YCS Sydney 2025 Coverage Top 16 Feature

YCS Sydney 2025 Coverage - Top 16 Feature

The Swiss rounds are over, and so is the first round of Top Cut. 16 players left, and if you lose a match, you’re out!

This round, we have Brock Dale from the sunny Gold Coast and playing at the Good Games there, against Zhuoran Liu, residing in Melbourne, who does not play at local stores. Zhuoran is playing the Mitsurugi variant of Ryzeal, which we haven’t had a chance to show off in a feature match yet - but it’s got a few spots in the Top Cut.

Game 1

Zhuoran has a hand of Node Ryzeal, Ext Ryzeal, Mulcharmy Fuwalos, Infinite Impermanence and Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji.

Brock has a hand of Dominus Impulse, Maliss <C> GWC-06, Maliss <C> TB-11, Book of Eclipse and Allure of Darkness.

Zhuoran starts with Ext Ryzeal, sending Ryzeal Duo Drive from his Extra Deck to the Graveyard adding Sword Ryzeal. He Special Summons Sword Ryzeal and adds Ice Ryzeal. He uses Sword Ryzeal and Ext Ryzeal to Xyz Summon Ryzeal Duo Drive and attaches the Ryzeal Duo Drive that was previously sent as material. Ryzeal Duo Drive is used to add Ryzeal Cross and Ice Ryzeal. Ryzeal Cross is activated, and then Zhuoran Normal Summons Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji adding Mitsurugi Ritual. He discards Mulcharmy Fuwalos to Special Summon Ice Ryzeal and uses Ice Ryzeal and Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji to Xyz Summon King of the Feral Imps - detaching Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji to add Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi. Zhuoran activates Mitsurugi Ritual but Brock has Dominus Impulse to stop it. Zhuoran proceeds with a Special Summon of Node Ryzeal and uses its effect to tribute King of the Feral Imps to Special Summon Sword Ryzeal from the Graveyard. Node Ryzeal and Sword Ryzeal are used to Xyz Summon Ryzeal Detonator, attaching King of the Feral Imps as material. Zhuoran uses Ryzeal Cross, returning Ice Ryzeal and Ryzeal Duo Drive to the Deck and drawing a card. He sets a Spell/Trap and ends his turn.

Brock draws Bystial Druiswurm. He activates Allure of Darkness, drawing Metaltronus and Bystial Baldrake, and banishes the Bystial Baldrake. He sets 4 Spell/Traps and ends his turn

Zhuoran draws and Normal Summons Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Kusanagi and uses its effect to add Mutsurugi Ritual from the Graveyard. Brock activates Meltatronus, targeting the Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Kusanagi - but Zhuoran uses his Ryzeal Detonator to destroy it first. Zhuoran then activates Mitsurugi Ritual to Ritual Summon Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi by sending Futsu no Mitama no Mitsurugi from the Deck to the Graveyard, and then adding Mitusrugi Prayers to the hand. Zhuoran enters the Battle Phase, but Brock activates Book of Eclipse and has to discard his Bystial Druiswurm from the effect of Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi. During the End Phase, Brock activates Maliss <C> TB-11 to Special Summon Maliss Dormouse. Zhuoran’s Ryzeal Duo Drive, Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi and Ryzeal Detonator flip face up and he draws 3 cards. He activates Mitsurugi Prayers, tributing his Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi to Special Summon Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Saji from his Graveyard, which adds another Mitsurugi Prayers. Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi Special Summons itself, adding Mitsurugi Ritual while also destroying the Maliss Dormouse. Still in the End Phase, Brock activates Maliss <C> GWC-06 to Special Summon back Maliss Dormouse.Brock draws Maliss White Rabbit. He attempts to use Maliss Dormouse, but Zhuoran has Ryzeal Detonator and Infinite Impermance - so Maliss Dormouse is destroyed with no effect. With no cards to discard for Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi to use the effect of Maliss White Rabbit; Brock concedes the first game.

Game 2

Brock opens a hand of Dimensional Barrier, Dominus Impulse, Maliss <C> MTP-07, Metaltronus and Called by the Grave

Zhuoran has a hand of Bonfire, Ext Ryzeal, Node Ryzeal, Sword Ryzeal and Mitsurugi no Mikoto, Kusanagi

Brock looks at his hand and has nothing else to do, besides setting his whole hand and ending his turn.

