Round 4 Feature Match: Jeremy Nguyen vs. Brenden Coli
We’re almost half way there! We’re at Round 4 here at TEAM YCS Las Vegas, and teams are hoping to make it to Day 2; the Top 64 teams will come back for Day 2 to try and make it into the Top 16. Here, we have two teams that each have 2 wins and 1 loss: Kaiba’s Goon Squad, consisting of Jeremy Nguyen, Noah Ochs, and Dillon Kolacz, paired up with Team We Set 5 Pass Patrol, with Brenden Coli, Brian Peterson, and Hans Lundquist. For this round’s feature match, we have Coli and Nguyen both piloting the Maliss strategy, hoping to improve to 3-1 and give themselves the best possible shot at making it to Day 2. It’s time to Duel!
Duel 1
Nguyen won the die roll and chose to go first! He started by activating Maliss in Underground, banishing Maliss <P> Dormouse from his Deck. However, when he attempted to Special Summon it back, Coli responded with Dominus Impulse! Nguyen Set two cards to his backrow and ended his turn.
The remaining cards in Coli’s opening hand were Mulcharmy Fuwalos, Maliss <P> Dormouse, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, and another Dominus Impulse. He drew Triple Tactics Talent for turn! He started by Setting two cards to his backrow, then Normal Summoned his own Dormouse. Coli was attempting to bluff that he had a Maliss Trap Card in his backrow to discourage his opponent from attempting to use Effect Veiler or Infinite Impermanence on his monsters! He activated its effect, but Nguyen didn’t fall for the bluff and responded with Effect Veiler. However, Coli then activated Talents, drawing Maliss in Underground and Bystial Druiswurm! He activated Maliss in Underground, banishing Maliss <P> White Rabbit from his Deck, then activated White Rabbit’s effect to Special Summon it and Set Maliss <C> TB-11 from his Deck. He used White Rabbit and Dormouse to Link Summon Haggard Lizardose, then used its effect and banished Dormouse from his Graveyard. He Special Summoned Dormouse back to the field, and used Dormouse and Lizardose to Link Summon Maliss <Q> White Binder.
Next, he activated White Binder’s effect to Set Maliss <C> GWC-06 from the Deck. Next, he Special Summoned Bystial Druiswurm by banishing Dormouse, then used White Binder and Druiswurm to Link Summon Accesscode Talker! On resolution, Nguyen activated the effect of Nibiru the Primal Being, Tributing White Binder and giving Coli a Primal Being Token. Coli then ended his turn.
Nguyen started by Normal Summoning Fabled Lurrie! He used it to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem, but when Nguyen activated Requiem’s effect, Coli responded with Dominus Impulse! Nguyen entered the Battle Phase, and used Nibiru to attack Coli’s Token, then ended his turn. During the End Phase, Coli activated Maliss <C> GWC-06, Special Summoning back his White Binder! He activated White Binder’s effect, banishing Nguyen’s Fiendsmith’s Requiem and Fabled Lurrie along with his own White Rabbit. He activated White Rabbit’s effect, Special Summoning it, but when he tried to Set a card from his Deck, Nguyen responded with Infinite Impermanence.
Coli drew another Fuwalos for turn! He activated TB-11, Special Summoning Maliss <P> Chessy Cat from his Deck. He used Chessy Cat, White Binder, and White Rabbit to Link Summon Maliss <Q> Red Ransom, adding another Maliss in Underground to his hand. He activated Underground, and realizing that Coli had the ability to continue his combos further, Nguyen conceded.
Duel 2
Nguyen won the die roll and chose to go first! He started by activating the effect of Fiendsmith Engraver, discarding it to search for Fiendsmith’s Tract. He then activated Tract, but Coli responded with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! Next, Nguyen Set a card to his backrow, then Normal Summoned Maliss <P> White Rabbit, activating its effect to Set Maliss <C> GWC-06 from his Deck. He then activated his face-down Maliss <C> TB-11, Special Summoning Maliss <P> Dormouse from his Deck, then activated White Rabbit’s other effect to Special Summon it back to the field. He used White Rabbit and Dormouse to Link Summon Moon of the Closed Heaven, used it to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem, then activated Requiem’s effect, but Coli responded with Dominus Impulse! Nguyen then ended his turn.
