Thomas Mak won YCS Chicago back in 2014, a little over three years ago.  Now the Philadelphian Duelist is back in the hunt for title gold, playing Pure Zoodiacs in the Top 16. His opponent is another relatively recent star in the Dueling world, Mason Mattila.  The Greenbay Duelist racked up a ton of Top Cut showings with Kozmos in 2016, including a top at YCS Minneapolis, then topped repeatedly with Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Artifact Invoked Windwitch Decks earlier this year.

 

Mak opened the Match with a hand of Fire Formation – Tenki; Zoodiac Thoroughblade; Zoodiac Ramram; and two Zoodiac Whiptails.  He activated Tenki to search his Deck for Zoodiac Ratpier, Normal Summoned it, used its effect to send Zoodiac Combo from his Deck to his Graveyard, and overlaid Ratpier with Zoodiac Hammerkong.  He stacked that with Zoodiac Broadbull next to detach Hammerkong and Special Summon his second Zoodiac Ratpier, and Mattila Chained Maxx “C” to draw a card.  He detached Ratpier to search for Zoodiac Whiptail with Broadbull next, and then overlaid it with Zoodiac Drident, giving Mattila another draw.

 

Mattila searched for Dragonic Diagram with Terraforming, activated it, and Set a card to try and destroy it with Dragonic Diagram.  Mak Chained Drident’s effect to destroy the Diagram on the Chain, keeping it from resolving, but Mattila had another!  He activated the second Dragonic Diagram, destroyed his Set True Draco Apocalypse, searched for True Draco Heritage, and activated it. He used its effect to draw a card, considered his options with five cards in hand, and used Heritage’s extra Normal Summon effect. Mak Chained Zoodiac Whiptail’s effect from his hand, attaching it to Zoodiac Drident. He was looking to outplay the copy of Dinomight Knight, the True Dracofighter that Mattila was projecting, playing around the trigger for its search effect.

 

Sure enough, Mattila Tributed his Heritage for Dinomight Knight, the True Dracofighter, and used Heritage’s destruction effect to nix Mak’s Tenki.  He played a third Dragonic Diagram!  Mattila Set another card to his back row, destroyed it – a second True Draco Heritage – and searched for Disciples of the True Dracophoenix.  Mattila activated Disciples, shuffled back Apocalypse and two Heritages, and activated Zoodiac Barrage.  He used its effect to destroy Disciples, Special Summoned Zoodiac Ratpier from his Deck, overlaid it with Zoodiac Boarbow, and detached Ratpier to Summon another from his Deck.

 

He Xyz Summoned Zoodiac Broadbull using Boarbow and detached Boarbow to search for Zoodiac Ramram.  He overlaid Broadbull with Zoodiac Chakanine, detached Broadbull to revive Ratpier, and used the Ratpier and Chakanine to Link Summon Missus Radiant.  He overlaid his remaining Zoodiac Ratpier with Zoodiac Tigermortar, Linked to Missus Radiant, and overlaid that with Zoodiac Drident.  He detached Zoodiac Ratpier for Drident’s effect, destroying Mak’s Drident, and attacked with Drident to smack into Mak’s Zoodiac Ratpier, harmlessly – it was boosted by Missus Radiant.  Mattila realized his error and attacked the Ratpier with Missus Radiant, then made a direct attack with Dinomight Knight, the True Dracofighter.

 

Mak was down to 5200 Life Points. He drew Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju, and Tributed away Mattila’s Zoodiac Drident to Special Summon the Gameciel to his opponent’s field.  He Normal Summoned Zoodiac Thoroughblade, then overlaid it with Boarbow, and used it as an Xyz Material for a Drident.  He entered his Battle Phase, sent his 2100 ATK Drident on Dinomight Knight, then attached Zoodiac Whiptail to Drident from his hand; Mattila Chained his Dinomight Knight’s effect to search True King’s Return, and Drident punched home 500 points of damage over Dinomight Knight, banishing it.

