We’re almost at the end of Swiss here at YCS Pittsburgh, and the competition is intense! Alexander Robert Himler and Cole Dylan Chad Maki are each playing the Dracotail Deck, though they’ve taken different approaches to the strategy, with Himler using a Branded engine, while Maki has combined it with the K9 cards. Each of these Duelists has a 10-2 record, so they’ll need to win their remaining rounds to have a chance of making it to the Top 8 cut. Let’s find out which of these Duelists will walk away with the victory!

Duel 1

Maki won the die roll and chose to go first! Himler opened with Ketu Dracotail, Dracotail Lukias, Mulcharmy Meowls, Nibiru, the Primal Being, and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. 

Maki started by activating Ketu Dracotail, searching for Dracotail Lukias. He then Normal Summoned Lukias and searched for Dracotail Urgula. Next, he activated the effect of Dracotail Faimena, using Urgula and Dracotail Mululu to Fusion Summon Dracotail Arthalion! He Set Dracotail Flame and Rahu Dracotail to his backrow while adding Dracotail Faimena and Dracotail Mululu back to hand. Maki used Lukias to Link Summon Spirit with Eyes of Blue, then used Spirit and Arthalion to Link Summon Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres! Next, Maki activated Rahu Dracotail, but it was met by Himler’s Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Finally, Maki returned Urgula to the bottom of his Deck and added Lukias back to hand, Set a card to his backrow, then ended his turn. 

Himler drew The Fallen & The Virtuous for turn! He started off by activating it, sending Albion the Branded Dragon to the Graveyard and targeting the Hieratic Seal, but Maki Chained Dracotail Flame to negate it! Next, Himler Normal Summoned Dracotail Lukias and searched for Dracotail Faimena. He then activated Faimena’s effect, and Maki Chained the effect of his own Faimena! Maki used Dracotail Mululu and Dracotail Lukias to Fusion Summon Secreterion Dragon, then Himler resolved his own Faimena’s effect, using Mulcharmy Meowls and Dracotail Lukias to Fusion Summon Dracotail Gulamel. Maki Special Summoned back Arthalion from the Graveyard and Set Dracotail Sting and Ketu Dracotail to his backrow, as Himler Set Rahu Dracotail to his own backrow. Next, Himler activated Rahu Dracotail, using Nibiru from his hand and Dracotail Pan from his Deck to Fusion Summon Dracotail Arthalion! He used Pan’s effect to Set Ketu Dracotail to his backrow and destroy Maki’s Secreterion Dragon. Here, Maki activated the effect of Hieratic Seal, returning Himler’s Arthalion to the Extra Deck and Special Summoning Dracotail Mululu! 

Himler activated Ketu Dracotail, searching for Dracotail Urgula, then used Urgula and Gulamel to Fusion Summon his own Secreterion Dragon! He Set Dracotail Flame to his backrow and destroyed Maki’s face-down Ketu Dracotail, then activated Secreterion Dragon’s effect, Special Summoning Dracotail Gulamel from the Graveyard and returning Dracotail Pan to the Deck. He activated Urgula’s effect, returning it to the bottom of the Deck to add Dracotail Faimena back to hand, and Maki Chained the effect of Nibiru, the Primal Being! During the End Phase, Himler Set The Fallen & The Virtuous to his backrow, and ended his turn. 

Maki started his turn by Normal Summoning Dracotail Lukias! He activated its effect and searched for Dracotail Faimena, as Himler Chained The Fallen & The Virtuous to destroy Lukias. Next, he activated Dracotail Sting, banishing Dracotail Gulamel and The Fallen & The Virtuous from Himler’s Graveyard and allowing Maki to draw a card! He then Special Summoned Dark End Evaporation Dragon by banishing Filia Regis from his Extra Deck, and activated Dark End’s effect, using Dracotail Faimena and Dracotail Lukias to Fusion Summon Dracotail Arthalion! He activated Arthalion’s effect, targeting Dracotail Mululu in his Graveyard and the Primal Being Token on Himler’s field, then Set Dracotail Flame and Rahu Dracotail to his backrow. He then entered the Battle Phase and attacked Himler’s Life Points directly, reducing them to zero!

