We’re almost there! It’s Round 8, the last round of Day 1 here art YCS Sacramento. Both Clifton Scott Land II and Matthew David Huddleston have already qualified for Day 2, and their eyes are set on making the Top 32. These two friends both travelled from Kentucky to compete here at the YCS, but with each of them having a 5-1-1 record, they’ll both have to play their best to secure the best odds of advancing. It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Land opened with Mementotlan Bone Party, Mementotlan Dark Blade, Forbidden Droplet, Effect Veiler, and Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation. He started by Normal Summoning Mementotlan Dark Blade and activated its effect, destroying it to Special Summon Mementotlan Angwitch from the Deck. He then activated Angwitch’s effect, adding Mementotlan Tatsunootoshigo from his Deck to his hand. He Special Summoned Tatsunootoshigo and destroyed it to send Mementotlan Goblin, Mementotlan Ghattic, and Mementotlan Mace from his Deck to the Graveyard. He Special Summon Ghattic to the field with its effect, then activated its ability to get back Goblin. He destroyed Ghattic with Angwitch’s effect, Special Summoned Mace from the Graveyard, and destroyed it to get Mementotlan Fusion from his Deck. 

Land activated Mementotlan Fusion, returning Tatsunootoshigo and Mace to the Deck to Fusion Summon Mementotlan Twin Dragon! He activated Twin Dragon’s effect, destroying it to fetch Mementotlan Shleepy and Mementotlan Mace from his Deck. He activated Twin Dragon’s effect in the Graveyard and Special Summoned Dark Blade from the Graveyard. Land used Dark Blade and Angwitch to Link Summon Cross-Sheep, then Special Summoned Shleepy from his hand, and activated its effect to use Shleepy, Goblin, and Combined Creation to Fusion Summon Mementomictlan Tecuhtlica – Creation King.

Cross-Sheep’s effect let him Special Summon Shleepy from the Graveyard, and Land activated Creation King’s effect to send another Creation King from his Deck to the Graveyard, as well as Mementotlan Cranium Burst and Mementotlan Tatsunootoshigo. He banished Creation King from his Graveyard to get Mementomictlan from his Deck to his hand, and then activated Mementomictlan. Next, he banished Mementotlan Fusion from his Graveyard, destroying Shleepy to get another Mementotlan Fusion. Land triggered the effect of Shleepy, sending another Dark Blade to the Graveyard. He activated the effect of Mementomictlan and revived Goblin. 

Land then activated Memento Bone Party, destroying Mace in his hand to Special Summon Angwitch from his Deck. He used Goblin and Angwitch to Link Summon Moon of the Closed Heaven, used Moon to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem, then activated Requiem’s effect to Special Summon Fiendsmith Engraver from the Deck. He used Creation King and Engraver to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Sequence, then activated its effect to return Moon, Requiem, and Engraver to the Deck: he Fusion Summoned Fiendsmith Desirae.

Land used Cross-Sheep and Sequence to Link Summon Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess, equipped Sequence in the Graveyard to Desirae, then shuffled five Memento monsters from his Graveyard back into the Deck to Special Summon Combined Creation. He Set two cards to his backrow, and in the End Phase, used Mementomictlan to Set Cranium Burst back to his side of the Field. 

Huddleston started by activating Pressured Planet Wraitsoth, adding Kashtira Fenrir from his Deck to his hand. He Special Summoned Fenrir, then activated Pot of Prosperity: he took Raigeki from among the excavated cards. He activated the Raigeki and Land responded by activating the effect of Fiendsmith Desirae, but Huddleston Chained Forbidden Droplet, sending Raigeki and Fenrir to the Graveyard, negating Desirae’s effect and allowing Raigeki to resolve and destroy all of Land’s monsters!

Land activated the effect of Mementomictlan, Special Summoning Angwitch from the Graveyard, and activated its effect to add Shleepy to his hand. He activated Shleepy’s effect, Special Summoning it, and activated its effect to Fusion Summon Mementotlan Twin Dragon! He activated Twin Dragon’s effect, destroying it to add Mementotlan Dark Blade and Mementotlan Tatsunootoshigo from his Deck to his hand, then use Twin Dragon’s effect to Special Summon Mementotlan Ghattic. He finally activated Ghattic’s effect, adding Mementotlan Bone Party back to his hand. 

Huddleston continued: he Special Summoned another Kashtira Fenrir from his hand. He then Normal Summoned Tenpai Dragon Paidra and activated its effect, but Land responded with Effect Veile to, negate it. Land then activated Mementotlan Fusion, fusing Dark Blade, Ghattic, and Tatsunootoshigo to Fusion Summon Guardian Chimera! Land destroyed Huddleston’s Fenrir and drew two cards from his deck. Huddleston then Set one card to his backrow and ended his turn. 

Land started by activating the effect of Fiendsmith Engraver, discarding it to get Fiendsmith’s Tract from his Deck. He then activated Tract, getting Fabled Lurrie to his hand and then discarding it to Special Summon it. Realizing that he didn’t have enough ways to disrupt Land’s upcoming combos, Huddleston conceded the first Duel!

Duel 2

Land’s opening hand consisted of Solemn Judgment, Anti-Spell Fragrance, Mementomictlan, Mementotlan Angwitch, and Fabled Lurrie. During the Draw Phase, Huddleston activated Mulcharmy Purulia! Land Normal Summoned Mementotlan Angwitch and used its effect to get Mementotlan Tatsunootoshigo from his Deck. Afterwards, however, Huddleston activated a second Purulia! Land then activated Mementomictlan, Set two cards to his backrow and ended. 

During Huddleston’s Draw Phase, Land activated Anti-Spell Fragrance! Huddleston started by Normal Summoning Tenpai Dragon Paidra, but Land activated Solemn Judgment! Huddleston Set a card to his backrow, Set another to his Field Spell Zone, and then ended his turn. 

Land drew Mementotlan Bone Party for turn. He Special Summoned Mementotlan Tatsunootoshigo, then activated its effect, destroying it to send Mementotlan Shleepy and Mementotlan Ghattic to the Graveyard. He activated Ghattic’s ability in the Graveyard, Special Summoning it, and then added Shleepy back to his hand. Land Special Summoned Shleepy, and activated its effect to Fusion Summon Mementomictlan Tecuhtlica – Creation King with Shleepy, Angwitch, and Ghattic.

Land use Creation King to send Mementotlan Dark Blade, Mementotlan Fracture Dance, and Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation from his Deck to the Graveyard. He shuffled five Memento monsters back into his Deck to Special Summon Combined Creation and proceeded to the Battle Phase. Combined Creation and Creation King struck together for a total of 8000 damage, exactly enough to reduce Huddleston’s Life Points to zero!

Land ends the day with a 6-1-1 record. Both Duelists will be playing tomorrow morning on Day 2, each hopeful to make the Top 32!