We are down to the final 8 Duelists here at YCS Raleigh. Aaron McInnes is from Austin, TX, and Jack Zhou is Long Island, NY.

Jack won the dice roll and opted to go first.

Duel One

McInnes started off with Triple Tactics Talent, Book of Eclipse, Enemy Controller, Kashtira Fenrir, and Snake-Eyes Poplar.

Zhou Set 1 card to his back row and 1 monster. He moved to his End Phase and activated Labrynth Chandraglier by discarding Absolute King Back Jack. He set Big Welcome Labrynth. He rearranged his deck with Back Jack and then passed his turn.

McInnes drew another Book of Eclipse. He moved to the Main Phase and Special Summoned Kashtira Fenrir, he activated its effect and added Kashtira Unicorn from his Deck to his hand. McInnes moved to his Battle Phase. At the start of the Battle Phase, Zhou activated Back Jack’s effect and set Destructive Daruma Karma Cannon. Then, he activated Big Welcome Labrynth and Special Summoned Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle and returned his Set monster to the hand.

Zhou then activated Chandraglier’s effect in the Graveyard and added it back to his hand. Moving to his Main Phase 2, McInnes Normal Summoned Snake-Eyes Poplar and activated its effect, and added Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye to his hand. Zhou activated Destructive Daruma Karma Cannon and then Chained the effect of Lady Labrynth to Set Trap Trick. 

McInnes activated Triple Tactics Talent to draw WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils and another Triple Tactics Talent. He activated WANTED and added Diabellstar the Black Witch from his Deck to his hand. He sent Poplar to the Graveyard to Special Summon Diabellstar. He activated the effects of both Diabellstar and Poplar. Poplar moved to the Spell & Trap Zone. McInnes Set another WANTED with Diabellstar’s effect. 

McInnes then activated Original Sinful Spoils, sending Poplar to the Graveyard to Special Summon Snake-Eye Oak from his Deck. He used Oak’s effect to Special Summon his Poplar from the Graveyard. He then activated Oak’s effect and sent Oak and Diabellstar to the Graveyard to Special Summon Snake-Eye Ash from his Deck. He activated Ash’s effect and added a Snake-Eyes Poplar to his hand. He activated Poplar’s effect and Special Summoned it from his hand. 

McInnes then activated the Graveyard effect of his WANTED and put Original Sinful Spoils on the bottom of his deck to draw another Diabellstar. He then used Snake-Eye Ash’s effect with one of his Poplars to Special Summon Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon, and on the Special Summon Zhou activated Trap Trick! 

Zhou got Dogmatika Punishment with Trap Trick and immediately activated it to destroy Poplar. He sent Enigmaster Packbit and destroyed Poplar. Enigmaster’s effect was activated targeting Flamberge Dragon, McInnes Chained a Book of Eclipse to Set his Flamberge Dragon and avoid the effect of Enigmaster. Zhou discarded Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle for Enigmaster’s effect.

McInnes Set another Book of Eclipse and Enemy Controller and went to his End Phase. During the End Phase, Book of Eclipse flipped Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle face-up and Zhou drew a card, he then activated Labrynth Chandraglier again and discarded Back Jack to Set Welcome Labrynth from his Deck. He activated Back Jack’s effect and rearranged his Deck. 

Zhou drew for his turn. During the Draw Phase, he flipped over Welcome Labrynth. McInnes Chained his Set WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils and added a Diabellstar the Black Witch from his Deck to his hand. Zhou Special Summoned Arianna the Labrynth Servant with Welcome Labrynth and activated her effect to add Labrynth Stovie Torbie from his Deck to his hand.

Moving to the Main Phase, Zhou Normal Summoned Labrynth Stovie Torbie. Then, he switched Lady to Attack Position. Arianna attacked Fenrir, and then Lady attacked and destroyed Fenrir. Zhou then banished Big Welcome Labrynth and targeted his Stovie Torbie to return it to his hand. He then activated and added back his Labrynth Chandraglier from his Graveyard. Zhou moved to his Main Phase 2 and went to his End Phase and activated Labrynth Stovie Torbie to Set Big Welcome Labrynth. Then, he used Trap Trick and Chained Lady to set Dogmatika Punishment. Trap Trick then grabbed Transaction Rollback.

