This is it, the final Swiss round of the tournament! After this we’ll be cutting to just the final Top 32 Duelists. This Feature Match pits two YCS first-timers against each other! Max Lehmann from Sioux Falls South Dakota is playing Scareclaw, and he’s facing Andrew Willett, from Scarbro West Virginia, playing Runick Stun!

Scareclaws make some powerful plays, and they’re good at fighting a war of attrition thanks to their Field Spell and multiple options for removal. On the other side, Runick Decks like Willett’s seek to lock down the field with tons of floodgates, negations, and well-timed destructions, while keeping their hand full thanks to their own Field Spell. Both Duelists are on the bubble, looking for a win to make that coveted Top Cut spot.

Duel 1Lehmann won the dice roll and chose to play first. He had an opening hand of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Droll & Lock Bird, Nibiru, the Primal Being, D.D. Crow, and Triple Tactics Talent. His hand was full of interaction, but nothing to advance his own game. He passed.

Willett started with Runick Tip, searching for Runick Fountain and banishing Scareclaw Reichheart from Lehmann’s Deck, revealing his strategy. Willett played Fountain and Dimensional Fissure, locking out the Graveyard! He played Runick Freezing Curses to Special Summon Munin the Runick Wings in Defense Position. Fountain activated, but Lehmann used Ash Blossom to negate it. Willett Set two cards in his back row and gained 1000 Life Points from Munin.

Lehmann drew Terraforming! He searched for Primitive Planet Reichphobia, and used it to search for Scareclaw Reichheart. He Normal Summoned Reichheart, but Willett flipped Skill Drain and Rivalry of Warlords!

Willett skipped his Battle Phase due to his Runick cards. He passed.

Lehmann drew Visas Starfrost. He Set Droll & Lock Bird, then turned Reichheart to Defense Position. Now that there were a total of three Defense Position monsters, he used Primitive Planet Reichphobia to destroy Rivalry of Warlords.

Willett passed again.

Lehmann drew Kashtira Fenrir. He used Reichphobia again, destroying Skill Drain! Then he used Droll & Lock Bird to Tribute Summon Visas Starfrost. He sent Visas to destroy Munin in battle. He moved to Main Phase 2 and Synchro Summoned Baronne de Fleur! Willett used Runick Freezing Curses to negate Baronne. Lehmann responded with Baronne to negate Freezing Curses, but Willett had Runick Flashing Fire to destroy Baronne before it could destroy any of his cards! After the Chain resolved, Fountain let Willett draw three more cards by recycling his Runick spells. Lehmann Special Summoned Kashtira Fenrir in Defense Position, using it to get a new Fenrir in his hand.

Willett Normal Summoned Amano-Iwato. Then he played Pot of Desires, banishing ten of his own cards to draw two new cards. He played Runick Smiting Storm to Special Summon a new Munin in Defense Position, and Fountain gave him another two cards. He played Runick Destruction to destroy Reichphobia! Runick Tip came next, getting Runick Flashing Fire. Lehmann didn’t see himself coming back after all this, so he conceded the first Duel.

DLehmann took the first turn once again, with a hand of Scareclaw Acro, Droll & Lock Bird, Ash Blossom, Dimensional Barrier, and D.D. Crow. He Normal Summoned Acro and Link Summoned Scareclaw Light-Heart, adding Reichphobia to his hand. He played that to search for Scareclaw Reichheart, and Special Summoned it in Defense Position to search for Scareclaw Twinsaw. He Set both his Trap Cards.

Willett handed over a Lava Golem, Tributing both of Lehmann’s monsters! He played One Day of Peace, letting Lehmann draw Triple Tactics Thrust. Lehmann then used Droll & Lock Bird to prevent further drawing and searching for the turn. Willett played Messenger of Peace and Set three back row cards.

Lehmann drew Triple Tactics Talent. Lava Golem triggered, but One Day of Peace prevented the damage. He put Lava Golem in Defense Position and Set D.D. Crow.

In the Draw Phase, Willett flipped Runick Freezing Curses to Special Summon Hugin the Runick Wings. He used Hugin’s effect, discarding Runick Slumber, and Willett negated Hugin with Dimensional Barrier. Willett paid 100 Life Points to preserve his Messenger of Peace. Pot of Desires came next, banishing ten cards, and Lehmann negated it with his Ash Blossom. Willett skipped his Battle Phase and passed.

