. Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Event Coverage » Round 3 Feature Match: Oscar Renderos (The Dueling Grandpas) Versus Benjamin Smallen (Team Wholesale)
Home > 2024/02 TEAM YCS Las Vegas, NV, Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series > Round 3 Feature Match: Oscar Renderos (The Dueling Grandpas) Versus Benjamin Smallen (Team Wholesale)

Round 3 Feature Match: Oscar Renderos (The Dueling Grandpas) Versus Benjamin Smallen (Team Wholesale)

February 24th, 2024

The Dueling Grandpas is a team of old school Duelists you might recognize: Johnny Ngyuen, YugiTuber aznpersuasion2008; Mike Hilario, YugiTuber SlimYGO; and veteran competitor Oscar Renderos! While Nguyen and Hilario are playing matching Anti-Meta Stun decks, a last minute emergency saw them partner up with Renderos, who’s been generating buzz here in Day 1 with a revamped Deck nobody saw coming: Yubel!

The Dueling Grandpas

Renderos’ opponent this round is Benjamin Smallen, of Team Wholesale. He’s playing Voiceless Voice and clearly knows the deck well, but will he be able to navigate the under-exposed Yubel deck? Let’s find out.

Renderos opened the first Duel with a hand of Nibiru, the Primal BeingNightmare PainPiri Reis Map, and two copies of Spirit of Yubel.  He activated the Map to search his Deck for Samsara D Lotus, cut his Life Points in half, and Normal Summoned it. He activated its effect to Tribute t off and Special Summoned another Spirit of Yubel from his Deck, activated its effect to choose Eternal Favorite, briefly showed it to Smallen so he could give it a read, and Set it. He activated Nightmare Pain, destroyed his Spirit of Yubel from his hand, and searched his Deck for another Eternal Favorite. The Spirit’s effect triggered and Renderos Special Summoned Yubel from the Deck. 

“I’ll Set a card,” Renderos announced, Setting the second Eternal Favorite, “And Special Summon back Samsara D Lotus in defense.” He moved to the End Phase and destroyed Spirit of Yubel for regular Yubel’s effect.

Smallen drew, moved to his Main Phase and activated Barrier of the Voiceless Voice to add Saffira, Dragon Queen of the Voiceless Voice from his Deck to his hand. Renderos flipped Eternal Favorite. Smallen Normal Summoned Diviner of the Herald, and Renderos fired back by Tributing Samsara D Lotusto change Diviner’s effect! That effect destroyed Yubel, and Renderos used its ability to Special Summon Yubel – Terror Incarnate

Smallen pressed on, using Saffira’s ability. Renderos Chained Eternal Favorite to bring back Yubel. Smallen resolved Saffira’s effect to send Prayers of the Voiceless Voice to his Graveyard and added Sauravis, the Ancient and Ascended to his hand. Renderos activated the second Eternal Favorite.

Team Wholesale

“Effect of Saffira to Ritual Summon,” announced Smallen, pitching Lo, the Prayers of the Voiceless Voicefrom his hand to Ritual Summon Skull Guardian, Protector of the Voiceless Voice!  The resulting Chain saw him activated search with Skull Guardian and Special Summon Lo. Renderos responded, using the second effect of Eternal Favorite to Fusion Summon, discarding his third Spirit of Yubel. He Fusion Summoned, Fusing his Yubel with Smallen’s Diviner of the Herald and Skull Guardian to unleash Yubel – The Loving Defender Forever

Smallen’s Skull Guardian effect let him search another Saffira, and he revived his Lo. He banished Prayers of the Voiceless Voice to Special Summon, Chained Lo’s effect, and Renderos Chained Loving Defender’s effect next. The Yubel effect burned Smallen for 1500 damage, Smallen searched his Deck for another Skull Guardian to Special Summon it, and he got another Barrier. 

He Linked off Lo to Link Summon Relinquished Anima, and used its effect to absorb Terror Incarnate! Then he Linked away everything to Link Summon Dyna Mondo: he made Mondo’s effect Chain Link 1, targeting the Skull Guardian in his Graveyard and Renderos’ monster on the field to shuffle them back. But Chain Link 2 was the effect of Renderos’ Terror Incarnate, which Special Summoned Yubel – The Ultimate Nightmare! Smallen shuffled his Skull Guardian back into his Deck. He Set a card and ended his turn.

Renderos drew Dimension Shifter. Smallen used Dyna Mondo to Special Summon back Skull Guardian, Protector of the Voiceless Voice, and Renderos Chained the effect of Eternal Favorite to Special Summon back Spirit of Yubel. Smallen lost out on his monster’s effect in the process, thanks to Favorite’s clause, “Neither player can activate cards or effects when that monster is Special Summoned.” Smallen took a moment to confirm the situation with the table judge, and then let Renderos continue. Renderos fanned his Graveyard for a moment, activated Nightmare Pain, and destroyed the Dimension Shifter in his hand to go get a Samsara D Lotus. He moved to the Battle Phase.