McInnes drew Triple Tactics Talent for his turn. He went to his Main Phase and Flip Summoned Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon. He activated its effect and moved Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle from Zhou’s Graveyard to his Spell & Trap Zone. He then Special Summoned Diabellstar the Black Witch by sending another copy of Diabellstar from his hand to the Graveyard. He activated Diabellstar’s effect and Set Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye from his Deck. Then, McInnes flipped his Original Sinful Spoils and sent Diabellstar to the Graveyard to Special Summon Snake-Eye Ash from his Deck. He used Ash’s effect to add another Ash from his Deck to his hand.

Ash and Flamberge Dragon were used to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix. McInnes activated the effects of both Flamberge Dragon and Knightmare Phoenix. Phoenix destroyed Transaction Rollback and Flamberge Special Summoned Oak and Poplar. He used Poplar and Oak’s effects to Special Summon Ash, and Poplar’s effect to get Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye. He activated Temple and placed his Flamberge Dragon from his Graveyard into his back row. He then banished WANTED to put Original Sinful Spoils on the bottom of his Deck and drew Called by the Grave. 

McInnes then Link Summoned Underworld Goddess of the Closed World with Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle. He used Poplar’s effect to move Phoenix to the back row then activated his Ash’s effect to Special Summon Flamberge Dragon from his Deck!

In the Battle Phase, McInnes had Underworld Goddess attack Arianna, on the declaration of the attack, Zhou activated Transaction Rollback and copied the effect of Destructive Daruma Karma Cannon. Flamberge Dragon was Set and Underworld Goddess was sent to the Graveyard. 

During the End Phase, Zhou activated Big Welcome Labrynth and Special Summoned Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle and returned his Set Arianna to his hand. He activated Labrynth Stovie Torbie, Labrynth Chandraglier, and Welcome Labrynth in his Graveyard. 

Zhou drew for his turn, then activated Arias and Special Summoned Arianna from his hand. Zhou activated Arianna’s effect and added Labrynth Cooclock from his Deck to his hand. He flipped Welcome Labrynth and Chained Lady Labrynth’s effect. Lady Labrynth Set a Destructive Daruma Karma Cannon and Welcome Labrynth Special Summoned Arias the Labrynth Butler from Zhou’s Deck. He then used Arias and Arianna to Synchro Summon Chaos Angel!

When Zhou Synchro Summoned Chaos Angel, he activated its effect and targeted the set Flamberge Dragon, McInnes chained Enemy Controller and Tributed his Flamberge Dragon to take control of Chaos Angel. Zhou chained Labrynth Cooclock, then chained Labrynth Stovie Torbie, then chained Big Welcome Labrynth from his Graveyard and targeted his Chaos Angel. 

Chaos Angel was returned to the Deck, Stovie set Big Welcome Labrynth, and Cooclock resolved. In a new Chain, Zhou activated Cooclock, Stovie Torbie, and Chandraglier, McInnes Chained Flamberge Dragon’s effect targeting Oak and Poplar. Zhou Chained Arias’s effect in his Graveyard. 

Oak and Poplar were Special Summoned by Flamberge Dragon’s effect, Oak’s effect was activated and Special Summoned Ash. Zhou then Synchro Summoned Chaos Angel again using Lady and Stovie. He activated Chaos Angel’s effect and targeted McInnes’s Set Book of Eclipse, McInnes Chained his Divine Temple to Special Summon his Flamberge Dragon, then Chained his Set Book of Eclipse!

Zhou looked over his cards and then moved to his End Phase. During the End Phase, he flipped his monsters face-up and drew 3 cards.

McInnes drew Pressured Planet Wraitsoth. He Flip Summoned Poplar and Ash. McInnes then Link Summoned Relinquished Anima using Poplar. He used Poplar’s effect to place a Flamberge Dragon in the Spell & Trap Zone. He then activated Anima’s effect and took Cooclock. Anima and Ash were used to Link Summon Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy. He Set Triple Tactics Talent and then activated Dharc’s effect and tried to Special Summon Lady Labrynth, Zhou Chained Big Welcome Labrynth! McInnes Chained Called by the Grave and targeted Lady Labrynth. Zhou then Chained his Arias’s effect in the Graveyard. Arias was summoned, Lady was banished, and Big Welcome Summoned Arianna and bounced Arias. 

