Ryan Yu from Toronto, Ontario and Steven Santoli from Hamilton, Ontario are both accomplished Duelists with many achievements. Ryan Yu is a reigning MASTER DUEL World Champion, and won the Dragon Duel World Championship when he was 12 years old. Santoli is a 2-time YCS Champion and competed in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME World Championship in 2023. Now, these friends who traveled to YCS Providence together and are sharing lodgings for the weekend are Dueling in an elimination Match that will oust one of them from the tournament. Santoli is using a Horus Crystron Deck, and Yu is running an @Ignister Maliss Deck. The pressure is on, and only one of these Duelists will advance to the Top 8. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Santoli started off Duel 1 by Normal Summoning Crystron Smiger and then used the effect of Crystron Sulfador to destroy the Smiger and Special Summon Crystron Sulfador from his hand.

He activated Sulfador’s effect on the field, but lost out to Infinite Impermanence. Next, he banished Smiger from his Graveyard to add Crystron Inclusion from his Deck to his hand. He activated it and used its effect to add Crystron Cluster from his Deck to his hand. He Set 2 cards to his back row and then tried to enter his End Phase. Yu kept him in his Main Phase and activated the effect of a Maliss <P> March Hare by banishing another March Hare from his hand. He paid 300 Life Points to return the banished March Hare to his hand, and finally Santoli’s turn ended.

Yu drew Maliss <P> Chessy Cat and Santoli flipped up Crystron Cluster. Yu had the Chessy Cat plus Maliss <P> Dormouse, Maliss <P> March Hare, and Dominus Impulse in his hand. He Normal Summoned Chessy Cat and used its effect to banish Dormouse from his hand and draw 2 cards. He paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon Dormouse and then used its effect to banish Maliss <P> White Rabbit from his Deck. He paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon it and used its effect to Set Maliss <C> MTP-07. He used White Rabbit, Chessy Cat, and Dormouse as Link Materials to Summon Maliss <Q> White Rabbit and then activated Maliss <C> MPT-07 by banishing March Hare from his field. Santoli Chained his Cluster’s effect to destroy White Binder by returning his banished Smiger to the Deck. Yu added March Hare to his hand with MTP-07 and paid 300 Life Points to return the banished Hare to his hand. He Special Summoned March Hare by banishing White Binder from his Graveyard and then paid 900 Life Points to try to Special Summon White Binder back to his field and draw a card; but he lost out on its effect to Santoli’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Yu passed his turn with just a March Hare on his field.

Santoli flipped up Forbidden Droplet and sent his Sulfador to the Graveyard to negate the effect of Yu’s March Hare and halve its ATK. Next, he used the effect of Sulfador, targeting Inclusion, to try to Special Summon the Sulfador; but Yu Chained Impulse from his hand to negate Sulfador’s effect.

Yu Normal Summoned Chessy Cat next turn and used its effect by banishing Dormouse from his hand. He drew Ash Blossom and Maliss in Underground from his Deck and then paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon Dormouse. Santoli had seen enough. He had all of his key plays stopped by Yu, and realized he would be defeated that turn. Santoli conceded.

Ryan Yu wins the first Duel with his @Ignister Maliss Deck and is one win away from the Top 8!

Duel Two

Santoli started off Duel 2 by activating the effect of Imsety, Glory of Horus. He sent it to the Graveyard along with Crystron Sulfefnir for its effect and lost out to Yu’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Next, Santoli activated Foolish Burial to send Crystron Thystvern to the Graveyard, and banished it to add Crystron Smiger to his hand. He discarded Smiger to Special Summon Sulfefnir and then used Sulfefnir’s effect to destroy the Sulfefnir. Sulfefnir’s other effect activated to Special Summon Crystron Tristaros from his Deck. He banished Smiger from his Graveyard to add Crystron Inclusion from his Deck to his hand and then activated it. He used its effect to add Sulfador from his Deck to his hand. He used Sulfador’s effect to Special Summon it by destroying the Inclusion and then used Sulfador’s on-field effect to send Crystron Cluster and Crystron Prasiortle from his Deck to his Graveyard. Next, he used Tristaros and Sulfador to Synchro Summon Crystron Eleskeletus. He activated its effect, but lost out to Infinite Impermanence. Next, he banished Tristaros from his Graveyard to destroy Eleskeletus and Special Summon Crystron Sulfefnir and Crystron Citree from his Deck. He used Eleskeletus’s effect to Special Summon his banished Tristaros and then Special Summoned Sulfefnir from his hand by using Prasiortle’s effect and banishing Prasiortle from his Graveyard. Yu activated the effect of Nibiru, the Primal Being, and Santoli Chained Tristaros’s effect to Special Summon Sulfador from his Deck and Synchro Summon Samurai Destroyer. All monsters on the field were Tributed, and Yu Special Summoned Nibiru. Santoli received a Primal Being Token with 7100 ATK and 4900 DEF in Attack Position. Santoli used the effect of his Samurai Destroyer to Special Summon Crystron Citree from his Graveyard. Next, he banished Inclusion from his Graveyard to Special Summon Tristaros from his Graveyard. Santoli Set a card to his back row before passing his turn.

