In the words of our absent comrade: IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS! Alpay Engin won YCS Bochum, the largest European event before this one. He was so annoyed that we had more players at this event he decided he had to win this one too. His opponent is Patrik Rieder who feels like he's always the bridesmaid and never the bride. He's finished highly in multiple YCS events and large-scale European tournaments but has never clinched the win. Could this be the wedding he's waited for? There's not long to wait to find out, so without further cliches: IT'S TIME TO DUEL!
Rieder started things off with Sacred Sword of Seven Stars banishing Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders and searching another. He set a Spell/Trap and passed.
Engin set three cards to his backrow and ended.
Card Trooper was next from Rieder and he sent three to the Graveyard, none of them Dragons. He flipped Sixth Sense and missed, losing a Swift Scarecrow. Sacred Sword of Seven Stars and Cards of Consonance followed for some more cards. Dragon Ravine was activated and pitched Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos to send Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls from the Deck. Blaster was revived by Banishing a Tidal which replaced itself. Blaster attacked and Engin discarded a Swift Scarecrow to end the Battle Phase. In Main Phase 2 Rieder went to Special Summon Redox but Vanity's Emptiness stopped that plan. He set a card and passed.
In the End Phase Raigeki Break took out a set Solemn Warning and Engin's Vanity's Emptiness. He drew and Special Summoned Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders by Banishing Blaster, searching Flamvell Guard and Summoning it. Crimson Blader was next and attacked over Card Trooper before ending.
Rieder's discarded Blaster destroyed Engin's set Raigeki Break and Ravine pitched to send Trigon from the Deck. Rieder set three and passed.
Engin drew and considered his options. He had Return from the Different Dimension face-down and considered how he could possibly win this turn. Choosing to play it safe he attacked with Blader but then flipped the Return! Rieder had a Torrential Tribute to upset his day and in Main Phase 2 Redox returned, while Blaster replaced itself. Sacred Sword of Seven Stars Banished it and after drawing his two cards Engin decided he had nothing to combat Rieder's next turn options and conceded!
Patrik Rieder takes the first game of the final!
Both players knew each other and had an agreement coming in to this match: for games two and three they would both side out their copies of Sixth Sense and Return from the Different Dimension to make things more interesting! Both cards left both player's Decks and we were ready for game two!
Engin started by setting two.
Rieder returned the favour and passed back. Engin had no play.
Rieder used Cards of Consonance and discarded Flamvell Guard. Sacred Sword of Seven Stars was next Banishing Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls which replaced itself. Rieder ended.
Engin passed again and Rieder played Dragon Ravine. When he pitched Tidal Engin had Mystical Space Typhoon on the Chain. Tidal was revived by Banishing Guard and Redox and when Engin tried to play Maxx "C" it was hit by Debunk! Redox searched Dragunity Corsesca which was Summoned and attacked along with Tidal. Main Phase 2 saw Colossal Fighter.
Engin wanted to use his own Giant Hand to beat up Colossal Fighter... it didn't work.
Engin played Ravine and pitched Flamvell Guard to send Redox from the Deck. He passed, clearly annoyed at his hand!
Rieder Special Summoned Redox from the hand and attempted to attack, but ran in to a Swift Scarecrow. In Main Phase 2 Tidal returned and combined with Redox to Xyz Summon Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack. When it hit the field Raigeki Break made sure it didn't stay for long. Rieder passed.
Engin Special Summoned Redox in Defense Position and Normal Summoned Debris Dragon. It fished back Flamvell Guard which, along with Redox, Synchro Summoned Scrap Dragon. Phoenix Wing Wind Blast sent it packing. Ravine discarded to send Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos to the Graveyard and it revived itself. The inevitable Star Eater was next, in Defense Position.
Rieder set his draw to his backrow and passed. Engin used Ravine to send Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms and Banished it to Special Summon Redox from the Graveyard – or would have done if Debunk didn't foil the plan! Dragunity Corsesca was searched from Tempest.
Engin set a Monster and passed.
Rieder revealed it to be Corsesca when he attacked it with Fighter on the next turn, before ending.
Engin used Ravine to drop a Redox from the Deck and then Special Summoned it in defence by Banishing Blaster, which replaced itself.
Rieder Summoned Card Trooper and sent three cards from the Deck – D.D. Crow, Maxx "C" and Trap Stun. He passed.
