Welcome to the 200^th Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series!  This event is so big, it can’t be held in just one location!  We’re in Columbus, Ohio but there are two other events in Mexico City and Utrecht, Netherlands.  We have 2,774 here in Columbus, and we’re featuring a Deck that got a boost from the latest Forbidden and Limited List update: Kozmo!  With Kozmo Dark Destroyer and Limiter Removal now Semi-Limited instead of Limited, Duelists are taking another look at the strategy.  Jacob Tipton from Springfield, Ohio is taking on John Knox III from Washington, D.C.  Knox is running Trickstars, a popular choice over the last Dueling season which punishes Duelists for making the plays that they’d normally need to make in order to win.  How will Kozmo fare in the new Advanced Format?  It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Knox won the roll and elected to go first. He started off with Terraforming to add Trickstar Light Stage from his Deck to his hand which was immediately activated to add Trickstar Lycoris from his Deck to his hand.  Next, he Normal Summoned Trickstar Candina and used its effect to add Trickstar Reincarnation from his Deck to his hand.  He had Trickstar Lycoris and Trickstar Candina swap places, he Set 3 cards to the back and passed.

Tipton drew Pot of Desires to add to his hand of Kozmo Sliprider, Kozmo Tincan, Kozmo Strawman, Kozmo Forerunner and Kozmo Farmgirl.  He Normal Summoned Farmgirl. Knox activated Gozen Match, Tipton chained Farmgirl’s effect, banishing it but Knox chained Trickstar Reincarnation to make Tipton banish his hand and draw a new one.  Farmgirl’s effect resolved and he Special Summoned a Sliprider that he drew.  In a new chain, Sliprider destroyed Knox’s Set Imperial Order.  Tipton was left with 6400 LP. He then activated Allure of Darkness, drawing 2 cards and banishing Juragedo from his hand. Kozmo Sliprider attacked and destroyed Trickstar Lycoris, leaving Knox at 7300.  Tipton Set Kozmojo and passed.

Knox used Trickstar Light Stage’s effect to freeze Tipton’ Set Kozmojo which Tipton chained to destroy his own Sliprider and banish the Trickstar Reincarnation in Knox’s Graveyard.  Sliprider’s effect allowed Tipton to banish it from the Graveyard to Special Summon Kozmoll Wickedwitch from his Deck.  Knox Normal Summoned Trickstar Candina and tried to use the effect but Tipton chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring from his hand to negate the effect.

Tipton drew Malefic Cyber End Dragon!  He banished the original Cyber End Dragon from his Extra Deck to Special Summon the Malefic Cyber End Dragon! (Malefic monsters require an active Field Spell, which Knox’s Trickstar Light Stage satisfies.) Malefic Cyber End Dragon attacked and destroyed Knox’s Trickstar Candina, leaving Knox at 5100 to Tipton’s 5800.  (Kozmoll Wickedwitch can’t attack due to Malefic Cyber End Dragon’s effect). 

Knox activated Pot of Desires, banishing the top 10 cards to draw 2 more.  He Special Summoned Cyber Dragon and attacked Tipton’s Wickedwitch.  Tipton activated her effect, paying 1000 to protect it from battle and card effects this turn.  Knox Set a monster and passed.

Tipton drew and activated another Allure of Darkness, drawing 2 and banishing Kozmo Soartroopers.  He Normal Summoned another Soartroopers and used its effect, banishing it to Special Summon Kozmoll Dark Witch. Malefic Cyber End Dragon attacked over Knox’s Cyber Dragon.

Knox Set another monster and passed.

Tipton drew Reasoning.  He looked at his Extra Deck, then Malefic Cyber End Dragon attacked Knox’s face-down D.D. Crow.

Knox Set a card to the back and another monster and passed.

Tipton attacked with Malefic Cyber End Dragon to destroy Knox’s Set Droll & Lock Bird.

Knox Set a second backrow and another monster and passed.

Tipton tributed Knox’s Set Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit for Radian, the Multidimensional Kaiju. Malefic Cyber End Dragon attacked over Radian, the Multidimensional Kaiju, destroying it.

Knox Set another backrow and passed.

Tipton drew Kozmo Strawman. Malefic Cyber End Dragon attacked and destroyed Knox’s Set Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.

Knox drew, then activated Trickstar Reincarnation, making Tipton banish his hand and draw a new one.

Tipton drew Kozmo Dark Destroyer!  His other 3 cards were Juragedo, Call of the Haunted and Kozmo Tincan. Malefic Cyber End Dragon attacked directly but Knox used the in-grave Trickstar Reincarnation to revive a Trickstar Candina hoping to save his LP but Tipton activated Wickedwitch’s effect, banishing it to Special Summon the Kozmo Dark Destroyer from his hand.  Its effect would destroy Knox’s Trickstar Candina and allow Malefic Cyber End Dragon to continue its direct attack but Knox conceded we’re moving on to the second Duel!