Yu drew Maliss in Underground and added it to his hand of Called by the Grave and Nibiru, the Primal Being. He switched Nibiru into Attack Position and then entered his Battle Phase. He attacked Tristaros and Santoli used his Citree’s effect to Special Summon Sulfefnir and Tune it with Citree, banishing them both. He Synchro Summoned Crystron Eleskeletus and activated its effect; but Yu Chained Called by the Grave, targeting Santoli’s Eleskeletus in the Graveyard! Santoli Chained Tristaros’s effect to Special Summon Smiger from his Deck and Tune it with Tristaros, Summoning Crystron Ametrix. The rest of the Chain resolved, and Eleskeletus’s effect was negated. Nibiru switched into Defense Position due to Ametrix’s effect and then Yu entered Main Phase 2. He activated Maliss in Underground to banish Dormouse from his Deck and paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon it. Next, he activated Dormouse’s effect, but Santoli flipped Forbidden Droplet and sent Eleskeletus to the Graveyard to negate it. Yu sent his Dormouse to the Graveyard to Link Summon Linguriboh and then sent Nibiru and Linguriboh to the Graveyard to Link Summon S:P Little Knight and banish Ametrix with its effect.

Santoli Normal Summoned Tristaros and then attacked Little Knight with the Primal Being Token to destroy it. A direct attack from Tristaros dropped Yu down to 1400 Life Points. In Main Phase 2, Santoli banished Smiger from his Graveyard to add Crystron Inclusion from his Deck to his hand and activated it to add Crystron Smiger from his Deck to his hand. He used Sulfador’s effect to Special Summon it by destroying Inclusion and then used Sulfador’s other effect to send Crystron Inclusion from his Deck to his Graveyard. He banished an Inclusion from his Graveyard to Special Summon Crystron Sulfefnir and then used Sulfefnir and Sulfador to Xyz Summon Cyber Dragon Nova. He Xyz Summoned Cyber Dragon Infinity over the Nova next, and then Special Summoned a Sulfefnir from his Graveyard by discarding Smiger from his hand. He used Sulfefnir’s effect to destroy the Primal Being Token and Yu conceded, realizing he couldn’t win the Duel.

The Match is going to a third and final Duel!

Duel Three

Yu opened up Duel 3 with Maliss <P> Dormouse, Maliss <P> Chessy Cat, Maliss <P> White Rabbit, Droll & Lock Bird, and Nibiru, the Primal Being.

Santoli activated the effect of Artifact Lancea in his Draw Phase and Yu Summoned White Rabbit and used its effect to Set MTP-07 from his Deck to his field.

Santoli activated the effect of Imsety in his hand by sending Imsety and Sulfador from his hand to his Graveyard. He added King’s Sarcophagus to his hand and drew a card, prompting Yu to activate the effect of Droll & Lock Bird. Yu Chained MTP-07 to add March Hare to his hand. Santoli activated the Sarcophagus and activated its effect by discarding Hapi, Guidance of Horus. He sent Duamutef, Blessing of Horus from his Deck to his Graveyard and then Summoned Imsety from his Graveyard. He Special Summoned Hapi and Duamutef from his Graveyard next. Yu activated the effect of March Hare in his hand before Santoli could enter his Battle Phase. He banished Chessy Cat from his hand to Summon the March Hare, then paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon the Chessy Cat. Santoli entered his Battle Phase and then activated Super Polymerization! He discarded a card to fuse Chessy Cat with March Hare and Summon Garura, Wings of Resonant Life. Staring down Santoli’s monsters, Yu conceded, realizing he wouldn’t make it past the Battle Phase.

Steven Santoli is advancing to the Top 8 with his Horus Crystron Deck!