Top 4 Feature Match: Chase Cunningham Versus Marcus Carisse
After a long two days of many grueling Rounds YCS Toronto had been reduced to just four competitors out of 687. Two of those are Chase Cunningham and Marcus Carisse. Both of these Duelists are just two Matches away from winning this Championship. Chase Cunningham is running Burning Abyss, the same strategy that took him to the Finals of the NA WCQ this past summer. Marcus Carisse is playing Nekroz, one of the dominant forces over the past few months. The stakes are high, and both Duelists silently prepared their Decks for the Match ahead of them. Carisse won the die roll and opted to go second.
Cunningham started with Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, Fiend Grieving, Solemn Warning, Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Mathematician. He Normal Summoned Mathematician to send Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to the Graveyard. That allowed him to Special Summon Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his hand, and then he Xyz Summoned Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss. He detached Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to mill Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, Crush Card Virus, and Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss. He Special Summoned Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from the deck in defense position. Then, he Special Summoned Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his hand, and Xyz Summoned a second Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss and detached Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to mill Fiend Grieving. He Special Summoned Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss in defense mode, Set his two traps, and ended his turn.
Carisse activated Nekroz Kaleidoscope to Ritual Summon Nekroz of Unicore using Herald of the Arc Light. That allowed him to search Nekroz of Brionac. He Normal Summoned Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz. Next, he Mystical Space Typhoon’d Cunningham’s Set Solemn Warning. Cunningham used Fiend Grieving to put back Herald of the Arc Light, sending Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to the grave. Its effect was stopped by an in-hand Nekroz of Trishula, though. Abyss Dweller came down next, and then Carisse discarded Nekroz of Brionac to add Shurit, Strategist of Nekroz, and then played Nekroz Cycle to bring it out discarding the Shurit, Strategist of Nekroz, adding another Nekroz of Brionac. It bounced back the Dantes and Dweller activated and attacked over Cunningham’s Graff.
Cunning drew Breakthrough Skill and Set it before passing.
Carisse attacked directly with his two monsters.
Cunningham drew Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Set it.
Carisse discarded Nekroz of Brionac to search Nekroz of Decisive Amor, and then discarded Nekroz of Clausolas to add Nekroz Mirror. He used it to bring out Nekroz of Decisive Armor, and then targeted Cunningham’s Breakthrough Skill, which was use on Abyss Dweller. When Carisse chained the Abyss Dweller Cunningham picked up his cards to head into Game 2. Cunningham opted to go second.
Carisse Normal Summoned Senju of the Thousand Hands to add Nekroz of Valkyrus. He discarded Nekroz of Clausolas to search Nekroz Cycle, and then activated Reinforcement of the Army to search Shurit, Strategist of Nekroz. He used Nekroz Cycle to bring out Nekroz of Valkyrus and searched Nekroz of Brionac with the Shurit, Strategist of Nekroz he tributed. He discarded it to search Exa Enforcer of the Nekroz. He used Nekroz of Valkyrus to tribute Senju of the Thousand Hands and Exa and draw two cards, then searching his deck for Nekroz of Decisive Armor with Exa’s effect. He Set two cards and passed.
Cunningham opened with Majesty’s Fiend, Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, Mind Crush, Mathematician, Torrential Tribute, and Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He Normal Summoned Mathematician to send Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and used its effect to Special Summon Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, which was destroyed. It was clear that he wanted to send a Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to make Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss, but he had sided it out by accident. Visibly disappointed, he Set his two traps and searched for Tour Guide from the Underworld in the End Phase. Two of Carisse’s Mystical Space Typhoon hit both of Cunningham’s face-down cards.
Carrise used Nekroz of Valkyrus to tribute itself and Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz from his hand. He drew two and searched a Nekroz of Unicore. He banished Nekroz Cycle and Nekroz of Brionac to add Nekroz Kaleidoscope to his hand. Then he played Reinforcement of the Army to add and discard Nekroz of Clausolas, searching Nekroz Mirror. He played Senju of the Thousand Hands next, adding Nekroz of Valkyrus. Then he played Nekroz Kaleidoscope to Ritual Summon Nekroz of Unicore sending Herald of the Arc Light, which got him a Nekroz of Trishula. He played Nekroz Mirror to banish Great Sorcerer and Exa for Nekroz of Trishula. He attacked with all his monsters and revealed Nekroz of Decisive Armor to seal the Match! Marcus Carrise is going to the Finals!