It all comes down to this! Stellan Zielinsky, from Chicago, IL, won the Saturday Dragon Duel event. Jackson Bratcher, from Louisville, KY, won Sunday’s event. Now these Dragon Duelists are facing off for the title of YCS Indianapolis Dragon Duel Champion! There’s more on the line than a title – the winner of this Match is taking home the trophy and a set of Super Rare Darklord Prize Cards!

Duel 1

Zielinsky won the dice roll and played first. He had a hand of Aluber the Jester of Despia, Allure of Darkness, Triple Tactics Thrust, Fusion Deployment, and Gimmick Puppet Nightmare. He started with Fusion Deployment, revealing Granguignol the Dusk Dragon to Special Summon Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous. He Normal Summoned Aluber, and Bratcher had Infinite Impermanence, and Zielinsky Chained Cartesia to Fusion Summon Granguignol. That let Aluber dodge Impermanence, so it added Branded Fusion to his hand. He used Granguignol to send Titaniklad the Ash Dragon to the Graveyard. Branded Fusion let him fuse Fallen of Albaz and The Bystial Lubellion into Albion the Branded Dragon. Albion then fused Albaz and Aluber into Lubellion the Searing Dragon. Its effect let him discard Gimmick Puppet Nightmare, fusing Albaz and Lubellion into Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon. He Tributed Albion to Special Summon The Bystial Lubellion from the Graveyard, and placed Branded Lost on the field. He Set Thrust, then played Allure of Darkness with no other cards in his hand. Unfortunately there was no DARK monster as he drew Branded Opening and Branded Fusion, sending them both to the Graveyard. In the End Phase, Titaniklad Special Summoned Guiding Quem, the Virtuous, which sent Albaz to the Graveyard. Albion’s Graveyard effect Set Branded in Red. Finally, he returned Cartesia to his hand.

In the Draw Phase, Zielinsky used Branded in Red, returning Albaz to the hand. He Fusion Summoned Albion the Sanctifire Dragon, bringing Albion to his field and Gimmick Puppet Nightmare to Bratcher’s! Nightmare’s effect meant Bratcher couldn’t Special Summon monsters for the rest of the turn! Bratcher knew he wouldn’t have a viable play under the effect of Nightmare, and conceded!

Duel 2

Bratcher took the first turn this time, beginning by Special Summoning Kashtira Fenrir. It added a Kashtira Unicorn to his hand. He Set one back row card.

Zielinsky had a hand of Springans Kitt, Bystial Magnamhut, Branded Fusion, Branded Opening, and Cartesia. He drew a second Cartesia and Normal Summoned it. He played Opening, discarding the second Cartesia to Special Summon Quem. He activated Quem, and Bratcher flipped Skill Drain! Zielinsky Chained Cartesia’s effect, fusing with Quem into Granguignol. Quem was now off the field and unaffected by Skill Drain, so it sent Branded Retribution to the Graveyard. Zielinsky tried using Branded Fusion, and Bratcher had Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring this time. Granguignol destroyed Fenrir in battle.

Bratcher Special Summoned Unicorn, then Normal Summoned Snake-Eye Ash. He used Ash’s effect, sending itself and Skill Drain to the Graveyard for the cost, and Special Summoned Snake-Eye Oak. Oak revived Ash, which then added Snake-Eyes Poplar to the hand. He Special Summoned Poplar and added Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye to his hand. He activated Unicorn, finding Kashtira Birth. He played Divine Temple, which placed Snake-Eyes Diabellstar in his back row. He played Birth next, and it Special Summoned Fenrir. Poplar was used for Relinquished Anima, which ate up Granguignol!

Zielinsky mentioned after the Duel that he should have remembered Granguignol’s effect – he’d gotten caught up in Skill Drain negating his monsters, and lost track once it left the field. Despite that, Bratcher’s Kashtira and Snake-Eye combo attack may have been too much at that point. Onto the third Duel!

Duel 3

For the final Duel, Zielinsky started with Branded Fusion, Fusion Deployment, Despian Tragedy, Branded Retribution, and Allure of Darkness. He played Fusion Deployment, revealing Granguignol and Special Summoning Cartesia. Allure of Darkness let him draw a second Fusion Deployment and a second Branded Fusion, banishing Despian Tragedy. Tragedy added Aluber the Jester of Despia to his hand. He Normal Summoned Aluber to add Branded in Red to his hand. Branded Fusion fused Albaz and The Bystial Lubellion into Albion the Branded Dragon, and Bratcher had Effect Veiler to negate it. Zielinsky Tributed Albion to revive The Bystial Lubellion, which placed Branded Lost on the field. Cartesia’s effect let him fuse it with Aluber into Granguignol. Lost put Albion the Shrouded Dragon in his hand, and Granguignol sent Gimmick Puppet Nightmare to the Graveyard. He Set Branded Retribution and Branded in Red. In the End Phase, Albion put Branded in High Spirits in his hand. He used it, discarding Albion the Shrouded Dragon to send Titaniklad to the Graveyard and add Fallen of Albaz to his hand. Titaniklad Special Summoned Quem from the Deck, and Quem sent Tri-Brigade Mercourier to the Graveyard. Finally, he returned Cartesia to his hand.

In the Draw Phase, Zielinsky flipped Branded in Red, fusing Albaz and Cartesia into Albion the Sanctifire Dragon! Sanctifire handed over Gimmick Puppet Nightmare, sealing the Duel in Zielinsky’s favor!

Stellan Zielinsky is your YCS Indianapolis Dragon Duel Champion!