5-time YCS winner Jesse Kotton from Toronto, Canada is Dueling against 2023 Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME World Championship competitor Joo Ho Ahn from Germany in our Round 5 Feature Match! Both Duelists are currently 4-0 in the tournament, but only one of them will be able to continue in the tournament undefeated. Kotton is using an Unchained Deck, while Ahn is using Tearlaments. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Ahn started off Duel 1 by Normal Summoning Tearlaments Reinoheart and using its effect to send Tearlaments Kashtira from his Deck to his Graveyard.

He used its effect to send King of the Swamp and Tearlaments Scream from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard. He used Scream’s effect to add Tearlaments Sulliek from his Deck to his hand and then activated Primeval Planet Perlereino to add Tearlaments Scheiren to his hand. He activated Scheiren’s effect to Special Summon it and send Keldo the Sacred Protector to his Graveyard, then sent 3 cards from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard. He Xyz Summon Time Thief Redoer and then used its effect to banish it. He used Scheiren’s effect to Fusion Summon a Kaleido-Heart, then used his Perlereino’s effect to destroy the Kaleido-Heart. He used Kaleido-Heart’s effect to Special Summon it back to the field and send Tearlaments Havnis to his Graveyard, and then used Havnis’s effect to fuse it with a King of the Swamp in his Graveyard and Summon Tearlaments Rulkallos by returning Havnis and King of the Swamp to his Deck. He Set a card to his back row and Ahn Set another card to his back row.

Kotton opened up Duel 1 with Unchained Soul of Sharvara, Pot of Prosperity, Escape of the Unchained, and Abominable Chamber of the Unchained. He drew another Escape of the Unchained in his Draw Phase and then Ahn used his Redoer’s effect to attach the top card of Kotton’s Deck to it as an Xyz Material – Change of Heart. He then detached it to draw a card with Redoer’s effect. Kotton activated Pot of Prosperity next, by banishing 6 cards from his Extra Deck face-down. He excavated the top 6 cards of his Deck and added a Triple Tactics Thrust to his hand before returning the other 5 excavated cards to his Deck. Next, he Set Escape of the Unchained and Abominable Chamber of the Unchained to his back row. He activated Sharvara’s effect in his hand, targeting his Escape of the Unchained for destruction and Ahn Chained the effect of Rulkallos to negate the effect and destroy Sharvara and send Kaleido-Heart to the Graveyard. Sharvara and Kaleido-Heart’s effects activated. Kotton Set Wailing of the Unchained Souls from his Deck to his field and Kaleido-Heart returned to the field and returned an Escape of the Unchained back to Kotton’s Deck with its effect. Ahn sent a Tearlaments Metanoise to the Graveyard with Kaleido-Heart’s effect too, and used its effect to add a Tearlaments Kashtira from his Graveyard to his hand. Kotton activated Triple Tactics Thrust next to get Abomination’s Prison, and used the Prison to add Unchained Twins – Aruha to his hand. He activated Aruha’s effect by targeting his face-down Escape and used the Escape’s effect to Special Summon Unchained Soul of Shyama from his Deck. Ahn activated the effect of the Tearlaments Kashtira in his hand to Special Summon it by banishing Scream from his Graveyard and sent 3 cards including Tearlaments Heartbeat and Trivikarma from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard. He used Heartbeat’s effect to add Tearlaments Metanoise to his hand. Kotton activated Shyama’s effect and Ahn negated it with Tearlaments Sulliek by sending Tearlaments Kashtira to his Graveyard. He sent the top 2 cards of his Deck to his Graveyard, including a Scheiren, with the effect of Tearlaments Kashtira, and used Scheiren’s effect to Fusion Summon Grapha, Dragon Overlord of Dark World. In his Battle Phase, Kotton attacked Time Thief Redoer with Aruha. Aruha was destroyed in battle, and Kotton Special Summoned Abominable Unchained Soul from his Deck. He activated its effect by discarding Escape of the Unchained from his hand to destroy Grapha and then attacked Redoer with his Unchained Soul. Ahn used the effect of the Mudora in his Graveyard to return Grapha, Tearlaments Kashtira, and Tearlaments Heartbeat to his Deck, allowing him to use Perlereino’s effect to destroy Abominable Unchained Soul. In Main Phase 2, Kotton Xyz Summon Super Starslayer TY-PHON Sky Crisis. He activated its effect to return Kaleido-Heart to the Extra Deck and Set a card to his back row before passing. In the End Phase, Ahn activated the effect of the Bystial Magnamhut in his hand, targeting Abominable Unchained Soul in Kotton’s Graveyard. Kotton immediately conceded.

