Dominic Couch from Houston, Texas had the second highest number of World Qualifying Points for the 2022-2023 season, and has proven to be one of the most consistently successful Duelists of the year. Unfortunately for him, however, he didn’t make it into the Top 2 of yesterday’s World Qualifying Points Playoff, so now he’s back searching for his invitation to the 2023 Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME World Championship! Conrad Sanders from Tucson, Arizona hasn’t made it to the top cut of a YCS or World Championship Qualifier before, but he’s well-practiced with the Bystial Dragon Link Deck he’s using this weekend, and is currently performing as well as one possibly could this weekend. Like Couch, Sanders currently holds a perfect 7-0 record in the tournament! This Round 8 Feature Match pits Dominic Couch’s Kashtira Deck against Conrad Sanders’s Bystial Dragon Link Deck in a Match that will tarnish one of their perfect records. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Sanders started off Duel 1 by Normal Summoning Black Metal Dragon and using it as a Link Material to Summon Striker Dragon.

He activated the effects of Black Metal Dragon and Striker Dragon to add Boot Sector Launch and Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon from his Deck to his hand. He activated the effect of The Bystial Lubellion from his hand, sending it to the Graveyard to add Bystial Magnamhut from his Deck to his hand. He Special Summoned Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon from his hand by banishing Striker Dragon and used its effect to Special Summon Starliege Seyfert from his hand. He activated the Seyfert’s effect and sent it to the Graveyard to add White Dragon Wyverburster from his Deck to his hand. He used Lubellion’s effect to Special Summon it from the Graveyard by Tributing Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon and then used Lubellion’s effect to place Branded Regained from his Deck face-up in his Spell & Trap Card Zone. Next, he activated the effect of Bystial Magnamhut in his hand. He banished Black Metal Dragon and Special Summoned it, and then activated the Magnamhut’s effect so that he could add a Dragon to his hand in the End Phase. Next, he sent Magnamhut and Lubellion to the Graveyard to Link Summon Dragunity Knight – Romulus and activated its effect; but Couch activated Infinite Impermanence from his hand to negate it! Sanders banished Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon from his Graveyard to Special Summon Wyverburster from his hand and then sent Wyverburster and Romulus to the Graveyard to Link Summon Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres. He activated Wyverburster’s effect to add Black Dragon Collapserpent from his Deck to his hand and then banished Wyverburster from his Graveyard to Special Summon Collapserpent from his hand. He used the effect of Branded Regained to return Wyverburster to his Deck and draw a card. Next, he activated Chaos Space. He sent Lubellion from his hand to his Graveyard to add Chaos Dragon Levianeer to his hand and then banished Chaos Space from his Graveyard and returned Striker Dragon to his Extra Deck to draw a card. Finally, a Set a card to his back row. In the End Phase, he added Bystial Druiswurm from his Deck to his hand with the Magnamhut’s effect that he activated earlier in the turn.

Couch drew Cosmic Cyclone and added it to his hand of Pressured Planet Wraitsoth, Kashtira Fenrir, Forbidden Lance, and Book of Eclipse.

