Day 2 has begun here at TEAM YCS Las Vegas! The Duelists competing today are hoping to make it to the Top 8, where they will compete for the title of TEAM YCS Las Vegas winners! This Feature Match showcases two Decks that have been very popular this weekend, with Logan Johnson of Team Despicable 3 playing the Branded Dracotail Deck, and Elliot Horowitz of Team E.A.T. Shifter playing the Vanquish Soul K9 Deck.

Duel 1

Horowitz won the die roll and chose to go first! He began by activating Stake Your Soul! Johnson Chained the effect of Mulcharmy Fuwalos, but Horowitz responded with the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring; Stake resolved and allowed Horowitz to Special Summon Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue from the Deck. Afterwards, Horowitz activated the effect of K9-17 Izuna, Special Summoning it from hand, but when he activated its effect, Shepherd responded with his own Ash Blossom! Horowitz used Hollie Sue and Izuna to Xyz Summon K9-17 “Ripper”, then activated its effect to search for K9-04 Noroi. He Normal Summoned Noroi and Special Summoned K9-ØØ Lupis from Deck, then activated Noroi’s effect, sending Lupis to the Graveyard to reveal Johnson’s hand of Dracotail Pan, Dracotail Horn, and Branded Fusion. Horowitz activated the effect of K9-66b Lantern, Special Summoning it from hand and Lupis from the Graveyard, then used Lantern’s effect to search for “A Case for K9”. He activated Case and searched for K9-66a Jokul, Special Summoned Lupis from the Graveyard, then used four of his monsters to Link Summon Saryuja Skull Dread, allowing him to draw four cards and return three to the bottom of his Deck. 

Next, Horowitz activated the effect of Saryuja, Special Summoning Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love from hand and searching for Vanquish Soul, Start!. He then activated Start!, and activated its effect to search for Vanquish Soul Razen. He used Mad Love to Link Summon Rock of the Vanquisher, then activated its effect to Special Summon Razen from hand and search for Vanquish Soul Heavy Borger. Next, he Special Summoned Borger by returning Razen to hand, activated Borger’s effect to draw a card, then activated the effect of K9-66a Jokul in hand, Special Summoning it and Vanquish Soul Jiaolong. He used Jokul’s effect to search for another copy of Lantern, then used Jokul and Jiaolong to Xyz Summon Imperial Princess Quinquery! Horowitz used Quinquery’s effect to Special Summon back Jiaolong, then proceeded to the End Phase, where he Set Vanquish Soul Snow Devil to the backrow, and ended his turn.

Johnson drew Dracotail Phryxul for turn! During the Draw Phase, Horowitz activated the effect of Borger to draw a card. Johnson began by activating Branded Fusion, sending Fallen of the White Dragon and Dracotail Mululu to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon Lubellion the Searing Dragon! He used Lubellion’s effect, discarding Horn, to use Lubellion and White Dragon to Fusion Summon Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon, then Set Rahu Dracotail and negated the effect of Horowitz’s Ripper. He then activated Rahu, using Dracotail Pan in hand and Dracotail Urgula from Deck to Fusion Summon Dracotail Gulamel! Horowitz Chained the effect of his negated Ripper, allowing him to detach the attached Hollie Sue as cost; activated the effect of Rock of the Vanquisher to add Hollie Sue back to hand; and activated Snow Devil, revealing two attributes in hand! Meanwhile, Johnson Set Ketu Dracotail and Dracotail Sting to his backrow while also destroying Horowitz’s Start! and Saryuja. 

Johnson then activated Ketu, searching for Dracotail Lukias, then used Lukias and Phryxul to Fusion Summon Dracotail Arthalion! He added Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and Dracotail Mululu back to hand, Set Dracotail Flame to his backrow, and used Gulamel’s effect to destroy Horowitz’s Rock of the Vanquisher. Johnson activated the effect of Urgula in the Graveyard, adding Dracotail Phryxul back to hand, then Normal Summoned Phryxul. He Special Summoned back the Lukias and returned Phryxul to hand, then activated Lukias’ effect to search for Dracotail Faimena! Next, Johnson proceeded to the Battle Phase. He used Arthalion to attack Quinquery, but Horowitz activated Jiaolong’s effect to turn Arthalion to Defense Position. Johnson then attacked Quinquery and Borger with Mirrorjade and Gulamel, respectively. During the End Phase, Johnson activated the effect of Mirrorjade, sending The Dragon that Devours the Dogma from his Extra Deck to the Graveyard to banish Horowitz’s Jiaolong, then used Dragon’s effect to search for The Fallen & The Virtuous. He immediately activated Fallen, sending Albion the Branded Dragon to the Graveyard to destroy Horowitz’s Ripper, then Set another copy of The Fallen & The Virtuous to his backrow and ended his turn. 

