Home > 2024/10 - YCS Niagara Falls, Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series > Top 16 Feature Match: Dominic Couch vs. Cecilia Graham-Vowles

Top 16 Feature Match: Dominic Couch vs. Cecilia Graham-Vowles

October 13th, 2024

Dominic Couch is a two-time YCS winner, earning his trophies at TEAM YCS Las Vegas in 2020 and TEAM YCS Las Vegas 2023. He’s had a great weekend so far, making it to the Top 16 piloting the new and improved version of Fiendsmith Snake-Eye with Azamina cards.

But he’s up against one of the most unpredictable and dangerous Decks here today! Cecilia Graham-Vowles hails from nearby London, Ontario, and she’s playing Ritual Beasts in her first YCS this weekend – a Deck that almost no one would’ve expected to see in the Top Cut. Lots of rogue Decks made the Top 32 here in YCS Niagara, but Ritual Beasts may be the scariest of the bunch.

Let’s see how this one plays out.

Graham-Vowles opted to go second in the first Duel, and dropped Dimension Shifter on Couch right out of the gates! “Okay… That’s rough.” Couch took a moment to look through his Extra Deck and then passed completely. Oof.

Graham-Vowles had a hand of Emergency Teleport, Spiritual Beast Tamer Lara, Infinite Impermanence, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, and Spiritual Beast Pettlephin. She used Lara’s effect to Normal Summon Pettlephin, and then used Lara’s effect to Special Summon, but lost that opportunity to Couch’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Emergency Teleport let her Special Summon Spiritual Beast Tamer Elder from her Deck, and she Linked both monsters for Ritual Beast Ulti-Cannahawk. She activated Ulti-Cannahawk’s effect, targeting Lara and Elder to return them to the Graveyard. Then she Chained Ulti-Cannahawk’s other effect, targeting Lara and Pettlephin. She Special Summoned Lara and Pettlephin, and Elder was moved to the Graveyard: she searched Spiritual Beast Cannahawk.

Continuing on, Graham-Vowles Normal Summoned Spiritual Cannahawk, used its effect to banish Spiritual Beast Tamer Winda from her Deck to set it aside for later, then contact fused Cannahawk and Spiritual Lara for Ritual Beast Ulti-Cannahawk again. This time Graham-Vowles used the effect effect to target Lara and Winda, then Chained the other effect targeting Winda and Cannahawk. Once the effects resolved her field was Cannahawk, Pettlephin, and Winda.

Graham-Vowles added Spiritual Beast Tamer Wen to her hand, then used Spiritual Beast Cannahawks’effect again to search Spiritual Beast Rampengu from deck, banishing it. She banished Pettlephin and Cannahawk to Link Summon Ritual Beast Ulti-Kimunfalcos, and used its effect to banish Elder, then Normal Summoned Wen and Summoned the Rampengu. She used its effect to banish Ritual Beast Ulti-Apelio to send Spiritual Beast Apelio to the Graveyard, banishing it.

Ritual Beast Ulti-Cannahawk was summoned to the field again, sending Ritual Beast Ulti-Apelio and the other Ulti-Cannahawk to the Graveyard, searching Ritual Beast Inheritance. Graham-Vowles activated it, banished Cannahawk and Lara to contact fuse for Ritual Beast Ulti-Nochiudrago, and moved to her Battle Phase. She attacked with Ulti-Cannahawk for 2000 damage, then tagged it out to Special Summon Wen and Apelio. That triggered the effect of Inheritance to turn Apelio to attack mode. It attacked and that was all Couch needed to see: he scooped it up to go to Game 2!

Dimension Shifter totally robs Dominic Couch of his first turn, and Cecilia Graham-Vowles follows through with a big flurry of looping Cannahawk plays to sweep the Duel! One more like that and she’d be heading to the Top 8; Couch had his work cut out for him.

Couch moved to his Main Phase after confirming with Graham-Vowles that she had no effects to activate – no Dimension Shifter. He used Bonfire to search Snake-Eye Ash, Normal Summoned it, and Graham-Vowles negated its effect with Infinite Impermanence. Couch activated WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils, searched Diabellstar the Black Witch, and Summoned it, then activated Deception of the Sinful Spoils. Couch sent Snake-Eye Ash to the Graveyard to search The Hallowed Azamina.

