Kobe Short won YCS Pasadena in 2019, and now he’s back this weekend to defend his title! Hailing from Lafayette, Louisiana, Short won his Championship with Sky Strikers, but he’s here today wielding an Ishizu Tearlaments Deck, fully committed with Soul Exchange and Gravekeeper’s Trap.

His opponent is Lorenzo Antonio Hernandez Bedolla from Bakersfield, California. He’s playing Branded Despia this weekend, packing new cards from Darkwing Blast like The Bystial Lubellion, Bystial Magnamhut, and Branded Beast! Can the updated Despia Deck resist the sheer force of Ishizu Tearlaments? Or were we about to see all the hype deliver? 

The answer would prove decisive. 

Hernandez opened the Match with a hand of Aluber the Jester of Despia, Polymerization, Branded Banishment, Bystial Magnamhut, and Branded in Red. He Normal Summoned Aluber to search his Deck for Branded Fusion, activated it, and sent Despian Tragedy and Fallen of Albaz to his Graveyard to Fusion Summon Lubellion the Searing Dragon. He played Lubellion’s effect as Chain Link 1, and Tragedy as Chain Link 2. Hernandez discarded Polymerization, searched Ad Libitum of Despia, and used Lubellion’s effect to fuse itself with Albaz. 

Hernandez Fusion Summoned Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon. He Set Banishment and Branded in Red to finish out. Not a bad start.

Play was to Short, and the reigning Pasadena Champion drew to six cards. He shuffled his hand a moment and fired off Keldo the Sacred Protector, and Special Summoned it by pitching Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard. He brought Keldo down in defense, searched Agido the Ancient Sentinel, and used Kelbek’s effect to make both players send five cards from the top of their respective Decks to their Graveyards. 

Neither player triggered anything as a result, and Short moved on: he activated Primeval Planet Perlereinoto search his Deck for Tearlaments Scheiren, Normal Summoned Tearlaments Reinoheart, and used its ability. Hernandez chained Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon’s effect to send Titaniklad the Ash Dragon to his Graveyard, and banished Tearlaments Reinoheart.

Short sent Tearlaments Havnis to his Graveyard and Hernandez chained the effect of Bystial Magnamhutto target Havnis. Short chained Keldo, returning Havnis, Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise, and Hernadenz’s Titaniklad back to their Decks. Short used Perlereino to target Hernandez’s face-down Banishment for destruction; Hernandez chained it, targeting Dramaturge, and fused into Masquerade the Blazing Dragon. He used Dramaturge’s effect to bring it back. 

Short paid 600 LP under Masquerade’s effect to banish Rainbow Bridge of Salvation. He searched Emerald Tortoise and Mystic Mine from his Deck. Hernandez gave a low whistle, considered a response, and ended. Short played his Mystic Mine over the Primeval Planet Perlereino to drop to 6800 Life Points and ended. 

Hernandez drew Branded Opening. He Set it, checked his Graveyard, and Tributed both of his monsters for Ad Libitum, shrinking his field. 

Short drew and passed.

Hernandez drew Dark Ruler No More and passed.

Short drew and Set a card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone. And passed.

Hernandez drew Fallen of Albaz, tried to end his turn, and Short flipped Gravekeeper’s Trap in Main Phase 1. He pitched Agido as cost, and added another from his Deck to his hand. He triggered the Agido in the Graveyard to send five cards to the GY from each Deck: Neither player triggered anything. Hernandez still passed.

Short drew and used Gravekeeper’s Trap again, dropping another Agido for Mudora the Sword Oracle. Both players burned another five cards off the top of their Decks again, and this time Short hit Exchange of the Spirit: that cost Hernandez another five cards since it let Short use the Agido’s other effect. Short hit Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard too, peeling another five cards off the top of each Duelist’s Deck. Short used Kelbek’s other effect to set Tearlaments Sulliek to his back row. He banished Keldo to return five cards back to his Deck: two Agido and three copies of Kelbek. If you’re not sure of where this is going yet, yes, Kobe Short’s looking to win by Decking his opponent out.

“I am going to… proceed to my End Phase.” Short discarded Emerald Tortoise to reduce his hand size, and play was to Hernandez.

Short used the predictive effect of Gravekeeper’s Trap, calling the top card of Hernandez’s Deck as Branded Beast: it was Branded Fusion. Hernandez Tributed his face-down Ad Libitum to Tribute Summon Bystial Magnamhut, attempted to end his turn, and Short pitched one Agido to get another, milling five more cards from each player’s Deck. Hernandez milled five more for Agido’s second effect, giving Short that edge in Deck count he needed to win, and Kelbek milled five more from both players. 

