Round 12 Feature Match: Jesse Kotton vs. Timothy Dahl
Jesse Kotton from Toronto, Canada is no stranger to Day 2 of a YCS. He’s the Undisputed Ultimate Duelist and has won 6 YCS tournaments. Timothy Dahl from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has made it to Day 2 of YCS events in the past, but never made it into the Top Cut. But he’s on a roll this weekend – he just defeated the 2024 Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME World Champion Ruben Penaranda in Round 11, and now he just needs a win against Jesse Kotton to secure that first Top Cut finish. Kotton and Dahl are both currently 9-2 in the tournament and are both using the Mitsurugi Ryzeal strategy, which was made possible by the recent release of Supreme Darkness. One of them will advance to the Top 64, while the other likely faces elimination. It’s time to Duel!
Duel One
Kotton won the die roll and chose to go first. He opened up with Mulcharmy Fuwalos, Pot of Prosperity, Droll & Lock Bird, Infinite Impermanence, and Futsu no Mitama no Mitsurugi.
He activated the Pot of Prosperity by banishing 6 cards from his Extra Deck face-down and added an Ext Ryzeal from his excavated cards to his hand. He Special Summoned Ext Ryzeal by sending Eclipse Twins to the Graveyard and used its effect to add Sword Ryzeal to his hand. He Special Summoned it and used its effect to add Ice Ryzeal to his hand. He combined Ext with Sword to Xyz Summon King of the Feral Imps and detached Sword Ryzeal from it to activate its effect and add Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji from his Deck to his hand. He Normal Summoned it and activated its effect, but lost out to Dahl’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. He sent King of the Feral Imps to his Graveyard to Special Summon Ice Ryzeal from his hand then combined it with his Saji to Xyz Summon Ryzeal Duo Drive. He used its effect to attach an Xyz Material to it from his Graveyard, then used its other effect. He detached 2 Xyz Materials from it to add Ryzeal Cross and Node Ryzeal from his Deck to his hand. Next, he activated Cross and Special Summoned Node Ryzeal from his hand. He used its effect by sending Fuwalos from his hand to his Graveyard and Special Summoned Sword Ryzeal. He combined Node with Sword to Xyz Summon Ryzeal Detonator and then used Detonator’s effect to attach an Eclipse Twins to it as an Xyz Material. He Set Infinite Impermanence and then ended his turn.
Dahl Normal Summoned his own Saji and activated its effect, prompting Kotton to use the effect of his Detonator. He detached Sword and destroyed Saji. On the resolution of its effect, he used Cross’s effect to negate Saji’s effect by detaching an Xyz Material from Duo Drive. Next, Dahl activated Triple Tactics Thrust to add Bonfire to his hand, but Kotton activated Droll & Lock Bird, preventing Dahl from activating the Bonfire! Dahl conceded, unable to play through Kotton’s Droll & Lock Bird.
Jesse Kotton wins the first Duel of the Mitsurugi Ryzeal mirror-Match!
Duel Two
Dahl started off Duel 2 and Kotton activated the effect of Mulcharmy Purulia in the Draw Phase. Next, Dahl activated Mitsurugi Ritual, but lost out to Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. He Set 3 cards to his back row and ended his turn.
Kotton drew Mitsurugi Ritual and added it to his hand of Triple Tactics Talent, Nibiru, the Primal Being, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, and Droll & Lock Bird. He passed his turn with no play, and Dahl flipped Mitsurugi Prayers in the End Phase. He Tributed Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi and added Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji from his Deck to his hand, then Special Summoned it. He activated the effects of Ame no Murakumo and Saji, and Kotton Chained Droll & Lock Bird to prevent Dahl from adding cards from his Deck to his hand.
Dahl Normal Summoned Sword Ryzeal next turn and activated its effect to add Ext Ryzeal from his Deck to his hand. Next, he Special Summoned Ext by sending Ryzeal Detonator from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard. He added Node Ryzeal to his hand with the effect of Ext and then used Saji and Node as Xyz Materials to Xyz Summon Duo Drive. He used its effect to attach Detonator from his Graveyard to it as an Xyz Material, then activated its other effect to detach 2 Xyz Materials and add Ice Ryzeal and Ryzeal Cross from his Deck to his hand. He activated the Cross and then Special Summoned Node Ryzeal from his hand. He attacked directly with Duo Drive, Sword, and Node, dropping Kotton down to 2300 Life Points. In Main Phase 2, Dahl combined Sword and Node to Xyz Summon Ryzeal Detonator and used its effect to attach Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi to it from his Graveyard as an Xyz Material. Kotton activated the effect of Nibiru in the Main Phase, causing Dahl to negate it with Cross and give up one Xyz Material.
