Round 9 Feature Match: Calvin Tahan Versus Joel Patton
The end of YCS Philadelphia Day 1 is here, and we’re taking you straight to Table 1 where two undefeated Duelists are preparing for their final match of the day!
Both players will be back tomorrow, but winning this round puts them one step closer to securing a spot in the Top Cut. Calvin Tahan recently made the Top Cut at the 250th YCS and is looking to repeat that success this weekend with Kashtira. His opponent, Joel Patton, is playing a carefully crafted version of Superheavy Samurai with some surprises for his Kashtira opponents. Both Duelists are undefeated, but that won’t last through the end of this Duel!
Tahan won the dice roll and choose to go first. His opening hand included Kashtira Fenrir, two copies of Kashtira Unicorn, Pot of Prosperity, and Dimensional Shifter. Tahan started his turn by activating Shifter. He Special Summoned Unicorn from his hand and activated its effect to search Kashtira Birth. He activated Birth, then Normal Summoned Fenrir and used it to search Kashtira Riseheart.
He Special Summoned Riseheart, then banished Kashtira Big Bang from his Deck with its effect. Three cards were banished face-down off the top of Patton’s Deck. Tahan then Xyz Summoned Kashtira Arise-Heart with all 3 monsters and activated Pot of Prosperity. He banished 6 cards from his Extra Deck and excavated the same number of cards from his own. He snagged Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring from among the excavated cards, and because cards were banished, Tahan activated Arise-Heart to attach a now-banished Infinitrack Goliath as an Xyz Material. He passed turn.
Patton drew to start his turn, and moved to the Main Phase. He Tributed away Tahan’s Kashtira Arise-Heart with Santa Claws, giving the monster to his opponent. He discarded Superheavy Samurai Motorbike to get Superheavy Samurai Prodigy Wakaushi to his hand. He activated Prodigy in the Pendulum Zone, then used its effect to place Superheavy Samurai Monk Big Benkei in the other Pendulum Zone and Summon Prodigy. He attempted to activate Monk Big Benkei but Tahan responded with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.
Patton Normal Summoned Superheavy Samurai Scales, and Xyz Summoned Springans Merrymaker with Scales and Wakaushi. He overlayed for Gigantic “Champion” Sargas, entered the Battle Phase, and attacked over Santa Claws. He Xyz Summoned Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS – Sky Thunder using Sargas in Main Phase 2 before passing turn.
Tahan drew Kashtira Fenrir, then activated Kashtira Birth to Summon his Fenrir from his Graveyard. Patton responded by activating Zeus, sending everything but itself away. Tahan Summoned another Fenrir, which was also sent away by Zeus. He Summoned Kashtira Unicorn next and activated its effect, but Patton countered with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Tahan activated Unicorn’s other effect to banish Aussa, the Earth Charmer, Immortal from Patton’s Extra Deck. He passed turn.
Patton discarded Superheavy Samurai Motorbike to search Superheavy Samurai Soulpiercer. He Summoned Soulpiercer, and used it to Link Summon Superheavy Samurai Scarecrow. Soulpiercer got him Superheavy Samurai Prodigy Wakaushi. He added Monk to his Pendulum Zome and used its effect to search Superheavy Samurai Soulgaia Booster. Patton activated Superheavy Samurai Soulpeacemaker from his hand, targeting Scarecrow and equipping Soulpeacemaker to it. Tahan activated Kashtira Unicorn, using its effect to banish PSY-Framelord Lambda from Patton’s Extra Deck.
Patton activated Peacemaker next, Tributing Scarecrow to Summon Superheavy Samurai Wagon from the Deck. Wagon effect added Soulpierecer to Patton’s hand, then Superheavy Samurai Prodigy Wakaushi hit the other Pendulum Zone. He Normal Summoned Soulpiercer, equipped it with Soulgaia Booster, and then Synchro Summoned Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon with Wagon and Soulpiercer. He targeted Motorbike with Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon’s effect, and Soulpiercer searched another copy of Motorbike. He Synchro Summoned Baronne de Fleur with Motorbike and Accel Synchro, and used its effect to destroy Unicorn. He attacked directly with Zeus and Baronne to bring Tahan’s Life Points down to 2000.
Tahan drew Nibiru, the Primal Being and passed.
Patton drew for his turn and immediately entered the Battle Phase to declare his final attacks. Game 2 was on, with Patton scoring an early lead thanks to Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS – Sky Thunder!
Tahan chose to start the next game and opened with two copies of Kashtira Brith, Triple Tactics Talent, Kashtira Fenrir, and Kashtira Unicorn. He Special Summoned Kashtira Fenrir and activated its effect to search his Deck for Kashtira Riseheart. He activated Kashtira Birth, Normal Summoned Kashtira Unicorn, and used Unicorn’s effect to search Kashtiratheosis. He overlayed both monsters for Kashtira Shangri-Ira, then Summoned Riseheart and activated its effect to banish Kashtira Big Bang from his Deck.