Joo Ho Ahn wins the first Duel of the Match with his Tearlaments Deck!

Duel Two

Kotton opened up Duel 2 with D/D/D Vice King Requiem, Abomination’s Prison, Pot of Prosperity, Triple Tactics Thrust, and Dark Contract with the Gate.

He started off the Duel by activating Pot of Prosperity and banishing 6 cards from his Extra Deck face-down. He excavated the top 6 cards of his Deck and added Abomination’s Prison to his hand. He activated the Prison to add Aruha to his hand and then Set a Prison to his back row. He Special Summoned Aruha from his hand by destroying his Set Prison and then used the Prison’s effect to Special Summon Unchained Soul of Shyama from his Deck. Kotton activated the effect of Shyama to try to destroy Aruha, but Ahn activated Infinite Impermanence to negate Shyama’s effect. Next, Kotton activated a Dark Contract and placed Vice King Requiem in the Pendulum Zone. He Special Summoned the Requiem with its Pendulum Effect and then Xyz Summoned D/D/D Deviser King Deus Machinex by using the Requiem as an Xyz Material.  He destroyed Aruha, and then used Aruha’s effect to Special Summon Sharvara. Next, Kotton sent his two Unchained Monsters to the Graveyard to Link Summon Unchained Soul Lord of Yama. He used the effects of Yama and Sharvara to Set Escape of the Unchained from his Deck and add Unchained Twins – Rakea from his Deck to his hand. Next, he sent Yama and Machinex to the Graveyard to Link Summon Unchained Soul of Rage and Normal Summoned Rakea. He used Rakea’s effect to destroy his face-down Escape and used Escape’s effect to Special Summon Unchained Twins – Samara from his Deck. After a flurry of plays Kotton ended his turn with D/D/D Wave High King Caesar, Rakea, Unchained Soul of Rage, and a card in his back row.

Ahn started off his turn by activating Foolish Burial Goods to send Tearlaments Sulliek to the Graveyard. He used Sulliek’s effect to add a Tearlaments Reinoheart to his hand and then Normal Summoned the Reinoheart. He activated its effect and then Chained Super Polymerization by discarding Mudora. He fused Wave Caesar and Reinoheart into Mudragon of the Swamp and then sent Tearlaments Kashtira to the Graveyard with Reinoheart’s effect. In a new Chain, Ahn used the effects of Reinoheart and Tearlaments Kashtira, and Kotton Chained the effects of Caesar and Sharvara. Finally, Ahn Chained the effect of Tearlaments Kashtira in his hand to Special Summon it. The Chain resolved. Kotton added Dark Contract with the Gate to his hand and Set Abominable Chamber of the Unchained with Sharvara’s effect. Ahn sent Havnis and King of the Swamp to the Graveyard with the effect of his Tearlaments Kashtira that went to the Graveyard, and then used the effects of his Havnis and on-field Tearlaments Kashtira. He sent 3 more cards from the top of his Deck to his Graveyard and then fused Havnis with King of the Swamp by returning them to the Deck to Fusion Summon Tearlaments Rulkallos. Before he could leave his Main Phase, Kotton activated the effect of the Sharvara in his hand targeting his face-down Trap Card. Ahn Chained Rulkallos’s effect and sent Rulkallos to the Graveyard. He returned it to the field with its effect. Kotton then used Rakea’s effect to destroy his Set Chamber and Special Summoned Abominable Unchained Soul with the effect of his Chamber. He discarded Dark Contract with the Gate to activate its effect and destroy Mudragon. Next, Ahn sent Reinoheart and Rulkallos to the Graveyard to Link Summon S:P Little Knight and activated its effect to banish Abominable Unchained Soul. Kotton used his Unchained Soul of Rage’s effect next, and Ahn Chained the effect of Little Knight to banish Little Knight and Rage from the Duel. Tearlaments Kashtira attacked and destroyed Rakea, and Kotton used its effect to Special Summon Aruha. In the End Phase, Little Knight and Unchained Soul of Rage returned to the field.

Kotton drew a card and then activated the effect of the Shyama in his Graveyard by targeting Aruha. Ahn Chained the effect of Little Knight to try to banish the Little Knight and Aruha, but Kotton Chained Escape of the Unchained to destroy Unchained Soul of Rage and Little Knight. Ahn conceded, moving the Match to a third and final Duel with approximately 16 minutes in the round!

