Round 3 Feature Match: Jesse Kotton vs. Christopher Bialaszewski
For Round 3 here at YCS Niagara Falls we’ll be giving you a look at one of our VIP Duelists! After starting the day with byes in Round 1 and Round 2, these star competitors are just now entering the tournament, fresh and ready to Duel.
Toronto’s Jesse Kotton is the most decorated Duelist in all of Yu-Gi-Oh! He’s a Master Duel World Champion, a five-time World Championship Competitor, a six-time YCS Champion, an Ultimate Duelist, and above all else the UNDISPUTED Ultimate Duelist as well! He’s playing Fire King Snake-Eye this weekend, one of the top prospects in the Rage of the Abyss season.
His opponent Christopher Bialaszewski is from Buffalo, New York and crossed the bridge at the border to get here today! With his biggest claim to fame a Top 8 finish at a Remote Duel Regional, a win here over Kotton could be a star-making performance. Bialaszewski’s piloting a Branded deck that aims to Special Summon Gimmick Puppet Nightmare to his opponent’s field to secure the win – a strategy that can take down even a mighty Duelist like Kotton!
Bialaszewski won the dice roll and opted to start the duel.
Bialaszewski started the Duel with Branded Opening, Kotton chained Mulcharmy Fuwalos. Bialaszewski discarded Dogmatika Maximus and added Aluber the Jester of Despia and then Normal Summoned it. He activated Aluber’s effect and added Branded Fusion. Bialaszewski activated Branded Lost, and then activated Branded Fusion! Kotton activated his second copy of Fuwalos!
Bialaszewski sent Fallen of Albaz and Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon Albion the Sanctifire Dragon. Kotton drew Dominus Impulse and Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye. He activated Branded Lost’s effect and added Tri-Brigade Mercourier. Bialaszewski then activated Nadir Servant and sent Albion the Branded Dragon to the GY to search for a copy of Fallen of Albaz. He Set 1 card and went to his End Phase. Bialaszewski activated Blazing Cartesia’s effect and added it back to his hand, then activated his Branded Dragon’s effect and Set Branded in Red from his Deck.
Kotton started his turn with One for One, Fire King Sanctuary, 2 Mulcharmy Fuwalos, and Sacred Fire King Garunix. He drew Droll & Lock Bird for his turn, and in the Draw Phase, Bialaszewski activated his Set Branded in Red and targeted Fallen of Albaz. Kotton chained Dominus Impulse to negate the effect of Branded in Red.
In the Main Phase, Kotton activated One for One, sending Sacred Fire King Garunix to Special Summon Snake-Eye Ash from his deck. He tried to activate Ash but was stopped by Mercourier. Kotton then activated Fire King Sanctuary and placed Fire King Island on the field. He then sent Ash and Sanctuary to the Graveyard to activate Ash’s effect. Kotton Special Summoned and activated Snake-Eye Oak and Special Summoned back the Ash that he just sent.
Kotton then activated Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye by sending Snake-Eye Ash to the GY. He Special Summoned Legendary Fire King Ponix and activated its effect to add Fire King Sky Burn. He activated Fire King Island’s effect, destroyed his Ponix, and added Fire King Avatar Arvata to his hand. Kotton then activated Garunix’s effect in the GY and Special Summoned it. He activated Garunix’s effect and destroyed Fire King High Avatar Kirin in his deck, then activated Kirin’s effect and Special Summoned back his Ponix and destroyed Bialaszewski’s face-down Book of Eclipse!
Kotton Normal Summoned Fire King Avatar Arvata. He then activated Oak’s effect and sent itself and Garunix to the GY to Special Summon Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon from his deck. Kotton attempted to push the Fallen of Albaz in the grave to the Spell & Trap Zone with Flamberge’s effect but Bialaszewski chained Sanctifire Dragon’s effect! Special Summoning Fallen of Albaz to his field and Mercourier to Kotton’s field. Bialaszewski then activated Albaz and discarded Cartesia, and Kotton chained Fire King Sky Burn! He targeted Ponix and Albaz and destroyed both, stopping the Fusion Summon from happening.
He linked away Mercourier and Flamberge for Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy. He activated Flamberge’s effect to bring back Ash and Oak and Bialaszewski conceded!
Bialaszewski chose to start the second Duel.
Kotton started with Diabellstar the Black Witch, WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils, Fire King High Avatar Garunix, Mulcharmy Fuwalos, and Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon.
Bialaszewski started the second duel with That Grass Looks Greener! He milled 18 cards with it. Bialaszewski activated the effect of his newly sent Despian Tragedy and searched out Aluber. He then Normal Summoned the Aluber and activated its effect to add Branded Fusion.
Bialaszewski activated Branded Fusion and Kotton chained Mulcharmy Fuwalos. Branded Fusion resolved and Bialaszewski sent Blazing Cartesia and Albaz to Fusion Summon Albion the Sanctifire Dragon. Kotton drew Deception of the Sinful Spoils. He then activated Foolish Burial and sent Bystial Saronir to the Graveyard, which he activated to send Branded Retribution. Bialaszewski then activated Albion the Shrouded Dragon and sent Branded Lost from his Deck to the GY to put Albion on the bottom of the deck. He activated Retribution’s effect and added back and activated Branded Lost. Bialaszewski then Set 1 card and ended his turn.
