Jesse Kotton is a Toronto native, and so far he’s only played eight Matches in this tournament. “I was VIP, and I was undefeated in the Swiss Rounds, so I just didn’t play Rounds 9 and 10.” Yes, if you win your V.I.P. Qualifier you too can win your way into the Top 32 of a YCS on just six wins instead of ten. Kotton’s made multiple Top Cut showings over the past year with Burning Abyss, and now he’s back piloting the same strategy.

 

His opponent Bradley McLean is from Nova Scotia, and we already saw him in action back in Round 10 against Dale Bellido. McLean is runnin Satellarknight, and he was feeling a bit apprehensive: he’d managed to avoid playing Burning Abyss all weekend, and didn’t seem tremendously confident about the match-up. Kotton won the roll and opted to go second.

 

McLean Summoned Satellarknight Unukalhai to send Satellarknight Deneb to the Graveyard. He Set two backrows.

 

Kotton’s hand was Book of Moon; Torrential Tribute; Foolish Burial; The Traveler and the Burning Abyss; Effect Veiler; Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He activated Foolish to send Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to his Graveyard, activating its effect to Special Summon Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Main Deck. He Normal Summoned Cir, and McLean turned Scarm face-down with Book of Moon to destroy Cir. Kotton Set Torrential, Traveler, and Book, holding Veiler.

 

McLean Set a second backrow again.

 

Kotton drew Tour Guide from the Underworld. He Summoned it to Special Summon Graff, and McLean responded with Torrential Tribute. That fed Kotton his Graff effect and he Special Summoned another Cir. He activated The Traveler and the Burning Abyss to bring back Scarm and Graff, then overlaid Graff and Cir to Xyz Summon Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss. He detached Cir to yard Fiend Griefing, Breakthrough Skill, and Ring of Destruction with Dante’s effect, then Summoned Graff to Xyz Summon Ghostrick Alucard. He used its effect to force McLean’s Mystical Space Typhoon, losing his Book of Moon to it, and then attacked with both monsters. McLean was down to 3700 Life Points. Kotton got Cir with Scarm in the End Phase.

 

McLean Summoned Satellarknight Vega, and Kotton negated its effect with Effect Veiler. McLean Set a backrow.

 

Kotton drew Crush Card Virus and activated Alucard’s effect to force McLean’s Fiendish Chain; he activated it to chain down Dante. Kotton had detached Graff for Alucard’s effect, so he Special Summoned Scarm, which was destroyed by its own effect. He attacked over Vega with Alucard, then searched Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss with Scarm in the End Phase.

 

McLean Set another backrow. He was just bleeding cards.

 

Kotton drew Breakthrough Skill and attacked with Alucard, knocking McLean down to 1300 Life Points. He overlaid Dante with Downerd Magician in Main Phase 2, then Set Breakthrough. This one looked like it was almost over. But McLean flipped Call of the Haunted in the End Phase for Deneb… and Kotton banished Breakthrough Skill from his Graveyard to negate its effect.

 

McLean Summoned Satellarknight Unukalhai and Kotton wiped the field with Torrential Tribute. “Activate Dante and Graff.” Kotton got back a Graff with Dante and Summoned Scarm with Graff’s effect. McLean had just one card left in hand with his Normal Summon used for the turn. He Set his last card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

 

Kotton drew Phoenix Wing Wind Blast and Normal Summoned Cir, overlaying for Dante to yard Bottomless Trap Hole, Raigeki Break, and Fiend Griefing from his Deck. His Cir brought back his Dante. He attacked, and when McLean flipped Oasis of Dragon Souls, Kotton revealed Breakthrough Skill and McLean scooped.

 

 

Jesse Kotton takes a commanding win in the first Duel, as the Toronto local defends his right to a spot in the Top 4 against the Nova Scotian McLean!

 

McLean opted to start the second Duel. He activated two copies of Reinforcement of the Army, searching Satellarknight Vega and Satellarknight Deneb, then Summoned both, searching his Deck for Satellarknight Unukalhai with Deneb’s effect. He Set three cards to his backrow, overlaid for Bujintei Tsukuyuomi to discard Unukalhai to draw two cards, then Set one of them to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

 

Kotton had Phoenix Wing Wind Blast; Raigeki Break; Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; Draghig, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; and Tour Guide from the Underworld. He revealed Draghig to Special Summon it, then Normal Summoned Graff, and McLean Book of Moon’d it to destroy Draghig with its own effect. Kotton Set Wind Blast and Break.

 

McLean Set a fourth backrow and once again, pitched one card, Vega, to draw two with Tsukuyomi! Brutal. That put him on seven cards total: two in hand, four in his Spell and Trap Card Zone, plus the Tsukuyomi on the field. He Summoned Satellarknight Unukalhai to send Satellarknight Altair to his Graveyard, then activated Call of the Haunted to target Altair – Kotton Chained Raigeki Break to destroy it, discarding Cir. McLean destroyed his last face-down, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, with Mystical Space Typhoon on the Chain.

 

The Call failed to resolve, but McLean had Soul Charge! He revived Altair and Unukulhai, sent Satellarknight Deneb to the Graveyard with Unukalhai, then used Altair’s ability to revive a Deneb. That got McLean another Altair from his Deck. This was seeming even more one-sided than Game 1.

 

 

McLean continued, overlaying Altair and Deneb for Daigusto Emeral. He detached Altair for Emeral’s effect, shuffling back two Vegas and an Altair to draw a card. He overlaid his two Unukalhai’s for Tellarknight Ptolemaeus in defense mode, then attached Stellarknight Delteros to it as a third Xyz Material in the End Phase.

 

Kotton drew Solemn Warning, definitely a turn too late. He Summoned Tour Guide, and when McLean flipped Fiendish Chain Kotton immediately scooped!

 

 

Bradley McLean mounts a tremendous comeback, riding an early Bujintei Tsukuyomi for two activations and mounting an overwhelming field! Play was to Kotton, who chose to go second in the third and final Duel.

 

McLean opened up Setting two cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

 

Kotton had Karma Cut; Torrential Tribute; Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; Tour Guide from the Underworld; Breakthrough Skill; and Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He Summoned Rubic, Cir, and overlaid for Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss. He detached Rubic to yard Foolish Burial, Absolute King Back Jack, and Draghig, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. He chose The Traveler and the Burning Abyss with Draghig’s effect, then revealed another Traveler, Warning, and Cir with Back Jack. He kept The Traveler on top. Kotton attacked, scored a hit, and then overlaid Dante with Downerd Magician in Main Phase 2. Kotton Set Karma Cut, Torrential, and Breakthrough to finish out.

 

McLean Summoned Satellarknight Vega, used its effect, and Kotton cut it short with Breakthrough Skill. McLean Set a third Spell or Trap. He Set The Traveler with Back Jack in the End Phase.

 

Kotton attacked with Downerd Magician to destroy Satellarknight Vega, then detached Dante to get his Rubic back. McLean Summoned Vega with Call of the Haunted in the End Phase, and used it to Summon Satellarknight Altair. Kotton responded with Torrential Tribute, clearing the field and bringing back his Draghig with Cir. The Traveler got him Dante and Cir.

 

 

McLean Summoned Satellarknight Altair and revived Vega, then revived another Altair with Call of the Haunted. He overlaid all three Satellarknights for Stellarknight Triverr, and Kotton negated the Summon with Solemn Warning! McLean gave the handshake.

 

 

Jesse Kotton moves on to the Top 4 with Burning Abyss!