Dragon Duel Championship Top 8 Feature Match: Michael M. vs. Elijah V.
We’re in the Top 8 of the Dragon Duel Championship! 12-year-old Michael M. from Washington, D.C. is using a Fiendsmith Snake-Eye Deck to Duel against 14-year-old Elijah V. from Harlingen, Texas and his Branded Despia Deck! Michael practices Dueling every day with some of the top players in the game, and attends local tournaments weekly. Elijah Duels at his local OTS five days a week on average. Due to their experiences, both Duelists are feeling extremely prepared for this Match, but only one of them can win and move on to the Top 4! It’s time to Duel!
Elijah started off Duel 1 by activating Branded Opening in the Draw Phase.

He discarded Gimmick Puppet Nightmare to Special Summon Aluber the Jester of Despia from his Deck and activated its effect, but lost out to Infinite Impermanence. Next, Elijah activated Branded in High Spirits. He revealed Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous from his hand and then sent Granguignol the Dusk Dragon from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard. Then he discarded the Cartesia from his hand and added a Springans Kitt from his Deck to his hand. He Normal Summoned Kitt and activated its effect, but lost out to Michael’s Effect Veiler. He activated Triple Tactics Thrust next, choosing to Set Fusion Duplication from his Deck to his field. In the End Phase, he returned Cartesia from his Graveyard to his hand with its effect.
Michael drew Infinite Impermanence and added it to his hand of WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils, Snake-Eyes Ash, and Snake-Eyes Poplar. He activated WANTED in the Draw Phase to add Diabellstar the Black Witch from his Deck to his hand. Next, he Normal Summoned Ash and used its effect to add Snake-Eyes Poplar to his hand. He Special Summoned it and activated its effect. Elijah used the effect of Granguignol in his Graveyard and banished it to Special Summon Guiding Quem, the Virtuous from his Deck. Poplar’s effect resolved to add Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye to Michael’s hand. In a new Chain, Quem’s effect sent Branded Fusion to the Graveyard, and then Elijah flipped Fusion Duplication! He banished Branded Fusion to copy its effect and sent Fallen of Albaz and Blazing Cartesia from his Deck to his Graveyard to Fusion Summon Albion the Sanctifire Dragon. Elijah used Guiding Quem’s effect to target Blazing Cartesia and Special Summon it. Then he Chained his Albion’s effect to Special Summon Fallen of Albaz to his field and Gimmick Puppet Nightmare to Michael’s field. Elijah used his Fallen of Albaz’s effect by discarding Blazing Cartesia and fused Fallen of Albaz with Gimmick Puppet Nightmare to Special Summon Titaniklad the Ash Dragon. Michael activated Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye and used its effect to put a Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon from his Deck into his back row. Michael Set an Infinite Impermanence and then tried to pass his turn, but Elijah used the effect of Blazing Cartesia in the Main Phase to fuse it with Aluber and Summon Despia Quaeritis.
Elijah switched his monsters into Attack Position next turn and then attacked Poplar with Quem to destroy it. Michael used Poplar’s effect too put it in his back row. Quaeritis attacked and destroyed Ash next, dropping Michael down to 7600 Life Points. He attacked with Titanklad the Ash Dragon next, and Michael used Infinite Impermanence to negate its effect, thereby reducing its Attack Points. Direct attacks from Elijah’s remaining monsters dropped Michael down to 400 Life Points.
On Michael’s next turn, Elijah once again Special Summoned Gimmick Puppet Nightmare to Michael’s field, locking him into only Special Summoning Gimmick Puppets. With that, Michael conceded.

Michael will be going first in Duel 2!
Duel Two
Michael opened up Duel 2 with Fiendsmith’s Tract, Snake-Eye Oak, Nibiru, the Primal Being, and 2 copies of WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils.

In the Draw Phase, he activated WANTED and used its effect to add a Diabellstar the Black Witch from his Deck to his hand. He activated Fiendsmith’s Tract next and added Fabled Lurrie to his hand before discarding it. He Special Summoned the Lurrie and then used it to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem. He Tributed Requiem to Special Summon Fiendsmith Engraver and then equipped it with Requiem. He Special Summoned Necroquip Princess next by sending Engraver and Requiem to the Graveyard and then shuffled Lurrie back into his Deck to Special Summon Engraver back to his field. Next, he sent his 2 monsters to the Graveyard to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Sequence. He used Sequence’s effect to Special Summon Fiendsmith’s Desirae. He then Special Summoned Diabellstar from his hand by sending a WANTED from his hand to his Graveyard. He Set Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye from his Deck to his field with Diabellstar’s effect and then activated it. He sent Diabellstar to the Graveyard to activate the Original Sinful Spoils and Special Summoned Snake-Eye Ash. He used Ash’s effect to Special Summon Poplar and then Special Summoned Poplar from his hand. He used Poplar’s effect to add Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye to his hand. He activated it and placed Snake-Eyes Diabellstar from his Deck into his back row. He sent Sequence, Ash, and Poplar to the Graveyard to Link Summon Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess and then equipped Sequence from his Graveyard to his Desirae. Next, he Normal Summoned Snake-Eye Oak and used its effect to Special Summon Ash. He used Snake-Eyes Diabellstar’s effect to Special Summon it and put a Poplar into his back row. Next, he used Ash’s effect to send the Ash and Poplar to the Graveyard and Special Summon a Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon from his Deck. He sent Diabellstar and Oak to the Graveyard to Link Summon I:P Masquerena, then sent Masquerena and Flamberge Dragon to the Graveyard to Link Summon Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames. He used Flamberge Dragon’s effect to Special Summon Oak and Ash from his Graveyard. Next, he used Princess’s effect to Special Summon Flamberge Dragon back to his field and used the Flamberge Dragon’s effect to put Masquerena from his Graveyard into his back row. He sent Ash and Princess to the Graveyard to Link Summon Amphibious Swarmship Amblowhale. Next, he banished a WANTED form his Graveyard and returned an Original Sinful Spoils to his Deck to draw a Bonfire from the top of his Deck. He activated it to add Snake-Eye Ash to his hand and then ended his turn.