The top 3 cards of Patton’s Deck were banished face-down by Riseheart. Next, Shangri-Ira activated and locked down 1 of Patton’s Pendulum Zones, and Kashtira Big Bang removed a copy of Fenrir from under Shangri-Ira. That returned it to his hand, and allowed him to Special Summon it again. He Summoned Kashtira Arise-Heartover Riseheart in Defense Position, then activated Kashtiratheosis targeting Arise-Heart to Special Summon Scareclaw Kashtira.
He activated Arise-Heart next, and stacked Kashtiratheosis beneath Arise-Heart as an Xyz Material. He Summoned Number 89: Diablosis the Mind Hacker next, and Patton’s Nibiru, the Primal Being hit the field! The Primal Being Token was Summoned for Tahan with 5800 ATK and 7200 DEF. Tahan activated Kashtira Birth to Summon Fenrir, then activated Triple Tactics Talent using its third effect to send a card in Patton’s hand back to the Deck. Tahan chose Superheavy Samurai Prodigy Wakaushi and passed.
Patton drew for his turn and activated Sauge de Fleur, destroying Nibiru and Kashtira Birth to Special Summon it from the hand. This triggered the effect of Tahan’s Fenrir, letting him banish Sauge. Patton passed his turn.
Tahan swapped the Primal Being Token to Attack Position and activated a new copy of Birth. He then activated Pressured Planet Wraitsoth and added Primal Being Token. Finally, he Normal Summoned Fenrir, Special Summoned Unicorn with Kashtira Birth, and attacked with all three monsters to end the Duel.
Despite an effective counter to Tahan’s growing field presence, Nibiru, the Primal Being just wasn’t enough to give him the room he needed to assemble his combos. Both players readied themselves for an intense Game 3.
Patton started the final Duel by Special Summoning Kashtira Fenrir from his hand. He activated Superheavy Samurai Prodigy Wakaushi in the Pendulum Zone and searched his Deck for Superheavy Samurai Monk Big Benkei before Special Summoning Wakaushi. Monk Big Benkei got him Superheavy Samurai Soulpiercer, and Fenrir got him another copy of Fenrir. He Normal Summoned Soulpiercer and Tahan responded with Dimensional Shifter. Patton Xyz Summoned Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir in Defense Position and passed.
Tahan started with Kashtira Fenrir, 2 copies of Kashtira Birth, a Terraforming, and Triple Tactics Talent. He activated Terraforming to search Pressured Planet Wraitsoth, then activated Wraitsoth to search for Scareclaw Kashtira. He activated the Kashtira, banishing Birth from hand to Summon it in Defense Position. He entered his Battle Phase and attacked Bagooska with Scareclaw and destroyed it. He entered Main Phase 2 and activated Birth before Normal Summonning Fenrir. He debated before Xyz Summoning Number 11: Big Eye, and used its effect to take Patton’s Fenrir.
Tahan activated the Fenrir and searched his Deck for Kashtira Riseheart. He Summoned Riseheart, then activated is effect to banish Kashtiratheosis from his Deck along with three face-down cards from the top of Patton’s Deck. Theosis added back Birth from the banished zone. Tahan activated Birth, Summoned his banished Fenrir, then Summoned Kashtira Arise-Heart. He used Arise-Heart’s effect to banish Big Benkei from the Pendulum Zone, then activated Arise-Heart again to attach his banished Kashtiratheosis as an Xyz Material. He Summoned Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS – Sky Thunder over Big Eye and passed turn.
Patton drew, and Summoned Fenrir. He entered the Battle Phase A and tried to attack Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS – Sky Thunder, but he also activated Fenrir in response to his own attack declaration to destroy Arise-heart. Tahan’s Arise-Heart was destroyed, but Patton took 800 damage from the battle. Patton activated Fenrir to search for another copy from his Deck. He activated Superheavy Samurai Prodigy Wakaushi and used its effect to place Monk Big Benkei in the other Pendulum Zone and Special Summon it. Tahan activated Zeus in response to Wakaushi’s Summon, which sent everything else off the field. Patton Summoned his last Fenrir and passed his turn.
Tahan drew Dark Ruler No More, then activated Birth. He Summoned Kashtira Fenrir with Birth, then used its effect to search for Kashtira Unicorn. Patton responded with his own Fenrir’s effect to banish Birth. Tahan used Triple Tactics Talent to take control of Patton’s Fenrir, and that was enough to seal the Duel!
Kashtira triumphs over Superheavy Samurai at the end of Day 1, leaving Calvin Tahan undefeated heading into Day 2. There’s plenty more exciting Dueling coming up on Sunday that you won’t want to miss!