Lehmann drew Scareclaw Arrival, and took 1000 damage from Lava Golem. He used Reichphobia to destroy one of Willett’s Set cards, and Hugin protected it by banishing itself instead. Lehmann Set Arrival.

Willett played Runick Tip to search for Fountain, banishing a Kashtira Fenrir from Lehmann’s Deck. He paid 100 Life Points for Messenger of Peace, and played the Fountain. He flipped up a Freezing Curses to negate Lava Golem, triggering Fountain to let him draw three cards! He used Pot of Duality next, adding Dimensional Fissure to his hand. He played it and passed.

Lehmann drew a second Reichphobia and took another 1000 damage from Lava Golem. In the Standby Phase, Willett used Runick Destruction to destroy Reichphobia, not knowing Lehmann just drew another copy! It may have been worth it though, as Fountain let Willett draw two more cards. Lehmann flipped up Scareclaw Arrival to Special Summon Reichheart from his Graveyard. He activated its effect, Willett tried using Freezing Curses, and Lehmann used Twinsaw to Tribute Reichheart first!

Twinsaw targeted Messenger of Peace and Dimensional Fissure. Willet responded with Flashing Fire to Special Summon Hugin! Hugin protected Willett’s cards by banishing itself instead. Finally, Reichheart added Scareclaw Defanging to his hand. He played Defanging, using it to banish Light-Heart from his Graveyard and destroy Fountain! He played Reichphobia to search for Scareclaw Acro. He Normal Summoned Acro and Link Summoned Light-Heart, adding his last Reichphobia to his hand. He sent Light-Heart to attack directly. “Fifteen more to go!” Lehmann exclaimed.

Willett paid another 100 Life Points for Messenger, then played Pot of Duality. He got a Pot of Desires from it, and used that to draw another two cards. He played Runick Tip to search, getting Runick Destruction – he must have banished his other copy of the Semi-Limited Runick Fountain. He was locked out of Special Summons due to Duality, so he Set three cards in his back row and skipped his Battle Phase.

Lehmann drew Kashtira Fenrir and was burned by Lava Golem again. He played his third Reichphobia, and Willett flipped Runick Destruction to destroy it in response. Lehmann used Defanging, banishing Light-Heart from the field to try and destroy Messenger. Willett responded with Runick Flashing Fire to Special Summon his final copy of Hugin to protect his card. Lehmann Tributed D.D. Crow and Lava Golem to Summon Fenrir, and used it to search for Scareclaw Kashtira. He Special Summoned Scareclaw Kashtira in Defense Position. It attacked directly past the Messenger of Peace since it had 0 ATK, but it dealt 2600 damage thanks to its effect!

Willett paid to keep Messenger on the field, then Set one back row card.

Lehmann drew Droll & Lock Bird. He moved to the Battle Phase, and Willett flipped Skill Drain to negate Scareclaw Kashtira and prevent it from attacking! Lehmann switched Fenrir to Defense Position.

Willett paid for Messenger, dropping to 3400 Life Points. He Set another back row card.

Lehmann drew Scareclaw Astra. He Normal Summoned it, and Link Summoned Light-Heart. He used Defanging to banish it and destroy Skill Drain, then moved to the Battle Phase, but Willett had Runick Slumber to stop Scareclaw Kashtira from attacking.

Willett paid yet another 100 Life Points for Messenger. He played Card of Demise to draw two cards. “You look happy, which makes me unhappy,” Lehmann joked. Willett Set one back row card and one monster, and discarded Dimensional Fissure at the end of the turn.

Lehmann drew Pressured Planet Wraitsoth. He moved to the Battle Phase and had Scareclaw Kashtira destroy Willett’s Set Amano-Iwato.

Willett drew his card. He looked at the round timer running out with just two minutes remaining, and knew he wasn’t going to win this game. He conceded, hoping to maybe get a quick Life Point advantage in the next game.

Unfortunately, the timer ended just as the Duelists finished with their Side Decks. Since each Duelist had a win, this Match ended in a Draw!