Michael Park from San Francisco, California and Steven Santoli from Hamilton, Ontario are both currently 5-1 in the tournament with interesting Decks. Park is using a Heraldic Beast Ryzeal Deck with new support from Alliance Insight, while Santoli is using a Horus Crystron Deck. Santoli competed in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME World Championship in 2023 and has won 2 YCS events, so he is an accomplished Duelist now piloting a complex Deck. Park hasn’t yet made it into the Top Cut of a YCS event, but he’s hoping that this weekend – with his Heraldic Beast and Ryzeal cards – will be his first time making the Top 32. Park and Santoli are now facing off in this Round 7 Feature Match! It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Santoli went first in Duel 1, and Park activated the effect of Purulia in the Standby Phase. Santoli used the effect of Imsety, Glory of Horus by sending the Imsety and Crystron Smiger from his hand to his Graveyard and added a King’s Sarcophagus from his Deck to his hand and drew a card.

Park then activated the effect of Droll & Lock Bird in his hand. While that could be a hindrance to Santoli, it also prevented Park from being able to draw cards with the effect of his previously activated Purulia. Next, Santoli activated his Sarcophagus and used its effect by discarding Imsety from his hand. He sent Duamutef, Blessing of Horus from his Deck to his Graveyard and then Special Summoned both Horus monsters from his Graveyard. He combined them to Xyz Summon The Zombie Vampire and then detached Duamutef from it to use his Zombie Vampire’s effect. He sent Crystron Sulfador, Crystron Smiger, Crystron Inclusion, and Mulcharmy Fuwalos from his own Deck to his Graveyard, and 4 cards from the top of Park’s Deck to the Graveyard. He Special Summoned the Sulfador as he finished resolving the effect of The Zombie Vampire. He used Sulfador’s effect to send Crystron Cluster and Crystron Tristaros to his Graveyard and then banished Inclusion from his Graveyard to Special Summon Tristaros from his Graveyard. He Tuned Tristaros with Sulfador to Synchro Summon Crystron Eleskeletus. He used its effect to return Crystron Cluster from his Graveyard to his hand. Next, he banished Tristaros from his Graveyard to destroy Eleskeletus and Special Summon two copies of Crystron Sulfefnir from his Deck. He used the Eleskeletus’s effect to Special Summon Tristaros. He combined both copies of Sulfefnir to Xyz Summon Cyber Dragon Nova and then Xyz Summoned Cyber Dragon Infinity by using Cyber Dragon Nova as an Xyz Material. He Set 3 cards to his back row and passed his turn.

Park drew Bonfire and added it to his hand of Ext Ryzeal, Metaltronus, and Heraldic Beast Leo. He Special Summoned Ext by sending Number 18: Heraldry Patriarch from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard and activated the effects of the Patriarch and Ext as Chain Links 1 and 2 respectively. Santoli Chained his Infinity’s effect to try to negate the activation of Ext’s effect, and Park Chained Metaltronus targeting Infinity. Next, Santoli Chained Cluster to destroy his own Infinity, preventing it from being affected by Metaltronus. The activation of Ext’s effect was negated, but Park resolved his Patriarch’s effect to send Heraldic Beast Leo and Heraldic Beast Stad Whale from his Deck to his Graveyard. He used Leo’s effect to add Heraldic Beast Gryphon from his Deck to his hand. Next, he activated Bonfire to add Ice Ryzeal to his hand and Normal Summoned it. He activated its effect, and Santoli Chained his Tristaros’s effect to Special Summon Sulfefnir from his Deck and Tune it with Tristaros. He Synchro Summoned F.A. Dawn Dragster in Attack Position and then Park resolved Ice’s effect to Special Summon Sword Ryzeal. He used Sword’s effect to add Ice Ryzeal from his Deck to his hand and then combined Ice and Sword to Xyz Summon Ryzeal Duo Drive and used its effect to attach Ext from his Graveyard to his Duo Drive as an Xyz Material. Next, he activated Duo Drive’s effect, but Santoli Chained Forbidden Droplet by sending The Zombie Vampire to the Graveyard. He negated the Duo Drive’s effect and halved its ATK. Park Special Summoned Ice Ryzeal from his hand by sending Leo from his hand to his Graveyard, then banished Stad Whale from his Graveyard to Special Summon two Leos from his Graveyard. He combined both Leos to Xyz Summon Number 39: Utopia Double. He entered his Battle Phase and then used his Utopia Double’s effect by detaching an Xyz Material and added Double or Nothing! from his Deck to his hand before Xyz Summoning Number 39: Utopia by using Utopia Double as an Xyz Material. He attacked Dragster with Utopia to destroy it and then attacked directly with Ice and Duo Drive to drop Santoli down to 2200 Life Points.

