It’s today’s final Feature Match! We have Edward Kim, from Centreville, VA, playing a Snake-Eye Deck. He’s up against Daniel Holland, from Chicago, IL. Holland also has a Snake-Eye strategy, but this one is blended with Fire Kings and Horus and Volcanics! These Duelists are both on the bubble – a win is necessary to qualify for Day 2 here at YCS Raleigh.

Duel 1

Kim won the dice roll and started the Match. He had WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils, Pressured Planet Wraitsoth, Infinite Impermanence, and two copies of Effect Veiler. He started with Wraitsoth to add Kashtira Unicorn to his hand. He Special Summoned Unicorn, which added Kashtira Birth to his hand. He used WANTED to find Diabellstar the Black Witch, then Special Summoned it by sending Wraitsoth to the Graveyard. Diabellstar Set Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye on the field. He used Unicorn and Diabellstar to Xyz Summon Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack. He detached Unicorn from it to Special Summon two Mecha Phantom Beast Tokens, and used them to Link Summon I:P Masquerena. He used Kashtira Birth to revive Unicorn from the Graveyard. He flipped Original Sinful Spoils, sending Dracossack to the Graveyard to Special Summon Snake-Eye Ash, which added Snake-Eyes Poplar to his hand. He Special Summoned Poplar, which added Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye to his hand. He played Temple, which placed Snake-Eye Oak in his back row. He used Ash’s effect, sending itself and Oak to the Graveyard to Special Summon Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon. Then he used Flamberge, Poplar, and I:P Masquerena to Link Summon Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess! Poplar’s effect placed Flamberge in his back row, and Flamberge’s effect Special Summoned Oak and Ash. Oak then Special Summoned Poplar as well. He used all three monsters to Link Summon Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames. Princess Special Summoned Oak, and Oak sent itself and Princess to the Graveyard to Special Summon another Flamberge Dragon from the Deck. Flamberge placed I:P Masquerena in his back row. He used WANTED’s effect in the Graveyard, returning Original Sinful Spoils to the Deck so he could draw Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! He Set Infinite Impermanence.

Holland started with Bonfire, adding Volcanic Trooper to his hand. He Normal Summoned Trooper and activated its effect, and Kim flipped Infinite Impermanence. Holland Special Summoned Diabellstar, sending a second Bonfire from his hand to the Graveyard. Kim negated Diabellstar with Apollousa, then had Flamberge Dragon Special Summon I:P Masquerena from his back row. In a new Chain, Kashtira Unicorn let Kim banish Holland’s only copy of Promethean Princess from the Extra Deck! Holland tried to go to the Battle Phase, and Kim used I:P Masquerena’s effect. He used it and Flamberge to Link Summon S:P Little Knight, which banished Diabellstar. Flamberge Special Summoned Poplar and Oak from the Graveyard. Poplar added Original Sinful Spoils to Kim’s hand, and Oak put Ash in Kim’s hand. Holland played One for One, sending Volcanic Scattershot for the cost. Kim negated One for One with Ash Blossom, then negated Scattershot with Apollousa. Holland moved to the Battle Phase and had Trooper destroy Apollousa in battle, inflicting 200 damage. Now that he’d won his moral victory, Holland conceded. Kim’s start was too much to overcome!

Duel 2

Holland went first this time, and started with Bonfire. He added Trooper to his hand, and Normal Summoned it to add Volcanic Rimfire to his hand. He used Trooper’s other effect to discard Rimfire and give Kim a Bomb Token. He then used Rimfire’s effect to send Volcanic Emperor to the Graveyard. He played Volcanic Blaze Accelerator, sending the regular Blaze Accelerator from his hand to the Graveyard. He used its effect to destroy the Bomb Token and send Volcanic Shell to the Graveyard. The Bomb Token dealt 500 damage to Kim. Holland paid 500 Life Points to add another Shell to his hand. He used Volcanic Blaze Accelerator’s other effect, letting him Special Summon Shell from his hand. He played Fire Recovery, sending Sacred Fire King Garunix to the Graveyard to Special Summon the Shell in his Graveyard. He used a Shell to Link Summon Relinquished Anima. Then he sent Anima and Shell to the Graveyard to Special Summon Awakening of the Possessed – Greater Inari Fire from his Deck! He used Inari and Trooper to Link Summon S:P Little Knight, and Inari added Spiritual Fire Art – Kurenai to his hand. He then banished Inari, Trooper, and Shell from his Graveyard to Special Summon Volcanic Emperor from his Graveyard. Its effect burned Kim for 2000 Life Points, then Set Volcanic Emission on the field. He used Fire Recovery’s effect in the Graveyard, shuffling Rimfire, Trooper, and Shell from banishment back into his Deck to draw a card. He Set one more card in his back row.

Kim had a hand of One for One, Change of Heart, Snake-Eye Ash, Bystial Druiswurm, and Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye. He drew Forbidden Droplet. Holland flipped Volcanic Emission to deal 1550 more damage, dropping Kim to 3950 Life Points. Kim played Change of Heart on Emperor, and Holland thought a moment before flipping Kurenai to Tribute Emperor. Kim Chained Forbidden Droplet, sending Change of Heart to the Graveyard to negate S:P Little Knight for the turn. Kurenai then dropped Kim to just 850 Life Points! Kim now had nothing to worry about except the mystery card Holland drew with Fire Recovery.

Kim Normal Summoned Snake-Eye Ash, adding Poplar to his hand. He Special Summoned Poplar, which added Divine Temple to his hand. He played Temple, which put a backup Snake-Eye Ash in his back row. He used Ash’s effect, sending both copies of Ash to the Graveyard to Special Summon Flamberge. He used Flamberge’s effect to place Holland’s Garunix in the back row, preventing it from potentially returning to play. Then Kim banished Holland’s Anima to Special Summon Druiswurm. He used Poplar and Druiswurm to Link Summon Hiita the Fire Charmer, Ablaze. Druiswurm sent Little Knight to the Graveyard, and Poplar put itself in the back row. Kim used Original Sinful Spoils, sending Poplar for the cost, to Special Summon Snake-Eye Oak. Oak revived Ash. He used Oak, Flamberge, and Hiita to Link Summon Apollousa. Flamberge then revived Oak and his second Ash. He moved to the Battle Phase, and attacked with everything. Thanks to the ATK boost from Divine Temple, that gave him just enough to end this Match!

Edward Kim was able to fight fire with fire and come out ahead, moving on to Day 2 with Snake-Eyes!