Top 4 Feature Match: Dakota Angeloff Versus Hani Jawhari
The Top 4 had arrived! Both of these competitors have one YCS win to their name: Koty Angeloff won YCS Secaucus in 2018, and Hani Jawhari won at Team YCS Lima alongside Arnold Nadaban and Cristian Urena. A win here in the Top 4 would place one of these Champions just a single Match away from their second Championship title. A loss would place them on the sidelines, out of the tournament entirely.
Everything was on the line.
Jawhari had a hand of two Tearlaments Merrli, two Bystial Magnamhut, and Keldo the Sacred Protector. He Normal Summoned Tearlaments Merrli, sending Tearlaments Sulliek, Instant Fusion, and another Magnamhut to the Graveyard. That triggered Sulliek, and Hani searched his Deck for Tearlaments Scheiren. He activated Scheiren’s effect, discarded the second Merrli for it, and sent Diviner of the Herald, Tearlaments Reinoheart, and Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard to the Graveyard. He activated Merrli’s effect and Angeloff chained Bystial Druiswurm, targeting the Merrli to banish it and shut down the attempted Fusion Summon.
Jawhari pressed on: he Linked his two Tearlaments on the field to Link Summon Spright Elf, tried to revive Diviner of the Herald, and lost not to Angeloff’s Herald of Orange Light, discarding Keldo. The Spright Elfwas destroyed. Jawhari activated the effect of Magnamhut, Angeloff thought a moment, and let Jawhari Special Summon it. Jawhari banished his first Bystial Magnamhut to Special Summon the second, searched Bystial Druiswurm in his End Phase and passed.
Angeloff drew to three cards in hand and played Primeval Planet Perlereino! That got him Tearlaments Merrli, and he Summoned it to send Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard, Mudora the Sword Oracle, and Mask Change II to the Graveyard from his Deck. Both players sent five cards from the tops of their Decks to the Graveyard. When the dust settled Hani was forming a new chain, with Havnis at Chain Link 1 and Tearlaments Scream at Chain Link 2. Jawhari added his Keldo at Chain Link 3: he targeted the Havnis, as well as Keldo and Kelbek. He used Mudora next at Chain Link 4, targeting Jawhari’s Mudora, Angeloff’s own Scream, and his own Merrli. Cards were shuffled away, Angeloff got Tearlaments Sulliek from his Deck, and play continued.
Angeloff activated Primeval Planet Perlereino to destroy Jawhari’s Bystial Magnamhut, Linked Merrli and Druiswurm to Link Summon Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy, targeted Bystial Magnamhut to try and take it, and Jawhari chained his Bystial Druiswurm to banish Magnamhut before Angeloff could take it. Angeloff searched Scheiren, and used its effect pitching Kelbek to send another Scheiren, another Magnamhut, and Mudora to the Graveyard. Jawhari had the Bystial Magnamhut again to banish the Scheiren before it could resolve.
Angeloff Link Summoned again, this time for Spright Sprind, and sent Tearlaments Merrli to the Graveyard. Finally, he got to make a Fusion Summon, fusing with Scheiren to make Tearlaments Kitkallos. That got him Tearlaments Sulliek, and he attacked over Bystial Magnamhut with Tearlaments Kitkallos. In Main Phase 2 he Set Sulliek, and in the End Phase Jawhari searched his deck for Bystial Druiswurmwith his Bystial Magnamhut’s effect.
Jawhari drew Tearlaments Havnis. He moved to his Main Phase, then turned his Druiswurm to attack and pressed over Kitkallos. Angeloff sacked off the Kitkallos for Sulliek and Kitkallos sent five cards to the Graveyard, including Merrli and Mudora the Sword Oracle. Jawhari tried to cut off the Merrli with Bystial Druiswurm, and Angeloff responded with Mudora to shuffle it back. This sequence of events triggered a replay since Jawhari’s attack target left the field before the battle concluded, so Jawhari attacked with Druiswurm over Spright Sprind.
Main Phase 2, Jawhari Summoned Keldo the Sacred Protector and he Link Summoned Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy. He used it to Special Summon Angeloff’s Kitkallos, used that to search his Deck for Tearlaments Cryme, and he targeted Dharc with Kitkallos to Summon Tearlaments Reinoheart.
Jawhari hadn’t used any of his Tearlaments Fusion effects yet, and when he verbalized that fact, it didn’t take long for Angeloff to concede. He was eager to move to Game 2: 36 minutes remained in the Round and Angeloff knew this was going to Game 3 at best.
Game 1 of the Match sees both competitors drop counter after counter after counter! Hani Jawhari just manages to outlast Koty Angeloff, racing to rebuild resources and winning the Duel as a result. Jawhari was just one win away from a seat in the Finals, but Angeloff wasn’t giving up yet.
Angeloff opened with Terraforming to get Primeval Planet Perlereino, searching Tearlaments Scheiren. He followed up with Scheiren’s effect, sending Tearlaments Havnis to the Graveyard form his hand, and sending Bystial Magnamhut, Keldo the Sacred Protector, and Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard to the Graveyard from the top of his Deck. Both players sent five cards from the top of their Decks to the Graveyard: Jawhari sent Tearlaments Merrli, Keldo, Bystial Saronir, and two copies of PSY-Framegear Gamma; while Angeloff sent Primeval Planet Perlereino, Tearlaments Scheiren, Tearlaments Havnis, Keldo, and a fifth card that disappeared too quickly for this reporter to catch it. Angeloff Fusion SummonedTearlaments Kitkallos, Jawhari tried to make a Fusion Summon of his own with Tearlaments Merrli, and Angeloff pressured him off it with Keldo. Jawhari responded with his own Keldo, returning Angeloff’s Havnis to his Deck.
