Top 8 is about to commence, and we have 2 familiar faces squaring off in the Quarter-Finals: Justin Singh and Christopher LeBlanc are both familiar with the Top Cut spotlight, and have Dueled at the YCS level before. LeBlanc is piloting Purrely, a Deck he’s been using since YCS Philadelphia, while Singh is on Tearlaments, powered up with the new Horus monsters from Age of Overlord. They’re ready to go, and it’s time to Duel!

Singh started the Duel by Normal Summoning Diviner of the Herald, which sent Agido, the Ancient Sentinel to his Graveyard from his Deck. In response to Agido’s effect, LeBlanc Chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Singh considered his options, before passing.

LeBlanc’s hand was 2 Dark Ruler No More, Purrely Sleepy Memory, Purrely Happy Memory, and Stray Purrely Street. He activated Street, then Sleepy Memory, discarding Dark Ruler No More. He Summoned Purrelyly which added My Friend Purrely to his hand. Purrelyly targeted his in Graveyard Sleepy Memory and Summoned Epurrely Noir, then LeBlanc activated My Friend Purrely. He revealed 2 Purrely Sleepy Memory and Purrely Pretty Memory, adding Purrely Sleepy Memory to his hand. He went to the Battle Phase and activated Purrely Sleepy Memory, Chaining Noir to Set Purrelyeap!? then attacked Diviner with Noir for 500 damage. In Main Phase 2 he Set 1 face-down, and in the End Phase he attached Sleepy Memory to Noir from his Deck with Stray Purrely Street.

Singh’s conceded in his Standby, knowing he couldn’t keep up.

Singh began Duel 2 by Normal Summoning Diviner of the Herald, sending Agido the Ancient Sentinel to the Graveyard, but LeBlanc had Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring again to deny Agido’s effect to send cards from their Decks to the Graveyard. Signh Set a card and activated Danger! Mothman! to discard Keldo, the Sacred Protector to Special Summon Mothman and draw an additional card. He Synchro Summoned Baronne de Fleur with his 2 monsters and passed.

LeBlanc’s hand was Purrely, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Stray Purrely Street and 2 copies of Purrelyly. Singh used Baronne to Special Summon Diviner of the Herald. When he sent Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard to the Graveyard and activated its effect, LeBlanc Chained his Ash Blossom. He Normal Summoned Purrelyly and added My Friend Purrely to his hand, Signh had Droll & Lock Bird though, which prompted LeBlanc to end his turn.

Singh Normal Summoned Destiny HERO – Denier, then attacked over LeBlanc’s Purrelyly for 1000 damage and directly for 500 with Diviner of the Herald. In Main Phase 2 he Link Summoned Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy. He used Dharc to Special Summon LeBlanc’s Purrelyly, then Link Summoned Spright Sprind, which he activated to send Tearlaments Merrli to the Graveyard. Merrli activated and returned itself and Destiny HERO – Denier to the Deck to Fusion Summon Destiny HERO – Dangerous. He activated Dangerous, discarding Tearlaments Kashtira and sent Destiny HERO – Malicious to his Graveyard from his Deck.

Singh banished Malicious, Special Summoning a second copy from his Deck, then activated Keldo the Sacred Protector, targeting Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard, Agido the Ancient Sentinel, and Tearlaments Kashtira, returning them to the Deck. He used Dangerous and Malicious to Xyz Summon Beatrice, Lady of the Enternal, then activated her effect to send Agido to the Graveyard from his Deck. Signh activated Agido, sending 5 from both Decks, and sent Tearlaments Scream as well as Mudora the Sword Oracle to his Graveyard. Singh activated Scream, and added Tearlaments Sulliek to his hand from his Deck, then he Special Summoned Destiny HERO – Denier.  He activated Denier’s effect to return the banished Destiny HERO – Malicious to the Deck, banished Malicious from the Graveyard and Summoned the returned copy, then Link Summoned S:P Little Knight using his Destiny HERO monsters.

LeBlanc drew Purrely Pretty Memory, and Signh activated Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal in the Draw Phase to send Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard to the Graveyard, which sent 5 more cards to their Graveyards. Singh sent Tearlaments Kashtira, then 2 more cards with its effect, which didn’t help. LeBlanc activated My Friend Purrely, then paid 500 Life Points to reveal 3 Purrely Happy Memory. He activated Stray Purrely Street, then activated Purrely Pretty Memory, giving both Duelists 1000 Life Points. Purrely Pretty Memory Summoned Purrely, which revealed Purrely Happy Memory, Droll & Lock Bird, and Enemy Controller. He took Happy Memory, then activated Purrely to Special Summon and Singh banished his S:P Little Knight alongside his Beatrice.

LeBlanc attacked Spright Sprind with his Epurrely Happiness, then added Purrely Pretty Memory to his hand from his Deck. He Normal Summoned Purrelyly and added Purrelyyeap!? To his hand with its effect, then activated Purrelyly targeting his Purrely Pretty Memory, which forced Singh to Chain Mudora the Sword Oracle which shuffled back LeBlanc’s Purrely Pretty Memory, his own Tearlaments Reinoheart and Spright Sprind. LeBlanc continued his turn by activating Purrely Happy Memory and Chaining his Epurrely Happiness, returning a Set card to Singh’s hand. He activated Purrely Pretty Memory, and attached it to Epurrely Happiness. He Set 1 card, then activated Epurrely Happiness, sending his Purrelyeap!? to the Graveyard to attach Singh’s Tearlaments Cryme to Happiness.

LeBlanc considered his options, then Summoned Expurrely Noir, and Summoned Super Starslayer TY-PHON – Sky Crisis. In his End Phase, he attached Purrely Sleepy Memory to Noir, and Singh’s monsters returned.

In Singh’s Standby Phase, LeBlanc drew Enemy Controller with Expurrely Noir’s effect. Singh activated Tearlaments Heartbeat, returning My Friend Purrely to the Deck, and discarding Tearlaments Sulliek. He activated Sulliek’s effect, adding Tearlaments Kashtira to his hand from his Deck. He activated his Tearlaments Kashtira, Special Summoning it and banishing Tearlaments Scream. Tearlaments Kashtira sent Droll & Lock bird, Tearlaments Sulliek, and King’s Sarcophagus to the Graveyard. On resolution, LeBlanc detached 2 materials from Expurrely Noir, and targeted Tearlaments Kashtira, Singh Chained his S:P Little Knight, banishing Super Star Slayer TY-PHON – Sky Crisis and his own Kashtira. Singh passed to the End Phase, returning the monsters to the field, and LeBlanc attached Purrely Pretty Memory to Noir. During the End Phase he returned S:P Little Knight to Singh’s Extra Deck.

LeBlanc drew another Stray Purrely Street, and activated his Expurrely Noir, sending Street to the Graveyard to attach Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal to Noir as an Xyz material. He paused and activated Noir again, sending Enemy Controller to the Graveyard to attach Tearlaments Kashtira to Expurrely Noir. He attacked with Expurrely Noir for 1100, and Super Starslayer TY-PHON – Sky Crisis for 2900, then attached Purrely Sleepy Memory to Expurrely Noir in the End Phase.

Singh drew for turn, then conceded, too far behind to recover.

Christopher LeBlanc is moving to the Top 4!