Duel 2

Himler chose to go first, and opened with Dracotail Urgula, Rahu Dracotail, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, and two copies of Effect Veiler. He activated Rahu Dracotail, but Maki responded with the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! Himler ended his turn without making any other plays.

Maki started his turn by Normal Summoning Dracotail Lukias and activating its effect, but Himler negated it with the effect of Effect Veiler! Next, Maki activated Rahu Dracotail, but Himler Chained the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Maki ended his turn. 

Himler drew Dracotail Faimena for turn! He activated the effect of Faimena, using Effect Veiler and Dracotail Urgula in hand to Fusion Summon Dracotail Arthalion. He added Dracotail Faimena and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring back to hand and Set Rahu Dracotail to his backrow. Next, Himler activated Rahu, using Faimena from hand and Dracotail Pan from Deck to Fusion Summon Dracotail Gulamel. He Set Ketu Dracotail and Dracotail Flame to his backrow, then attempted to activate Urgula’s effect in the Graveyard, but was met by Maki’s Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion! Himler activated Ketu, searching for Dracotail Mululu, then Normal Summoned it and activated its effect. He used Gulamel’s effect to destroy Maki’s Lukias, then used Mululu on the field and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring from hand to Fusion Summon another Dracotail Arthalion, and proceeded to the Battle Phase. With no way to defend his Life Points, Maki conceded, and we’re moving on to the all-important game 3!

Duel 3

Maki chose to go first in the third Duel! Himler opened with Dracotail Pan, Dracotail Mululu, Dracotail Faimena, and two copies of Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion. 

Maki went first and activated Rahu Dracotail, using Dracotail Pan from hand and Dracotail Lukias from Deck to Fusion Summon Dracotail Arthalion! He returned Lukias to hand, then Set Ketu Dracotail and Dracotail Flame to his backrow. Next, he Normal Summoned Lukias and searched for Dracotail Faimena, then activated Ketu Dracotail to search for Dracotail Urgula. He then activated the effect of Faimena, using Lukias on the field and Urgula from hand to Fusion Summon Dracotail Gulamel, then Set Dracotail Sting to his backrow. Maki then attempted to activate the effect of Dracotail Urgula in the Graveyard, but Himler Chained the effect of Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion! Finally, Maki Special Summoned K9-17 Izuna from hand,sent K9-ØØ Lupis to the Graveyard, and Special Summoned back the Lupis. 

Here, Himler activated the effect of Dracotail Faimena! He used Dracotail Pan and Dracotail Mululu to Fusion Summon Dracotail Arthalion, returning Faimena and Mululu to hand, Setting Ketu Dracotail and Rahu Dracotail from the Deck, negating the effect of Maki’s Gulamel, and destroying Maki’s Lupis. Maki then ended his turn. 

Himler drew Dracotail Lukias for turn! He started off by activating Ketu Dracotail; Maki responded with Dracotail Flame, but it was negated by the effect of Himler’s Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion! Himler resolved Ketu by searching for Dracotail Urgula, then used Urgula and Dracotail Mululu to Fusion Summon Dracotail Arthalion. In the following chain, Himler returned Maki’s Gulamel and Arthalion to the Extra Deck and Set Dracotail Flame and Dracotail Sting to the backrow, as Maki used his own Sting to banish Himler’s Ketu and Urgula.  Himler then activated Rahu, but Maki Chained the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! 

Next, Himler Normal Summoned Dracotail Lukias and searched for Dracotail Pan. He activated Faimena’s effect, using Lukias from the field and Pan from hand to Fusion Summon Dracotail Gulamel, then Set Ketu Dracotail to his backrow and destroyed Maki’s Izuna before proceeding to the Battle Phase. He attacked directly with all of his monsters to wipe out Maki’s Life Points!

With the victory, Himler improves to 11-2 here at YCS Pittsburgh!