The Top 4 Duel features two Duelists from outside the United States. Raphael Neven, from the Netherlands, is a two-time YCS Champion packing an Orcust strategy. He’s facing off against Andres Torres, from Colombia, who is also a YCS Champion and a UDS Champion as well! Torres is using Thunder Dragons today. It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Neven won the dice roll and chose to play first. He played Orcustrated Return, discarding Orcust Knightmare, then played Armageddon Knight to send Orcust Harp Horror to the Graveyard. He banished Harp Horror to Special Summon Orcust Cymbal Skeleton. He used his monsters to play Galatea, the Orcust Automaton, then used Orcust Knightmare to send World Legacy – “World Wand” to the Graveyard. He banished it to Special Summon Orcust Knightmare. He used Galatea’s effect to Set and subsequently activate Orcustrated Babel from the Deck. He played Dingirsu, the Orcust of the Evening Star and attached his Harp Horror as an Xyz Material. He then used Dingirsu and Orcust Knightmare to play a new Galatea. Torres Special Summoned Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay for some new cards. Neven Set a back row card.

Torres had a hand of Thunder Dragon Fusion, Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay, Thunder Dragonhawk, Gold Sarcophagus, Thunder Dragonroar, and Aloof Lupine. He drew Allure of Darkness and activated it to draw another Allure of Darkness and Thunder Dragon Fusion, and banished Dragonroar. Dragonroar Special Summoned Thunder Dragondark. He then used Dragonhawk to Special Summon Dragonroar. He Tributed Dragondark to play Thunder Dragon Colossus, and added Thunder Dragon to his hand. He discarded it to add one more Thunder Dragon to his hand, then played Thunder Dragon Fusion! He returned the Thunders in his Graveyard back into his Deck to play Thunder Dragon Titan. Neven used Cymbal Skeleton to Special Summon Dingirsu and send Titan to the Graveyard. Torres used Thunder Dragon to add one more copy to his hand. He played Allure of Darkness, drawing Dragondark and Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay. He banished Aloof Lupine. He then Tributed Dragonroar for a second Thunder Dragon Colossus, and stacked both of them to Xyz Summon Number 68: Sanaphond the Sky Prison. It detached an Xyz Material for its effect, preventing Neven from Special Summoning from the Graveyard until the end of the next turn. He used Thunder Dragon once again, adding the final copy to his hand. He moved to the Battle Phase and sent Phantazmay to attack Galatea, and Neven used Orcust Knightmare to send World Wand to the Graveyard, increasing Galatea’s ATK enough to win the battle. Galatea then Set Orcust Crescendo, and Harp Horror Special Summoned Cymbal Skeleton.

Neven used Orcustrated Return, sending Cymbal Skeleton to the Graveyard. He then banished World Wand to Special Summon his banished Harp Horror. He used Harp Horror and Galatea to play Longirsu, the Orcust Orchestrator, then banished Harp Horror to Special Summon Orcust Knightmare. He activated Instant Fusion, bringing forth El Shaddoll Winda. He used Longirsu’s effect to send Torres’s Phantazmay to the Graveyard, then used Longirsu to play Dingirsu. It sent Sanaphond to the Graveyard. He attacked with both copies of Dingirsu and Set a card. He used Dingirsu’s effect to prevent the destruction of Winda in the End Phase. In the End Phase, Torres used Dragondark to add another Dragondark to his hand.

Torres drew Thunder Dragonduo. He banished Thunder Dragon Fusion from his Graveyard to add another Dragonduo to his hand. He banished Thunder Dragon and Dragondark from the Graveyard to Special Summon it, and Dragondark’s effect added Dragonhawk to his hand. He sent Dragonduo to destroy Winda in battle, and added Thunder Dragonmatrix to his hand. In Main Phase 2 he activated Thunder Dragon Fusion, returning a Thunder Dragon Colossus and two Thunder Dragons to their respective Decks to play Thunder Dragon Titan. He activated Thunder Dragon from his hand, and used Titan to destroy Neven’s Set Orcust Crescendo. Torres added a single Thunder Dragon to his hand, then used it as well. Neven banished Crescendo from his Graveyard, adding Harp Horror to his hand. Torres continued, resolving the Thunder Dragon to add his last one to his hand. He used Dragonhawk next, Special Summoning Dragonroar, and Titan destroyed Orcustrated Babel. He then used Titan and Dragonroar to play Some Summer Summoner. Dragonroar Special Summoned Dragonmatrix from his Deck. He Special Summoned Dragonduo, banishing his Fusion Monsters, then stacked it with his other Dragonduo to play his own Dingirsu! Its effect sent Neven’s Set Monster Reborn to the Graveyard. Torres Tributed Dragonmatrix to play Thunder Dragon Colossus, then used that and the Dragonmatrix in his hand to play Titan. He Tributed Summer Summoner to play another Colossus. Finally, he passed the turn with all his monsters in Defense Position.

