Welcome to the Top 16! We’re down to just 16 teams, each one of them hoping to win the title of TEAM YCS Las Vegas Champions! We have Chancy Wigglestove of Team Squiddy facing off against James Vance of Team Ragnarok. Wigglestove’s piloting the Snake-Eyes Fire King deck that’s dominated the weekend, while Vance is using the new Voiceless Voice deck from Phantom Nightmare. Which team will come out on top and make it to the Top 8? Let’s find out! It’s time to Duel! 

Nance chose to go first and activated Pre-Preparation of Rites, searching for Skull Guardian, Protector of the Voiceless Voice and Prayers of the Voiceless Voice. He then activated Prayers, tributing Lo, the Prayers of the Voiceless Voice from hand to Special Summon the searched Skull Guardian. He activated Lo as Chain Link 1 and Skull Guardian as Chain Link 2, but Wigglestove responded with Effect Veiler as Chain Link 3, negating the Skull Guardian’s effect. Nance was still able to Special Summon Lo to the field, and activated its effect to search for Radiance of the Voiceless Voice. Finally, he Special Summoned Sauravis, Dragon Sage of the Voiceless Voice from his hand, shuffling Pre-Preparation and Prayers back to the Deck, Set a card, and ended his turn. 

The remaining cards in Wigglestove’s hand were Snake-Eyes Poplar, Snake-Eye Ash, Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon, and Diabellstar the Black Witch. He drew Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring for turn, and started off his turn by Normal Summoning Snake-Eye Ash. He activated its effect, and Vance attempted to respond with Sauravis, returning it to his hand, but Wigglestove used his Ash Blossom to negate it! Wigglestove resolved the Snake-Eye Ash, searching for another Poplar. He summoned the Poplar and used its effect to search for Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye. Wigglestove activated Divine Temple, but Vance responded with Radiance, destroying it and Divine Temple. He then used the Poplar to Link Summon Linkuriboh, and used Poplar’s effect to place Ash Blossom in the Spell/Trap Zone. He then activated Ash’s second effect, sending it and Ash Blossom to the Graveyard to Summon a Snake-Eye monster from the Deck, but Vance used Skull Guardian to negate it.

Next, Wigglestove Special Summoned Diabellstar by discarding Flamberge Dragon. He used Diabellstar to Set Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye from his Deck, and used Flamberge to Special Summon Poplar and Snake-Eye Ash from the Graveyard. He then used Diabellstar and Ash to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix, discarding a copy of Poplar to destroy Vance’s Barrier and drew Fire King Sanctuary. Linkuriboh and Phoenix were then used to Link Summon Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames, and the Promethean Princess Special Summoned back Flamberge Dragon!

The Flamberge moved Vance’s Lo to the Spell/Trap Zone, and then Promethean Princess and Poplar were used to Link Summon Salamangreat Raging Phoenix.  Wigglestove used Raging Phoenix to Link Summon Worldsea Dragon Zealantis, Special Summoning back the Skull Guardian back to Vance’s field in Defense Position. That allowed him to activate Promethean Princess’ effect in the Graveyard, destroying Flamberge Dragon and the face-down Skull Guardian, as well as Special Summon Raging Phoenix back out of the Graveyard. With Zealantis able to destroy his only monster with its effect, Vance conceded the match, and Wigglestove won the first Duel. 

For the second Duel, Vance chose to go first again. He activated Saffira, Dragon Queen of the Voiceless Voice in his hand, discarding it to send Prayers of the Voiceless Voice to the Graveyard and add Skull Guardian, Protector of the Voiceless Voice to his hand. He Set three cards to his Spell/Trap Zone and ended his turn. 

Wigglestove’s opening hand contained Infinite Impermanence, Sacred Fire King Garunix, Snake-Eye Ash, Snake-Eyes Poplar, and Bonfire. He drew Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion for turn. First, he Normal Summoned Snake-Eye Ash and searched for Legendary Fire King Ponix. Then, he activated Bonfire, searching for Poplar, then Special Summoned the Poplar and used its effect to search for Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye. However, Vance then activated Summon Limit! Unable to Summon anymore monsters, Wigglestove entered the Battle Phase, attacking Vance directly with Poplar and Ash, Set a card, and then ended his turn. 

Vance drew a card for turn, but was not able to perform any actions and ended his turn. 

Wigglestove drew an Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring for turn. He activated the effect of his Ash on the field, sending itself and Poplar to the Graveyard to Special Summon Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon from the Deck. He then Normal Summoned Ponix, searching for Fire King Island, and attacked Vance’s Life Points directly with Ponix and Flamberge Dragon. Finally, he used the effect of Flamberge Dragon to place Snake-Eye Ash in his Spell/Trap Zone, and then ended his turn.

Vance drew a card for turn, but unfortunately, was still not able to activate any cards. He had drawn Pre-Preparation of Rites on two consecutive turns, but with one Prayers of the Voiceless Voice in each his hand and Graveyard, he was not able to activate them. He conceded, and Wigglestove won the Duel.

With their Match finished, Wigglestove and Vance looked on to support their respective teammates. Despite Wigglestove’s win, both of Vance’s teammates won their matches, which means that Team Ragnarok will be advancing to the Top 8!