Engin drew to three in hand and used Ravine to pitch Blaster and send Tempest. He replaced his Ravine with another and pitched Redox to send Tidal.
CARDS EVERYWHERE! Our table judge was not amused!
Redox returned by Banishing Tempest and another found its way to the hand. Blaster was Special Summoned thanks to a Tidal that replaced itself. The two Dragons combined forced to Xyz Summon Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack in Defense Position! It spawned Tokens and lost one of them to destroy Fighter. Star Eater attacked over Trooper and Rieder drew.
Blaster was discarded to destroy Engin's set Vanity's Emptiness and Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders was Special Summoned. Tidal was revived next and both monsters took over the Token and Dracossack. His own Dracossack appeared in Main Phase 2 and destroyed Star Eater .
Engin sent Tidal through Ravine and revived Tempest. Blaster was next and a Banished Redox replaced itself. Dracossack fell and Engin made another of his own in Main Phase 2.
Dracossack was almost blocked from Rieder's Life Points by the wall of Banished cards!
Rieder drew and wanted to Special Summon Tidal from the Graveyard by Banishing Blaster and Redox. Engin used Debunk and another Blaster was added to the hand. Rieder passed.
Engin Tributed his two Monsters for Tidal and attacked for the second game!
Engin evens the score and we're going to the wire for the Championship!
Rieder would kick off the decider with two Spell/Traps while Engin kicked back with Sacred Sword of Seven Stars Banishing Blaster and searching another. He set Debunk and Raigeki Break and passed back.
Rieder went for Cards of Consonance and drew some cards.
Engin set a third backrow and passed back. Rieder had no play.
Engin wanted to Special Summon Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos from the hand by Banishing Redox and Tidal but was hit by Debunk. Water and Earth replaced themselves and we were back with the Austrian.
He added a second Spell/Trap and passed. Engin added a fourth.
We asked Rieder to look 'melancholy'. He did a great job.
Sacred Sword of Seven Stars was flipped and Banished Redox which replaced itself. Blaster was discarded with Trigon to blind hit Debunk. Rieder added a second Spell/Trap and passed with no further play. Engin passed back.
Rieder had another Sacred Sword of Seven Stars with his Redox and fished out the third from his Deck. Dragon Ravine was next and Redox was discarded, sending Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms to the Graveyard. It was Banished to Special Summon Blaster and Engin used Maxx "C". Blaster attacked for 2800 and a third Spell/Trap joined the fray.
Engin finally got a Sacred Sword of Seven Stars and Banished Tidal, searching another. Ravine pitched Redox to utilise the effect and sent Tempest to the Graveyard. It was Banished in an attempt to revive Redox but Debunk ended that plan. Engin ended and discarded Tidal to take his hand down to six.
Rieder's third Sacred Sword of Seven Stars Banished Tempest and searched out Dragunity Corsesca. Debris Dragon was Summoned and Maxx "C" was Chained to the effect. Trigon returned to the field and Raigeki Break from Engin sent the Debris packing. Trigon punched through for 500 and a third backrow was sent. Rieder discarded Blaster to take his hand down to six.
Ravine for Engin discarded Redox to pitch Blaster and passed.
Rieder revived Redox by Banishing Blaster which searched a replacement. Corsesca was Normal Summoned and attacks from all three Monsters were successful, leaving Engin on 1800. Scrap Dragon was Synchro Summoned in Main Phase 2 and Rieder sacrificed his Trigon to take out Ravine. He set to four backrow.
Engin Special Summoned Redox in Defense Position and when he went to use Blaster's effect to search, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast put Redox on top of the Deck. Flamvell Guard was found from the Deck and then discarded with Raigeki Break to destroy Scrap Dragon. Debris Dragon was Normal Summoned and wanted to revive Guard, which it did successfully. Tempest was revived and Torrential Tribute cleared the field! A huge move for Rieder.
In the End Phase Phoenix Wing Wind Blast spun Engin's set, leaving him just two cards in hand and one backrow. Rieder drew and went to revive Blaster but Engin had D.D. Crow! Rieder Chained Trap Stun and then searched Debris Dragon from the Tempest he Banished. He Special Summoned Redox and Summoned the Debris. Star Eater was Synchro Summoned and, knowing that he couldn't use his in-hand Swift Scarecrow when it attacked, Engin offered the handshake!
The imminent Star Eater ended the match and the tournament!
Patrik Rieder is your YCS London champion!