The Finals: Chris LeBlanc Versus Nicholas Blandin
This was it! Chris LeBlanc was gunning for his second YCS win, while Nicholas Blandin was now in the Finals off his first-ever YCS Top 32. Both of these competitors know eachother well, since they compete at the same local tournament on a week to week basis. The stakes were as high as they can be, but both competitors seemed pretty jazzed just to be competing amongst friends.
Both duelists opted to keep their hand, and LeBlanc drew his sixth card. He had Vylon Prism; Evilswarm Ketos; Prideful Roar; Invader of Darkness; The Golden Apples; and Mirage Dragon. He Summoned Ketos, Set Apples and Roar, and ended.
Blandin Summoned Cyber Valley, and Set two cards to his backrow.
LeBlanc drew Goblin Attack Force and attacked with Ketos; Blandin banished Cyber Valley to draw a card. LeBlanc Set a monster.
Blandin Summoned Meklord Army of Granel and attacked Ketos; LeBlanc flipped Prideful Roar, paying 725 Life Points to boost Ketos to 1900 ATK. Blandin wanted to use his Forbidden Chalice, but play was already in Damage Calculation where Chalice can’t be activated. Granel was destroyed.
LeBlanc drew Samurai of the Ice Barrier and Summoned Mirage Dragon. He Flip Summoned Vylon Prism, attacked with it, then followed up with attacks from the Dragon, then Ketos. Suddenly Blandin was down to 2850 Life Points.
Blandin Special Summoned Meklord Army of Granel with Premature Burial, paying himself down to 2050 Life Points. He Tributed it for Majestic Mech – Goryu, and attacked Evilswarm Ketos. Blandin activated Forbidden Chalice on Goryu to boost its ATK and keep it around, and destroyed Ketos in the process
LeBlanc drew Star Blast and activated it, paying 2000 Life Points to Summon Invader of Darkness as a Level 4!
Still in the Main Phase to dodge Mirage Dragon, Blandin flipped Miniaturize, targeting Invader of Darkness. LeBlanc crashed Prism into Goryu, equipping it to Invader of Darkness so he could attack it into Goryu to trade off in battle. A direct attack from Mirage Dragon followed.
Blandin Summoned Anarchist Monk Ranshin, thought a moment, and attacked over Mirage Dragon.
LeBlanc drew Lucky Iron Axe and Summoned Goblin Attack Force. He equipped it with Lucky Iron Axe and attacked for game!
Chris LeBlanc has answer upon answer for his opponent’s battle tricks, and manages to clinch the win with some big damage off Goblin Attack Force and Lucky Iron Axe! Chris LeBlanc’s already the youngest YCS winner of all time. Could he become the youngest two-time Champion as well?
Both Duelists kept their hands, and Blandin opened Duel 2 with Jurrac Gallim, and three Set cards to his backrow.
LeBlanc had Goblin Attack Force; Forbidden Dress, Gene-Warped Warwolf; Machine Lord Ur; Fortress Warrior; and Malevolent Nuzzler. He Summoned Machine Lord, attacked Gallim, and Blandin flipped Shrink in the Damage Step; LeBlanc lost his Machine Lord and took 400 damage. He Set Dress and Nuzzler.
Blandin hit him with Gallim next turn for 1200 Battle Damage.
LeBlanc drew another Dress and Summoned Gene-Warped Warwolf, attacking Gallim to destroy it. LeBlanc discarded Fortress Warrior to keep his Warwolf on the table. LeBlanc Set his second Dress.
Blandin Summoned Hypnocorn and destroyed LeBlanc’s Malevolent Nuzzler! He activated Full Force Strike, targeting Hypnocorn, and attacked to destroy the Warwolf. He Set a third Spell or Trap Card.
LeBlanc drew and Set Exarion Universe.
Blandin equipped Hypnocorn with Horn of the Unicorn, and attacked into LeBlanc’s Set Exarion Universe. LeBlanc reduced Hypnocorn’s ATK with Forbidden Dress, reducing it to 1500 ATK and keeping Universe alive.
LeBlanc drew Twin-Sword Marauder. He Summoned Goblin Attack Force and attacked with it; Blandin flipped Forbidden Chalice to boost Hypnocorn up, but LeBlanc took it back down with Forbidden Dress! Hypnocorn was destroyed and Horn of the Unicorn went back to the top of Blandin’s Deck. That let LeBlanc make a direct attack with Exarion Universe. Blandin was down to 4600 Life Points., and he destroyed the Goblins with Nordic Relic Laevateinn.
Blandin Set a card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.
LeBlanc Sumoned Marauder and attacked with both. He Set one to his backrow.
Blandin drew to two in hand, took one look at his set cards, quickly flipped them over and gave LeBlanc the handshake!
Chris LeBlanc is no longer just the youngest YCS winner of all time, but now a two-time Champion, capturing his second title at YCS Philadelphia!