Horowitz began his turn by activating Stake Your Soul! once again, revealing Hollie Sue in hand; Johnson Chained Dracotail Flame, but Horowitz responded with the effect of Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion, so Horowitz Special Summoned Vanquish Soul Caesar Valius out of the Deck! He then activated Caesar’s effect, destroying Johnson’s face-down The Fallen & The Virtuous. Next, Horowitz Special Summoned Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue from hand, then activated its effect, but Johnson Chained the effect of Ash Blossom! Horowitz Normal Summoned Vanquish Soul Razen and searched for Vanquish Soul Jiaolong, then used Razen’s effect to destroy the Gulamel that was in its column! Horowitz Special Summoned Vanquish Soul Jiaolong from hand, then used Jiaolong and Hollie Sue to Xyz Summon N.As.H. Knight. He activated its effect, attaching Johnson’s Mirrorjade and his own Number 104: Masquerade to it as Xyz Material, then Xyz Summoned CXyz N.As.Ch. Knight. Here, Johnson activated the effect of Dracotail Faimena, using Dracotail Phryxul and Dracotail Mululu in hand to Fusion Summon Dracotail Arthalion! He used Arthalion’s effect to return Horowitz’s CXyz to the Extra Deck, as well as his own Phryxul to hand, then Special Summoned Gulamel back to the field, Set another copy of Rahu Dracotail to his backrow, and negated the effect of Horowitz’s Caesar Valius. Finally, Horowitz activated the effect of K9-66b Lantern, targeting the Jokul in his Graveyard, but Johnson Chained Dracotail Sting, banishing the Jokul! With that, Horowitz conceded the first Duel. 

Duel 2

Horowitz chose to go first once again! He began by revealing Vanquish Soul Jiaolong in hand to Special Summon Vanquish Soul Hollie Sue. He then activated its effect, revealing Jiaolong and Dimension Shifter in hand! Johnson Chained the effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, but Horowitz then activated the effect of K9-17 Izuna in hand, Special Summoning it. Having seen the Dimension Shifter in Horowitz’s hand, and looking down at his and full of Dracotail monsters, Johnson chose to concede the second Duel. 

Duel 3

Johnson chose to go first in the final game! His opening hand contained Dracotail Mululu, Dracotail Faimena, Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous, The Fallen & The Virtuous, and Rahu Dracotail. He began by Normal Summoning Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous, activating its effect to fuse Mululu and Faimena in hand into Secreterion Dragon while Setting Ketu Dracotail and Dracotail Horn to his backrow. On resolution, Horowitz activated the effect of K9-17 Izuna, Special Summoning it from hand and sending  K9-ØØ Lupis to the Graveyard. He then Special Summoned Lupis from the Graveyard, but when he activated its effect on the field, Johnson Chained The Fallen & The Virtuous, sending Albion the Branded Dragon to the Graveyard to banish Lupis! Johnson then activated Ketu, and Horowitz Chained the effect of Retaliating “C”! Johnson resolved Ketu to search for Dracotail Faimena, but elected not to Fusion Summon. Instead, he activated the effect of Secreterion Dragon, returning Faimena to the bottom of his Deck and Special Summoning Dracotail Mululu from the Graveyard. He then activated Rahu, using Dracotail Urgula from Deck and Faimena from hand to Fusion Summon Dracotail Gulamel. Finally, Horowitz activated the effect of Bystial Magnamhut, banishing Johnson’s Albion from the Graveyard and preventing him from accessing another copy of The Fallen & The Virtuous, so Johnson ended his turn. 

Horowitz began his turn by activating “A Case for K9”! However, in response, Johnson activated Dracotail Horn, targeting Horowitz’s Izuna, and Chained Gulamel’s effect, destroying the “A Case for K9” and allowing Johnson to draw a card. Next, Horowitz Normal Summoned Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love and searched for Vanquish Soul, Start!.Here, Johnson activated Cartesia’s effect, using Mululu and Secreterion Dragon to Fusion Summon Khaos Starsource Dragon and destroying Horowitz’s Mad Love and Retaliating “C”!

Horowitz then activated the effect of K9-66a Jokul, Special Summoning it and K9-17 Izuna from hand and sending another Izuna to the Graveyard. He activated Jokul’s effect to search for K9-66b Lantern, but when he activated Lantern’s effect, Johnson responded with the effect of the Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion. Horowitz then used Jokul and Izuna to Xyz Summon N.As.H. Knight, then climbed into CXyz N.As.Ch. Knight. He switched Magnamhut to Attack Position and destroyed Cartesia and Starsource Dragon in battle, then ended his turn. 

Johnson drew Droll & Lock Bird for turn! He Set the Droll face-down, and during the End Phase, Horowitz’s C104 was destroyed.

Horowitz began his turn by Normal Summoning Vanquish Soul Razen! Seeing that, Johnson knew that he could not defend himself, and conceded. 

Horowitz and Team E.A.T. Shifter improve to 8-1 here at TEAM YCS Las Vegas!