Round 9 Feature Match: Dominic Couch vs. Cameron Neal
It’s Day 2 here at YCS Niagara Falls, and 139 competitors are still in the hunt for the Top Cut! Right now we have two decorated Duelists in the competition with UDS and YCS Champion Cameron Neal from Dallas, Texas, facing off against 2-time TEAM YCS Champion, Dominic Couch from Savannah, Georgia.
Both Duelists are 6-2 and are on the bubble! This match determines who will advance to the Top 32 and who gets to go back to America.
While both Duelists were shuffling up, they exchanged pleasantries about their previous clashes. These Duelists are long-time friends, but they both know that only one of them can continue in this tournament.
Couch opted to start the duel! He opened with a hand of Diabellstar the Black Witch, WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Deception of the Sinful Spoils, and Infinite Impermanence.
Couch started the game with WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils in the Draw Phase. Neal looked over his hand before giving the thumbs up for Couch to resolve the card. Couch added Diabellstar the Black Witch before summoning it in Defense Position by sending another copy of Diabellstar. He activated Diabellstar’s effect and set Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye. Then, from his hand, Couch activated Deception of the Sinful Spoils and sent Diabellstar to the grave. Neal activated Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate it!
Couch then flipped Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye and sent his Deception to Special Summon Snake-Eye Ash. He activated Ash to search and Special Summon Snake-Eyes Poplar. Which then allowed Couch to add Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye. Couch activated Temple and placed Snake-Eyes Diabellstar as a Continuous Spell, then used Ash with Diabellstar to get Snake-Eye Oak from his Deck. He activated Oak’s effect and Special Summoned back his Snake-Eye Ash.
Moon of the Closed Heaven was Link Summoned using Ash and Poplar. Couch activated Poplar’s effect and placed Snake-Eyes Diabellstar onto the field again. Moon was Linked away for Fiendsmith’s Requiem. He activated Requiem’s effect and Special Summoned Lacrima the Crimson Tears, which was activated to send Fiendsmith Engraver. Couch then activated Requiem’s effect to Equip itself to Lacrima. Then, he sent it to the Graveyard along with Snake-Eye Oak to Special Summon Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon from his Deck.
Couch activated Snake-Eyes Diabellstar and placed Oak into the back row and Special Summoned Diabellstar. He then Link Summoned I:P Masquerena using Flamberge and Diabellstar. Couch activated Flamberge Dragon’s effect and Special Summoned back his Poplar and Ash; then used Lacrima and I:P to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Sequence. He activated Sequence’s effect and shuffled back his Moon, Requiem, and Engraver to Fusion Summon Fiendsmith’s Desirae.
Couch then Link Summoned Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames using his Sequence and Ash, then immediately activated Promethean Princess’ effect to Special Summon back his Flamberge Dragon. He used Flamberge’s effect to push his I:P Masquerena to the back row for later.
Couch activated Sequence’s effect in the Graveyard and equipped it to Desirae, which he then activated to negate his Promethean Princess. This meant that Couch was able to Link summon Silhouhatte Rabbit with his Princess and Poplar. He activated Rabbit’s effect and set Angel Statue – Azurune. Couch then banished his WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils from the grave and placed Deception of the Sinful Spoils on the bottom of his deck to draw Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit! He Set his Infinite Impermanence and ended his turn.
Neal drew for his turn. He Normal summoned Centur-Ion Trudea. On the Summon, Couch activated Divine Temple’s effect to Special Summon his I:P Masquerena. Then, Couch activated I:P’s effect and chained his Flamberge Dragon’s effect to Special Summon his Snake-Eye Oak. He Link Summoned S:P Little Knight using I:P and Oak. Couch then activated S:P Little Knight’s effect and banished Trudea. That was enough for Neal to concede the first game!
A powerful first turn from Couch seals Duel 1!
Neal opted to start the second Duel. Neal opened by Normal Summoning Centur-Ion Primera. Couch asked to read the card before activating Effect Veiler. He followed up with The Bystial Lubellion’s effect but was stopped by Couch’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring!
Neal Link Summoned Artemis, the Magistus Moon Maiden using Primera, then activated Bystial Magnamhut by banishing his Primera, he activated Magnamhut’s effect on the field before tributing it to Special Summon The Bystial Lubellion. Neal then activated Lubellion’s effect to place Branded Regained onto the field from the Deck.
Neal then Link Summoned S:P Little Knight and activated its effect to banish his own Artemis! He used Regained to put Artemis back into his Extra deck and Drew a new card. Then, Neal activated Emblema Oath and Set a copy of Stand Up Centur-Ion! from his Deck. He activated Stand Up and sent a copy of Trudea from his hand to the GY to place a Trudea from his Deck onto the field. Neal then activated Trudea to Special Summon itself and then used its other effect to place Centur-Ion Atrii onto the Field as a Continous Trap Card and push itself back. He then Special Summoned Atrii with its own effect and then drew another card.
Neal activated Centur-Ion Gargoyle II from his hand and sent Trudea to the Graveyard to Special Summon itself, then Synchro Summoned Centur-Ion Auxila with Gargoyle and Atrii! He activated Auxila and Gargoyle. Neal added back Gargoyle and then added Centur-Ion Phalanx from his deck to his hand.
Neal Set 1 card and then went to his End Phase and activated Auxila’s effect to place Atrii into the Spell & Trap Zone. Then, he resolved his Bystial Magnamhut from earlier in the turn and added Bystial Druiswurm.
