Top 4 Feature Match: Stephen Silverman (Team Back For Seconds) vs. Joseph Gold (Team Kentucky Boyz)
We’re down to just 4 teams! Here we have Team Back For Seconds. Team members Stephen Silverman and Dominic Couch are two of the winners from the last TEAM YCS in Las Vegas, and they’re looking for a repeat victory! They’re facing the Kentucky Boyz, another talented team with a YCS Champion and a WCQ Winner. For this Feature Match, we’ll see Stephen Silverman’s Kashtira face Joseph Gold’s Swordsoul – the only Swordsoul Duelist to make it to the Top 16.
Duel 1
Gold won the roll and played first. He Set two back row cards.
Silverman had a hand of Forbidden Lance, Book of Moon, Kashtira Riseheart, Kashtiratheosis, and Kashtira Unicorn. He drew Pot of Prosperity. He Special Summoned Unicorn, and Gold used Book of Eclipse. Silverman responded with Forbidden Lance on Unicorn, but Gold had a second Book of Eclipse in response! With his play shut down, he consulted with his teammate Dominic Couch for how to proceed. Silverman played Prosperity, banishing 6 cards, taking Kashtira Birth. He played it, then Normal Summoned Riseheart. He used its effect, banishing Kashtira Fenrir from his Deck, then banishing 3 cards from Gold’s Deck. He used Kashtira Birth to Special Summon Fenrir, and Fenrir searched out another Riseheart. He Special Summoned it. He played Kashtiratheosis to Special Summon Scareclaw Kashtira. He attacked with everything, dealing 4000 damage since he was under the effect of his Pot of Prosperity. He used all his Level 7’s to play Kashtira Arise-Heart! He Set Book of Moon. In the End Phase, his Unicorn flipped up from the Book of Eclipse effect, but he did not draw a card since he’d used Pot of Prosperity.
Gold played his third Book of Eclipse! He Special Summoned Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous, which Special Summoned Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan. He played Tenyi Spirit – Adhara, and it was flipped down by Silverman’s Book of Moon. In the End Phase, Silverman drew Kashtiratheosis, Kashtira Birth, and Book of Eclipse thanks to Gold’s Book of Eclipse. Silverman then used Arise-Heart to banish Gold’s back row card. That triggered its other effect, and it attached Silverman’s Garura, Wings of Resonant Life (banished from Pot of Prosperity).
Silverman drew Pressured Planet Wraitsoth, and used it to get Fenrir. He moved his monsters to Attack Position, then Normal Summoned Fenrir without Tribute thanks to Kashtira Birth. He activated Kashtira Birth to Special Summon another Fenrir, giving him enough ATK to win the first Duel!
Duel 2
Gold played first this time, and led with Swordsoul Emergence, getting Longyuan. He activated it, discarding Tenyi Spirit – Ashuna, and Special Summoned both it and a Swordsoul Token. He used them to play Swordsoul Sinister Sovereign – Qixing Longyuan! Original Longyuan dealt 1200 damage with its effect. He Normal Summoned Swordsoul of Taia, using it to banish Longyuan and create a Swordsoul Token. He banished Ashuna from his Graveyard, which Special Summoned Adhara. He used Taia and his Token for Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing! Taia’s effect sent Swordsoul of Mo Ye to the Graveyard. He used Adhara to play Monk of the Tenyi, then used Adhara’s effect in the Graveyard to get Longyuan back to his hand. Baxia destroyed Monk to Special Summon Mo Ye. He used its effect to generate a Swordsoul Token, then Synchro Summoned Swordsoul Grandmaster – Chixiao. Chixiao searched for Swordsoul Blackout, and Mo Ye’s effect let him draw a card. He Set one card in his back row.
Silverman had a hand of Riseheart, Unicorn, Fenrir, Kashtiratheosis, and Pressured Planet Wraitsoth. He drew Forbidden Lance. He knew Blackout was face-down and consulted with Couch again for advice. He Special Summoned Unicorn and used its effect, and it was negated by Chixiao. Silverman played Kashtiratheosis, and Gold had Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Silverman activated Riseheart’s effect to Special Summon from his hand, and now it was Gold’s turn to consult with his teammate Elijah Green. Gold flipped Rivalry of Warlords – not Blackout like Silverman thought! Silverman sent Unicorn to attack Qixing Longyuan, and won the battle with Forbidden Lance! In Main Phase 2, he played Wraitsoth, adding Scareclaw Kashtira to his hand. He Special Summoned it, banishing Riseheart. He Xyz Summoned Kashtira Shangri-Ira in Defense Position.
In Gold’s Standby Phase, Silverman used Shangri-Ira, and it was negated by Chixiao. Despite a valiant effort, this was Gold’s game. Silverman conceded to move on to the final Duel.
Duel 3
Silverman took the first turn for the final Duel. He had a hand of Infinite Impermanence, Pot of Prosperity, Kashtira Unicorn, Kashtira Riseheart, and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Before Silverman could act, Gold used Artifact Lancea to prevent cards from being banished this turn. Silverman Special Summoned Unicorn, using it to get Kashtiratheosis. He played that to Special Summon Kashtira Fenrir, which added Scareclaw Kashtira to his hand. He Set Infinite Impermanence.
Gold used Tenyi Spirit – Shthana. He Special Summoned it, then used it to play Monk of the Tenyi. Monk attacked Unicorn, using the effect of Shthana to Special Summon Monk back to the field and destroy Fenrir. In Main Phase 2, he activated Longyuan, discarding Mo Ye. He Special Summoned it and a Swordsoul Token. He combined the two to play Baronne de Fleur, and Longyuan dealt 1200 damage. Unicorn activated, taking Chixiao out of the Extra Deck. Baronne de Fleur targeted Silverman’s Infinite Impermanence, which he flipped to negate Baronne for the turn. Gold played Taia, and it banishied Longyuan to get a new Token. He combined them for Baxia. Baxia shuffled Unicorn into the Deck, and Taia sent Adhara to the Graveyard. He activated Adhara to return Longyuan to his hand. Baxia’s effect swapped Monk with Mo Ye, and Mo Ye Special Summoned a Swordsoul Token. He used them to play Chixiao. Chixiao and Mo Ye activated, and Silverman used Ash Blossom on Mo Ye. Gold searched for Blackout with Chixiao. He Set a back row card.
Silverman drew Infinite Impermanence, and played it on Baronne. He played Prosperity next, banishing 6 cards, and Gold used Ash Blossom to negate it. Silverman had nothing left to work with for this game, and conceded defeat!
However…
Dominic Couch defeated Elijah Green, and Alexander Cancell defeated Chester Henson, leading Team Back For Seconds to victory! They’re moving on to the Finals!