He Special Summoned Kashtira Fenrir and Sanders activated the effect of his Regained; but Couch Chained Cosmic Cyclone and paid 1000 Life Points to target Branded Regained to banish it. Sanders Chained Book of Eclipse, but Couch Chained Forbidden Lance targeting his Fenrir! Fenrir was unaffected by the Book of Eclipse, but Sanders’s Collapserpent was flipped face-down by its effect and Regained was then banished by the Cosmic Cyclone! Couch used his Fenrir’s effect to add Kashtira Riseheart to his hand. Couch attacked Hieratic Seal, and Sanders Tributed it to activate its effect. He returned Fenrir to Couch’s hand and then Special Summoned Rokket Tracer from his Deck. Couch activated Pressured Planet Wraitsoth in Main Phase 2 and used its effect to add Kashtira Unicorn from his Deck to his hand. He activated Book of Eclipse next, and Sanders Chained his Tracer’s effect to destroy the Tracer and Special Summon Rokket Caliber from his Deck. The Rokket Caliber was put face-down by Book of Eclipse when it resolved. Couch Special Summoned his Unicorn next and activated its effect to add Kashtira Birth to his hand. He activated it and then Normal Summoned Fenrir from his hand. He Special Summoned Riseheart from his hand next, and then combined Fenrir and Unicorn to Xyz Summon Kashtira Shangri-Ira. He activated Riseheart’s effect next by banishing a Kashtira Ogre from his Deck and banished the top 3 cards of Sanders’s Deck. Shangri-Ira’s effect blocked the middle Main Monster Zone, and Wraitsoth’s effect destroyed the face-down Rokket Caliber. Next, Couch used Birth’s effect to Special Summon his banished Ogre and used Ogre’s effect to add Kashtira Preparations from his Deck to his hand. Couch Xyz Summoned Kashtira Arise-Heart over his Shangri-Ira next, and then combined Ogre with Riseheart to Xyz Summon another Shangri-Ira. In the End Phase, Couch used his Arise-Heart’s effect to banish Sanders’s Collapserpent face-down and then used Shangri-Ira’s effect to block another Main Monster Zone. He attached a banished Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon as an Xyz Material to his Arise-Heart with his Arise-Heart’s effect.

Sanders drew a card and then Couch used his Shangri-Ira’s effect to Special Summon a Kashtira Fenrir from his Deck in Defense Position. Next, Couch flipped Kashtira Preparations and used its effect to Special Summon Kashtira Unicorn from his banished zone. Sanders entered his Main Phase and banished Seyfert from his Graveyard to add The Bystial Lubellion to his hand. Couch attached a banished Shangri-Ira to his Arise-Heart. Next, Sanders activated Triple Tactics Talent to take control of Arise-Heart! Its effect activated to gain an Xyz Material, and Couch Chained the effect of Kashtira Birth to banish 3 cards from Sanders’s Graveyard face-down. Sanders attached a banished Hieratic Seal to Arise-Heart as an Xyz Material and Couch used Shangri-Ira’s effect to block another Main Monster Zone. Couch also used his Fenrir’s effect, targeting Arise-Heart. Sanders Chained its effect by detaching all 3 of its Xyz Materials to banish Unicorn from the Duel face-down before the Arise-Heart was banished. Sanders used the effect of The Bystial Lubellion in his hand to add Magnamhut to his hand and Special Summoned the Magnamhut by banishing a Magnamhut from his Graveyard. He activated its effect when it was Summoned so that he could get a Dragon from his Deck in the End Phase, and then Special Summoned Druiswurm from his hand by banishing Rokket Caliber from his Graveyard. He activated Quick Launch next, Special Summoning Rokket Tracer from his Deck, and Couch conceded.

Conrad Sanders wins the first Duel with his Bystial Dragon Link Deck!

Duel Two

Couch opened up with Book of Eclipse, Terraforming, Dimension Shifter, Book of Moon, and Kashtira Unicorn. He activated Terraforming and Chained the effect of the Dimension Shifter in his hand. He added Wraitsoth from his Deck to his hand with Terraforming’s effect and then Special Summoned Kashtira Unicorn from his hand. He added Kashtiratheosis from his deck to his hand with Unicorn’s effect and then activated Wraitsoth. He used Wraitsoth’s effect to add Riseheart to his hand and then Special Summoned the Riseheart. He used its effect to banish Birth from his Deck along with the top 3 cards from Sanders’s Deck face-down. He then used Kashtiratheosis targeting Riseheart. He Special Summoned Fenrir and added Birth from his banished zone to his hand with the effect of his banished Kashtiratheosis. He added a Unicorn to his hand with Fenrir’s effect and then Set Book of Moon before ending his turn.

Sanders drew a card and then activated Dark Ruler No More to negate the effects of all of Couch’s monsters. Next, he activated Quick Launch to Special Summon Rokket Tracer from his Deck. He Normal Summoned Starliege Seyfert next and used his 2 monsters to Link Summon Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres. He Special Summoned Dinowrestler Pankratops from his hand next and attacked Riseheart with Pankratops. Couch flipped Book of Moon to try to put Pankratops face-down, and Sanders Chained his Pankratops’s effect to Tribute it and destroy the Unicorn.

