Canada’s Jesse Kotton qualified for the 2017 World Championship by earning the most Worlds Qualifier Points in all of Canada. Now he’s here in the United States, looking to add to his point count with a YCS victory. He’s hoping to take a quick win with his Pendulum Magician Deck this round, but Corey Stearman from Kentucky and his Trickstars are in his way. Both Duelists have a 6-2-1 record, so even a win may not guarantee a spot in the Top 32; but it’s each Duelist’s only shot. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Stearman started off Duel 1 by activating Trickstar Light Stage and used it to add Trickstar Candina to his hand. He Summoned it and used its effect to add Trickstar Reincarnation to his hand and then Set 3 cards to his back row.

Kotton opened up with Foolish Burial, 2 copies of Dragon Shrine, Supreme King Dragon Darkwurm, Oafdragon Magician, and Black Fang Magician. He activated Dragon Shrine to send Darkwurm to his Graveyard and lost 400 Life Points due to the effects of Candina and Light Stage. He Special Summoned Darkwurm from his Graveyard and then used Foolish Burial to send Mythical Beast Jackal King to his Graveyard, taking another 400 points of damage. He activated Black Fang Magician in his Pendulum Zone next, costing him another 400 Life Points. He used Black Fang’s effect to destroy it and halve the ATK of Candina, and then Special Summoned Jackal King from his Graveyard. He activated Oafdragon in his Pendulum Zone next, giving Jackal King 2 Spell Counters and losing another 400 Life Points, and then Normal Summoned Darkwurm. He activated its effect to add Supreme King Gate Zero to his hand. When he did, Stearman activated Trickstar Reincarnation. He Chained Droll & Lock Bird, and when Kotton used Jackal King’s effect to try to negate the Droll & Lock Bird, Stearman flipped Solemn Strike and gave up 1500 Life Points to negate the effect of Jackal King and destroy it! Kotton banished his hand from the Duel and couldn’t draw any more cards. Kotton combined his 2 Darkwurms to Xyz Summon Tornado Dragon, but lost out to another Solemn Strike.

Stearman Summoned another Candina on his next turn and used its effect. Kotton immediately conceded, realizing that he would be defeated on that very turn.

A strong hand for Stearman and a weak hand for Kotton allows Stearman to defeat the 2017 World Championship competitor in Duel 1!

Duel Two

Kotton opened up Duel 2 with Pendulum Call, Dragon Shrine, Astrograph Sorcerer, Supreme King Gate Zero, and Mythical Beast Jackal King.

He activated Dragon Shrine to send Darkwurm from his Deck to his Graveyard and then activated Pendulum Call, discarding Gate Zero to add Black Fang and Harmonizing Magician to his hand. He used Darkwurm’s effect to Special Summon it and add Gate Zero to his hand. Next, he Normal Summoned Harmonizing Magician and combined it with Darkwurm to Link Summon Heavymetalfoes Electrumite. He used Electrumite’s effect to send Chronograph Sorcerer to his Extra Deck and then placed Jackal King in his Pendulum Zone. He used Electrumite’s effect to destroy the Jackal King, add Chronograph to his hand, and then draw a card. Next, he placed Chronograph in his Pendulum Zone and traded it in to Special Summon Timegazer Magician from his Deck. He Special Summoned Astrograph from his hand next and used Astrograph’s effect to add another Chronograph to his hand. He sent Astrograph and Timegazer to the Graveyard to Link Summon Heavymetalfoes Electrumite and used Electrumite’s effect to send Supreme King Gate Infinity to his Extra Deck. He placed Chronograph in the Pendulum Zone, and then used Electrumite to destroy the Chronograph. He added Astrograph to his hand, Special Summoned it, and then used Astrograph’s effect to add a Chronograph to his hand. He activated Gate Zero and Chronograph in his Pendulum Zones and then combined his 2 Electrumites to Link Summon Zefra Metaltron. He Pendulum Summoned Chronograph Sorcerer, Supreme King Gate Infinity, and Jackal King from the Extra Deck Linked to Metaltron, and Pendulum Summoned Black Fang from his hand. He used Infinity’s effect to destroy Chronograph in his Pendulum Zone and place Infinity there, and Special Summoned Darkwurm from his Extra Deck. He then used Zero’s effect in his other Pendulum Zone to destroy Zero and Infinity and add Instant Fusion to his hand. He then combined Darkwurm and Chronograph to Summon Supreme King Dragon Starving Venom. He used Instant Fusion to Special Summon Lyrilusc – Independent Nightingale next and used its effect to deal 500 points of damage to Stearman. Next, he combined Metaltron and Lyrilusc to Link Summon Underclock Taker in the other Extra Monster Zone. He combined Black Fang and Astrograph to Summon another Supreme King Dragon Starving Venom. He used the effects of both Starving Venoms to copy Lyrilusc’s effect and inflict 4000 points of damage to Stearman with each!

Jesse Kotton wins Duel 2 on the first turn!

Duel Three

Stearman started off Duel 3 by Summoning Candina and activated its effect to add Trickstar Reincarnation to his hand.

He Set 2 cards to his back row and passed.

Kotton opened up with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Evenly Matched, Black Fang Magician, Supreme King Gate Zero, Twin Twisters, and Chronograph Sorcerer. He activated Chronograph in his Pendulum Zone, losing 200 Life Points to Candina, and used Chronograph’s effect to destroy it and Special Summon Timegazer from his Deck. He activated Twin Twisters next, discarding Evenly Matched to target Trickstar Reincarnation and Scapegoat on Stearman’s field. Kotton lost 200 Life Points for activating the Twisters, and Stearman Chained both cards! Stearman Special Summoned 4 Sheep Tokens to the field, and Kotton banished his hand, replacing it with a hand of Foolish Burial, Dragon Shrine, and Twin Twisters. Suffering a big downgrade in his hand, Kotton Set Twin Twisters and ended his turn.

Stearman combined 2 Sheep Tokens to Link Summon Missus Radiant and then returned Candina to his hand to Special Summon Lycoris. He Normal Summoned Candina next and used its effect to add Trickstar Light Stage to his hand. He activated the Light Stage, and Kotton Chained Twin Twisters, discarding Dragon Shrine to destroy it and stop Stearman from searching his Deck for a Trickstar. Kotton lost 200 Life Points for activating the Twin Twisters. Stearman combined his last 2 Sheep Tokens to Summon another Missus Radiant Linked to the one in his Extra Monster Zone, and then entered his Battle Phase. Trickstar Lycoris attacked and destroyed Timegazer Magician, and then both copies of Missus Radiant and Candina attacked directly, dropping Kotton to 800 Life Points.

Kotton drew a card, dropping to 600 Life Points due to Lycoris’s effect, and then Stearman used Trickstar Reincarnation! Kotton banished the 2 cards in his hand to draw 2 more, falling to 200 Life Points. He immediately conceded, unable to play a Spell Card without losing at the hands of Trickstar Candina.

Corey Stearman takes down 2017 World Championship competitor Jesse Kotton to finish the Swiss Rounds with a 7-2-1 record using Trickstars!