Duel Three

Ahn started off Duel 3 by activating Foolish Burial Goods and Kotton Chained the effect of the Dimension Shifter in his hand by sending it to the Graveyard! All cards that would be sent to the Graveyard will be banished until Ahn’s next turn! Ahn sighed and banished Tearlaments Heartbeat from his Deck. Ahn passed his turn with nothing on his field!

Kotton drew Dark Contract with the Gate and added it to his hand of Abomination’s Prison, Nibiru the Primal Being, Effect Veiler, and Unchained Soul of Shyama. He activated the Dark Contract with the Gate and used its effect to add D/D/D Vice King Requiem from his Deck to his hand. He placed it in his Pendulum Zone and then Special Summoned it and banished his Dark Contract with the Gate. Next, he Tribute Summoned Shyama by Tributing Vice King Requiem. He Set a Prison and then destroyed it with Shyama’s effect to activate the Prison’s effect and Special Summon Sharvara from his Deck. He attacked for 4000 points of damage with Sharvara and Shyama and then Xyz Summoned D/D/D Wave High King Caesar before ending his turn.

Ahn activated the effect of the King of the Swamp in his hand to discard it and add Polymerization from his Deck to his hand. Next, he activated Tearlaments Scream and Normal Summoned Reinoheart. He activated the effects of Reinoheart and Scream, and Kotton discarded Effect Veiler from his hand to negate Reinoheart’s effect. Ahn sent Mudora, Perlereino, and Shaddoll Beast to his Graveyard with the Scream’s effect and drew a card with Beast’s effect. Next, Ahn activated Polymerization, and Kotton negated it with the effect of his High King Caesar. He detached Sharvara to do so and Set Abominable Chamber of the Unchained to his back row with Sharvara’s effect.

Ahn Special Summoned Tearlaments Scheiren next with its effect, but didn’t manage to send a Tearlaments monster from his Deck to his Graveyard! He passed his turn.

Kotton drew a second Nibiru and then attacked Scheiren to destroy it. In the End Phase, Ahn banished Mudora from his Graveyard to return Scheiren and Terraforming to his Deck, and return a Sharvara to Kotton’s Deck.

Ahn drew a card and Set a card to his back row.

Kotton drew a Dimension Shifter to add to his hand with 2 Nibirus and then attacked Reinoheart to destroy it with Wave High King Caesar.

Ahn Set a monster and passed.

Kotton drew another Dimension Shifter and then attacked Ahn’s face-down King of the Swamp to destroy it.

Ahn activated the effect of Scheiren from his hand to Special Summon it, sending Druiswurm from his hand to his Graveyard. He sent the top 3 cards of his Deck to his Graveyard including a Scream and Havnis. He used the effect of the Scream on his field to eventually send 3 cards including Reinoheart to the Graveyard, and used the effects of the Scream and Havnis in his Graveyard. He used Havnis’s effect to Fusion Summon Kaleido-Heart and added a Sulliek to his hand with the Scream he had sent to the Graveyard. He used Kaleido-Heart’s effect to return Caesar to the Extra Deck and Special Summoned the Reinoheart that was just sent to his Graveyard. He discarded a Sulliek from his hand with Reinoheart’s effect. Next, he activated Reinoheart’s other effect to send a Tearlaments monster from his Deck to his Graveyard, and used the effect of the Sulliek that had been sent to his Graveyard. He added a Tearlaments Kashtira from his Deck to his hand with Sulliek’s effect and sent Merrli to the Graveyard with Reinoheart’s effect. He used Merrli’s effect to Special Summon Tearlaments Rulkallos by fusing Merrli with King of the Swamp. Before he could enter his Battle Phase, Kotton activated Abominable Chamber to try to Special Summon a monster, and Ahn used Rulkallos’s effect to negate it. He sent Kaleido-Heart to the Graveyard, which returned to the field with its own effect. Kotton activated Nibiru’s effect next, and Ahn activated his face-down Tearlaments Cryme to negate its activation by sending Tearlaments Kashtira from his hand to his Graveyard! Direct attacks from all of Ahn’s monsters wiped Kotton’s remaining Life Points!

Some weak draws by both Duelists made for a close third Duel, but Ahn manages to win and advances with a 5-0 record with his Tearlaments Deck!