Duel 2

Knox elected to go first. He started with Trickstar Light Stage to add Trickstar Lycoris from his Deck to his hand.  He then Normal Summoned Trickstar Candina and used the effect to add Trickstar Reincarnation from his Deck to his hand.  He then used Trickstar Lycoris’s effect to have it and Trickstar Candina switch placed.  He Set one to the back (likely Trickstar Reincarnation) and passed.

Tipton activated Kozmotown.  He used its effect, shuffling Kozmo Tincan into the Deck to draw Kozmo Strawman.  The burn damage from the Trickstar effects left Tipton at 7200 LP.  He Normal Summoned Kozmo Strawman, Set Kozmojo and Call of the Haunted and passed.

Knox used Trickstar Light Stage’s effect, targeting the Set Kozmojo which was chained.  Knox chained Trickstar Reincarnation, forcing Tipton to banish another Kozmotown and Kozmo Tincan from his hand to draw Solemn Strike and Allure of Darkness.  Tipton used Kozmojo to banish Knox’s Trickstar Lycoris.  Knox then Normal Summoned Trickstar Candina and used its effect to add another Trickstar Light Stage which was activated over the first one to add another Trickstar Lycoris from his Deck to his hand.  He then used Trickstar Light Stage’s effect to freeze the final backrow. Trickstar Candina attacked directly, then Knox used 2 copies of Trickstar Lycoris to come to the field.  In the End Phase, Tipton activated Call of the Haunted to bring back Kozmo Strawman.

Tipton drew Card of Demise.  Tipton conceded and we’re going to a third and final Duel!

Duel 3

Tipton elected to go first. He started off with Kozmotown, using its effect to shuffle Kozmo Soartroopers and Kozmo Dark Destroyer from his hand back into the Deck to draw Imperial Order and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.  Knox activated Droll & Lock Bird after the chain resolved to prevent further searching or drawing this turn.  Knox Set Call of the Haunted, Imperial Order and Kozmo Tincan and passed.

Knox activated Pot of Desires but Tipton chained Imperial Order to negate the effect.  Knox Normal Summoned Trickstar Lycoris and attacked into Knox’s Kozmo Tincan, destroying it.  Knox Set a card to the back.  In the End Phase, Tipton activated his Set Call of the Haunted to Special Summon Kozmo Tincan and used its effect, paying 500 and selecting Kozmo Dark Destroyer, Kozmo Sliprider and Kozmo Dark Eclipser.  Dark Eclipser went to Tipton’s hand and the others went to the Graveyard.  Still in the End Phase, Tipton activated Kozmo Tincan’s other effect, banishing it to Special Summon the Dark Eclipser he just added to his hand.

Tipton drew Allure of Darkness.  He took 200 from Lycoris then paid 700 to keep Imperial Order on the field.  Knox activated Trickstar Reincarnation to make Tipton banish Allure of Darkness and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to draw Kozmo Tincan and another Allure of Darkness.  After the chain resolved, Knox activated another Trickstar Reincarnation and chained Droll & Lock Bird to make Knox banish his hand and draw nothing.  However, he still has a Dark Eclipser on the field.  He attacked over Knox’s Trickstar Lycoris.

Knox drew for turn, Tipton paying another 700. Knox had to pass with an empty field.

Tipton drew for turn, paying another 700 for Imperial Order.  Life Points were 4800 to 6600.  He tried to attack with Dark Eclipser, but Knox used Trickstar Reincarnation to revive Trickstar Lycoris to protect his LP.  Lycoris blocked the attack and Knox passed the turn back to Tipton.

Knox drew (Tipton paid another 700 LP), used Trickstar Reincarnation to revive Trickstar Lycoris, he Set one to the back and passed.

Tipton paid 700 LP once again. Kozmo Dark Eclipser to attack Trickstar Lycoris, destroying it.

Tipton paid another 700 LP. Knox Set another and passed.

Tipton paid 700 LP once again, then tributed Kozmo Dark Eclipser to Summon Kozmo Sliprider.  He used its effect to destroy his own Imperial Order, turning his Spells back on and stopping the LP payment during every Standby Phase (a concern because the end of the round is coming up soon.)  He used Kozmotown’s effect to add Kozmo Tincan back to his hand, but Knox chained Ring of Destruction to destroy Kozmo Sliprider, leaving the Duel at 100 LP to Knox’s 4300 LP.  He used Kozmo Sliprider’s effect to Special Summon Kozmoll Wickedwitch.  He attacked for 1900 putting Knox at 2400 LP.  Knox then used Wickedwitch’s effect banishing it to Special Summon Kozmo Forerunner which attacked directly to end the match!

Jacob Tipton shows the power of the Kozmo Deck to end the Duel if given an opening, starting the tournament with a 1-0 record!