Matthew Mastalarek from Rocky Hill, Connecticut and Demonte Outlaw from Portsmouth, Virginia are both currently 3-0 at the 200^th YCS here in Columbus, Ohio. Mastalarek is using a Trickstar Deck featuring 3 copies of Cyber Dragon. Trickstars are anticipated to be one of the strongest Deck types in the new Advanced Format, and Mastalarek is hoping that his use of Cyber Dragon for access to Chimeratech Fortress Dragon and Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon will give him an edge in the tournament that other Trickstar Duelists are lacking. But Cyber Dragon is unlikely to help him in this round. His opponent, Demonte Outlaw, is using a True Draco Deck that’s reliant on neither Machine-type monsters nor Extra Deck cards. Will Mastalarek be able to win in spite of that? It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Mastalarek opened up Duel 1 with Trickstar Light Stage, Scapegoat, Trickstar Lycoris, Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, and Effect Veiler.

He activated Light Stage to add Trickstar Candina to his hand and then Summoned Candina and used its effect to add Trickstar Reincarnation to his hand. He returned Candina to his hand to Special Summon Trickstar Lycoris in Defense Position and then Set Scapegoat and Reincarnation to his back row.

Outlaw drew a card and lost 400 Life Points. He Set 5 cards to his back row and then flipped over his face-down Terraforming to add Dragonic Diagram to his hand. He lost 400 Life Points in the process, and then Mastalarek flipped Reincarnation to force Outlaw to banish his hand of Imperial Order and Diagram. He drew 2 new cards and lost another 600 Life Points. Next, Outlaw flipped Pot of Duality, revealing Card of Demise, There Can Be Only One, and The Monarchs Erupt from the top of his Deck. He added There Can Be Only One to his hand and lost another 400 Life Points.  He Set a card to his back row and then activated Card of Demise to draw 2 cards, losing another 600 Life Points to Light Stage and Lycoris. He Set 1 of them and then Tributed the newly Set True Draco Apocalypse to Summon Ignis Heat, the True Dracowarrior. He used Apocalypse’s effect to destroy Lycoris, Set 2 cards to his back row, and then flipped his face-down Disciples. In the End Phase, Mastalarek flipped Scapegoat to Special Summon 4 Sheep Tokens.

Mastalarek drew Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and then Outlaw flipped Anti-Spell Fragrance, There Can Be Only One, and Rivalry of Warlords. Mastalarek cleared his field of 3 Sheep Tokens. Mastalarek used the effect of Light Stage, and Outlaw Chained the effect of Ignis Heat. Mastalarek Chained Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit from his hand to destroy Ignis Heat, and Outlaw Chained the face-down card targeted by Light Stage: True King’s Return. Ignis Heat was destroyed, and Outlaw added True Draco Heritage to his hand. Mastalarek ended his turn, and Outlaw used True King’s Return in the End Phase to Special Summon Ignis Heat.

Outlaw switched Ignis Heat into Attack Position and attacked a Sheep Token to destroy it.

Mastalarek Summoned Trickstar Candina and activated its effect to add Trickstar Lilybell to his hand. He passed.

Outlaw’s Ignis Heat attacked and destroyed Candina.

Mastalarek Summoned Lilybell and attacked directly with it. He returned Candina to his hand with its effect. He Set Pot of Desires to his back row before passing.

Outlaw attacked Lilybell with Ignis Heat to destroy it, dropping Mastalarek down to 5800 Life Points.

Mastalarek drew a card and then flipped Pot of Desires to banish the top 10 cards of his Deck face-down and draw 2 cards. He Summoned Candina and used its effect to add Trickstar Reincarnation from his Deck to his hand. He Set it and then passed.

Outlaw drew a card and passed.

Mastalarek drew Terraforming and then switched his Candina to Defense Position. He Set a monster face-down and then Set a card to his back row.

Outlaw attacked Mastalarek’s face-down Effect Veiler to destroy it and then ended his turn.

Mastalarek drew a card and then flipped Terraforming to add Trickstar Light Stage from his Deck to his hand. He Set another Effect Veiler and passed.

Outlaw attacked and destroyed Mastalarek’s face-down Effect Veiler. Since he had 7 cards in his hand, he discarded Rivalry of Warlords from his hand in the End Phase.

Mastalarek drew a card and Set a monster once again.

Outlaw attacked and destroyed the face-down Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and then discarded Majesty Maiden, the True Dracocaster.

Mastalarek drew Infinite Impermanence and then flipped Trickstar Reincarnation. Outlaw banished all 6 cards from his hand and drew 6 new cards. Mastalarek Set the Infinite Impermanence and another Ash Blossom before passing.

Outlaw attacked the face-down Ash Blossom to destroy it and then discarded Lose 1 Turn from his hand in the End Phase.