Neven used Babel’s effect, discarding Nibiru, the Primal Being to add it back to his hand. He must have just drawn Nibiru, since he didn’t use it on the previous turn. He activated Babel, and Torres used Dragondark’s effect immediately. He added another Dragondark to his hand, and Titan destroyed Babel. Neven Normal Summoned Harp Horror, using all four of his monsters to play Topologic Bomber Dragon. Torres Special Summoned Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay from his hand, keeping a Trap Trick in his hand. Neven used Orcust Knightmare to send Cymbal Skeleton to the Graveyard and give Topologic Bomber Dragon an extra 300 ATK. He then used Cymbal Skeleton to Special Summon Longirsu. Neven Special Summoned Gizmek Orochi, the Serpentron Sky Slasher from his hand as well.

He sent Topologic Bomber Dragon to attack Thunder Dragon Titan, and ended the Duel with its effect!

Duel 2

Torres chose to play second.

Neven began with Knightmare Corruptor Iblee. He used it to play Knightmare Mermaid, which discarded Harp Horror to Special Summon Orcust Knightmare. Neven then used Iblee’s effect to give it to Torres. Torres Special Summoned Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay. Torres also tried to use Artifact Lancea, but Neven had Called by the Grave! He used Mermaid and Harp Horror to play Galatea. Then he used Harp Horror to Special Summon Cymbal Skeleton, then used Orcust Knightmare to send World Wand to the Graveyard. He then used Galatea to play Dingirsu, which sent Phantazmay to the Graveyard, then Dingirsu plus Cymbal to play a new Galatea. He used World Wand to Special Summon Cymbal Skeleton. Galatea returned World Wand to the Deck to get Orcustrated Babel, which he activated. He used Cymbal and Galatea to play Longirsu.

Torres had Thunder Dragonroar, Batteryman Solar, Thunder Dragon Fusion, and Thunder Dragonmatrix. He drew Thunder Dragon.

He used it to add one more Thunder Dragon to his hand. He used that one to get the third copy. He used Iblee to Tribute Summon Dragonroar, then Tributed that for Thunder Dragon Colossus. He used Dragonroar’s effect to play Dragondark, and Tributed that to play another Colossus. Dragondark added Dragonduo to his hand. Neven used Longirsu to send a Colossus to the Graveyard. Torres played Thunder Dragon Fusion, returning Colossus and two Thunder Dragons to the Decks to play Titan. Neven used Cymbal Skeleton to Special Summon Dingirsu. Torres Chained Dragonmatrix, and Neven Chained Galatea to Set Orcust Crescendo. Titan was then sent to the Graveyard by Dingirsu. Torres used Colossus and Solar to play another Titan. He then Special Summoned Dragonduo. He attacked and destroyed Longirsu and Dingirsu, and Dragonduo’s effect added Dragonhawk to his hand. He used its effect to Special Summon Thunder Dragon, using that to play Thunder Dragon Colossus. Colossus and Dragonduo were used to play Dingirsu, which sent Galatea to the Graveyard.

Neven played Scrap Recycler, sending Harp Horror to the Graveyard. He used that to Special Summon Cymbal Skeleton and used both monsters to play Galatea. He used Cymbal Skeleton to Special Summon Longirsu, using its effect to recycle his banished Machines and send Torres’s Dingirsu to the Graveyard. He then used Longirsu to play his own Dingirsu, which sent Thunder Dragon Titan to the Graveyard. Galatea and Dingirsu attacked to leave Torres with 3600 Life Points.

Torres drew Gold Sarcophagus. He banished Thunder Dragon Fusion from the Graveyard for its effect, but Neven used the last card in his hand: Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! Torres used Thunder Dragon to add another copy to his hand. He played Gold Sarcophagus, Neven flipped Orcust Crescendo, and the Duel was over! Torres had no followup and too few Life Points to survive another turn!

Raphael Neven is moving on to the finals with Orcust!