 

“What else… still in Battle Phase.”  Mak detached Zoodiac Boarbow to try and blast Dragonic Diagram, and Mattila Chained Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit’s effect from his hand. Both targets were destroyed. “Still in Battle Phase…”  Mak activated the effect of Zoodiac Combo in his Graveyard, sending Zoodiac Whiptail, Zoodiac Hammerkong, Zoodiac Drident, Zoodiac Boarbow, and Zoodiac Broadbull to their Decks.  That drew him Book of Moon, and he Set it to end his turn.

 

 

Play was back to Mattila, who activated True Draco Heritage, used its effect to Tribute Summon. He Tributed it for Ignis Heat, the True Dracowarrior.  When Mattila announced he was going to blow away Mak’s last face-down with Heritage’s effect, Mak swiftly conceded and moved into Side Decking.

 

A monster-heavy draw leaves Thomas Mak in a tough position, as Maxx “C” hits and hits hard, making Duel 1 all Mason Mattila’s!  One more like that and the Wisconsin Duelist would punch his ticket to the Top 8.

 

Mak opened Duel 2 with Dark Hole; Cosmic Cyclone; Pot of Desires; and two Pianissimo.  Not very good.  He’d need that Desires to pay off. He banished ten cards and drew… Fire Formation – Tenki and Zoodiac Thoroughblade!  That’s better.  He searched Zoodiac Ramram with Tenki, Normal Summoned Thoroughblade, and pitched Ramram to draw another Desires.  He overlaid Thoroughblade with Zoodiac Hammerkong, overlaid that with Zoodiac Broadbull, and detached Hammerkong to search his Deck for Zoodiac Whiptail.  He overlaid Broadbull with Zoodiac Chakanine, detached to revive Hammerkong, and then went into Zoodiac Tigermortar to put Zoodiac Ramram on Hammerkong.

 

Mak traded up his Tigermortar into Zoodiac Drident, Set three cards to his back row, and ended.

 

 

Mattila activated Raigeki and Mak Chained one Pianissimo, then another, saving his Hammerkong and Drident!  Mason was a bit surprised, but nodded approvingly as he considered his next move.  He Set one card to his back row, activated Dragonic Diagram, tried to use its effect, and lost his intended combo to Cosmic Cyclone – Mak banished his Terraforming.  That left him stuck destroying Zoodiac Ratpier from his hand, searching Disciples of the True Dracophoenix.

 

He activated Disciples, used its effect for a Summon, and Tributed it off for Ignis Heat, the True Dracowarrior.  Disciples destroyed Tenki and Mattila attacked Drident with Ignis Heat; Mak dropped a Whiptail on it; Mattila Chained Ignis Heat’s effect to search for True Draco Heritage; and then Mattila lost his Ignis Heat and took 200 points of Battle Damage.  Ignis Heat was banished by the Whiptail.

 

With two cards left in hand, Mattila activated Heritage, tried to draw with its effect, and Mak destroyed it on the Chain with Drident.  Mattila Set his last card to his back row.  Mak detached Ramram from Hammerkong.

 

Mak drew Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, detached an Xyz Material from Drident to destroy Dragonic Diagram, and overlaid Drident with Broadbull.  When he detached Drident for Broadbull’s effect, Mattila flipped Dimensional Barrier.

 

Now topdecking, Mattila drew to one in hand and activated Dark Hole!

 

Mak drew Magic Deflector.  He activated Pot of Desires to banish ten cards, drawing another Deflector plus Soul Charge!  He activated it, paid 4000 Life Points, and Special Summoned Zoodiac Thoroughblade, Zoodiac Whiptail, Zoodiac Ramram, and Zoodiac Drident!  He overlaid Thoroughblade with Zoodiac Chakanine, detached Ramram, revived it, and Linked Ramram and Chakanine for Missus Radiant.  He overlaid Whiptail with Hammerkong, then Drident, and Set both Magic Deflectors!  Mattila drew for his next turn and conceded!

