Clifton Land from Louisville, Kentucky had a 9-2 record at the end of the Swiss Rounds with his Bystial Dragon Link Deck. Dragon Link Decks took a big hit in the most recent Forbidden & Limited List when Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon and Fairy Tail – Snow were Forbidden, but that didn’t discourage Land from using it this weekend! Now he’s facing off against World Championship Competitor Ryan Levine from Arlington, Virginia, who had a 10-1 record at the end of the Swiss Rounds. Levine is using a Spright Deck featuring a bunch of Bystial monsters and three copies of Kashtira Fenrir from Darkwing Blast. One of these Duelists will advance to the Top 8, and the other will be eliminated. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Levine activated Spright Starter in his Draw Phase to Special Summon Spright Jet from his Deck and lost 1300 Life Points. He activated Jet’s effect to add Spright Double Cross to his hand. Next, he Special Summoned Spright Blue and used its effect to add Spright Red to his hand. He Special Summoned it and then Special Summoned Spright Pixies. He combined Pixies with Jet to Xyz Summon Gigantic Spright and used its effect to Special Summon Swap Frog from his Deck. He used Swap Frog’s effect to send a Swap Frog from his Deck to his Graveyard and then Link Summoned Spright Elf. He used its effect to Special Summon a Swap Frog and then Xyz Summoned Toadally Awesome. He Set 3 cards to his back row before passing.

Land opened up Duel 1 with Dark Ruler No More, The Bystial Lubellion, Quick Launch, Rokket Synchron, and Rokket Tracer. He drew Triple Tactics Talent for his turn and then activated the effect of The Bystial Lubellion from his hand to add Bystial Druiswurm from his Deck to his hand. He activated Dark Ruler No More next, negating the effects of all of Levine’s monsters! He followed up by Normal Summoning Rokket Tracer and then Link Summoned Striker Dragon. He used its effect to add Boot Sector Launch from his Deck to his hand and then activated the effect of the Druiswurm in his hand. He banished Spright Blue from Levine’s Graveyard and Special Summoned Druiswurm. Next, he Tributed it to Special Summon The Bystial Lubellion from his Graveyard and used the effect of Druiswurm to send Toadally Awesome to the Graveyard. Levine used his Toadally Awesome’s effect to return a Swap Frog from his Graveyard to his hand and then flipped Spright Double Cross to take control of The Bystial Lubellion linked to Spright Elf. Land then activated Quick Launch to Special Summon Rokket Tracer from his Deck. Next, he activated Triple Tactics Talent to draw 2 cards. He used his two on-field monsters to Link Summon Quadborrel Dragon and then activated Boot Sector Launch. He used its effect to try to Special Summon monsters from his hand, but Levine Chained Cosmic Cyclone and paid 1000 Life Points to banish the Boot Sector Launch. Next, Land activated his Quadborrel’s effect targeting Spright Elf, and Levine flipped Infinite Impermanence to negate the effect of the Quadborrel Dragon. Land passed his turn with no further play!

Levine activated the effect of his Elf to Special Summon Toadally Awesome from his Graveyard and then sent his Elf and Lubellion to the Graveyard to Link Summon Spright Sprind. He used the Sprind’s effect to send Nimble Angler to his Graveyard and used the Angler’s effect to Special Summon two Nimble Beavers. He combined Sprind with Beaver to Summon Gigantic Spright and used the Gigantic Spright’s effect to Special Summon Spright Blue from his Deck. He used Blue’s effect to add Spright Jet to his hand and then Xyz Summoned Onibimaru Soul Sweeper. He used the Soul Sweeper’s effect to banish Quadborrel Dragon and then Special Summoned Spright Jet from his hand and used its effect to add Spright Smashers to his hand. Direct attacks from all 5 of Levine’s monsters wiped out all 8000 of Land’s Life Points!

Clifton Land is unable to get his Deck up and running in Duel 1, allowing Ryan Levine to take a quick first victory! Levine is just one win away from the Top 8 of YCS Minneapolis!

Duel Two

Land opened up Duel 2 with Boot Sector Launch, Dragon Ravine, Rivalry of Warlords, Bystial Druiswurm, and Noctovision Dragon.

He played Dragon Ravine and activated its effect by discarding Boot Sector Launch; but Levine Chained the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate it! He Set Rivalry and then ended his turn.

Levine Special Summoned Swap Frog from his hand by discarding Nimble Angler. He Special Summoned two Beavers from his Deck with the Angler’s effect and sent a Swap Frog from his Deck to his Graveyard with the Swap Frog’s effect. Land flipped Rivalry of Warlords, and Levine sent his Swap Frog to the Graveyard, keeping his Beasts on the field. Next, he Tributed both Beavers to Set a monster and ended his turn.

Land drew Bystial Magnamhut and then used the effect of his Ravine. He discarded Druiswurm to send Absorouter Dragon to the Graveyard and used Absorouter’s effect to add Rokket Synchron from his Deck to his hand. He Normal Summoned the Rokket Synchron and then activated its effect targeting Absorouter. Levine Chained the effect of the Magnamhut in his hand, targeting the Absorouter in the Graveyard. Land Chained the effect of his own Magnamhut to banish the Absorouter and Special Summon it, and used the effects of Magnamhut and Noctovision. He Special Summoned the Noctovision to his field and then Link Summoned Dillingerous Dragon by sending his Synchron and Noctovision to the Graveyard. He drew a card with Noctovision’s effect and then attacked Levine’s face-down Pankratops with Dillingerous to destroy it. Magnamhut attacked directly next, and Land added Bystial Druiswurm from his Deck to his hand in the End Phase.