He activated The Hallowed to Special Summon Azamina Mu Rcielago, searching Original Sinful Spoils – Snake-Eye with Mu’s effect. He Linked Diabellstar and Mu to Link Summon Moon of the Closed Heaven, used it to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem, and a few plays later had Summoned Diabellstar the Black Witch and Snake-Eyes Poplar. Poplar got him Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye and he used it to pluck Snake-Eyes Diabellstar from his Deck to place it in his Spell and Trap Card Zone. Couch tributed Requiem to Summon Fiendsmith Engraver, Linked it to Poplar and Summoned Fiendsmith’s Sequence. Another flash of cards later he had Poplar in his Spell and Trap Card Zone and Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames on the field, using her to bring back Snake-Eye Ash.

Couch sent Ash and Poplar for Ash’s effect, to Special Summon Snake-Eye Oak. He Special Summoned Snake-Eye Diabellstar and Poplar. Everything was in defense mode. Couch sent Oak and Prometheus to the Graveyard to Special Summon Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon from his Deck. He used its effect to place Oak in his back row, then Linked Flamberge Dragon and Poplar to Link Summon I:P Masquerena. Couch Link Summoned Silhouhatte Rabbit next, searching his Deck to Set Angel Statue – Azurune. He banished WANTED from his Graveyard, drew a card, Set a second card to his backrow to end.

This time Graham-Vowles had two Emergency Teleport, a Spiritual Beast Cannahawk, Spiritual Beast Tamer Elder, and Ritual Beast Tamer Lara. She Normal Summoned Elder, Normal Summoned Cannahawk. Couch used his Divine Temple to Special Summon Snake-Eye Oak, used Oak’s effect, and added Snake-Eye Ash to his hand. Then he used I:P Masquerena’s effect, Linking with Rabbit to Summon S:P Little Knight, banishing Cannahawk from the field.

Graham-Vowles continued, activating Emergency Teleport. Couch Chained S:P Little Knight to banish Spiritual Beast Tamer Elder, and Graham-Vowles Special Summoned Spiritual Beast Tamer Lara from her Deck. He destroyed Lara with Promethean Princess’ effect. When Graham-Vowles activated the second Teleport, Couch negated it and Graham-Vowles conceded.

Dominic Couch has a clear runway for his first turn, and makes an explosive opening to load up a massive field that Graham-Vowles just can’t break through! One final Duel would decide who was going to the Top 8, and both Duelists were careful to take a little time and get the most out of their Side Decks.

Graham-Vowles chose to go first, and drew a hand of Archnemes Protos, Anti-Spell Fragrance, SpiritualBeast Tamer Elder, Spiritual Beast Tamer Wen, and Book of Eclipse. She Normal Summon Elder and Wen, and Link Summoned S:P Little Knight. She Set Book of Eclipse and Anti-Spell Fragrance.

Couch was up, and Graham-Vowles flipped Fragrance. Couch activated Infinite Impermanence to negate Little Knight’s effect, and Summoned Snake-Eye Ash to search Snake-Eyes Poplar, Summoning it. That got him Divine Temple of the Snake-Eye, and Graham-Vowles flipped Book of Eclipse! Couch’s monsters went face-down. He played on Summoning Diabellstar the Black Witch, pitched Bonfire, and used Diabellstar to search WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils. Couch attacked over Little Knight, Set Divine Temple and a backrow card, and ended, flipping his monsters to draw two cards for Eclipse.

Graham-Vowles drew another Elder. No help there: she Set it and ended.

Couch flipped Divine Temple, searched Snake-Eyes Diabellstar, used it with Ash to Special Summon Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon, and flipped his WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils from last turn to get another Diabellstar the Black Witch. He Summoned it by discarding WANTED, and Set Deception of the Sinful Spoils from his Deck. Couch Linked away both monsters to Summon Moon of the Closed Heaven, placed Snake-Eyes Diabellstar in his backrow, went into Fiendsmith’s Requiem, Tributed to Summon Fiendsmith Engraver, attached Requiem, popped Graham-Vowles’ face-down Elder with Engraver’s effect, brought out Snake-Eyes Diabellstar, and it was all over from there!

Dominic Couch takes a decisive loss in Duel 1, but battles back to take commanding wins in the second and third games to clinch the Match! This was a great tournament run for Cecilia Graham-Vowles, but it’s Dominic Couch moving onto the Top 8 here in Day 2.