Kotton drew Mulcharmy Fuwalos. In the Draw Phase, Bialaszewski activated Branded in Red, targeting Albaz. Kotton chained the newly drawn Fuwalos. He Fusion Summoned Borreload Furious Dragon, Kotton drew Fire King Sanctuary with Fuwalos’ effect. Bialaszewski then used Branded Lost and Albion the Sanctifire Dragon’s effects. Adding Mercourier to his hand and Special Summoning Gimmick Puppet Nightmare to Kotton’s field.
Unable to Special Summon non-Gimmick Puppet monsters, Kotton immediately conceded the second Duel.
Kotton chose to go first for the first time in the match. He started off with Deception of the Sinful Spoils, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Dominus Impulse, Popar, and Sacred Fire King Garunix.
In the Draw Phase, Bialaszewski activated Mulcharmy Purulia! Kotton chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate it. Going into the Main Phase, he activated Deception of the Sinful Spoils. He activated its effect and pitched Sacred Fire King Garunix to add The Hallowed Azamina. Kotton activated Hallowed and Bialaszewski chained Mulcharmy Fuwalos! Kotton sent Hallowed and Deception to Special Summon Azamina Ilia Silvia. He then Normal Summoned Snake-Eyes Poplar. Kotton activated Poplar’s effect and added Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye.
Kotton then activated Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye, sending Poplar to Special Summon Legendary Fire King Ponix. He activated Ponix and added Fire King Sanctuary, which was activated and placed Fire King Island onto the Field. Kotton then used Island and destroyed Ponix to add Fire King High Avatar Kirin, he then brought back Sacred Fire King Garunix. He activated Garunix’s effect and destroyed Arvata, Arvata’s effect then Special Summoned back Ponix.
Kotton went to end his Main Phase, and during the End Phase, Ponix was destroyed by Arvata’s effect.
Bialaszewski drew for his turn. During the Standby Phase, Kotton activated Ponix and added it back to his hand. In the Main Phase, Bialaszewski activated Albion the Shrouded Dragon’s effect and sent Fallen of Albaz from his Deck to the GY to put Albion on the bottom of his deck and draw 1 card. He then activated Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous and Special Summoned it. Bialaszewski then activated Super Polymerization! Discarding Aluber to Fusion Summon Granguignol the Dusk Dragon with Kotton’s Azamina Ilia Silvia and his Cartesia. He activated Granguignol and sent Titaniklad the Ash Dragon from the Extra Deck to the grave.
Bialaszewski then activated Spriganns Kitt, Special Summoned it and used its effect. He added Branded Fusion and put one card from his hand on the bottom of the deck. Bialaszewski then Normal Summoned and activated Aluber the Jester of Despia. He added Branded in Red with Aluber’s effect.
Branded in Red was activated and targeted Fallen of Albaz!. Albaz was added to the hand, then used with Aluber and Cartesia to Fusion Summon Guardian Chimera! Bialaszewski activated Chimera’s effect and destroyed Fire King Sanctuary and Fire King Island. Kotton used Sanctuary’s effect and substituted Garunix with Sanctuary’s effect and protected his Island from destruction. Kotton then activated Ponix’s effect. He activated to search and Bialaszewski chained Granguignol the Dusk Dragon’s effect and Special Summoned Guiding Quem, the Virtuous from his Graveyard. Bialaszewski activated Quem’s effect and sent Albion the Shrouded Dragon to his Graveyard. He then tried to activate Branded Fusion but was stopped by Dominus Impulse.
Going into the Battle Phase, Bialaszewski attacked first with Guardian Chimera into Ponix, Ponix was destroyed and Kotton activated and brought back Garunix and used its effect. He destroyed Fire King High Avatar Kirin in his deck and activated its effect. Kirin’s effect let Kotton Special Summon back Fire King Avatar Arvata and destroyed Guiding Quem.
Bialaszewski went to his Main Phase 2 and then his End Phase. In the End Phase, he added back Cartesia and attempted his Titaniklad’s effect but was stopped by Arvata which destroyed Garunix to negate Titaniklad.
Kotton drew Fire King High Avatar Kirin for his turn, then activated Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye in his grave and targeted Poplar. He added Snake-Eye Oak to his hand and sent Poplar to the bottom of his deck. Kotton activated The Hallowed Azamina and sent Ilia back to the Extra Deck to add Hallowed from his Graveyard to his hand. He Normal Summoned Oak and activated it to bring back Ponix. Then, Kotton activated Oak’s effect with Ponix for Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon. He activated Island and added Fire King Courtier Ulcanix. Kotton then activated both Fire King High Avatar Kirin and Sacred Fire King Garunix in his Graveyard and Bialaszewski conceded, knowing that there was about to be an onslaught of Fire King monsters.
Jesse Kotton is 3-0 with his Snake-Eye Fire King Deck!