Suddenly Hernandez was out of cards! He ended his turn, knowing it was over.

Short drew for turn, passed, and Hernandez lost to Deck out!

Pasadena Champion Kobe Short locks in the Mystic Mine, Lorenzo Antonio Hernandez Bedolla can’t fight out of it, and Short takes a meticulous win by sending all of his opponent’s cards to the Graveyard! It felt like Short was in full control of Game 1 from the start, but Hernandez still had a chance to battle back and sweep the next two Duels.

Hernandez elected to play second. Short opened with Tearlaments Scheiren’s effect, sending another Scheiren to the Graveyard to send Instant Fusion, Bystial Druiswurm, and Tearlaments Merrli to the Graveyard. He made Scheiren’s effect Chain Link 1 and Merrli Chain Link 2, Fusion Summoning Tearlaments Kitkallos and searching his Deck for Tearlaments Reinoheart. He targeted Kitkallos with its own effect, sent it to the Graveyard, and on the resulting chain he made Reinoheart Chain Link 1 and Kitkallos Chain Link 2. Kitkallos sent Agido the Ancient Sentinel, Tearlaments Merrli, Mudora the Sword Oracle, and two Triple Tactics Talent to the graveyard. He sent Tearlaments Havnis to the Graveyard next, and he made Havnis Chain Link 1 and Agido Chain Link 2. 

Surprise! Both players milled five cards. Havnis resolved to return Tearlaments Kitkallos to Short’s Extra Deck and he summoned Tearlaments Rulkallos. He banished Rainbow Bridge of Salvation, searched his Deck for Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise and Primeval Planet Perlereino, and activated the Field Spell to search another Havnis. He overlaid to Xyz Summon Abyss Dweller and ended.

Hernandez had a hand of two Dark Ruler No More, two Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion, Branded Beastand Branded Opening. Short detached Scheiren for Abyss Dweller’s effect before Hernandez could make a move. 

Hernandez opened up with Dark Ruler No More, then followed up with Branded Opening, pitching Branded Beast to summon Aluber the Jester of Despia. That let him search Branded Fusion, and he sent The Bystial Lubellion and Fallen of Albaz to Summon Albion the Branded Dragon. Short responded to the Albion with Mudora’s effect, targeting the Albaz and the Lubellion in Hernandez’s Graveyard, and his own Scheiren. Hernandez fired back with Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion, negating Mudora’s effect!

He followed up, fusing Albaz with an Edge Imp Chain in his Graveyard to bring out Lubellion the Searing Dragon. Hernandez used its effect, sending Dark Ruler No More to the Graveyard, and Short chained the effect of Havnis. He Special Summoned it, sending Kelbek, Havnis, and Scheiren to the Graveyard. Hernandez fused Fallen of Albaz and Lubellion the Searing Dragon to make Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon. Short activated Havnis as Chain Link 1, Scheiren at Chain Link 2, Kelbek in theGraveyard as Chain Link 3, and finally another Kelbek from his hand at Chain Link 4, the Mirrorjade. 

“I will activate Mirrorjade,” replied Hernandez, sending Alba-Lenatus the Abyss Dragon to his Graveyard. He banished Tearlaments Rulkallos, Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon went back to Deck, and Kelbek was summoned. Hernandez took notes on which once-per-turn effects were activated – always a good idea. Play proceeded and both players sent five cards from their Decks to their Graveyards; Scheiren resolved to put back Short’s other Scheiren; he summoned Kitkallos; and then he used Havnis to return Kitkallos to his Extra Deck. He Summoned Predaplant Dragostapelia. 

“New Chain… Perlereino targeting your Aluber…and then Tearlaments Sulliek Chain Link 2.” Short got Scheiren, and on resolution Predaplant Dragostapelia placed a Predator Counter on Albion the Branded Dragon. Hernandez move to battle and ran over Abyss Dweller with the Branded Dragon, then ended his turn. It wasn’t enough.

Short had a field of Predaplant Dragostapelia, Havnis, and Keldo. He Special Summoned Scheiren, sent Havnis and hit another Scheiren in the process, sending that to the Graveyard too. He put back Tearlaments Reinoheart and two Scheiren to Special Summon Tearlaments Kaleido-Heart and shuffle away Albion the Branded Dragon. Hernandez brought back his Aluber to try and weather the storm, but Hernandez Linked Keldo and Havnis for Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy, and used Triple Tactics Talent to take Aluber, clearing the field and attacking for game! 

2019 YCS Pasadena Champion Kobe Short wins his first Match of the day 2-0, giving us a master class in Ishizu Tearlaments! How crazy would it be if Kobe Short could defend his title here this weekend?  With a performance like that, it’s certainly not out of the question.