Jose Uriel Diaz from Chicago, Illinois made the Top Cut of YCS Atlanta back in 2016, and now he’s excited to be back in the Top Cut with a shot at taking home the trophy. His opponent, Adam Pruchnowski from Buffalo, New York has made it to Day 2 at recent YCS events, but never made it into the Top Cut! Now he’s looking to take his success as far as he can with his Snake-Eye Deck. Both Duelists are very excited to be here, but now they’re facing off in a Match that will determine which one of them can progress in the tournament. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Pruchnowski started off the Duel by activating WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils in his Draw Phase and added Snake-Eyes Diabellstar from his Deck to his hand.

He sent it to the Graveyard to Special Summon Diabellstar the Black Witch from his hand and then used the Black Witch’s effect to Set Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye from his Deck to his field. He activated it by sending the Black Witch to the Graveyard and Special Summoned Snake-Eye Ash. He used Ash’s effect to add Snake-Eyes Poplar to his hand and then activated Poplar’s effect to Special Summon it. He activated Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye from his hand and used its effect to place Snake-Eye Oak in his Spell & Trap Card Zone. Next, he used Ash’s effect and sent it to the Graveyard along with Oak to Special Summon Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon from his Deck. He sent Poplar and Flamberge Dragon to the Graveyard to Link Summon I:P Masqurena and used the effects of Poplar and Flamberge Dragon. He put Snake-Eyes Diabellstar into his Spell & Trap Card Zone with the effect of Poplar and then Special Summoned Oak and Ash with the effect of his Flamberge Dragon. He used Oak’s effect to Special Summon Poplar back to his field and then sent Ash to his Graveyard to Link Summon Relinquished Anima. He then used Anima and Masquerena to Link Summon Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians. He added Spell Counters to it with its effect, then removed 3 of those Spell Counters to Summon the Black Witch from his Graveyard. He used Selene and the Black Witch as Link Materials to Link Summon Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess. Next, he used the effect of the Snake-Eyes Diabellstar in his back row to target Flamberge Dragon in his Graveyard. He Special Summoned the Diabellstar and put the Flamberge Dragon from his Graveyard into his Spell & Trap Card Zone. Next, he sent Diabellstar, Poplar, and Oak to the Graveyard to Link Summon Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames. He used its effect to Special Summon Snake-Eye Oak from his Graveyard and then used the effect of Oak by sending Oak and Promethean Princess to his Graveyard. He Special Summoned Flamberge Dragon from his hand and used its effect to move an I:P Masquerena from his Graveyard into his Spell & Trap Card Zone. Next, he banished Wanted from his Graveyard to return an Original Sinful Spoils from his Graveyard to his Deck and draw a card. He Set a card to his back row and passed.

Diaz opened up Duel 1 with Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous, Aluber the Jester of Despia, Gimmick Puppet Nightmare, Branded in Red, and Forbidden Droplet. He drew Guiding Quem, the Virtuous for his turn and then Normal Summoned Aluber and activated its effect. Pruchnowski activated the effect of Apollousa to try to negate its effect, and Diaz Chained Forbidden Droplet by sending Quem and Gimmick Puppet Nightmare from his hand to his Graveyard. Pruchnowski Chained Crossout Designator naming Forbidden Droplet, and Diaz Chained Branded in Red targeting the Quem in his Graveyard. As the Chain resolved, he returned Quem to his hand and fused Aluber from his field along with Quem and Cartesia from his hand to Fusion Summon Guardian Chimera. The rest of the Chain resolved, negating the Forbidden Droplet and effect of Aluber. In a separate Chain, Guardian Chimera’s effect activated, and when Pruchnowski negated its effect with Apollousa’s effect, Diaz conceded with no cards remaining in his hand.

A key Crossout Designator naming Forbidden Droplet allows Adam Pruchnowski to take a decisive victory in the first Duel of the Match! Jose Uriel Diaz will be starting off Duel 2!

Duel Two

Diaz opened up the second Duel with Guiding Quem, the Virtuous, Albion the Shrouded Dragon, Gimmick Puppet Nightmare, Fusion Duplication, and Ad Libitum of Despia.

He Normal Summoned Guiding Quem and activated its effect. Pruchnowski Chained the effect of Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit to destroy Quem, and then Diaz sent Branded Retribution from his Deck to his Graveyard with Quem’s effect. Next, Diaz used his Albion’s effect in his hand. He sent Branded Fusion from his Deck to his Graveyard, returned Albion to his Deck, and drew Super Polymerization. Next, he banished Branded Retribution from his Graveyard to return Branded Fusion from his Graveyard to his hand and then activated it. He sent The Bystial Lubellion and Fallen of Albaz from his Deck to his Graveyard to Special Summon Albion the Branded Dragon and used its effect by banishing Quem from his Graveyard and Ad Libitum from his hand. He Fusion Summoned Despian Quaeritis and then used Ad Libitum’s effect to Special Summon Quem back from banishment to his field. Next, he Summoned The Bystial Lubellion from his Graveyard by sending Albion to his Graveyard. He used Lubellion’s effect to place Branded Lost from his Deck into his Spell & Trap Card Zone and then Set 2 cards to his back row. In the End Phase, he used Albion’s effect to add Branded Opening from his Deck to his hand. He activated it and sent Gimmick Puppet Nightmare from his hand to his Graveyard. He Special Summoned Aluber with its effect and used Aluber’s effect to add Branded in High Spirits from his Deck to his hand.

Pruchnowski drew a card and then activated Harpie’s Feather Duster in Main Phase 1! Diaz Chained Super Polymerization and discarded Branded in High Spirits to activate it. He immediately regretted it, as he realized that he would now be unable to activate his Fusion Duplication since he couldn’t Chain to the Super Polymerization. He fused Quaeritis with Aluber to Summon Predaplant Dragostapelia and then the Feather Duster resolved to destroy Branded Lost and Fusion Duplication. Pruchnowski activated Bonfire next and added Snake-Eye Ash to his hand. He Normal Summoned it and activated its effect. Diaz activated the effect of Dragostapelia to try to negate Ash’s effect, but Pruchnowski sent Lightning Storm and Flamberge Dragon from his hand to his Graveyard to activate Forbidden Droplet and negate the effects of Dragostapelia and Quem. He added Poplar to his hand with the effect of Ash and used Poplar’s effect to Special Summon it. He used Poplar’s on-field effect to add Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye from his Deck to his hand. He sent Poplar to the Graveyard to Link Summon Relinquished Anima and used Poplar’s effect to put a Flamberge Dragon into his Spell & Trap Card Zone. He used Relinquished Anima’s effect to equip it with The Bystial Lubellion. Next, he used Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye by sending The Bystial Lubellion to the Graveyard. He Special Summoned Oak from his Deck. He used Oak’s effect to Special Summon Poplar and then sent Poplar and Anima to the Graveyard to Link Summon Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy. He activated Oak’s effect by sending Oak and Flamberge Dragon to his Graveyard and Special Summoned Snake-Eyes Diabellstar from his Deck. He then used Dharc’s effect to Special Summon Aluber to his field. Next, he used Poplar and Dharc as Link Materials to Link Summon Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames. He used its effect to Special Summon Flamberge Dragon and used Flamberge Dragon’s effect to put Dragostapelia into Diaz’s back row. Diaz instantly conceded, lamenting his misplay from earlier in the Duel.

Adam Pruchnowski is moving on to the Top 8 of YCS Indianapolis!