We’re on to Round 2 here at YCS Pittsburgh! For this Round 2 Feature Match, we have two Duelists that each won their respective first rounds. On one hand, we have Alexander Ryan Frazier, playing Mitsurigi K9, an interesting deck combining two strategies that have proven to be very strong over the last several YCS events. On the other hand, we have Christopher Lee Douglas piloting the Fire King Deck, an older strategy that we’ve recently seen starting to incorporate several Jurrac monsters from Battles of Legend: Monster Mayhem. It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Douglas won the die roll and chose to go first! Frazier opened with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi, K9-17 Izuna, K9-66b Lantern, and Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Aramasa. 

Douglas started by activating Fire King Island! He activated its effect, and Frazier Chained the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, but Douglas Chained Called by the Grave! Douglas resolved the effect of Island, destroying his own Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, and searching for Fire King Courtier Ulcanix. This allowed him to activate the effect of Sacred Fire King Garunix in his hand, Special Summoning it and destroying another copy of Ulcanix in his Deck to Special Summon Fire King High Avatar Garunix.

Next, Douglas Normal Summoned Fire King Avatar Arvata! He then activated Fossil Dig, searching for Miscellaneousaurus, and activated its effect, discarding it. On resolution, Frazier activated the effect of K9-17 Izuna, Special Summoning it from hand, but when he activated its effect, Douglas Chained the effect of Arvata, destroying his Garunix to negate Izuna’s effect. On resolution, Douglas banished Miscellaneousaurus from his Graveyard to Special Summon Jurrac Megalo from his Deck! During the End Phase, Megalo was destroyed, and Douglas activated its effect to send Jurrac Astero from his Extra Deck to the Graveyard.

Frazier began his turn by Tributing Izuna to Tribute Summon K9-04 Noroi and activating its effect; however, Douglas Chained the effect of Arvata, destroying his Garunix to negate Noroi’s effect! Next, Frazier activated the effect of K9-66b Lantern, Special Summoning it from his hand and Izuna from his Graveyard. He activated Izuna’s effect, sending K9-ØØ Lupis to the Graveyard, as Douglas activated the effect of Astero in his Graveyard, Special Summoning Jurrac Meteor from his Extra Deck! Douglas activated Meteor’s effect to destroy all cards on the field and then Special Summon Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring from the Graveyard, but Island’s effect destroyed the Ash Blossom. This allowed Douglas to activate the effect of Sacred Fire King Garunix in the Graveyard, Special Summoning it and destroying Fire King High Avatar Kirin from the Deck. Douglas then activated Kirin’s effect, Special Summoning Ulcanix from the Graveyard, and used its effect to destroy Garunix and search for Fire King Avatar Rangbali, then Special Summoned the Rangbali. Frazier was forced to activate the effect of Lupis in the Graveyard, Special Summoning it, then enter the Battle Phase and use Lupis to attack Rangbali, destroying it. 

In Main Phase 2, Frazier activated the effect of Ame no Habakiri no Mitsurugi, Special Summoning then Tributing Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji, and activated Saji’s effect to search for Mitsurugi Ritual. He activated Ritual, Special Summoning Habakiri from hand by Tributing Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Kusanagi and Night Sword Serpent from his Deck. He added Ritual back to hand and Special Summoned the Serpent, then activated Ritual again, Tributing Habakiri to Special Summon Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi from his Deck. He activated Murakumo’s effect to destroy Ulcanix, as well as Habakiri’s effect to Special Summon it back and search for Mitsurugi Prayers. He then activated Prayers, Tributing Murakumo to search for Futsu no Mitama no Mitsurugi and Special Summon Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Aramasa from hand, then Special Summoned back Murakumo and searched for Mitsurugi Mirror and another copy of Habakiri. He used Serpent and Aramasa to Xyz Summon Gallant Granite and search for Nibiru, the Primal Being, then used Gallant and Lupis to Link Summon S:P Little Knight and banish Douglas’ Fire King High Avatar Garunix. Frazier used Murakumo and Habakiri to Xyz Summon Divine Golden Shadow Dragon Dragluxion, then used its effect to Xyz Summon Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy! Finally, he activated Mitsurugi Mirror, Tributing Futsu from hand to Special Summon back Murakumo, activated Futsu’s effect to search for Mitsurugi Great Purification, Set a card to his backrow, and ended his turn. 

With no cards in hand, Douglas drew Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring for turn! He Normal Summoned it and proceeded straight to the Battle Phase. Frazier redirected the attack to Hope Harbinger, but he left all of his monsters in Attack Position, so Ash Blossom was destroyed in battle. This allowed Douglas to activate the effect of Sacred Fire King Garunix in the Graveyard, Special Summoning it and destroying Fire King High Avatar Kirin from his Deck. He then activated Kirin’s effect, Special Summoning Fire King Avatar Arvata from the Graveyard and destroying Murakumo, then used Arvata and Garunix to attack S:P and Hope Harbinger, respectively, before ending his turn. 

