Yacine Sahli, better known as YouTube’s yacine656, might be one of the most innovative Deck builders in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG’s online scene. This weekend, though? He’s going with the flow piloting Tearlaments with a couple twists. His opponent is one of three Champions from the 2020 Team YCS in Las Vegas, Dominic Couch, and both of these competitors are coming off big Top 16 showings last month: Couch topped at YCS Pasadena, while Sahli topped 2 weeks ago at YCS San Jose. 

Both Duelists captured those Top 16 finishes with Tearlaments, but Dominic Couch is taking a different approach today: he’s playing Floowandereeze with triple Enemy Controller.  Not to be outdone, Sahli’s teching Kashtira Fenrir and Kashtira Unicorn. With no further ado, let’s get to Game 1.

“Best of luck my brother,” said Sahline, cordial. 

“Good luck to you too!” replied Couch. He opened the Match with Pot of Prosperity and Sahline reeled, laughing. 

“Oh, you’re NOT playing the deck I thought you were playing!” Sahline had clearly anticipated a Tearlaments mirror match, and now instantly knew he was up against Floowandereeze. He took a second to recalibrate as Couch resolved his Prosperity.

Couch banished 6 cards from his Extra Deck to reveal Dimension Shifter, Floowandereeze & Robina, Infinite Impermanence, Raiza the Mega Monarch, and two copies of Floowandereeze & Eglen. He took Robina, Summoned it, searched his Deck for Floowandereeze & Toccan and Summoned Eglen from his hand. That got him Floowandereeze & Empen, which Couch referred to as “my boy Em-Pizzy”, and he Tribute Summoned it to make Empen’s effect Chain Link 1 and Eglen’s Chain Link 2. He got back Eglen, played Floowandereeze and the Magnificent Map, brought out Floowandereeze & Toccan, and Summoned a second Empen! He made Empen’s effect Chain Link 1 and Toccan’s Chain Link 2. He got Floowandereeze and the Dreaming Town, and Set two cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Sahli was up. He Special Summoned Kashtira Fenrir in defense mode, searching his Deck for Kashtira Unicorn. He activated Tearlaments Scream, then played Instant Fusion, and Couch responded with Dreaming Town to Summon Barrier Statue of the Stormwinds! Sahli chuckled: “Well I guess I’m going to pick up my cards, then!”

Dominic Couch opens huge, with double Floowandereeze & Empen and an immediate Barrier Statue of the Stormwinds to clinch the Match.

“That was fun!” joked Couch.

“Well, it was especially fun for you,” laughed Sahli. “I don’t like your Deck,” he laughed again.

“It’s so fun!” Couch chuckled.

Both competitors moved to Side Decking.  “I don’t know what I’m doing,” joked Sahli. More quips followed as both players sided cards in and out for the second Duel.

Play moved to Game 2, and after wishing Couch good luck again, Sahli opened with… a sad look, as Couch activated the effect of Dimension Shifter. Sahli Normal Summoned Tearlaments Reinoheart, Set one card to his backrow and ended. 

“Standby, Main Phase! Activate Pot of Prosperity!” Couch laughed again. “I just think this Deck is so funny.” He revealed Effect Veiler, Harpie’s Feather Duster, Infinite Impermanence, Empen, Nibiru, the Primal Being, and Pot of Duality. He took the Feather Duster. 

“My backrow is Waking the Dragon, just to give you a little warning,” joked Sahli. 

Couch blew the mystery card away, revealing it to be a useless Tearlaments Sulliek. Couch followed through with Pot of Duality for Terraforming, activated Floowandereeze and the Magnificent Map, and used Floowandereeze & Robina to banish Eglen: he made Robina’s effect Chain Link 1, and Eglen’s Chain Link 2. Couch searched Floowandereeze & Toccan, Summoned the Eglen, and Chained Floowandereeze and the Advent of Adventure banishing Floowandereeze & Toccan to search Empen. 

He Tributed Eglen and Robina to Summon the Empen, searched another copy of the penguin, and got back Robina and Toccan, searching Floowandereeze and the Unexplored Winds. He Summoned the Toccan, got back Advent, activated Unexplored Winds, Tributed Toccan and Sahlie’s Reinoheart for the second Empen, and got Floowandereeze and the Dreaming Town. The only thing stopping him from FTKing here was his Prosperity’s effect, cutting his damage in half. Couch made direct attacks with his Empens, and in Main Phase 2 he Set 2 cards to his backrow to end.

Sahli Special Summoned Kashtira Fenrir and used its effect to search his Deck for Kashtira Unicorn. He Normal Summoned another Tearlaments Reinoheart, used its effect, and Couch Chained the effect of Floowandereeze and the Magnificent Map. Sahli sent Tearlaments Havnis to the Graveyard with Reinoheart, made its effect Chain Link 1, and Couch made Robina Chain Link 2, Eglen Chain Link 3, and Toccan Chain Link 4. Couch got another Robina, he Summoned Eglen, and Sahli resolved Havnis’s effect to Fusion Summon Tearlaments Kitkallos. He used Fenrir’s effect on one of the Empens, Couch banished to search another Floowandereeze and the Magnificent Map, got Raiza the Mega Monarch, and Couch Tributed Eglen and Fenrir for Raiza. Sahli used his Kitkallos effect to search Tearlaments Scheiren and Couch used Raiza to punt the Kitkallos and Fenrir back to Sahli’s Deck to keep him off the board.

Sahli pressed on, Special Summoning Kashtira Unicorn in a bid to power through. Couch took a moment to consider a response to the Summon and landed on Dreaming Town, flipping it to bring out Toccan. He used its effect to get back Empen, then Tributed Toccan and Unicorn to Summon the Empen. It searched him Floowandereeze and the Advent of Adventure. 

Sahli used Scheiren’s effect to Special Summon it, sending Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard to the Graveyard from his hand. Scheiren sent Tearlaments Merrli, Kashtira Fenrir, and another Kelbek off the top of Sahli’s Deck to the Graveyard. The resulting Chain saw Merrli at Chain Link 1 and Kelbek at Chain Link 2. 

Kelbek’s effect sent 5 cards from each player’s Deck to the Graveyard: Couch sent 3 copies of Nibiru, plus Robina and Infinite Impermanence. Sahli sent PSY-Frame Driver, Scheiren, Scream, Havnis, and what appeared to be another Kelbek. Sahli groaned. 

“Useless, actually. Ugh! Can we at least try something…” He examined his cards, searching for some sort of momentum. “If I had a DARK monster I’d be able to do something here… make Bagooska…” He groaned again. “Not lucky. I’ll try my best, but I can’t really imagine winning this game.”

Sahli used Merrli’s effect to Fusion Summon Garura, Wings of Resonant Life, and Tearlaments Screamgot him Tearlaments Cryme. He gave up Garura and Scheiren to Link Summon Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy, drew, his card, and declared Couch the winner of the Match. Sahli had a hand of Keldo, Cryme, and PSY-Frame Driver, none of which was any help.

Victory for Floowandereeze! Dominic Couch sweeps Yacine Sahli 2-0, and moves on with what could be a chance at the Top 32.