Santoli Special Summoned Imsety and Duamutef from his Graveyard and then combined them to Summon Number 90: Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord. With no cards to stop any of Santoli’s plays during the turn, Park conceded.

Steven Santoli wins the first Duel of the Match with his Horus Crystron Deck!

Duel Two

Park opened up Duel 2 with Infinite Impermanence, Droll & Lock Bird, Heraldic Beast Leo, Seventh Ascension, and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.

He activated Seventh Ascension to add Seventh Tachyon from his Deck to his hand and then activated Seventh Tachyon. He revealed Number 104: Masquerade from his Extra Deck to add Ext Ryzeal from his Deck to his hand and then put Leo from his hand on the top of his Deck. He Special Summoned Ext from his hand by sending Patriarch from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard and then used the effects of Patriarch and Ext as Chain Links 1 and 2. He added Sword Ryzeal to his hand with the effect of Ext, and sent Heraldic Beast Leo and Heraldic Beast Gryphon from his Deck to his Graveyard with Patriarch’s effect. He used the Leo’s effect to add Heraldic Beast Stad Whale from his Deck to his hand. He Special Summoned Sword Ryzeal and used its effect to add Star Ryzeal to his hand. Next, he Normal Summoned Heraldic Beast Stad Whale and activated its effect by discarding Infinite Impermanence. He added 2 copies of Advanced Heraldry Art to his hand. He combined all 3 of his monsters to Xyz Summon Evilswarm Ouroboros and used its effect to send a Crystron Sulfefnir from Santoli’s hand to his Graveyard. Next, Park Special Summoned Star Ryzeal from his hand by giving up an Xyz Material on Ouroboros and he Set Cross from his Deck with Star’s effect. He flipped Cross, then activated Advanced Heraldry Art. He Special Summoned 2 Heraldic Beasts from his Graveyard and combined them into Duo Drive. He used Duo Drive’s effect to give is another Xyz Material, then used its other effect to give up 2 Xyz Materials and add Node Ryzeal and Ice Ryzeal to his hand. Next, he used Star and Ouroboros to Xyz Summon Eclipse Twins and Special Summoned Node Ryzeal from his hand. He used its effect to send the Twins to the Graveyard and Special Summon Ext. Twins’s effect activated, allowing him to Special Summon Ouroboros with Patriarch attached. He used Ouroboros’s effect by detaching Patriarch to force Santoli to send Imsety from his hand to his Graveyard. Next, he used Patriarch’s effect to send Gryphon and Leo from his Deck to his Graveyard. He activated another Advanced Heraldry Art to Special Summon Leo and Gryphon and combined them to Summon Number 69: Heraldry Crest. He copied Ouroboros’s effect with it, then detached an Xyz Material to force Santoli to send Crystron Inclusion from his hand to his Graveyard. Next, Park Xyz Summoned Number 69: Heraldry Crest – Shatter Stream over Heraldry Crest. He Xyz Summoned Ryzeal Detonator next, and used its effect to attach Eclipse Twins from his Graveyard to it as an Xyz Material. He then banished Stad Whale from his Graveyard to Special Summon 2 Leos and combined them to Summon Number 60: Dugares the Timeless. He activated its effect to draw 2 cards and discard a Seventh Tachyon.

Santoli drew a card and activated Sales Ban declaring Ryzeal Detonator. He Normal Summoned Tristaros next. He banished Inclusion from his Graveyard to Special Summon Sulfefnir from his Graveyard and then Tuned Tristaros with Sulfefnir to Synchro Summon Crystron Eleskeletus. He activated its effect, but it was negated on resolution by Ryzeal Cross. Next, he banished Crystron Tristaros from his Graveyard to activate its effect and try to destroy Eleskeletus and Special Summon 2 monsters from the Deck; but Park negated it with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Santoli conceded, outmatched by the field Park had made on his first turn.