 

 

Thomas Mak takes the second Duel about as easily as Mason Mattila took the first, gliding through Mattila’s set-up like a hot knife through… Duel… Butter?

 

Something like that.  Anyway, we’re going to Duel 3 and whoever loses this one is out, so, it’s gonna be rough beats for someone.

 

This match-up often favors the True Draco Zoodiac Duelist, and Mattila would have the advantage of going first, so Mak was probably feeling some pressure.  Only five minutes remained in the Match.  Both Duelists shook hands before hunkering down.

 

Mattila started with Dragonic Diagram, Set a card to his backrow, and destroyed it: True King’s Return.  That let him search his Deck for True Draco Heritage, he drew one card with it, and he Tributed it off for Dinomight Knight, the True Dracofighter using its extra Summon effect.  Mattila followed up with Pot of Desires, banishing ten cards to draw two, and Set two more cards to his back row.

 

Mak had Book of Moon; Zoodiac Whiptail; Zoodiac Ramram; Raigeki; and TWO copies of Pot of Desires.  He activated one of them to banish ten cards… but lost out to Mattila’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring!  He Normal Summoned Zoodiac Whiptail, overlaid it with Zoodiac Boarbow, used its ability to make a direct attack to Mattila’s Life Points, and moved to Main Phase 2 to overlay Boarbow with Zoodiac Drident.  He Set Book of Moon.

 

Mattila drew for his turn and time was called.  This was Turn 0, and three more turns would be played after this one.  Mattila activated the effect of Dragonic Diagram, destroyed his True King’s Return, and searched for Disciples of the True Dracophoenix.  He used True King’s Return to try and destroy Drident, and Mak Chained Drident’s effect on the Dinomight Knight, and Mattila Chained the Dinomight’s Knight effect.  Mattila added True Draco Apocalypse to his hand with Dinomight Knight’s ability, the Dinomight Knight was destroyed, and the Drident exploded to finish the Chain.

 

Mattila Set two more cards to his back row, leaving him with two cards in hand, and then replaced his on-field Dragonic Diagram with another.  He activated its effect to destroy his Set Disciples of the True Dracophoenix, searching for True Draco Heritage and destroying Mak’s Set Book of Moon.  Mattila activated True Draco Heritage and drew three cards!  He Normal Summoned Ratpier, used its effect to kick Zoodiac Thoroughblade to his Graveyard from his Deck, and overlaid Ratpier with Zoodiac Broadbull.  He detached Ratpier to search for Zoodiac Ramram with Broadbull.  Then he overlaid Broadbull with Chakanine.

 

He detached Broadbull to revive Thoroughblade, searched Dragonic Diagram with Terraforming, and activated it, destroying the previous one.  He used its effect to destroy Zoodiac Ramram from his hand, searched for Master Peace, the True Dracoslaying King, and used Ramram to revive Broadbull.  He threw Zoodiac Tigermortar over Chakanine, detached Chakanine, and attached Zoodiac Ramram to Broadbull.  He deatched it just as quickly to search for Zoodiac Whiptail with Broadbull, then used Heritage’s Summon effect to Tribute Heritage and Broadbull for the Summon of Master Peace.  He overlaid Boarbow, then Drident onto Tigermortar, and attacked with Thoroughblade and Master Peace.  He Set another card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

 

Turn 1 in time.  Mak was down to 3450 LP.  He drew Zoodiac Ratpier and Mattila immediately activated the effect of Maxx “C”!  Mak used Pot of Desires to banish ten and draw Pianissimo and Ash Blossom.  He activated Raigeki and destroyed Thoroughblade and Drident, leaving Master Peace on the field, immune.  He Normal Summoned Zoodiac Ramram, overlaid it with Zoodiac Hammerkong, then Zoodiac Chakanine.  Mattila drew two cards.  Mak activated Chakanine’s effect to detach, Mattila activated Dimensional Barrier, and Mak conceded the Match!

 

The YCS Chicago Champion may win another title yet, but not this weekend, as Mason Mattila moves on to the Top 8!