We’re halfway through Day 1 of YCS Indianapolis, and we have two undefeated Duelists for this Feature Match. Anthony King is here from Aurora, CO, and he’s playing Tearlaments. This build is utilizing the new Horus cards from Age of Overlord, giving even more power out of the Graveyard! He’s up against Austin Bare, from Peoria, IL. Bare’s using one of the most unique Decks at the top tables: Trains! This Machine Deck uses Infinitracks, Machina, and the Rank 10 Trains to put down huge monsters backed by Skill Drain.

Duel 1

King won the dice roll and chose to play first. King started off with Imsety, Glory of Horus, discarding it and Destiny HERO – Malicious to try searching for King’s Sarcophagus, but it was hit by Bare’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. King Normal Summoned Tearlaments Reinoheart, sending Havnis to the Graveyard. Havnis’s effect fused it with Malicious into Mudragon of the Swamp. He stacked Mudragon and Reinoheart to Xyz Summon Bahamut Shark, which then Special Summoned Toadally Awesome! He played King’s Sarcophagus – he had it the whole time! He used it to discard Tearlaments Kashtira to send Hapi, Guidance of Horus to the Graveyard. He Special Summoned Hapi and Imsety, and Link Summoned The Zombie Vampire! He used its effect, making both players send four cards from the Deck to the Graveyard, stealing Bare’s Machina Citadel! He also sent Bare’s Machina Overdrive along with some more Machines, and his own Tearlaments Sulliek, which added Tearlaments Kashtira to his hand. He Special Summoned Tearlaments Kashtira, banishing Sulliek. Its effect sent three more cards to his Graveyard, including Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard!

Thanks to Kelbek, both players sent five cards, and King sent another Malicious and a Tearlaments Scheiren. Scheiren fused with a Danger! Nessie! in the Graveyard, putting Garura, Wings of Resonant Life in the Extra Monster Zone. He then used Garura and Bahamut Shark to Link Summon Cross-Sheep, drawing a card with Garura. He played Tearlaments Scream. Then he Special Summoned Malicious with one from his Graveyard, and Scream sent three more cards. Malicious and Cross-Sheep were used to play Spright Sprind, which sent Tearlaments Merrli to the Graveyard! Merrli fused with Mudragon for Predaplant Dragostapelia! He ended with Toadally Awesome, Dragostapelia, a stolen Machina Citadel, Sprind, and The Zombie Vampire, plus he’d sent Mudora the Sword Oracle and Keldo the Sacred Protector to the Graveyard during all of that!

Bare had Jizukiru, the Star Destroying Kaiju; Triple Tactics Talent; Heavy Forward; and Machina Ruinforce. He drew Machina Gearframe. He Tributed Toadally Awesome to hand over Jizukiru, and Toadally Awesome returned Tearlaments Kashtira to King’s hand. He played Talent next, taking control of Citadel. He moved to the Battle Phase, sending it to attack Dragostapelia. Then he used Citadel to destroy itself, wiping out all monsters other than Jizukiru! Tearlaments Kashtira sent two more cards, but they didn’t accomplish anything. In Main Phase 2, Bare Normal Summoned Gearframe to add Machina Unclaspare to his hand. He Special Summoned Unclaspare, which sent Machina Fortress to the Graveyard. King thought a moment and decided now was a good time to use the Keldo in his Graveyard, targeting Fortress, Machina Overdrive, The Zombie Vampire. Bare Chained Overdrive’s effect in the Graveyard, targeting Fortress and two other Machines. King responded with Mudora, targeting those same three cards to deny Bare the card draw. Bare stacked Gearframe and Unclaspare to Xyz Summon Gear Gigant X! King responded by Special Summoning Tearlaments Kashtira from his hand. It and Scream sent more to the Graveyard, including Tearlaments Scheiren. Scheiren fused with Nessie and Reinoheart for Tearlaments Kaleido-Heart! Kaleido-Heart shuffled Gear Gigant X back into the Deck! Bare had Ruinforce and Heavy Forward but nothing else, and King had enough damage on the field to end the first Duel!

Duel 2

Bare started this time with a hand of Therion “King” Regulus, 2 Skill Drain, Machina Fortress, and Urgent Schedule. He Set the Spell Trap Cards.

King Normal Summoned Diviner of the Herald, and Bare flipped Skill Drain. King followed up with Foolish Burial, sending Agido the Ancient Sentinel. Each player sent five cards to the Graveyard, including Kashtira Fenrir, Keldo the Sacred Protector and Tearlaments Scream from King. Scream added Sulliek to King’s hand. He Special Summoned Tearlaments Kashtira, banishing a Fenrir. Diviner attacked directly, and Bare flipped Urgent Schedule. He Special Summoned Super Express Bullet Train and Machina Gearframe in Defense Position. Diviner destroyed Gearframe, and Citadel returned to the field. Tearlaments Kashtira destroyed Bullet Train. In the End Phase, Bullet Train added Heavy Freight Train Derricrane to Bare’s hand.

Bare drew Unclaspare. He activated the effect of Therion “King” Regulus to Special Summon it and equip it with Bullet Train. Once Regulus was in play, Skill Drain made it lose the ability to allow itself to be equipped with a monster, and Bullet Train was sent back to the Graveyard (which is exactly what Bare wanted). Bare then Special Summoned Fortress by sending it and Unclaspare from his hand to the Graveyard. Bare used the effect of Derricrane to Special Summon it, and King responded with Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard from his hand. Kelbek hit the field and bounced Citadel. Bare moved to the Battle Phase, sending his monsters to destroy all of King’s. That left the Life Points at 7000 to 5200, in Bare’s favor. In the End Phase, Bullet Train returned Gearframe to Bare’s hand.

King activated Scheiren in his hand, and Bare responded with Regulus, sending itself to the Graveyard to negate Scheiren. Since it sent itself as a cost, it was off the field and unaffected by Skill Drain. King Set a monster and passed.

Bare drew another Gearframe. He Normal Summoned Gearframe and moved to the Battle Phase. Derricrane destroyed King’s Set Reinoheart. Gearframe and Fortress dropped King to 900 Life Points.

King used Imsety, discarding Hapi to search for King’s Sarcophagus. He played Sarcophagus and Tearlaments Scream, and Normal Summoned Scheiren. Scream sent Tearlaments Kashtira and Havnis. He filled his Graveyard even more, and Havnis Fusion Summoned Kaleido-Heart! Then he Special Summoned Imsety and Hapi! Imsety attacked Fortress, and Sarcophagus’s effect sent the Fortress to the Graveyard! Hapi attacked Derricrane, dealing 100 damage thanks to the ATK reduction from Scream. Kaleido-Heart destroyed Gearframe, dropping Bare to 5700 Life Points with just three minutes on the clock. In Main Phase 2, King used Keldo to shuffle away Fortress, Agido, and Kelbek.

Bare drew Triple Tactics Talent. He Set it and Set Gearframe.

King drew Kashtira Birth, and used it to Special Summon Fenrir! Hapi destroyed Gearframe in battle, and the rest of King’s monsters attacked to end the Match!

Anthony King remains undefeated with Horus Tearlaments, even playing through the power of Skill Drain!