Jesse Kotton may be the hardest working man in Dueling. When the World Qualifying Point system was introduced to give Duelists a new path to the World Championship, Kotton leapt on the opportunity and traveled to dozens of tournaments across North America.  The result was a smooth grind to the 2017 Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME World Championship in Tokyo; the sheer volume of Regional Qualifiers and YCS tournaments Kotton competed in put him on a straight shot to the most prestigious tournament of the year.

 

Then he did it again this year, traveling week in and week out to punch his second ticket to Japan, this time competing in the 2018 Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME World Championship in Chiba.  And while the competition was a little bit tighter in the World Qualifying Point rankings the second time around, Kotton finished at the top of the heap once again.

 

And now he’s here, back in Canada just hours away from his home in the city of Vaughan.  And he’s playing Thunder Dragons.

 

His opponent is another Ontarioan Duelist! Dakota Tomines traveled this weekend from Brampton, just northwest of Toronto.  Tomines is no stranger to the Feature Match table; he was featured before at YCS Toronto, and he’s a regular at Untouchables Sports Cards and Gaming in Mississauga, one of the GTA’s most popular stores for Duelists.  He’s also no stranger to Jesse Kotton – they’ve played eachother many times before at local tournaments (though never in a premier event like today’s).

 

Kotton chose to start the Duel, and opened with a hand of Pot of Desires; Chaos DragonLevianeer; Batteryman Solar; One forOne; and Thunder Dragonmatrix. He Normal Summoned Solar to send Thunder Dragondark from his Deck to his Graveyard.  He followed up with Onefor One, discarding Thunder Dragonmatrixto Special Summon another copy from his Deck.  That let him Special Summon a Batteryman Token with Batteryman Solar, and he combined it with Thunder Dragonmatrix to Link Summon Some Summer Summoner.  That got him his third Dragonmatrix.

 

“Activate Pot of Desires.”  Kotton banished ten cards and drew Instant Fusion and ThunderDragon Fusion.  He inspected the cards he banished for a moment: “Thinking.”  He riffled his hand and considered his options for a few moments before Special Summoning Chaos DragonLevianeer, banishing all the monsters from his Graveyard and searching Thunder Dragonhawk with the effect of Thunder Dragondark.  He pitched the Dragonhawk to Special Summon Dragondark, Tributed Batteryman Solar to bring out Thunder Dragon Colossus, and InstantFusioned to Special Summon Kaminari Attack.

 

From there Kotton used Kaminari Attack and Some Summer Summoner to Link Summon Summon Sorceress!  He activated Thunder Dragon Fusion to shuffle back Dragonhawk and two copies of Dragonmatrix and Fusioned Summoned Thunder Dragon Titan.  Placing it in one of Summon Sorceress’ linked Zones let him Special Summon Thunder Dragonroar from his Deck, and he traded in his Sorceress and Dragondark forReprodocusin the other Extra Monster Zone.  He then used Reprodocus to turn Chaos Dragon Levianeer into a Thunder and Tributed it for another Thunder Dragon Colossus.  Moments later he had Knightmare Unicorn and Thunder Dragonhawk on the field as well, and he sacked off the Dragonhawk for a third Colossus!

 

 

Tomines fired back with his own Batteryman Solar, using its effect to send ThunderDragonhawk to his Graveyard from his Deck.  He activated Allure of Darkness, drew two cards, and banished Thunder Dragonroar to complete Allure’s effect.  He activated Dragonroar’s ability, Kotton considered his options, and he chained Dragonmatrix to destroy Tomines’ Batteryman Solar with Titan.  Tomines shook his head a moment showing some displeasure with that turn of events; he searched his deck to Summon Thunder Dragondark, then banished another Thunder Dragonhawk with Gold Sarcophagus.

 

Tomines used Dragonhawk’s effect to shuffle three cards from his hand back to his Deck, looking for some sort of solution to his “My opponent has four massive Fusion Monsters” problem.  He drew three cards, none of which were helpful: “This is so brutal.  I guess pass.”   Tomines’ Dragondark bounced to his hand in the End Phase and it only took him a few moments to concede the first Duel.

 

Jesse Kotton demonstrates that level of flexibile combo knowledge that made him such a great Gouki player, busting out a ridiculous first-turn field of Knightmare Unicorn, Thunder DragonTitan, and three Thunder Dragon Colossus!  Dakota Tomines made a valiant effort, but just couldn’t fight through that much of a handicap.  But he’d have a shot to do the same to Kotton in Duel 2.

 

Tomines opted to let Kotton go first.  This time Kotton had a hand of Black Luster Soldier –Envoy of the Beginning; Infinite Impermanence; Thunder Dragondark; and two GoldSarcophagus.  He used the first Sarc to banish Thunder Dragondark, Special Summoning Thunder Dragonmatrix from his Deck. The second Gold Sarcophagus banished another Thunder Dragondark, getting him Thunder Dragonhawk.  He combined them to Link Summonn Some Summer Summoner, and doing so got him another Thunder Dragonmatrix from his Deck.  He Normal Summoned it, and Tributed it to Summon Thunder Dragon Colossus.  He traded his Some Summer Summonerfor another Colossus and Set Infinite Impermanence.

 

Tomines took Kotton’s Colossus from his Main Monster Zone with Mind Control!  Then he took the second Colossus with another Mind Control!  He followed up with Batteryman Solar, kicking Thunder Dragonroar to the Graveyard, and he pitched Thunder Dragonhawk from his hand to Special Summon back the Dragonroar  That activated Batteryman Solar’s effect to Special Summon a Batteryman Token and he linked it with Thunder Dragonroar to Link Summon Some Summer Summoner.  Dragonroar Summoned Thunder Dragondark from Tomines’ Deck and he pitched a Thunder Dragon classic from his hand to search two more copies.