Elijah drew a card and then activated Gold Sarcophagus in his Main Phase. He banished Tri-Brigade Mercourier from his Deck and activated its effect, but lost out to the effect of Michael’s Apollousa. Next, Elijah Normal Summoned Fallen of Albaz and discarded Aluber to activate its effect; but Michael negated it with the effect of Apollousa again. Elijah followed up with Branded in Red. He returned Aluber to his hand and fused it with Fallen of Albaz to Summon Lubellion the Searing Dragon. He discarded Gimmick puppet Nightmare to activate its effect and Michael negated it with the effect of Apollousa one final time! Elijah then conceded, pushing the Match to a third and final Duel!
Duel Three
Elijah started off Duel 3 by activating Fusion Deployment. He revealed Granguignol from his Extra Deck to Special Summon a Blazing Cartesia from his Deck. Next, he activated Branded Opening. He discarded Branded Retribution from his hand and Special Summoned Guiding Quem from his Deck. He used Guiding Quem’s effect to send Branded Fusion from his Deck to his Graveyard. He Normal Summoned Aluber and activated its effect to add Branded Lost from his Deck to his hand. Michael activated Droll & Lock Bird and then Elijah activated Branded Lost. Elijah banished Branded Retribution from his Graveyard to retrieve Branded Fusion and then activated it to send Fallen of Albaz and The Bystial Lubellion from his Deck to his Graveyard. He Fusion Summon Albion the Branded Dragon and activated its effect. He banished Aluber from his field and Fallen of Albaz from his Graveyard to Special Summon Lubellion the Searing Dragon. He discarded Branded in High Spirits to activate its effect and Fusion Summon Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon. Next, he Tributed Albion to Special Summon The Bystial Lubellion from his Graveyard. He used Blazing Cartesia’s effect to fuse it with Mirrorjade and Summon Granguignol and then activated the effects of Granguignol and Quem. Quem Special Summoned Mirrorjade back to the field and Granguignol sent Gimmick Puppet Nightmare from Elijah’s Deck to his Graveyard. In the End Phase, Elijah used his Albion’s effect in the Graveyard to Set Branded Opening from his Deck to his field. He also used the effect of the Branded in High Spirits in his Graveyard to return it to his hand.
Michael drew Effect Veiler and added it to his hand of Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye, Diabellstar the Black Witch, Infinite Impermanence, and Snake-Eye Ash. In the Draw Phase, Elijah flipped Branded Opening. He discarded Blazing Cartesia from his hand and Special Summoned Guiding Quem from his Deck. He activated Quem’s effect, but Michael Chained Infinite Impermanence to negate it. Michael Normal Summoned Snake-Eye Ash and used its effect to add Poplar to his hand. He Special Summon it and activated its effect, and Elijah Chained the effect of Granguignol to banish the Granguignol and Summon Despian Quaeritis. Michael added Temple to his hand with Poplar’s effect and then activated it, using its effect to put Snake-Eyes Diabellstar from his Deck into his back row. He Special Summoned Diabellstar the Black Witch from his hand by sending a Veiler from his hand to the Graveyard and then used her effect to Set a WANTED from his Deck. He sent Poplar to the Graveyard to Link Summon Relinquished Anima and put Poplar into his back row. Anima absorbed Lubellion and then Michael used Ash’s effect to send Ash and Poplar to the Graveyard and Special Summon a Flamberge Dragon. Elijah banished it with Mirrorjade’s effect by sending Rindbrumm the Striking Dragon to the Graveyard! Elijah then used Guiding Quem’s effect to Special Summon Blazing Cartesia and used Blazing Cartesia’s effect to Fusion Summon Granguignol. He then used the effects of Granguignol and Branded Lost to add Tri-Brigade Mercourier from his Deck to his hand and send Alba-Lenatus the Abyss Dragon from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard. Michael used his Snake-Eyes Diabellstar’s effect to Special Summon it and place a Poplar from his Graveyard into his back row. Next, he activated Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye and sent Poplar to the Graveyard to Special Summon Snake-Eye Oak. He used Oak’s effect to Special Summon Ash and then sent Anima and Oak to the Graveyard to Link Summon Moon of the Closed Heaven. He used it to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem and then Tributed Requiem to try to Special Summon Fiendsmith Engraver; but Elijah used the effect of his Tri-Brigade Mercourier to negate the effect of Requiem! Michael entered his Battle Phase and used Snake-Eyes Diabellstar to attack Mirrorjade. He used its effect to put both monsters into the Spell & Trap Card Zone and then attacked Quem with Ash to destroy it. Michael passed his turn, and in the End Phase, Elijah used Alba-Lenatus’s effect to add a Branded Fusion to his hand and used Blazing Cartesia’s effect to add the Blazing Cartesia back to his hand.
Elijah switched his Granguignol into Attack Position and then activated Branded Fusion! He sent Fallen of Albaz and Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous to his Graveyard to Special Summon Albion the Sanctifire Dragon and then used Branded Lost’s effect to add a Mercourier to his hand. Michael flipped WANTED and added a Diabellstar from his Deck to his hand. Elijah used Quaeritis’s effect to change the ATK of all of Michael’s monsters to 0 and then attacks from his monsters wiped out all 8000 of Michael’s Life Points!

Elijah V. is advancing to the Top 4 with his Branded Despia Deck!