We’re halfway into Day 1 here at the 250^th YCS in Los Angeles! First up is Cobi Tappa, from Chicago, IL, playing a Deck that mixes Kashtira, Tearlaments, and Adventure all together. Combining multiple engines to get the best of all! His opponent is Edgar Barajas, from Torrence, CA, playing Sprights. The strategy is very much alive even without Spright Elf, and he’s here to prove it.

Duel 1

Tappa started with a hand of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, two Kashtira Fenrir, Mudora the Sword Oracle, and Danger!? Jackalope?. He kicked things off with Fenrir, searching for Tearlaments Kashtira. He activated its effect, Special Summoning it by banishing the Fenrir from his hand. It sent Fateful Adventure, King of the Swamp, and Dracoback, the Rideable Dragon to the Graveyard. He stacked his monsters for Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack. He used its effect to create two Mecha Phantom Beast Tokens, and used the tokens to play Cherubini, Ebon Angel of the Burning Abyss. Its effect sent another King of the Swamp to the Graveyard. He then activated Jackalope in his hand, discarding Mudora. He Special Summoned Jackalope and drew Tearlaments Havnis. He used Jackalope and Cherubini to Link Summon Spright Sprind. Its effect sent Tearlaments Merrli to the Graveyard. He activated Merrli, fusing it with King of the Swamp for Grapha, Dragon Overlord of Dark World!

Barajas activated Book of Eclipse, and Tappa negated it with Ash Blossom. Barajas followed that with Emergency Teleport to play PSY-Framegear Gamma. He Special Summoned Spright Jet next, searching his Deck for Spright Starter. He Link Summoned Spright Sprind, and Tappa responded with his own Sprind’s effect, detaching the last Xyz Material from Dracossack to bounce Barajas’s Sprind. Barajas’s Sprind’s effect resolved, sending Soul Scissors to the Graveyard. He played Spright Starter next, taking 1100 damage to Special Summon Spright Blue. He used Blue’s effect, and Tappa used Grapha to change the effect to make him discard a card instead. Tappa discarded his Havnis, then fused it with King of the Swamp for Tearlaments Rulkallos! Barajas played Pot of Prosperity, banishing three cards. He revealed Spright Starter, Ash Blossom, and Spright Jet. He took the Jet, and Normal Summoned it. He stacked it with Blue for Gigantic Spright, using its effect, and Tappa responded with Rulkallos to negate and destroy it. With every option cut off, Barajas conceded the first Duel.

Duel 2

Barajas chose to play first. He Normal Summoned Spright Carrot, then Special Summoned Spright Blue. It added Spright Red to his hand. He Special Summoned Spright Jet activated its effect, and Tappa responded with Tearlaments Kashtira from his hand. Tappa Special Summoned Tearlaments Kashtira, banishing Tearlaments Scream. Then Jet added Spright Smashers. In a new Chain, Tearlaments Kashtira’s effect activated, and Barajas negated it with Ash Blossom. He then Special Summoned Spright Red. He used Blue and Jet to Link Summon Spright Sprind, sending Nimble Angler to the Graveyard. Angler activated, and Tappa responded with Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard. Spright Red Tributed Sprind to negate and destroy Kelbek. Then Angler Special Summoned two copies of Nimble Beaver. Kelbek’s effect then sent five cards from each Deck to the Graveyard, including a Shaddoll Squamata and Tearlaments Reinoheart from Tappa. Squamata sent Shaddoll Beast, which let Tappa draw Keldo the Sacred Protector. Barajas used the Beavers to play PSY-Framelord Lambda.

Tappa’s remaining hand was Primeval Planet Perlereino, Agido the Ancient Sentinel, and Keldo. He drew King of the Swamp. He activated Keldo’s effect, sending Agido. Barajas responded with PSY-Framegear Gamma, negating Keldo, and Special Summoning Gamma and PSY-Frame Driver. Agido’s effect activated separately, and Spright Red Tributed Gamma to negate Agido. Tappa sent Tearlaments Kashtira to attack Spright Carrot, and Barajas flipped Spright Smashers, banishing his Red and Tappa’s Tearlaments Kashtira. Tappa played Perlereino, and Spright Carrot Tributed Lambda to negate and destroy it. In the End Phase, Driver was banished. Tappa passed with only King of the Swamp in his hand.

Barajas drew Pot of Prosperity! He banished six cards, adding Emergency Teleport to his hand. He played it to Special Summon Gamma. He stacked it with Spright Carrot for Gigantic Spright, and it detached Carrot to Special Summon Spright Blue. Blue added Spright Jet to his hand, and he Special Summoned that to add Spright Double Cross to his hand. He attacked with Gigantic, Blue, and Jet, dealing half damage due to Pot of Prosperity. He Set his last card.

Tappa drew Super Polymerization! He played it, discarding King of the Swamp to fuse Gigantic with Jet into Garura, Wings of Resonant Life! Garura attacked Blue, dealing double damage with its effect. Barajas had 7200 Life Points to Tappa’s 6000.

Barajas passed with no play.

Tappa drew Evenly Matched. Garura attacked directly to drop Barajas to 4200 Life Points. He Set Evenly Matched.

Barajas played Spright Starter to Special Summon Spright Blue, and dropped to 3100. He did not use Blue’s effect. He Normal Summoned Nimble Angler, then Xyz Summoned Onibimaru Soul Sweeper, temporarily banishing Garura. It attacked directly, dropping Tappa to 4100 Life Points, and Tappa responded with Evenly Matched. Barajas flipped Spright Double Cross, targeting Keldo from the Graveyard, and Tappa Chained Keldo’s effect to return Perlereino and Reinoheart from his Graveyard to the Deck. The Chain resolved, and Evenly Matched banished Double Cross face-down.

Tappa drew Terraforming, and used it to get Primeval Planet Perlereino! It searched out Reinoheart, which he played to get Havnis in the Graveyard. Havnis fused with King of the Swamp for Rulkallos! Perlereino destroyed Onibimaru Soul Sweeper, leaving Barajas wide open! Rulkallos and Reinoheart attacked directly to finish the Match!

Cobi Tappa is your victor!