 

 

Tomines continued on, banishing a Thunder Dragon from his hand and one of the pilfered copies of Thunder Dragon Colossus from the field to Summon Thunder Dragon Titan.  He used Thunder Dragondark and Some Summer Summoner to Link Summon Summon Sorceress!  That got him Thunder Dragon Fusion and he Special Summoned Thunder Dragonmatrix.  One giant Link Summon later he was left with Thunder Dragon Titan and Borrelsword Dragon.

 

Tomines entered his Battle Phase and Kotton flipped Infinite Impermanence.  Tomines attacked, and in Main Phase 2 he activated Thunder Dragon Fusion to shuffle back ThunderDragonmatrix and Thunder Dragon from his Graveyard and removed zone: out came ThunderDragon Colossus.  “Pass turn.”

 

Kotton drew Book of Eclipse.  “Main Phase 1?”

 

“Yep.”

 

Kotton played the Book, and Tomines reeled backwards in his seat!  Everything but BorrelswordDragon went face-down, and Kotton banished Thunder Dragonmatrix and Thunder Dragonroar to Special Summon Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning!  He placed Dragonroar as Chain Link 1, Dragonmatrix as Chain Link 2, and…Then realized he had no more copies of Thunder Dragonmatrix in his Deck.  Misplay.  He revealed his deck to Tomines to prove the situation, then resolved Thunder Dragonroar’s effect Special Summoning Thunder Dragondark.

 

Kotton visibly slowed down in response to his own mistake, then chose to banish Borrelsword Dragon with Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning’s effect.  He then used the Envoy and Thunder Dragondark to Link Summon Reprodocus, searching Thunder Dragonduo.  He Summoned it, Hawked back his last card to his deck, Thunder Dragondark, and got… another Thunder Dragondark.  Kotton burst out laughing.

 

“Did you just draw exactly what you put back?” asked Tomines.

 

“Yyyyyyup!” Kotton laughed some more.  “I don’t know what I can do about that!” Kotton’s hope for a 2-0 win was clearly starting to wane.

 

Tomines laughed sympathetically.  Kotton attacked his face-down Thunder Dragon Colossus with Thunder Dragonduo and Tomines banished Thunder Dragonroar from his hand to keep his Colossus on the field. Banishing Dragonroar let him Special Summon a Dragondark.  Kotton Link Summoned Knightmare Unicorn to finish out.

 

 

Tomines banished Thunder Dragon Fusion from his Graveyard to use its effect, searched his Deck to grab Thunder Dragonhawk, Normal Summoned Batteryman Solar to send ThunderDragonmatrix to his Graveyard, and activated Dragonhawk’s effect to bring back Thunder Dragonroar and score a Batteryman Token.  He linked for his own Knightmare Unicorn, bumped Kotton’s back to the Extra Deck with the Unicorn’s effect, and searched another Dragonmatrix.  That was all Tomines needed for the win and Kotton conceded immediately, looking to get to the third Duel as quickly as possible.

 

 

Dakota Tomines makes a huge going-second play with double Mind Controls, and Book of Eclipse just can’t dig Jesse Kotton out of the hole!  Nine minutes remained in the round as both competitors hurriedly Side Decked.  Both wished each other good luck.

 

Tomines opened with Gold Sarcophagus banishing Thunder Dragonroar, Summoning ThunderDragondark.  He pitched one Thunder Dragon to search his Deck for two more copies, Tribute Summoned one, and used the effect of Dragondark to get Thunder Dragonhawk. He used Dragonhawk to Special Summon Dragonroar, then Tributed Roar for Thunder Dragon Colossus.  He Set one card to his backrow to finish.

 

Kotton had Batteryman Solar; Pot of Desires; Thunder Dragonroar; Thunder Dragon; ThunderDragonduo; and Thunder Dragonmatrix.  He activated Desires to draw Thunder Dragon Fusion and another Pot of Desires, banishing ten cards in the process – not great.  He Normal Summoned Batteryman Solar to send Thunder Dragonhawk to his Graveyard, discarded Dragonroar, and Tomines responded with Called by the Grave banishing the Dragonroar to shut it down!  Kotton Tributed Solar for Thunder Dragon Colossus, attacked Tomines’ ThunderDragon for 1000 Battle Damage and moved to Main Phase 2.

 

Three minutes remained in the Match.  Kotton Set Thunder Dragon Fusion and Pot of Desires to end.

 

Tomines had Mind Control again!  He took Kotton’s Thunder Dragon Colossus, banished Thunder Dragondark from his Deck with Gold Sarcophagus and searched Thunder DragonFusion.  He used both Thunder Dragon Colossuses to Link Summon Some Summer Summoner, activated Thunder Dragon Fusion to Fusion Summon Thunder Dragon Titan, and pitched a Thunder Dragon to pop one of Kotton’s set bluffs: Thunder Dragon Fusion.  Another discard destroyed the Pot of Desires, and Tomines moved to his Battle Phase just in time to attack and lock the game as time was called!

 

 

Jesse Kotton takes a massive win in the first Duel with four Fusion Monsters on Turn 1, but Dakota Tomines dominates in games 2 and 3 to win the Match and start his day here at YCS Niagara with 1-0 record!