Couch drew another Dimension Shifter and then used his Fenrir’s effect to add Scareclaw Kashtira to his hand. He activated Kashtira Birth and Normal Summoned his Unicorn without Tribute. Sanders activated the effect of his Hieratic Seal to return the Unicorn to Couch’s hand and then Special Summoned Magnamhut from his Deck with the Seal’s effect; but Couch banished Magnamhut face-down with his Fenrir! Couch Special Summoned Unicorn back to the field with his Birth’s effect and then Special Summoned Scareclaw Kashtira from his hand. Direct attacks from all of Couch’s monsters wiped out all 8000 of Sanders’s Life Points!

Dominic Couch takes a dominating victory in Duel 2 with some help from Dimension Shifter! The Match continues with a third and final Duel!

Duel Three

Sanders started his turn and Couch activated the effect of Dimension Shifter in his Draw Phase! Sanders Special Summoned a Bystial Saronir by banishing Dimension Shifter from Couch’s Graveyard and then Normal Summoned Rokket Tracer. He Tuned his 2 monsters together to Synchro Summon Bystial Dis Pater in Defense Position, banishing both Synchro Materials, and then he used Dis Pater’s effect to Special Summoned Rokket Tracer in Defense Position. He Set a card to his back row before passing.

Couch drew Book of Moon and added it to his hand of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Kashtira Fenrir, and two copies of Kashtiratheosis. He Special Summoned Kashtira Fenrir and then activated Kashtiratheosis targeting it. He Special Summoned Kashtira Unicorn from his Deck and then used Fenrir’s effect to add Kashtira Riseheart from his Deck to his hand. Next, Couch used his Unicorn’s effect. Sanders Chained Dis Pater’s effect to negate it by sending Kashtiratheosis from Couch’s banished zone to his Deck. Couch activated the effects of his Unicorn and Fenrir, targeting Dis Pater with Fenrir’s effect. Sanders Chained his Tracer’s effect, targeting Dis Pater, and Couch negated it with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! Fenrir banished the Dis Pater face-down, and Couch banished a Striker Dragon from Sanders’s Extra Deck face-down. Next, Couch Special Summoned Riseheart from his hand. He used its effect to banish Kashtiratheosis from his Deck and banish the top 3 cards of Sanders’s Deck face-down. Then, he combined his Unicorn, Fenrir, and Riseheart to Xyz Summon Kashtira Arise-Heart! He entered his Battle Phase and used Arise-Heart’s effect. He detached 3 Xyz Materials from Arise-Heart in his Battle Phase to banished Rokket Tracer face-down and then attacked directly with Arise-Heart to drop Sanders down to 5000 Life Points. In Main Phase 2, Couch Set Book of Moon and Xyz Summoned Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS – Sky Thunder in Defense Position over Arise-Heart.

Sanders flipped his face-down Chaos Space. He sent a Starliege Seyfert from his hand to his Graveyard to add Chaos Dragon Levianeer from his Deck to his hand and then activated Quick Launch. He Special Summoned Rokket Tracer from his Deck and then activated Dragon Ravine. He activated the effect of Dragon Ravine by discarding his last in-hand card, Chaos Dragon Levianeer, and sent The Bystial Lubellion from his Deck to his Graveyard. He used the effect of the Starliege Seyfert in his Graveyard to add Lubellion from his Graveyard to his hand and then used Lubellion’s effect to add Druiswurm to his hand by sending the Lubellion to his Graveyard. Couch flipped Book of Moon to put Rokket Tracer face-down before Sanders could Summon a Druiswurm, and Sanders Chained Tracer’s effect destroying Dragon Ravine and Special Summoning Rokket Caliber. Sanders Special Summoned Druiswurm from his hand next, and Couch used Zeus’s effect to clear the field! Druiswurm’s effect sent Zeus to the Graveyard, and then time in the round was called! With no cards left in his hand or on his field, Sanders ended his Main Phase. Couch was declared the winner, up by 3000 Life Points thanks to Arise-Heart’s attack on Couch’s previous turn!

Dominic Couch advances with a perfect 8-0 record!