Kotton drew Mulcharmy Purulia and Normal Summoned it. He Xyz Summoned Super Starslayer TYPHON – Sky Crisis and used its effect; but Dahl activated Metaltronus! He Special Summoned his own TYPHON from the Extra Deck, negated the effect of Kotton’s TYPHON, and then banished both TYPHONs face-down. Kotton conceded, having drawn no cards to get his Deck started.
The Match is going to a third and final Duel!
Duel Three
Kotton opened up Duel 3 with Ice Ryzeal, Sword Ryzeal, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Pot of Prosperity, and Ext Ryzeal. He Special Summoned Ext Ryzeal from his hand by sending Eclipse Twins from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard and then used the effect of Ext to add Node Ryzeal from his Deck to his hand. Next, he Special Summoned Sword Ryzeal and activated its effect to add Ext Ryzeal from his Deck to his hand. He activated Pot of Prosperity next by banishing 6 cards from his Extra Deck face-down. He excavated the top 6 cards of his Deck and added a Droll & Lock Bird to his hand before returning the other 5 cards to his Deck. Next, he combined Ext with Sword to Xyz Summon King of the Feral Imps and activated its effect by detaching Sword Ryzeal. He added Saji from his Deck to his hand and then Normal Summoned it. He activated its effect to add Mitsurugi Ritual from his Deck to his hand. Next, he Special Summoned Ice Ryzeal from his hand by sending King of the Feral Imps to the Graveyard and then he combined Saji with Ice to Xyz Summon Ryzeal Duo Drive. He used its effect to attach an Ext from his Graveyard to it as an Xyz Material and then used Duo Drive’s other effect. He gave up 2 Xyz Materials to add Ryzeal Cross and Ice Ryzeal from his Deck to his hand. He activated the Cross and then Special Summoned Node from his hand. He used Node’s effect to send Ice from his hand to his Graveyard and Special Summon Sword. Next, he combined Sword with Node to Xyz Summon King of the Feral Imps again, and used its effect by detaching Node. He added Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi to his hand and then Ritual Summoned it by activating Mitsurugi Ritual. He Tributed Night Sword Serpent and Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Kusanagi from his Deck it. He activated the effects of Kusanagi as Chain Link 1, targeting Mitsurugi Ritual, and activated Night Sword Serpent’s effect as Chain Link 2. He returned Mitsurugi Ritual to his hand and Special Summoned Night Sword Serpent. Next, he used the Ritual to Special Summon Futsu no Mitama no Mitsurugi from his Deck by Tributing Ame no Murakumo from his field. He used Ame no Murakumo’s effect to add Mitsurugi Prayers from his Deck to his hand and then Special Summon the Ame no Murakumo back from his Graveyard. Next, he activated Mitsurugi Prayers by Tributing his Futsu no Mitama no Mitsurugi. He added Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi to his hand and then added a Prayers to his hand. He also Special Summoned the Futsu no Mitama back to the field. He combined Saji with Night Sword Serpent to Xyz Summon Abyss Dweller and Set a card to his back row before ending his turn.
Dahl drew a card and Kotton used his Dweller’s effect in the Draw Phase. In the Main Phase, Dahl activated Ultimate Slayer targeting Duo Drive. He sent Mereologic Aggregator from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard and returned Duo Drive to Kotton’s Extra Deck. Next, he activated Bonfire to add Ice Ryzeal to his hand, prompting Kotton to activate the effect of the Droll & Lock Bird in his hand. Dahl activated Triple Tactics Thrust to Set an Infinite Impermanence from his Deck to his field. Next, Dahl activated Triple Tactics Talent to take control of a monster on Kotton’s field, but Kotton Chained the effect of Ame no Murakumo, forcing Dahl to discard a card. He discarded a Fuwalos and then took control of the Ame no Murakumo. Next, Dahl Normal Summoned Ice Ryzeal and activated its effect, but he lost out to Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Dahl tried to negate the Ash Blossom by using the effect of Ame No Murakumo, but Kotton discarded a card to make sure its effect resolved. With that, Dahl conceded and offered the handshake!
Jesse Kotton ends the Swiss Rounds with a 10-2 record, securing a spot in the Top 64 with his Mitsurugi Ryzeal Deck!