In a new Chain, Zhou activated Arianna and then Chained Welcome Labrynth in the Graveyard. He re-Set Welcome and then drew a card. McInnes flipped his Set Triple Tactics Talent to take control of Chaos Angel! Dharc and Chaos Angel were used to Link Summon Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians. McInnes activated Selene’s effect to try and Special Summon and Zhou Chained Dogmatika Punishment and sent Chimera the King of Phantom Beasts to his Graveyard. McInnes Flip Summoned his monster then Link Summoned I:P Masquerena. He used Flamberge to bring back Oak and Ash. He then used Oak’s effect and brought back Poplar. Zhou activated his Nibiru, the Primal Being on that Summon. 

Without any more plays, McInnes conceded the first game. With 18 minutes left on the clock, more than half of the time in the Match was spent on the first Duel! Both players quickly started to look through their Side Decks for the next Duel. 

Duel Two

McInnes started the Duel off and had Kashtira Fenrir, Foolish Return, Pressured Planet Wraitsoth, Cosmic Cyclone, and Harpie’s Feather Duster.

McInnes activated Pressured Planet Wraitsoth and added Kashtira Unicorn from his Deck to his hand. He Special Summoned Unicorn and used its effect to add and activate Kashtira Birth. He then Normal Summoned Kashtira Fenrir and used its effect to add another Fenrir from his Deck to his hand. He went to his End Phase and Zhou activated Labrynth Chandraglier and discarded Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay to Set Welcome Labrynth. While still in the End Phase, McInnes activated his Cosmic Cyclone to banish the Welcome Labrynth.

Zhou drew and activated the effect of Arias. He Set Big Welcome Labrynth. McInnes activated Unicorn’s effect and banished Chaos Angel. Zhou activated Big Welcome Labrynth and Special Summoned and bounced back his Arianna the Labrynth Servant. This triggered his Labrynth Chandraglier’s effect. He then Normal Summoned Arianna and used her effect to add Cooclock to his hand. McInnes used Fenrir’s effect and banished Arianna face-down. Then, Zhou activated Labrynth Cooclock and Labrynth Chandraglier to Set another Welcome Labrynth. Then he used Cooclock’s effect to Special Summon itself. Then, he activated Welcome Labrynth to Special Summon Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle from his Deck. He then used Lovely’s effect to re-Set the Big Welcome Labrynth. 

Cooclock and Lovely were used to Link Summon Unchained Soul Lord of Yama. Yama’s effect was activated to add Unchained Soul of Sharvara. Zhou then activated Sharvara’s effect and destroyed Big Welcome to Special Summon itself. He Link Summoned Unchained Soul of Anguish with Yama and Sharvara. He used Anguish’s effect to Link Summon Unchained Abomination using Kashtira Unicorn and then moved to his Battle Phase. Abomination attacked and destroyed Fenrir, then Zhou used its effect to destroy Kashtira Birth. 

Zhou moved to his End Phase and used Abomination’s effect to destroy itself. This let him trigger Yama’s effect to Special Summon back his Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle. He then ended his turn.

McInnes drew Forbidden Droplet. He Special Summoned Kashtira Fenrir and activated its effect to add a Kashtira Unicorn from his Deck to his hand.

At the start of the Battle Phase, Zhou activated Big Welcome Labrynth in his Graveyard and targeted Fenrir. Fenrir was returned to the hand. Zhou activated Lovely’s effect, then Chained Labrynth Chandraglier and Welcome Labrynth. McInnes Chained Foolish Return and targeted Chandraglier. Zhou Chained Arias the Labrynth Butler to Special Summon itself from the Graveyard. 

In a new Chain, Zhou activated Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle and destroyed the Harpie’s Feather Duster in McInnes’s hand! Without his Feather Duster, and without any Snake-Eye cards, McInnes offered the handshake!

Jack Zhou is moving on to the Top 4 here at YCS Raleigh!