Michael Park wins the second Duel with his Heraldic Beast Ryzeal Deck! The Match is going to a third and final Duel!

Duel Three

Santoli started off Duel 3 by Normal Summoning Crystron Tristaros and Setting a card to his back row.

Park opened up Duel 3 with Seventh Tachyon, Ryzeal Cross, Mulcharmy Fuwalos, and 2 copies of Advanced Heraldry Art. He drew Infinite Impermanence for his turn. He activated Seventh Tachyon by revealing Number 104 from his Extra Deck and Santoli Chained his Tristaros’s effect to Special Summon Sulfador from his Deck and Tune it with Tristaros to Synchro Summon Eleskeletus. Park added Ext Ryzeal from his Deck to his hand with the effect of Seventh Tachyon and returned a card to his Deck. Santoli used his Eleskeletus to add Tristaros from his Graveyard to his hand and Chained the effect of Droll & Lock Bird since Park had added Ext to his hand. Park Special Summoned Ext from his hand by sending Patriarch from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard and then used Patriarch’s effect to send Gryphon and Leo from his Deck to his Graveyard. He activated Advanced Heraldry Art to Special Summon Leo and Gryphon and then used them as Xyz Materials to Summon Ryzeal Duo Drive. He activated Ryzeal Cross next and then attacked Eleskeletus to destroy it with Duo Drive. Santoli tried to use its effect, but lost out to the effect of Cross when Park detached an Xyz Material from Duo Drive. Park Set a card to his back row and then ended his turn.

Santoli Normal Summoned Tristaros and then used Sulfador’s effect to try to Special Summon it by destroying Tristaros, but Park negated it by using Cross. Santoli used Imsety’s effect by sending it to the Graveyard along with Duamutef and then added the Sarcophagus to his hand and drew a card. He activated the King’s Sarcophagus and then discarded Sulfefnir from his hand to send Hapi, Guidance of Horus from his Deck to his Graveyard. He Special Summoned Imsety and Duamutef from his Graveyard and combined them to Xyz Summon Number 90: Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord. He Special Summoned Hapi next, and then Tuned it with Tristaros. He Synchro Summoned Icejade Gymir Aegirine and then banished Tristaros to use its effect. He destroyed Aegirine to Special Summon Sulfador and Sulfefnir from his Deck. He used Sulfador’s effect to send Crystron Prasiortle and Crystron Thystvern from his Deck to his Graveyard. He then combined Sulfador with Sulfefnir to Xyz Summon Cyber Dragon Nova, then Xyz Summoned Cyber Dragon Infinity over it. He used Infinity’s effect to attach Duo Drive to Infinity as an Xyz Material and then banished Thystvern from his Graveyard to add Crystron Citree from his Deck to his hand, then banished Prasiortle from his Graveyard to Special Summon Citree from his hand. He Special Summoned Crystron Sulfefnir from his Graveyard by sending Cluster from his hand to his Graveyard. Then he used Sulfefnir’s effect to destroy the Sulfefnir, and activated its effect to Special Summon another Sulfefnir from the Deck. Next, he Tuned it with Citron to Synchro Summon Crystron Eleskeletus and used its effect to return Cluster from his Graveyard to his hand. He attacked Ext with Eleskeletus to destroy it in battle and drop Park down to 5400 Life Points. Number 90 and Cyber Dragon Infinity attacked directly next, and Park was forced to use Infinite Impermanence on the Infinity to reduce its ATK and drop down to 800 Life Points after the direct attacks. Santoli Set 1 card in Main Phase 2 and passed his turn.

Park drew a card and Santoli flipped The Black Goat Laughs naming Ext Ryzeal. Park activated Advanced Heraldry Art, and when Santoli negated its activation with Cyber Dragon Infinity, Park conceded.

Steven Santoli advances to Round 8 with a 6-1 record with his Horus Crystron Deck!