Levine Normal Summoned Spright Red and then Special Summoned Spright Blue. He used its effect to add Spright Jet to his hand and then Special Summoned it. He used Jet’s effect to add Spright Smashers to his hand and then sent Blue and Red to the Graveyard to Link Summon Spright Elf. He used Elf’s effect to Special Summon Red back from his Graveyard and then used Elf and Jet to Xyz Summon Gigantic Spright. He activated its effect and Land activated the effect of the Druiswurm in his hand to Special Summon it by banishing Blue from Levine’s Graveyard. Levine Special Summoned Spright Pixies and entered his Battle Phase. He attacked and destroyed Magnamhut with Gigantic Spright and then activated Spright Smashers. He banished Jet from his Graveyard and Gigantic Spright from his field to banish Rivalry of Warlords. Next, he Xyz Summoned Onibimaru Soul Sweeper and used its effect to banish Druiswurm. In the End Phase, Land destroyed Onibimaru with Dillingerous’s effect and inflicted damage to Levine’s Life Points.

Land Summoned Starliege Seyfert and used its effect to add White Dragon Wyverburster to his hand. He Special Summoned it and then Link Summoned Guardragon Pisty. Levine activated the effect of Magnamhut in his hand to banish Wyverburster and Special Summon Magnamhut, and then activated the Magnamhut’s effect to search his Deck in the End Phase. Next, Land used Ravine’s effect to send The Bystial Lubellion to his Graveyard and Link Summoned Dragunity Knight – Romulus. He then banished Seyfert from his Graveyard to add Magnamhut to his hand and Special Summoned it by banishing Pixies from Levine’s Graveyard. He activated its effect to search for a Bystial monster in his End Phase and then used Pisty’s effect to Special Summon Rokket Synchron. Levine immediately conceded the Duel with 15 minutes left in the round.

One last Duel will determine which of these two Duelists advances to the Top 8!

Duel Three

Levine started off Duel 3 by Normal Summoning Spright Jet and then Special Summoning Blue.

He added Jet to his hand with Blue’s effect and then Special Summoned Jet and used its effect to add Spright Starter to his hand. Next, he combined both Jets to Xyz Summon Gigantic Spright and used its effect to Special Summon Swap Frog from his Deck. He used Swap Frog’s effect to send a Swap Frog from his Deck to his Graveyard and then sent Spright Blue and Gigantic Spright to the Graveyard to Link Summon Spright Elf. He used Elf’s effect to Special Summon a Swap Frog from his Graveyard and then Xyz Summoned Toadally Awesome by combining both Swap Frogs. He Set 3 cards to his back row before passing his turn.

Land opened up Duel 3 with Dragon Ravine, Quick Launch, Collapserpent, Seyfert, and Bystial Magnamhut. He drew Dark Ruler No More for his turn! He activated it to negate the effects of Toadally Awesome and Spright Elf and then Normal Summoned Starliege Seyfert. Levine flipped Spright Smashers and banished Jet from his Graveyard and Toadally Awesome from his field to banish Seyfert from the Duel. Next, Land activated Quick Launch, and Levine stopped it with the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Land activated the effect of the Magnamhut in his hand next, banishing Blue from Levine’s Graveyard and Special Summoning the Magnamhut. He activated its effect and then attacked Spright Elf to destroy it. In the End Phase, Land added Bystial Druiswurm from his Deck to his hand, and Levine Special Summoned Spright Blue from his Deck by activating Spright Starter. Levine used Blue’s effect to add Jet to his hand.

Levine drew a card and then Special Summoned Spright Jet from his hand. He used its effect to add Spright Starter to his hand and then used Starter to Special Summon another Blue by giving up 1100 Life Points. He used Blue’s effect to add Spright Red to his hand and Land activated the effect of the Druiswurm in his hand. He banished Jet from Levine’s Graveyard and Special Summoned Druiswurm. Next, Levine Special Summoned his Spright Red and then sent Blue and Jet to the Graveyard to Link Summon Spright Elf. He used its effect to Special Summon another Elf from his Graveyard and then combined his Elf with Blue to Xyz Summon Gigantic Spright. He used Gigantic Spright’s effect to Special Summon Pixies from his Deck and then entered his Battle Phase. He attacked and destroyed Magnamhut with Gigantic Spright and then attacked Druiswurm with Spright Elf and used the effect of Pixies to increase his Elf’s Attack Points. He destroyed Druiswurm in battle and Druiswurm’s effect sent Spright Elf to the Graveyard. A direct attack from Spright Red dropped Land down to 4700 Life Points. Levine used Pot of Prosperity in Main Phase 2 by banishing 6 cards from his Extra Deck. He added Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to his hand and then Link Summoned Spright Elf before passing.

Land activated Dragon Ravine and used its effect by discarding Collapserpent. He sent Absorouter Dragon from his Deck to his Graveyard and then activated its effect, but lost out to Levine’s Called by the Grave. Next, Land Summoned Rokket Recharger and used it to Link Summon Striker Dragon. He activated its effect and lost out to Ash Blossom. Then Levine used his Spright Elf’s effect to Special Summon Spright Red. Levine used his Striker Dragon’s other effect by targeting Recharger next, and Levine used his Red’s effect by Tributing Elf to negate the effect of Striker Dragon and destroy it.

Levine attacked directly with Spright Red and Set Spright Smashers.

Land drew Pankratops and Summoned it. He attacked Red, and Levine flipped his Smashers. Levine Chained the effect of Pankratops to destroy Red. That left Levine with no cards in his hand or on his field, and left Land with just a Dragon Ravine on his field and no cards in his hand!

Levine drew Druiswurm and Special Summoned it! He attacked directly with it and passed turn.

Land drew a card and conceded, unable to survive another attack from Bystial Druiswurm.

Ryan Levine is moving on to the Top 8 with his Spright Deck!