Renderos attacked with Spirit of Yubel, sending it into Smallen’s Skull Guardian. Thanks to Nightmare Pain, he reflected the 4100 battle damage back at his opponent! Smallen dropped to 2400 Life Points, Renderos attacked with Ultimate Nightmare and Smallen flipped Radiance of the Voiceless Voice, activatings its effect to destroy Radiance and Ultimate Nightmare. Renderos moved to Main Phase 2, Normal Summoned D Lotus and passed.

Benjamin Smallen of Team Wholesalee

Smallen drew for turn and activated the effect of Barrier of the Voiceless Voice, adding a copy of Lo, the Prayers of the Voiceless Voice to his hand. He Normal Summoned it, played another Barrier from his Deck, and then used Saffira’s effect from his hand to search another Skull Guardian, Protector of the Voiceless Voice. He banished Saffira to Ritual Summon, Tributed Nibiru, the Primal Being and brought out the second Skull Guardian! The resulting Chain let him Special Summon Lo, and he searched his Deck for Sauravis, Dragon Sage of the Voiceless Voice. Smallen riffled through his Extra Deck considering his next move.

After thinking a moment he Linked away a Lo and a Skull Guardian for another Dyna Mondo. Smallen targeted Skull Guardian and Spirit of Yubel, trying to shuffle away the Spirit. Renderos responsed with Eternal Favorite’s Special Summon effect, then tributed Smasara D Lotus to destroy the Yubel Dyna Mondo’s effect was targeting! That let him Special Summon back another Spirit, and when Mondo’s effect resolved his target was gone. Renderos brought back regular Yubel with the effect of the other Spirit of Yubel

Smallen wasn’t done yet. He Linked Mondo and Lo to Link Summon Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians. Smallen Link climbed into Accesscode Talker next, buffed its ATK, and banished Relinquished Anima to destroy Yubel. That triggered its effect to bring back Terror Incarnate. Smallen banished Mondo to destroy the Terror Incarnate, and Renderos broght back Ultimate Nightmare. “It just never stops.” Smallen scooped his cards in concession, eager to move to Game 2. 

Renderos captures the first Duel with an undeniable swarm of Yubels!

The Nightmare takes hold, as Benjamin Smallen destroys monster after monster with Accesscode Talker, only to run out of steam! Oscar Renderos claims the first Duel with Yubel.

By this point, Renderos’ teammate Johnny Nguyen had won his Match, while Mike Hilario had also won his first game. One more win on either side of the table would score the win for The Dueling Grandpas.

Smallen chose to open the second Duel, starting with a Pre-Preparation of Rites to get Sauravis, the Ancient and Ascended and Prayers of the Voiceless Voice. He Summoned Diviner of the Herald and sent Trias Hierarchia to his Graveyard. He used its effect to Special Summon it, sending Diviner to the Graveyard and Special Summoning Lo, the Prayers of the Voiceless Voice

Lo let Smallen activate Radiance of the Voiceless Voice from his Deck, and he activated Prayers from his hand, Tributing Trias Hierarchia. He Ritual Summoned Skull Guardian, Protector of the Voiceless Voice, searched out Saffira, Dragon Queen of the Voiceless Voice, and activated Barrier of the Voiceless Voice. He used Saffira, pitching her to get another Skull Guardian, Protector of the Voiceless Voice, and used Barrier’s effect to get another Lo. Radiance’s effect let him shuffle back Prayers and he Special Summoned Sauravis, Dragon Sage of the Voiceless Voice.

Renderos had a hand of RaigekiPot of ProsperityTriple Tactics ThrustDark Beckoning BeastOpening of the Spirit Gates, and Rivalry of Warlords. He activated Raigeki, and Smallen negated it with Skull Guardian’s effect, after confirming with his teammate. That left Renderos to activate Opening of the Spirit Gates. Smallen responded with the effect of Sauravis, Dragon Sage, Special Summoned Sauravis, the Ancient and Ascended from his Deck, and Renderos resolved Spirit Gates to search another Dark Beckoning Beast. He activated Pot of Prosperity and banished six cards from his Extra Deck to excavate six cards and find Samsara D Lotus

He activated Triple Tactics Thrust, searched another Raigeki, chose to Set it by mistake instead of adding it to his hand, and couldn’t activate it as a result. Renderos Normal Summoned Dark Beckoning Beast, searched his Deck for another Spirit Gates, made another Normal Summon to put Samsara D Lotus on the field, took a moment to read Sauravis, the Ancient, and Linked away Beast to Link Summon Linkuriboh. He activated the Lotus’ effect to Special Summon… and time was called! 

Renderos takes the second Duel in time

Since Renderos was up in Life Points he won the second Duel, and while his teammate Mike Hilario had lost his Duels, Renderos’ finish was enough clinch the Team Match win! The Dueling Grandpas claim victory.