Zhuoran starts his turn with Bonfire, adding Ice Ryzeal - and then Special Summons Ext Ryzeal, sending a Ryzeal Duo Drive from his Extra Deck to the Graveyard. Ext Ryzeal adds Sword Ryzeal, which he Special Summons, adding another copy of Ext Ryzeal. Brock activates Dimensional Barrier, preventing players from summoning Xyz monsters this turn. Zhuoran attacks directly with his Sword Ryzeal for 1500 damage and ends his turn. During the End Phase, Brock activates Maliss <C> MTP-07 to add Maliss Dormouse.Brock draws Dotscaper and then Normal Summons Maliss Dormouse. Zhuoran says they will go to a Game 3.

Game 3

Zhuo has a hand of Ext Ryzeal, Ame no Murakumo no Mitsurugi, Infinite Impermanence and 2 Crossout Designator. Brock has a hand with 2 Mulcharmy Fuwalos, Maliss White Rabbit, Metaltronus and Gold Sarcophagus

Zhuoran will play first. He starts with Ext Ryzeal, sending Ryzeal Duo Drive from his Extra Deck to the Graveyard, adding Sword Ryzeal. He Special Summons Sword Ryzeal and adds Ice Ryzeal. Brock uses Mulcharmy Fuwalos, but Zhoran has Crossout Designator for it - however, Brock has a second copy of Mulcharmy Fuwalos. Zhuoran uses Ext Ryzeal and Sword Ryzeal to Xyz Summon Ryzeal Detonator, attaching Ryzeal Duo Drive as material. Brock draws a Maliss Chessy Cat. Zhuoran sets 2 Spells/Traps and ends his turn.

Brock draws Bystial Baldrake and starts his turn with Maliss Chessy Cat. He uses the effect and Zhuoran will use Ryzeal Detonator, with Brock using Metaltronus as Chain Link 3 and Zhuoran using Infinite Impermanence on Maliss Chessy Cat as Chain Link 4. Brock Special Summons his own Ryzeal Detonator, but does not banish them. Maliss Chessy Cat is used to make Link Decoder and Bystial Baldrake is Special Summoned, banishing Maliss Chessy Cat, which Special Summons itself back. Brock uses Ryzeal Detonator, Maliss Chessy Cat and Link Decoder into Maliss <Q> Red Ransom with Link Decoder returning to the field and Maliss in Underground added from Deck to hand. Maliss <Q> Red Ransom and Link Decoder are used to Link Summon Accesscode Talker. Accesscode Talker banishes Maliss <Q> Red Ransom to destroy a set Crossout Designator with Maliss <Q> Red Ransom Special Summoning itself. Gold Sarcophagus is used to banish Dotscaper from Brock’s Deck, and subsequently is Special Summoned. Accesscode Talker attacks over Ryzeal Detonator, while Maliss <Q> Red Ransom and Bystial Baldrake attack directly. Dotscaper and Maliss <Q> Red Ransom are used to make Knightmare Gryphon, discarding Maliss White Rabbit to set Metaltronus, and since it's co-linked with Accesscode Talker, it draws Dominus Impulse. Brock activates Maliss in Underground, banishing Maliss Dormouse, which Special Summons itself and banishes Maliss White Rabbit, which also Special Summons itself and sets Maliss <C> GWC-06. Accesscode Talker, Maliss White Rabbit and Maliss Dormouse are used to Link Summon Maliss <Q> White Binder, which banishes Ryzeal Detonator, Ryzeal Duo Drive and Sword Ryzeal. Next up, Brock activates Maliss <C> GWC-06, banishing Maliss <Q> White Binder for Maliss <Q> Red Ransom and the Maliss <Q> White Binder returns, also drawing a Triple Tactics Thrust and setting Maliss <C> GWC-06. Maliss <Q> White Binder and Knightmare Gryphon are then used to Link Summon A Bao A Qu, The Lightless Shadow. Brock activates Triple Tactics Thrust to set Dominus Impulse from his Deck before ending his turn.

Zhuo draws and concedes. Brock will be moving to the top 8 with his Maliss Deck.