Couch started off with Bonfire, The Hallowed Azamina, and Diabellstar the Black Witch. He drew Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye for his turn.
Couch started his turn by activating Bonfire to add Snake-Eye Ash to his hand. He Normal Summoned Ash then activated its effect to grab and Special Summon Snake-Eyes Poplar. He Link Summoned Relinquished Anima using his Poplar, then activated Poplar’s effect to place it as a Continuous Spell. Neal responded with S:P Little Knight’s effect and banished itself and Relinquished Anima.
Couch followed up by Special Summoning Diabellstar the Black Witch by sending his Poplar to the Graveyard, and he used Diabellstar’s effect to Set WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils. Couch activated The Hallowed Azamina: he sent his freshly Set WANTED to the Grave and Fusion Summoned Azamina Ilia Silvia. On the Summon, Neal activated Centur-Ion Phalanx, and Couch negated it by tributing his Ilia Silvia.
Couch then activated his Hallowed Azamina effect and tried to put his Silvia back into the deck but was stopped by Neal’s Bystial Druiswurm! Neal then Special Summoned Atrii and activated Stand Up, Synchro Summoning Chaos Angel!
Couch conceded when he saw the Chaos Angel, knowing he had no way to break through Neal’s board.
Couch started the next Duel with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Called by the Grave, Deception of the Sinful Spoils, and two copies of Triple Tactics Thrust.
Neal activated Mulcharmy Purulia in Couch’s Draw Phase. Couch activated Deception of the Sinful Spoils and then discarded Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Neal chained Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit but Couch responded with Called by the Grave!
Couch searched and activated The Hallowed Azamina, and he Fusion Summoned Azamina Mu Rcielago. He got WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils. Then he used Hallowed Azamina to put Rcielago back in his Extra Deck. Couch activated Triple Tactics Thrust to Set a Dimensional Barrier.
Couch activated Hallowed Azamina again and chained WANTED. He got Diabellstar the Black Witch and Fusion Summoned Azamina Ilia Silvia. Couch then Special Summoned the Diabellstar by sending his second Thrust to the Graveyard.
Couch activated the effect of Diabellstar the Black Witch, but Neal had Infinite Impermanence! Couch stopped Impermanence by tributing his Azamina Ilia Silvia. He set Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye with his Witch’s effect, then activated it by sending his Witch. Couch Special Summoned Snake-Eye Ash and activated it to add and Special Summon Poplar. Poplar’s effect grabbed Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye. He activated Temple and placed Snake-Eyes Diabellstar in his back row.
Ash sent Snake-Eyes Diabellstar to Special Summon Snake-Eye Oak from his Deck. He used Oak’s effect to bring back the Ash. Neal activated Nibiru, the Primal Being! All three monsters were tributed for a Primal Being Token in Attack Position. Couch activated Poplar and placed Snake-Eyes Diabellstar in the Spell Zone. He then banished his WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils placed the Original Sinful Spoils on the bottom of his Deck and drew Lacrima the Crimson Tears.
Couch activated Snake-Eyes Diabellstar and placed Ash in his Spell and Trap Card Zone. He then Normal Summoned his freshly drawn Lacrima the Crimson Tears! Couch activated Lacrima’s effect and sent Fiendsmith Engraver to the Graveyard. Then he Link Summoned Fiendsmith’s Requiem using Lacrima and activated Engraver’s effect by putting Lacrima back into the Deck. Neal responded with Bystial Druiswurm and banished the Engraver. On the Summon, Couch activated Temple and Special Summoned Ash, then tributed his Requiem to Special Summon Lacrima from his Deck.
Couch Link Summoned I:P Masquerena using the Primal Being Token and Snake-Eye Ash, then used Lacrima and Masquerena to Link Summon Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames. He brought back Snake-Eye Oak with Princess’ effect and sent both Oak and Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye to the Graveyard to Special Summon Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon from his deck.
Couch Linked Summoned Salamangreat Raging Phoenix, then Link Summoned Worldsea Dragon Zealantis. He pushed Druiswurm to the Spell and Trap Card Zone with Flamberge’s effect. Couch then activated Zealantis’ effect and banished and returned everything. He activated the Promethean Princess effect in the Graveyard and destroyed his Flamberge Dragon and Neal’s Nibiru. He activated both Flamberge Dragon and Raging Phoenix’s effects and brought back Ash, Oak, and Raging Phoenix.
Couch Link Summoned Knightmare Phoenix using Raging Phoenix and Oak for Silhouhatte Rabbit. He activated Rabbit’s effect to Set Angel Statue – Azurune from his Deck. During the End Phase, Couch activated and Set Deception of the Sinful Spoils from his Graveyard.
Neal drew for his turn. He activated Stand Up Centur-Ion, Couch chained Angel Statue – Azurune to Special Summon the Trap Monster, Neal chained Wake Up Centur-Ion, and he Special Summoned a Level 8 Centur-Ion Token.
On the Summon, Couch activated Silhouhatte Rabbit’s effect and targeted Stand Up Centur-Ion, then activated his Promethean Princess in the Graveyard and targeted one of his monsters and Neal’s Token. Neal knew he couldn’t recover from that and offered a handshake.
Dominic Couch moves on 7-2 with his Fiendsmith Snake-Eye deck!