Angeloff searched Tearlaments Merrli with Tearlaments Kitkallos, popped it for the Merrli, and sent eight cards to the Graveyard total. He made a chain of Merrli, Tearlaments Heartbeat targeting Cryme, Tearlaments Sulliek, and then Tearlaments Scream. He got back his Cryme, hi Sulliek, and Tearlaments Reinoheart. He Fused Merrli with Kitkallos, brought out Tearlaments Rulkallos, and Summoned Reinoheart. That let him send Tearlaments Scheiren to the Graveyard. He fused it with Bystial Magnamhut to Fusion Summon Mudragon of the Swamp, he Link Summoned Spright Elf, and then he Xyz Summoned Abyss Dweller with Reinoheart and Mudragon. He Set Sulliek and Cryme to finish.
Jawhari had PSY-Frame Driver, Tearlaments Scheiren, Mudora the Sword Oracle, Keldo the Sacred Protector, and Herald of Orange Light. Angeloff tried to use his Dweller, but Jawhari negated and destroyed it with Orange Light, discarding Mudora. Angeloff fired back with Tearlaments Cryme, and Jawhari was conceding moments later.
Game 2 feels like all Angeloff all the time, and the Match score is suddenly 1 to 1! Over 24 minutes remained on the clock, so we should see a decisive winner in Game 3. Both competitors spent time carefully Side Decking: for one of them, this would be the last Duel of the tournament.
Jawhari opened the third and final Duel with a hand of Tearlaments Merrli, Bystial Druiswurm, Herald of Orange Light, Tearlaments Merrli, and Diviner of the Herald. He Normal Summoned Merrli to send Reinoheart, Scheiren, and Tearlaments Scream to his Graveyard, triggering all three: He placed Scheiren at Chain Link 1, Reinoheart at Chain Link 2, and Scream at Chain Link 3. Angeloff responded with Bystial Magnamhut as Chain Link 4, targeting Scheiren, and Jawhari countered with Herald of Orange Light, discarding Diviner of the Herald.
But Angeloff had his own Herald of Orange Light! He activated it and paid for it with Agido the AncientSentinel, negating Jawhari’s Orange Light, banishing the Merrli, Special Summoning his Magnamhut! Jawhari searched for Tearlaments Reinoheart and sent Tearlaments Merrli to the graveyard. He made a Chain with Merrli and Reinoheart.
Both players sent five cards to the Graveyard for Agido. Jawhari Fusion Summoned Tearlaments Kitkallos, searched his Deck to send Tearlaments Havnis to the Graveyard. A few Ishizu Fairy effects later, on both sides of the field, neither player had any Tearlaments monsters in their Graveyards and Angeloff shuffled back the Instant Fusion he’d just milled.
Jawhari banished Angeloff’s Orange Light to Special Summon his Bystial Druiswurm, then Linked it to Reinoheart to Special Summon Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy. Angeloff lost his Bystial Magnamhut, and Jawhari Special Summoned Angeloff’s Magnamhut with Dharc. Jawhari Linked Dharc to Merrli to Link Summon Spright Elf, used the effect of Tearlaments Kitkallos to target itself, and brough back Merrli, sending five cards to the Graveyard, including Tearlaments Havnis.
He used that effect to Fusion Summon Tearlaments Rulkallos, and a moment later he was confidently Summoning Baronne de Fleur, setting a card to his backrow! Both Duelists searched a Bystial in their End Phase. And now Jawhari was moving fast, feeling good!
Angeloff drew to four cards in hand. He used Scheiren’s effect and Jawhari Chained Spright Elf’s effect, targeting his Diviner of the Herald in a bid to revive it. It worked, and Jawhari got back his Diviner! Scheiren hit the field and sent all three of the Tearlaments with Fusion effects to his Graveyard! Angeloff Fusion Summoned Mudragon of the Swamp first, then Tearlaments Kitkallos. When he activated Kitkallos’s effect, Jawhari flipped Tearlaments Sulliek to negate it, giving up his Spright Elf. “Two cards in hand,” affirmed Jawhari, feeling very good and just waiting for Angeloff to run out of steam.
Angeloff activated Bystial Druiswurm’s effect, and Jawhari negated it with Rulkallos’s effect, paid for with Sulliek. Angeloff had one card left: Tearlaments Reinoheart. He Summoned it, Linked it to Kitkallos and Link Summoned Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy. He targeted Jawhari’s Dharc in the Graveyard, and Jawhari chained Havnis and Bystial Druiswurm to banish Dark on the Chain, sending three cards to his graveyard for Havnis.
He tried to use Havnis and Merrli for a Fusion Summon, but Angeloff banished Keldo to shuffle back Havnis, Orange Light, and his own Kitkallos. Angeloff overlaid Mudragon and Scheiren to Xyz Summon Abyss Dweller, attacked to destroy Jawhari’s Havnis, and then attacked Diviner with Dharc. He overlaid Dweller with [[Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS – Sky Thunder]] to end, but next turn Jawhari drew Herald of Orange Light! He used Baronne de Fleur to threaten the AA-ZEUS – Sky Thunder, Angeloff responded with the Zeus, Hani negated it with the Baronne’s effect, and it was all over moments later.
Hani Jawhari is going to the Finals of YCS Pasadena!