Frazier drew a card but ended his turn without making any plays.

Douglas Normal Summoned Mulcharmy Fuwalos, then used all of his monsters to Link Summon Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames! He activated Princess’ effect to Special Summon Sacred Fire King Garunix from his Graveyard, then destroyed another copy of Fire King High Avatar Kirin from his Deck. He activated the destroyed Kirin’s effect, Special Summoning Fire King Avatar Arvata from the Graveyard and destroying Frazier’s face-down Great Purification, and proceeded to the Battle Phase. 

Without a way to defend his Life Points, Frazier conceded.

Duel 2

Frazier chose to go first in the second game, opening with Futsu no Mitama no Mitsurugi, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, K9-04 Noroi, K9-ØØ Lupis, and Called by the Grave. He began by Normal Summoning K9-04 Noroi, activating its effect to Special Summon K9-66a Jokul from his Deck. He activated Jokul’s effect to search for K9-17 Izuna, then used Noroi and Jokul to Xyz Summon K9-17 “Ripper” and search for K9-66b Lantern. He activated Lantern’s effect, Special Summoning it from hand and Noroi from the Graveyard, then activated Lantern’s effect to search for “A Case for K9”. He activated Case, searching for another K9-66a Jokul, then activated Noroi’s effect, sending Case to the Graveyard to reveal Douglas’ hand of Fire King Sanctuary, Fire King Island, Called by the Grave, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, and Fire King High Avatar Kirin. Here, Frazier activated Jokul’s effect, Special Summoning it and Lupis from hand, then used 4 of his monsters to Link Summon Saryuja Skull Dread! He activated its effect, drawing 4 cards and returning 3 cards from his hand to the Deck. He then activated Saryuja’s other effect, Special Summoning Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring from hand. He used Saryuja and the Ash Blossom to Link Summon S:P Little Knight, banishing Douglas’ Fire King High Avatar Garunix from the Graveyard. Finally, he activated Seventh Tachyon, searching for Barrier Statue of the Torrent, before Setting two cards to his backrow and ending his turn. 

During the Draw Phase, Frazier activated Anti-Spell Fragrance! In response, Douglas activated Called by the Grave, banishing Frazier’s Lupis from the Graveyard. Douglas then Normal Summoned Fire King Avatar Kirin, entered the Battle Phase, and attacked Frazier’s S:P Little Knight. Kirin was destroyed in battle, and Douglas activated the effect of Legendary Fire King Ponix in hand to Special Summon itself and search for Fire King Sky Burn, as well as Kirin’s effect to send Miscellaneousaurus from his Deck to the Graveyard. On resolution, Frazier activated his own copy of Called by the Grave, banishing Douglas’ Miscellaneousaurus from the Graveyard! Douglas Set 2 cards to his backrow, as well as one card to his Field Spell Zone, and ended his turn. 

Frazier began by Normal Summoning Barrier Statue of the Torrent and proceeding to the Battle Phase. He attacked Ponix with the Barrier Statue, then attacked Douglas’ Life Points directly with S:P and Ripper, and ended his turn. 

During the Standby Phase, Douglas activated the effect of Ponix to return it from the Graveyard to his hand, but Frazier negated it with the effect of Ripper. Next, Douglas flipped his Fire King Island face-up and activated its effect, destroying Ash Blossom in his hand and searching for Fire King Avatar Arvata. He Normal Summoned Arvata and went straight to the Battle Phase, attacking the Barrier Statue and destroying it! 

In Main Phase 2, Frazier activated the effect of K9-17 Izuna, Special Summoning it from hand but not activating its effect. In response to the summon, Douglas activated Fire King Sky Burn as Chain Link 1, attempting to destroy Arvata and S:P; Frazier Chained the effect of S:P, but Douglas negated it with the effect of Arvata as Chain Link 3! Arvata destroyed the Sacred Fire King Garunix in his hand, then destroyed both Arvata and S:P with Sky Burn. In a new Chain, this allowed Douglas to Special Summon both Fire King Avatar Kirin and Sacred Fire King Garunix from his Graveyard, then destroy another Fire King High Avatar Kirin from his Deck and Special Summon Fire King Avatar Arvata from the Graveyard. Finally, Douglas used Garunix, Arvata, and Kirin to Link Summon Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames, then activated Princess’ effect to Special Summon back Fire King Avatar Arvata from the Graveyard before ending his turn. 

Frazier drew a card for turn, but was unable to push through Douglas’ board with limited resources. Douglas wins the round and moves on with a 2-0 record!