Jarred Randolph from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Jonathan Nick from Hazelton, Pennsylvania currently have 6-2 records in the Advanced Format Main Event here at the 300th YCS in Richmond, Virginia. Now, they’re facing off against one another in this Round 9 Feature Match! Randolph is on a Maliss strategy, while Nick is playing a Branded Dracotail Deck. While Branded Dracotail Decks are one of the most popular strategies this weekend, Maliss Decks have mostly fallen out of favor with Duelists since Maliss <Q> White Binder was added to the Forbidden List less than two weeks ago. Randolph is here to prove that Maliss Decks still have what it takes to win a YCS Championship trophy! Only one of these Duelists can win this round and finish Day 1 with a 7-2 record. It’s time to Duel!

Duel One

Nick started off the Duel and Randolph activated the effect of Dimension Shifter in his hand at the start of the Draw Phase, causing all cards that would be sent to the Graveyard during Nick’s turn and the following turn to be banished! Next, Nick entered his Main Phase and activated Branded Fusion. He banished Fallen of the White Dragon and Albion the Shrouded Dragon from his Deck to Special Summon Lubellion the Searing Dragon. He activated its effect by discarding Mulcharmy Purulia from his hand; but Lubellion’s effect was negated when Randolph activated Dominus Impulse from his hand! Nick ended his turn with no other play.

Randolph drew Backup @Ignister and added it to his hand of Maliss <P> Dormouse, Maliss <P> White Binder, and Backup @ Ignister.

He Normal Summoned the Dormouse and activated its effect. He banished Maliss <P> Chessy Cat from his Deck to increase the ATK of his monsters and then paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon Chessy Cat from banishment. He activated Chessy Cat’s effect and banished White Rabbit from his hand to draw Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and Maliss <P> March Hare from his Deck. He paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon the banished White Rabbit and then used White Rabbit’s effect to Set Maliss <Q> GWC-06 from his Deck. He used all 3 of his monsters as Link Materials to Link Summon Maliss <Q> Hearts Crypter and then paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon Dormouse from banishment. Next, he Special Summoned Backup @Ignister. He activated its effect to add Maliss <P> March Hare from his Deck to his hand and discard it. Since it  was banished due to the Shifter’s effect, he paid 300 Life Points to return his banished White Rabbit to his hand with March Hare’s effect. Randolph entered his Battle Phase, and Nick immediately conceded.

Jarred Randolph takes a decisive win in the first Duel after using Dimension Shifter and Dominus Impulse on Nick’s first turn!

Duel Two

Nick started off Duel 2 by activating the effect of Albion the Shrouded Dragon in his hand.

He sent Fallen of the White Dragon from his Deck to his Graveyard, returned Albion to the bottom of his Deck, and drew a card. Next, he Special Summoned Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous from his hand in Defense Position. He activated Rahu Dracotail, and Randolph Chained the effect of Retaliating “C” followed by Mulcharmy Fuwalos. Nick Chained the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate the effect of Fuwalos. Retaliating “C” was Summoned to the field, and then Nick fused Dracotail Urgula from his hand with Dracotail Phryxul from his Deck, and both Fusion Materials were banished due to the effect of Retaliating “C”. Nick Summoned Arthalion and used its effect to return Retaliating “C” to Randolph’s hand. Nick used Cartesia’s effect next, fusing the Cartesia with Arthalion to Summon Secreterion Dragon. He activated the Secreterion Dragon’s effect targeting Cartesia and Fallen of the White Dragon in his Graveyard. Randolph Chained Infinite Impermanence from his hand, targeting the Secreterion Dragon to try to negate its effect; but Nick Chained The Fallen & The Virtuous from his hand. He sent Albion the Branded Dragon from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard to destroy the Secreterion Dragon so that its effect wouldn’t be negated by Infinite Impermanence! Nick resolved its effect to Special Summon Fallen of the White Dragon and return Cartesia from his Graveyard to his Deck. Next, Nick activated Fallen of the White Dragon’s effect to Special Summon Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous from his Deck. He ended his turn with just Fallen of the White Dragon and Incredible Ecclesia on his field, and then Set The Fallen & The Virtuous from his Deck to his field in the End Phase thanks to his Albion’s effect.

