destroy Flame Tiger.  He drew with Robo’s effect and cycled a card back into his Deck.  He Set Ego Boost.

 

Yu Summoned Axe Dragonute and attacked Helping Robo.  Wigley flipped Ego Boost in response, bumping Robo to 3000 ATK and destroying Dragonute.  That trigger Helping Robo’s effect again: Wigley drew Brain Crusher and promptly returned it to his Deck.  Yu activated Card Trader to finish his turn.

 

Wigley Summoned Swallowtail Butterspy and attacked over Zoma with Helping Robo, this time drawing Butterflyoke!  He sent back his other card to keep the all-star trap, then made a direct attack with Swallowtail Butterspy.

 

Yu drew and Set a monster.

 

Wigley drew Hyper Hammerhead.  “So do you have a Cyber Jar too?  Trying to get me?”  He Summoned Hammerhead, ran it at the face-down, and it was Big Shield Gardna!  Hammerhead bounced it off the field, and Wigley dropped Yu to 3450 Life Points with attacks from Helping Robo and Swallowtail.  Wigley had just 150 Life Points left.

 

Yu used Card Trader to send a card back to his Deck, drawing another.  He Summoned Chiron the Mage, tried to attack Hyper Hammerhead to end the game, and Wigley flipped Butterflyoke to turn Chiron the Mage to Defense Position!  But Yu flipped Tiki Curse, Summoned it, attacked Hammerhead again… And Wigley flipped Needle Ceiling as the crowd exploded!  Wigley was still in this!  Both Duelists were effectively down to topdecking!

 

Wigley drew Pitch Black Warwolf and Summoned it, attacking to drop Yu to 1800 Life Points!

 

Yu sent his draw back with Card Trader, Set a monster, and Set a backrow.

 

Wigley drew another Needle Ceiling!  He Set it and couldn’t afford the risk of attacking into Yu’s defender.  If it was 1750 DEF or bigger, crashing into it would be suicide.

 

Yu sent back his draw with Card Trader, got Ape Fighter, Summoned it, and attacked over Pitch-Black Warwolf to end the tournament! Denny Yu wins the most incredible Draft Play Match we’ve seen, narrowly defeating Brandon Wigley to win YCS Las Vegas!

That was one for the ages!