The remaining cards in Coli’s hand were Maliss <P> Dormouse, Bystial Druiswurm, and Maliss <C> TB-11, and he drew Mulcharmy Meowls for turn! He Set a card to his backrow and Normal Summoned Maliss <P> Dormouse, but when he activated its effect, Nguyen responded with the effect of Artifact Lancea! Coli Chained TB-11, Special Summoning Maliss <P> White Rabbit from his Deck, but was unable to resolve Dormouse’s effect to banish a Maliss monster from his Deck. He used White Rabbit to Link Summon Linguriboh, attacked Nguyen directly with Linguriboh, then ended his turn.
Nguyen activated GWC, but Coli responded with Linguriboh’s effect, negating and banishing GWC. Nguyen followed it up with Triple Tactics Talent! In response, Coli activated Mulcharmy Meowls, just in case his opponent drew an Ash Blossom or Called by the Grave. He returned Requiem to the Extra Deck to Special Summon Fiendsmith Engraver from the Graveyard, used Engraver to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem, then activated Requiem’s effect to Special Summon Lacrima the Crimson Tears from his Deck and send another Engraver to the Graveyard. Next, Nguyen Normal Summoned Fabled Lurrie, then used Lurrie and Lacrima to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Sequence! Coli activated the effect of Druiswurm in his hand, banishing his own White Rabbit, as Nguyen used Sequence’s effect to return Engraver, Moon, and Lurrie to the Deck to Fusion Summon Fiendsmith Desirae! Coli Special Summoned White Rabbit, Setting Maliss <C> GWC-06 from his Deck to the Field. Nguyen entered the Battle Phase, using Desirae to attack Coli’s White Rabbit. He then went to Main Phase 2, activating Sequence’s effect to equip it to Desirae, which would stop Coli from targeting Desirae with card effects!
Coli drew Ash Blossom for turn. He activated GWC, Special Summoning White Rabbit from the Graveyard, activating its effect to Set Maliss <C> MTP-07 from his Deck, as Nguyen responded with Artifact Lancea! Next, Coli Normal Summoned Ash Blossom, then used Ash Blossom and White Rabbit to Link Summon Knightmare Phoenix, discarding Lancea and attempting to destroy Nguyen’s Sequence, but Nguyen responded with Effect Veiler. Nguyen used Lacrima in the Graveyard to Special Summon Requiem, used Requiem to Special Summon back Lacrima, and sent Fiendsmith Engraver to the Graveyard. Coli proceeded to the Battle Phase and used Phoenix to destroy Lacrima, then Coli ended his turn.
Nguyen began his turn by Special Summoning Engraver from the Graveyard, returning Lacrima to the Deck, then discarded Engraver to add Fiendsmith’s Tract to his hand. He then activated Tract, searching for and discarding Fabled Lurrie, then Special Summoning Lurrie. He used Lurrie and Engraver to Link Summon Haggard Lizardose. He used Lizard to banish White Rabbit and Set MTP-11 from his Deck. He used Lizardose and White Rabbit to Link Summon Maliss <Q> Red Ransom and add Maliss in Underground to his hand. He activated Underground, banishing Maliss <P> Dormouse from his Deck, then used Dormouse’s effect to banish Maliss <P> Chessy Cat. He used Chessy Cat, Red Ransom, and Dormouse to Link Summon Maliss <Q> Hearts Crypter, then activated Crypter’s effect, returning GWC to the Deck to banish Coli’s Bystial Druiswurm. Nguyen destroyed Coli’s Phoenix and attacked Coli directly, and Coli conceded.
The Duelists were shuffled up and prepared to play their game three. However, before they could start, both of Nguyen’s teammates won their respective matches! This meant that Kaiba’s Goon Squad wins the round, and Nguyen and his teammates advance with a 3-1 record!