Mastalarek flipped his face-down Infinite Impermanence in the zone across from Rivalry of Warlords to negate the effects of Ignis Heat and Rivalry and then Normal Summoned Droll & Lock Bird. He combined Droll & Lock Bird with Candina to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix and then discarded a card from his hand to destroy There Can Be Only One. He banished a Trickstar Reincarnation from his Graveyard to Special Summon a Candina to his field, prompting Outlaw to use the effect of True King’s Return to Tribute the True King’s Return for Majesty Maiden. He used the effect of the True King’s Return to destroy Knightmare Phoenix, and then Mastalarek banished another Reincarnation from his Graveyard to Special Summon Trickstar Lilybell in Attack Position. He returned Lilybell to his hand to Special Summon Lycoris, and then used Lilybell’s effect to Special Summon it back to the field in Attack Position. He used Lycoris and Candina to Link Summon Trickstar Holly Angel, pointing to Lilybell, and then attacked directly with Lilybell to inflict 1000 points of damage and return a Lycoris from his Graveyard to his hand. He then returned Lilybell to his hand to Special Summon Lycoris linked to Holly Angel, inflicting 400 points of damage to Outlaw.

Outlaw drew a card and lost 400 Life Points due to the effects of Light Stage and Lycoris. Holly Angel gained 200 ATK. Outlaw attacked Lycoris with Majesty Maiden, but it couldn’t be destroyed in battle due to the effect of Holly Angel. Ignis Heat attacked and destroyed Holly Angel next, and Outlaw Set 2 cards to his back row and 1 card to his Field Spell Zone in Main Phase 2.

Mastalarek drew a card and then Normal Summoned Trickstar Lilybell. Outlaw flipped True Draco Apocalypse and sent his Disciples to the Graveyard to halve the ATK of Lilybell and destroy Trick Stage with the effect of his Disciples. Mastalarek entered his Battle Phase and Outlaw flipped The Monarchs Erupt to negate the effects of all non-Tribute monsters! Mastalarek Set a Light Stage before passing.

Outlaw Tributed Apocalypse to Summon Dinomight Knight, the True Dracofighter and used the Apocalypse’s effect to destroy Lycoris.  He then used the effect of Diagram, and Mastalarek conceded, uncertain if he would survive the turn, but sure that he wouldn’t be able to make a comeback in the Duel.

Demonte Outlaw creates a nearly unbreakable set-up early on to take the first win with his True Dracos!

Duel Two

Mastalarek opened up Duel 2 with Pot of Desires, Eater of Millions, Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, and 2 copies of Infinite Impermanence. He activated Pot of Desires and banished the top 10 cards of his Deck face-down to draw Light Stage and Candina! He activated the Light Stage to add a Lycoris to his hand and then Normal Summoned Candina. He used its effect to add a Trickstar Reincarnation to his hand and then Set 2 Infinite Impermanences and the Reincarnation face-down.

Outlaw Set 5 cards to his back row and then Tributed his face-down Apocalypse to Summon Dinomight Knight.

He used Apocalypse’s effect to try to destroy Candina, and Mastalarek returned Candina to his hand to Special Summon Lycoris. Outlaw Chained the effect of his Dinomight Knight, and Mastalarek used Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit to destroy it. Outlaw activated True King’s Return from his Deck with Dinomight Knight’s effect, and then used Pot of Duality to add Majesty Maiden to his hand. Mastalarek flipped Reincarnation to banish it and force Outlaw to draw another card, and then Outlaw activated True Draco Heritage and used its effect to draw 2 cards.

Mastalarek used his Light Stage’s effect to pin down one of Outlaw’s back row cards and then Summoned Trickstar Candina and used its effect to add Trickstar Lycoris from his Deck to his hand. He attacked with Lycoris, and when Outlaw used the effect of True King’s Return, Mastalarek used Ghost Ogre to destroy True King’s Return! True King’s Return attempted to destroy Candina, and Outlaw returned it to his hand to Special Summon Lycoris. An attack from Lycoris brought Outlaw down to 4800 Life Points.

Outlaw drew a card and dropped to 4000 Life Points. He activated Disciples and then activated Twin Twisters by discarding a Disciples. He destroyed both of Mastalarek’s face-down Infinite Impermanences and then used the effect of his on-field Disciples to shuffle 3 cards from his Graveyard back into his Deck and draw a card. He drew Card of Demise! He activated it to draw 3 cards, dropping down to just 1600 Life Points due to the effects of Lycoris. Outlaw Tributed Apocalypse to Summon Ignis Heat and used the Apocalypse’s effect to destroy a Lycoris. He attacked the other Lycoris next. He used Pot of Duality, and Mastalarek Chained a Trickstar Reincarnation from his Graveyard to Special Summon Lycoris; but its effect was negated by Lose 1 Turn. Outlaw Set a card and then passed his turn, discarding his hand.

Mastalarek drew a card and Set a monster along with Evenly Matched. Outlaw flipped The Monarchs Erupt.

Outlaw used the effect of Disciples to draw a card and then attacked a face-down Candina to destroy it. At the end of the Battle Phase, Mastalarek flipped Evenly Match, forcing Outlaw to banish all but 3 cards! Outlaw Chained the effect of his Ignis Heat and then kept Lose 1 Turn, Rivalry, and Ignis Heat on his field, banishing the rest. In Main Phase 2, Outlaw Set 3 cards to his back row and passed.

Mastalarek drew a card and Outlaw flipped The Monarchs Erupt in the Draw Phase. Time in the round was called, and with Mastalarek up 8000 Life Points to 1600 Life Points at the end of the Draw Phase, Mastalarek was declared the winner of the Duel! With one win each, the Match was a draw!

Matthew Mastalarek and Demonte Outlaw advance in the tournament with a 3-0-1 record!