Randolph drew Mulcharmy Fuwalos and added it to his hand of Retaliating “C”, Maliss <P> March Hare, and Achichi @Ignister. He activated the effect of Mulcharmy Fuwalos in the Draw Phase and then Normal Summoned Achichi @Ignister. He activated its effect to add Backup @Ignister from his Deck to his hand. He sent Achichi to his Graveyard to Link Summon Salamangreat Almiraj and Nick flipped The Fallen & The Virtuous. He sent Alba-Lenatus the Abyss Dragon from his Extra Deck to his Graveyard to destroy Almiraj and then Randolph passed his turn. In the End Phase, Nick added Branded Fusion from his Deck to his hand with the effect of Alba-Lenatus.

Nick activated Branded Fusion next turn, and Randolph Chained the effect of Retaliating “C” to Special Summon it. Nick banished Fallen of the White Dragon and Albion the Shrouded Dragon from his Deck to Special Summon Lubellion the Searing Dragon and then activated Lubellion’s effect by discarding Branded Fusion. He returned Albion and Fallen of the White Dragon from banishment to his Deck and Fusion Summoned Khaos Starsource Dragon. He used its effect to destroy Retaliating “C” and then switched Incredible Ecclesia and Fallen of the White Dragon into Attack Position. Direct attacks from Khaos Starsource Dragon, Incredible Ecclesia, and Fallen of the White Dragon dropped Randolph down to 2200 Life Points, and Lubellion was unable to attack directly since it had just used its effect that turn.

Randolph drew Infinite Impermanence and then Normal Summoned Backup @Ignister. He used its effect to add Dormouse to his hand and then discarded Retaliating “C”. Next, he banished Dormouse from his Graveyard to Special Summon March Hare from his hand and paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon the Dormouse. He sent March Hare and Backup @Ignister to his Graveyard to Link Summon Cyberse Wicckid. He then used Dormouse’s effect to banish Chessy Cat from his Deck and paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon it linked to Wicckid. He then used the Wicckid’s effect. He banished March Hare from his Graveyard to add Backup @Ignister from his Deck to his hand. He paid 300 Life Points to return March Hare from banishment to his hand, dropping down to 1300 Life Points. Next, Randolph used Chessy Cat’s effect. He banished March Hare from his hand to draw Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and Mulcharmy Fuwalos from his Deck. He then sent Wicckid and March Hare to the Graveyard to Link Summon Transcode Talker and used its effect to Special Summon Cyberse Wicckid back from his Graveyard. He sent Dormouse and Wicckid to the Graveyard to Link Summon Maliss <Q> Red Ransom and used its effect to add Maliss in Underground from his Deck to his hand. He activated Maliss in Underground and used its effect to banish Maliss <P> White Rabbit from his Deck. He paid 300 Life Points to Special Summon the White Rabbit back from banishment. He used White Rabbit’s effect to Set Maliss <Q> MTP-07 from his Deck. Next, he sent all 3 of his monsters to the Graveyard to Link Summon Maliss <Q> Hearts Crypter. He activated its effect to return his banished March Hare to his Deck and banish Nick’s Incredible Ecclesia. Next, he activated the effect of Backup @Ignister to Special Summon it from his hand. He sent it to the Graveyard along with Hearts Crypter to Link Summon Accesscode Talker. He increased its ATK by 3000 by targeting the Hearts Crypter he used as a Link Material with its effect. Then he activated Accesscode Talker’s other effect three times. He banished Almiraj from his Graveyard to destroy Lubellion; banished Transcode Talker from his Graveyard to destroy Khaos Starsource Dragon; and banished Maliss <Q> Hearts Crypter from his Graveyard to destroy Fallen of the White Dragon. Randolph paid 900 Life Points to Special Summon Hearts Crypter back from banishment with its ATK doubled thanks to Hearts Crypter’s effect, bringing his own Life Points down to just 100! Randolph entered his Battle Phase, and then direct attacks from Accesscode Talker and Hearts Crypter wiped out all of Jonathan Nick’s Life Points!

Jarred Randolph takes the 2-0 victory with his Maliss Deck and advances to Day 2 with a 7-2 record!